Comments for Continental Drift

Comment on Seven Loaves and a Few Fish by Barak

Barak — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:16:51 +0000

I agree the foreign policies and humanitarian aid practices of the US (and most governments for that matter) are rarely beneficial in developing nations. However, while there are many things I respect about Buddhism, the negative impact it has in the individual lives of people I interacted with in Cambodia was both profound and deeply saddening. The sense of fatalism and belief in the karma of past lives caused created oppression and marginalization of the poor by the rich and created a sense of worthlessness among the poor who believed they deserved it and there was nothing they could do to change it.

I worked in villages with amputee victims who were shunned by communities b/c it was believed they must be horrible people reaping the consequences of the past. I remember a child who was born with a horrible deformity that left him paralyzed and mute and his father saying “I wish my son could talk so I could ask him what terrible thing he did in a past life.”

In addition, people would take their hard grown food to temples and leave it there where it would rot and be eaten by monkeys instead of being given to their children who suffered from malnutrition and disease.

There are many things I can respect in the Buddhist religion, but as a worldview it does not free people.

Animism in turn had the people living in constant fear of the spirit realm. Wards were places around houses to keep away evil spirits and and great lengths were taken to appease the spirit realm.

Combined together these have chained the people of Cambodia in deep poverty and make it extremely hard to bring change because you can’t just bring a water project or address food security issues, you have to go deep into the cultural and spiritual issues of their worldview and teach them that they have value, they have worth, they have good ideas, and most of all that the future is not set and they have the ability to bring positive change to their families and their communities.

Comment on Seven Loaves and a Few Fish by Steve N

Steve N — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 09:08:16 +0000

Pardon me, but why does the text have to say “Chained in Buddhism and Animism, living with the uncertainty of disease, hunger, and political unrest.” ? The Therevada Buddhism practiced in Cambodia mixed with anceint beliefs is probably one of the very few pillars holding up this war torn country together. If it weren’t for the failed Nixon Doctrine and Kissinger’s secret bombings, Cambodia would not have been in its present despair. The Vietnamese claim to have liberated us, but in Truth, they waited for the Americans to pull out so that they can invade and take what they’ve wanted for centuries. Speculation, you may say? Google the CIA’s involvement in Indochina’s war. All merchants of war, Crusaders, from a Christian Nation. The Kingdom of Cambodia’s Motto: Nation. Religion. King. Forever.

Comment on Silent Outrage by joel

joel — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:42:02 +0000

people seldom move without pressure. humanitarianism is trendy and the contingent that are given the miracle of ACTUALLY caring boggle me. Sure hope the voice of reason finds the balls to speak b/c quite frankly, true helping is an inconvenience.

Comment on Passage of a Whistle by joel

joel — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:33:06 +0000

great sound

Comment on Clay Pot Irrigation by Tibebu

Tibebu — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:40:19 +0000

I am very much interested in pitcher irrigation,it is a wonderfull method,i want to know the ratio of sand and clay for an excellent porousity of clay pots.

Comment on Clay Pot Irrigation by Jaime Olguin

Jaime Olguin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:45:54 +0000

I started a raised bed garden using pots for irrigation.
I am not using any but natural organic matter (no comercial food for plants) my plants are growing aparently healty, but to slow compare to a drip irrigation and comercial food for plants (my neighbor’s garden)
I have never use this sistem before, I asume I am doing well, but I have questions on the water: my wife claims the garden nees more water, but when I planted, I placed the new plants roots, aside to the clay, so my idea is that I probably place the plant to close to the pots and I am geting to much water in the root system.
Can you bring more light about this? please. We are wrowing tomatos, eggplant, corn, green beans, squash, and a few erbs (taht are doing fantastic)
We will apresiate your replay.

Comment on Seven Loaves and a Few Fish by Tell Dietzler

Tell Dietzler — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:07:22 +0000

This is a beautiful reminder of how God is the God of anyone, anywhere, anytime. Even more profound to me is that He is the God of me, here, now.

Comment on Saiy and the Footbag by Barak

Barak — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:31:53 +0000

One of my favorite sites is the Footbag Peace Initiative http://www.valinet.com/~dbotkin/ – it’s actually where I became inspired to sew my own footbags. Daniel Botkin has made good use of the reconciliation effects a hacking circle can have on otherwise non-interactive or even hostile groups of people. It’s pretty amazing. In my case it was just a good way to interact cross-culturally and across social classes. There’s something about hacking that just brings everyone onto the same page.

Comment on Saiy and the Footbag by Mr Hacky Sack

Mr Hacky Sack — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:02:11 +0000

Great Article! I got a good chuckle. Footbag can actually help improve the quality of life for people with balance and other issues too. Keep blogging . . .LOL!

Comment on Signing Time by kridst

kridst — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:29:25 +0000

can u b more specifif about continential drift