Countdown to the Pagan New Year - Part 1

Roman Festival Of Veneralia For The Goddess Venus On April 1, 2010

MichaelTheResearcher

Thursday, April 1, 2010 - the day of the Roman Festival of Veneralia dedicated to The Goddess Venus. I endeavored some ancient reenacting today, and did as the Romans did. I tried to be as historically-accurate as possible. I erected a nice Shrine and Altar. Therein you will see a soaking-wet and dripping Venus Statue. On this day in antiquity, the Romans washed all of the Venus Statues and adorned Them with flowers. In that spirit, I made sure She has been ritually cleaned and prepared with the proper offerings.

She was originally associated with vegetation so I added plenty of vegetables in addition to fruit and some peanut snacks (German import purchased at Aldi). The Venus De Milo to the right is a clay statue I made earlier this year. The image to the left is an albumen print photo dating to the late 1800s. It features the specific Capitoline Venus (based on the Aphrodite Of Cnidus or Aphrodite Of Menophantos). Happy Veneralia!!

Photos of the Shrine/Altar can be seen at these links:
http://michaeltheresearcher.blogspot.com/2010/04/roman-festival-of-veneralia-dedicated.html

Veneralia

Observed by: Ancient Romans

Type: Classical Roman religion

Observances: Adornment of statues of Venus with flowers

Date: April 1

The Veneralia was an ancient Roman festival celebrated April 1 (the Kalends of Aprilis) in honor of Venus Verticordia ("Venus the changer of hearts") and Fortuna Virilis ("Manly" or "Virile Fortune").

The cult of Venus Verticordia was established in 220 BC, just before the beginning of the Second Punic War, in response to advice from a Sibylline oracle, when a series of prodigies was taken to signify divine displeasure at sexual offenses among Romans of every category and class, including several men and three Vestal Virgins. Her statue was dedicated by a young woman, chosen as the most pudica (sexually pure) in Rome by a committee of Roman matrons. At first, the statue was probably housed within the temple to Fortuna Virilis. This cult, much older than any cult to Venus but possibly perceived as weak or gone to seed, may have benefited from the moral and religious support of Venus as a relatively new but senior deity; for Ovid, Venus's acceptance of the epithet and its responsibilities represented the goddess' own change of heart.

In 114 BC Venus Verticordia was given her own temple. She was meant to persuade Romans of both sexes and every class, whether married or unmarried, to cherish the traditional sexual proprieties and morality known to please the gods and benefit the State. During the Veneralia, her cult image was taken from her temple to the men's baths, where it was undressed and washed in warm water by her female attendants, then garlanded with myrtle. At the Veneralia, women and men asked Venus Verticordia for her help in affairs of the heart, sex, betrothal and marriage. Fortuna Virilis was given cult on the same day.

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To our pagan ancestors, April 1st was "New Years Day," therefore the Roman festival of Veneralia was something of a carryover from earlier traditions. I'm not really a believer that Stregheria is from the Etruscan or Roman religions; but that the Old Religion melded with new nation states as they came into existence. Of course, there is much crossover there, and throughout pagan Europe. Apparently, and maybe someone can verify this, the Vernal Equinox ("Ostara"; March 19-22) was separate from the "Pagan New Years Day." I've read items to this effect, but I'm not certain. I think this concept should be given another serious look.

A challenging quote

"I'm tired of being told who to admire in this country. Aren't you sick of being told of who your heroes ought to be? You know? Being told who you ought to be looking up to. I'll choose my own heroes, thank you very much." -- George Carlin

Leap year

My mother has always recited a variation of this old leap year poem.

Thirty days hath September

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November.
Thirty-one hath all the rest,
Except for February clear which has 28 and 29 in a leap year.

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November
All the rest have 31,
Except for February.

Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November
All the rest have thirty-one
But February's but how much

~ Mother Goose ~






How Dangerous Is The Deep Web?

Alltime Conspiracies

The deep web makes up about 99% of the internet. To most of us it remains an unfamiliar entity. The media often portrays it as a dark and secretive place. Is this true? Alltime Conspiracies investigates.


Deep web (search)

The deep web, deep net, invisible web, or hidden web are parts of the World Wide Web whose contents are not indexed by standard search engines for any reason. The deep web is opposite to the surface web.

Computer scientist Mike Bergman is credited with coining the term in 2000. The term "deep web" is often conflated with its subset dark web, which refers to the content that is purposefully obscured from the public internet by requiring specific software, configurations or authorization to be accessed.

DEEP WEB





Bobbie Gentry - Son Of A Preacher Man
 
jackhogan1

Country version of Dusty Springfield song

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I personally like this version best. 

