Jerzy Popieluszko: Religion and Geography

Jerzy Popieluszko: The Messenger of the Truth has one of the most suspenseful climaxes for a documentary I have ever seen.  The film is about a Polish priest who sets out to remind Poles about their natural rights as workers and humans.  His struggle shows the dark side of utopian visions such as Communism due to its disconnectedness with natural law and the world.  I strongly recommend this film.

Several factors make Father Popieluszko's effort note worthy to even secularists (or geographers disconnected to religious issues) and play key roles in the documentary:

The Papal Effect was Only the Beginning: 1980s Poland was revolutionized by the Polish pope, Saint John Paul II.  John Paul's election and visit to Poland allowed for the popular culture to come out of forced hiding due to Communist rule.  However, after a week the pope went back to Rome.  The labor union Solidarity and its chaplain, Popieluszko, seized the momentum the pope started.  The union united not only blue collar Poles but also academics and rural populations in making a popular culture peaceful resistance.

Communism - A "Vanguard" is not the People: Solidarity was an independent labor union and that scared the "Workers of the World, Unite" Communist Party of Poland.  Communist and major leftist movements had long moved past any serious care for the worker.  Solidarity's goals were laborist, not leftist, and that scared the party.

Faith is dangerous, it's why Caiaphas killed Jesus: There is a reason why Poland crackdown on Catholicism after the rise of Solidarity.  It is the same reason the People's Republic of China bans independent Christianity and why Caiaphas killed Jesus.  When an authoritarian regime encounters someone claiming there is a "universal truth" above the party/regime/king then the regime is shown to be limited.  It must either strike out or fold, there is no middle ground.

The documentary is well done and the narration by Martin Sheen sets a professional tone.  Clocking in at about 90 minutes this film is best viewed in one sitting but I recommend parental guidance before letting children watch it. 

How to Succeed in Business with a Degree in Geography

Justin Holman linked to an article by Dr. James Chan about how to succeed in business with a geography degree.  Here are key points I really enjoyed

How much is your success in consulting related to your degrees in geography? I apply what I know about Chinese geography and cultural geography to day-to-day problems in business. I’ve worked with more than 100 U.S. manufacturers, trade associations, and service organizations. Businesses need people with geographical and cross-cultural knowledge.

Could you give an example of how you applied geography to a business problem? A company spent $1,000,000 on postage each year to mail catalogs worldwide. I looked at its bloated mailing list and found that there were many duplicate records. This means that quite a number of people received multiple copies of marketing materials. Many names on the list were misspelled and out-of-date. I surveyed our worldwide customer base and eliminated duplication and waste. Management was very happy because I reduced their costs.

What advice would you give to someone with a geography degree about succeeding in business? Start at an entry level and learn a business. Geography is not a trade. It is an academic discipline. Once you know enough of a business, you can apply your unique training as a geographer to look at things in a way that people trained in other disciplines may not come up with. This is how you differentiate yourself and become competitive. Few businesses pay us to teach them geography. They just want us to solve their problems and get things done. It’s up to us to invent ourselves.

What is the World's Deadliest Animal to Humans? Depends on How and Who You Count

Bill Gates released a chart showing the deadliest animals to humans.

Diseases spread by mosquitoes such as dengue, malaria, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever, and West Nile make this flying insect a plague to many.

The chart on the surface looks good.  It cites the World Health Organization and other reputable sources.  It shows just how deadly mosquitoes are compared to the stereotype killers such snakes, sharks, and other killing animals.  However, the 475,000 homicides by fellow humans is too low when you count abortions.  There are up to 42 million abortions a year.  When one factors in abortion the 3 mosquito-caused deaths for every 2 homicides changes to 1 mosquito-caused death for every 58 homicides.  Quite a dramatic changed. as we remain our own worst enemy. 

Easter Sunday 2014: Fourteenth Century English Art

He is Risen!

From Wikipedia

2013 Kenyan Art
2012 Coptic Icon
2011 Romanian and Vatican Easter Stamps
2010 Ethiopian Orthodox Icon
2009 Maronite Catholic Icon
2008 Roman Catholic Prayer Card Art
2007 Russian Orthodox Icon
2006 Roman Catholic Art

Good Friday 2014: Scriptural Way of the Cross and Stations of the Cross from Around the World

His Journey


View Scriptural Way of the Cross in a larger map

As seen by various cultures

European
Italian-Renaissance Mosaic Style
Modern Polish Woodcuts
Middle Ages
Modern Italian
Neo-Baroque
Renaissance

The Americas
Latin American Liberation Theology-influenced
Latin American Retablos
Native American

Asia
Traditional Indian
Jordanian Stamps
Maronite Lebanese
Traditional Chinese

African
Ethiopian
Nigerian
Western Kenyan

Australia
Aboriginal Stations Video

Holy Week Geography: The Cosmos Gathers in Jerusalem for Passover/Good Friday

Unlike the scattered disposition of people during the first advent, the cosmos was centering on Jerusalem.

Herod Antipas

The Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea ruled the rump of his family's kingdom.  All left under his direct control was Galilee to the north and Pera (modern-day western Jordan).  His family of Jewish gentiles were a vague shadow of the great kings like David and Solomon.  He was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.  Ultimately, he would represent how some people completely waste away God's gifts.

Pontius Pilate

The Roman governor of Judea represented the Emperor Augustus by ruling the Holy Land directly for Rome.  Jerusalem was his capital and the influx of Jews from across the Empire, Arabia, and Persia for the Passover celebration required his direct oversight.  Pilate represented the might of worldly powers but his violence and ultimately cowardliness represented the limits of worldly gains.

Joseph Caiaphas

The high priest of the Temple lived, worked, and prayed in Jerusalem.  He would need to oversee the Passover.  During his time on Passover/Good Friday, Caiaphas shows the tragedy of making religion an ideology and political calculations while ignoring the divine.

Jesus

The Christ entered Jerusalem knowing what was going to happen.  While some like Caiaphas feared Jesus would use Passover to start a revolution, but instead He came to complete the feast.  He would also turn the focus of the faith from the city of Jerusalem to the universal Jerusalem. 

Virtual Geography Convention 2014: Beach Science

Welcome to the Virtual Geography Convention 2014!  If you wish to submit to the virtual geography convention please contact catholicgauze [at] gmail [dot] com.

The Tampa Bay Times has an article about Dr. Stephen Leatherman and how he scientifically measures the quality of beaches.  It makes me enviousness of his field research.  There were many times in Afghanistan when I wished I had the dream job of protecting and scientifically caring for beaches.