When the world is too much with us . . .

A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, Chapter 1, 1859.

At times, I cannot stand any more of thoughts of motiveless malignancy, malevolence, death and terror -- and our government's callous diregard for Canadians' security in its quest for votes, despite myriad warnings of the terrorist groups active, even fundraising, in Canada, along with its allowing undocumented illegal aliens loose amongst us. A government heedless of warnings, even from Liberals such as Senator Colin Kenny.

(On terror's trail -- Senator pushes relentlessly to upgrade Canada's lagging security standards by Paul Jackson, Calgary Sun, July 10, 05 -- and Parliament Buildings are 'good targets': Sen. Kenny by Christopher Guly, The Hill Times, July 11, 05)

Senator Kenny is head of a Parliamentary committee tasked with studying security. There are so many articles (See newsbeat1 as a starting point and Little Green Footballs) and bloggers who write more eloquently than I; check and get your fill of information.

It is up to Islam to force Islam to change, to root out the extremism. I don't think I can stand reading another politician's claim that "Islam is peace" when the evidence belies that, as Islam is practiced and Islamist fanaticism is enabled throughout the Muslim world. Going along in silence does not signify a desire for peace. To tell us otherwise is to treat us as fools.

Previously, I have posted excerpts from Hansard and studies by Parliamentary committees and think tanks. What good has it done? I suspect many Canadians just go to the lake . . . or buy another lottery ticket.

When I despair at all of this, I listen to music and consider some of my personal choices for man's most wondrous achievements, what touch me personally. Highlights? Machu Picchu in Peru, Borobodur in Java, Pagan along the Irawaddy in Burma, so many areas of India; there are more, but this is a starting point -- balm for the troubled soul. Not all of these are the best photographs, but they might be point of entry to your own search. The art and architecture of India site is excellent. Do not miss it. India is one of those places one could visit time and time again -- and I haven't even mentioned Cochin with its Kathakali Dancers and, amazingly, a Jewish temple, Goa's Calangute Beach or Trivandrum's Kovalum Beach.

Machu Picchu , high in the mountains of Peru along the Urubamba River. Select each to enlarge -- here , here , here, and The Inca Trail Map

Borobodur and here . This is not in Bali, actually. It is a few kilometres from Djogjakarta in Java.

Prambanan, Java and the Golden Buddha, Ananda, Pagan, Burma Both are on the same page. The rest of the photos I checked were too washed out to capture how affecting the temples and stupas of Pagan are, how they cause one to put things in perspective. The whole area is made for contemplation.


Monuments of India Site Key -- a wonderful resource

Scroll down this page for a table categorizing and linking to photos.

One of the most rewarding areas seldom heard of in comparison to others like the Taj Mahal is Khajuraho What mere humans have accomplished is simply phenomenol, carvings that range over all, encompassing all aspects of life.

The ones I recommend, though I have not checked all the photos of the rest yet, include: Elephanta Caves (Bombay Harbour), Taj Mahal, Mahabalipuram (south of what used to be named Madras -- The siting of the Shore Temple beside the ocean, if viewed late in the day framed against a deep blue sky, is magnificent), Udaipur Amber Palace (Rajasthan), Hawa Mahal (Jaipur), Diwan-i-Khas (City Palace, Jaipur), Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Ajanta and Ellora, Udaipur Lake Palace (Rajasthan; it may not be on this page but it is worth searching for elsewhere -- magical.)

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