Category Archives: Rock on-Peace Out

U.S. Women Go From Gaffe to Gold in 4×100 Relay – The New York Times

Allyson Felix and Tori Bowie powered the defending champions past the Jamaicans, who won silver.

Source: U.S. Women Go From Gaffe to Gold in 4×100 Relay – The New York Times

Burkini ban: The garment’s Australian designer says the French are ‘digging a hole’ for themselves – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Ms Zanetti said that was out-dated thinking, because women were the ones making the decision to buy the swimwear.”I think he is digging a hole for himself where women will be purchasing the garment no matter what,” she said.”If they are banning them in their beaches, [women] should be holidaying in Australia.”The Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) last week filed a complaint against the bans.The group’s spokesman Marwan Muhammad said they restricted fundamental liberties and discriminated against Muslim women. “This summer we are witnessing a hysterical political Islamophobia that pits citizens against one another,” he said.

Source: Burkini ban: The garment’s Australian designer says the French are ‘digging a hole’ for themselves – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Justice Department says it will end use of private prisons – The Washington Post

Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates announced the decision on Thursday in a memo that instructs officials to either decline to renew the contracts for private prison operators when they expire or “substantially reduce” the contracts’ scope. The goal, Yates wrote, is “reducing — and ultimately ending — our use of privately operated prisons.”“They simply do not provide the same level of correctional services, programs, and resources; they do not save substantially on costs; and as noted in a recent report by the Department’s Office of Inspector General, they do not maintain the same level of safety and security,” Yates wrote.

Source: Justice Department says it will end use of private prisons – The Washington Post

Meet Palestine’s animal rights activists | +972 Magazine

Ahmad Safi, a PAL employee, gave us a presentation about their work. I was amazed by the amount of knowledge he had on animals in Palestine. He told us about their rescue operation to save animals from Gaza’s Khan Younis zoo who hadn’t eaten for 52 days during the 2014 Gaza War, and on treating working animals: the volunteers go to villages where donkeys and horses work the land, vaccinate them and instruct the owners about treating them respectfully.They also have a campaign to raise awareness among children about their pets.“We have to break the cycle of violence,” he said. “We have to tell these kids that what they see the occupation doing – killings, incursions and raids into their villages and schools – is not a natural reality. This violence eventually comes out on defenseless animals, and kids think it’s all right because violence is king. Everybody harms the weaker, and animals are an easy target.”“We try to convey to them that we are all living creatures, and we all have feelings – animals and human beings alike, “Sham, a volunteer, explains. “The same way we fear a tank or an armed soldier, they do too. We are under the occupation together, and therefore should help every living creature.”“It says so in the Qura,” Jiwa adds.Our ancestors didn’t eat meatI ask them whether they are vegan – khudaryat, in Arabic, meaning “herbivores.”“Sort of,” says Siham. “I barely eat meat. Since I became involved in this I noticed I don’t like the taste that much.”“I am vegetarian,” says Dana. “I gradually stopped eating murdered stuff, I can’t put in my mouth something that was once living.Sham says she does not proselytize or try to enforce anything on her family. “Palestinian cooking has so many vegetables. Even if they eat meat and I eat salad and rice, I’m happy.”“So many vegetables, yes,” adds Jiwa. “And how can you open a cafeteria without falafel? It has all the iron and protein that you need. Who needs shawarma?”“But meat is a requirement at any special meal,” I say. “Look at the iftar meal after Ramadan. Is there an Arab dinner party anywhere that doesn’t have meat?”“That’s right, Safi says. “We were taught meat was prestigious. But what did our ancestors eat? Plants and vegetables. They ate meat only once a week because they couldn’t afford it. Meat-eaters were considered the rich ones, that’s why it took over our diet. The meat industry here uses hormones profusely, we learned that from Israel. The owner of one of the biggest chicken farms in Palestine said that he learned from Israelis how to feed his chickens a mixture of chicken meat leftovers, intestines, hormones, antibiotics and some seeds, instead of the regular food, to make them fat quickly, and cash in on it. Since when did Palestinian farmers start growing chickens like that? It’s all about the money. Jews and Palestinians want to be as rich as they can.”

