Watching Syria’s Violence From A Refuge in Egypt

Egyptian Streets

By Marwan Kamal, contributor, EgyptianStreets.com

I vividly remember sitting down with a Syrian man and his eldest son shortly after he started renting my old apartment in the northern city of Alexandria.

We discussed many topics, including his occupation, his schooling, even his ex-wife and how he met his current wife. However it was the situation in Syria that grasped the conversation.

Historically, Syria and Egypt have always been allies. Historians and Egyptians’ grandparents may even recall Syria uniting with Egypt under the United Arab Republic during Gamal Abdel-Nasser’s reign. Short lived as it was, the friendship did not end there: countless wars and cooperative activities convinced the people of Syria and Egypt that they are very much friends.

Knowing this it is no surprise how many Syrians fled to Egypt. Official reports indicate that more than 100,000 Syrians have settled in Egypt since 2011. Despite difficulties in safely leaving…

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Blow to Cameron’s authority as MPs rule out British assault on Syria | Politics | theguardian.com

Stand down! In a devastating blow to his authority, the prime minister lost a government motion by 272 votes to 285 – an opposition majority of 13 – after dozens of Tory MPs joined forces with Labour. A tally of votes compiled by the Labour whips found that 30 Tory MPs rebelled. Ministers had thought they were secure after a Labour amendment was defeated, in the first vote of the night, by 332 votes to 220, a government majority of 112.

One MP shouted “resign” as the results were read out by the Speaker. Cameron said within minutes of the result that the government would respect the decision of parliament which means that Britain will not take part in military strikes against the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

via Blow to Cameron’s authority as MPs rule out British assault on Syria | Politics | theguardian.com.

UK: Assad will repeat gas attacks if not punished – World – NZ Herald News

(Error in photograph, in that it left out the other mouth that he was speaking from with another version of “truth” at same time)

Britain’s leader has said it is legal and just to launch a military strike against Syria even without authorisation from the United Nations Security Council, arguing that Syria could repeat its alleged use of poison gas if the international community fails to act.

But Prime Minister David Cameron also seemed to slow Britain’s movement toward war, telling legislators in the House of Commons that there is still a sliver of uncertainty over who was behind an alleged chemical attack outside Damascus. He added that Britain would not act if it faced major opposition at the UN’s top security body.

“I think it would be unthinkable to proceed if there is overwhelming opposition in the Security Council,” he said, without going into detail.

via UK: Assad will repeat gas attacks if not punished – World – NZ Herald News.

Alpha faces suit over mining at cemetery « Coal Tattoo

We’ve spent years begging the companies to not destroy this place that is so important to our family history. Our most recent visit made us realize that we have no other recourse but to sue the company for the damages to the cemetery and access road Our visit was astounding, very emotionally impacting. The 100 foot cemetery boundary for Jarrell Cemetery has been seriously violated.” By law, mining is not to be done within 100 feet of the cemetery’s boundaries.  “In my opinion 100 feet isn’t far enough to ensure damage is prevented.

via Alpha faces suit over mining at cemetery « Coal Tattoo.

Poverty saps mental capacity to deal with complex tasks, say scientists | Science | The Guardian

(Some very rich people do the same things – does that mean they have less capacity too, or that you need not be smart to be rich? Research seems to have found out what it wanted to find…)

 

People who are poor expend so much mental energy on the immediate problems of paying bills or cutting costs that they are left with less capacity to deal with other complex but important tasks, including education, training or managing their time, suggests research published on Thursday.

The cognitive deficit of being preoccupied with money problems was equivalent to a loss of 13 IQ points, losing an entire night’s sleep or being a chronic alcoholic, according to the study. The authors say this could explain why poorer people are more likely to make mistakes or bad decisions that exacerbate their financial difficulties.

Anandi Mani, a research fellow at the Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy at the University of Warwick, who led the study, said the findings also suggest how small interventions or “nudges” at appropriate moments to help poor people access services and resources could help them break out of the poverty trap.

via Poverty saps mental capacity to deal with complex tasks, say scientists | Science | The Guardian.

SolidSmack.com – When LEGOS go green: TogetherFarm Creates Stackable Blocks for Modular ‘Anywhere’ Gardens

Ever wonder what a LEGO garden would look like? TogetherFarm founders Matt Stormont, Joe Aakre, and Doug Holcomb have set out to recreate what it means to have a backyard garden through the use of LEGO-inspired bio-plastic building blocks. With a retaining wall design that requires few materials to haul and eliminates the need for tools, fasteners, and time, is this the perfect gardening solution for inner-city gardeners, children, and the elderly?

via SolidSmack.com – When LEGOS go green: TogetherFarm Creates Stackable Blocks for Modular ‘Anywhere’ Gardens.

A Kickstarter project.

 

 

Photos: This Cat Has The World Record For Longest Fur: LAist

This is precisely what your day needs: A look at Colonel Meow, the cat who currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest fur.

Colonel Meow, age two, is a Himalayan-Persian crossbreed with fur that reaches nine inches long. Meow’s fantastically furry features will be part of the newest edition of the 2014 Guinness World Records book, which comes out next month.

via Photos: This Cat Has The World Record For Longest Fur: LAist.

Lebanon Censors a Play About Censorship

Wish this post was satire – sadly it is not.

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

Some officials in this country don’t seem to live in the same place as people who are worried about going by everyday, about explosions and impeding wars.

Instead, they are more worried about how their reputation plays out through a play that doesn’t even target them in a documentary way. A play about censorship was censored by Lebanon’s bureau of censorship. Why?

1) Because the bureau couldn’t grasp the fact that this is satire.
2) Because the man in question doesn’t require his subordinates to stomp their foot in salutation and was offended the play suggested he does.
3) Because our censorship bureau got offended that a play is making fun of them.
4) Because the play in question was, according to the bureau, “not a work of art but a work of shame.”
5) Because even though there’s no law to dictate we can’t criticize the censorship bureau, they…

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