SECTION THREE: ARTICLES AND LETTERS
- Richard Heinberg on the Recession
- Offerings at Homeadowsong Farm, local homeschooling group
- Responses from Ellen’s Egypt Trip Report (including one from the Muslim tour guide!)
- Cindy Sheehan reports from Gaza
Richard Heinberg on the Recession
Sent by Mike Murphy, our salonista in Maysville, KY
and article by the peak oil guy, Richard Heinberg (e.g. "The party's over", "Peak Oil", etc.) entitled
"Temporary Recession or the End of Growth". Check it out
http://heinberg.wordpress.com/?s=208
Local Homeschool Group with fascinating offerings
Homemeadowsong Farm is a real farm here on Gray Road and they offer special educational opportunities for children who are homeschooled. I homeschooled with David Judah for 3.5 years (3rd through 6th grades) and loved it. It is much easier than you’d think, and good for the child. The announcement below makes good reading. Ellen
Work and Play at Homeadow Song Farm
Programs for Home Schooled Children
Wednesday’s 8:30 – 3:00
If you want to give your children an opportunity to grow into capable
responsible adults give them an opportunity to be children first! This is an
arts-enriched, place-based, hands on program for children 6 – 12. Our day is
rich with stories and song. We take care for our land, our animals and each other.
We are currently making toys, building things, cooking foods and making natural
dyes with things we harvested earlier in the year, and we play! We observe
insects, plants, and other wildlife. We reverently utilize and preserve the
gifts our land and our community bestows on us. Our hearts are happy in this beautiful place and
supportive social setting.
Little Red Hen’s Early Mornings
Play-based program for young children ages 4 and up
Mondays and Tuesdays, 8:30am – 1pm
Your youngsters’ senses will be nurtured in this well-structured ‘play oriented’
homestead environment. Each day follows a well-defined rhythm: First we feed
and care for of our animal friends, Bonito the bunny and the chickens: Fluffy,
Speck, Speckle, Russie, Strarling and Marko the rooster. We collect their eggs
and play “How many eggs did the chickens lay?” On Mondays we wash our hands and
get ready to make bread. After the little loaves are formed into an array of
shapes and placed in our outdoor wood-fired oven to bake. There is always much
anticipation when it is time for mid-morning snack! On Tuesdays we will provide
artistic and outdoor experiences carding wool, woodworking, finger knitting,
drawing and more. Story, poem, song, and puppetry are woven throughout the
morning. We have a lovely outdoor play area as well. Thus, your child will most
likely hum a little tune while setting the table and washing up for a delicious
organic lunch and wholesome conversation.
For information about programs, tuition or to enroll please contact:
Vicki Mansoor
Telephone: 513-542-1745 extension: # 2
Email: victrolala@cinci.rr.com
Web Site: www.homeadowsongfarm.com
Coming soon: One-day fruit tree care and pruning workshop with biodynamic farmer/gardner, Charles Griffin and beekeeping gettogethers.
If you have interests in these, please let us know.
In addition, we are looking to build a wood firing kiln; so let us know if you know where we can find fire brick looking for a good home.
We thank all of you who have given us wool, silks, pottery equipment, towels, beekeeping equipment and more!. Have a wonderful New Year!
More kind responses to My Egypt Trip Report (you can read it at http://www.lloydhouse.com):
Dear Ellen, From one of your silent readers and admirers I send you a grateful thank you for your insights into Egypt and those beautiful pictures. Your generosity and talent shared in the newsletter is much appreciated. With gratitude, Anne Mercier
....
Wow, really loved reading your travel log. Here are some reactions/thoughts:
Reading your reactions to seeing the filth and desolation brought back memories for me of my Egypt experience, and even of my experiences in Kenya (especially regarding trash). Also, seeing all of the men around, and feeling strange about the gender roles. I didn't notice any of that as a teenager, but certainly did in my later trips. I keep remembering what a religion professor, a Quaker, said to me once at Earlham: "I love Quakerism, but I don't tend to like or admire fellow Quakers. I really like and admire the Muslims I've met, but hate the Muslim religion. Only in Judaism, do I love and admire both the religion and the people I know." Knowing him, I suspect that what he hated about Islam was what it had to say about women.