Source: Meet Palestine’s animal rights activists | +972 Magazine

Here’s Why Simone Manuel Needed to Bring Up Race At the Olympics | Dame Magazine

The sight of our happiness, achievements and success disrupt the entrenched dehumanization of black girls and women. The only thing more disconcerting than #BlackGirlJoy is #BlackGirlRage. It is no wonder that many are mad that Black women athletes are using their platform to speak truth to power.“I feel unsafe all the time. I had someone follow me home from practice and try to report me to police,” noted Ibtihaj Muhammad, a Black Muslim American women and the first Olympian to wear a hijab. “I’m very vocal about these things because I want people to know I’m not a novelty, I’m not special in any way, I’m a woman who wears hijab and these are my experiences.”Her comments sparked outrage on social media from the Trumpian corner of the nation, which described her comments as “shameful” and “insulting.”The collective voices of Simone, Gabby, Muhammad, and others deepen the power in showcasing talent, skill and dominance, along with one’s political voice. In that spirit of resistance, Manuel, Muhammad, countless women on the USA basketball team, are using their athletic talents and voices to make clear that Black Lives Matter, that Black humanity must be seen, and Black genius is everywhere. In doing so, these Black women are carrying on a proud tradition of Black women at the Olympics who have not been afraid to speak up about racism at a time when much of America wishes they would pretend that their nation’s original sin of slavery and its racist legacies didn’t exist, especially when the eyes and ears of the world are upon them. Their work is reminiscent of the iconic moment when gold-medalist sprinter Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during the American national anthem at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City—a move that was heavily criticized at the time, but has now become a treasured moment in American sports and Civil Rights history.Once again, Black women are giving the world language about protest, freedom and humanity. Only this time—unlike in the Civil Rights and Black Power movements—their voices and views are front and center. As with Black Lives Matter, and protests from Ferguson to Baltimore, from New York to Los Angeles, it is young Black women, who are visibly organizing for justice and change.

Source: Here’s Why Simone Manuel Needed to Bring Up Race At the Olympics | Dame Magazine

Hey Ho, It’s Old: England Embraces Punk Rock 40 Years Later – The New York Times

In July, the singer Viv Albertine of the band the Slits visited the British Library for a talk connected to Punk London. While there, she stopped by the institution’s punk history exhibition to scrawl over the names of prominent female punk artists in permanent marker onto to the show’s signage.Continue reading the main storyRELATED COVERAGEForty Years On, What Does Punk Rock Mean? AUG. 14, 2016FROM OUR ADVERTISERS“What about the women!!” she wrote on a sign, crossing out the names of male punk groups and replacing them with female-driven acts like Siouxsie and the Banshees and X-Ray Spex.The concerts of the summer of ’76 proved a crucible: In the months that followed, punk broke into public consciousness across Britain. The Clash, the Buzzcocks and the Damned gained nationwide attention. And the Sex Pistols became tabloid sensations, both for their wild behavior and their boundary-pushing lyrics, particularly for “God Save the Queen,” an anti-monarchical screed that suggested the queen was the head of a “fascist regime.”

Source: Hey Ho, It’s Old: England Embraces Punk Rock 40 Years Later – The New York Times

Rio 2016: Puig overcomes Kerber to make Olympic history for Puerto Rico | Sports | DW.COM | 13.08.2016

Monica Puig produced a devastating final set to beat Angelique Kerber 6-4 4-6 6-1 in the women’s final and claim gold for Puerto Rico, their first in Olympic history.Puig, ranked 34 in the world, went into the match as the underdog as she faced off against in-form Kerber, the world number two and reigning Australian Open champion.Puig, by contrast, had never made it beyond the quarter-finals in a Grand Slam tournament – and the odds were stacked against her.The 22-year-old claimed the first set as Kerber suffered a shoulder injury. But the German roared back in a close second, only for Puig to run away with the third.Victory for Puig came in a dramatic seventh game of the final set when she saved six break points before taking gold on a fourth match point when a Kerber forehand sailed wide.”Oh my God,” she screamed before breaking down in tears and parading her national flag around centre court.

Source: Rio 2016: Puig overcomes Kerber to make Olympic history for Puerto Rico | Sports | DW.COM | 13.08.2016

For Simone Manuel, Gold Ripples Beyond the Pool – The New York Times

She was just bawling,” Neal said. “She was like: ‘I’m so happy you guys are my teammates. I couldn’t have done this without you guys. I love you.’”Manuel’s sentiments meant the world to Neal, who was disappointed when she did not qualify for these Games in an individual event.“Why I broke down in tears and why I felt so much emotion when she won was because I was there with her every step of the way,” Neal said. “I knew exactly what it took to get to that point and win a gold medal firsthand.”How long will it take for swimming in the United States to become colorblind? Is one gold enough to change the questions Manuel and Neal face?“I think this definitely catapults us many steps forward,” Neal said, adding, “I think just that one medal will bring so many different people into the sport and inspire so many different people.”Manuel, who on Friday qualified for Saturday’s 50-meter freestyle final, said she looked forward to the day when she is known simply as a champion.After the 100 final, she said, “I would like there to be a day where there are more of us and it’s not Simone, the black swimmer, because the title ‘black swimmer’ makes it seem like I’m not supposed to be able to win a gold medal or I’m not supposed to be able to break records.”

Source: For Simone Manuel, Gold Ripples Beyond the Pool – The New York Times

Mónica Puig into Olympics Tennis Final — Repeating Islands

Puerto Rican tennis player Mónica Puig has defied all expectations to win her semi-final match against Czech player Petra Kvitovà to move to the Rio Games ‘women’s singles final match. Mónica, ranked 34 in the world, beat 14th-ranked Kvitovà in three sets (6-4, 1-6, 6-4) to move on to the final. She is guaranteed at […]

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