Psalm 137 has the line:
"By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept"
Paulo Coelho has a book titled "By The River Piedra I sat down and Wept".
The blurb on the book says this about it:
In all stories of love there is always something that moves us closer to eternity and the essence of life because the stories of love hold within all the secrets in the world.
But what happens when shyness prevents an adolescent love affair from developing? And what happens when, 11 years later, destiny brings the lovers together again? In the meantime, life has taught her to be strong and to hide her feelings. As for him, he is now a handsome spiritual teacher – with a reputation for performing miracles – who has turned to religion as a refuge from his inner conflicts.
Together they take a journey that is initially fraught with difficulty as blame and resentment resurface after years of being hidden. But by the River Piedra, in a small village in the French Pyrenees, they find a way to discuss many of life's big questions and re-evaluate their won special relationship.
By The River Piedra is a wonderful novel, with a poetic and transcendent narrative, that reflects all the mysteries of love and life.
Similarly the psalm contains the line:
"If I forget you, O Jerusalem"
Arthur C Clark has a great short story called "If I Forget Thee, O Earth" about a post apocalpse people living in exile on the Moon, dreaming of a day when heir future generations will be able to return and reclaim the planet.
It's worth seeking out both stories and reading them.
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Leather and fur
While we would never condone the wearing of fur, we happily wear black leather most of the time.
The reason we are anti-fur is the usual - we don't like to see these creatures killed so their coats can be worn. A great anti-fur campaign had some tart wearing a mink stole, the caption reading "one fur coat, two spoilt bitches". Which about says it all.
As for leather, the cows are bred and killed for their meat. The leather is a by-product. So making clothes and furntiture from it is just using what would other wise be wasted, so it's practical.
Veggies of course argue that we shouldn't kill the cows for food. However, all those herds are bred for food, they are not caught wild. If we didn't eat meat, the cows would never be bred, so would never exist in the first place.
The reason we are anti-fur is the usual - we don't like to see these creatures killed so their coats can be worn. A great anti-fur campaign had some tart wearing a mink stole, the caption reading "one fur coat, two spoilt bitches". Which about says it all.
As for leather, the cows are bred and killed for their meat. The leather is a by-product. So making clothes and furntiture from it is just using what would other wise be wasted, so it's practical.
Veggies of course argue that we shouldn't kill the cows for food. However, all those herds are bred for food, they are not caught wild. If we didn't eat meat, the cows would never be bred, so would never exist in the first place.
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Angels and Demons
Angels and Demons is the new film featuring Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, a followup to The Da Vinci Code, based on the novel by Dan Brown.
The book was written before Da Vinci Code, so is a prequel, but has been filmed as a sequel.
Whereas Da Vinci Code has one foot in the past, and is very historical, Angels and Demons is set in the present and looks to the future. It has a story involving the Illuminati, sworn enemy of the Catholic Church, and an assassination plot against the Pope. It has a plot involving anti matter, very much in line with the CERN Hadron collider experiments we saw early 2008.
And Tom Hanks doesn't have a mullet for this one.
Rumour has it that the third Langdon novel is underway. Much like Thomas Harris writing the third Hannibal Lector book, Dan Brown will be aware that this book will be going straight to screenplay, probably with Ron Howard directing again. So it will be bound to have an affect on how he writes it. The story is supposed to be set in the USA this time.
Dan Brown has two other novels, neither of which feature Langdon, but have similar plots and characters. Digital Fortress takes place inside the NSA's computer system. Deception Point is about a possible alien life fossil discovered in the Antarctic. Both make a good read and hopefully will be filmed one day.
Let's see if Angels and Demons turns out to be as good as Da Vinci Code.
The book was written before Da Vinci Code, so is a prequel, but has been filmed as a sequel.
Whereas Da Vinci Code has one foot in the past, and is very historical, Angels and Demons is set in the present and looks to the future. It has a story involving the Illuminati, sworn enemy of the Catholic Church, and an assassination plot against the Pope. It has a plot involving anti matter, very much in line with the CERN Hadron collider experiments we saw early 2008.
And Tom Hanks doesn't have a mullet for this one.
Rumour has it that the third Langdon novel is underway. Much like Thomas Harris writing the third Hannibal Lector book, Dan Brown will be aware that this book will be going straight to screenplay, probably with Ron Howard directing again. So it will be bound to have an affect on how he writes it. The story is supposed to be set in the USA this time.
Dan Brown has two other novels, neither of which feature Langdon, but have similar plots and characters. Digital Fortress takes place inside the NSA's computer system. Deception Point is about a possible alien life fossil discovered in the Antarctic. Both make a good read and hopefully will be filmed one day.
Let's see if Angels and Demons turns out to be as good as Da Vinci Code.
Spiderman 4
Spidey 4 in under discussion.
S3 was far too crammed, with too much going on. There was the Harry Osborn Goblin Junior story, Venom and Eddie Brock, The Sandman, and even Gwen Stacey, all stuffed into one film. There was at least one more or maybe two more they could have gotten out of this material.
Now we're left with the leftovers. Kraven The Hunter and one of the Vulture's incarnations are possible. They did a team up story, so that's one area to explore.
Then there's Electro. Or even The Scorpion, which gets more mileage out of Jameson.
S3 was far too crammed, with too much going on. There was the Harry Osborn Goblin Junior story, Venom and Eddie Brock, The Sandman, and even Gwen Stacey, all stuffed into one film. There was at least one more or maybe two more they could have gotten out of this material.
Now we're left with the leftovers. Kraven The Hunter and one of the Vulture's incarnations are possible. They did a team up story, so that's one area to explore.
Then there's Electro. Or even The Scorpion, which gets more mileage out of Jameson.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Editing videos
There seems to be a trend on MTV these of editing certain scenes out of videos.
In Girls Aloud's "The Loving Kind" they break all kinds of glass (presumably sugar glass) in various ways. There is one scene towards the end where Nadine kicks through a pane of glass, and her shoe comes flying off. When filming the vid, she actually cut her leg. Although it's not apparent in the vid, this scene has been edited out of one version.
Porky Clarkson has the same thing happen in "My Life Would Suck WIthout You". There's a bit where she drops a goldfish bowl out of her apartment window and watches it fall to the street. So in the edited vid, this bit is cut out.
Let's see if we spot anymore vids with edited scenes.
In Girls Aloud's "The Loving Kind" they break all kinds of glass (presumably sugar glass) in various ways. There is one scene towards the end where Nadine kicks through a pane of glass, and her shoe comes flying off. When filming the vid, she actually cut her leg. Although it's not apparent in the vid, this scene has been edited out of one version.
Porky Clarkson has the same thing happen in "My Life Would Suck WIthout You". There's a bit where she drops a goldfish bowl out of her apartment window and watches it fall to the street. So in the edited vid, this bit is cut out.
Let's see if we spot anymore vids with edited scenes.
Pussycat Dolls
PCD have teamed up with the guy who did the Slumdog soundtrack to release a track called Jai Ho!
Jai Ho is in fact the only line he sings. Which also makes it one of the rare songs where a voice other than Nicole's can be heard.
The vid is very Bollywood style, and Nicole fits very well, with her exotic looks. She even dresses the part.
(Melody also dresses Bollywood style, and even moves her mouth a bit, though she has no actual lines to sing this time.)
Jai Ho is in fact the only line he sings. Which also makes it one of the rare songs where a voice other than Nicole's can be heard.
The vid is very Bollywood style, and Nicole fits very well, with her exotic looks. She even dresses the part.
(Melody also dresses Bollywood style, and even moves her mouth a bit, though she has no actual lines to sing this time.)
Monday, 27 April 2009
7 by Prince
All 7 and well watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
All 7 and well watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
And I saw an angel come down unto me
In her hand she holds the very key
Words of compassion, words of peace
And in the distance an armys marching feet (1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4)
But behold, we will watch them fall
And we lay down on the sand of the sea
And before us animosity will stand and decree
That we speak not of love only blasphemy
And in the distance, 6 others will curse me
But thats alright, (thats alright)
4 I will watch them fall(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
All 7 and well watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
[(just how old)]
And we will see a plague and a river of blood
And every evil soul will surely die in spite of
Their 7 tears, but do not fear
4 in the distance, 12 souls from now
U and me will still be here - we will still be here
There will be a new city with streets of gold
The young so educated they never grow old
And a, there will be no death 4 with every breath
The voice of many colors sings a song
Thats so bold
Sing it while we watch them fall
All 7 and well watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
All 7 and well watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
And I saw an angel come down unto me
In her hand she holds the very key
Words of compassion, words of peace
And in the distance an armys marching feet (1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4)
But behold, we will watch them fall
And we lay down on the sand of the sea
And before us animosity will stand and decree
That we speak not of love only blasphemy
And in the distance, 6 others will curse me
But thats alright, (thats alright)
4 I will watch them fall(1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
All 7 and well watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
[(just how old)]
And we will see a plague and a river of blood
And every evil soul will surely die in spite of
Their 7 tears, but do not fear
4 in the distance, 12 souls from now
U and me will still be here - we will still be here
There will be a new city with streets of gold
The young so educated they never grow old
And a, there will be no death 4 with every breath
The voice of many colors sings a song
Thats so bold
Sing it while we watch them fall
All 7 and well watch them fall
They stand in the way of love
And we will smoke them all
With an intellect and a savoir-faire
No one in the whole universe
Will ever compare
I am yours now and u are mine
And together well love through
All space and time, so dont cry
One day all 7 will die
Boney M
This Boney M song is based on Psalm 137:
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Requiering of us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart
be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts
be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of Babylon)
there we sat down (You got to sing a song)
ye-eah we wept, (Sing a song of love)
when we remember Zion. (Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
By the rivers of Babylon (Rough bits of Babylon)
there we sat down (You hear the people cry)
ye-eah we wept, (They need that ???)
when we remember Zion. (Ooh, have the power)
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Required from us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
When the wicked
Carried us away in captivity
Requiering of us a song
Now how shall we sing the lord's song in a strange land
Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart
be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts
be acceptable in thy sight here tonight
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down
ye-eah we wept, when we remembered Zion.
