In My opinion, it is still doubtful that Steve Jobs is aware of this development, but as of today, things may just change in our favor after all. HAIL SATAN. SO IT IS DONE.
Nearly 4,000 people have signed an online petition urging Manson to cancel his appearance Thursday at Mile High Stadium. "I think he promotes suicide, and with him promoting suicide, he encourages people to kill as many people as they can before committing suicide - very similar to what happened at Columbine," said Brian Rohrbough, whose son, Daniel, was killed. Manson's appearance has also drawn opposition from Gov. Bill Owens and an organization called Citizens for Peace and Respect. Jason Janz, a youth pastor who formed the organization about six weeks ago, said Manson's music promotes suicide, death, drug use, violence and hatred. "We're not saying he caused Columbine, but we're saying he legitimizes and encourages that kind of behavior," Janz said. Manson said that during his performance next week, he plans to balance songs with Bible stories of disease, murder, adultery, suicide and child sacrifice.
``Godzilla Meat,'' actually 3.5 ounces of corned beef from Tokyo toy maker Takara Co., is packaged with pictures of the stomping, fire-breathing, irradiated dinosaur made famous by Toho movies that started coming out in the 1950s.
The cans, slated to appear in Japanese stores in October, will sell for $4.75, Takara said.
There are no plans so far to export Godzilla Meat, according to Takara, the maker of the Transformers toys. Also planned for sale in Japan this fall are Godzilla Eggs, a can of about 15 quail eggs, and Rodan Meat, canned barbecued chicken named after the winged monster.
Takara also plans to sell King Ghidora Meat, but buyers will find the taste of the three-headed dragonlike creature suspiciously like Godzilla Meat _ it's the same corned beef inside.
Talisman \tal' is men\ (noun) : magical object: an object, for example, a stone or a jewel, believed to give magical powers to somebody who carries or wears it; something with magical powers: anything believed to have magical properties.
SYNONYMS: * amulet * periapt * Telesm * phylactery * fetich (also spelled fetish)
EXAMPLE SENTENCES: Before the Shaman gasped his last breath, he passed the talisman, which was an ordinary looking stone, to his best friend and swore it possessed magical powers.
Origins: [17th century] Talisman, one of the very few English nouns ending in -man which does not turn into -men in the plural (dragoman is another), denotes etymologically an "object consecrated by the completion of a religious ritual." It comes via French talisman from medieval Greek telesmon, an alteration of late Greek telesma "consecrated object." This is turn was derived from the verb telein "complete," hence "perform a ritual," hence "consecrate," which was based on telos "aim, result" (source of English teleology [18th century]).
VI/I\XXXVI
Wicked Words
scripturient \skrip tyur' i ent\ (adjective): having a passion for writing
epigamic: attracting the opposite sex during mating season.
V/XXXI\XXXVI
Wicked Words
entheomania \en" thee oe mae' ni a\ (noun): an abnormal state in which one thinks one is inspired, as in a messianic complex.
recalcitrant \ri kal' si trent\ (adjective): stubbornly resisting the authority or control of another; hard to do or handle; difficult to deal with or operate.
SYNONYMS: * unruly * refractory * obstinate * disobedient * ungovernable * indocile * headstrong.
ANTONYM: * obedient * conforming * controllable * obliging * compliant.
Origins: [19th century] People who are recalcitrant are etymologically "kicking back" against whatever restrains or upsets them. The word has borrowed from French recalcitrant, a descendant of the present participle of Latin recalcitrare meaning "kick back." This was a compound verb formed from the prefix re- "back, again" and calcitrare "kick," which in turn was derived from Latin calx "heel."
V/XXV\XXXVI
Tombstone Fatal To Child
A tombstone fell on a third-grader and killed him during a field trip to a cemetery. Nine-year-old James Wies appeared to have died of a skull fracture, said Richland County coroner's investigator Paul Jones. He said the boy jumped atop the 5-foot-tall tombstone and grabbed it when it toppled backward. "It was just a freak accident," Jones said. "With the injury he sustained, and with the way it landed on him, it was definitely fatal. No one could have done anything." Superintendent Mark Stock said the boy was on an annual field trip for third-graders to learn about historic sites in Butler, about 50 miles northeast of Columbus. He said most people buried in the cemetery had lived during the Revolutionary War.
V/XXIV\XXXVI
MARILYN MANSON
Controversial rocker Marilyn Manson compares himself to Jerry Falwell in an interview with Beliefnet.com. He told Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis that both he and Falwell are entertainers because they're paid to express opinions. Manson said "religion is entertainment" and admitted a fascination and admiration for religious leaders' "cunning and diabolical ways of manipulating the world." While discussing his recent trip to the Vatican, Manson described being "overwhelmed by the amount of gold that was used to create the building" considering the complaints about hunger, homelessness, and suffering in the world. Regarding the pope, he said he has a wax version of the pontiff's head on a shelf in his home. Manson also spoke candidly about why he got into music, saying, "I'm not simply out to shock people. I like to make people think." He added: "I got into it to say what was on my mind, and I'm fortunate enough that people are listening. And it amazes me sometimes how many people are listening."
