All posts by nedhamson

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

The Most Important Thing about a Woman Doing Anything is Her Clothes, and Other Rubbish Truths I Learnt from Sports – The Ladies Finger

Truism 1: The most important thing about a woman doing anything, including sports, is her clothes.My parents left no stone unturned in trying to get me to exercise, much to my displeasure. We were members of this swimming club which basically consisted of a pond with uneven mud flooring and water exposed to the elements. Once when I was training for a district camp, our trainer called my father — not my mother — to have a word. In my adolescent enthusiasm, I thought the trainer would discuss my stupendous swimming skills (which I no longer have any illusions about; thank god). However, the subject of the discussion was the plunging back of my one-piece swimming costume. According to the trainer, who was a middle-aged man, my swimming costume was not letting the boys in the pool master that elusive butterfly. My father emerged from the conversation, stomping his feet, angry at the trainer for being sexist. My mother too couldn’t believe the trainer’s stupidity and audacity, sometimes you can’t tell the difference. And I couldn’t believe my swimming costume was causing so much ripple on the surface of that opaque moss-green water. I did not go to the club the next day. But then we saw reason: it’s the only club around, we said. So, there I was again, this time armed — more like, covered — with a random white cloth sewn to the back of my costume.

Source: The Most Important Thing about a Woman Doing Anything is Her Clothes, and Other Rubbish Truths I Learnt from Sports – The Ladies FingerThe Ladies Finger

Colonial nostalgia is back in fashion, blinding us to the horrors of empire | Kehinde Andrews | Opinion | The Guardian

Lest we forget: far from being a benevolent saviour, the British empire was based on the exploitation, murder and devastation of people across the globe. Some notable atrocities include, but are by no means limited to: transatlantic slavery, famines in the British Raj, and brutal settler colonial regimes in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Hundreds of millions of people died as a result of Britain’s vicious regime. The empire collapsed after campaigns, rebellions and revolutions from the people who were oppressed by Britain. The natives did not happily accept colonial rule; they resisted at every turn because they understood the cost of the system to their nations.Walter Rodney’s classic book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, goes into forensic detail as to how colonialism set back the continent by creating political and economic systems that impoverished Africa, with the direct purpose of enriching Europe. Even after independence, Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of liberated Ghana, explained in the 1960s that the economic policies of the country had an “Alice in Wonderland craziness about them”, with Britain extracting all the wealth from the resources of the nation.It is essential that the legacy of the British empire is understood because it still plays a key role in the world today. The devastation of nations by European colonialism goes a long way to explaining extreme poverty and conflict in many parts of the world, and is continued in manifestly unjust trade relations. Reminiscing about the days of empire and pining for Britain to be great again is a device to avoid any reckoning with Britain’s terrible colonial legacy and debt.Perhaps a recognition of the brutality, violence and horror at the dark heart of empire would shake the nation out of its postcolonial melancholia. To acknowledge the dark side of colonialism, however, would destroy the nostalgia that is such a strong part of British imperial identity. It is far easier to get lost in national pride from Olympic success than to reckon with Britain’s history and real place in the world.

Source: Colonial nostalgia is back in fashion, blinding us to the horrors of empire | Kehinde Andrews | Opinion | The Guardian

‘Mr Brexit’ meets Mr Brexit: Nigel Farage to stump with Trump | US news | The Guardian “Racist Birds” Gather together the same feathers – apologies to birds. LOL

Nigel Farage, the anti-EU British politician and former Ukip leader, will appear with Donald Trump at a rally on Wednesday, a week after the US presidential candidate branded himself “Mr Brexit” and tapped one of the leading American supporters of Brexit to run his campaign.The Trump campaign confirmed that Farage would appear with Trump at an evening rally in Jackson, Mississippi, to tell US voters “the Brexit story” of how he triumphed over the electoral odds. Farage will not endorse Trump.Trump hopes to ride to victory a populist wave of nationalist enthusiasm comparable to the movement behind Britain’s June vote to leave the European Union. As leader at the time of Ukip, Farage was a key promoter of the Brexit.

