Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England

When I recently returned to  England one of the first places that I wanted  to visit was Stonehenge. My cousins live about 30 miles from the area and we usually make the sojourn together. I am always filled with wonder at the mystery of this place.

STONEHENGE

The image above depicts the archaeological version of what Stonehenge 

looked like two thousand years ago.

Stonehenge is a powerful reminder of the once-great peoples of the late Stone and Bronze Ages. Erected between 3,000 BC and 1,600 BC, a number of the stones were carried hundreds of miles over land and sea, while antlers and bones were used to dig the pits that hold the stones their ultimate purpose remains a fascinating and enduring mystery.

 Here we have an ariel view, by National Geographic,

 of  Stonehenge today.

Mystery surrounds this 5,000 year old monument in the centre of the World Heritage Site. When you visit this prehistoric  site it is hard to decide whether Stonehenge was a place of sun worship, a healing sanctuary, a sacred burial site, or something different altogether! 

Stonehenge stands as an enduring testimony to the people who built it, in several phases between 3,000 and 1,600 BC. An amazing feat of engineering and arguably the most sophisticated stone circle in the world.

They provide a complimentary audio tour which tells you all about the history of the site.

Every time I visit I learn a little more than the time before. This is one of the most intriguing sites in the British Isles.

The surrounding landscape is also fascinating. It contains huge prehistoric monuments, stretching over several miles. Many of the earthen monuments have been eroded away and often, only traces remain above ground. 

The stones were built by three different cultures, Windmill, First Wessex and the Beakers - so named because when they buried their dead they had their pots interred with them.

The Bluestones are the smaller inner stones, which originate from Preselli mountains in Wales, and when they become wet they turn blue.

Stonehenge is not the largest stone circle in the world but it is the only one that has lintels around the top, making this unique. 

There is no explanation as to why this site was chosen. Various theories have been put forward but no conclusive evidence has been found to support them.

A common complaint is that there are now ropes erected around the stones to prevent people climbing on them. They were put in place in 1978 to help protect the stones from further damage.

 A lot of the original stones have been taken by our ancestors to build their houses and roads. Also, a lot of stones have been chipped away by visitors and taken away as souvenirs over the past couple of hundred years, therefor there has to be some protection in place to preserve the site. 

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I never fail to enjoy this visit.  I have written about the  history here, but there is another aspect of  this place that is easier to experience than to accurately write about. I am referring to the feeling that comes over myself and most visitors as we are standing looking at the sacred circle. 

It is hard to imagine the ancient  people who mapped the course of the sun and moon to build this monument. To view the burial mounds where they buried their leaders. This place is the center of one of the world's earliest cultures. They actually continued to build this for over two thousand years. They didn't give up until it was finished. 

They dragged the larger stones, 30 Sarsens (sandstone uprights), from the Marlborough Downs , 19 miles away. Each one weighing over 25 tons. The smaller stones, known as the Bluestones, are from the mystical Preseli Mountains in Wales, 240 miles away. 

What was their technology? How did they do that? What was their motivation to keep at it for so many years? As the tour guides say "It still remains a mystery today."

While we were there we met some colorful people. 

 More about this site soon..................

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photos (unless indicated) by peacesojourner

Breaking news: Obama kills fly

President Obama killed a fly! 

 AP: "Barack Obama: The human flyswatter." 

Canadian Press: "Obama kills annoying fly, then keeps going on in TV interview." NY Daily News: "No presidential pardon for this pest."

This image made from video released by CNBC, shows President Barack Obama smacking a fly dead during an interview with CNBC correspondent John Harwood in the White House on Tuesday June 16, 2009 in Washington.

As I was typing I was thinking that I needed to post something a little lighter today because the past few days have had such serious content. I've been writing about hate crimes and suggesting that we all try to treat others kindly.  As the thought was going through my mind this popped up on my screen. Now why did the Pres have  to go and kill something  during my 'Why can't we all get along" week?

Yes, PETA  has already issued a complaint!      

 You can't make this stuff up can you?

