From a much smarter guy...
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
And from the Home Team
And here we have the Peasant's Alliance
which hangs out in the high mountains in the Central
We have a date over there in the future.. in Hinche...
Maybe even next year
Next Year in Hinche
which hangs out in the high mountains in the Central
We have a date over there in the future.. in Hinche...
Maybe even next year
Next Year in Hinche
Monday, June 28, 2010
More from Monsanto
The issue of seeds////
whether they are a net benefit to the farmers
or whether they are a means of making farmers dependent on the multinationals
is under discussion here
whether they are a net benefit to the farmers
or whether they are a means of making farmers dependent on the multinationals
is under discussion here
Encampments
As far as I know, there are two campamientos in the hemisphere modeling sustainability and holding out against the
Military
Industrial
Petro
Chemical
Pharmological
Insurance
Finacial
Complex
otherwise known as THE MATRIX
they are
Gaviotas
In Colombia
And the MMPP in Haiti
Both are offering visiting delegate trips
I will be very happy to go to Haiti again
And will join a delegation
to join the
STAND AGAINST
the control of the food crops for the developing world by selling sterile seeds to their farmers
by boycotting
the GIFT
of Monsanto\ of their sterile corn seeds to Haitian farmers
FOR THE FREEDOM OF MOTHER EARTH
as soon as some fFriend
joins me here in Santo Domingo
One assumes that there will be plenty of Quakers at the lead end of the March
As we have always been
Military
Industrial
Petro
Chemical
Pharmological
Insurance
Finacial
Complex
otherwise known as THE MATRIX
they are
Gaviotas
In Colombia
And the MMPP in Haiti
Both are offering visiting delegate trips
I will be very happy to go to Haiti again
And will join a delegation
to join the
STAND AGAINST
the control of the food crops for the developing world by selling sterile seeds to their farmers
by boycotting
the GIFT
of Monsanto\ of their sterile corn seeds to Haitian farmers
FOR THE FREEDOM OF MOTHER EARTH
as soon as some fFriend
joins me here in Santo Domingo
One assumes that there will be plenty of Quakers at the lead end of the March
As we have always been
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Retirement in the Dominican Republic?
Now I know that some Friends will react to the tone of the Sovereign Individual material as being focused on personal wealth and generally "unpatriotic"-- after all.. are we not Americans? Do we not owe allegiance
(and taxes) to our government? I assume thar for most of us, our personal and religious convictions come above our political convictions.. i.e. We are perhaps Quakers before we are Americans?
And nothing precludes anyone from continuing to stay in the tax juridiction of the United States...in fact if there is any money received from the United States, it is still subject to tax.
But I wish to lay before Friends, in particular,and other socially committed elders, the possiblity that they might be more useful.. to themselves and the world at large.. if they would consider spending their active retirement years here in the Dominican Republic.
I will admit that my primary motive is to have more than two of us at First Day worship!!
But there is much to do here.
And the weather is favorable - year round between 70 and 90 degrees, mostly sunny.
Local medical insurance for life (at $2000 a year) must be purchased before the age of 64. Estimates are for a middle class life style, expenses run between $1500 and $3000 a month in the Capital and beach areas. To live on the level of the Peace Corps and in many of the smaller towns takes between $500 to $1000 a month.
I have a guest room available for visiting Friends should anyone sense a Call.
(and taxes) to our government? I assume thar for most of us, our personal and religious convictions come above our political convictions.. i.e. We are perhaps Quakers before we are Americans?
And nothing precludes anyone from continuing to stay in the tax juridiction of the United States...in fact if there is any money received from the United States, it is still subject to tax.
But I wish to lay before Friends, in particular,and other socially committed elders, the possiblity that they might be more useful.. to themselves and the world at large.. if they would consider spending their active retirement years here in the Dominican Republic.
I will admit that my primary motive is to have more than two of us at First Day worship!!
But there is much to do here.
And the weather is favorable - year round between 70 and 90 degrees, mostly sunny.
