Poetry Note #1: Happy Birthday, Mr. Hughes

February 1, 2015 nedhamson 2 Comments

Today is the first day of Black History Month and also the birthday of Langston Hughes, the African American poet and social activist. Google has given him a doodle today, which is really nice.

Mr. Hughes’ Google doodle. At his famous typewriter.

Also on February 1, 1960, four black students began a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. But that’s another story.

The sit-in at a Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, NC by four freshmen at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sparked a series of non-violent protests. By the end of the week, 1,400 students turned up at the Woolworth’s store! They helped to turn the tide against segregation in the South.

Born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri, Langston Hughes moved around a great deal with his grandmother. He followed his father’s wandering footsteps to Mexico and visited West Africa and Europe, before returning to work…

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Creedence Clearwater Revival: Have You Ever Seen The Rain

February 1, 2015 nedhamson

no more rain in Cali! Rad rain in Japan. we need peace like summer rain

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Nelly Furtado – I’m Like A Bird

February 1, 2015 nedhamson 1 Comment

All show-no go - spin, racism, terrorism

Excusing bigotry to run for President?

February 1, 2015 nedhamson 2 Comments

“I don’t chuck people out of my circle or out of my life because they have a different point of view. I don’t drink alcohol, but, gosh, a lot of my friends, maybe most of them, do. You know, I don’t use profanity, but, believe me, I have got a lot of friends who do,” Huckabee said.

“Some people really like classical music and ballet and opera. It’s not my cup of tea. I would like to think that there’s room in America for people who have different points of views without screaming, shouting and wanting to shut their businesses down.”

Such rhetoric is central to Huckabee’s efforts to engage social conservatives.

In recent weeks, Huckabee has picked fights with the White House over President Barack Obama’s friendship with Beyonce Knowles. Huckabee says the Obama daughters should not treat the entertainer as a role model because she is overly sexual.

via News from The Associated Press.

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Egyptian Aak 2015 – Week 5 ( Jan26 – Feb 1)

February 1, 2015 nedhamson

Shaimaa El-Sabagh died from 3 birdshot wounds
Egyptian prosecutors to examine social media videos of El-Sabagh killing

Nervana

(Funerals have been taking place for those killed in the Sinai attacks – Photo via BBC)

Main Headlines

Monday

Egyptian appeals court convicts and sentences doctor in female genital mutilation case
Egyptian police arrested 516 in anniversary’s unrest
IS affiliate in Egypt claimed the killing of a police officer
Bomb was defused in Cairo’s City Stars
Democratic Current demands sacking of Interior Minister
Sons of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak were released from prison

Tuesday

Shaimaa El-Sabagh died from 3 birdshot wounds
Egyptian prosecutors to examine social media videos of El-Sabagh killing
Egyptian court upholds jail sentences against 3 prominent activists
Egypt’s market hits new six-year record after pound devaluation
Bombing in Upper Egypt and Nile Delta
Militant killed by own bomb in Alexandria
Turkey ‘strongly condemns’ Egypt over crackdown on Jan.25 protests

Wednesday

Egypt boycotts an AU meeting on Libya over the participation of Qatar and Turkey

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bigotry for dollars and that’s the end of that non-storyJan Morgan woman who banned Muslims from gun range as ‘safety’ measure claims business is booming – Americas – World – The Independent

February 1, 2015 nedhamson

Last week, a father and son claimed they were kicked out of Ms Morgan’s range – despite being Hindu. The man tweeted: “My dad and I just got kicked out of a Muslim-free gun range. I’m not Muslim, I’m just brown.”

The Justice Department has declined to comment on the case, but the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas told Fox News it was “more than happy” to proceed with legal action against Ms Morgan if a client who had been turned away came forward.

via Jan Morgan woman who banned Muslims from gun range as ‘safety’ measure claims business is booming – Americas – World – The Independent.

animal rights, Viva!

Timber wolf – The Look | Flickr – Photo Sharing!

February 1, 2015 nedhamson

Timber wolf – The Look | Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

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A Time of Hope

February 1, 2015 nedhamson

Bealtaine Cottage, Ireland

Imbolc is the day that we celebrate the passing of Winter and the return of Spring.

Imbolc marks the seasonal change, where the first signs of Spring and the return of the sun are noted.

A festival of light, to celebrate the return of the sun, now gaining power in its’ ascent from its’ low travail across the horizon.

I walked out across the gardens today, recording in image the day of Imbolc.

The rays of the sun, felt warm upon my face and as I walked away from it, warmed my back.

This renewal that is Imbolc has cast its’ energy upon the land and myself…here I am re-sculpting the beds near the veranda and creating more of a movable pot garden.

The hens in the hen-house are sitting against one wall of the building where the sunlight falls warmly upon them.

Even they are aware of Spring and have begun to…

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All show-no go - spin

What I learnt about inequality after spending time with some of the richest people in the world – Comment – Voices – The Independent

February 1, 2015 nedhamson

deja vu – just tenners at heart who don’t grow up and think thei geat wealth makes the right, special, different – grin – when they fart, it still stinks up the room – ha ha

Blondi – Maria: Maria, you’ve gotta see her

Go insane and out of your mind
Latina, Ave Maria
A million and one candle lights

Ooh, don’t you wanna break her?
Ooh, don’t you wanna take her home?

She walks like she don’t care
You wanna take her everywhere
Ooh, it makes you wanna cry
She’s like a millionaire
Walkin’ on imported air
Ooh, it makes you wanna die

That is their tragedy. But it’s not quite on a par with the tragedy of a mum juggling eight jobs on zero hours contracts. So boo hoo, you might say.

We should pity their separation from the 99 per cent. But not too much – when the next crash happens, let’s not use quantitative easing and the bail-out to super-charge inequality further. Pity democracy, pity people, but don’t pity those with too much money.

via What I learnt about inequality after spending time with some of the richest people in the world – Comment – Voices – The Independent.