Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Haunted books



I have just got to get me a set of these.

Antique looking books seem perfectly harmless until someone walks by, then the middle book slides out toward the victim as if it will fall from the shelf. Books also emit spooky sounds for a totally haunted effect.

link

Monday, July 30, 2007

New Last Supper Theory?


Slavisa Pesci has created a bit of a "buzz" around the Internet with his new take on the Da Vinci Painting of the Last Supper. Pesci has discovered by "superimposing the Last Supper with its mirror-image throws up another picture containing a figure who looks like a Templar knight and another holding a small baby."
In the superimposed version, a figure on Christ's left appears to be cradling a baby in its arms, Pesci said, but he made no suggestion this could be Christ's child.
Judas, whose imminent betrayal of Christ is the force breaking the right-hand line of the original fresco, appears in an empty space on the left in the reverse image version.
In all honesty, I don't see it. Maybe, I don't have an artistic eye. My gut feeling is that this ranks up there with faces in toast and animal shapes in clouds.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

The Vatican Secret Archives Open to the Public On-Line

Need some reading material? How about reading the Vatican Secret Archives ...

"Nowadays, the Secret Vatican Archives have more than 630 different archival fonds, for an extension of about 85 linear kilometres of shelves, covering an almost continuous chronological period of over 800 years of history."

The first thing I went to was "THE PARCHMENT OF CHINON – THE ABSOLUTION OF POPE CLEMENT V OF THE LEADING MEMBERS OF THE TEMPLAR ORDER"

Get Fechr for free

There is an interesting new site called Fechr that will feature your blog for 24 hours. Their purpose is to increase your traffic. While it is a free service now, they do plan to charge in the future. Jump on it while it is free ...

Aquafina is tap water

I have two cases of Aquafina and now I learn that it is nothing more than tap water. As many Florida residents, I like to store water over the hurricane season. I had believed that bottled water was better for me and I trusted a well known company like PepsiCo. Sadly, I now feel cheated ....

What have I learned?

I have learned to be wary of Pepsi products ...

source

Friday, July 27, 2007

Wicca is stepping out of the shadows

I was reading an article on the ReligionNewsBlog today that gave a favorable view of wiccans. The article was about the Rev. Pami Griffith, a correllian wiccan. "Griffith, head of the temple and a priestess in the Correllian Nativist Church, wants to dispel myths among those unfamiliar with Wicca."

Some of my wiccan friends have a strong dislike of Correllian wiccans, and I do mean strong. While Griffith complains about Christian intolerance and hypocrisy she seems to gloss over the distaste for Correllian wicca by some in the pagan community.

At no point was she asked about the selling of the "Witch School" by Ed Hubbard. Its hard for anyone to take a wiccan school seriously if one of its leaders compares it to Hogwarts.

“Churches say these things are bad, but a lot of people go to church and also to a psychic or a tarot reader,” she notes. “I’ve given readings to priests. We’re not so far out.”

Just a suggestion to Rev. Griffith, maybe it would be wise to build up your religion without tearing down another person's faith. I don't for one minute believe that she has given readings to "priests." Not only do I not believe it, but that sort of bandwagon mentality makes for a poor argument. Just because a lot of people do anything doesn't make it right or good.

I'm fine with her desire to "dispel myths among those unfamiliar with Wicca." However; I have a problem with her creation of "myths" to detract from other faiths.

I would submit to Rev Griffith that she should mend the problems with other wiccan communities first before opening a dialogue with Christians.


source

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Review: The Complete Book of Ghosts


The Complete Book of Ghosts
by Paul Roland
This edition published in 2007 by Arcturus Publishing Limited

3 stars

Although the choice of the title for this book is horrible and misleading, "The Complete Book of Ghosts" has some interesting parts.

On the downside, I was disappointed with the fonts and artwork that were used in the book. They seemed to run contrary to the authors attempt to be taken seriously. Sadly, I believe that Roland blew his some of credibility with this poor choice of graphics.