By the rivers of Babylon (dark tears of Babylon)
there we sat down (You got to sing a song)
ye-eah we wept, (Sing a song of love)
when we remember Zion. (Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
By the rivers of Babylon (Rough bits of Babylon)
there we sat down (You hear the people cry)
ye-eah we wept, (They need that ???)
when we remember Zion. (Ooh, have the power)
Psalm 137
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill .
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.
7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"
8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-
9 he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill .
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.
7 Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"
8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-
9 he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.
Saturday, 25 April 2009
The first and last miracles
The first miracle JC did was turning the water to wine at the party.
The last miracle was repairing the ear of the guard that Peter hacked off in the garden. Healing his enemy.
Think about what this tells us.
The last miracle was repairing the ear of the guard that Peter hacked off in the garden. Healing his enemy.
Think about what this tells us.
Resurrections
People always think that Jesus was the only resurrection. Not so.
Most people, if they take the time to think will remember about Lazarus.
Jesus also raised the widow's son:
Luke 7 has this passage:
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son
11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."
14Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Luke 8 has this:
49While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more."
50Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."
51When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. 52Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep."
53They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" 55Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Even Elijah did some resurrecting, as he does here in Kings 1:
17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
Most people, if they take the time to think will remember about Lazarus.
Jesus also raised the widow's son:
Luke 7 has this passage:
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son
11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."
14Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Luke 8 has this:
49While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more."
50Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."
51When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. 52Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep."
53They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" 55Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Even Elijah did some resurrecting, as he does here in Kings 1:
17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
Judas
THEORY
Judas was the first Vampire.
Because he betrayed Jesus he is cursed to walk the Earth forever as an immortal, denied entry into either Heaven or Hell.
His vulnerability to Christian symbols, such as the cross, is due to him seeing the crucified Christ from his hanging tree, yet having died before Jesus, not being saved for his sins. As he died at sunset, he is never able to stand the sun. The reason for his vulnerability to silver is due to the pieces of silver he was paid for his betrayal.
Bible links:
Judas led a band of Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus and he identified Jesus for the authorities by kissing him.
(Matt. 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47)
Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss for thirty pieces of silver. Judas had been in charge of the common purse, from which he stole money (John 12:16; 13:29).
Jesus was nailed to a cross and a spear (stake) was stabbed into Jesus' side (heart).
Vampires can be killed with a stake in the heart.
Judas repented by hanging himself (Matthew 27:1,8) after buying a plot of land called Aceldama, that is to say, the field of blood? (Acts 1:16,20).
The mirror is another important symbol in the vampire legend. A vampire is never reflected.
His name comes at the end of a list of the apostles in the Bible
(Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16).
Judas is identified by Jesus himself as ?a devil? among the apostles
(John 6:70,71).
Judas led a band of Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus and he identifies Jesus for the authorities by kissing him. (Matt. 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47)
Judas was paid thirty pieces of silver by the chief priests for betraying Jesus (Matthew 26:15)
Judas was the first Vampire.
Because he betrayed Jesus he is cursed to walk the Earth forever as an immortal, denied entry into either Heaven or Hell.
His vulnerability to Christian symbols, such as the cross, is due to him seeing the crucified Christ from his hanging tree, yet having died before Jesus, not being saved for his sins. As he died at sunset, he is never able to stand the sun. The reason for his vulnerability to silver is due to the pieces of silver he was paid for his betrayal.
Bible links:
Judas led a band of Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus and he identified Jesus for the authorities by kissing him.
(Matt. 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47)
Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss for thirty pieces of silver. Judas had been in charge of the common purse, from which he stole money (John 12:16; 13:29).
Jesus was nailed to a cross and a spear (stake) was stabbed into Jesus' side (heart).
Vampires can be killed with a stake in the heart.
Judas repented by hanging himself (Matthew 27:1,8) after buying a plot of land called Aceldama, that is to say, the field of blood? (Acts 1:16,20).
The mirror is another important symbol in the vampire legend. A vampire is never reflected.
His name comes at the end of a list of the apostles in the Bible
(Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16).
Judas is identified by Jesus himself as ?a devil? among the apostles
(John 6:70,71).
Judas led a band of Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus and he identifies Jesus for the authorities by kissing him. (Matt. 26:49; Mark 14:45; Luke 22:47)
Judas was paid thirty pieces of silver by the chief priests for betraying Jesus (Matthew 26:15)
Friday, 24 April 2009
Jesus' brothers
People always debate about whether Jesus had any brothers and sisters. The film Dogma picks up on this and explains how Bethany is the great-great-grandniece of Jesus.
The Gospels themselves make reference to Jesus' brothers. Which makes you wonder why people who start this debate don't bother reading the Book first.
Luke:
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
19Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
21He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
Mark:
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Matthew:
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Okay, so Matt pretty much says what Mark said. We knew he would.
Jesus is oddly dismissive of his family. His brother's may be Mary's sons' but they are also Joseph's son's not the sons of IHVH.
John strangely omits this story altogether. He probably had his reasons.
But, anyway, if someone brings up the issue of Jesus having brothers and sisters - tell them to read the Gospel.
The Gospels themselves make reference to Jesus' brothers. Which makes you wonder why people who start this debate don't bother reading the Book first.
Luke:
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
19Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
21He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
Mark:
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."
Matthew:
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
Okay, so Matt pretty much says what Mark said. We knew he would.
Jesus is oddly dismissive of his family. His brother's may be Mary's sons' but they are also Joseph's son's not the sons of IHVH.
John strangely omits this story altogether. He probably had his reasons.
But, anyway, if someone brings up the issue of Jesus having brothers and sisters - tell them to read the Gospel.
Film Noir
Film Noir is all about a fractured world full of damaged people leading shattered lives. The main character is always a flawed anti-hero.
The supporting characters are physically damaged in some way, some by war, some by disease, but obviously crippled physically, the same way the hero is crippled emotionally. It's the supporting characters that flesh out the broken world which the hero travels through.
Angel Heart and Fight Club are obvious examples. FC is also a satire, a black comedy, something which a lot of people didn't realise. The supporting characters, like Meatloaf's Bob, are symbolic of the want, need, loss and longing of the main character. In FC, Tyler is who he wants to be, Bob is who he fears becoming.
Some films Noir worth watching:
Out of the Past
The Big Sleep
Night of the Hunter
Strangers on a Train (most Hitchcock is worth catching anyway)
Asphalt Jungle
The Blue Dahlia
Lady From Shanghai
Cape Fear
Angel Heart
Fight Club
The supporting characters are physically damaged in some way, some by war, some by disease, but obviously crippled physically, the same way the hero is crippled emotionally. It's the supporting characters that flesh out the broken world which the hero travels through.
Angel Heart and Fight Club are obvious examples. FC is also a satire, a black comedy, something which a lot of people didn't realise. The supporting characters, like Meatloaf's Bob, are symbolic of the want, need, loss and longing of the main character. In FC, Tyler is who he wants to be, Bob is who he fears becoming.
Some films Noir worth watching:
Out of the Past
The Big Sleep
Night of the Hunter
Strangers on a Train (most Hitchcock is worth catching anyway)
Asphalt Jungle
The Blue Dahlia
Lady From Shanghai
Cape Fear
Angel Heart
Fight Club
Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood stared in Sergio Leone's classic spaghetti westerns - A Fistfull of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More and The Good The Bad and The Ugly.
People refer to Clint's character in these films as The Man With No Name. This is untrue. Though Clint appears to play the same character in each film, each character is in fact a different person and each actually does have a name. Similarly the Lee Van Cleef character in Good Bad is not the same character he plays in Few Dollars More, nor does he have the same name.
Few Dollars is not a literal sequel to Fistful, but a spiritual one, and Good Bad completes the "trilogy". The same actors appear, but they are not the same characters, and they tell three different stories.
It's similar to Micheal Madsen playing Mr Blond in Reservoir Dogs and later playing Bud in Kill Bill. It's the same actor and same director, but not the same character.
The Outlaw Josie Wales is the obvious Eastwood western where he has a name - it's even in the title. Many people think that Pale Rider is some kind of sequel - that Preacher is an older Josie. He isn't. And while the actor playing the villain, deliberately chosen to look like Van Cleef, is not an earlier character appearing ina sequel, the two men have a history which we see resolved in this film. So it's not a sequel. At least, not a literal one.
People refer to Clint's character in these films as The Man With No Name. This is untrue. Though Clint appears to play the same character in each film, each character is in fact a different person and each actually does have a name. Similarly the Lee Van Cleef character in Good Bad is not the same character he plays in Few Dollars More, nor does he have the same name.
Few Dollars is not a literal sequel to Fistful, but a spiritual one, and Good Bad completes the "trilogy". The same actors appear, but they are not the same characters, and they tell three different stories.
It's similar to Micheal Madsen playing Mr Blond in Reservoir Dogs and later playing Bud in Kill Bill. It's the same actor and same director, but not the same character.
The Outlaw Josie Wales is the obvious Eastwood western where he has a name - it's even in the title. Many people think that Pale Rider is some kind of sequel - that Preacher is an older Josie. He isn't. And while the actor playing the villain, deliberately chosen to look like Van Cleef, is not an earlier character appearing ina sequel, the two men have a history which we see resolved in this film. So it's not a sequel. At least, not a literal one.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
The Walrus and The Carpenter Interpretation
'The Walrus and the Carpenter' is a metaphorical poem about organized religion.
The Walrus - with his happy and large built - represents the Buddha, or - considering the tusks - the Hindu elephant god, Lord Ganesha. This represents the Eastern religions.
The Carpenter is obviously Jesus, who was raised the son of a carpenter. He represents the Western religions.
And in the poem. what do they do? They dupe all the oysters into following them.
Then when the oysters collective guard is down. the Walrus and the Carpenter eat them.
The meaning here is that following faiths based on these mythological figures insures the destruction of one's inner-being.
Organized religion destroys who we are or who we can be by inhibiting our actions and decisions out of fear of an intangible parent-figure who shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago.
