Gaza death toll hits 1,980 as dozens succumb to war wounds | Maan News Agency

A Ministry of Health official warned Friday that the death toll in Gaza was expected to continue to rise as dozens succumbed to wounds sustained during the offensive and more bodies were recovered under the rubble of homes.

Healthy ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said that the death toll had hit 1,980 on Friday with at least 10,181 injured.

Dozens have been added to the death count despite a fragile calm maintained through back-to-back ceasefires in recent weeks.

Al-Qidra said that many of those injured are still in a critical condition, and are not expected to survive their wounds.

The low survival rate is also due in part to the continued lack of appropriate medical supplies and facilities for injured patients, while 18-hour

daily power cuts and a lack of fuel for generators aggravate the condition of those hospitals still functioning.

via Gaza death toll hits 1,980 as dozens succumb to war wounds | Maan News Agency.

Missouri Unrest Leaves the Right Torn Over Views on Law vs. Order – NYTimes.com

{In the late 1950s and 1960s, Governors and sheriffs in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Arkansas used the terms outside agitators and pinkos/reds/commies (communists) for those who advocated for ending segregated schools, stores, restaurants, rest rooms, buses, theaters, water fountains, as well as laws that kept Black Americans from voting, or seeking employment. So I guess, it is clear which side Sean Hannity is on: allow segregation, use dogs, fire hoses, chains, clubs, guns, gas, and false arrest on anyone who disagrees with official racial biases and profiling}

In much of the conservative news media, the protesters in Ferguson are being portrayed as “outside agitators,” in the words of Sean Hannity, the Fox News host.

via Missouri Unrest Leaves the Right Torn Over Views on Law vs. Order – NYTimes.com.

VDU’s blog: Ebola virus may be spread by droplets, but not by an airborne route: what that means

Included in guidelines issued by the WHO (7) and CDC (5) is the need for droplet precautions (Figure). This is very important for healthcare workers, family and other caregivers who stay close and are frequently exposed for lengthy periods of time with severely ill, highly virulent cases of EVD. These cases may actively propel infectious droplets containing vomit and blood across the short distances separating them from caregivers. But this is a form of direct transmission, and is not airborne transmission.

Messaging the masses.

Leaving aside other issues around acquiring a rare disease like Ebola when outside of the current outbreak region, the case definitions and risk assessments have raised confusion. There are questions around how otherwise apparently well-protected healthcare workers in West Africa are acquiring an EBOV. For a virus described as spreading only through direct contact, recommendations for the use of masks, implying airborne spread to many, fuel such questions.  In fact, face protection is recommended to prevent infectious droplets landing on vulnerable membranes (mouth and eyes).

It’s important to pass a message that is correct, but also to ensure distrust does not result from a public reading apparently contradictory literature. Such distrust and real concern have been rampant among a hyperactive social media. Simple, clear phrases like “ebolaviruses cannot be caught from around a corner”, may help uncomplicate the communication lines. And it works on Twitter.

via VDU’s blog: Ebola virus may be spread by droplets, but not by an airborne route: what that means.

‘Good Dad’ Dies After Deputy Tases Him, Everyone Who Knew Him Says They Had The Wrong Guy: LAist

Deputies stopped Parker, who was cycling nearby on Luna Road, around 5 p.m. to question him. The Sheriff’s Dept. said in a press release that the deputy there believed that Parker was possibly “under the influence of an unknown substance,” and that he became “uncooperative and combative.”

NBC Los Angeles reported that Parker allegedly fought a female deputy, leaving bruises on her arms, and she tased Parker multiple times. She and another deputy say they struggled with Parker before they handcuffed him and put him the backseat of the patrol car. They noticed that he was sweating and having trouble breathing, so they called a medical aid to treat him, and then they had an ambulance take him to a hospital, where he died.

“That whole story is totally wrong; that’s just not Dante,” Richard Loredo, a former coworker of Parker’s, told Daily Press. “Dante’s not a burglar … You can see how well his kids were raised; he was a good dad. For the police department to portray him like that is … unfair.”

Parker’s father, Darrell Parker, told NBC Los Angeles: “He was a big, gentle guy. So I don’t understand it. I’m at a loss for words. I miss him already.”

Parker is survived by his wife and five children, including four girls from the ages of 8 to 19, and a 5-year-old boy.

The Sheriff’s Dept. is investigating Parker’s death and have arranged for an autopsy to determine the cause of his death.

via ‘Good Dad’ Dies After Deputy Tases Him, Everyone Who Knew Him Says They Had The Wrong Guy: LAist.

10,000 Israelis demand end to rocket attacks | wft News

two Israelis and a Thai agricultural worker since the fighting began.