Most of the stories were far too brief and the lacked objectivity. There was little to no effort taken to debunk the ghost stories. Less than one page was given to "frauds and fakes" and that read:


Sadly, the society's efforts to bring such evidence to the attention of the scientific establishment were fatally undermined by several well-publicized scandals involving fake mediums. These occurred just prior to, and in the years immediately after, publication of Census of Hallucinations and consequently public ardour towards spiritualism was dampened and the sceptics had further cause to doubt. Several SPR members were duped by hoaxers who exploited their eagerness to believe, leaving the reputation of the society irreparably damaged by the turn of the century.


I think a bit more needed to be said about the topic. I would have liked to have seen a better effort to reveal frauds and less on John Edward and his ilk.
On the plus side, the stories were interesting; although, they were a bit too brief. It was an easy and quick read. I enjoyed the section about the "Most Haunted" television series.


Contents
6 Introduction
8 Chapter 1
Belief in the soul
10 Cults of the dead
12 Sacred spirits
15 Spirits in the Scriptures
17 Ancient apparitions
18 Restless spirits
22 Chapter 2
The night side of nature
24 Willington Mill
27 The Fox sisters
30 The birth of spiritualism
32 A surplus of spirits
34 The haunting of Charles Dickens
36 Ghost lights
38 The ghost club
39 A ghostly intruder
40 Concern from beyond the grave
40 Suicide sighting
41 Last Will and Testament
43 A dispiriting response
44 Time-delayed proof
45 Frauds and fakes
46 Spectral soldiers
49 A ‘strange meeting’
51 The conversion of Conan Doyle
54 The phantom fayre
56 Mass materializations
58 Chapter 3
Living apparitions
60 The ‘stone tape’ theory
60 In two places at once
64 The absent MP
64 Phantom forerunners
65 Getting ahead of themselves
66 Thought forms
67 Crisis apparitions
69 Escaping worldly bonds
71 A ghost in the mirror
73 Projecting his own ghost
74 Inducing an out-of-body experience
76 The astral visit
76 A message from the other side
78 The psychologist and the spirit
80 Psychology and the paranormal
82 The haunted cottage
84 Out of this world
86 Crisis of faith
88 Voices from beyond
89 Recording EVP
90 The Pope’s parapsychologists
94 Chapter 4
Talking to the dead
96 Science and the spirit world
97 Our sixth sense
98 Convincing evidence
99 Positive benefits
101 Betty Shine
104 The psychic cleric
106 The soul rescuer
106 John Edward
109 Interpreting the spirits
110 The Ouija board
112 Chapter 5
The uninvited – possession
114 The Vennum case
117 Soul music
118 The artist within
119 The three Claras
120 The question of reincarnation
122 Chapter 6
Haunted houses
124 The Bloody Tower
127 The ghosts of Glamis
129 Pursued by dreams
130 Thirteen guests
132 Borley Rectory
134 The ghost-hunter’s book
137 Weird night in a haunted house
139 The White House
140 Alcatraz
142 The Edgar Allen Poe house
144 Toys “R” Us
146 Chapter 7
Spooky sites
148 Haunted hotel
150 The town too tough to die
153 Tombstone’s spooky sites
154 A glimpse into the past
156 Sense of foreboding
159 Published, and damned
160 The ghosts of Glastonbury
163 Ghosts of the London Underground
165 Ghost flight
166 Haunted Hollywood
171 Their final bow
174 Spooked celebrities
175 Life imitating art
177 Celebrity seance
178 Chapter 8
Ghost hunters
180 Harry Price – ghost hunter
183Most haunted
190 Is your house haunted?
191 How to see a ghost
194 Speaking with spirits
197 The ghost hunter’s tool kit
198 How to conduct a ghost hunt
203 Afterword
205
Bibliography/Picture Credits
206 Internet resources
206–8 Index
All in all, it was interesting, but could have been much better ...