Source: ‘Mr Brexit’ meets Mr Brexit: Nigel Farage to stump with Trump | US news | The Guardian

Leslie Jones faces constant abuse – because that’s how racism works | Rebecca Carroll | Opinion | The Guardian

Ostensibly, the initial attacks were the apex of ongoing negative reaction to Jones starring in the all-female remake of Ghostbusters. Trolls went after her looks, her skin, her body – everything that makes her who she is, and makes her black. She was called an ape. The attacks were unequivocally racist. Twitter issued a bland, cookie-cutter response.But this all didn’t happen just because she did a movie. It was because she is a statuesque dark-skinned black woman, sister in spirit and posture to Nina Simone; elegant in her vocal command, towering with a feverish, ebullient talent that cannot be contained. It’s asinine to say that the racists who are targeting Leslie Jones are Ghostbuster purists, and that’s really what this is all about.And while the New York Times reported that Jones “and her white cast mates have endured months of criticism since the announcement of a reboot of the blockbuster franchise,” those same white cast mates were not called a “big lipped coon”. What stopped one or all of these actors from saying during one of the myriad talk shows they appeared on: “You know what’s not cool? Racism. You know why? Because it targets and maims people we love and respect and live on the planet with.”The film’s director, Paul Feig, did come to her defense, tweeting: “Leslie Jones is one of the greatest people I know. Any personal attacks against her are attacks against us all.” But again, if it really were an attack against us all – assuming he means himself and the rest of the mostly white cast – and it actually felt like an attack in the same way these feel like attacks to Leslie Jones, you can be sure he’d be doing more than tweeting about it. You’ll note he didn’t mention the R-word.Here’s the thing: those who limit their allyship to tweeting their support when we’ve been targets of online racism have absolutely no idea how far removed they are, and yet how intricately tied they are to this thing that is killing us. Racism’s unceasing power lies in the way in which it can weaponise words: now, in 140 characters.By all means up the Twitter support, which is all well and good, but then go deeper. Particularly those in positions of power or who have public platforms – call your friends, call your state representatives, send group emails and reply all to everyone; be vigorous in your accountability and encourage the same in those around you, call into radio shows, launch Kickstarter campaigns, think about ways you can help dismantle racism all the time. Because it is happening all the time.

Source: Leslie Jones faces constant abuse – because that’s how racism works | Rebecca Carroll | Opinion | The Guardian

WikiLeaks posts medical files from rape victims and sick kids, investigation finds | Media | The Guardian

A partially disabled Saudi woman who’d secretly gone into debt to support a sick relative said she was devastated. She’d kept her plight from members of her own family. “This is a disaster,” she said in a phone call. “What if my brothers, neighbors, people I know or even don’t know have seen it? What is the use of publishing my story?”Paul Dietrich, a transparency activist, told the AP that a partial scan of the Saudi cables alone turned up more than 500 passport, identity, academic or employment files.Lisa Lynch, who teaches media and communications at Drew University and has followed WikiLeaks for years, said Assange may not have had the staff or the resources to properly vet what he published. Or maybe he felt that the urgency of his mission trumped privacy concerns. “For him the ends justify the means,” she said.

Source: WikiLeaks posts medical files from rape victims and sick kids, investigation finds | Media | The Guardian

Police force migrant out of German church | News | DW.COM | 24.08.2016

Church leaders in the Germany city of Münster were shocked after police entered a monastery on Tuesday to forcefully remove a migrant seeking church asylum.Police said there was an altercation when they tried to remove the 31-year-old Ghanaian, who bit a police officer when being handcuffed.The police and other local officials said they were merely acting on the orders of the Federal Ministry of Migration and Refugees (BAMF) to deport the man to Hungary.The Ghanaian first registered for asylum in the European Union in Hungary. Under European Union rules, the member state where an asylum seeker is first registered is responsible for processing the application.Church asylum is a tradition in Germany whereby refugees or migrants without legal residence status can be temporarily hosted by parishes. The goal is to prevent someone in hardship or in potential danger from facing the threat of immediate deportation so that their case can be reviewed again.