:-)  :-)  :-)

Hate Rears It's Ugly Head

The Native American grandfather tells his grandson that there are two wolves inside of him, fighting for control. One wolf is the wolf of love, peace, and kindness. The other wolf is a wolf of greed, hatred, and corruption. The grandson asks, "Which wolf will win?" The grandfather replies "Whichever wolf I feed."
Native American proverb

On occasion, I have been witness to the aftermath of a hate crime. One incident remains indelible in my mind when, some years ago, I worked and lived in the International Student’s House in London, England. A young man named Sean, a caring, thoughtful and generous person, lived in the apartment next door to me. One night, at around 2 a.m., there was a knock at my door. I was startled to hear Sean's voice. I opened the door and there he stood with blood all over his face and clothing. When he came into my living room he burst into tears and started telling me what had happened. Sean had just left the London Underground train station and was walking home when 6 Skinheads who beat him up attacked him. His face and body were bruised and bloody. He said that during the beating they called him derogatory names. It seems that they did it because he is gay. I held him as he wept and we tried to get some understanding of the motive of the bullies. We concluded that it just boiled down to ‘hate.’

In his book 'The Psychology of Hate’ Robert J Sternberg (American Psychological Association, APA) states, "After the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis in World War II, the expression "never again" became a familiar refrain. Yet, during the last half of the 20th century and the beginning of the current decade, society has witnessed staggering numbers of brutal and hateful acts. Our news sources are filled with reports of White supremacist groups murdering members of minority groups, religious zealots killing doctors who perform abortions, teenagers violently clashing with their classmates, the genocides in Rwanda and Sudan, the mass killing in Bosnia, and the 9/11 attacks on the United States. These are not random or sudden bursts of irrationality but, rather, orchestrated acts of violence and killing. Underlying these events is a widespread and haz­ardous human emotion: hate. Hate is among the most powerful of human emotions—it has caused great sorrow and suffering—and yet it has been understudied by psychologists".

" Once one begins to see hate in terms of its functions, one can see hate everywhere. That is not always a comfort. Consider the myriad functions of hate:

• Hate is a reliable source of attachment - a substitute for love.
• Hate gives meaning to life.
• Nursing one's hatred provides comfort and satisfaction.
• Acting out one's hate is a source of pleasure, that of domination and control.
• Sadism is the pleasure of hatred. Hatred is a mode of being in the world.

Hate binds people in a community with others who hate, a community whose intimacy is intensified by the guilty se­cret that all those who hate share: that there is pleasure in destruction.
If one can bear to know all this, then one shall have learned not only some terrible truths about the world but also something about hate that may from time to time allow one to mitigate its effects. Likely this knowledge will not lessen the sheer amount of hate in the world. Nevertheless, knowing of the secret fraternity of those who hate may allow one to intervene in their guilty pleasures and so short-circuit their satisfaction. The price of this inter­vention, which will only infrequently be effective, if history is any guide, is that of a terrible knowledge, one that connects the terrible things nations do with the terrible things that each person has at some point done to another person. That connection is hatred, which like Thanatos, to which it is so closely allied, is a principle that connects individual with world history. It is not a connection of which to be proud".

I first posted this blog in January after the many incidents of hate crimes related to the installation of President Obama. I thought I would print it again because there are still so many hate crimes being acted out around the country and the world. We have to remain vigilant and keep aware of these actions. 

Tomorrow: What can we do to makes some changes in the world?

Can We Talk? - re: Hate Crimes

This is Keith Luke, a swastika etched on his forehead, as he is arraigned in Brockton Superior Court on multiple charges of rape and murder stemming from a January shooting spree that authorities say was motivated by racial hatred.

This is his first murder victim: Selma Goncalves, 20,who  worked at a local dry cleaning store. She was described by friends as full of energy and brought happiness to others.

 

His second murder victim was Arlindo Goncalves, 72, father of eight adult children. Retired bricklayer. Had fallen on hard times but remained fiercely independent in taking care of himself. His family said "He never harmed a person in his life."

                                                                                                                                                                   

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Keith Luke, 22, was known as a loner in his neighborhood of Brockton Massachusetts. On January 22nd, 2009, Luke knocked on the door of 20-year-old immigrant, Selma Goncalves, his former neighbor. He had with him a backpack containing a hammer, two pairs of handcuffs, a mouth gag and blindfold. He also had an illegally purchased and unlicensed 9MM Hi Point semiautomatic handgun. Selma wasn’t home, but her older sister was.
Luke is accused of forcing his way into the apartment, sodomizing and shooting the 22-year-old woman, then fatally shooting her sister, Selma,when she came home. 
 He is also accused of opening fire on people who tried to provide aid to the women and of gunning down an elderly man pushing a cart filled with bottles and cans down the street. All of the victims are of Cape Verdean descent.