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Princess claims clairvoyant powers

Princess Märtha Louise, daughter of King Harald and Queen Sonja, claims to be clairvoyant, and she further claims to have the ability to communicate with the angels and animals. The Princess has decided to pass on these remarkable abilities to we mundane humans for a price.

Princess Märtha has started a school called Astarte education. The school is named after a middle eastern goddess and it claims to teach you to get “in touch with your own truths” through “readings, healing, crystals and hands-on treatment.”


Is it just me or has anyone else thought that these royal families need to stop inbreeding.

source

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

9th of Av

Today is the 9th of Av (Tisha 'B Av) ...

Use this handy Hebrew Date Converter to help convert dates.

The 9th of Av, 586 B.C. was the day that the first Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar. Later, on the 9th of Av, the Romans, under Titus, destroyed the second Temple. In 1095, on the 9th of Av, the first Crusade was declared by Pope Urban II.

Certainly, a date of interest to the Freemason and neo-templars ...

Lost abbey where Bruce was crowned has been found


ONE of Scotland's most important "lost" historic sites - the ancient abbey where Robert the Bruce is believed to have been crowned on the Stone of Destiny - has been rediscovered.


The Stone of Destiny or the Coronation Stone (not to be confused with Harry Potter's wand of destiny) is a block of sandstone historically kept at the now-ruined abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. "It was used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland, the monarchs of England, and, more recently, British monarchs."


Archaeologists using sophisticated magnetic imaging technology have traced the exact location of Scone Abbey, the ancient seat of ecclesiastical and royal power where Scottish kings were inaugurated for four centuries. The find could eventually pave the way for excavations to begin to reveal the remains.


This begs the question, will the site become a national symbol or a religious symbol? I suspect that the site will be developed for tourism. As with most other western countries, money is the national and religious symbol!

source

Monday, July 23, 2007

Goat or Satyr?

Have scientists found the mythical satyr? The satyr was half man and half goat, who was often "associated with male sex drive."


In June, a man's body, naturally mummified within an ancient salt mine, was found in the Chehr-Abad salt mine outside the Iranian city of Zanjan. Six such discoveries have been made since 1993, according to the Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS) foundation based in London. Past salt man finds go back as far as 540 BC, around the time of the ancient Achaemenid dynasty.


Interestingly, there is a mention of a satyr by St. Jerome. The saint of librarians wrote about the Emperor Constantine visiting a satyr preserved in salt. Could this be the satyr that the Emperor visited?

I think that he needs a better name than satyr. Since he isn't doing anything, let's call him "Billy Idol."

source

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
by J.K. Rowling

3 stars


I will try to do this without spoilers.

The final book of the series (or so we are told) is much darker than books 4-6. I believe that Rowling was far too heavy handed with the themes of death and loss. I was shocked by the extermination of numerous well loved characters. I would not recommend this book for younger children.

On the plus side, it is a very fast-paced story with loads of action. The plot twists and turns as much as a snake :::grin:::

The ending will have some people wondering if the Harry Potter books are Christian allegory. I believe that a strong case could be made that they are. One might also see some Freemason symbolism .·.

The book has its faults ... spelling ... logic and plot holes ...etc. The biggest fault would be very poor editing. Having said all that, the story will become part of our modern-day mythology. It will weave it self into our culture. Perhaps that is something that we have to remind or teach each new generation ... good must struggle against evil.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

On sabbatical

On sabbatical ...

A small break to do some reading ...

The book that I'm reading begins with Chapter one, "The Dark Lord Ascending."The opening line, "The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow moonlit lane." I couldn't help but peek at the ending, (...)
This should be fun ...

(My humble apology to the Harry Potter fans ... I have removed the last line of the book from this blog and I promise to be more sensitive to fans of books that I may review in the future. I will not spoil the book in my upcoming review.)

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Doh! Pagans have a cow over Homer

Its seems that angering Pagans by altering the Longman of Wilmington just wasn't enough. Now cartoon character Homer Simpson has been added to the famous fertility symbol - the Cerne Abbas giant.