Local medical insurance for life (at $2000 a year) must be purchased before the age of 64. Estimates are for a middle class life style, expenses run between $1500 and $3000 a month in the Capital and beach areas. To live on the level of the Peace Corps and in many of the smaller towns takes between $500 to $1000 a month.
I have a guest room available for visiting Friends should anyone sense a Call.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Haitian Government Cedes Sovereignty
This was certainly on the horizon.... and long sought by the international donors..
I am sad but not in disagreement.
Now we will rebuild.
I am sad but not in disagreement.
Now we will rebuild.
The Hornet's Nest
If we see the reaction of Wall Street to the passage of "tough" regulations, we can note that the foxes are still in charge of the hen house.
ALERT ALERT ALERT
The government of the Uniteed States of America is now firmly under corporate control.
Quickly now... what do we do?
"one if by land, and two if by sea....http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html
and I on the opposite shore will be"
DIVEST NOW
Start studying
THE SOVERIGN INDIVIDUAL
\Look, they have even made it easy with an online course...herehttp://www.sovereignlife.com/sovereign-individual.html
I first read it in 1999.
I moved offshore in 2004.
Join Me
There is a world to rebuild
ALERT ALERT ALERT
The government of the Uniteed States of America is now firmly under corporate control.
Quickly now... what do we do?
"one if by land, and two if by sea....http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html
and I on the opposite shore will be"
DIVEST NOW
Start studying
THE SOVERIGN INDIVIDUAL
\Look, they have even made it easy with an online course...herehttp://www.sovereignlife.com/sovereign-individual.html
I first read it in 1999.
I moved offshore in 2004.
Join Me
There is a world to rebuild
Thursday, June 24, 2010
A Growing Concern
Friends..
I am moved to shift my focus away from my small island to the larger Quaker body. I recently posted a tidbit on Facebook... a mere link to an article on what the neo con agenda had done to the finances of the American people, with the observation that Obama's financial team is exactly the same as Bush's economic team.
'Now he may lend an ear to some economists from the left, such as Nobel Laureates Krugman and Steigliz, but his actual team in power comes from Wall Street, and thinks like Wall Street. The program of this team, this agenda, is to preserve the free wheeling markets at all cost.. uncontrolled capitalism... with the new twist that they have learned how to socialize the debt, passing it on to our grandchildren.
From my posting on Facebook, a member of my home Meeting, who is himself a reporter for the local left leaning free press... cross posted with a comment along the lines of "good point, is anyone watching?"
\
The US debt has grown from 20% of GDP to over 60% of GDP... and the bulk of that money has gone to Wall Street.
I have a grave concern because I fear that the very people who should be watching and crying out over this have long ago ceased to understand it.
Years ago, I served on our small Quaker Meeting's financial committee and had occassion to speak with some of the folks in Philadelphia who manage the Friends Fiduciary Fund, which manages the bulk of institutional "Liberal" Quaker money. It holds the endowment of Pendle Hill, of AFSC, of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Friends Journal and many Quaker schools and smaller meetings.
The woman that I spoke with, who assured me that all of the people on the Committee were dedicated Friends and served at no expense, seemed a bit entranced with the language of the Street,,, rolling off terms such as Mid Cap, high cap and the omnious sounding "rolling 6% return.
When I went to question her specifically on some holdings.. such as Dow Chemical and Walmarts and Coca Cola...with snippets from our Earth Testimony... she countered that Quakers did not have an Earth Testimony. They had testimony against war, gambling, alcohol, and tobacco.. and they were running a fund completely clear of that.
Yes, well, there were holdings in oil companies.
And no, they did not perceive that CocaCola was a drug,
Well, to actually change this, they would have to hear a rumble at Yearly Meeting....
Then I was entranced by all the large ads in the Friends Journal for the :"Quaker" homes... and why so few of them had any information on their web pages. Further pursuit let me to inquiries to Kendall in Lexington,
KY where I learned that if I bought in at $180,000 (so that my estate would get half) they could offer me a 550 sq ft apartment and care for life for $2500 a month.
