All posts by nedhamson

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

Where Eagles Fly #TanRenga #photography #poetry

penned in moon dust

moon contrail

flight of the eagle
stepping into the world of dreams –
a silent cry

(c) Chèvrefeuille

spirited up to the clouds

drawing lines with the sky

(c) MDW

A Tan Renga is a duet of sorts where one poet echos the primary poet. Kristjaan at Chevrefeuille’s Carpe Diem is constantly stretching the writers to soar with  the eagles.

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Three Years of Female Struggle

Men in Egypt are good and bad – the problem is that good men do little to halt the actions of oafs, rapists, and bullies who target women for abuse to make these weak fools seem strong.

Egyptian Streets

By Nora P. Knobloch, contributor, EgyptianStreets.com
Is there any reason to celebrate the third anniversary of the Egyptian revolution? It is important to ask: what, in human rights, society, or politics, progressed and what has regressed?

It is crucial to observe the complexities in the political struggles that Egypt has witnessed over the past three years. It is also crucial to not become silent that the rights of Egyptian women are continuously ignored.  

Two months ago, Egypt was labeled the “worst Arab country for women” in a (study of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. According to the report, public places increasingly became a commonplace of sexual violence and abuse, especially during the last three years. Another report by the UN declared that more than 99 percent of the female Egyptian population has experienced sexual harassment.

Thus it is important to ask, in relation to the female populace: Where did the progression…

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GM crops containing fish oil nutrients could be grown in UK within months – Telegraph

An obvious plot to replace traditional Fish and Chips, or as some say Fish and Crisps with just chips saturated with Omega-3 fatty acids?

Genetically modified crops rich in fish oil nutrients could be grown in Britain for the first time within just three months after scientists applied to carry out field trials.

The researchers hope to produce the world’s first sustainable plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, normally found in oily fish, by “cutting and pasting” genes taken from marine algae.

Permission could be given within just three months for the team to start sowing the seeds at the same high-security research site in Hertfordshire where GM wheat trials have successfully taken place in the last two years.

The government-funded project is the first step towards developing more food enriched with vital omega-3 fatty acids which are believed to protect against heart disease.

The fish-oil producing crop is part of a first wave of genetically engineered plants designed to provide vital nutrients.

via GM crops containing fish oil nutrients could be grown in UK within months – Telegraph.

Let Go or Be Dragged*

Let it go – easy to say – hard to do – Shavawn helps

lettinggo1

“Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it.” ~ David Foster Wallace

When I ran across the above mentioned David Foster Wallace quote, I laughed. I hooted and pounded my fist on the desk. I thought it was so hilarious, I posted it on my Facebook page where a large number of my posse ‘liked’ it.  Clearly, it hit a raw nerve.

It’s funny, but it’s painfully funny.

Ouch.

Let it go  

I realized I need to stop trying to catch the river of life in my bare hands.

Life must continually move and flow. Otherwise, we stagnate or atrophy. Our souls wither. Letting go is a huge part of that. If we don’t let go and allow ourselves to be changed, we will find ourselves becoming more and more stuck, and end up mired in things that we do not want, rather than…

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Breadcrumbs in Dark Times: Any minute now, everything will change. | Rebelle Society

When the Going Gets Tough…

These days, the rough patch we’re navigating has turned into a very long haul. I believe we’ll weather the changes. I believe we’re strong enough to do so. Still, it’s easy to fall into despair and wish that our journey wasn’t so rife with trouble.

Right now, we’re in a thick soup of changes that rival any changes we’ve weathered in human history. The shit’s hitting the fan — environmentally, economically, emotionally — and everywhere we look, people are losing it. Shooting up the joint. Setting themselves on fire. Totaling their cars. Blowing up their personal lives.

via Breadcrumbs in Dark Times: Any minute now, everything will change. | Rebelle Society.

Time-out in Ukraine | Europe | DW.DE | 23.01.2014

In Kyiv, they\’re trying to pull off a coup,\” he told DW. The government, he added, has reacted \”very cleverly\”. It wants a political solution through negotiations. \”If we\’d wanted it otherwise, we would have settled the protests with violence a long time ago,\” Kalaschnikov said.