In a shameless publicity stunt to promote "The Simpson's Movie" , a 180ft giant Homer in his underwear and holding a donut has been painted next to the ancient pagan symbol.


Ann Bryn-Evans, joint Wessex district manager for The Pagan Federation, said: “It’s very disrespectful and not at all aesthetically pleasing.
“We were hoping for some dry weather but I think I have changed my mind. We’ll be doing some rain magic to bring the rain and wash it away.”
She added: “I’m amazed they got permission to do something so ridiculous. It’s an area of scientific interest.”


What's next? Homer graffiti in the Vatican? How about some Simpson banners hanging from the Iwo Jima Memorial?

I hope that Christians will speak out against altering pagan symbols. In my case, I will not go to the Simpson's Movie.




source

Monday, July 16, 2007

What the frell?

It seems that the sci-fi channel has decided to bring back Farscape in a limited form:

Fans will return to the Farscape universe in an original Web series, set to be released on SCIFI.com. The 10-part series is executive produced by Brian Henson and Robert Halmi, Jr., and produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with RHI. "The series will revive and expand the beloved Farscape universe," according to the network.No word yet on just which actors or characters will be involved in the project, or just when it will arrive. After being unceremoniously cancelled after four seasons, the critically-acclaimed Farscape (starring Stargate SG-1's Ben Browder and Claudia Black) returned in 2004 for the 4-hour miniseries Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.

Something to keep an eye on for the sci-fi fan ...

source

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


4.5 stars

Willy, age 14, and I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix today. Willy loved it; although, he did comment on the way out that the book was much better. That coming from someone that I usually have to bribe in order to get him to read.

Of course, the movie due to time constraints is very streamlined. Many of the supporting characters have little or no time in the picture and they are relegated to standing around in the background.

The acting is superb. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are older and far more professional. Each turned in a fine performance, as did the rest of the cast. I wished that they would have invested a little more time with Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley. Though Bonny was not in the spotlight, I watched her reactions to Harry and Cho with great interest.

Perhaps the best character and performance was of Luna Lovegood played by Evanna Lynch. Evanna simply nailed the character of Loony Lovegood.

The special effects were great. The wizard battle in the Ministry of Magic alone is worth the price of the ticket.

The movie is dark and I wouldn't take little children. Interestingly, we shared the theater with a church group most of whom were in their early teens. I guess it goes to show that some churches have no problem with Harry Potter.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Something wicca this way comes

The Christian church has been stung by a number of sexual scandals. I have often felt sorry for the Catholic faith for the media pounding that it has received due to the bad behavior of a small number of priests. The simple fact is that we are all flawed people who make mistakes.

Several of my Wicca friends are only too happy to bash Christians with stories of sexual indiscretions and abuse. They seem to forget the threefold law of return.

With that in mind, "police arrest a Santa Maria couple accused of using the Wicca religion to lure a 15-year-old girl into sex." So the next time that I have my lunched ruined by my Wiccan friends with tales of of Christian misbehavior in an effort to do harm to my faith. I need only remind them of Wiccans Sean and Rachelle Pelino who "face six felony counts each, including several charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor."

So much for do what you will but harm none ...

source

Friday, July 13, 2007

Bastet, Egyptian Zodiac






Bastet



You look for balance and harmony, anxious, devoted. Often rash and impatient.

Colors: male: yellow ochre, female: grey
Compatible Signs:
Sekhmet, Horus
Dates:
Jul 14 - Jul 28, Sep 23 - Sep 27, Oct 3 - Oct 17

Role: Goddess of cats, women, and secrets
Appearance:
Cat or cat-headed woman
Sacred animals:
cat


What is Your Egyptian Zodiac Sign?
Designed by CyberWarlock of Warlock's Quizzles and Quandaries

Old Testament figure named on 2600-year-old tablet

The name of Nebo-Sarsekim, of Jeremiah 39, has been found on a cuneiform inscription in a tablet dating from 595BC . Nebo-Sarsekim is named on the relic as donating "a gift of gold on the Temple of Esangila ."