(Web site: http://www.beliefnet.com)
Morgue Employee Snaps Naked Corpse
YORK, Pa. - In a chilling tale of inappropriate behavior a morgue employee of 22 years has been charged with taking his own photos of a young woman's naked corpse. Stewart Flaharty was arrested after pictures of the woman's breasts and genitals were discovered in his locker. The charge, of all things, is abuse of a corpse.
V/XXII\XXXVI
Promethean * \pruh-MEE-thee-un ("th" as in "think")\ * (adjective) : of, relating to, or resembling Prometheus, his experiences, or his art; especially : daringly original or creative
Example sentence: "Public response to the Wrights (and others who had achieved the Promethean feat of flight) was emotional and romantic." (Roger Bilstein, Air & Space, April/May 1995)
Origins: As the story goes in Greek mythology, Prometheus (one of the Titan giants) modeled humans from clay and then taught them agriculture and all the arts of civilization. He also stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. So inventive was he that anything that bears the stamp of creativity and originality can still be called "Promethean." Zeus, however, had wanted the human race to perish, so Prometheus' actions were also disobedient. Hence "Promethean" can also mean defiant of authority or limits. As punishment for his disobedience, Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock where an eagle daily tore at his liver. Thus, any suffering on a grand scale can also be called Promethean - though this sense is not as common as the others.
panjandrum \pan jan' drem\ (noun): self-important person of rank: somebody, especially an official, who is pompous or pretentious.
SYNONYMS: VIP; dignitary.
ANTONYM: commoner.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES: As a panjandrum, the celebrity anchorperson did not even think about whether the restaurant would be busy; he just assumed he would receive one of the best tables because of his stature.
Origins: [18th century] Panjandrum is an invented word, coined in 1755 by the English actor and playwright Samuel Foote (1720-77) to test the memory of the actor Charles Macklin, who claimed to be able to memorize and repeat anything said to him (it was one of several inventions in the same vein that Foote put to him: "And there were present the Picninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the Grand Panjandrum himself, with the little round button at top"). It does not seem to have been taken up as a general comical term for a "pompous high-ranking person" until the 19th century.
subintelligitur \sub" in tel ij' i ter\ (noun): a meaning implied but not stated.
2) lexiphanic \leks i fan' ik\ (adjective): using pretentious language.
3) charientism \kar' i en tiz" em\ (noun): a gracefully veiled insult
V/XX\XXXVI
PLAYWRIGHT AND EXORCIST ACTOR JASON MILLER DIES AT 62
MAY 13, 2001 - Playwright Jason Miller, whose play "That
Championship Season" won a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize
as the best play of 1973, died of a heart attack at his home
in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He was 62. Miller also appeared
as Father Karras in the film "The Exorcist," for which he
was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor.
At the time of his death he was preparing to play Oscar
Madison in Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple" at the Scranton
Public Theater, where he was artistic director.
ENTERTAINER PERRY COMO LOSES BATTLE AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S
MAY 12, 2001 - Singer Perry Como, famous for his Christmas
television specials and cardigan sweaters, died at his home
in Jupiter Inlet Beach Colony, Florida after suffering from
Alzheimer's disease for about two years. He was going to be
89 the following week. Como left the barber shop he worked
at in the steel town of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania to sing
with big bands in the 1930s. His songs were a mainstay of
radio and jukeboxes in the late 1940s and his music remained
popular in recent years on easy-listening radio. Como answer-
ed the call of Hollywood in 1944 and under a seven year con-
tract with Twentieth-Century Fox made four films: "Something
for the Boys," "Doll Face," "If I'm Lucky" and "Words and
Music." However, he said he found film work boring and was
able to gain an early release from his contract to start
working on television. From 1930 on, he alternated his popu-
lar show between NBC and CBS, first hosting a weekly TV
variety show and then, beginning in 1963, occasional TV spec-
ials. Como was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in
January 1990.
{I was saddened to hear of Como's death, as I have been a fan for as long as I can remember. Even though I do not personally celebrate xmas, his voice was the first one I thought of when I ponder the winter holiday season. There is an enchanting quality to it that remains quite magical, & as far as I Am concerned, shall remain eternal. So every time I Am in the mood to hear those evocative tunes, I shall perform a bit of musical necromancy by placing a Perry Como record on the turntable, subtle scratches & all, & enter that dimension of Yuletide perpetual at any time of the year. ~ DB.}
NOVELIST DOUGLAS ADAMS DIES AT 49
MAY 11, 2001 - Novelist Douglas Adams, whose science-fiction
comedy "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" drew millions
of fans and spawned a mini-industry, died of a heart attack.