At least 1,962 Palestinians, of whom the United Nations says 72 percent were civilians, have also died alongside 64 Israeli soldiers.

via 10,000 Israelis demand end to rocket attacks | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR.

Some one having a little trouble with what’s intolerable. Peace is necessary for everyone – not further occupation or extermination of Palestinians.

Afghan Women’s Writing Project | Biking on the Streets of Kabul

On our second group bike ride in Darlaman, an old man stopped us. To be honest, all of us were scared, but he told us: “You girls raise Afghanistan’s flag. Foreigners will change their minds about Afghanistan when they see you biking around. Let me tell you something, I am in charge of that park right there and I am not allowed to let bicycles inside, but today is a good day, and I am proud of you so I can make an exception!”

These encouragements help us to ignore the judgmental looks from others. Although many people in Afghanistan think a good Muslim girl should never sit on a bike, there are still people who give us a pat on our shoulders. We decided we would smile back at people who encourage us, rather than give up from the harassment that we receive from others. Although it can be a little bit scary to ride in public, if a girl has the courage to ride a bike, the chances that she will be stopped or physically hurt is very low.

I think the most important thing for girls is to take action. There is nothing in either the Qur’an or in our Constitution forbidding girls to ride a bike, so I believe girls should take advantage of biking.

People often ask me why I want to go biking. I tell them it is to make bike riding for girls a part of our culture. Some girls have to walk a long distance to get to their destination and it’s much faster on a bike. Afghanistan doesn’t offer girls many sport options and biking can serve as a perfect option for exercising.

It is unbelievable that in countries like Afghanistan we have to fight to make bike riding for girls acceptable for people or we have to have a complicated philosophy behind simply riding. My generation has to fight, but I hope our next generation gets the right to bike in Kabul freely.

I hope one day the domination of one sex in an activity stops, because a society really develops when both men and women can participate in all the activities. If bike riding for girls is not acceptable for people, it means we have a long way to civilization. Let girls bike, and civilization will be right in front of our doors.

via Afghan Women’s Writing Project | Biking on the Streets of Kabul.

10 Reasons to Exercise & A 30-Day Challenge. | Rebelle Society

1. Keeps you youthful. Cardio exercise such as yoga, jogging, light aerobics, brisk walking or bicycling increase the amount of oxygen consumed during exercise. Studies now show that people who exercise regularly tend to stay healthier as they age — according to Web MD, researchers have found that people who exercise have cells that look much younger under a microscope than people who do not regularly exercise. And we all know, true beauty emanates from the inside out — what’s inside will eventually make its way through.

2. Increases immunity. Regular, mindful workouts (not over-doing it) rev-up the immune system. Research shares that the average adult has two to three upper respiratory infections each year. However, studies found that people with a regular exercise routine report fewer colds and infections. And a strong immunity keeps us saying yes to life and all its invitations.

3. Prevents heart disease. An inactive lifestyle is one of the top risk factors for heart disease. Physical activity helps to keep you at a healthy weight and can reduce your chances of developing  conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. And a healthy heart could just translate into healthier relationships.

4. Eases-up asthma. According to a study in the UK, eight out of ten people with asthma aren’t doing enough exercise. Mindful and appropriate exercise for asthmatics can actually improve your lung capacity, which can help to manage asthma.

5. Controls blood sugar and lower diabetes. Moderate exercise makes your heart beat faster. When this happens, your muscles use more glucose, the sugar in your blood stream. Over time, this can lower blood sugar level and  help the insulin in your body work better.

6. Helps to prevent cancer. New studies show that there is strong evidence that exercise is associated with reduced risk of cancers of the colon and breast, and reduces the risk of endometrial/uterus, lung, and prostate cancers.

7. Alleviates stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever and can boost your feel-good endorphins — and distract you from daily, arbitrary worries.

8. Relieves menopausal symptoms. Moderate and frequent exercise has proven to improve the quality of sleep and elevate mood. It may also relieve night sweats, by reducing stress and balancing out hormones.

9. Protects men’s health. According to a study shared on Web MD, men who found time for five or more hours of exercise a week (just under an hour a day), whether job-related or for fun, were 30% to 50% less likely to develop an enlarged prostrate than those who exercised fewer than two hours a week.

10. Prolongs life. Researchers have found that moderate exercise, such as walking or bicycling, can substantially reduce your risk of early death.

And, just think — these are only 10 of the benefits of moving your body! Find what works best for you and the best part? You don’t have to over do it. Thirty minutes of sincere, moderate exercise every day will offer you life-affirming benefits.

via 10 Reasons to Exercise & A 30-Day Challenge. | Rebelle Society.