That was when I realized that none of the Quakers that I knew and loved would ever be there since they simply do not have that kind of money....
The Quakers I know are dutifuly poor as church mice. They give any excess away to those who are more in need. They do not hoard or accumulate. While it is true that some ... who worked for the State or Universities and may have a retirement fund and invested well in real estate,.. might find their way to a "deluxe" retirement home such as this, my dearest friends would not.
So I would ask Friends now to turn your collective attention to the financials.
Look and read and listen carefully to what is being said now about the financial collapse on Wall Street and what deals for further and continuous deregulation of the banking sector were made in this Congress.
Inform yourselves of where any institutional money is being held and move it into your smallest and closest community bank.
Consider starting your own micro finance lending banks.
I have no doubt that Friends Fiduciary will once again get the 6% rolling return that it is seeking.
But we are enjoined to uproot the causes of war.
And I, for one, do not see how we can do that if our institutions are invested in oil stocks.
Now I have been very good with this one... I have sat with this concern for over a decade,
But now, really, do not Friends think it is time to Rumble?
'
I am moved to shift my focus away from my small island to the larger Quaker body. I recently posted a tidbit on Facebook... a mere link to an article on what the neo con agenda had done to the finances of the American people, with the observation that Obama's financial team is exactly the same as Bush's economic team.
'Now he may lend an ear to some economists from the left, such as Nobel Laureates Krugman and Steigliz, but his actual team in power comes from Wall Street, and thinks like Wall Street. The program of this team, this agenda, is to preserve the free wheeling markets at all cost.. uncontrolled capitalism... with the new twist that they have learned how to socialize the debt, passing it on to our grandchildren.
From my posting on Facebook, a member of my home Meeting, who is himself a reporter for the local left leaning free press... cross posted with a comment along the lines of "good point, is anyone watching?"
\
The US debt has grown from 20% of GDP to over 60% of GDP... and the bulk of that money has gone to Wall Street.
I have a grave concern because I fear that the very people who should be watching and crying out over this have long ago ceased to understand it.
Years ago, I served on our small Quaker Meeting's financial committee and had occassion to speak with some of the folks in Philadelphia who manage the Friends Fiduciary Fund, which manages the bulk of institutional "Liberal" Quaker money. It holds the endowment of Pendle Hill, of AFSC, of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Friends Journal and many Quaker schools and smaller meetings.
The woman that I spoke with, who assured me that all of the people on the Committee were dedicated Friends and served at no expense, seemed a bit entranced with the language of the Street,,, rolling off terms such as Mid Cap, high cap and the omnious sounding "rolling 6% return.
When I went to question her specifically on some holdings.. such as Dow Chemical and Walmarts and Coca Cola...with snippets from our Earth Testimony... she countered that Quakers did not have an Earth Testimony. They had testimony against war, gambling, alcohol, and tobacco.. and they were running a fund completely clear of that.
Yes, well, there were holdings in oil companies.
And no, they did not perceive that CocaCola was a drug,
Well, to actually change this, they would have to hear a rumble at Yearly Meeting....
Then I was entranced by all the large ads in the Friends Journal for the :"Quaker" homes... and why so few of them had any information on their web pages. Further pursuit let me to inquiries to Kendall in Lexington,
KY where I learned that if I bought in at $180,000 (so that my estate would get half) they could offer me a 550 sq ft apartment and care for life for $2500 a month.
That was when I realized that none of the Quakers that I knew and loved would ever be there since they simply do not have that kind of money....
The Quakers I know are dutifuly poor as church mice. They give any excess away to those who are more in need. They do not hoard or accumulate. While it is true that some ... who worked for the State or Universities and may have a retirement fund and invested well in real estate,.. might find their way to a "deluxe" retirement home such as this, my dearest friends would not.
So I would ask Friends now to turn your collective attention to the financials.
Look and read and listen carefully to what is being said now about the financial collapse on Wall Street and what deals for further and continuous deregulation of the banking sector were made in this Congress.
