musical interlude of the day

 

lyrics: this is a mixture of two songs

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, 

Who abide in His shadow for life, 

Say to the Lord, "My Refuge, 

My Rock in Whom I trust." 

 And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,

 Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

 The snare of the fowler will never capture you,

 And famine will bring you no fear; 

Under His Wings your refuge, 

his faithfulness your shield.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, 

Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

 You need not fear the terror of the night, 

Nor the arrow that flies by day, 

Though thousands fall about you, 

Near you it shall not come. 

 And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,

 Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

 For to His angels He's given a command, 

To guard you in all of your ways, 

Upon their hands they will bear you up, 

Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 

 And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,

 Bear you on the breath of dawn, 

Make you to shine like the sun, 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 

And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

and this one:

Original lyrics: 

 It must have been cold there in my shadow 

To never have sunlight on your face 

You've been content to let me shine 

You always walked the step behind 

 I was the one with all the glory 

While you were the one with all the strength

 Only a face without a name 

I never once heard you complain 

 Did you every know that you're my hero? 

And everything I'd like to be 

I can fly higher than an eagle 

'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings 

 It might have alleard to go unnoticed 

But I've got it all here in my heart 

I want you to know I know the truth 

I would be nothing without you 

 did you ever know that you're my hero? 

And everything I'd like to be 

I can fly higher than an eagle 

'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings

terraces

We have lovely terraces in the mountains of Luzon, and when I lived in Zimbabwe I vacationed in the eastern part where abandoned terraces were on the hills behind the mission where I was staying. I just posted about these little known terraces on my Africa Blog.

So I asked Grok about what ancient countries had terraces: Mainly posted for my own information and I put it in italics so you know it a quote.

Terracing, the practice of carving flat, arable platforms into sloped terrain, emerged independently across various ancient civilizations as a solution to cultivate land in hilly or mountainous regions. Below is a concise overview of the history of terraces in the ancient world, focusing on key countries and cultures that developed them. ### **Origins and Purpose** Terracing likely began as early as the Neolithic period (ca. 10,000–2,000 BCE) when agriculture spread and populations needed to maximize arable land. Terraces prevented soil erosion, managed water runoff, and created stable fields for crops in challenging terrains. The practice was labor-intensive, often requiring stone walls or earthworks, and reflected advanced agricultural and engineering knowledge. ### **Ancient Civilizations with Terracing** 1. **Mesopotamia (Modern Iraq, ca. 3000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: Early terraces appeared in the hilly regions of Mesopotamia, particularly in the Zagros Mountains. Sumerians and later Babylonians used terracing to cultivate crops like barley and wheat in sloped areas. -

 **Significance**: Terracing supported irrigation systems, channeling water from rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (if historical, ca. 6th century BCE) may have been a terraced structure, though evidence is debated. 2. **China (ca. 2000 BCE, Shang and Zhou Dynasties)** - 

**Evidence**: Terracing developed in the loess plateaus and hilly regions of the Yellow River valley. The Chinese used terraces for millet, rice, and later wheat, with sophisticated water management systems. - 

**Significance**: By the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE), terracing was widespread in northern and southern China, enabling rice paddies in mountainous areas like Yunnan. The Longji Rice Terraces, though later (Yuan Dynasty), reflect this ancient tradition. 3. 

**Andean Civilizations (Modern Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, ca. 2000 BCE)** 

 - **Evidence**: The Inca (ca. 1200–1533 CE) and their predecessors, like the Wari and Tiwanaku (ca. 500 BCE–1000 CE), built extensive stone-walled terraces (andenes) in the Andes Mountains. - 

**Significance**: Terraces supported crops like potatoes, quinoa, and maize at high altitudes (up to 4,000 meters). Sites like Machu Picchu and Pisac showcase advanced engineering, with irrigation channels and microclimate control. 4. **Mesoamerica (Modern Mexico, Guatemala, ca. 1000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: The Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures terraced hillsides in regions like the Yucatán and Guatemala for maize, beans, and squash. - 

**Significance**: Terracing complemented chinampas (floating gardens) and allowed agriculture in rugged terrains. Sites like Kaminaljuyu show early terracing efforts by 1000 BCE. 5. 