The Walrus - with his happy and large built - represents the Buddha, or - considering the tusks - the Hindu elephant god, Lord Ganesha. This represents the Eastern religions.
The Carpenter is obviously Jesus, who was raised the son of a carpenter. He represents the Western religions.
And in the poem. what do they do? They dupe all the oysters into following them.
Then when the oysters collective guard is down. the Walrus and the Carpenter eat them.
The meaning here is that following faiths based on these mythological figures insures the destruction of one's inner-being.
Organized religion destroys who we are or who we can be by inhibiting our actions and decisions out of fear of an intangible parent-figure who shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago.
The Walrus and The Carpenter
The Walrus and The Carpenter
by Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?
"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"
"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
by Lewis Carroll
(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"
The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We cannot do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head--
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the oyster-bed.
But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat--
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more--
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?
"It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf--
I've had to ask you twice!"
"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"
"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Alanis Morisette
Alanis plays God in the film Dogma.
Alanis has a catholic background and writes about it in her song Forgiven:
You know how us Catholic girls can be
We make up for so much time a little too late
I never forgot it, confusing as it was
No fun with no guilt feelings
The sinners, the saviors, the loverless priests
I'll see you next Sunday
We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did
I sang Alleluia in the choir
I confessed my darkest deeds to an envious man
My brothers they never went blind for what they did
But I may as well have
In the name of the Father, the Skeptic and the Son
I had one more stupid question
We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did
What I learned I rejected but I believe again
I will suffer the consequence of this inquisition
If I jump in this fountain, will I be forgiven
We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did
We all had delusions in our head
We all had our minds made up for us
We had to believe in something
So we did
Alanis has a catholic background and writes about it in her song Forgiven:
You know how us Catholic girls can be
We make up for so much time a little too late
I never forgot it, confusing as it was
No fun with no guilt feelings
The sinners, the saviors, the loverless priests
I'll see you next Sunday
We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did
I sang Alleluia in the choir
I confessed my darkest deeds to an envious man
My brothers they never went blind for what they did
But I may as well have
In the name of the Father, the Skeptic and the Son
I had one more stupid question
We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did
What I learned I rejected but I believe again
I will suffer the consequence of this inquisition
If I jump in this fountain, will I be forgiven
We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did
We all had delusions in our head
We all had our minds made up for us
We had to believe in something
So we did
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Mona Lisa Smile
Want to know the real secret of the Mona Lisa's smile?
She's trying not to laugh as she's waiting for her silent fart to reach Leonardo.
She's trying not to laugh as she's waiting for her silent fart to reach Leonardo.
Buddha smile
Want to know the real secret of the Buddha's smile?
He's laughing at himself, for all the years searching for something he already had.
He's laughing at himself, for all the years searching for something he already had.
Foreskins
Ever wondered what they do with all the severed foreskins?
Ever wondered where Hula Hoops come from?
Ever wondered where Hula Hoops come from?
V for Vendetta
V's speech:
Voilà!
In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villian by the vicissitudes of Fate.
This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished.
However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.
The only verdict is vengence; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
Voilà!
In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villian by the vicissitudes of Fate.
This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished.
However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.
The only verdict is vengence; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.
Monday, 20 April 2009
Acting up
Madonna, the world's most successful and celebrated female music star, was desperate to crossover to acting and duplicate that sucess and acclaim.
After many years and many films she failed.
Seeing her music vids, in which she plays many characters, she has a wide range and conveys emotions. Yet still she failed as a film actress.
What she actually failed to be was a film STAR. A leading lady, like her hero Marilyn.
Madonna is great in a supporting role. Look at Desperately Seeking Susan where she plays one of the larger than life characters from one of her owns vids. Her song Into The Groove is the main song on the film's soundtrack. The film itself, supposed to be a vehicle for Rosanna Arquette, becomes Madonna's movie, the Susan character totally dominating.
So it is with larger than life people, like Madonna, who play larger than life characters on stage and in video. They can't translate that into a leading role. They simply aren't A List actors. They are pop stars not film stars.
Look at Meatloaf - he has done some great acting, but always as a supporting character. He was particularly good in Fight Club, and was memorable in Black Dog.
When Tina Turner played Auntie Entity in Thunderdome she was just right for the role, and, like Madonna in Susan, had a number one hit with the theme song. She didn't try to take her acting "career" any further than that.
Whitney Houston, a great choice to play the singer in The Bodyguard, playing an extended version of herself. Yet hopeless in other roles.
Britney only did the one film, and just as well. Beyonce is currently failing in her film career, while her post-DC pop career is being eclipsed by new young hungry divas like Rihanna.
Even Jon Bon Jovi, who originally wanted to be an actor, and actually auditioned for Bacon's role in Footloose (we'd love to see that audition tape!) found he couldn't translate his on stage charisma to the silver screen, to be another Brad or Tom.
There are exceptions of course. Cher does particularly well in her films, as does J-Lo. Cher even won an Oscar. But these are ladies who are A List actors who are also world class singers. In J-Lo's case she can dance a bit as well. For the guys, there's Will Smith.
Then there's the likes of Jessica Simpson who can't sing as well as Britney or Christina and is no good in acting roles. Playing Daisy in the remake/update Dukes Of Hazzard fim, a one dimensional role is ever there was one, which she really worked hard to get in physical shape for, you still think of other actresses who could have done it just as well. And, of course, she gets to wash the car in a bikini in the tragic vid for the movie song - a cover song at that, not even an original.
She was parodied by Pink in the Stupid Girls video, a form of social commentary Pink is particularly good at. Of course, Pink is also attempting an acting career under her real name Alicia Moore. Similarly Fergie is appearing in films as Stacey Fergusson. But for every Cher there will be a dozen Madonnas, finding out their video characters don't translate as leading ladies.
Just as soap stars should never do pop songs, pop stars shouldn't try to be films stars.
And we'd still rather hear a new J-Lo album than see a new J-Lo movie.
(Though I wouldn't mind seeing some new J-Lo vids.)
After many years and many films she failed.
Seeing her music vids, in which she plays many characters, she has a wide range and conveys emotions. Yet still she failed as a film actress.
What she actually failed to be was a film STAR. A leading lady, like her hero Marilyn.
Madonna is great in a supporting role. Look at Desperately Seeking Susan where she plays one of the larger than life characters from one of her owns vids. Her song Into The Groove is the main song on the film's soundtrack. The film itself, supposed to be a vehicle for Rosanna Arquette, becomes Madonna's movie, the Susan character totally dominating.
So it is with larger than life people, like Madonna, who play larger than life characters on stage and in video. They can't translate that into a leading role. They simply aren't A List actors. They are pop stars not film stars.
Look at Meatloaf - he has done some great acting, but always as a supporting character. He was particularly good in Fight Club, and was memorable in Black Dog.
When Tina Turner played Auntie Entity in Thunderdome she was just right for the role, and, like Madonna in Susan, had a number one hit with the theme song. She didn't try to take her acting "career" any further than that.
Whitney Houston, a great choice to play the singer in The Bodyguard, playing an extended version of herself. Yet hopeless in other roles.
Britney only did the one film, and just as well. Beyonce is currently failing in her film career, while her post-DC pop career is being eclipsed by new young hungry divas like Rihanna.
Even Jon Bon Jovi, who originally wanted to be an actor, and actually auditioned for Bacon's role in Footloose (we'd love to see that audition tape!) found he couldn't translate his on stage charisma to the silver screen, to be another Brad or Tom.
There are exceptions of course. Cher does particularly well in her films, as does J-Lo. Cher even won an Oscar. But these are ladies who are A List actors who are also world class singers. In J-Lo's case she can dance a bit as well. For the guys, there's Will Smith.
Then there's the likes of Jessica Simpson who can't sing as well as Britney or Christina and is no good in acting roles. Playing Daisy in the remake/update Dukes Of Hazzard fim, a one dimensional role is ever there was one, which she really worked hard to get in physical shape for, you still think of other actresses who could have done it just as well. And, of course, she gets to wash the car in a bikini in the tragic vid for the movie song - a cover song at that, not even an original.
She was parodied by Pink in the Stupid Girls video, a form of social commentary Pink is particularly good at. Of course, Pink is also attempting an acting career under her real name Alicia Moore. Similarly Fergie is appearing in films as Stacey Fergusson. But for every Cher there will be a dozen Madonnas, finding out their video characters don't translate as leading ladies.
Just as soap stars should never do pop songs, pop stars shouldn't try to be films stars.
And we'd still rather hear a new J-Lo album than see a new J-Lo movie.
(Though I wouldn't mind seeing some new J-Lo vids.)
First of the Saved
The first person to be Saved was Dismas, the thief being crucified alongside Jesus.
He asks, not to actually be forgiven, but simply that JC remembers him when He goes upstairs. JC replies, don't worry, mate, you're coming up with me. It's a stirring passage, overlooked by M & M who, of course, weren't actually there. But the point of the passage is that JC died, not for the righteous, but for the sinners.
It also raises the good point that the only person in the Gospel that JC personally promised a place in Paradise was not Peter, John or any of the apostles, but a criminal being executed.
What you won't find in any of the published Gospels is the truth behind this. Peter was originally supposed to be crucified next to JC. Jesus said "you are The Rock and on you I'll build my church". Peter was earmarked to be the first Christian martyr.
There were three crosses at Golgotha and Peter was, literally, meant to be at the right hand of the Lord, in Death, then in resurrection.
However JC knew that Peter wasn't equal to the task and told him so.
In the garden, JC had his "moment of doubt and fear" (to quote the song). He asks God if the cup can be passed from him. As a man, having free will, JC knows he could just do a runner - then the whole Brian substitute theory comes into play. But He gives up His free will to God saying "your will, not mine, be done".
Peter promises he will follow JC anywhere, "even into Death". But JC knows Peter isn't up to it, and tells him: "you will deny me 3 times".
Don't get us wrong, Peter is no coward. When the guards come he is ready to draw his sword and fight to the death to protect his master. He's a courageus man. But when he sees JC being willingly led off to execution, that is when his great courage fails and he chooses to deny he was with Jesus and run away.