He was 49. 'The Hitchhiker's Guide,' which began as a British
Broadcasting Corp. radio series in 1978, is a satirical piece
about a group of interplanetary travelers that opens with the
Earth being destroyed to make way for an intergalactic high-
way. It was turned into a book, which sold 14 million copies
around the world, and later into a television series. The book
was followed by several sequels, including "The Restaurant at
the End of the Universe," "Life, the Universe and Everything"
and "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish." He also founded
a multi-media company, Digital Village, which produced the
Starship Titanic computer game and an online travel guide
inspired by 'The Hitchhiker's Guide.'
V/XVIII\XXXVI
Marilyn Manson protested in Colo.
DENVER (AP) - Gov. Bill Owens and a Colorado congressman have joined families of Columbine victims and churches in urging shock rocker Marilyn Manson to cancel a Denver appearance. Spokesmen for Owens and Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo said Tuesday if Manson performs, they'll support Citizens for Peace and Respect in discouraging attendance at the heavy metal Ozzfest concert June 21 at Mile High Stadium. Students quoted immediately after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre said Manson's music influenced gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, but people who knew the teens denied they listened to the music. High school seniors Harris and Klebold fatally shot a teacher and 12 students and wounded 23 others before killing themselves on April 20, 1999, in the nation's deadliest school shooting. Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, canceled a Denver-area concert after the shootings and has not performed in the area since.
Great Art!
In February, an exhibition opened in Berlin, featuring about 200 unatrophied body parts and skinless corpses, dismembered in various designs and gaudily displayed with super-preservatives to highlight what developer Gunther von Hagens says is every last sinew, cell and vein, and to show "the beautiful interior of the body." Among the most startling pieces from this "Body Worlds" "plastination"-process exhibit: a five-months-pregnant woman whose cross-sectioned abdomen reveals a curled-up fetus and dark, smoker's lungs. [Guardian Weekly, 2-22-01; Associated Press, 2-9-01]
Cincinnati photographer Thomas Condon, 29, was indicted in February (along with a deputy coroner) on corpse-abuse charges following the revelation by a film-processing firm that Condon had photographed morgue corpses oddly posed and holding such things as a syringe, sheet music
and an apple. Said a man familiar with Condon's art, "(This work) is insensitive to the family members (b)ut from an art perspective, there is precedent for it." [Cincinnati Enquirer,
1-16-01; Associated Press, 2-12-01]
In 1897: A public reading of Bram Stoker's new novel, "Dracula, or, The Un-dead," was staged in London.
Wicked Words
1) nepimnemic \nep im nee' mik\ (adjective): childhood memory retained in the subconscious.
2) hebetic \hee bet' ik\ (adjective): happening at puberty.
3) sitophobia \sie toe foe' bi a\ (noun): fear of eating.
4) chirospasm \kie' roe spaz" em\ (noun): writer's cramp.
5) horaphthia \hor af' thi a\ (noun): neurotic preoccupation with one's youth.
6) rectopathic \rek toe path' ik\ (adjective): easily hurt emotionally.
GROUND ZERO: WILL HITLER GET A BREAKFAST CEREAL? WHY NOT? DRACULA GETS
A
THEME PARK!
I received an e-mail from a colleague of mine, Rick Emerson. The
Subject
was
“Clyde Didn’t you say that in 500 years Hitler may get a breakfast
Cereal?
I smiled and remembered that in a past Ground Zero article about Count
Dracula I speculated that The vampire has been reduced to a cartoon,
(as
in Count Von Count of Sesame Street, or Count Chocula of the breakfast
cereal) and That perhaps Hitler would be eventually defanged and
perhaps
have his own breakfast cereal.
In fact the exact passage taken from the Ground Zero Article “Blurred
Bloodlines” says:
“Sesame Street has the Count who loves to count things. There is a
breakfast cereal called Count Chocula. There are animated series
devoted
to Vampires as well. Buffy the Vampire slayer and Forever Knight are
television series devoted to vampirism. Moreover they are merely
symbols
of Vampirism and not based on the original legend of Vampires.
We find ourselves ever closer to the nightmare. We know that the
Vampire
is evil but we are under its spell. We are seeing ourselves being lured
towards its image knowing full well that it represents all that is
profane. The Vampire was seen anciently as a harbinger of trouble and
now
it seems to be nothing to fear. With our embracing of the Vampire the
Devil seems a bit more approachable.
It makes one ponder the possibility that someone as evil as Adolph
Hitler
could very well be watered down with time. That perhaps he will have
his
own breakfast cereal with marshmallow swastikas floating in the milk?
It
is a sick thought but look at how hundreds of years have reduced Count
Dracula to a tragic misunderstood figure. Look how easy it is to
glamorize
vampires in Ray ban Sunglasses commercials.”