**Ancient Israel and the Levant (ca. 1500 BCE)** - **Evidence**: Terracing appeared in the hilly regions of Judea and Samaria, used by Canaanites and later Israelites for olives, grapes, and figs. - 

**Significance**: Stone terraces, still visible today, stabilized slopes and conserved water in arid climates. Biblical references to vineyards and orchards suggest terracing was widespread by the Iron Age (1200–600 BCE). 6. **Yemen (Sabaean Kingdom, ca. 1000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: The ancient South Arabian civilizations, particularly the Sabaeans, built terraces in the highlands of Yemen for crops like frankincense, myrrh, and grains. - **Significance**: Terracing supported oasis agriculture in desert regions, tied to sophisticated dam and irrigation systems like the Marib Dam. 7. 

**Philippines (ca. 1000 BCE)** - **Evidence**: The Ifugao people in Luzon began constructing the Banaue Rice Terraces, potentially as early as 1000 BCE, though some date them to 200 BCE. - **Significance**: These terraces, often called the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” supported rice cultivation in steep Cordillera mountains, with intricate irrigation from forest watersheds. 8. **Greece and the Mediterranean (ca. 800 BCE)** -

 **Evidence**: Ancient Greeks and Minoans terraced hillsides in regions like Crete and the Peloponnese for olives, grapes, and cereals. - 

**Significance**: Terracing maximized limited arable land in rocky terrains, supporting city-states’ economies. Similar practices appeared in ancient Rome and Cyprus. ### **Common Features Across Cultures** - **Materials**: Terraces were built with local materials—stone in the Andes and Levant, earth in China, and mixed methods elsewhere. - 

**Irrigation**: Most terracing systems included water management, like channels (Andes, China) or cisterns (Levant, Yemen). - **Crops**: Terraces supported staple crops suited to local climates, from rice and maize to olives and grains. -

 **Cultural Impact**: Terracing enabled population growth, surplus food production, and complex societies in challenging environments. ### **Sources and Notes** - Limited archaeological records and oral traditions (e.g., Ifugao) make precise dating difficult for some terraces. - Web sources, like historical geography studies, and posts on X discussing ancient agriculture corroborate these findings, though no single post provides a comprehensive overview. - For further details, I can search X or the web for specific regions or provide visual descriptions of terrace systems if requested. This summary covers the major ancient civilizations known for terracing. If you want a deeper dive into a specific region or culture, let me know!

protesting corruption

and no, I haven't heard of any demonstrations here in the Philippines for Cnarlie Kirk. 

Here the left defends the working class and farmers and the right means the corrupt oligarchy who runs the country whereas in the USA, the right defends the working class and farmers, and the left is full of elite white folks who run the country and have little contact with those of us who got our fingers dirty working.

 Right now the demonstrations in Manila are agaist corruption in the flood control projects. 

NOW: Various groups hold a press conference for the Trillion Peso March Against Corruption on September 21; demands immediate publication of SALNs from all branches of govt as a first step commitment to transparency and accountability among others. | via @raphbosano pic.twitter.com/tLRfHwE5GF

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) September 15, 2025

Corruption steals millions of pesos that are supposed to help the public, and alas corruption is the norm. Will this investigation stop it?

well, as my husband Lolo used to remind me: They're all crooks. But that never stopped him from watching attempted impeachments against our lovely ex president for corruption.

And the monsoon rains are heavy, which means flooding of streets in Manila, so schools are shut down again today.

Joy is flying out today to attend an agriculture conference in Thailand, and will spend the rest of the week visiting her daughter who teaches English there in an international school.

 

The mourning continues

 The demonstrations commemorating Charlie Kirk continue, but this one surprised me. 

Yup. that's a Maori (Haka) chant. And later sinigng patriotic songs and hymns and shouting Christ is King.

citizen journalism at it's best. Thanks Dr C...