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The violin in Lombardy: Part 1 - "Brescian school"

Brescia has had a major role in the history of the violin. Many archive documents very clearly testify that from 1490 to 1640 Brescia was the cradle of a magnificent school of string players and makers, all styled "maestro", of all the different kinds of stringed instruments of the Renaissance: viola da gamba (viols), violone, lyra, lyrone, violetta and viola da brazzo. So you can find from 1495 "maestro delle viole" or "maestro delle lire" and later, at least from 1558, "maestro di far violini" that is master of violin making. From 1530 the word violin appeared in Brescian documents and spread in later decades throughout north of Italy, reaching Venezia and Cremona.

[Brescia]


The most famous violin makers, between the early 16th century and the 18th century included:

Micheli family of Italian violin makers, Zanetto Micheli 1490 - 1560, Pellegrino Micheli 1520 - 1607, Giovanni Micheli 1562 - 1616, Francesco Micheli 1579 - 1615, and the brother in law Battista Doneda 1529 - 1610

Bertolotti da Salò (Gasparo da Salò) family of Italian violin and double bass players and makers: Francesco 1513 - 1563 and Agostino 1510 - 1584 Bertolotti, Gasparo Bertolotti 1540 - 1609 called Gasparo da Salò 

[History of the violin]

Violinists and collectors particularly prize the instruments made by the Stradivari, Guarneri and Amati families from the 16th to the 18th century in Brescia and Cremona and by Jacob Stainer in Austria. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or equal it, though this belief is disputed.

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The finest Renaissance carved and decorated violin in the world is the Gasparo da Salò (1574 c.)...

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The most famous violin makers (luthiers) between the 16th century and the 18th century include:

The school of Brescia, beginning in the late 14th with liras, violettas, violas and active in the field of the violin in the first half of 16th century

The Dalla Corna family, active 1510–1560 in Brescia and Venice

The Micheli family, active 1530–1615 in Brescia

The Inverardi family active 1550–1580 in Brescia

The Gasparo da Salò family, active 1530–1615 in Brescia and Salò

Giovanni Paolo Maggini, student of Gasparo da Salò, active 1600–1630 in Brescia
 
[Violin]

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Eugenio Beltrami: Famous Lombard mathematician

Eugenio Beltrami

Born: 16 November 1835
Cremona, Lombardy, Austrian Empire

Died: 18 February 1900 (aged 64)
Rome, Kingdom of Italy

Residence: Italy

Nationality: Italian

Fields: Mathematician

Institutions: University of Bologna
University of Pisa
University of Rome

Alma mater: University of Pavia

Doctoral advisor: Francesco Brioschi
Doctoral students: Giovanni Frattini

Known for: Laplace–Beltrami operator


Eugenio Beltrami (November 16, 1835 in Cremona – 18 February 1900 in Rome) was an Italian mathematician notable for his work concerning differential geometry and mathematical physics. His work was noted especially for clarity of exposition. He was the first to prove consistency of non-Euclidean geometry by modeling it on a surface of constant curvature, the pseudosphere, and in the interior of an n-dimensional unit sphere, the so-called Beltrami–Klein model. He also developed singular value decomposition for matrices, which has been subsequently rediscovered several times. Beltrami's use of differential calculus for problems of mathematical physics indirectly influenced development of tensor calculus by Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro and Tullio Levi-Civita.


Short biography

Beltrami was born in Cremona in Lombardy, then a part of the Austrian Empire, and now part of Italy. He began studying mathematics at University of Pavia in 1853, but was expelled from Ghislieri College in 1856 due to his political opinions. During this time he was taught and influenced by Francesco Brioschi. He had to discontinue his studies because of financial hardship and spent the next several years as a secretary working for the Lombardy–Venice railroad company. He was appointed to the University of Bologna as a professor in 1862, the year he published his first research paper. Throughout his life, Beltrami had various professorial jobs at universities in Pisa, Rome and Pavia. From 1891 until the end of his life Beltrami lived in Rome. He became the president of the Accademia dei Lincei in 1898 and a senator of the Kingdom of Italy in 1899.

Contributions to non-Euclidean geometry

In 1868 Beltrami published two memoirs (written in Italian; French translations by J. Hoüel appeared in1869) dealing with consistency and interpretations of non-Euclidean geometry of Bolyai and Lobachevsky. In his "Essay on an interpretation of non-Euclidean geometry", Beltrami proposed that this geometry could be realized on a surface of constant negative curvature, a pseudosphere. For Beltrami's concept, lines of the geometry are represented by geodesics on the pseudosphere and theorems of non-Euclidean geometry can be proved within ordinary three-dimensional Euclidean space, and not derived in an axiomatic fashion, as Lobachevsky and Bolyai had done previously. In 1840, Minding already considered geodesic triangles on the pseudosphere and remarked that the corresponding "trigonometric formulas" are obtained from the corresponding formulas of spherical trigonometry by replacing the usual trigonometric functions with hyperbolic functions; this was further developed by Codazzi in 1857, but apparently neither of them noticed the association with Lobachevsky's work. 