It is also so true that the ancient Egyptians are gone; it's obvious in so many ways- as you said, not only do the images not look like them, but their language and religion are from Arabia, not derived from ancient Egyptian language or religion in any direct way. And yet, any modern Israeli child can read the 2000 yr old Dead Sea scrolls, and we still worship the same god as Moses. Other than the Chinese (?), aren't we the only group surviving from ancient times relatively 'intact'? Is remarkable, especially considering how many times there were active campaigns to destroy us.
I loved reading about your positive spiritual experiences- I was so disappointed for you when you said that it was less than you had expected. The experience of Ramses IV sounded thrilling. You always tell it like it is (I'm more prone to telling even myself lies), which makes reading this stuff all the more exciting. I know you aren't the least bit delusional and are open to both it being great and it being a total sham. Love that about you. Even if everyone else is saying, "Oooh, this is great" you aren't afraid to say the Emperor has no clothes. So when you say you see the clothes, I believe it!
I totally agree about Jordan. Loved the people there during both of my visits to Petra. My Israeli friend, Shachar, told me once, "We have a cold peace with Egypt but a warm peace with Jordan." He said that it was because Jimmy Carter forced the first one, but that the latter was initiated by the two countries themselves. I say, even a cold peace is better than no peace!
My favorite quote from your piece: "If Switzerland makes Ohio look like a dump, Egypt makes Ohio look like Switzerland." So true! Also, "For all our poor taste at times, and our crazy conceits, we are more individualistic than anyone else." And your joy returning home. All rings true. In Jeremy's day care, they do things like go around the room and each 2 yr old leads the group in their favorite song, or each child says what they did over the weekend. We take for granted that we should have an individual voice and that this is a very good thing.
Big love and happy new year,
Anna (my daughter in Denver)
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From Mohammed Fayed, our tour guide: Commenting on Homosexuality among Unmarried Egyptian Men
Dear Ellen,
Thank you so much for your wonderful article, it was very interesting to read. I have one minor correction to a very untrue statement you wrote.
You wrote: "According to our guide, the average Muslim man marries in his mid to late twenties, and has no sexual experience outside his marriage throughout his life. One of our group suggested this makes for rampant pre-marital homosexuality and an angry, violent young male population. The Islamic culture doesn’t consider homosexuality a sin for the man doing the penetration, according to my source. Where does that leave the other guy?"
In Islam homosexuality IS a very major sin that is even worse than adultery or pre-martial sex. Even though the average Muslims doesn’t marry until their mid to late twenties, that doesn’t translate to being angry and violent population. The human’s brain is the gift that God bestowed upon us to be distinguished from animals. With our minds we control our actions and learn how to restrain and control ourselves. The primary purpose of sex in Islam is to reinforce the loving marital bond between husband and wife. Sex is an act which requires commitment and responsibility. The requirement of marriage before sex ensures that sense commitment and responsibility within a couple’s life.
We deal with beautiful and amazing ladies from all over the world each year. We joke around, have fun, and interact with each other. We view them as human beings and not sexual beings. The goal is to deal with that person and not to get them in bed. In any act; your actions depend on your goals. If your goal is to have intercourse with someone, you actions will be based on that, but if you are looking to deal with someone on a personal basis, of course your actions will be based on that too.
One of the major mistakes that we do is judging others with our own norms and perceptions. However, if we put ourselves in their shoes and understand why others do this or that, we will understand their reasoning and actions based on it.
By the way, isn’t it the same way in Judaism too? From my interactions with my Jewish friends, I believe that is the same and nothing out of the norm.