Government supporters meet in the Mariyinsky Park

\’Designate a leader\’

Yet the impression that Ukraine\’s police force stands fully behind the president is deceiving. At a blockade just one hundred meters (328 feet) from parliament, two police officers get involved in a discussion with opposition protesters. They\’re wearing black helmets and masks, so that only their eyes can be seen.

\”How should the crisis be solved?\” a man asks.

An officer replies that the opposition should designate a leader to negotiate with the president.

It\’s a line that almost sounds like the opposition.

Fearing he\’d said too much, the police officer glanced around and walked quickly away.

via Time-out in Ukraine | Europe | DW.DE | 23.01.2014.

Eurosurveillance – View Article – Dengue Pandemic watch

In September 2013, dengue virus (DENV) infection was diagnosed in a German traveller returning from Japan. DENV-specific IgM and IgG and DENV NS1 antigen were detected in the patient’s blood, as were DENV serotype 2-specific antibodies. Public health authorities should be aware that autochthonous transmission of this emerging virus may occur in Japan. Our findings also highlight the importance of taking a full travel history, even from travellers not returning from tropical countries, to assess potential infection risks of patients.

via Eurosurveillance – View Article.

WHO | Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – update

Details of the cases are as follows:

A 71 year old man from Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, who became ill on 10 January. He was admitted to hospital on 16 January and is in a critical condition. The patient has a history of exposure to poultry.

A 57 year old man from Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, who became ill on 8 January. He was admitted to hospital on 10 January and is in a critical condition. The patient has a history of exposure to poultry.

A 70 year old man from Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, who became ill on 10 January. He was admitted to hospital on 14 January, transferred to another hospital on 17 January, and is in a serious condition.

A 49 year old male from Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province, who became ill on 13 January. He was admitted to hospital on 17 January, transferred to another hospital on 19 January, and is in a serious condition. The patient has a history of exposure to poultry.

A 39 year old woman from Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, who became ill on 13 January. She was admitted to hospital on 19 January and is in a serious condition.

A 59 year old woman from Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, who became ill on 13 January. She was admitted to hospital on 19 January and is in a critical condition. The patient has a history of exposure to live poultry markets.

A 76 year old man from Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, who became ill on 9 January. He was admitted to hospital on 20 January and is in a critical condition. The patient has a history of exposure to live poultry markets.

A 53 year old man from Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, who became ill on 9 January. He was admitted to hospital on 12 January, transferred to another hospital on 16 January, and is in a critical condition. The patient has a history of exposure to poultry.

A 71 year old man from Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, who became ill on 31 December 2013. He was admitted to hospital on the same day, transferred to another hospital on 8 January, and is in a critical condition.

A 63 year old woman from Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, who became ill on 9 January. He was admitted to hospital on 13 January, transferred to another hospital on 18 January, and is in a critical condition. The patient has a history of exposure to poultry.

The source of infection is still under investigation. So far, there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.

via WHO | Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – update.

El-Beblawi tells Davos Al-Sisi is Egypt’s De Gaulle – Daily News Egypt

“Sisi is under popular pressure to run. This is like De Gaulle, like Eisenhower,” he said, referring to the French and US war heroes who later took political office.

In Egypt, Sisi is viewed as a saviour by the millions who took to the streets against the Muslim Brotherhood, but the followers of the Islamists revile him for what they say was a “coup” against Egypt’s first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi.

via El-Beblawi tells Davos Al-Sisi is Egypt’s De Gaulle – Daily News Egypt.

Everyone wants to do a remake of The Warlord but people are dying for real! Anbar war opens front on Facebook, Twitter – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

A new front has opened in the battle for control of Anbar province. The conflict, which began in late December 2013 when the Iraqi army deployed to the Anbar desert to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), has now expanded to such popular social media platforms as Facebook and Twitter. Activists backing the Iraqi army have established pages supporting the security forces, while tribal fighters battling the army as well as ISIS have created similar pages. They all provide updates of events on the ground, and some do not shy from indulging in incitement against their adversary.

via Anbar war opens front on Facebook, Twitter – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East.