In this way, Beltrami attempted to demonstrate that two-dimensional non-Euclidean geometry is as valid as the Euclidean geometry of the space, and in particular, that Euclid's parallel postulate could not be derived from the other axioms of Euclidean geometry. It is often stated that this proof was incomplete due to the singularities of the pseudosphere, which means that geodesics could not be extended indefinitely. However, John Stillwell remarks that Beltrami must have been well aware of this difficulty, which is also manifested by the fact that the pseudosphere is topologically a cylinder, and not a plane, and he spent a part of his memoir designing a way around it. By a suitable choice of coordinates, Beltrami showed how the metric on the pseudosphere can be transferred to the unit disk and that the singularity of the pseudosphere corresponds to a horocycle on the non-Euclidean plane. On the other hand, in the introduction to his memoir, Beltrami states that it would be impossible to justify "the rest of Lobachevsky's theory", i.e. the non-Euclidean geometry of space, by this method.

Cremona, Lombardy

In the second memoir published during the same year (1868), "Fundamental theory of spaces of constant curvature", Beltrami continued this logic and gave an abstract proof of equiconsistency of hyperbolic and Euclidean geometry for any dimension. He accomplished this by introducing several models of non-Euclidean geometry that are now known as the Beltrami–Klein model, the Poincaré disk model, and the Poincaré half-plane model, together with transformations that relate them. For the half-plane model, Beltrami cited a note by Liouville in the treatise of Monge on differential geometry. Beltrami also showed that n-dimensional Euclidean geometry is realized on a horosphere of the (n + 1)-dimensional hyperbolic space, so the logical relation between consistency of the Euclidean and the non-Euclidean geometries is symmetric. Beltrami acknowledged the influence of Riemann's groundbreaking Habilitation lecture "On the hypotheses on which geometry is based" (1854; published posthumously in 1868).

Although today Beltrami's "Essay" is recognized as very important for the development of non-Euclidean geometry, the reception at the time was less enthusiastic. Cremona objected to perceived circular reasoning, which even forced Beltrami to delay the publication of the "Essay" by one year. Subsequently, Felix Klein failed to acknowledge Beltrami's priority in construction of the projective disk model of the non-Euclidean geometry. This reaction can be attributed in part to the novelty of Beltrami's reasoning, which was similar to the ideas of Riemann concerning abstract manifolds. J. Hoüel published Beltrami's proof in his French translation of works of Lobachevsky and Bolyai.


Works

Beltrami, Eugenio (1868). "Saggio di interpretazione della geometria non-euclidea". Giornale di Mathematiche VI: 285–315.

Beltrami, Eugenio (1868). "Teoria fondamentale degli spazii di curvatura costante". Annali. di Mat., ser II 2: 232–255. doi:10.1007/BF02419615.

Opere matematiche di Eugenio Beltrami pubblicate per cura della Facoltà di scienze della r. Università di Roma (volumes 1–2) (U. Hoepli, Milano, 1902–1920)[1]

Same edition, vols. 1–4

References

Study, E. (1909). "Review: Opere matematiche di Eugenio Beltrami". Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 16 (3): 147–149. doi:10.1090/s0002-9904-1909-01882-8.

Stillwell, John (1996). Sources of hyperbolic geometry. History of Mathematics 10. Providence, R.I.: American Mathematical Society. ISBN 978-0-8218-0529-9. MR 1402697

Jeremy Gray, Poincaré and Klein — Groups and Geometries. In 1830–1930: a Century of Geometry (ed L.Boi, D.Flament and J.-M.Salanskis), Springer, 1992, 35–44

External links

O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Eugenio Beltrami", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews.

Eugenio Beltrami at the Mathematics Genealogy Project

Eugenio Beltrami - Œuvres complètes Gallica-Math


See also

Beltrami equation
 
Beltrami identity
 
Beltrami's theorem
 
Laplace–Beltrami operator

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Notions amid the approaching Full Snow Moon V

"Universe May Have Had No Beginning"

'Big Bang, Deflated? Universe May Have Had No Beginning'

by Tia Ghose, Senior Writer - LiveScience.com - February 26, 2015

If a new theory turns out to be true, the universe may not have started with a bang.

In the new formulation, the universe was never a singularity, or an infinitely small and infinitely dense point of matter. In fact, the universe may have no beginning at all.