Authorities said that Luke later told police he had planned to end the rampage at a bingo game at a local synagogue where he wanted to shoot and kill as many Jews as he could.
Wearing a swastika on the face sends a powerful message, it is the ultimate defiance saying, ‘I don’t stand with you.’

Many neo-Nazis and “skinheads” are heavily tattooed, often with anti-Semitic or pro-Hitler phrases. It was determined that Luke was a frequent visitor to the Neo-Nazi sites on his computer.

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Can we talk? -

Just as in the animal kingdom some creatures, such as alligators, lurk in the muck and mire of murky waters, waiting for their next victim; there are humans who are also predators. They may sit in their homes in front of their computers visiting sites that encourage hatred and the  killing of people who  have a different culture, color, sexual orientation, or faith tradition than the viewer. Then, every now and then, they rise to the surface and perform an act of violence before retreating like the cowards that they are, into their own world of spiritless darkness.

This week, as I was writing this article, yet another act of hatred occurred at the Holocaust Memorial in Washington, D.C.

People, we cannot be lulled into thinking that things have changed. We have to remain vigilant.

The dictionary definition of hate is: intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury, extreme dislike or antipathy

Hate Crime: any of various crimes (as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation)

I have written about this on this blog before but I think it bears repeating .

The Hatewatch logo above is from the Southern Poverty Law Center. This group keeps their eyes on the current hate crimes – I invite you to check them out.

splc@newsletter.splcenter.org

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=1062

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Hate is like acid. It can damage the vessel in which it is stored as 

well as destroy the object on which it is poured. 

- Ann Landers

 -more on this topic tomorrow.

Nature's Kingdom

Some wonderful photos for you to enjoy

Building their nest together

Just hold on tight - Daddy's got you!

You and me against the world........

Look honey, he's taking his first steps.

O.K. just keep it up and you are going to be sorry

Photos by National Geographic

Exbury Gardens, Hampshire, England

Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway

Located in the New Forest, Exbury Gardens in Hampshire, England, belongs to a

 branch of the Rothschild family. 

It is situated just to the East of Beaulieu. 

Primroses (Primula vulgaris)

We traveled to the gardens  in the morning, myself, my sister and a childhood friend.

Our first order of the day was to have lunch in the Tea Garden - then off we went to explore the gardens. As we entered the grounds it was immediately obvious that the views are spectacular.

Exbury House

Once again, as we walked, we became immersed in the ancient history of the area. The first recorded reference to Exbury is in the Doomsday Book of 1086 where the village is noted down as being called Teocrabrae. There is very little recorded until the purchase of the estate in 1726 by William Mitford. One of his first acts was to plant the cedars of Lebanon near his farm (later to become Exbury House) plus many avenues of trees radiating out from the House. 

The house is still occupied from time to time by the de Rothschild family, and is not open to the public

Yellow Rhododendron - named after 'Naomi Rothschild'

The Gardens are a spectacular 200-acre site, world-famous for the Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and rare trees and shrubs. Lionel Nathan de Rothschild purchased the Exbury estate in 1919 and soon set to creating a garden on an ambitious scale  It is often considered the finest garden of its type in the United Kingdom.

The Azalea Bowl  

The evergreen azaleas and rhododendrons are gorgeous. We opted to ride on the Head Gardener's motorized Buggy around the grounds.He was an excellent tour guide with a great sense of  'British' humor.We were so busy taking photos of every flower that we could see that I have just realized we didn't take his photo, but I am sure he would understand :-)

.

Lovers Lane leads towards the Beaulieu River, flanked on both sides 

with  banks of deciduous azaleas. The blooms are deliciously scented.

A wonderful flowering season for the Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons and azaleas. 

Yes, there were others visiting on the same day. 

In actual fact,  there are more than  100,000 annual  visitors from all corners of the

 world who come to  enjoy the Exbury legacy.

The Top Pond is the largest in a series of three concrete-lined, ornamental ponds created by Lionel de Rothschild and fed by a natural spring. A full display of Exbury deciduous azaleas surrounds the pond with fiery colors; primulas and iris fringe the water’s edge; and giant carp and golden orfe can be seen swimming lazily.

