Merrifield

My ex and I divorced when my son was very young. Neither her nor I were what anyone would consider religious. When I became an athiest, I told her. She insisted, I did not try and influence him in matters of spirituality. I went along with her and was ok with it as long as she wasn't influencing him in favor of religion. He's 19 now and has a girlfriend who comes from a very religious family. It's like he has fallen head over heels for her and her religion. He has even gotten baptized by her church with her father assisting the preacher. I thought I was doing the right thing leaving him alone to find his own path. I feel I've let him down and failed as a parent. I fear talking to him about it now, being certain it would drive a wedge between us. I'm seeking advice.

The apple is in a natural state and unowned. You pick it and as a result of your action claim ownership. Someone steals the apple from you and as a result of their action they now possess it, but do not own it. You still have the claim of ownership which does not require possession. The result of the action of making an unjust claim does not qualify as a transfer of the right of ownership. The ownership of a piece of property changes only when the owner consents.

Sound advice. I feel no shame for being a man. I do feel disgusted by what some men do. I think you may be onto something.The article has the emotional impact of any good propaganda piece. Similar to the hype around the "war on terror" or the "war on drugs".

The auto correction feature messed up the permies site in my last post. Here it is again www.permies.com

I'm sorry you've had to experience such a horrible childhood. Just a thought... If you mailed your letter to the foo inside a letter to a friend/collaborater in Ireland and asked the friend to post the letter to the foo you could probably throw them off your trail and limit any future search to Ireland. To get around your mother concealing it, you could also use a typewriter or have a male hand write on the letter addressed in your fathers name. I'll be glad to see you get past it and get on with the best part of your life.

From what you've said about Holmgren's book, it sounds like he is mixing in spiritualism to say the least. I don't know because I haven't read it. I have heard in other places that he is quite "purple". All I meant by Holmgren being "confused about his origins" is that he is seeking a higher spiritual authority. www.permies.com is the biggest permaculture forums in the world. I like it. It has lots of great info.

"Permaculture is anarchism."- Jack Spirko on "The Survival Podcast"Don't let the writing of one man who, not unlike many others, is confused about his origins ruin permaculture for you.

This is the source, Bill Mollison. He and Geoff Lawton discuss with students what you have to do to teach permaculture.(4+ minutes) It also includes a good exchange denouncing mysticism.

Agree 100%! If you decide to stay, I would plant ideas like seeds. If his mind is fertile they will grow.

Geoff is a permaculture promoter and it is that role that he takes on win doing interviews with capitalist minded permacuture practitioners (mostly podcasts i.e. Paul Wheaton, Permaculture Voices, The Survival Podcast, etc.). One faction is what Paul Wheaton calls "purple". I really don't know much about them but it seems they are distorting permaculture by adding in mysticism, spiritualism, and earth worship. I'm not aware that Lawton or Mollison have changed any message. They deliver the message(s) Mollison first put forward in his writings including the design manual. Yes, it does leave the door wide open for charlatan. Dare I speculate that there are charlatans posing as instructors/teachers/professors in nearly every school/college/university in the world. It definitly puts the responsibility to find a competent instructor squarley on the shoulders of the student.

Over the weekend, I took my daughter out to give her a second driving lesson. When it was her turn to drive I turned the Jeep around in a sort of cauldesack and stopped along the road. She got behind the wheel and we reviewed the basics of driving a stick shift. When she was ready, she started the Jeep, put it in first gear, released the clutch, and drove about 3 feet before she struck a large concrete planter box along the edge of the road. To make a long story short, I didn't show any signs of diappointment or upset. I got out of the Jeep, went around to assess the situation, had my daughter climb through the passenger side and I took got in behind the wheel. I moved the Jeep off the planter box, got out, and gave her back the wheel. No punishment, No discouragement, No blame, No guilt, Not even a mention about the damage to the Jeep or the planter box. What I did say to her "It's not youre fault, I left the wheel turned hard to the left and you didn't have time to react." I reinforced this when I took responsibility in my daughter's presence and told the owner of the planter box the same thing.

You should check out Stef's YouTube video rant "Screw Risk" from Thursday or Friday.

I have not watched the entire lecture series but I have read parts of his book "Permaculture Designers' Manual" which is in itself basically a bible to permaculturists. Mollison defines permaculture as a design science and lays down only three ethics as the basis for what is permaculture. 1) care of the earth, 2) care of people, 3) return of surplus to the first two. There are factions whithin the permaculture community that like to interpret the third as some sort of call to redistribute wealth, but the book defines the third as a capitalist venture. Geoff Lawton, who inherited from Mollison control over the Australian based Permaculture Research Institute, has spent much time attempting to eradicate the socialistic redistribution faction from the movement. Honestly, the degree is not a scheme. Mollison, a university professor, designed the program to keep it out of academia and the control of Universities. All one must do to qualify as a permaculture designer is complete a designers course. Anyone who has completed a designers course is technically qualified to teach a designers course. It places a large burden of responsibility on the student to seek out integrity. Instructors are only as good as their understanding and experience and this leaves the door wide open for charletons

At times, I am one to fumble for words, but have heard the words flow brilliantly from my mind when I've occasioned to speak honestly, passionately, and without restraint on subjects I deeply care about.

I haven't watched the above video nor have I watched the clip with Hitch. I did see the Youtube video where Mos Def volunteered to undergo the Guantanamo force feeding procedure to demonstrate the horror of it. He cried like a baby. I had never heard of him before that, but I find myself respecting him for it.

I started the podcasts in March with the Intro and am up to about #160. I stopped participating in elections a few years back, the lesser of two evils is still evil. Started out reading Thoreau in my teens. Fought my way through much of the christian bible in my early thirties. Later, I stumbled upon and read some Nietzsche. Jung, and more recently Rand. Due to time constraints, I'm not big on forums and only occassionally find the time to participate, but maybe this one will change that.