"Our theory suggests that the age of the universe could be infinite," said study co-author Saurya Das, a theoretical physicist at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada.

 The new concept could also explain what dark matter — the mysterious, invisible substance that makes up most of the matter in the universe — is actually made of, Das added.

cont'd



The legend of the Ice Age Eurasian lion

When I was a child, I recall tossing a garter snake or a salamander into water a few times. Even though they had never swam before, as there was no nearby body of water, they took to it as of though they had done it all of their lives. I get the same curious thought when I see a lion in the snow. Just like the drawings of whoolly mammoths and whoolly rhinoceros' roaming the frozen Eurasian tundra of the last glacial movement, it's clear that the modern lion also is partly "whoolly" and could adapt to northern winters as they had once done. In other words, they were once entirely "whoolly"... as one can easily imagine by looking at the above photograph. That lion is not uncomfortable in the snow.

Sometimes when I see a documentary featuring African lions, they almost seem to be merely "tolerating" the tropical weather. It may seem like a strange thing to say, but I really wonder if they aren't just as comfortable living in a northern climate. If, just for the sake of discussion, say two hundred of them were released in the remote Pacific Northwest.... I think they would do just fine. Hypothetically, they would just merely be returning to an environment that they once knew. It's like the factory farm pigs who have escaped and mated with wild boars; they became hairy, wild, and adaptive in no time.


History of lions in Europe

Lions inhabited parts of Europe during and after the Holocene and even historic times and formed a subspecies called Panthera leo europaea. They lived in ancient Greece, central Germany, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, southern Russia, coastal Saudi Arabia, western Asia, and India. It is also suggested by historical evidence, although not certain, that they lived in parts of Europe, including modern-day Portugal, Spain, southern France, up to Germany, Italy, and the Balkans beyond Greece. Their diet included cattle, deer and other herbivores. 


Fossil record

In the earliest Holocene the lion was still present in northern Spain. Until around 5500 to 3000 BCE the lion is confirmed via fossils from Hungary and from the Pontic Region of Ukraine.


Lions in ancient Greece

According to reports by Ancient Greek writers such as Herodotus and Aristotle, lions were common in Greece around 480 BCE, became endangered in 300 BCE, until their extinction in 100 BCE.

Lions feature heavily in Ancient Greek mythology and writings, including the myth of the Nemean lion, which was believed to be a supernatural lion that occupied the sacred town of Nemea in the Peloponnese.

Aristotle and Herodotus wrote that lions were found in the Balkans in the middle of the first millennium BCE. When Xerxes advanced through Macedon in 480 BCE, he encountered several lions. But while lions presumably still existed in the area between the rivers Aliakmon and Nestus in Macedonia in Herodotus' time, in the 1st century CE Dio Chrysostom wrote that they were already extinct in Europe.


Lions in the Caucasus

Lions were present in Transcaucasia until the 10th century.




Lion in the snow at The Wild Animal Sanctuary

Brandon Crain


[3-28-16 ADDITION: It probably should be noted that the White lion color variation--as well as that of the White tiger--may be a link to perhaps even the true Ice Age of 25,000 years ago. The two appear very similar to the snow leopard of the Himalayas, which would seem to add to the evidence that their white fur could be linked to an ancient cold weather past. Then of course, there are the other white furred arctic or winter-coated animals.]



Strange skulls discovered in Russia, tied to secret Nazi occult group

'Strange skulls discovered in Russia, tied to secret Nazi occult group institution and the search for the origin of Mankind'

In what sounds as a scene from an Indiana Jones movie, reports from Russian newspapers “Komsomolskaya Pravda” and “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” indicate that a briefcase and two Alien-like skulls were discovered in the mountains of the Caucasus region of Adygeya. Among the briefcase, its finders found two skulls belonging to an unknown creature. Ahnenerbe was probably the most secret society within the SS dedicated to the study of the occult and the supernatural forces on Earth. According to researchers, it is likely that members of the SS were interested in the mysteries of the ancient dolmens and the high amounts of radioactivity present in the region known as the Kishinski canyon.

cont'd


Ahnenerbe (Wikipedia)

Ahnenerbe (German occult)




Alien Or Demon Skulls Found In Russia?

LaGranjaHumanaMX

Discovered in the mountains of Russia a strange mysterious briefcase and two skulls. According to the journalists of the newspaper “Komsomolskaya Pravda” and “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” briefcase it has written a strange logo “Ahnenerbe” This case was recently found in the mountains of Adygea.

In the mountains of the Caucasus region of Adygeya they were found two skulls belonging to an unknown creature for science with the emblem of the Ahnenerbe, probably the most secret society within the SS, dedicated to the study of the occult and the supernatural forces.