......

update. This is on yourtube but not in the Catholic press, so is it fake?

update: I asked on line and was told it was a different commenter whose opioin was quoting the Pope's sermon to on line influencers who he just met with, and this sermon was before the Kirk tragedy and did not mention him, since he is political and not Catholic.

lighthouse: A light to guide one home

 So today's rolling wallpaper on opening windows was that of a lighthouse.

The lighthouse is a common symbol for hope for Christians. They are a symbol of the light in the times of darkness and danger, and a reminder that the Lord will guide us home.

Which got me to thinking: Who invented the lighthouse?

...

more history here:

a webpage that has links to essays and books about lighthouses LINK

go get'em girls. Sing

 a simple cartoon with songs is exploding the internet.

Why?

we just watched it and it was enjoyable, and even better if you enjoy K pop.

this explains some of the Korean stuff in the film

....

But I know my pious Evangelical relatives would worry this is about the occult.

Well, maybe, but the themes of despair/shame and redemption and the curative power of human friendship and music is universal, and this is a Christian interpratation.

 

headlines miss the point

 Much of the hate being spewed out on X by supposedly normal professionals against Charlie Kirk assume he was preaching hate. 

But I suspect they are not listening to him, but the propaganda that put out a straw man for them to hate.

Here is a discussion by Raymone Arroyo:

....and I found this on x:

George Floyd dies: Millions in property damage, thoughts riots and looting

Charlie Kirk assassinated: Millions peacefully pray

pic.twitter.com/v3MkaplIko

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) September 11, 2025

After the discussion of American politics, they go on to discuss how some in the Vatican were surrendering the church to China. This is a big scandal. 

Will Pope Leo stop those who are breaking not only Catholic dogma but Biblical based beliefs that are about living a righteous life and the importance of the family. (something that is more important in poorer countries than the west, because it is the family, not the state, who care for the weak, the old, the sick, and children). 

This is not anti left because the liberation of women from the family is looked on as a good thing for business, who now have women as employees: Women, like migrants, work harder for a lower wage so is cost effective.

Ah, but who cares for the children? 

If the woke reformers manage to take over the Catholic church, especially they will be able to undermine the idea of logic, science, human rights etc that is part and parcel of Catholicism.

the western media ignored how peaceful Chrsitian protests brought down the iron curtain or that many of those promoting human rights and democracy all over the world are inspired by the Christian ethic: One example, Jimmy Lai:

And if the Catholic church falls, other churches will not stand but be able to be pushed to the sidelines as if their voices are quaint (or more likely hateful).

Sigh. 

congratulations

yup

 

Political murders didn't start yesterday

in the 1960s, the political murders were often right wing against those fighting for civil rights.

But the demonstrations, riots, and crimes/bombings/attacks on the left are usually remembered through the mist of nostalgia.

Here is an article by a friend/mentor (and ghostwriter of his biography?) of President Obama that sort of disappeared into the memory hole.

New York Times fluffy article about his time as a student radical.

Wayback machine link

''I don't regret setting bombs,'' Bill Ayers said. ''I feel we didn't do enough.''

italics mine. 

Mr. Ayers, who spent the 1970's as a fugitive in the Weather Underground, was sitting in the kitchen of his big turn-of-the-19th-century stone house in the Hyde Park district of Chicago.

sounds like he made a lot of money somewhere. Crime pays for rich radicals (but not so much for the poor guys who end up in jail). 

The long curly locks in his Wanted poster are shorn, though he wears earrings. He still has tattooed on his neck the rainbow-and-lightning Weathermen logo that appeared on letters taking responsibility for bombings. And he still has the ebullient, ingratiating manner, the apparently intense interest in other people, that made him a charismatic figure in the radical student movement.

Ah yes. Charismatic. Lots of sociopaths and narcissists are charming. 

But that puff piece article in the NYTimes and other big shot media doted on his stories.

And when was that article published? 

In the NYTimes early morning ediction, on Sept 11 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks.

he claims he never killed anyone, but the San Francisco police union. begs to differ

and a lot of other radicals from those days are presented as heroes in stories and the innocent Ayers and his cohorts in revolution usually minimize the stories of those they harm.

