All posts by nedhamson

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

The Gun Report: October 30, 2013 – NYTimes.com

A 15-year-old boy was hit by shotgun pellets while he and his friends were toiletpapering their principal’s home in Estill Springs, Tenn., Monday night. Dale Bryant Farris, 65, who lives two doors down from the principal’s home, fired at least two shots and struck the victim in the foot, knee, hand, thigh and torso. Farris is free on a $125,000 bond.

via The Gun Report: October 30, 2013 – NYTimes.com.

The Gun Report: October 30, 2013 – NYTimes.com

3-year-old Sheine Steine died of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in Frederick, Colo., Monday morning. His mother reported that he had been injured in a fall. The toddler reportedly found a semiautomatic handgun in his parents’ bedroom. The shooting was ruled accidental and no one has been charged.

via The Gun Report: October 30, 2013 – NYTimes.com.

Mistreating The Military-Nearly One Million Veterans To Suffer The Pain Of Food Stamp Cutbacks – Forbes

One wonders, however, if the millions of Americans who are so pleased to see food stamp benefits lowered—with more cuts likely to come— understand the impact this will have on a segment of society that one would be loathe to call ‘freeloaders’ seeking to live on the largesse of their country?

That would be the 900,000 veterans who offered up their lives for their country only to return home to find employment exceedingly difficult to come by—thereby creating the need for food stamps to provide for their families.

via Mistreating The Military-Nearly One Million Veterans To Suffer The Pain Of Food Stamp Cutbacks – Forbes.

Ghana: west Africa’s haven of stability has its own challenges | World news | theguardian.com

Nothing is as simple as the press often depicts…

“Of 55 countries in Africa, Ghana is one of only 13 democracies,\” said George Ayittey, founder of the Free African Foundation. \”And if you apply a strict definition of democracy, Ghana might not make it at all.\”

He said: \”Free and fair elections are not enough to count as a democracy. In Ghana we need to reform the electoral system, our government is bloated – there are more than 80 ministers. Our wage bill for the civil service consumes 70% of government income. And the government is so hungry for money that it slaps tariffs on anything that moves.

\”Ghanaians are overtaxed, and the government is spending like a drunken sailor.\”

It\’s easy to see why Ghana attracts donors, investors and tourists alike – with its political stability and relatively accessible markets. As the regional director for DHL Express Charles Brewer said, he waited one hour to get through immigration at Ghana\’s airport upon arrival for the Economist gathering, which was unacceptable – but if it had been Nigeria, it would have been three hours.

But Ghana still has problems, serious ones, and nobody benefits from papering over the cracks.

via Ghana: west Africa’s haven of stability has its own challenges | World news | theguardian.com.

NSA infiltrates links to Yahoo, Google data centers worldwide, Snowden documents say – The Washington Post

(The key phrase here is the one I bolded. Washington Post has exclusive based on interviews with people who will not allow themselves to be quoted in public. Skynet is not really falling as anyone might guess if they stop and think about how anyone might actually read all that stuff and who is interested in your e-mail or likes on Facebook. But it does sell advertising and folks can get all worked up for their own purposes.)

The National Security Agency has secretly broken into the main communications links that connect Yahoo and Google data centers around the world, according to documents obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and interviews with knowledgeable officials.

via NSA infiltrates links to Yahoo, Google data centers worldwide, Snowden documents say – The Washington Post.

IPS – Women Battle On After Lanka War | Inter Press Service

The battle might have been over four long years ago, but for the women in Sri Lanka’s former conflict zones in the northern and eastern provinces, the war continues.

This struggle is not only about making ends meet, but also about saving their honour. The island nation’s 26-year-long civil war (1983-2009) between the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government forces left many women the sole breadwinners for their families with their menfolk either killed, maimed or gone missing.

via IPS – Women Battle On After Lanka War | Inter Press Service.

Settlers destroy over 600 olive trees in Nablus | Maan News Agency

Does no one care about Israeli Settler terrorism?

Settlers destroyed over 600 olive trees in a Nablus village on Wednesday, a Palestinian Authority official said.

Ghassan Daghlas, an official who monitors settlement activity in the northern West Bank, told Ma\’an that settlers from Yizhar cut down hundreds of olive trees belonging to the Hamad, Hussein and Allan famlies in the village of Einabus.

Settlers also used a chemical agent to destroy the trees.

According to a 2012 report on Israeli settler violence released by the Palestine Center, a Washington-based nonprofit, every year the olive harvest period sees the highest peak in attacks on Palestinian civilians and property.

In 2012, settlers damaged or destroyed over 7,500 olive trees between January and October, according to OCHA.

via Settlers destroy over 600 olive trees in Nablus | Maan News Agency.

Egypt: Draft Law Would Effectively Ban Protests | Human Rights Watch

Would be huge mistake – this is how current government got in power – freedom cannot be protected without freedom to speak and protest…

A draft law on assembly awaiting ratification by the interim president would effectively give the police carte blanche to ban protest in Egypt. The bill would ban all demonstrations near official buildings, give the police absolute discretion to ban any other protest, and allow officers to forcibly disperse overall peaceful protests if even a single protester throws a stone.

via Egypt: Draft Law Would Effectively Ban Protests | Human Rights Watch.

Egypt and Political Satire

Laughter has begun the toppling of many regimes – when you try to stifle it, it turns to anger and… Do you job – get things done – no laughs, no anger

Nervana

Will political satire survive in Egypt? Since January 2011, satirist Bassem Youssef has become Egypt’s most popular comedian. He has poked fun at nearly every one of Egypt’s political elite, and his merciless, biting jokes about ex-president Morsi’s poor performance and bad English have earned him million of fans – and many enemies. Last April, he was briefly arrested for “insulting the president, denigrating Islam and disturbing the peace,” a move that created a global outcry, and even a tense Twitter exchange between the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and the Egyptian presidency.

 Now Mr. Youssef is back after a four-month hiatus, and in his show last Friday he poked “equal fun” at the nationwide fan frenzy that has grown around Egypt’s Defense Minister, General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, in recent months. Mr. Youssef imitated the general’s soft- spoken words and alluded to his rumored political ambition. It did not take long…

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