So Gesmas and Dismas are crucified, one of them in Peter's place. It is Dismas, who is forgiven, and goes up in Peter's place.
We see Peter at the start of Acts, then Paul takes over.
John was the only apostle to turn up to the crucifixion. JC tells him to go live with Mary, be her son, and care for her, which John does until her death. John wrote his three epistles and has the courage to stand up for his beliefs, even in the face of death. Instead of execution, John is exiled to Patmos and it is there that he receives the vision of Revelation, because he has been found worthy.
There is no Gospel of Peter, there is no revelation of Peter.
Either way, dead or alive and disgaced, there never would have been.
He asks, not to actually be forgiven, but simply that JC remembers him when He goes upstairs. JC replies, don't worry, mate, you're coming up with me. It's a stirring passage, overlooked by M & M who, of course, weren't actually there. But the point of the passage is that JC died, not for the righteous, but for the sinners.
It also raises the good point that the only person in the Gospel that JC personally promised a place in Paradise was not Peter, John or any of the apostles, but a criminal being executed.
What you won't find in any of the published Gospels is the truth behind this. Peter was originally supposed to be crucified next to JC. Jesus said "you are The Rock and on you I'll build my church". Peter was earmarked to be the first Christian martyr.
There were three crosses at Golgotha and Peter was, literally, meant to be at the right hand of the Lord, in Death, then in resurrection.
However JC knew that Peter wasn't equal to the task and told him so.
In the garden, JC had his "moment of doubt and fear" (to quote the song). He asks God if the cup can be passed from him. As a man, having free will, JC knows he could just do a runner - then the whole Brian substitute theory comes into play. But He gives up His free will to God saying "your will, not mine, be done".
Peter promises he will follow JC anywhere, "even into Death". But JC knows Peter isn't up to it, and tells him: "you will deny me 3 times".
Don't get us wrong, Peter is no coward. When the guards come he is ready to draw his sword and fight to the death to protect his master. He's a courageus man. But when he sees JC being willingly led off to execution, that is when his great courage fails and he chooses to deny he was with Jesus and run away.
So Gesmas and Dismas are crucified, one of them in Peter's place. It is Dismas, who is forgiven, and goes up in Peter's place.
We see Peter at the start of Acts, then Paul takes over.
John was the only apostle to turn up to the crucifixion. JC tells him to go live with Mary, be her son, and care for her, which John does until her death. John wrote his three epistles and has the courage to stand up for his beliefs, even in the face of death. Instead of execution, John is exiled to Patmos and it is there that he receives the vision of Revelation, because he has been found worthy.
There is no Gospel of Peter, there is no revelation of Peter.
Either way, dead or alive and disgaced, there never would have been.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
Abracadabra
The magic word.
The word originated from Aramaic.
The original meaning was "I will create, as I say," while the latter was "What was said has been done."
The original Aramaic was either עַבְדָא כְּדַברָא, avda kedavra, which means, "what was said has been done," or עברא כדברא, avra kedavra, which means "what was said has come to pass" or "caused to perish like the word" or "I will create what is told."
Over time, it was corrupted to its current pronunciation with the replacement of both "v" sounds with "b" sounds: b and v can be interchangeable in Aramaic.
Originally it was an incantation to be used as a cure for fevers and inflammations.
It was prescribed that the sufferer from the disease wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of an inverted cone:
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B - R - A
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B - R
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A
A - B - R - A - C - A - D
A - B - R - A - C - A
A - B - R - A - C
A - B - R - A
A - B - R
A - B
A
(which hasn't come out right on this post!)
The word originated from Aramaic.
The original meaning was "I will create, as I say," while the latter was "What was said has been done."
The original Aramaic was either עַבְדָא כְּדַברָא, avda kedavra, which means, "what was said has been done," or עברא כדברא, avra kedavra, which means "what was said has come to pass" or "caused to perish like the word" or "I will create what is told."
Over time, it was corrupted to its current pronunciation with the replacement of both "v" sounds with "b" sounds: b and v can be interchangeable in Aramaic.
Originally it was an incantation to be used as a cure for fevers and inflammations.
It was prescribed that the sufferer from the disease wear an amulet containing the word written in the form of an inverted cone:
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B - R - A
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B - R
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A - B
A - B - R - A - C - A - D - A
A - B - R - A - C - A - D
A - B - R - A - C - A
A - B - R - A - C
A - B - R - A
A - B - R
A - B
A
(which hasn't come out right on this post!)
Psalms sung at the crucifixion
So why do M & M have Jesus singing the 22nd Psalm?
Well, unlike John and Luke they weren't there. Somebody told them that JC was singing the 23rd Psalm - "The Lord Is My Shepherd, etc, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, etc.."
So what happened is Mark misheard and thought they said "22nd Psalm", which starts "My God, why have you forsaken me?", so he copies this out. Matthew just copied Mark.
(So in the New testament, the first sin was plagiarism!)
John and Luke were there, M&M were not.
In M & M, both thieves mock JC, when in fact only Gesmas does. Dismas asks JC to remember him when he goes up.
Possibility: after JC goes up Dismas, a believer, starts quoting Psalm 23, The Lord Is My Shepherd. This is, of course, just before they break his legs.
It is possible, after the leg breaking, Dismas THEN asks "My God, why have you forsaken me?", reciting Psalm 22.
John and Luke would have left after JC was taken down, so wouldn't be around for anything that was said by the other two. The people in the crowd, the ones who passed the info onto Mark at a later time, didn't know which was of the three JC was, just heard someone quoting Psalm 23 or 22, or both. So that's why this ends up quoted as what JC said in the M&M versions of the Gospel.
Either way, Jesus never said either one of the Psalms while up there. Obviously.
Well, unlike John and Luke they weren't there. Somebody told them that JC was singing the 23rd Psalm - "The Lord Is My Shepherd, etc, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, etc.."
So what happened is Mark misheard and thought they said "22nd Psalm", which starts "My God, why have you forsaken me?", so he copies this out. Matthew just copied Mark.
(So in the New testament, the first sin was plagiarism!)
John and Luke were there, M&M were not.
In M & M, both thieves mock JC, when in fact only Gesmas does. Dismas asks JC to remember him when he goes up.
Possibility: after JC goes up Dismas, a believer, starts quoting Psalm 23, The Lord Is My Shepherd. This is, of course, just before they break his legs.
It is possible, after the leg breaking, Dismas THEN asks "My God, why have you forsaken me?", reciting Psalm 22.
John and Luke would have left after JC was taken down, so wouldn't be around for anything that was said by the other two. The people in the crowd, the ones who passed the info onto Mark at a later time, didn't know which was of the three JC was, just heard someone quoting Psalm 23 or 22, or both. So that's why this ends up quoted as what JC said in the M&M versions of the Gospel.
Either way, Jesus never said either one of the Psalms while up there. Obviously.
Bible
If you want to understand your Bible properly then read it backwards.
Read Revelations, then Jude, then John 3, John 2 and then John 1, which is all about antichrists.
Work your way back through the Bible a book at a time. Read Acts before the 4 gospels. Luke wrote Acts before he wrote his gospel, that's obvious when you read them that way round.
Read, John, Luke, Mark, then Matthew, not the other way round. John and Luke were actually at the crucifixion. Mark was written third hand. Matthew rips off Mark (the first sin was plagiarism!).
Read Malachi, then Zechariah. Work your way through the minor profits before tackling the Big Four.
By the time you reach Genesis you'll see The Book in a whole different light.
Read Revelations, then Jude, then John 3, John 2 and then John 1, which is all about antichrists.
Work your way back through the Bible a book at a time. Read Acts before the 4 gospels. Luke wrote Acts before he wrote his gospel, that's obvious when you read them that way round.
Read, John, Luke, Mark, then Matthew, not the other way round. John and Luke were actually at the crucifixion. Mark was written third hand. Matthew rips off Mark (the first sin was plagiarism!).
Read Malachi, then Zechariah. Work your way through the minor profits before tackling the Big Four.
By the time you reach Genesis you'll see The Book in a whole different light.
Friday, 17 April 2009
Last place you look
When people find something they are searching for they always say "it was in the last place I looked".
Well of course it was. You wouldn't keep looking after you'd found it. Wherever you find what you are looking for it will always be in the last place you looked.
Well of course it was. You wouldn't keep looking after you'd found it. Wherever you find what you are looking for it will always be in the last place you looked.
Life Of Brian
People say Life Of Brian is sacriligious. But it's not. He isn't Jesus, he isn't The Messiah, and he says so repeatedly through the film.
Military funerals
At most funerals they sing two hymns - The Lords Prayer and Abide With Me - now known as The Dynamic Duo by many vicars.
The difference with a military funeral is they sing I Vow To Thee My Country.
The first verse is particularly relevant to somebody who gives their life in service:
I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
The second verse is usually ommitted as considered "not suitable for modern use." But we rather like it:
I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,
And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,
I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.
The third verse is, of course, religious:
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
In 2004, the Rt Revd Stephen Lowe, Bishop of Hulme, called for it not to be used in Church of England services, calling it "totally heretical".
Diana requested it played at her wedding. It was also played at her funeral.
The difference with a military funeral is they sing I Vow To Thee My Country.
The first verse is particularly relevant to somebody who gives their life in service:
I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
The second verse is usually ommitted as considered "not suitable for modern use." But we rather like it:
I heard my country calling, away across the sea,
Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.
Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,
And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.
I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,
I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.
The third verse is, of course, religious:
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
In 2004, the Rt Revd Stephen Lowe, Bishop of Hulme, called for it not to be used in Church of England services, calling it "totally heretical".
Diana requested it played at her wedding. It was also played at her funeral.
Terminator
The next Terminator film will be Terminator Salvation. It won't feature Arnie, but will star Christain Bale as John Connor.
After the pathetic wet version we saw of Connor played by Nick Stahl in Rise of the Machines, hopefully this Connor will fall in line more like the character we saw in T2 and currently being developed in Sarah Connor Chronicles the TV show.