According to researchers, it is likely that members of the SS were interested in the mysteries of the ancient dolmens and the causes of high natural radioactivity in the region of Kishinski canyon. It is also possible that they should seek the golden Kuban Rada, lost somewhere in the region during the Russian Civil War (1917-1923).

Researchers have also found a German map of the territory of Adygeya, held in 1941, and have been amazed by the accuracy and completeness it is. These found objects have aroused great interest among specialists.

Historians know many details of the operation of the Wehrmacht Edelweiss, which planted Nazi banners at the peak of Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, located in the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria in the Russian Caucasus. However, what it was the purpose of this secret organization in the mountains of Adygea?

Phoenicia.org

Phoenicia and Phoenician culture has influenced the world, right up to the present day, in ways that the vast majority of people will never know. Of course, Greece and Rome have the more overt influence; but Phoenicia has given us the more covert-occultic realm. The darker side, although I don't believe that it had to be that way. Certain people made it that way.

Carthage was a very powerful Phoenician colony, and when they lost the Punic Wars to Rome, they basically fizzled out of history as a distinct people and culture. In many ways, and certainly in terms of spiritual tradition, Phoenicia embodied much of what came from the civilizations which came before it. In particular, the Saturnian priesthood. They wore purple hooded robes because the rays from the star Saturn emitted a purplish light out of the northern sky before it became a dwarf star. Others present wore black robes, and many of the subtle symbols in a court of law come from their rites... including the black robe of the judge and his "bench." When students graduate, they wear square "Saturnian" caps just as initiates did in Phoenicia. The Phoenician god "EL" is the root word for virtually everything suggesting wisdom, knowledge, or rising in status; from "Elder" to "Elevator."

The Quest For The Phoenicians 

Engineering an Empire: CARTHAGE

Saturn the Occult and The Phoenicians ~TØS ~

 

Dusty Springfield - I Only Want To Be With You

corringhamlad's channel
 




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Ormhäxan - The snake-witch

Snake-witch stone

The Snake-witch (Ormhäxan), Snake-charmer (Ormtjuserskan) or Smiss stone (Smisstenen) is a picture stone found at Smiss, När parish, Gotland, Sweden. Discovered in a cemetery, it measures 82 cm (32 in) in height and depicts a figure holding a snake in each hand. Above the figure there are three interlaced creatures (forming a triskelion pattern) that have been identified as a boar, an eagle, and a wolf. The stone has been dated to 400–600 AD.

Although many scholars call it the Snake-witch, what the stone depicts—an accurate interpretation of the figures—and whether it derives from Celtic art or Norse art remain debated.

It seems to me that various neopagan concerns have never been certain as what to do with the symbolism on this standing stone/grave marker. First of all, is it Odinic, Druidic, Gaulish polytheistic, proto-European witchcraft, or some combination? This style of standing stone, the serpentine symbolism, and its location would seem to suggest an Odinic origin. However, there was snake symbolism in Gaulish culture, and the Gaulish god Cernunnos was found depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron from some centuries earlier in Denmark. Also, the "snake-witch"--like Cernunnos--is depicted holding a snake; although this artifact may have been obtained in trade between Teutons and Gauls. The snake-witch herself seems to suggest an element of proto-European spiritual influence, such as the pre-Olympian "Snake goddess" of Crete.

Also, just as interesting as the "snake-witch," is the powerful design symbol. To fully appreciate it, you must look at it and fill in the two sections which were somehow chipped off on the animal figure on the upper right. After you do that, then it's clear that this is what I would call a "double-triskellion." The boar, eagle, and wolf are formed as serpentine, with both heads and tails interwoven for this effect. The triskellion or "triple spiral" is found in many ancient European cultures. My guess is that the snake-witch stone is Odinic, with proto-European symbolism. The old Gotlanders, somewhat isolated on an island, probably held onto some aspects of pre-Odinic spirituality. As to whether or not this ties into what is known as "Norse witchcraft," I really don't know at this time. I suppose that there is the possibility or concurrent idea that this was tied to something unique to old Gothic culture and spirituality.


Parallels, interpretations, and speculation

The figure on the stone was first described by Sune Lindquist in 1955. He tried unsuccessfully to find connections with accounts in Old Icelandic sources, and he also compared the stone with the Snake Goddess from Crete. Lindquist found connections with the late Celtic Gundestrup cauldron, although he appears to have overlooked that the cauldron also shows a figure holding a snake.

