All posts by nedhamson

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

How You Can Help: Typhoon Haiyan

With winds reported at over 145 mph, Typhoon Haiyan has left a trail of devastation across central Philippines. While the extent of damage is still unknown, the death toll is estimated at 10,000 and another 4.3 million people have been affected by the storm.

Organizations are quickly mobilizing to help survivors. Here are a few ways you can support their emergency response:

Donate to support the International Rescue Committee’s emergency response in the Philippines.

Mercy Corps is working with partners on the ground to get emergency supplies and care to survivors. Give today to help their work on the ground.

CARE is delivering food, water, shelter, and other essentials to survivors. Help them reach more survivors with crucial supplies.

The Red Cross has activated its family tracing services, helping families and friends reunite. You can support this work here.

International Medical Corps has been first responder to numerous natural disasters in Southeast Asia, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Support its emergency response teams in the Philippines here.

via How You Can Help: Typhoon Haiyan.

Calif. Company Recalls 90 Tons of Salads, Sandwiches

More than 90 tons of ready-to-eat salads and sandwiches by a California catering company are being recalled after 26 people in three states were sickened by a bacterial strain of E. coli linked to its products, federal health officials said Sunday.

Richmond-based Glass Onion Catering are recalling approximately 181,620 pounds of salads and sandwich wraps containing cooked chicken and ham, the USDA\’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said.

The products were produced between Sept. 23 and Nov. 6, and were shipped to distribution centers in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Texas. The Contra Costa Times reports the company supplies food to Trader Joe\’s, Super Fresh Goods and Delish.

via Calif. Company Recalls 90 Tons of Salads, Sandwiches.

The death of satire?

Egyptian Streets

By Daniel Nour, contributor, EgyptianStreets.com

Egypt’s Bassem Youssef was much more than a mere comic, or an entertainer: as the host of a weekly fake news programme, he was an integral cog in the remaking of Egypt. Youssef exerted a tangible effect on the national consciousness, helping to set the tone of public debate by determining what was appropriate, and, more importantly ‘inappropriate’ for discussion.

That’s why private Egyptian Satellite channel CBC’s recent removal of Youssef from the air is so very worrying. Expert on Egyptian satire, Jonathon Guyer, explains that it was his first episode of “El Bernameg” that was just a little too bold.

“In the first episode, Bassem Youssef delicatedly criticized the Egyptian military and the cult surrounding the chairman of the armed forces, Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil al-Sisi,” explains Guyer, “Bassem Youssef was eating cupcakes with al-Sisi’s face on them and making jokes about…

View original post 309 more words

Nick Clegg tries to shed clean-cut image by dry humping a foam finger during PMQs

Pride's Purge

(satire?)

There was shock and outrage last night after ex-child Disney star Nick Clegg twerked and dry humped a foam finger during Prime Minister’s Question Time in an effort to outgrow his innocent, childish image and appear more rebellious and grown up to his fans.

As part of a calculated attempt to shed his clean Disney image by looking and acting more like an adult, Mr Clegg sparked hundreds of complaints from BBC viewers after he stuck out his tongue and rubbed his butt against David Cameron’s crotch during a live broadcast of Prime Minister’s Question Time.

“I’m nobody’s patsy ,” Mr Clegg told Pride’s Purge in an exclusive interview. “I’m a rebel, a maverick and I do what I want. Yeah – it’s true I’m f**ked up – I have so many f**king issues— but everyone does dumb stuff now and again – especially when they’re messed up. So…

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Let’s be clear – Tory and Lib Dem MPs have decided terminally ill patients should work or starve

Can’t “like” this sort of heinous behavior – gotta end badly for all before change?

Pride's Purge

(not satire – it’s ConDemNation today)

Back in 2011, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs joined together to reject an amendment which would have exempted terminally ill cancer patients from benefit cuts.

They decided that if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness such as cancer – but have been given more than 6 months to live – you will have to work or starve.

Here’s a previous blogpost about that:

The government has finally done something so outrageous even I can’t be bothered to satirise it

This decision by coalition MPs was so outrageous that after intense lobbying, there were some concessions made by the government.

However, in a bizarre piece of upside-down DWP logic, it now seems that if you have less than 6 months to live – you will be refused benefits.

This is from the Chester and Ellesmere Port Foodbank blog:

Jenny

Jenny came to the…

View original post 342 more words

Egyptian Aak. Week 45

Nervana

Main Headlines

 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

View original post 450 more words

Egyptian Aak. Week 45

Nervana

Main Headlines

 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

View original post 450 more words

The Best Picture Out of The 2013 Beirut Marathon

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

Beirut’s Marathon, which takes place yearly in November, is one of those events that exude positivity. After all, endorphins are in wide release with all those people running. Some run for exercise. Others run for causes they are trying to bring awareness to.

I have friends who ran for polio awareness. Others, such as the folks at IDRAAC, ran to advocate for mental health. Pictures were taken and shared. And yet, the best one of them all – the one that brought a smile to my face, and which I hope does to yours as well, is the following:

Who said visually impaired people cannot run a marathon?

With the help of his friend, the man in the above picture was able to do something that many had thought people like him would never be able to do…

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