Perhaps like the Superman series, which now jumps from S2 to Superman Returns avoiding any connection with S3 and S4, T4 will follow on from the TV series, and Bale will get he chance to be the Connor we know he can be.
After the pathetic wet version we saw of Connor played by Nick Stahl in Rise of the Machines, hopefully this Connor will fall in line more like the character we saw in T2 and currently being developed in Sarah Connor Chronicles the TV show.
Perhaps like the Superman series, which now jumps from S2 to Superman Returns avoiding any connection with S3 and S4, T4 will follow on from the TV series, and Bale will get he chance to be the Connor we know he can be.
Wednesday, 15 April 2009
Execution
My grandfather died peacefully in his sleep.
(Unlike his passengers who died screaming.)
Dying in my sleep is how I want to go. There is a famous poem/prayer:
"Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take."
This is how it's meant to be. Go to sleep every night of your life and one night you just don't wake up. Pass over into Spirit peacefully.
If I had to be executed I'd choose lethal injection, it's the closest thing to a "natural" death. The first injection puts you peacefully to sleep. The next two injections stop your diaphragm from moving and stop your heart. You just don't wake up again.
The electric chair would be horrible. Strapped in the seat, then the hood comes down over your head and you're left in that musky darkness knowing you'll never see the world again. The first bolt of electricity hits your brain and kills it so your consciousness is gone. The electricity that passes through your body kills your heart and lungs.
If the procedure in The Green Mile is anything to go by, you sit there with that hood over your face and the last words you ever hear are "Roll on two".
The gas chamber would be just as bad.
Hanging. You get walked into the room, noose goes round your neck, bag over your head, then that's it.
Firing squad.
Guillotine.
Axe man - the English variation.
And nobody would ever choose crucifixion as their prefered way to go.
So if I had to have it done, and I had a choice, I'd choose lethal injection.
This most humane version of a most inhumane act has some bizarre quirks. When the condemned man is strapped onto the table the prison warden is there to ask if he's comfortable, to make sure the straps aren't too tight. And when the IV is put in they swab his arm with disinfection. A standard medical procedure, it's done to prevent infection.
Everyone knows that Arnold Schwarzeneggar is now the Governor of California. One of his first duties was the appeal case of a gang leader on Death Row. After taking advice, Arnie decided there was no grounds for granting clemency and signed the Death Warrant.
Arnie now has the power of life and death over criminals in the state of California, a power most European kings don't have over their subjects in their own countries.
A couple of examples of what an insane world this has become.
(Unlike his passengers who died screaming.)
Dying in my sleep is how I want to go. There is a famous poem/prayer:
"Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
And if I die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take."
This is how it's meant to be. Go to sleep every night of your life and one night you just don't wake up. Pass over into Spirit peacefully.
If I had to be executed I'd choose lethal injection, it's the closest thing to a "natural" death. The first injection puts you peacefully to sleep. The next two injections stop your diaphragm from moving and stop your heart. You just don't wake up again.
The electric chair would be horrible. Strapped in the seat, then the hood comes down over your head and you're left in that musky darkness knowing you'll never see the world again. The first bolt of electricity hits your brain and kills it so your consciousness is gone. The electricity that passes through your body kills your heart and lungs.
If the procedure in The Green Mile is anything to go by, you sit there with that hood over your face and the last words you ever hear are "Roll on two".
The gas chamber would be just as bad.
Hanging. You get walked into the room, noose goes round your neck, bag over your head, then that's it.
Firing squad.
Guillotine.
Axe man - the English variation.
And nobody would ever choose crucifixion as their prefered way to go.
So if I had to have it done, and I had a choice, I'd choose lethal injection.
This most humane version of a most inhumane act has some bizarre quirks. When the condemned man is strapped onto the table the prison warden is there to ask if he's comfortable, to make sure the straps aren't too tight. And when the IV is put in they swab his arm with disinfection. A standard medical procedure, it's done to prevent infection.
Everyone knows that Arnold Schwarzeneggar is now the Governor of California. One of his first duties was the appeal case of a gang leader on Death Row. After taking advice, Arnie decided there was no grounds for granting clemency and signed the Death Warrant.
Arnie now has the power of life and death over criminals in the state of California, a power most European kings don't have over their subjects in their own countries.
A couple of examples of what an insane world this has become.
Girls Aloud shaglist
Nadine
Cheryl
Kimberley and Sarah together
Nadine and Cheryl together
Sarah
Kimberley
Cheryl and Kimberley together
Nadine and Sarah together
Cheryl again
Nicola - so she doesn't feel left out. But from behind.
Cheryl
Kimberley and Sarah together
Nadine and Cheryl together
Sarah
Kimberley
Cheryl and Kimberley together
Nadine and Sarah together
Cheryl again
Nicola - so she doesn't feel left out. But from behind.
Constantine - Lord of the Dance
There's an interesting Constantine story where he meets the real Lord of the Dance (he's a pagan god, not Jesus).
Being Constantine he takes him down the pub for a piss up. But it does the trick - gets his mojo working as it were.
Lord Of The Dance is about Bacchus/Dionysus. It's about Dionysian orgy - drinking and dancing and shagging.
Being Constantine he takes him down the pub for a piss up. But it does the trick - gets his mojo working as it were.
Lord Of The Dance is about Bacchus/Dionysus. It's about Dionysian orgy - drinking and dancing and shagging.
Lord of the Wank
By changing the word "Dance" to the word "Wank", the song takes on a different meaning. We've also changed a few other lyrics to help it make a bit more sense. And to be funnier.
I wanked in the morning when the world was young
I wanked in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came down from heaven and I wanked on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my first
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
I wanked for the scribes and the Pharisees
They wouldn't wank, they wouldn't follow me
I wanked for the fishermen James and John
They came with me and the wank went on
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
I wanked on the Sabbath and I came on the lame
The holy people said it was a shame
They ripped, and they stripped, and they hung me well
Left me there on the cross to smell
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
I wanked on a Friday when the world turned black
It's hard to wank with a bummer on your back
They buried my body, they thought I was gone
But I am the wank, and the wank goes on
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
They cut me down and I spunked up high
I am the life that will never, never die
I'll wank for you if you'll wank for me
I am the Lord of the wank, said he
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
Wank, wank, everybody wank
Wank, wank, everybody wank
Wank, wank, everybody wank...
I wanked in the morning when the world was young
I wanked in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came down from heaven and I wanked on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my first
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
I wanked for the scribes and the Pharisees
They wouldn't wank, they wouldn't follow me
I wanked for the fishermen James and John
They came with me and the wank went on
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
I wanked on the Sabbath and I came on the lame
The holy people said it was a shame
They ripped, and they stripped, and they hung me well
Left me there on the cross to smell
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
I wanked on a Friday when the world turned black
It's hard to wank with a bummer on your back
They buried my body, they thought I was gone
But I am the wank, and the wank goes on
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
They cut me down and I spunked up high
I am the life that will never, never die
I'll wank for you if you'll wank for me
I am the Lord of the wank, said he
Wank, wank, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the wanks, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the wank, said he
Wank, wank, everybody wank
Wank, wank, everybody wank
Wank, wank, everybody wank...
Lord of the Dance
I danced in the morning when the world was young
I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced for the scribes and the Pharisees
They wouldn't dance, they wouldn't follow me
I danced for the fishermen James and John
They came with me so the dance went on
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame
They ripped, they stripped, they hung me high
Left me there on the cross to die
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced on a Friday when the world turned black
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body, they thought I was gone
But I am the dance, and the dance goes on
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that will never, never die
I'll live in you if you'll live in me
I am the Lord of the dance, said he
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced for the scribes and the Pharisees
They wouldn't dance, they wouldn't follow me
I danced for the fishermen James and John
They came with me so the dance went on
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame
They ripped, they stripped, they hung me high
Left me there on the cross to die
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced on a Friday when the world turned black
It's hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body, they thought I was gone
But I am the dance, and the dance goes on
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that will never, never die
I'll live in you if you'll live in me
I am the Lord of the dance, said he
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
Lily Allen
Lily's new song is Not Fair, the second release from her second album.
The song tells the story of an unsatisfying lover, a problem Lily is constantly afflicted with.
The bridge:
There's just one thing that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed you're just no good
Its such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and its apparent it's all over
The chorus:
It's not fair
And I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
Oh you're supposed to care
But you never make me scream
The second verse starts with this typically scathing lyric:
Oh I lie here in the wet patch
In the middle of the bed
I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by
I spent ages giving head
This is not the first time Lily has wrote a song for a less than adequate lover. her album Alright Still contains the song "Not Big", which has lyrics like this:
Alright, how would it make you feel if I said you never made me cum?
In the year and a half that we spent together,
Yeah, I never really had much fun.
Yeah, you really must think you're great,
Let's see how you feel in a couple of weeks,
When I work my way through your mates.
I'm gonna tell the world you're rubbish in bed now
And that you're small in the game.
Yeah, let's rewind, let's turn back time to when you couldn't get it up,
You know what it should've ended there,
That's when I should've shown you the door.
As if that weren't enough to deal with,
You became premature.
You're not big, you're not clever,
No, you ain't a big brother
Not big what so ever.
The song tells the story of an unsatisfying lover, a problem Lily is constantly afflicted with.
The bridge:
There's just one thing that's getting in the way
When we go up to bed you're just no good
Its such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and its apparent it's all over
The chorus:
It's not fair
And I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
I think you're really mean
Oh you're supposed to care
But you never make me scream
The second verse starts with this typically scathing lyric:
Oh I lie here in the wet patch
In the middle of the bed
I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by
I spent ages giving head
This is not the first time Lily has wrote a song for a less than adequate lover. her album Alright Still contains the song "Not Big", which has lyrics like this:
Alright, how would it make you feel if I said you never made me cum?
In the year and a half that we spent together,
Yeah, I never really had much fun.
Yeah, you really must think you're great,
Let's see how you feel in a couple of weeks,
When I work my way through your mates.
I'm gonna tell the world you're rubbish in bed now
And that you're small in the game.