Arrhenius and Holmquist (1960) also found a connection with late Celtic art suggesting that the stone depicted Daniel in the lions' den and compared it with a depiction on a purse lid from Sutton Hoo, although the stone in question does not show creatures with legs. Arwidsson (1963) also attributed the stone to late Celtic art and compared it with the figure holding a snake on the Gundestrup cauldron. In a later publication Arrhenius (1994) considered the figure not to be a witch but a male magician and she dated it to the Vendel era. Hauk (1983), who is a specialist on bracteates, suggested that the stone depicts Odin in the fetch of a woman, while Görman (1983) has proposed that the stone depicts the Celtic god Cernunnos.

It also has been connected to a nearby stone relief on a doorjamb at Väte Church on Gotland which shows a woman who suckles two dragons, but this was made five centuries later than the picture stone.


Snake symbolism

Snakes were popular as a motif on later picture stones which show snake pits, used as a painful means of execution; this form of punishment also is known through Norse sagas. Snakes are considered to have had an important symbolism during the passage from paganism to Germanic Christianity. They were frequently combined with images of deer, crustaceans, or supernatural beasts. The purpose may have been to protect the stones and to deter people who might destroy them.


See also

Hyrrokkin, a female jötunn in Norse mythology who uses snakes as reins



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3-2-16 ADDITION: I just wanted to add an interesting logo, featuring the Snake-Witch, from a concern called "Heathens and Pagans Against Censorship." Also noteworthy is that this logo---just as with the snake witch/triskellion standing stone---has both proto-European and Teutonic symbolism. However, as covered here before, the proto-Europeans used a different 5-pointed Vehmic rune.

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Notions amid the approaching Full Snow Moon IV

'Hunters Become Conservationists in the Fight to Protect the Snow Leopard'

A pioneering program recruits locals as rangers in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, where the elusive cat is battling for survival

By Matthew Shaer - Smithsonian Magazine - March 2016

To reach the Tien Shan mountains from the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, you head east until you hit the shores of a vast freshwater lake called Issyk Kul, and then you turn southeast, in the direction of the Chinese border—a drive of about ten hours, if the weather is good and the roads are clear. The week I made the trip, last winter, in the company of a snow leopard scientist named Tanya Rosen, it took considerably longer. There was rain in Bishkek, and snow on the plains. Every 20 miles or so, we slowed to allow young shepherd boys, stooped like old shepherd men, to drive their sheep from one side of the ice-slick road to the other. In the distance, the mountains loomed.

cont'd

Socrates quote for the ages

"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people." -- Socrates


First rate early 70's TV horror

'Night Gallery' (1970-73) was similar to 'The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits', except it was more truly "horror." I watched it in syndication as a child, and will always remember that sinister opening theme. It was narrated by Rod Sterling, and surprisingly only went to DVD in 2006.




"Night Gallery" TV Intro

The Rap Sheet

In 1971, Darrin McGavin starred as Carl Kolchak in a made-for-tv vampire movie entitled 'The Night Stalker', and it was truly spooky, suspenseful, and frightening. It was popular enough that in 1973, a sequel was made-for-tv entitled 'The Night Strangler', which was every bit as eerie. These two movies are still popular among die-hard horror fans. Also referenced among those two movies were other made-for-tv horror films from the 70s, such as 'The Norliss Tapes' (1973). I saw that one on YouTube recently, and it was about as good as the other two. Also, if  you look these movies up on the Internet Move Datebase, you can find the other titles, and you may find them on YouTube.

The Kolchak movies led to a very short-lived series called 'Kolchak: The Night Stalker' (1974). Although fighting a different famous monster every episode ensured a short run, I think the series paved the way for other similar series decades later. Had they used an "ongoing investigation" template, it may have worked much better. All three movies mentioned earlier are on YouTube in their entirety.

'The Night Stalker'

'The Night Strangler'

'The Norliss Tapes'


Nuuk, Greenland

Nuuk is the capitol and largest city in Greenland (pop. 16,5830). The following video gives a good idea of a drive through Nuuk. Remember, this is Greenland; just about the next thing to Antarctica.




Quick way to see Nuuk

MissDagmarMDalager


One timeless song that never gets old



The Doobie Brothers Listen to the Music
 
Welcome to Bart17112001's Channel!

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Notions amid the approaching Full Snow Moon III

Route 66 - The spiritual connection

U.S. Route 66, established in 1926, was the main auto route opening up the west from Chicago to L.A. It travels through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. As the hit song goes, "Get your kicks, on Route 66." Even though my family took a more northern route to northern California, I still see the highway as a historical symbol of this east-west trek. It was one of the reasons for the incredible growth of Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s, as opposed to the slower growth of the San Francisco area.

The 2,000 mile highway has been the backdrop to countless movies. The 1983 comedy 'Vacation' and the 1986 thriller 'The Hitcher' come to mind off the top of my head. Clearly its part of the psyche of the country, whether or not we're even conscious of it or not. It's not just about the highway as it is today, but imagine a family traveling across its vast rural stretches over the many decades. Traveling on a hot early evening during the summer, perhaps even prior to air conditioning, looking forward to the next road stop. Imagine life along the highway, in one of those towns, the endless motorists stopping in.