Sorry for the long email. All our best wishes for 2010,
Mohammed
Visit Guardian Travel on the web at:
www.GuardianTravel.com
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Ellen!!!
Thanks for such a complete and wonderful story with fun commentary and quite knowledgeable statements as needed. i really like your idea of the telephone and talking with the dead...i'm looking forward to robert moss' return since i hope to take a class from him...wonder what he would say about your thought?
glad you had such a wonderful time.
happy new year and hugs,
Jackie millay
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Thanks for the tour and insights into both Egypt....and human spirit.......I needed this as "JUST THE THING" for this morning.
Jenny Edwards
Jennifer Ellingston sends this: Cindy Sheehan in Gaza
Dear Ellen, different missions, different experiences. Wish you well and glad you didn't leave Cincinnati... Love, JE
BREAKING: U.S. Citizens attacked by Egyptian Riot Police in Cairo outside of U.S. Embassy
Cindy Sheehan
One of my friends, Joshua Smith, just texted me from Cairo and said that some U.S. citizens of the Gaza Freedom March went to the U.S. Embassy today there to try and implore the staff there to intercede on behalf of the March to help get them into Gaza--they were not so warmly welcomed.
Recently, almost 1400 people from around the globe met in Cairo to march into Gaza to join Gazans in solidarity and to help expose their plight after years of blockade and exactly a year after the violent attack in what Israel called "Operation Cast Lead" that killed hundreds of innocent Gazan civilians. So far the Marchers have been denied access (Egypt closed the Rafah crossing) and their gatherings have become increasingly and more violently suppressed.
In my understanding of world affairs, embassies are stationed in various countries so citizens who are traveling can seek help in times of trouble, but this doesnâ•˙t appear to be so right at this moment in Cairo.
Josh reports, and I also just got off the phone with my good friend and Veterans for Peace board member, Mike Hearington, that about 50 U.S. citizens were very roughly seized and thrown (in at least one case literally) into a detention cell at the U.S. embassy. We are talking about U.S. citizens here being manhandled by Egyptian riot police. According to Josh and Mike (who both just narrowly escaped), it appears that people with cameras are especially being targeted. Another good friend of mine, and good friend of peace, Fr. Louis Vitale is one of those being detained. Fr. Louis is well into his seventies!
Josh posted this on his Facebook wall about his near-detention experience:
We just got away. They were trying to drag me in but we kept moving... And most were dog piling another guy. Then they drug him into the parking lot barricaded riot police zone, lifted him up and threw him over the police and down into the zone. And attacking those taking pictures or attempting to.
When I was talking to Mike he said that an Egyptian told him that all Egyptians are in solidarity with the Marchers and with the people of Gaza/Palestine, of course, but the ╲Big Boss╡ (the U.S.) is calling the shots.
Egypt is third in line for U.S. foreign aid (behind Iraq and Israel) and its dictator for life, Hosni Mubarek, is a willing puppet for his masters: the US/Israeli cabal. Israel could not pursue its apartheid policies without the U.S. and itâ•˙s equally important for this cabal to have a sold-out ally as its neighbor.
Today also happens to be the anniversary of the 1890 U.S. massacre of Native Americans (Lakota Sioux) at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. It is sad enough that we are also living on stolen land, but also that the Israeli government had good teachers in disposing of its indigenous population!
What are the Israeli settlements on the West Bank, if not stolen land from the indigenous population and what is Gaza if not a mega-reservation? As at Wounded Knee 119 years ago, the Israeli siege and attack on Gaza is nothing more than big bullies shooting fish in a barrel.
Call the U.S. Embassy to demand the release of those detained/that permission is granted for the March to cross into Gaza: Telephone: (20-2) 2797 3300.
Please re-post this alert and spread the word.
Werenâ•˙t things supposed to ╲change╡ in the Age of Obama?
Posted by Cindy Sheehan at 3:38 AM
http://cindysheehanssoapbox.blogspot.com/2009/12/breaking-us-citizens-attacked-by.html
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