Source: Police force migrant out of German church | News | DW.COM | 24.08.2016

In Arts and Culture, a ‘New’ Mexico Embraces Its Roots – The New York Times – Her music is wonderful

When the pop singer Natalia Lafourcade stepped onto the stage of National Auditorium here last fall, it was a high point of a career that began more than 10 years ago, when she performed in grunge-inspired attire.But for this concert, Ms. Lafourcade eschewed the ripped jeans. Instead, she wore pants from a Mexican designer and a crown of red roses, paying homage to the artist Frida Kahlo. Halfway through the show, she was joined by a band playing jarocho, a style of folk music from Veracruz.“It was time to connect back with my origins,” said Ms. Lafourcade, 32. “I wanted to infuse my music with Mexican character.”In a country that is struggling with pressing social, economic and political challenges yet possesses a rich cultural heritage, many emerging artists and trendsetters no longer feel compelled to look abroad for inspiration.

Source: In Arts and Culture, a ‘New’ Mexico Embraces Its Roots – The New York Times

Zika, a Formidable Enemy, Attacks and Destroys Parts of Babies’ Brains – The New York Times

The images tell a heartbreaking story: Zika’s calamitous attack on the brains of babies — as seen from the inside.With a macabre catalog of brain scans and ultrasound pictures, a new study details the devastation done to 45 Brazilian babies whose mothers were infected with Zika during pregnancy. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Radiology, is the most comprehensive collection of such images so far, and it reveals a virus that can launch assaults beyond microcephaly, the condition of unusually small heads that has become the sinister signature of Zika.Most of the babies in the study were born with microcephaly, but many of them also suffered other impairments, including damage to important parts of the brain: the corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain; the cerebellum, which plays a significant role in movement, balance and speech; the basal ganglia, which are involved in thinking and emotion.

Source: Zika, a Formidable Enemy, Attacks and Destroys Parts of Babies’ Brains – The New York Times

Raising Money for Clinton, Cher Sounds Off (and Not Just About Trump) – The New York Times

She compared him to Hitler, likened his campaign to a “racist” version of “Fun with Dick and Jane” and even said he evoked the murderous child star in “The Bad Seed.”“I just think he’s” an idiot, Cher said of Donald J. Trump, adding a decidedly unprintable modifier.The crowd in Provincetown, Mass., one of the country’s gay capitals, roared its approval at Cher’s succinct and salty assessment. But the famed singer and actress was not just riffing between songs at a concert: She was introducing Hillary Clinton at a fund-raiser for her presidential campaign.Cher did more than just blister Mr. Trump. She also offered a blunt appraisal of Mrs. Clinton’s strengths and weaknesses. “This chick is just tougher than Chinese algebra,” Cher said of the Democratic nominee.Prompting a mix of nervous laughter and applause, she added: “She is shy, and she’s not the greatest speaker in the world.”

Source: Raising Money for Clinton, Cher Sounds Off (and Not Just About Trump) – The New York Times

Danish MP: EU a bigger threat than Russia – The Local – You have to wonder – who is paying who for good words about Putin? Or are these people who would have also welcomed support for their ideas by Hitler or Stalin?

In an interview with Mandag Morgen, Krarup said that the EU is an existential threat to Denmark and is a much bigger problem than Russia. “For Denmark? Yes, without a doubt. Just Schengen alone is a catastrophe. It’s something that will make Denmark disappear from the world map if we don’t pull ourselves together. That national borders have been disbanded is a threat against Denmark’s existence,” she told the magazine.  She went on to that although she views Russian President Vladimir Putin as “an exponent of an despotic, non-democratic system that we don’t want in Denmark”, she would welcome his help in dismantling the EU in its current form.  “I don’t want an EU like the one we have time. I want the EU buried and replaced by a forum for free trade. That’s our policy. If Putin or Marine Le Pen [France’s most powerful Eurosceptic, ed.] can help with that, that’ just fine,” she told Mandag Morgen, adding she’d also except help from “Satan himself”. This isn’t the first time that Krarup, who is DF’s defence spokeswoman, has made controversial comments about Russia. Last month, she told broadcaster DR that Russia should be viewed as a “future ally” and accused the West of “a demonizing of Putin that has been grotesquely ridiculous and really stupid”.

Source: Danish MP: EU a bigger threat than Russia – The Local