Inform yourselves of where any institutional money is being held and move it into your smallest and closest community bank.
Consider starting your own micro finance lending banks.
I have no doubt that Friends Fiduciary will once again get the 6% rolling return that it is seeking.
But we are enjoined to uproot the causes of war.
And I, for one, do not see how we can do that if our institutions are invested in oil stocks.
Now I have been very good with this one... I have sat with this concern for over a decade,
But now, really, do not Friends think it is time to Rumble?
'
Friday, June 18, 2010
Haitians in Las Terrenas Cathedral Project
Since it would be unseemly to raise even the first stone of a Cathedral while there are hungry people, and since we have probably 15 million hungry people here..... we have some work ahead of us....
\I went up to the Samana Penisula, in the northeast, which is the only predominantly Protestant area in the country and where the local population is of very dark complextion, as it was first populated by freed US slaves, then by slum dwellers from the Capital who were sent there to "go and fish". As the French developed Las Terrenas, Haitians found it easy to find work there and were welcomed.
Since the earthquake, the northern border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti is essentially open... in that any Haitians who have a passport can cross during market days twice a week, pay the bus divers 3000 pesos, and the drivers will pay the guards, and the Haitians ride to Santiago. After Santiago, there are no more passport checks. This is opposed to the 6000 pesos that they would normally pay for a one year multiple entry visa. The most industrious of the Haitians do indeed have their visas, even their Business Visas, and have opened up the trade routes from the border market to the streets of Las Terrenas, trading the shoes and perfume and clothes that come in there for the cash that they get in the DR.
The Dominicans are making room for them. I watched a group of men, 200 strong. motor bikes parked on the side of the new highway, machetes in hand, cutting through the virgin forest on the side of the road. When I stopped to ask what they were doing... and they said .. well.. nothing.. and I said "Vamos hacer un lakou?" which is the word for a Haitian community,,, and they all smiled and gave me thumbs up... So I gave them $100 for juice and the Obama fist bump to the head guy.
But the Haitian artists who are already there are really struggling. Tourism is down as more apartments and villas have been constructed. I spoke with my friend Charlie Simon who said it was becoming hard to just eat. So I recommended that he move to Samana and start employing other artists to produce more art for the cruise ship passengers who .. when they arrive arrive in a horde.... with SMALL paintings.. wrapped, with the wood for the stretcher all cut and the nails in a little plastic pouch all ready for the home... like Ikea... to sell for .. say $20... so that at LEAST they can eat.
But for seed money, we need to bring them FRESH Canvas and more PAINT ... to get the paintings that they already have off the side of the walls where they are just decaying in the sun and rain.... although they do so try to protect them..
After the orginal seed money.. they could go on on their own,,''
But should the Church.. or Churches.. or Covens... or Meetings... or Beings .. wish to be involved... they could by simply buying some of the paintings and reselling them,,,,..
I already shipped twenty to my nephew in St Croix.
One of the first things that is needed is an orphanage for all the Haitian chidren who are finding their way over to this side of the border.... They are being trafficked. There is no where for them to go. There is no international refugee center. There is no capacity in Haiti to care for them. There is nothing for them to do in the Dominican Republic except be exploited.
They are an increasing presence on the streets of the Dominican cities and the beach towns.
\
\
\I went up to the Samana Penisula, in the northeast, which is the only predominantly Protestant area in the country and where the local population is of very dark complextion, as it was first populated by freed US slaves, then by slum dwellers from the Capital who were sent there to "go and fish". As the French developed Las Terrenas, Haitians found it easy to find work there and were welcomed.
Since the earthquake, the northern border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti is essentially open... in that any Haitians who have a passport can cross during market days twice a week, pay the bus divers 3000 pesos, and the drivers will pay the guards, and the Haitians ride to Santiago. After Santiago, there are no more passport checks. This is opposed to the 6000 pesos that they would normally pay for a one year multiple entry visa. The most industrious of the Haitians do indeed have their visas, even their Business Visas, and have opened up the trade routes from the border market to the streets of Las Terrenas, trading the shoes and perfume and clothes that come in there for the cash that they get in the DR.
