http://leighnewton.edublogs.org Looking at the country and education. Sat, 04 Oct 2008 06:31:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This comes from a conversation with my teacher aide.  We were talking about democracy and how hard it is to achieve.  I shared my beliefs that you can't have a democracy unless you have a strong opposition, a union movement and freedom of the press.   She wasn't convinced that freedom ... http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/10/04/waiting-in-line-in-azerbaijan/ This free site could be useful for grandfathers in far distant lands who want to play with photos of their grand-daughter.  Thanks Freya (I assume) for posting on Facebook. http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/22/dumpr/ “You must draw a white-hot iron over this Georgian land!…You will have to break the wings of this Georgia! Let the blood of the petit bourgeois flow until they give up all their resistance! Impale them! Tear them apart!” – Vladimir Lenin So commences an article from freelance journalist Michael ... http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/14/a-journalist-in-georgia/ I'm discovering the wonders of connectivity through Twitter - that small tool where you can post 140 character messages to those who are 'following' you. To begin with I had just a few 'friends' on Twitter and I wasn't finding it illuminating reading constant facebook-like status updates.  I knew that some ... http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/13/twitter/ Had a conversation with teacher assistant Esmira, from the Early Learning Centre.  She said that during the Soviet days they were restricted from listening to Western music, rather they only had classical and Soviet music.  Of course, everyone secretly listened to European music stations on shortwave and Esmira loved listening ... http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/13/the-spicks-and-the-specks/ "Azerbaijan introduces internet booths."  Who knows what this means as internet cafes are a part of life here, frequented by many gamers yelling and cheering against each other. On Dick Cheney's visit.  "... Aliyev's talks with the US vice president were likely to focus on issues regarding, not only the security ... http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/13/sundry-things-on-azerbaijan/ "Over 40% of entrepreneurs intend to expand their activity, 51.5% consider it impossible to engage in business without bypassing law in Azerbaijan, over 30% do not consider themselves secured from lawlessness of officials. By results of the poll, almost 50% of entrepreneurs are visited by a representative of state bodies, ... http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/11/a-clue-as-to-how-this-country-works/ One day is quite like another here.  This forecast comes from the BBC international site.  It's a bit boring really. A bit like the predictability of Darwin. http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/10/massive-temperature-swings/ Up the hill from my apartment there is a long flight of steps leading to the next road. I haven't counted but there is probably 200 steps.  By the time I get to the top each morning on my walk to school with my school backpack, I'm certainly feeling the ... http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/08/the-long-flight-of-steps-to-the-next-road/ SOS Georgia is a site that tells the Georgian story in the conflict with Russia.  You have to wonder what Russia has in mind. This is an interactive map of the conflict and here are some images they've put together. http://leighnewton.edublogs.org/2008/09/07/sos-georgia/