The Exbury Gardens Steam Railway Station

I realize, once again, that I didn't take a photo of the train. Just too busy looking at the flowers. Those of you who know me well are aware that  I am totally addicted to flowers and the wonderful gifts provided to us by Mother Nature. :-)

Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non scipta) 

Providing a carpet of blue at the entrance to The Glade.

One of the most magnificent sights in England at springtime are the 

carpets of of bluebells in the woodlands.

Once again, we were reminded of the centuries of recorded history that is available to us. In the 1700's the economy of Exbury was based on sheep, general crops and a two-pan salt works. When the latter closed Exbury opened a brickworks, which operated up until the First World War. The Mitfords built the current Exbury village using the characteristic yellow bricks made in this area.

Another wonderful day. 

Good company and beautiful scenery - all is right with the world!

What more could a woman want in life?

A Portrait Made of Nails - Amazing

This portrait  is made out of nothing but nails. 

Amazingly beautiful!

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This came across my desk this week and I thought it worth sharing with you. 

I have no information about the art except for the www site that is printed on the photos.

It is in Arabic and I cannot read the information. 

If anyone knows more about it and can can give credit to the artist I will be glad to do so.

'END WAR' - 5,011 U.S. Military Troops Killed

Casualties in Iraq

The Human Cost of Occupation

Grim Milestone: 5,000  US Military Dead in Iraq, Afghanistan Wars

Among the U.S. service member deaths so far reported in June, one soldier has become the 5,000th casualty of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to Icasualties.org the wars have cost at least 4,311 lives in Iraq and 700 in Afghanistan.

These figures include both combat and non-combat deaths, as well as those service members killed outside the main theaters of action. In some cases, however, a service member who may have died months or years later of wounds received during service might not be included in official figures.

 As the U.S. Congress returned from a week long Memorial Day break, the lawmakers’ main war concern was not ending either campaign, but in finalizing a new war funding bill for the president to sign.

President Obama originally asked for $84.3-billion to continue the wars. Both chambers then added their own items, bringing the final tally for the House to $96.7-billion and the Senate’s to $91.3-billion in additional funding.

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American Deaths 

Since war began (3/19/03): 

4311

Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 

83

American Wounded Official         Estimated

     Total Wounded: 31327                Over 100,000

Latest Fatality June 5, 2009

Page last updated  6/6/09

U.S. Wounded

Daily DoD Casualty Release

320,000 Vets Have Brain Injuries

War Veterans’ Concussions Are Often Overlooked

How Many Service Members Were Wounded?

18 Vet Suicides Per Day?

Iraqi Casualties

Others

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq 

318

US Military Deaths - Afghanistan 

700

Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan 

474

Journalists - Iraq 

138

Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq 

1,306

Iraqi Deaths - over 1 million have been reported

Sources: DoD, MNF, and iCasualties.org

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Do these numbers alarm you? The number of those killed and the amount of money that is being spent. Have you made any effort to speak and let others know that you are against the wars? Have you written to the President to let him know how you  feel?

If not please make some effort to end this senseless killing. Why not do it today? Please let me know what action you have taken. 

I will be so glad to hear from you.

peacesojourner

Hengistbury Head, Dorset, England

Hengistbury Head, Dorset

A longtime favorite place for our family to go walking is Hengistbury Head that is a scenic and historic headland jutting into the English Channel between Bournemouth and Christchurch in the English county of Dorset. 
 At the end is a spit, which creates the narrow entrance to Christchurch Harbor.

Hengistbury Head has many different habitats, a wide variety of wildlife and rare plant species. It is also a site of significant archaeological importance. For many years it has been a site of scientific interest and a major tourist attraction.

Each year it attracts visitors from all over the world. There is a carpet of golden heather or gorse. The bracken is a really beautiful, low, densely branched shrubs with spiny leaves and fragrant yellow blossoms.

The known history goes back thousands of years. The region was originally named Hynesbury Head. However during the Iron Age it was renamed Hengistbury Head after the Jutish king Hengest. The first truly urban settlement in Britain seems to have been at Hengistbury Head. This site had been inhabited intermittently for over one hundred thousand years, with visits made initially by occasional nomads. 