The Dominicans are making room for them. I watched a group of men, 200 strong. motor bikes parked on the side of the new highway, machetes in hand, cutting through the virgin forest on the side of the road. When I stopped to ask what they were doing... and they said .. well.. nothing.. and I said "Vamos hacer un lakou?" which is the word for a Haitian community,,, and they all smiled and gave me thumbs up... So I gave them $100 for juice and the Obama fist bump to the head guy.
But the Haitian artists who are already there are really struggling. Tourism is down as more apartments and villas have been constructed. I spoke with my friend Charlie Simon who said it was becoming hard to just eat. So I recommended that he move to Samana and start employing other artists to produce more art for the cruise ship passengers who .. when they arrive arrive in a horde.... with SMALL paintings.. wrapped, with the wood for the stretcher all cut and the nails in a little plastic pouch all ready for the home... like Ikea... to sell for .. say $20... so that at LEAST they can eat.
But for seed money, we need to bring them FRESH Canvas and more PAINT ... to get the paintings that they already have off the side of the walls where they are just decaying in the sun and rain.... although they do so try to protect them..
After the orginal seed money.. they could go on on their own,,''
But should the Church.. or Churches.. or Covens... or Meetings... or Beings .. wish to be involved... they could by simply buying some of the paintings and reselling them,,,,..
I already shipped twenty to my nephew in St Croix.
One of the first things that is needed is an orphanage for all the Haitian chidren who are finding their way over to this side of the border.... They are being trafficked. There is no where for them to go. There is no international refugee center. There is no capacity in Haiti to care for them. There is nothing for them to do in the Dominican Republic except be exploited.
They are an increasing presence on the streets of the Dominican cities and the beach towns.
\
\
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Clerking One's Own Concern
I had the benefit of a wonderful education. I was placed under the guidance of the Quakers at the early age of 3 and one half. They had my mind and spirit to mold until I left them 14 years later.
Then I fell back into the arms of the family church, the Church of England, here in the United States The Episcopal Church, when my father ceded custody of me to The Rt Rev Kenneth Riches, fondly known as The Bish, who had been "adopted" by my great aunt in New Jersey', when he was a young seminary student. So I was escorted through England by the Bish's daughter Anne... who, three years or so older.. and INFINITELY more sensible .. was charged with chaparoning me and seeing me about... We used to hang out at her house.. Which was the parsonage... for this little church.. here
So I called her yesterday.., at her home in Lincoln
To suggest that the World Episcopal Church\
might wish to undertake the rebuilding of the Episcopal Church; Seminary, and Cathedral of Haiti.. which appears to be the Largest Diocese... is this possible? in the hemisphere? could Wiki be wrong?
Anyway.. we lost the Cathedral.. Which was a repositry of some of the finest of the art..
And the Seminary... where I myself received spiritual comfort
Since the Building of a Cathedral is a project that should rightly take Centuries\
\
There is no hurry
Then I fell back into the arms of the family church, the Church of England, here in the United States The Episcopal Church, when my father ceded custody of me to The Rt Rev Kenneth Riches, fondly known as The Bish, who had been "adopted" by my great aunt in New Jersey', when he was a young seminary student. So I was escorted through England by the Bish's daughter Anne... who, three years or so older.. and INFINITELY more sensible .. was charged with chaparoning me and seeing me about... We used to hang out at her house.. Which was the parsonage... for this little church.. here
So I called her yesterday.., at her home in Lincoln
To suggest that the World Episcopal Church\
might wish to undertake the rebuilding of the Episcopal Church; Seminary, and Cathedral of Haiti.. which appears to be the Largest Diocese... is this possible? in the hemisphere? could Wiki be wrong?
Anyway.. we lost the Cathedral.. Which was a repositry of some of the finest of the art..
And the Seminary... where I myself received spiritual comfort
Since the Building of a Cathedral is a project that should rightly take Centuries\
\
There is no hurry
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