Category Archives: Uncategorized

Why are veiled women denied entry to bars in Egypt?

Must read!

Egyptian Streets

Egyptian women line up to vote in 2012 Egyptian women line up to vote in 2012

By Anya Vanecek, Aswat Masriya

At the top of Ahmed Orabi Street, seven Americans smiled impishly at the Cairo Jazz Club bouncer. Not one was carrying an ID – or over the minimum age of 25; he didn’t seem to mind. From the centre of the pack, I twirled the hanging ends of my Spanish-styled headscarf. He did mind that. Pointing directly at my covered head, the bouncer demanded I show my ID. Adopting a pointed American accent, I replied, “I don’t carry it with me.” The bouncer scolded me, but allowed me to follow my friends into the club. “Bring it with you next time,” he warned.

Cairo Jazz Club is one of many high-end, alcohol-serving establishments which have come under fire in recent years for turning veiled women away – allegedly for morality’s sake. An article published four years ago by Ashraf…

View original post 800 more words

Natural Woman, Divine Feminine

Caitlin Clarkson, Wolf & Coyote Folk Caitlin Clarkson, Wolf & Coyote Folk

A – Z Challenge – Day 14

Celebrating Our Divinity

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” ― Nora Ephron

OK, so it should be pretty obvious that I am a feminist.

If you don’t know the definition, a feminist believes in the equal rights of women. A feminist is not a ‘man hater’ or in any way, shape or form, dissing men.

Let’s be clear. I think women and men are wonderful creatures – different creatures – but I believe that they are equal in their contributions to life on earth and should be treated as such. Equal pay. Equal rights. Sovereignty over their bodies. Access to education and healthcare and emotional support.

Women are rockin’ awesome and helped build this world from the ground up.

Nobody got here without the help of a woman. And nobody got here…

View original post 632 more words

NEJM Ebola Brief: What does it mean?

Interplay between human activities, bats and other mammals, and environmental changes – increase/decrease in food supplies for bats, deforestation, etc. – is critical to understanding not just ebola but other “outbreak” viruses.

Mens et Manus

Yesterday, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published an article entitled “Emergence of Zaire Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea – Preliminary Report”. The authors found that the strain of Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) that is currently spreading throughout West Africa is significantly different from the ZEBOV strains that we’ve seen before in Gabon and the DRC… Different enough that it ought to be considered a totally different strain of ZEBOV – despite being the same species.

This is where the lingo gets a little confusing.

In short, there are five different species of Ebolavirus. Four of them yield pathogenesis in humans: Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV), Taï Forest ebolavirus (TAFV), Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV), and Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV). A few weeks ago, we learned that the virus responsible for the current outbreak in West Africa shared a lot of genetic similarities with the Zaire species. What was really interesting about this at…

View original post 461 more words

Top Tory Bernard Ingham calls relatives of Hillsborough victims ‘contemptible’

Pride's Purge

(not satire -it’s the Tories)

If I had my way, former chief press secretary to Margaret Thatcher ‘Sir’ Bernard Ingham would be stripped of his title.

After all the title ‘sir’ is supposed to represent honour and respect and there’s nothing honourable or respectful about the way Ingham has over many years consistently abused the people who lost loved ones in such a tragic way in the Hillsborough disaster.

Ingham sent a letter in 1996 to a Liverpool fan whose friend had died in the disaster in which he told grieving relatives that they should “shut up” about Hillsborough:

Hillsborough disaster ‘Shut up about Hillsborough’: Sir Bernard Ingham not sorry for blaming Liverpool ‘mob’ for deaths of the 96

And now yet another disgraceful letter sent by Ingham to a Liverpool fan regarding Hillsborough has come to light.

This letter was revealed by Scott Twigg – and was addressed to his stepfather’s…

View original post 231 more words