Category Archives: Rock on-Peace Out

Labour sweeps to conclusive victory in Oldham byelection | Politics | The Guardian

Labour has comfortably won its first parliamentary byelection since Jeremy Corbyn became leader, storming ahead of Ukip by 10,835 votes in Oldham West and Royton in Greater Manchester.Jim McMahon, the 35-year-old leader of Oldham council, will swap the town hall for Westminster after persuading 17,322 people to vote for him. Turnout was 40.26% – not an embarrassment on a very rainy Thursday in December. McMahon increased Labour’s share of the vote to 62.27%, up 7.49% from the general election in May.

Source: Labour sweeps to conclusive victory in Oldham byelection | Politics | The Guardian

More than 1,000 women in secret Facebook group name men who troll women online – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

More than 1,100 women are tackling online abuse by naming and shaming “trolls” in a Twitter campaign which launched this morning.Members of a secret Facebook group are tweeting out names of more than 150 men who trolled Clementine Ford — with comments including “go to the bathroom and kill yourself” and “bitches like you are the reason why some men are prone to violence” — after a male Meriton employee was fired for calling her a “slut” online.The hashtag #EndViolenceAgainstWomen and screenshots of the abuse would also be included.Within 20 minutes of its launch this morning the hashtag was trending at number one in Australia.Sydney author and columnist Kerri Sackville is leading the charge against the men she has labelled trolls, saying she is sick of seeing women, particularly those in the media, maliciously threatened with rape and murder online.”When you abuse one woman you abuse all of us … I said to my friend there has to be something we can do,” Sackville told the ABC.

Source: More than 1,000 women in secret Facebook group name men who troll women online – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

It’s funny now, after nearly three years of… – One Costume A Day

http://onecostumeaday.tumblr.com/post/134471232099/its-funny-now-after-nearly-three-years-of

It’s funny now, after nearly three years of working on this project, I find that whenever I’m upset, I become strongly, almost viscerally compelled to paint my face. After learning of the San Bernardino and Savannah shootings yesterday, this is what came out. Go be a force of beauty in the world today. And then call your senator, your representative, and support your local organizations working for stricter gun control laws.

RIP to Cynthia Robinson of Sly & the Family Stone | 3CHICSPOLITICO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp8MF1Qqxzo

RIP and get up and dance to the music!

Cynthia Robinson stood out in a band in which every member stood out. She was a funky high priestess wielding a trumpet like a thaumaturgic ramsinga. And she wore a crown, a black afro, that was epic in its sculpted glory. Her presence was majestic. She was one of the first black women trumpet players in a rock band and set the tone for others to follow. But beyond the music, Robinson was commanding figure, not content to stay in the shadows. She was the one that implored us to “get up and dance to the music” and showed us how it was done. Robinson died of cancer this past Monday.

Source: RIP to Cynthia Robinson of Sly & the Family Stone | 3CHICSPOLITICO

From Indonesia, a Muslim Challenge to the Ideology of the Islamic State – The New York Times

“The spread of a shallow understanding of Islam renders this situation critical, as highly vocal elements within the Muslim population at large — extremist groups — justify their harsh and often savage behavior by claiming to act in accord with God’s commands, although they are grievously mistaken,” said A. Mustofa Bisri, the spiritual leader of the group, Nahdlatul Ulama, an Indonesian Muslim organization that claims more than 50 million members.“According to the Sunni view of Islam,” he said, “every aspect and expression of religion should be imbued with love and compassion, and foster the perfection of human nature.”This message of tolerance is at the heart of the group’s campaign against jihadism, which will be carried out online, and in hotel conference rooms and convention centers from North America to Europe to Asia. The film was released Thursday at the start of a three-day congress by the organization’s youth wing in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

Source: From Indonesia, a Muslim Challenge to the Ideology of the Islamic State – The New York Times

Video of the Day: Nicki Minaj recites Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”

