OF PROTESTS, SOCKS, ISRAEL, TENNIS

Last week, a student in her final year at the school where I teach was suspended for using a derogatory term to describe the principal within earshot of the principal herself….She had been originally spoken to for having socks on that didn’t conform with the school dress code….Neither of these were very clever actions on her part….For reasons I’m not sure of that student’s mother when informed of her suspension chose to pull her out of school entirely rather than wait until July when the school year ends.

On Friday, a student in my Year 11 English class showed up in class wearing his pants tucked into his socks with black, red, and blue stripes drawn on them….When I asked him why he was doing that as it looked sort of silly, he told me it was to protest what happened to his classmate and her removal from school.

His simple protest, while I don’t agree with as the student admittedly used a foul word to describe the principal and was not expelled but rather suspended and then removed by her mother, was ,however, clever and a creative way to blow off steam that didn’t harm anybody.
It has inspired me to take a further action in a case I’ve been monitoring….Last week, I wrote about my support for UAE’s decision to not issue a visa to an Israeli female player for a tour event in Dubai.

However, since I wrote that, UAE has bowed to pressure and allowed in a male player for next week’s men’s event as well as paying a fine some of which goes to the female tennis player in question….There is talk of taking both the men’s and women’s events away from UAE.

If this was Myanmar or North Korea, I doubt this would have ended the same way….One of the root causes of the dislike and perpetuation of negative stereotypes about Jewish people in the world is the fact that normal justice doesn’t seem to apply to them….Of course, it all starts with Israel’s long history of mass murder and deliberate targeting of women and children.
I’ve been looking for some way to creatively let off my anger at the disgusting colonial regime full of human rights abusers and murderers known as Israel….I mean I no longer pay taxes in the USA but I’ve now come up with something else.

Let me say first that I have a long history with tennis….It’s the only sport I’ve ever been anything above mediocre at and played on and off throughout my life from when I was a kid….I’ve also loved watching it on TV for years….Bjorn Borg was my idol growing up and I had his poster on my wall when I was in junior high school….This decade I’ve admired Roger Federer greatly….I think he might truly be the greatest player I’ve ever seen.

However, I don’t watch it much since I came to Malaysia due to the time difference and not always having access to television….I gave up on women’s tennis a long time ago as the Williams sisters completely turn me off….They are poor sports, display no class, and have the physiques of men….I miss the days of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Navratilova.

Anyway, I’ve decided to boycott tennis….I will still play it and love the game but will no longer watch ATP or WTA events on television….They can support whomever they want but I am also free not to support their decision and do what I want as a viewer.

There,,,I’ve done something….I feel better already!

BAN THE OWNERSHIP OF EXOTIC PETS/WILD ANIMALS

On my other blog, I posted this last year….
http://www.xanga.com/rgdinmalaysia/661512309/society-for-the-prevention-of-cruelty-to-humans/

Of course, domesticated animals such as dogs and cats have been bred specifically for that purpose….They would have a hard time foraging in the wild and have had centuries of pet life in their DNA.

A bigger problem is the keeping of wild animals, exotic animals as evidenced by the recent mauling of a woman by a pet chimpanzee….Of course, the owner of the chimp is a clearly mentally unbalanced woman who slept and bathed with her primate.

But I would argue there is no sane reason to keep an animal like a monkey or a large or poisonous snake or a tarantula or a scorpion….Some people even apply to keep an animal like a tiger.

These animals were not meant to be kept as pets….They are hazardous both to their owners and to neighbors if they escape….They were not meant to be kept in suburban tract homes….Of course, there are those people who are rich enough to afford better conditions for these animals but who would let an animal like a lion suffer the fate of ending up in some foul private zoo like Michael Jackson’s Neverland?

Again, what is the purpose here?….Is this freedom?....It is not overly restrictive to demand a nation’s citizenry not keep dangerous animals.

Currently in Florida, animal control and environmental officials are battling a growing feral boa constrictor population that is decimating local populations of birds, small mammals, reptiles….The origin of the introduction of these large snakes into the wild was through them originally being pets….The famous photo a few years ago of a snake that blew up while eating an alligator was one of these.

There is a growing lack of community among humanity, a growing selfishness and a growing isolation from the affect of an individual’s actions, this is just another example….The causes of this societal dislocation (especially in America)and the greater negative affects if they continue is another blog entry.

I think lawmakers should act now and ban all exotic pets not specifically bred for being a pet and/or a danger to humanity as well as the ecosystem if they were to escape.

ONE LAST GROUP OF BOX MAN PHOTOS

THE BOX MAN - CONCLUSION -THE SUMMING UP

So what were the learning objectives of the Box Man lesson and were they realized?

Well, the Performing Arts/Fine Arts class I teach is supposed to be not only drama but also an introduction to as many different art forms as possible….The Box Man involved several different art forms including drama….On that level it was successful.

Another point of the lesson was for the students to be able to plan their own living space….There was supposed to be an interior design to the box as well as an exterior design as the reading I gave them six weeks ago indicated….Most people in my two year 9 classes understood and did this part of the exercise….Less so in the two Year 8 classes (although many of their projects were also excellent).

Of the foreign students who live in the school hostel, many of them were unable to complete a Box Man due to not having access to boxes….The one hostel student who did complete it had a local student as a partner….If I ever do this again, I will definitely pair hostel students with non-hostel students rather than allowing students to pick their partners.

All in all, it was great fun and I think the students had a chance to stretch their creativity and also their planning skills as they had to design and execute a project.

The arts should be a part of every high school student’s schedule from nursery school to graduation….I have some interesting stuff planned for the rest of this term and especially for next term….

THE BOX MAN PART FOUR -EVEN MORE PHOTOS

THE BOX MAN PART THREE - MORE PHOTOS

THE BOX MAN PART TWO - PHOTOS