All posts by nedhamson

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

Britain braced for long, snowy winter as strongest El Nino since 1950 expected – Telegraph

Winter is coming, and it could be colder and snowier than normal after forecasters predicted that this year’s El Nino weather phenomenon could be the strongest since 1950.Met Office meteorologists said conditions could mirror those of the 2009/2010 winter which was so long and chilly it was dubbed ‘The Big Freeze.’That winter, heavy snowfall brought transport chaos to much of the country with airports closed and train services suspended. In parts of Scotland temperatures dropped to -8.1F (-22.3C) as record 19 inch snowfall fell in the highlands. In December that year, the average UK temperature was just 30F (-1C) the coldest since records began.

Source: Britain braced for long, snowy winter as strongest El Nino since 1950 expected – Telegraph

′I feel ashamed′ – Danes react to refugee crisis | Europe | DW.COM | 14.09.2015

Anti-immigrant sentiment has long pervaded Denmark’s political discourse. Human rights and strong social-democratic values are widely seen as part of the national DNA. But the Nordic country’s small size also makes it a natural underdog on the European stage, which, time and again, has led it to bare its teeth at anyone perceived as posing a threat to its close-knit culture. In some corners – mainly the more culturally homogenous, rural areas – this has given rise to Gaulish opposition to any outsider challenging their idolized idiosyncrasies.For decades, this has landed Brussels on the receiving end. Voters reluctantly agreed to sign the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, but only after securing significant concessions on several issues, including immigration and asylum policies. The kingdom does not like to be lectured.But in recent years, much of this antagonism has been directed at Denmark’s Muslim population, which make up less than 5 percent of the country’s of 5.6 million people. Integration has long been a political buzzword, though many really mean assimilation. In just a little over a decade, the right-wing Danish People’s Party has gone from a fringe movement to second-most popular. As a result, the historically dominant parties – mainly, the center-left Social Democrats and center-right Liberal Party – have moved ever further to the right on immigration issues to prevent an electoral exodus.

Source: ′I feel ashamed′ – Danes react to refugee crisis | Europe | DW.COM | 14.09.2015

“I’m afraid that if the municipality keeps making up more…

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“I’m afraid that if the municipality keeps making up more rules, soon Amsterdam won’t have any street performers left. It’s a shame because we contribute to the atmosphere of the city. Every day we make hundredth’s of people laugh. Yesterday there was an old lady. She might have been over 80 years old. When she saw the amount of bubbles we made she smiled, got up, threw her walking stick on the ground and started dancing between the bubbles.”

Peaking at ninety

Richard Dreselly first hiked to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire in 1941. He has since hiked the 6288 foot summit seventeen times. Now at 90, he climbed for what he says will be his last time. Globe photographer John Tlumacki captured his three day arduous journey amid the stunning mountain views.

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Ninety year-old Richard Dreselly from Topsham, Maine caught his balance while traversing large boulders on Crawford Path on the first day of the hike up Mt. Washington on Sept.7.
(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)