Yeah, let's rewind, let's turn back time to when you couldn't get it up,
You know what it should've ended there,
That's when I should've shown you the door.
As if that weren't enough to deal with,
You became premature.
You're not big, you're not clever,
No, you ain't a big brother
Not big what so ever.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
God and Evolution
Do you believe God made you?
Your parents concieved you, you developed from a single cell, you were born.
Do you have a soul?
Where did that soul come from and where will it go when you die?
Do you have siblings, brothers and sisters?
They are different from you.
If your parents had concieved you a year earlier or later how different would you be?
What if it was a few months?
Weeks?
Days?
A few hours?
How much of what makes you is God's design, and how much is random chance?
When will you die?
Will it be at 70 - 3 score years and 10?
Or 60?
Or 80?
What if accident or illness means you die younger?
Some people die in heir 30s, some in their 20s.
Children die all the time.
Is this individual life chance, luck, or God's plan?
So it is with evolution. If you can't see any plan, if you don't believe in it because you don't believe in chance, think again. Think about God "made" you. Then look at how He "made" the worlds and all it's creatures.
Evolution IS God's plan.
Your parents concieved you, you developed from a single cell, you were born.
Do you have a soul?
Where did that soul come from and where will it go when you die?
Do you have siblings, brothers and sisters?
They are different from you.
If your parents had concieved you a year earlier or later how different would you be?
What if it was a few months?
Weeks?
Days?
A few hours?
How much of what makes you is God's design, and how much is random chance?
When will you die?
Will it be at 70 - 3 score years and 10?
Or 60?
Or 80?
What if accident or illness means you die younger?
Some people die in heir 30s, some in their 20s.
Children die all the time.
Is this individual life chance, luck, or God's plan?
So it is with evolution. If you can't see any plan, if you don't believe in it because you don't believe in chance, think again. Think about God "made" you. Then look at how He "made" the worlds and all it's creatures.
Evolution IS God's plan.
Star Trek
So why in Star Trek so all the aliens look like us - just a human with different ears or a forehead?
Well SF is a cultural thing. We want to believe the Enterprise will find that there is life out there - that we are not alone. It's a comfort thing. The possibility that we're alone is frightening. And we want to find M class planets, like ours, and life "as we know it", albeit with a few variations.
It's the same as when the first sailors, Magellan, Columbus, etc, sailed across the oceans and found new "worlds" inhabited by humans like us, but with different coloured skin, different hair, different eyes and noses. We want to believe the new worlds we find in space will be populated with people, just a bit different. That on all these new worlds, God has still created "man" in His image.
Well SF is a cultural thing. We want to believe the Enterprise will find that there is life out there - that we are not alone. It's a comfort thing. The possibility that we're alone is frightening. And we want to find M class planets, like ours, and life "as we know it", albeit with a few variations.
It's the same as when the first sailors, Magellan, Columbus, etc, sailed across the oceans and found new "worlds" inhabited by humans like us, but with different coloured skin, different hair, different eyes and noses. We want to believe the new worlds we find in space will be populated with people, just a bit different. That on all these new worlds, God has still created "man" in His image.
The Interpretation of Daniel's dream
15 "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this.
"So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 'The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.'
19 "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. [a]
26 " 'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.'
28 "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
"So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 'The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.'
19 "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
23 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. [a]
26 " 'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.'
28 "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
Daniel 7
Daniel's vision is similar to the vision of the beats from the sea in Revelation 12:
Daniel's Dream of Four Beasts
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
5 "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'
6 "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 "As I looked,
"thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
11 "Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Daniel's Dream of Four Beasts
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it.
5 "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'
6 "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.
9 "As I looked,
"thrones were set in place,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His clothing was as white as snow;
the hair of his head was white like wool.
His throne was flaming with fire,
and its wheels were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire was flowing,
coming out from before him.
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
and the books were opened.
11 "Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)
13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Silicon based life
The Holy Grail of exobiology.
Life as we know it (again) is carbon based. Carbon bonds with hydrogen and forms various organic compunds, chains, rings, etc.
Silicon bonds with oxygen to form large scale rigid compounds such as rocks. So why not silicon based life? So why not living rocks?
We are already in symbiosis with rocks as "life as we know it" requires a silicon based surface for our carbon based organic molecules to stand on.
Life as we know it (again) is carbon based. Carbon bonds with hydrogen and forms various organic compunds, chains, rings, etc.
Silicon bonds with oxygen to form large scale rigid compounds such as rocks. So why not silicon based life? So why not living rocks?
We are already in symbiosis with rocks as "life as we know it" requires a silicon based surface for our carbon based organic molecules to stand on.
We are NOT alone
Doing the optimistic glass half full version of the planet-life equation, the laws of physics can be used to tell us that it would be impossible to have a planet like Earth, in a solar system like ours, and NOT have life.
So Life elsewhere in the universe is very likely. Life is, in fact, commonplace.
Our galaxy has over 100 billion suns. If one in a million of these has an M class planet with life, that means there are at least 100,000 in our galaxy. Now keep in mind there are 100 million galaxies, the odds are that we are not alone.
So Life elsewhere in the universe is very likely. Life is, in fact, commonplace.
Our galaxy has over 100 billion suns. If one in a million of these has an M class planet with life, that means there are at least 100,000 in our galaxy. Now keep in mind there are 100 million galaxies, the odds are that we are not alone.
The Future
For humanity to survive we will have to learn to colonise other planets, no doubt about it.
Sooner or later we will destroy our environment, which we are facing now with the threat of global warming and climate change, or we will run out of natural resources. Not to mention room.
The window of opportunity for space travel and colonisation is narrowing rapidly.
Sooner or later we will destroy our environment, which we are facing now with the threat of global warming and climate change, or we will run out of natural resources. Not to mention room.
The window of opportunity for space travel and colonisation is narrowing rapidly.
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Money talks...
It's likely that the next stage of the space race will be commercially driven.
There's that line in Fight Club about interstellar corporations naming the galaxies, which is probably not far from the truth. The Capitalist US government may run out of US taxpayers moeny to give to NASA, but the billionaires like Bill Gates and the huge MNCs will certainly have the money. And all those people who watch the launches. Wouldn't it be great to have the Pepsi logo on the side of that rocket for all the world to see? Choice of a new generation of astronauts. Great commercial potential. Unlimited funds.
These things don't happen overnight. Columbus' discovery of America was on the back of thousands of years of developing sailing craft. So we need to be developing space craft for our first "Columbus" to be able to sail out into the stars and discover, well, new worlds. And keep in mind he only discovered America by accident and thought he was in India (which is why native Americans were called Indians). It'll probably the same way when we discover whatever's waiting out there.
And if it is privately funded, the people funding it will want to go themselves, not just send a robot with a camera.
Richard Branson is already planning Virgin Galactic to take the first commercial space flights. He's even having 5 space shuttles commissioned. And you just know he'd love to be the first man to set foot on Mars.
There's that line in Fight Club about interstellar corporations naming the galaxies, which is probably not far from the truth. The Capitalist US government may run out of US taxpayers moeny to give to NASA, but the billionaires like Bill Gates and the huge MNCs will certainly have the money. And all those people who watch the launches. Wouldn't it be great to have the Pepsi logo on the side of that rocket for all the world to see? Choice of a new generation of astronauts. Great commercial potential. Unlimited funds.
These things don't happen overnight. Columbus' discovery of America was on the back of thousands of years of developing sailing craft. So we need to be developing space craft for our first "Columbus" to be able to sail out into the stars and discover, well, new worlds. And keep in mind he only discovered America by accident and thought he was in India (which is why native Americans were called Indians). It'll probably the same way when we discover whatever's waiting out there.
And if it is privately funded, the people funding it will want to go themselves, not just send a robot with a camera.
Richard Branson is already planning Virgin Galactic to take the first commercial space flights. He's even having 5 space shuttles commissioned. And you just know he'd love to be the first man to set foot on Mars.
It's all politics...
The first space race was politically driven - capitalism vs communism, east vs west, the good old US of A versus Russia, free market vs command economy.
The principles of capatilism won the space race and got to the moon first.
However it is the principles of communism that are being used to solve global recession.
The core communist belief was that they were never in a "war" with the capitalists. Capitlism would eventually destroy itself and an order of socialism would rise from the ashes as the State took control.
Perhaps Marx was right after all?
China, the last true Communist state, and the main Communist nuclear superpower, already has population control, so they are halving their inhabitants each generation rather than doubling them. Something we can't (yet) impose in the free world. And it's most likely China that would set off the next space race - if they started looking to go to the Moon, then the US would definately start building rockets again.
We still have to deal with global warming and climate change. Being rich won't help you when the ozone layer's gone or the ice age returns or we run out of resources.
There's an old Indian saying:
"Only when they last river has been poisioned, only when the last fish has been killed, only when the last tree has been cut down, only then will you realise that money can not be eaten."
That was said by an Indian shaman to the capatalist white man. Allegedly.
But perhaps we will have to revert to, or develop a new form of, socialism, a global state with state control, to solve this crisis.
And then we'll need to look to colonise other planets.
The principles of capatilism won the space race and got to the moon first.
However it is the principles of communism that are being used to solve global recession.
The core communist belief was that they were never in a "war" with the capitalists. Capitlism would eventually destroy itself and an order of socialism would rise from the ashes as the State took control.
Perhaps Marx was right after all?
China, the last true Communist state, and the main Communist nuclear superpower, already has population control, so they are halving their inhabitants each generation rather than doubling them. Something we can't (yet) impose in the free world. And it's most likely China that would set off the next space race - if they started looking to go to the Moon, then the US would definately start building rockets again.
We still have to deal with global warming and climate change. Being rich won't help you when the ozone layer's gone or the ice age returns or we run out of resources.
There's an old Indian saying:
"Only when they last river has been poisioned, only when the last fish has been killed, only when the last tree has been cut down, only then will you realise that money can not be eaten."
That was said by an Indian shaman to the capatalist white man. Allegedly.
But perhaps we will have to revert to, or develop a new form of, socialism, a global state with state control, to solve this crisis.
And then we'll need to look to colonise other planets.