When I discussed the role that Minaj plays in the Holy Trinity of contemporary Black girl artists, I noted: “From her wild costumes, to her alter egos, to her body that is consistently read as excessive, Nicki Minaj has always been willing to go against the grain (especially as a rapper in an industry that has been predefined by a specific masculinity) in order to demonstrate the power of Black Girl brilliance.” In October a reporter for the New York Times Magazine disrespected and belittled Minaj and her artistry in order to profile the artist for her affluent magazine. When the story broke that Minaj ended the interview early as a result of the interviewers tone and questions, media outlets framed the situation as one with Minaj as the aggressor; proving that Angelou’s take on how Black women are perceived was dead on.Needless to say I’m thankful that we live in the digital age so that I can relive this moment! Check out the video and read the verses below:“You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise.Does my sassiness upset you?Why are you beset with gloom?‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wellsPumping in my living room.Just like moons and like suns,With the certainty of tides,Just like hopes springing high,Still I’ll rise.Did you want to see me broken?Bowed head and lowered eyes?Shoulders falling down like teardrops,Weakened by my soulful cries?Does my haughtiness offend you?Don’t you take it awful hard‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold minesDiggin’ in my own backyard.You may shoot me with your words,You may cut me with your eyes,You may kill me with your hatefulness,But still, like air, I’ll rise.Does my sexiness upset you?Does it come as a surpriseThat I dance like I’ve got diamondsAt the meeting of my thighs?Out of the huts of history’s shameI riseUp from a past that’s rooted in painI riseI’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.Leaving behind nights of terror and fearI riseInto a daybreak that’s wondrously clearI riseBringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I am the dream and the hope of the slave.I riseI riseI rise.”-Maya Angelou

Source: Video of the Day: Nicki Minaj recites Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”

How an accidental forest saved a village from a storm for the ages | Human Nature – Conservation International Blog

A lot of Filipinos have Typhoon Haiyan stories — recollections of the storm (known locally as Yolanda) that swept through the country in 2013, killing more than 6,000 people and devastating entire towns. The Silonay story is less dramatic than it could have been.“We didn’t evacuate,” Bool said. “The whole community stayed [in Silonay] because we thought that our mangroves will protect us.” And they were right — although the town flooded during smaller typhoons, the mangroves kept Haiyan’s waves at bay.Bool credits hearing about the devastating impact of Haiyan on the town of Tacloban (located on another island) as a wake-up call alerting everyone in her community about the true value of these coastal forests. “It became an eye-opener here, and when they learned how Typhoon Yolanda destroyed Tacloban, and how one island in Samar was spared because of the mangroves.”But their benefits go beyond storm protection — there are everyday victories, too.“It’s where the fish lay their eggs, and that’s why the supply of the fish in our seas is continuous,” said Morel Bool, a Silonay fisherman and Alma’s cousin. “Before there were mangroves here, fishing was quite difficult, and it got to a point that our catch was so limited that we had to venture farther.” Thanks to a growing fish population, dolphins have even begun returning to the area after years of absence.

Source: How an accidental forest saved a village from a storm for the ages | Human Nature – Conservation International Blog

Rise in Early Cervical Cancer Detection Is Linked to Affordable Care Act – The New York Times

Researchers say there has been a substantial increase in women under the age of 26 who have received a diagnosis of early-stage cervical cancer since the health law came into effect in 2010.

Source: Rise in Early Cervical Cancer Detection Is Linked to Affordable Care Act – The New York Times

What Does Belonging Look Like? – Global Gallery – TakingITGlobal

“Isolation is the feeling of sitting alone at the bottom of a well. Connectedness is the feeling of belonging.” Kim SamuelWhen you hear the word belonging, what images come to mind? What memories, feelings and life experiences have informed your personal sense of belonging? How are young people today fostering a culture of belonging and inclusion within your community?A sense of belonging is a human need, like the need for food and shelter and who we are is shaped by the people who we are connected to! Our communities thrive when people feel connected, welcomed, accepted for who they are and supported by those around us.We are interested in reflecting together on the theme of belonging in order to grow a global movement of fostering social connectedness.In the past, geographic boundaries often defined our identities and communities. In a digital age, people are either feeling hyper connected or excluded from opportunities for meaningful connection.We invite your imagination, voice and perspective on depicting visual representations on the theme of belonging so that we tackle the issue of isolation together.Our plan is to curate an online collection and exhibit to showcase at international conferences and events to inspire decision makers in policy making and action. With that in mind, please include a description with the image or video that you submit to provide additional context on the meaning of what you create.

Source: What Does Belonging Look Like? – Global Gallery – TakingITGlobal