There were probably many people on the run, down on their luck, victimized somehow, or big dreamers who got on it to "just head west." The concept of freedom; "the promised land" just "a little further west." It wasn't enough to only go part way, but somehow they had to go all the way. Some probably should have stopped short, as they eventually ended up on skid row, or many dreamers ended up another tragedy. It's almost a little like "the crossroads." It's more than just a stretch of road. Just as in nature, it has a duality to it.



Route 66- John Mayer (with lyrics)

amjdamjd


A hidden gem by Patsy Cline



PATSY CLINE - In Care of the Blues (1957 Original)

verycoolsound


Who's hotter at The Weather Channel - Jen Carfagno or Maria LaRosa?

It's funny, this YouTuber is obsessed with the women on The Weather Channel.



Jen Carfagno and Maria LaRosa (both also have legs (15) wow! (HD))

Paul

Great segment(s) from "Weather Center Live" of Jen Carfagno & Maria LaRosa. (6/26/15)

The Hex Factory interviews

Recently, I've been downloading all types of podcasts and articles into my iPod for some very long and tedious work I've had to do. For text, I copy and paste it into FromTextToSpeech.com where I can make mp3's out of them; some even an hour or longer. With the "Alice" voice, it's just like a person reading them to you, and I did this with three text interviews so far from Hunter Yoder (TheHexFactory.com). They were great.

Jack Montgomery - A very interesting and unique current and historical American perspective, especially from the standpoint of German-speaking folk culture where it developed (Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Carolinas, etc.). Also, aspects of German neopagan influence under the surface.

Robert Taylor - A perspective from an artist and musician who's lived a very interesting life; and it gives an insight into one of many ways that one can reach their true calling in this modern non-congruent American culture.

Wyatt Kaldenberg - Great insights into the blunt reality of Odinism and American/world politics. I mean, I believe that he's correct in his conclusions.

Although I love books and text, I enjoy these interviews and long articles more just having them read to me like this. The spirit of the words really come through.


Kamchatka - A beautiful unknown northern land

It's amazing that Russia has so much open and underpopulated land, and sitting right above billions of people in Asia. The pristine Kamchatka Peninsula sits north of Japan and west of Alaska, and its landscape is much like Alaska. I was surprised to read that its people are overwhelmingly Russian (origin from Russia proper) and Ukrainian, with very few Siberian native types. The former Soviet Union tried to populate every corner of its massive landmass, and under Communism it's didn't work especially well, but they did it to a large extent. There are many photos and documentaries about Kamchatka's wilderness and wildlife, but the below video shows its capitol and largest city Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Although rather backwards currently, I still feel like the northern gods are present in this land.



Discovering Kamchatka

cucumax

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Notions amid the approaching Full Snow Moon II

Incredible promo photo from the 2009 movie 'Agora'

The film 'Agora' was about the life of the brilliant Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher Hypatia in 4th century BCE Roman-Egypt. Click here and blow up this wonderful computer generated image to its full extent and notice the realistic detail. It's something of a time machine, showing what 4th century Alexandria may have really looked like. Included is the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, which from all accounts, functioned just like any modern lighthouse. The great mystery being how the light and power was generated, since it was destroyed by earthquakes many centuries later. Actually the lighthouse was constructed after the time of Hypatia. Murdered by a Christian mob for heresy, Hypatia belongs right up there with Boudicca, Joan of Arc, or Queen Isabella as one of the greatest women in history.


Cucina Aurora - A neopagan enterprise

I always read where neopagans, right up to the present, are always poor. Well, perhaps that is changing a bit. With the Irminfolk in New York state minting their own currency, the Asatru Folk Assembly in northern California having recently purchased great building and property, and with a few business upstarts like the New Hampshire-based Cucina Aurora, true socio-economic communities may take some type of form. Presumably a person may go out of their way or pay a little more to patronize or support something they feel connected to.

Dawn Hunt ("the kitchen witch") is the owner, an Italian-American, and a great cook. I first heard of her when she was a guest on a podcast by Raven Grimassi and his wife, and it was a great interview. I don't know if she practices Stregheria or not, but she is a neopagan witch and active in that community.

Cucina Aurora website

Cucina Aurora YouTube



Introducing Cucina Aurora and Dawn the Kitchen Witch!

Cucina Aurora

A Kitchen Witch is any one who has ever said a prayer over a meal. She is any one who has ever thought of the smiling faces on her guests when they taste the dinner she has made. He is any one who has ever put love into a surprise dinner that he made for his sweetheart. The Kitchen Witch puts intention in the foods that she or he eats and shares with others. Meet Dawn Hunt "The Kitchen witch" of Cucina Aurora.

