All posts by nedhamson

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

Saudi Arabia reports 12 MERS cases; UAE adds 1 | CIDRAP

The three linked cases involved three men from Hofuf, ages 76, 62, and 59, all of them in stable condition. The 76-year-old, who got sick on Jan 19, owns a camel farm, has frequent contact with camels, and drinks raw camel milk, the WHO said. He has no history of exposure to other risk factors.

The 59-year-old and the 62-year-old fell ill on Jan 28 and 29, respectively. Like the older man, they both have other illnesses, and neither was exposed to other risk factors in the 2 weeks before getting sick.

Of the other seven patients noted in the WHO statement, only one is a healthcare worker, and three are foreigners. One patient, an 80-year-old man who lived in Riyadh, died on Feb 1. Another patient, a 62-year-old man from Riyadh, has no symptoms and was identified by tracing and testing contacts of an earlier case-patient.

Aside from the asymptomatic patient and the man who died, all the patients were in stable condition, the WHO reported.

In a third statement yesterday, the WHO added a few details on the MERS case in a 55-year-old man in Qatar, which was announced Feb 1 by the nation’s Supreme Council of Health. The WHO said he is a foreigner living in the city of Al-Shahaniya who fell ill on Jan 28 and was hospitalized Feb 1.

The man, who is in stable condition, often had contact with camels and goats but has no other known risk factors for MERs and no comorbidities, the WHO said.

The WHO’s current MERS count is 977 confirmed cases, with at least 359 deaths.

via Saudi Arabia reports 12 MERS cases; UAE adds 1 | CIDRAP.

Childhood friends wed after being reunited on blind date 23 years later: Shanghaiist

A man and woman in Jiangyin city, Jiangsu province who first met as kids during a photo shoot and then again on a blind date 23 years later recently tied the knot.

Twenty-seven-year old Liu Tao told reporters that one summer when he was four, the three-year-old daughter of his father’s classmate came to his father’s photo studio and the two were photographed together, People’s Daily reports.

via Childhood friends wed after being reunited on blind date 23 years later: Shanghaiist.

Parking dispute sparks 3 shooting deaths near University of North Carolina, police say

A racist psychopath – Police are trying to determine whether hate played any role in the killing of three Muslims, a crime they said was sparked by a neighbour’s long-simmering anger over parking and noise inside their condominium complex.

Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, describes himself as a “gun toting” atheist. Neighbors say he always seemed angry and frequently confronted his neighbours. His ex-wife said he was obsessed with the shooting-rampage movie “Falling Down,” and showed “no compassion at all” for other people.

His current wife, Karen Hicks, said he “champions the rights of others” and said the killings “had nothing do with religion or the victims’ faith.” Later Wednesday, she issued another statement, saying she’s divorcing him.

via Parking dispute sparks 3 shooting deaths near University of North Carolina, police say.

Mass Rapes Reported in Darfur as Conflict Escalates | Inter Press Service

Several hundred Sudanese government troops were said to have looted the town, severely beat men and boys, and sexually assaulted women and girls.

via Mass Rapes Reported in Darfur as Conflict Escalates | Inter Press Service.

Would the message get though, if several hundred troops had their “manhood” removed!

Longest-serving US senator to skip Netanyahu speech | Maan News Agency

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy accused Republican leaders in the House of Representatives of “unilaterally” arranging and politicizing Netanyahu’s planned address before a joint meeting of Congress on March 3.

Leahy, a seven-term senator, said that by scheduling the speech without input from the White House, Republicans “have orchestrated a tawdry and high-handed stunt that has embarrassed not only Israel but the Congress itself.”

via Longest-serving US senator to skip Netanyahu speech | Maan News Agency.

peanut allergic – Whole Foods Markets, Inc. Recalls Products Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen

Can’t outsource quality and care can you?!?

Whole Foods Markets, Inc. is recalling approximately 33,191 pounds of ready to eat products due to misbranding and an undeclared allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product contains peanut, a known allergen which is not declared on the product label.

The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels (PDF Only)]

16 lb bulk containers of “CHILI, TURKEY AND BLACK BEAN” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

16 lb bulk containers of “CHILI, BRAISED BEEF” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15

24 oz packages of “CHICKEN CHILI BURRITO” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

24 oz packages of “PORK CARNITAS BURRITO” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

24 oz packages of “GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST QUESADILLA” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

10 lb bulk containers of “CHICKEN CHILI VERDE” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

10 lb bulk container of “PORK CARNITAS” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

1.5 lb packages of “CHILI, TURKEY & BLACK BEAN” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

1.5 lb packages of “CHILI, BRAISED BEEF” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

23 oz packages of “BLAZIN’ BEEF CHILI” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15.

10 lb bulk containers of “Beef for Barbacoa (Beef and Onions in Spicy Sauce)” with production dates of 1/14/15 to 2/5/15

via Whole Foods Markets, Inc. Recalls Products Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen.

The No Dig, No Till Garden

Bealtaine Cottage, Ireland

Amethyst Horn at Bealtaine CottageBealtaine Cottage is a permaculture smallholding, as followers of this blog know.

In permaculture we mulch, mulch and carry on mulching, building up the soil as we go.Bealtaine Cottage potager bed

Over the past two years I have been creating Potager gardens near the back of the cottage, using stone found on the land to create raised beds.

Bealtaine Cottage making the Potager beds June 2012 005Into these beds I have packed raw wool, compost, ash, leaf mould and shredding…lots and lots, layer upon layer, of shredding.

Plants are planted into bottomless pots onto the top of all this, so their roots can spread down deep into the goodness!

Bealtaine Cottage Potager bedThis year has seen the extending of these beds to cover yet more of the gravel.

The most useful tool in the permaculture gardens is the shredder!

Bealtaine Cottage potager beds and BuddhaI pile the shredding on the soil, wherever there are plants growing, spreading it around the base and everywhere in-between.

Beaten earth floor in ploytunnel at Bealtaine CottageNot only does this suppress…

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