"Finding something like this tablet, where we see a person mentioned in the Bible making an everyday payment to the temple in Babylon and quoting the exact date, is quite extraordinary", said Michael Jursa, associate professor at the University of Vienna.

Geza Vermes, professor of Jewish studies at the University of Oxford said, ""This will be interesting for religious people as much as historians."

I imagine that there will be those who will discount this find as meaningless. Although, it is usually those same people who demand proof. Another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place.



source

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Minor Peeves Meme

I got this Meme from Careful Thought ... visit him and do something to annoy him.

  • Business who promote themselves as Christian but rip people off. I have just had an experience with one. If you advertise to the public that you are Christian business, at least be honest. (In a perfect world people wouldn't use Jesus as an advertisement for their business.)
  • People who want to ban books that they have never read.
  • Tourist who behave badly. Look I have to live here, do me a favor and throw your trash away properly. If you can't behave like a decent human being, please stay home and watch the travel channel.
  • Most rap ... lets face it that stuff isn't really music.
  • News stations who try to entertain me rather than provide me with accurate unbiased news.
  • Politicians ... lets vote them ALL out!
  • Political correctness, I am all for being civil and treating people with respect but at a certain point enough is enough.
  • Postal rate increases, 2 cent stamps ....grrrrrr.
  • The morning stigmata known as shaving. Maybe I'll grow a beard.
  • Christmas in July sales ...

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Let the Inquisition begin!

The Pope has put out a document that states that non-catholic churches are either "defective or not true churches, and the Roman Catholic Church provides the only true path to salvation." Its not any surprise to me that the Pope would issue a paper favorable to Catholics; however, I would have expected something to promote and encourage an open dialogue with non-catholics.


"These separated churches and communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation," the document read. "In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church."


I suppose that the Pope does not feel the need to have an open dialogue with non-catholics or perhaps his version of an open dialogue is "it's my way or the highway."

Aside from the tone of the paper, I have a problem with the Pope's claiming that salvation comes only through the Catholic Church. I believe that salvation comes through Jesus Christ and not through an "ism", "ology", congregation, or church.

My gut feeling is that in a few weeks the Pope will soften this stance. At least, I hope so ...


source
additional source

The Devil

Anthony North has an interesting article called the THE DEVIL. North takes us through a brief history of the Devil and Satanism.


Conspiriologists - particularly Christian Fundamentalists - continue to invoke the Devil whenever they can in order to frighten people back to the pews.


North sees Satan as a sort of Christian bogeyman created to scare us back on to the straight and narrow path. "And indeed, a conspiracy no doubt is going on. But it is a conspiracy of plain old self-interest, tinged with more than a small dose of human gullibility."

I couldn't help but ask myself, what is the risk of inaction? What might be the fate of those who preached the status quo rather than do what they could to put people in the pews?

Using North's argument, vaccinations would be in the doctors self-interest and that we were gullible. Flawed though it may be, it is an interesting read.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The future of Christianity

Archaeological sensation in Oestfold

There was an interesting find in a garden at Oestfold Norway.


Norwegian archaeologists are puzzled by a find which indicates an Inca Indian died and was buried in the Oestfold city of Sarpsborg 1000 years ago.


It would seem that Vikings traveled much farther than was first thought. It will be interesting to see what develops from this find.

Fortunately, there are no plans to build an IKEA store on the remains.


source

Monday, July 09, 2007

Druids call on PM to halt Long Man sex change show


FURIOUS druids have signed a petition to try and stop ITV from screening a programme featuring a sex change of the Longman of Wilmington.
Fashion experts Trinny and Susannah angered pagans when they added breasts and pigtails to what many believe is a sacred site.