Ayers was never charge in the bank robbery by his fellow travelers, that resulted in the death of Peter Paige who was driving the bank truck, and it is almost hard to find the names of the two police officers they killed escsaping... Officer O'Grady and Waverly Brown, were merciful when the apprehended the suspects, and didn't shoot the nice lady on sight when they stopped her, and this hesitation resulted in her hidden collegues to murder them after they had lowered their guns....

And I was living in Minnesota at the time and remember when the left lamented the jailing of another radical lady who was peacefully living in an affluent suburb of Minneapolis so they implied she shouldn't be prosecuted for crimes many years earlier because she was a good person.

Well, as Jesse Ventura  sarcastically pointed out: she was not a good person, because she robbed a bank and murdered an innocent nurse who was merely standing there waiting to deposit money.

The group almost got away with it, but Mrs. Opsahl's son kept the case alive, .

another story of her murder .

notice they never felt guilty when they thought they got away with it, but after they were caught, they said they were sorry. 

Well, duh.  

 Just wait awhile, and the political assassin and those who helped him murder Mr. Kirk will be seen as heroes.

Sigh. 

Remember

 

This is a big story

 ,,,,

I do not know who Mr Kirk is, but apparently he is a moderate right wing podcaster popular among young folks.

But when I went around the internet, I was astounded at the people upset and even crying over his death. This reminds me of the killing of RFK or MLK in the sixties: and of course there are parallels between the demonstrations of that time and what seems to be going on now in the USA.

Sigh.

one hopes the MAGA response will not be the civil war that some crazies are hoping for, but a peaceful demonstration a la MLK, or what happened when Ninoy Aquino was killed, the elction was stolen and a million Filippinos marched singing hymns on the main highway in Manila.

.................

Posted so I can watch it later.

.......

I am old, so not into the culture of the young folk, but WTF? 

  He was ridicules on South Park? That prooves his influence on the young kids.

LOL.

,,,,

Container ships: the Box that changed the world

See previous post about the container ship collapse that I added an update video.

I am posting this because I know only a little about shipping: My father's work was coordinating shipping of his company's product, and when I was in Liberia, I had to go out on a small vessel to evacuate patients from oil tankers etc. that had to go around Africa due to the closure of the Suez canal.

Monrovia had an artificial harbor built by the USA but it was too small to accomadate large vessels.

But my knowledge of shipping is obviously over 40 years old, and one of the reason I am posting about this is to update my knowledge which predates the the container ship revolution...

this article says that container ships began in the 1960s but didn't hit smaller countries until the late 1970s due to the cost of the sophisticated equipment and rail lines to move the merchandise.

many experts consider container shipping one of the key transport revolutions of the 20th century. The use of standardized containers saves tremendous costs, as the goods are packed only once and can be transported over long distances using various modes of transport – truck, rail, or ship. Time-consuming unpacking and repacking are no longer required...

so here is a video on how they organize putting containers on a ship:

at .

a discussion on the maritime trade is discussed here:

the Maritime History podcast hasn't posted for awhile but the older podcasts are quite interesting for anyone interested in deep history.

shutting down another port

 the port of Baltimore was shut down after a boat 'hit a bridge.

Nothing to see here, folks, just an accident.

And now a container ship had poorly stacked containers collapse, probably shutting down that port too.

more here from a shipping newsletter Freightwaves.

Operations at Pier G at the Port of Long Beach were shut down early Tuesday after dozens of containers fell into the water from a docked vessel. A total of 67 containers were floating in the water while another 70 had collapsed aboard the Portugeuse-flagged Mississippi, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach said, which arrived Tuesday after departing Yantian, China on August 26.

so poorly stacked, lacking the lashings that keep them in place? Personnel incompentence in Long Beach, or personnel incompetence in China?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

update:

overseas workers: a world wide phenomenum

 A lot of the kerfuffe about migrants in western countries is about illegal migrants, claiming to be refugees. 