Sleeping Satellite
So why haven't we been back to the Moon since the space race ended in the 70s?
We actually no longer have the technology - the rockets capable of putting humans in lunar orbit, let alone reach the moon, land, allow exploration, launch from the Moon, and get back to Earth. The moon is 250,000 miles away. America's current Space Shuttles can only get 200 miles up.
The Russians may have put Yuri Gagarin in orbit, but they never developed lunar technology. Although they still have heavy lift rockets, they never go further than Mir, and don't intend to.
Unless there is another Space Race, nobody will have a need to develop lunar technology again. So 40 years since the Apollo missions and we still have no Moonnase Alpha.
And that's before we look at getting to any of the other planets such as Mars.
We actually no longer have the technology - the rockets capable of putting humans in lunar orbit, let alone reach the moon, land, allow exploration, launch from the Moon, and get back to Earth. The moon is 250,000 miles away. America's current Space Shuttles can only get 200 miles up.
The Russians may have put Yuri Gagarin in orbit, but they never developed lunar technology. Although they still have heavy lift rockets, they never go further than Mir, and don't intend to.
Unless there is another Space Race, nobody will have a need to develop lunar technology again. So 40 years since the Apollo missions and we still have no Moonnase Alpha.
And that's before we look at getting to any of the other planets such as Mars.
Life on the Sun
Life as we know it - geocentric life - couldn't exist on the Sun.
But different forms of life, such as life based on magnetic fields rather than organic chemistry - wouldn't need oxygen or water.
But different forms of life, such as life based on magnetic fields rather than organic chemistry - wouldn't need oxygen or water.
Life as we know it
A scientist studying a meteor rock might spot a specific shape or feature, or a chemical signature that could indicate a biological origin.
Geocentric life - the much quoted "life as we know it" - Earth life. This would be what Star Trek calls an M Class Planet - worlds where water remains liquid.
When looking at planets from a distance we are looking for atmospheric signals such as the resence of oxygen or methane. Our atmosphere is 78% nitrogen. Oxygen is a by product of life. If all life on earth die, oxygen would quicly disappear. Same goes for methane.
Geocentric life - the much quoted "life as we know it" - Earth life. This would be what Star Trek calls an M Class Planet - worlds where water remains liquid.
When looking at planets from a distance we are looking for atmospheric signals such as the resence of oxygen or methane. Our atmosphere is 78% nitrogen. Oxygen is a by product of life. If all life on earth die, oxygen would quicly disappear. Same goes for methane.
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
NIV 666
The New International Version of the Bible.
The last page of Malachi, ie the last page of the Old Testament, is page 666.
The last page of Malachi, ie the last page of the Old Testament, is page 666.
Voodoo
In voodoo, the human spirit has two parts.
Gros Bon Ange is the Big Good Angel - the life force that all beings share and which animates them. This enters the body at conception and returns to God, to the point of origin, at death.
Ti Bon Ange is the Little Good Angel - this is the individual soul, one's essence, one karma - the sum of one's choices, actions and beliefs.
Voodoo black magic can capture a ti bon ange at the point of death.
It's thought a powerful magician can steal it from a living person.
A magus can take a corpse and install the ti bon into it, creating a cheval, a kind of zombie. The zombie is alive again, no longer a corpse, but animated by the stolen ti bon, not it's own. The ti bon yearns for heaven, but is under the control of the magus.
Gros Bon Ange is the Big Good Angel - the life force that all beings share and which animates them. This enters the body at conception and returns to God, to the point of origin, at death.
Ti Bon Ange is the Little Good Angel - this is the individual soul, one's essence, one karma - the sum of one's choices, actions and beliefs.
Voodoo black magic can capture a ti bon ange at the point of death.
It's thought a powerful magician can steal it from a living person.
A magus can take a corpse and install the ti bon into it, creating a cheval, a kind of zombie. The zombie is alive again, no longer a corpse, but animated by the stolen ti bon, not it's own. The ti bon yearns for heaven, but is under the control of the magus.
Candle magic
Red candles in red glasses bring victory.
Yellow candles in yellow glasses bring money.
White candles in clear glasses bring peace.
Yellow candles in yellow glasses bring money.
White candles in clear glasses bring peace.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Jude
Jude, the Bible's penultimate book, was written by Jesus' younger brother, son of Mary and Joseph. It's a warning against antichrists
The sin and doom of Godless men
4For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.
9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
10Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them.
11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.
12These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones
15to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
16These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
A call to persevere
18They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."
19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
22Be merciful to those who doubt;
23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
The sin and doom of Godless men
4For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
6And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
7In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
8In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.
9But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
10Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them.
11Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.
12These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
13They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones
15to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
16These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
A call to persevere
18They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."
19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
22Be merciful to those who doubt;
23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
John's epistles
John, him who wrote the Gospel of John and Revelations, wrote 3 epistles. Along with Jude and Rev, these form the last 5 books of The Bible.
1 John 1:
Walking in the light
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
1 John 2:
4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
This refers to Cain:
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.
11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Do Not Love the World
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.
17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Warning Against Antichrists
18Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
22Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 3:
4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Love one another
11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.
13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
This can apply to God or Satan, whichever you choose to serve:
22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
1 John 4:
Test the Spirits
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
This regards the two beasts from Rev 13:
5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 5:
4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Cain again:
16If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
The world is under the control of Satan:
19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
2 John:
7Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
3 John:
11Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
1 John 1:
Walking in the light
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
1 John 2:
4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
This refers to Cain:
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.
11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Do Not Love the World
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.
17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Warning Against Antichrists
18Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
22Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 3:
4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
Love one another
11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.
13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
This can apply to God or Satan, whichever you choose to serve:
22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
1 John 4:
Test the Spirits
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
This regards the two beasts from Rev 13:
5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 5:
4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Cain again:
16If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
The world is under the control of Satan:
19We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
2 John:
7Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
11Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
3 John:
11Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
Antichrists
Antichrists are evil men. They are not devils. They do not serve The Devil. They serve themselves. They covet and they kill for what they covet. They are not tempted into sin. They are evil.
It is these people who build Hell.
It is these people who build Hell.
Sharks
If a shark stops moving it drowns. A shark needs constant, uninterrupted movement for survival.
Poisonous plants
Oleander in Sanskrit means "horse killer".
Every part of the plant is deadly. If you burn it, the smoke is poisonous. If bees spend too much time on an oleander, the honey will be fatal.
Azaleas are equally fatal.
While Oleanders kill quickly, azaleas take a few hours. Vomiting, paralysis, seizures, coma, then death.
Every part of the plant is deadly. If you burn it, the smoke is poisonous. If bees spend too much time on an oleander, the honey will be fatal.
Azaleas are equally fatal.
While Oleanders kill quickly, azaleas take a few hours. Vomiting, paralysis, seizures, coma, then death.
Monday, 6 April 2009
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Psalm 22
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel. [a]
4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me [b] in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced [c] my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save [d] me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you [e] will I fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel. [a]
4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me [b] in the dust of death.
16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced [c] my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save [d] me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you [e] will I fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.
What Jesus really said...
So what are the three things that JC really said on the cross?
The most accurate record is probably the Gospel of John, as he was actually there, right at the front, with Jesus' mother Mary. In John 19:26 Jesus speaks directly to them:
"Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."
He's telling John to go live with Mary as Mother and son, which they apparently do.
John, as well as writing his own gospel, also wrote the three "John" epistles and, our fave, the Book of Revelation.
So back to what Jesus said.
As well as the line he says to John and Mary, he says "I am thirsty" and gets a sponge:
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.
He then gives up the ghost, as it were:
30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
"It is finished" in Latin is "Consummatum est".
(this was quoted by Marlowe in Doctor Faustus.)
Matthew and Mark both tell us that he cried out, they just don't say what he cried.
Matthew 50:
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
Mark 37:
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
They both tell us earlier that he cries "Eloi, eloi..."
Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Mark 15:34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
(We maintain this is Brian calling out to Jesus:
http://vassago-vassago.blogspot.com/2009/03/crucifixion.html)
This of course is also a direct quote from Psalm 22. So it seems unlikely that, if JC was really up there, that He would have shouted this. Why would He be quoting a psalm? If if he was, wouldn't Psalm 23, The Lord Is My Shepherd, be more likely?
As for the thieves either side of Him, John doesn't record any dialogue between them.
M & M have the two thieves both mocking JC, but then they have him singing psalms as well.
(A lot of people think Matt is just a reip off of Mark anyway)
Luke is more concise when it comes to dialogue:
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
According to Luke Jesus speaks twice more:
34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
And at the end:
44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
At least they all agree on the hour.
Luke may well have been at the crucifixion, where M & M were not.
We know Luke was a real person of the time. He also wrote Acts, and accompanied Peter and Paul for a while.
The line from Psalm 22 about dividing his clothing gets quoted a lot.
18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
At least that's one thing they all agree on.
The most accurate record is probably the Gospel of John, as he was actually there, right at the front, with Jesus' mother Mary. In John 19:26 Jesus speaks directly to them:
"Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."
He's telling John to go live with Mary as Mother and son, which they apparently do.
John, as well as writing his own gospel, also wrote the three "John" epistles and, our fave, the Book of Revelation.
So back to what Jesus said.
As well as the line he says to John and Mary, he says "I am thirsty" and gets a sponge:
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.
He then gives up the ghost, as it were:
30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
"It is finished" in Latin is "Consummatum est".
(this was quoted by Marlowe in Doctor Faustus.)
Matthew and Mark both tell us that he cried out, they just don't say what he cried.
Matthew 50:
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
Mark 37:
With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
They both tell us earlier that he cries "Eloi, eloi..."
Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Mark 15:34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
(We maintain this is Brian calling out to Jesus:
http://vassago-vassago.blogspot.com/2009/03/crucifixion.html)
This of course is also a direct quote from Psalm 22. So it seems unlikely that, if JC was really up there, that He would have shouted this. Why would He be quoting a psalm? If if he was, wouldn't Psalm 23, The Lord Is My Shepherd, be more likely?
As for the thieves either side of Him, John doesn't record any dialogue between them.