Having a long standing love for cooking, a passion for good food and joy for gathering friends around the dinner table, Dawn started Cucina Aurora in 2008. Her purpose is to bring families and friends together around simple, naturally delicious and good for you foods. Cucina Aurora’s products are centered on home, family and the nurturing of those things. Check out her products, recipes & cooking demos at cucinaaurora.com.


Stephen Hawking Claims Black Holes Are Gateway To Another Universe

According to a new theory from astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, humans can escape from the irresistible pull of a black hole by traversing the event horizon into another universe entirely. "The existence of alternative histories with black holes suggests this might be possible,” Hawking said at a Stockholm event.

"The hole would need to be large and if it was rotating it might have a passage to another universe. But you couldn’t come back to our universe. So although I’m keen on space flight, I’m not going to try that." Humans might also appear as a ghost image or an extraterrestrial hologram hovering on the edge of the super-dense abyss, Hawking said. The theoretical information might be preserved like a frame grab of their passage into another dimension or parallel universe.

"If you feel you are in a black hole, don’t give up," Hawking said. "There’s a way out."

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As I've said many times, the "Theism vs. Atheism" Hegelian dialectic blinders will soon be on its way out. Even a hardcore lifelong Atheist like Stephen Hawking is talking Metaphysical science. Far from being put out to pasture, Christians and Atheists will be jumping aboard and saying "I was with ya all along!"

DiscoverTheForest.org

Wikipedia is also a good source, with lists and webpages for nearby national, state, and county parks. There are also other areas that you can make note of, which may be be "forests" or even official parks, but contain smaller groves of trees and wooded trails which are just like forests.

A moment in time, a man in his element

Glen Campbell and the late Jerry Reed performing 'Southern Nights', and doing it just as good or better than a studio recording. This was probably from around 1990. Campbell is from Arkansas, and lived there his entire life I think. From his shirt, I'm guessing that this was in Arkansas somewhere, in perhaps late summer, along a lake, in a small setting, during a warm late afternoon. This would be one to go full screen. His perfect moment in time...

Jerry Reed and Glen Campbell - Southern Nights

santickles

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Notions amid the approaching Full Snow Moon I

A full moon on a "moon day"

This coming full snow moon falls on a Monday ("moon's day): Monday, February 22. However, it's something of a tweener in North America, as it will occur between Sunday and Monday nights. Here on the west coast, it will occur at 10:20 AM. I would lean towards Monday evening. To find your time, click here.

Krampus revisited

According to Wiccan blogger Aldora (KitchenWiccan.com), Krampus---the quasi-Christmas Devil, popularized this past Christmas due to a horror movie---did not originate from any Pagan tradition. 'The Krampus – has no Pagan Roots!' (12-8-15):

The Krampus, where did it come from? Where did it originate? I can tell you he’s very much alive in Austria & Croatia! Associated within the Germanic belief systems with St.Nikolaus, same origin of the North American Santa Claus. I haven’t been able to find any information attaching such a creature to Pagan roots.

I don't know that we could ever know for certain, since the early Christian church conflated many country legends and traditions with Christian beliefs... usually with "the Devil." They used to attach science with the Devil! I would guess that Krampus has origins in either local pagan tradition or folk legend.


Tarzan TV series 1966-1968

This year is the 50ith anniversary of the not-especially-memorable Tarzan TV series from the late 60s. I recall watching it from the very late 70s and early 80s, and it was wonderfully cheesy. Ron Ely (Tarzan) was in great shape, but he spoke and acted just like your neighbor three doors down the street. The scenery looked a whole lot more like southern California than tropical Africa. The innocent and vulnerable part of "art." Somewhat uniquely, it didn't feel like the 60s... but more like the 80s. The equivalent Batman series, comparatively from the same time period, was indeed very 60s.




1st U.S. sanctioned Satanic ritual

This is from last December in Lansing, Michigan. Although somewhat interesting to listen to, Satanist groups are vastly different; therefore who are the real "Satanists?" They range from quite benevolent to truly evil, from theist to atheist to merely a philosophy. In this way, they really aren't all that different than a couple of religions that I can think of. As I've covered here before, it all goes back to the ancient Sun cults versus Saturn cults... when Saturn was our second star. I believe in planetary-body equality myself.





Crazy Jesse Duplantis

When channel surfing along the Christian networks, the word "boring" comes to mind. However, there is one Cajun pastor in Louisiana who really breaks the mold. It's not "religious eccentricity" either. This guys a real character; more like a stand up comic.



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