Speaking as a Christian, I hate to see someone insult another religion by altering its religious symbols. I think that all faiths should speaking out against this sort of abuse of spiritual people.

Having said that, I am sure that there have been several of these same Pagans who have no problems with similar abuses to Christian symbols. I have spoken to several Pagans who gleefully cheered at the mocking and removal of Christian symbols.


I hope that Christians will speak up for the Pagans and I hope that in the future Pagans will speak up for the Christians.


Petition


additional source
source

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Purgatory!

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
LevelScore
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)High
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)Moderate
Level 3 (Gluttonous)High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)Moderate
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)Low

Take the Dante Inferno Hell Test

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Workers destroy ancient Chinese tombs

Workers destroyed several ancient tombs from the "six dynasties" period in order to build a Swedish IKEA store. I can understand the reasoning. Why have your precious and irreplaceable history in the way of something that is truly important like an IKEA store. Thats right, pay a modest fine, and turn your full attention to setting up a store filled with Swedish furniture.

Ah yes, progress!

Under Chinese law, people or work units found destroying "ancient tombs" can be fined 50,000 to 500,000 yuan (about $6,600-$65,700) but the laws are weakly enforced, the newspaper said.


source



Building buried in Chinese emperor's tomb


Another interesting story from China is the discovery of a 98-foot high building buried within the pyramid-like tomb of the emperor near Xian.

Researcher Duan Qingbo of the Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology said the building may have been built for the release of the soul of the departed Qinshihuang, who is credited with unifying China in 221 B.C. prior to becoming emperor.It was near the same site that archaeologists in the 1970s unearthed about 1,500 terracotta warriors and horses, believed to have been buried with the emperor to protect him after his death.


There is no word yet as to when it will be torn down to make room for an IKEA store. Although, I am sure that Ireland's National Roads Authority could educate the Chinese in the proper way to destroy ancient history.

I know, you could claim that Emperor Xain was an Illuminati, as demonstrated by his use of a pyramid, and have the Triads destroy it. Ah yes, I love it when a plan comes together. Who needs all of that annoying history in the way of important things like roads and IKEA stores.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Chinese Secret Society Challenges Illuminati

'Trust me on this, the illuminati have failed because of their racism. Although other peoples understand that theWest is a slave society, those living there do not realize it. The illuminati do not control China, India or now Russia. They are about to lose power. We are like people living in Berlin before the collapse of the Berlin wall. The illuminati are like the Wizard of Oz; once you pull aside the curtain you are surprised by how weak they really are. They rely on illusion. Once the illusion is gone, they are just a bunch of weak old men.



It seems that Chinese gangsters have declared war on the Illuminati. They believe that the Illuminati is behind a plan to depopulate China. Strange, I thought that the Chinese government was trying to depopulate China. Just goes to show what little I know of world politics.


All of this is based on reports from a Tokyo journalist, Benjamin Fulford. I think that old Ben has discovered sake. Ben ... leave that rice wine alone or you'll start talking crazy!

I guess its too late.

I feel so much safer knowing that the Chinese "Triads" will defend us from those bad Illuminati. Yes, the world will be a better place when the Illuminati are gone and they are replaced with a kinder, gentler secret society of gangsters and murders.


source

Monday, July 02, 2007

sɯǝ1qoɹd ɹǝʇndɯoɔ

I haven't posted much recently; I've had computer problems. It was my own fault. In order to play Guild Wars, I took down Zonealarm. As you might imagine, I forgot to turn Zonealarm back on after the game. In this day and age, it doesn't take long before you pick up a trojan horse.

I got one that caused my computer to bog down and would give me random pop-up or pop-under pages. I tried several anti-virus programs, anti-malware programs, and fire walls, each would catch some parts of the trojan, or by this point trojans, but none of them cured the problem.

I finally decided to wipe the hard drive. At last, the trojan is gone; however, I need to re-install my programs. On the plus side, I can re-install only those programs that I use and not the junk that I have collected over the years.



source for the flip words ...