Some are obviously on the dole and others are criminals. But the backstory is that a lot of these people are seeking work: and alas they are not encouraged to bring their families along.

The reason? Lack of workers, due to a low birth rate.

The Philippines has a huge number of OFW: the official number is over 2 million overseas workers, but of course this doesn't include those working without papers, those who legally immigrated to other countries, or those working on ships.

so where do they work?

The same data reveal that about “four in every ten” OFWs work low-status or ‘elementary’ jobs, such as street vendors, construction and factory workers, cleaners, domestic helpers, and agriculture laborers. A majority of OFWs work in Asia, specifically Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Singapore, and Qatar.

and although usually discussions of migrants are about young men, half of Philippine OFW are women.,Many of them are parents who left their children behind at the care of others in order to provide for the basic needs of their children.

Sigh.

the answer to this of course is to get local jobs that pay well, but even then it often means migrating to another area in the Philippines (many of our workers are from Joy's village in the Visayas who we recruited. Many local workers prefer to go to Manila or overseas to work where pay is better, so ironically, the long term results of land reform is that their kids are now educated and don't want to work for a pittance on their family's farm. So gradually their older parents are selling the land to returning OFW/Balibayan who will hire tenant farmers to work, or more recently, will sell the land for second vacation homes to the affluent from Naila, or more recently, to the company that is putting up solar panels to supply electricity to Manila.

Sigh.

farmersneed money for modern machinery, fertilizer etc. and the government is pushing green organic growing of food. Healthier food, but more expensive.

But the shortage of farm workers is not a Philippine problem. As I noted: Many of our workers and tenant faremrs are from the Visayas, But in other countries, they import people from poorer countries>

From a Japanese pape :

of the nation’s 67.81 million workers, more than 2.3 million—or roughly one in every 29—are foreign nationals. Just over a decade ago, the ratio was one in 112. Urban centers such as Tokyo lead the way in foreign workers, with one in 14 workers being a foreigner, but rural regions are witnessing the fastest growth. Hokkaido, Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures have seen foreign labor increase seven- to eightfold over the past decade.

the birth dirth means fewer young people to do low paying jobs and a snobbery often means they don't want to do "dirty jobs" (the blue haired feminist SJW who see themselves as activists but lament they can only find work at Starbucks with their advanced degree in feminist studies come to mind. Why don't they take a course in nursing or caregiving? That's a major way for Filipino women to get a job overseas to support her family). Or join the armed services.

So until the educational system encourages the work ethic, and until the birth dirth is corrected, if Trumpieboy wants to rid the USA of migrant workers, he is in trouble. 

Of course, the answer is to have them come legally, which means recruiting and screening them. 

In the past, Many Mexican took temproary work visas, and of course the large illegal Mexican migrant population in the US was winked at: Most assimilated in their own neighborhoods: Most Catholic churches had Spanish masses for them, and many small Pentecostal churches got busy recruiting them as members. Many kept ties to their families and sent money home to them, just like the Philippine OFW.

But Biden's policy not to regulate this, along with the way the drug gangs morphed into the people smugglers, along with a lot of NGOs that saw the needy as someone to help but ignored that part about criminal gangs and drugs, broke the social contract of America that said if you come and work hard, you can become an American.

Sigh.

stories below the fold

Psst: Another ebola outbreak in DRCongo. But they have had outbreaks before and know how to stop the spread: Isolation, protective equipment and ring vaccinations.

this is one place that the WHO is proving that they can do a job saving lives. Yet where is this story in the MSM? Nowhere.

Won't get much publicity of course except for blaming Trump for taking away USAID and getting out of the WHO.

But of course, the reason Trump did that was the corruption of the WHO and their politicized response to covid, where they covered up the lab leak etc.

But there is more to that story: NGOs whose people get rich pushing a modernist agenda that opposes the religious and cultural background of poor countries.

From StrategyPage: 

 The current American president ordered audits organizations many had long suspected of diverting the money to recipients that would support anti American groups, lavish salaries for pro-government officials as well as foreign nation officials who responded to large bribes to see things the American way or just to oblige the recipients to one day return or carry out tasks requested by the current president.