Just look at these gorgeous blooms on the gorse bushes. As we walk they can be seen near and far.  Hengistbury Head was Britain's first town, both in terms of its early date, and also in terms of the town's growth being due to the channel opening up and creating the island that we now call Britain. 

Here is my sister's dog, Pebbles, who discovered this six foot long branch and just would not put it down. She wanted us to throw it for her so that she could play 'fetch it'. The branch was quite heavy to throw and I was incredulous that she was running around with it in her mouth as if it were a bone. When we were ready to go home she eventually was very reluctant about leaving her new treasure behind.

As we stroll in this beautiful area it is hard to realize that Hengistbury Head reached its peak as a town when occupied by Celtic people from around 700BC. Around this time the sea had advanced, creating a headland. 

This area was also a manufacturing center, since the rocks in the area were rich in iron, which marked a crucial milestone in the economic history of Britain.

The Head remains a beautiful wilderness that is being rapidly lost to the sea. Since its days as a great port half the area has been lost to erosion. 

A visit here is all about appreciating the natural beauty of the landscape and reflecting on the passing of a once bustling centre of activity. 

View of the Isle of Wight from Hengistbury Head

For those who enjoy history there are several storyboards indicating that it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The history of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age is recorded. They tell about the wildlife on Hengistbury Head, including Galloway Cattle, the wood mouse, the skylark and the meadow pipit, but they also tell us about how people lived and hunted on Hengisbury Head and Warren Point between 12,500 years ago and 4,000 years ago during the Stone Age, which is really fascinating. 

Medieval era:

The area was not substantially reoccupied until Alfred the Great decided to rebuild the harbor as a defense against raiders. He built the town that later became Christchurch, on the north side of the harbor.

A walk at Hengistbury Head always conjures up childhood memories for me. Running and  flying kites here.  One of the things that I enjoy when I return home to England is that there is so much documented history. At this location  there is evidence of intermittent human habitation stretching back over 100,000 years.

Now that is really something to think about :-)

Photos by peacesojourner

NAACP - URGENT MESSAGE

Troy Davis

Tell the Georgia Department of Corrections to let Troy speak!

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A message from: Benjamin Todd Jealous

President and CEO

NAACP

A few hours ago, I met with Troy Davis on death row.

As you know, he is facing the death penalty in Georgia for killing a police officer -- but since his trial, seven out of nine witnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony. And with no physical evidence to link him to the crime, it is likely he is innocent. 

Besides the fact that Troy is facing execution for a crime that he may not have committed, he also told me that he is being denied the right to speak out on his own behalf despite the fact that others in his position are allowed to do so. 

Please contact Commissioner Brian Owens of the Georgia Department of Corrections to demand that he remove the gag order on Troy Davis. 

In my meeting with Troy, I discovered that 60 Minutes, Dateline, and the Associated Press have all been denied media access to Troy. When Georgia won't let the media talk to the accused man, it is a flagrant abuse of his First Amendment rights. 

In fact, the case of Troy Davis highlights how broken our criminal justice system is... and why we must reform it. Today, more than 60% of the people in prison are people of color. African Americans make up more than 40% of those on death row. This summer, the NAACP will launch a campaign to reform our country's criminal justice system with the goal of making our communities safer, improving police performance, saving money, and keeping more of our young men and women out of prison. But Troy can't wait for this summer. We need your help now. 

An innocent man may be executed. You and I must work together to reform our country's criminal justice system, and we must start by saving the life of one man. Please contact Commissioner Brian Owens of the Georgia Department of Corrections today and demand he give Troy the right to speak.

Benjamin Todd Jealous
President and CEO
NAACP

Please check here for information on how to contact Commissioner Owens.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/NAACP-President-vists-Troy-by-Ben-Jealous-090529-77.html

Amnesty International is also in full support of intervention for Troy Davis

Peace Garden

Today I am trying something a little different. 

I have opened a new blog site called 'Peace Garden'

I will be writing about one of my favorite passions - Flower Gardening.

If you like the picture of the Oriental Poppy shown above then check out 'Peace Garden'

to learn more about this beautiful flower.

Let me know what you think and please feel free to offer any suggestions that 

you may have that would improve the site. 

http://peaceonearthgarden.blogspot.com/