All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

The Empty Boat by Chuang Tzu – DAILY ZEN

Who can free himself from achievement
And from fame, descend and be lost
Amid the masses of men?
He will flow like Tao, unseen,
He will go about like Life itself
With no name and no home.
Simple is he, without distinction.
To all appearances he is a fool.
His steps leave no trace. He has no power.
He achieves nothing, has no reputation.
Since he judges no one
No one judges him.
Such is the perfect man:
His boat is empty.

-Chuang Tzu

Source: The Empty Boat by Chuang Tzu – DAILY ZEN

Man accused of stealing bulldozer to tear down Biden signs in Florida | TheHill

Bay News 9 reported that 26-year-old James Blight told police he was drunk at the time and did not remember the incident. Residents told the news outlet that Blight stole signs from some houses and destroyed at least one resident’s chain-link fence, while destroying others on his rampage around town.

“This man came onto my property, took the two Joe Biden signs I had in my yard and them came back with a bulldozer to run down my fence,” said Adam Burgess, the town’s former vice mayor, in an interview with Bay News 9.

Source: Man accused of stealing bulldozer to tear down Biden signs in Florida | TheHill

Tube ramps up anti-viral regime with dynamo-powered UV lights 

Over 200 devices that use ultraviolet light to sanitize surfaces are to be installed across London’s sprawling tube network.

In a statement Monday, Transport for London said the technology would be deployed on the handrails of 110 escalators over the next few weeks.

According to TfL, the devices utilizes a “small dynamo” to produce power from the handrail’s movement, which in turn powers the UV bulb used to sanitize its surface.

The rollout comes off the back of a six-week trial at a tube station serving Heathrow Airport. Six escalators at King’s Cross St Pancras have now been fitted with the devices, which will also be used at other major stops such as Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Waterloo.

Source: Tube ramps up anti-viral regime with dynamo-powered UV lights

Nine insect-eating bird species in Amazon in sharp decline, scientists find | Birds | The Guardian

Scientists have found a sharp decline in nine insect-eating bird species in the lowlands of the central jungle in the space of a few decades. No equivalent decline was found among fruit-eating birds. This, they said, indicated that the climate crisis and its effect on insect populations may be to blame. Source: Nine insect-eating bird species in Amazon in sharp decline, scientists find | Birds | The Guardian

Geagea Says ‘No Hope’ in Coming Govt., Denies LF Arming Itself — Naharnet – (Same old results with same old players – bring new movement youth into leadership)

In an interview with Radio Free Lebanon, Geagea said the LF will only grant its vote of confidence to “a government of real independents formed of competent and specialist ministers who know exactly how to work.”

“But it seems that there is no hope in this (new) government, because its formation has started by promising the Shiite duo and the Progressive Socialist Party that they would be granted certain portfolios,” Geagea added.

Source: Geagea Says ‘No Hope’ in Coming Govt., Denies LF Arming Itself — Naharnet

Lack of pre-existing condition coverage could hit Americans’ pockets

According to a 2019 study from Kaiser Family Foundation, an estimated 27% of U.S. adults ages 18-64 have some kind of pre-existing condition. What’s more, about 133 million Americans who are not eligible for Medicare have health conditions that could make them uninsurable if there is no protection for pre-existing medical conditions. That is more than a third of the population. Source: Lack of pre-existing condition coverage could hit Americans’ pockets

Turkey, Iran, Russia benefit from Azerbaijan, Armenia conflict – analysis – The Jerusalem Post

US global leadership suffered another loss in the conflict as Washington showed that for a month it could achieve little and didn’t bother sending high level diplomats. This is part of the Trump strategy of “America first” and not dealing with what he calls “faraway places.” This is a major departure from the rules-based international order envisioned in the 1990s when the US was a global hegemon.

Today Turkey, Iran, Russia and China help determine more regional and global affairs as the US has retreated from dealing with foreign conflicts and what many see as “endless wars.” This has led to unprecedented levels of new conflicts, many of them fueled by countries like Turkey that prod others to use a “might makes right” approach to foreign policy.

The war in Armenia and Azerbaijan is part of that. Frozen since the 1990s, Baku claims that the international community failed to help it get back territories. It tried various processes, such as the “Madrid Principles” and “Minsk Group” talks.

Source: Turkey, Iran, Russia benefit from Azerbaijan, Armenia conflict – analysis – The Jerusalem Post

School meals: Boris Johnson refuses to move on school meal vouchers – BBC News – (the hunger is on you Boris!)

“Yes, we are in receipt of Universal Credit, however due to our low income and having to pay for bills as well as trying to put a meal on the table, the very slight increase on this has not made any difference for us whatsoever.”

Earlier, the children’s commissioner, Anne Longfield, said money going to local councils “gets tied up then in processes, in distribution, in bureaucracies”, and that might not help some children.

She said the beauty of the free school meals scheme “is that it gets directly to children”, adding: “There’ll be children who are desperate for that help and that’s something that really makes this a very urgent priority for Boris Johnson when he gets to his desk today.”

Source: School meals: Boris Johnson refuses to move on school meal vouchers – BBC News

France reports over 50,000 coronavirus cases in single day | New Europe

France reported a record 52,010 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, health authorities said on Sunday. The number of COVID-19 infections in the country has been increasing dramatically for weeks.

France has earlier introduced a mass testing program. According to the latest data, some 17% of people who were tested on Sunday, were found to have the virus.

Source: France reports over 50,000 coronavirus cases in single day | New Europe