Over 250 NGOs received most of this money...The recent U.S. government audits of most of these activities continued into 2025 because the NGOs and their government handlers believed they were immune to fraud claims because their activities served the wishes of whatever Presidential administration was in power.

They were wrong and audits named names, and suggested cutting the money off and prosecuting those responsible... 

This does not surprise a lot of Americans who already knew that something like this was suspected because there had been rumors and stories in the news detailing some of this malpractice. These accusations were always ignored or denied.

yup.

 but it is worse than mere corruption.

the first line of protection for the vulnerable is a strong family,  but the UN/NWO types are pushing an agenda of the sexual revolution, which did give individuals more freedom but the societal destruction resulting from destroying the family has only recently been noticed in the West. But many leaders have noticed this and objected to the militant pushing of the gender agenda on their conservative populations.

C-Fam reported how this is done under the guise of human rights,.. 

and then we have groups that funded gay rights and promiscuity to Africans under the guise of HIV prevention but in reality lowers the taboo against both consensual and coercive gay activity and promiscuous hertosexual sex, so the result is an increase in HIV.

part of this backstory is that RFK JR just fired  one guy at the CDC who has some X rated photos on the internet was in charge of the MPox response. 

when this was going on, I noticed the failure to stop the raves that were spreading the disease: So why didn't he and others in the CDC  shut down the raves that spread the disease?

This right here is why no one trusts the media or experts.

During the 2023 monkey pox outbreak, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis said the Biden admin aims to "support peoples' joy as opposed to calling them 'risky'":

"One person's idea of risk is another person's idea of a great festival… https://t.co/06I1vJ22Vl pic.twitter.com/4XH0HgUsVf

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 31, 2025

what was worse, they didn't  warn the general community of how it was being spread (so that the minorities who were bi didn't get the message). And of course, no one wants to admit the reason for MPox being spread into the west was sex tourism from Africa.  

sigh.

Movie of the week

 

a sad movie but nice.

Politicians getting rich

A total of 60 flood-control projects are currently under scrutiny, as they seem to fit into the category of “ghost projects,” Senate Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta said.

READ MORE: https://t.co/kdWzureFuH pic.twitter.com/iXGly1RLjc

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) September 6, 2025

,,,

 

endowned by the Creator

the Constitution says human rights come from God. Why is this important? The good bishop explains:

I’d like to respond to a disturbing contention from Senator Tim Kaine, during a recent confirmation hearing. pic.twitter.com/hvaYlQQybi

— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) September 4, 2025

the idea that our rights come from a higher power means that even the poor and weak have human rights.

In the modern world, it means the bioethicists who want to expand the idea of personhood so that the mentally handicapped can lose their basic rights and be used for experimentation, transplants, or just killed outright sound like the eugenicists who inspired the Nazis who see the weak and poorest as useless eaterd

when in 40 years we have gone from jusifying aborting our inconvenient children to encouraging the eldelry to kill themselves to encouraging ocieties to kill old people,  one does wonder about where are the ethicists that point out that idea that civilization defends the weak? 

 hIstorian Tom Holland has done quite a bit of thinking on this and as a historian of the Classical world and Islam has later written books on how Christiainty is behind much of the human rights ideas of today's world: and what not every secular writer reading it noticed why: Because the Cross changed the idea of glorifying power (to a Roman, the cross meant to show the power of Rome over those who rebelled against secular authority) to the idea that it is the weak who are important.

How, Holland wondered, did the Roman world in which power was the rightful preserve of the powerful, to be used in service of the self as much as one had the power to get away with, become the modern world in which human beings—even vulnerable women—had dignity, and in which power was to be used (in principle, even if not in practice) to protect the weak and vulnerable and oppressed? The tyranny of the strong over the weak still happens, to be sure. But the strong must now mask their tyranny and oppression—hide it behind closed doors, lie about it, recast it in a benign light.Holland’s quest to answer this question resulted in Dominion.

Musical interlude of the week