M & M have the two thieves both mocking JC, but then they have him singing psalms as well.
(A lot of people think Matt is just a reip off of Mark anyway)
Luke is more concise when it comes to dialogue:
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
According to Luke Jesus speaks twice more:
34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
And at the end:
44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
At least they all agree on the hour.
Luke may well have been at the crucifixion, where M & M were not.
We know Luke was a real person of the time. He also wrote Acts, and accompanied Peter and Paul for a while.
The line from Psalm 22 about dividing his clothing gets quoted a lot.
18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
At least that's one thing they all agree on.
The three things Jesus said on the cross
"Great way to spend Easter"
"John I can see your house from here"
"Judas, you f*****g grass!"
"John I can see your house from here"
"Judas, you f*****g grass!"
The Fall Of Man
The greatest gift we were given is free will, but we constantly misuse it.
The first sin was envy, and we killed our brother for what we envied, what we coveted. That was when we fell. When we fell, we brought down everything with us.
In the beginning there were no predators, no prey, just harmony. Yin and yang.
There was no time - time was all at once - no past, present, or future - and no death.
Now we have a broken world with poisonous plants, predators, earthquakes and flood.
Now we have time that steals everything from us.
Now we have death.
The world was a gift to us, a paradise and we broke it. To get back everything, we have to start by fixing ourselves. That's what sin is.
The first sin was envy, and we killed our brother for what we envied, what we coveted. That was when we fell. When we fell, we brought down everything with us.
In the beginning there were no predators, no prey, just harmony. Yin and yang.
There was no time - time was all at once - no past, present, or future - and no death.
Now we have a broken world with poisonous plants, predators, earthquakes and flood.
Now we have time that steals everything from us.
Now we have death.
The world was a gift to us, a paradise and we broke it. To get back everything, we have to start by fixing ourselves. That's what sin is.
Moses was a sorcerer
He knew the secret names of God, which he used to conquer Pharoah, bring the plagues and part the sea.
Theory
We have three lives to live.
This first life, here on Earth, is a boot camp. We are here to learn or fail, according to our own free will.
The second life is a life of service. We become angels.
The third life is our reward - that's the Eternal Life promised in the Bible.
This first life, here on Earth, is a boot camp. We are here to learn or fail, according to our own free will.
The second life is a life of service. We become angels.
The third life is our reward - that's the Eternal Life promised in the Bible.
Virtual Reality
SF films make virtual realty possible and accessible in its various different forms.
Total Recall has the character Doug Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzeneggar, who is injected with a dream to make him feel he has been on a 2 week holiday, a series of implanted memories. However if the film progresses, we can't be sure if Quaid is dreaming or if the whole thing is really happening. The film is based on the short novel "We can remember it for you wholesale".
In The Matrix, Keanu Reeves' character Neo discovers his entire life has been a dream, that his mind has been existing inside a computer generated illusion. In fact, the entire human race has been living in this "matrix" for some 200 years.
These films, in particular The Matrix, raise existential questions. How do you know you are not really inside a pod, your mind living in a computer generated dream? Total Recall even has the tagline "How would you know if someone had stolen your mind?"
But the film I found closest to this issue was Vanilla Sky. Tome Cruise's character David Ames has in fact bought a "lucid dream" from a company and is living inside his dream while his body is frozen in a vat, waiting medical advances to repair it. He has been in this state for 150 years, yet is unaware. As the film progresses, the dream descends into a nightmare. When David realises his situation he goes into a panic screaming "It's a nightmare" and calling for "Tech Support". The Beach Boys track "Good Vibrations" plays in the background. This did lead me to question why someone would choose to live the lucid dream in a city rather than at a beach.
Other SF examples of a virtual reality would be the Holodeck in Star Trek. There are many episodes where characters get trapped there and have to work their way out.
A more modern, and perhaps more chilling, example is The Truman Show. Jim Carrey's character Truman Burbank has spent his whole life as the subject of a reality TV show. All the people in his life have been, and still are, actors, and the whole world is watching. When the show's creator is asked how this illusion works for Truman his answer is "we except the reality which we are presented".
Total Recall has the character Doug Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzeneggar, who is injected with a dream to make him feel he has been on a 2 week holiday, a series of implanted memories. However if the film progresses, we can't be sure if Quaid is dreaming or if the whole thing is really happening. The film is based on the short novel "We can remember it for you wholesale".
In The Matrix, Keanu Reeves' character Neo discovers his entire life has been a dream, that his mind has been existing inside a computer generated illusion. In fact, the entire human race has been living in this "matrix" for some 200 years.
These films, in particular The Matrix, raise existential questions. How do you know you are not really inside a pod, your mind living in a computer generated dream? Total Recall even has the tagline "How would you know if someone had stolen your mind?"
But the film I found closest to this issue was Vanilla Sky. Tome Cruise's character David Ames has in fact bought a "lucid dream" from a company and is living inside his dream while his body is frozen in a vat, waiting medical advances to repair it. He has been in this state for 150 years, yet is unaware. As the film progresses, the dream descends into a nightmare. When David realises his situation he goes into a panic screaming "It's a nightmare" and calling for "Tech Support". The Beach Boys track "Good Vibrations" plays in the background. This did lead me to question why someone would choose to live the lucid dream in a city rather than at a beach.
Other SF examples of a virtual reality would be the Holodeck in Star Trek. There are many episodes where characters get trapped there and have to work their way out.
A more modern, and perhaps more chilling, example is The Truman Show. Jim Carrey's character Truman Burbank has spent his whole life as the subject of a reality TV show. All the people in his life have been, and still are, actors, and the whole world is watching. When the show's creator is asked how this illusion works for Truman his answer is "we except the reality which we are presented".
Saturday, 4 April 2009
Revelation 13 - The Beast out of the Earth
The Beast out of the Earth
11Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
12He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
13And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
14Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
15He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
16He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,
17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
11Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
12He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
13And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.
14Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
15He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
16He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,
17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
Revelation 13 - The Beast out of the Sea
Revelation 13
1And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
The Beast out of the Sea
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
2The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
4Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.
6He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
9He who has an ear, let him hear.
10If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
1And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
The Beast out of the Sea
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
2The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
4Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.
6He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.
7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
9He who has an ear, let him hear.
10If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
Revelation 12 - The Woman and the Dragon
1A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
6The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."
13When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
14The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
15Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
16But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
17Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
6The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."
13When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
14The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
15Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
16But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
17Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The Woman and the Dragon
Revelations Ch 12 refers to The Woman and The Dragon.
Blake did two versions of this scene - the woman clothed in sun and the woman clothed with sun.
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun
Our favourtite Bible translation is the New International version.
Blake did two versions of this scene - the woman clothed in sun and the woman clothed with sun.
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun
The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun
Our favourtite Bible translation is the New International version.
Keri Hilson
So she's finally released a song under her own name. Although Timberland is "featuring" in it, so he's all over it.
She's developed a strange image for the vid that makes her look like a cross between Lady Ga Ga and Rhianna.
However we like Ms Hilson, and she's certainly paid her dues. We look forward to her album.
She's developed a strange image for the vid that makes her look like a cross between Lady Ga Ga and Rhianna.
However we like Ms Hilson, and she's certainly paid her dues. We look forward to her album.
Friday, 3 April 2009
Satan and Lucifer
Satan was the serpent in the Garden Of Eden, the Devil, the First of the Fallen.
When Lucifer lost the war in Heaven and was cast down, he found Satan was already there, waiting for him. Satan gets to walk the Earth and even pops up in the Book of Job, visits the Lord with the angels.
Lucifer, Beelzebub and Mephistopheles form the Truimvirate of Hell.
Lucy is a Fallen Angel, the Morningstar. Satan is The Devil. Most people confuse the two.
When Lucifer lost the war in Heaven and was cast down, he found Satan was already there, waiting for him. Satan gets to walk the Earth and even pops up in the Book of Job, visits the Lord with the angels.
Lucifer, Beelzebub and Mephistopheles form the Truimvirate of Hell.
Lucy is a Fallen Angel, the Morningstar. Satan is The Devil. Most people confuse the two.
Mary Magdelene
MM was a prostitute. She was also the Maid Marion of JC's gang.
(same initials - coincidence or synchronicity?)
So how did she get to this exalted position? She was servicing the lot of them while they were out on the road.
JC knew how to look after His boys.
(same initials - coincidence or synchronicity?)
So how did she get to this exalted position? She was servicing the lot of them while they were out on the road.
JC knew how to look after His boys.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
666
There are various different forms of the famous passage.
The Bible:
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
Iron Maiden:
Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the
beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the
beast for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and
sixty six.
The Omen:
"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; his number is 666.” (Book of Revelations, Chapter 13 : Verse 18)
The Bible:
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
Iron Maiden:
Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the
beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the
beast for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and
sixty six.
The Omen:
"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; his number is 666.” (Book of Revelations, Chapter 13 : Verse 18)
The Great Red Dragon and the Beast from the Sea
The Great Red Dragon and the Beast from the Sea
Revalation 13 is about the beast from out of the sea and the beast from out of the earth.
The beast out of the earth is the beast numbered 666.
The beast from the sea passage ends with this warning:
He who has an ear, let him hear.
If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfullness on the part of the saints.
This echoes the warning at the end of the passage about the beast out of the earth:
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
Revalation 13 is about the beast from out of the sea and the beast from out of the earth.
The beast out of the earth is the beast numbered 666.
The beast from the sea passage ends with this warning:
He who has an ear, let him hear.
If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfullness on the part of the saints.
This echoes the warning at the end of the passage about the beast out of the earth:
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.
War in Heaven
Revelation 12 v 7 - 9 refers to the war in heaven. Michael and his angels and the devil/dragon and his angels do battle, after which the dragon is hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
We are told the dragon is the Devil or Satan.
We are told the dragon is the Devil or Satan.
The Woman And The Dragon
Revelations Ch 12 refers to The Woman and The Dragon.
Blake did two versions of this scene - the woman clothed in sun and the woman clothed with sun.
Blake did two versions of this scene - the woman clothed in sun and the woman clothed with sun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
