All posts by nedhamson

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

Health agencies say drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis remain a killer in Europe | News | DW.DE | 17.03.2015

As many as 1,000 people a day contract tuberculosis and newer, more drug-resistant strains mean the disease is becoming more difficult to treat.

“MDR-TB (multi-drug resistant TB) is still ravaging the European region, making it the most affected area of the entire world,” Zsuzsanna Jakab, the World Health Organization’s regional director, said Tuesday.

Globally, TB in different strains killed around 1.5 million people in 2013 and the WHO warned last year of “crisis levels” of MDR-TB.

The latest report – a collaboration between the WHO and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control – found infection rates falling in some high-priority countries, while the disease is fighting back in other low-incidence countries.

via Health agencies say drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis remain a killer in Europe | News | DW.DE | 17.03.2015.

Create a Personal Sacred Space in your Home –

For me, a sacred space must be alive. What I’ve observed from other people who share their altars online -don’t you love peeking at people’s lives?! I do!!!- is that their little constructions seem to be an inert space. They don’t sit at it to do anything. People just select a bunch of objects with the “right” colors and symbols, arrange it all to look pretty and then never interact with it. I can’t do such a thing. Why? Because I’m too pragmatic and hate collecting stuff. Everything I own, I must have an active relationship with it; everything must be alive and have a purpose. When I don’t have a relationship with that thing, its presence weighs on my mind; it’s clutter.

via Create a Personal Sacred Space in your Home –.

The biggest privatisation in NHS history: why we had to blow the whistle | Kate Godfrey | Comment is free | The Guardian

Not only was there no formal consultation, but local patients were meant to get no say on this contract at all. The original plan was to sign the deal in March – before people could have their say at the polls. Labour has said it will not let the project go ahead.

The campaign group I work with – Cancer Not For Profit – fought for more time. When the awarding of the contract was put back until June, we thought that we had won a small victory.

Our source heard differently. The project wasn’t delayed, they were told, but simply hushed up. The political implications of pushing through the biggest privatisation in NHS history two months before a general election were too serious. It had to move forward with speed, and if the contract lacked benchmarks or risk management, forget it. It could all be resolved later. (It is the essence of contract law that weaknesses are generally not resolved later.) The only thing being delayed until after May was the announcement, which would now be made in June. And then a gamble that a new government couldn’t go back on a contract already awarded.

“I’m going to publish,” I told the source. “Tell me if you don’t want me to publish.” I never heard from them again.

via The biggest privatisation in NHS history: why we had to blow the whistle | Kate Godfrey | Comment is free | The Guardian.

Netanyahu vows wave of Jerusalem settler homes if elected | Maan News Agency

Creepiest sucking up to right-wing radicals seen yet! Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday that if reelected he will build thousands of settler homes in East Jerusalem to prevent future concessions to the Palestinians.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s general election on a whistle-stop tour of Har Homa, a contentious settlement neighborhood of annexed East Jerusalem, Netanyahu vowed he would never allow the Palestinians to establish a capital in the city’s eastern sector.

“I won’t let that happen. My friends and I in Likud will preserve the unity of Jerusalem,” he said of his ruling right-wing party, vowing to prevent any future division of the city by building thousands of new settler homes.

via Netanyahu vows wave of Jerusalem settler homes if elected | Maan News Agency.

Racism & Slavery: The Perfect Gift For A Lebanese Mother

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

Mother’s day is coming up and the mass hysteria surrounding the perfect gift to get our mothers is on an upward trajectory all this week. Should I get her a new home appliance, or would that send the wrong message? Should I just get flowers, or would that be too tacky?

Well, it seems that the answer is easier than you think. Why don’t you just get a bunch of “help” to your mother, discounts guaranteed?

Posted on Kafa’s Facebook page today is the following screenshot of a text message that a woman named Rola Koubaissy received:

Isn’t that such a good deal? They have special offers on Kenyans and Ethiopians. How is that not even a bargain?

Lebanon isn’t a country where sensibilities towards those of a different skin color are respected. Racism is widely present, sometimes unintentional and sometimes fully intended. All of the country’s migrant workers, especially the darker…

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Murdered Children, The Recurring Riverton Nightmare, and the Elite Picnic in White : Saturday, March 14, 2015

Petchary's Blog

The past couple of weeks have been intense. My apologies for the unanticipated hiatus. We had a fairly major break-in at our yard, which was unnerving, and the repercussions have been painful. We are, however, pulling ourselves back on our feet again and refocusing. As for poor old Jamaica… We are in great pain, I believe. Great pain.

Kayalicia Simpson was murdered in rural St. Thomas. She was over four months pregnant. No one in her family or community was aware of her terrible situation. Kayalicia Simpson was murdered in rural St. Thomas. She was over four months pregnant. No one in her family or community was aware of her terrible situation, apparently.

I have left it too long to talk to you about the killing of our children. Last month, I told you about fourteen-year-old, pregnant Santoya Campbell. Since then, four more children have been killed in terrible circumstances – all involving sexual abuse. Fourteen-year-old Kayalicia Simpson was chopped to death early one morning as she prepared for school at her home in St. Thomas. An…

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Coming Out In Jamaica – Dead Or Alive

Jamaica Woman Tongue

Last Wednesday, I got two emails that forced me to write this column. I’d already been thinking about sharing a schizophrenic email that came in response to last Sunday’s column. Homophobia in Jamaica is still so fierce that even writing about the subject makes people point fingers at you. But my back is broad. So mi just a gwaan.

coming-out-450x429Here’s the first email, which I’ve not edited for punctuation errors, etc. So mi get it, so mi give it: “Hello Ms Cooper, how are you?I am an occasional reader of your column and it seems like homosexuality is one of your favourite topics.Tell me something are you in the closet yourself? If not then why such passion and sympathy for these folks. Well, if i am right and you need a hook up feel free to let me know. Peace, love and respect.”

My response: “Thanks for taking the time…

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