Back then I was told it was an overreaction and now you must consider
the
latest stories from Transylvania. Lucian Filip of Salon.com writes that
Count Dracula will be getting his own theme park. I mean who cares
that
when he was known as Vlad the impaler he impaled his enemies on stakes.
It
doesn’t matter that he drank the blood of his adversaries and made
furniture out of their bones. He gets a theme park!
In a three-day conference, academics from six countries gathered in
Sighisoara, Romania -- birthplace of Vlad the Impaler -- for historical
discussion of the infamous prince, topped off by lunch at his childhood
home. Residents are hoping the conference is a good omen in efforts to
have their city become home for a Dracula theme park.
Many Romanians consider Prince Vlad a national hero for his heroic
battles
against the Ottoman Empire and his intolerance of corruption.
But Vlad only gained world fame after publication of "Dracula" in 1897
by
English novelist Bram Stoker. The book changed the image of the
Romanian
nobleman from warrior prince to the spooky bloodsucking count that
inspired dozens of plays and movies, starring the likes of Bela Lugosi
and
Klaus Kinski.
The Dracula theme park is endorsed and partly sponsored by the
government,
and could revitalize a community suffering from mass layoffs as
unprofitable state industries close.
A Dracula Land park would mean jobs, business and tourist money for the
area.
The tourism ministry has made the park a top priority, and negotiations
are underway with foreign companies and investors. But the tentative
location is being kept confidential -- the government does not want to
spur speculation in the real estate market until the deal is sealed.
A Dracula Land would have been impossible a little more than a decade
ago
under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, himself nicknamed
"Vampirescu"
by Romanians for economic policies that sucked the country dry during
25
years of rule.
But these days, Dracula tourists visiting the country buy T-shirts,
postcards, paintings and ceramic figures worth hundreds of thousands of
dollars annually. Every dollar is important for Romania, which remains
one
of Europe's poorest countries as it struggles to recover from the
ruinous
communist era. The average monthly salary is less than $100.
Last year, a conference in the Transylvanian town of Poiana Brasov
brought
together buffs of the bloodsucker for discussions ranging from Dracula
on
the Web to lectures on the count as a cult film figure.
That event included a masked ball in Castle Dracula in Transylvania's
Borgo Pass and a visit to Vlad's tomb. Participants paid $468 to $824
per
person for a tour that included the events. –Salon.com
So I wish that I could be around in 500 years to see the Hitler theme
park. What should we call it? Uh.. “Father Land” or “Putsch Gardens?”
am also trade marking names for the delicious cereal “Nazi-os” or
“Reich
Krispies” It is an eerie thought. The laughter sometimes overtakes the
chill of the possibility.
V/XVII\XXXVI
GROUND ZERO: CLONING DRACULA? MAYBE HE AND THE CLONED JESUS CAN DUKE IT
OUT ON CELEBRITY DEATH MATCH
A group of US businessmen have announced plans to clone Dracula by
digging
up the body of Vlad the Impaler who inspired Bram Stoker's original
novel.
The decision comes after medical reports claimed that vampirism is a
real
condition that could have been treated by modern medicine.
Vlad, a prince of Wallachia in the 15th century, is buried at a
monastery
on the island of Snagov on a lake close to Bucharest.
The unnamed businessmen are due to visit Romania next month, according
to
the Romanian daily Libertatea, where they will finalise their plans.
The newspaper also claims that the group has already approached the
Scottish research centre at Roslin, where Dolly the cloned sheep was
produced, to find out whether cloning the count is possible.
Vlad, who was known as Dracula because of his father's membership of a
Hungarian knightly order, became infamous for spiking Turkish prisoners
of
war on stakes.
The businessmen say the cloning plan will solve once and for all the
mystery of Dracula.
Canadian scientist David Dolphin from the University of British
Columbia
in Canada says his research indicates a rare metabolic illness was the
cause of the vampire legends.
He said vampires were probably suffering from Porphyria, a condition
which
stops sufferers producing hemoglobin which gives blood its color.
Even today there is no cure for the rare disease - although Dr Dolphin
points out that in the middle ages when the vampire myth took off
things
were much worse.
Read The Ground Zero Article Blurred Bloodlines
GROUND ZERO: THE EVIL CONCEPT OF CONSENSUS MORALITY
During a symposium at the American Psychiatric Association convention,
Dr.
Michael Welner, a forensic psychiatrist, asked more than 120
psychiatrists
to help create a depravity scale which could be used by the courts to
judge criminals.
Every day, judges ask juries to decide whether crimes are heinous,
atrocious, cruel, outrageous, wanton, vile or inhuman - aggravating
factors which can increase sentences and even lead to the death penalty
in
some states.
But there are no universal standards to define such terms, Welner told
the
overflow audience. The interpretations often depend on judges' and
jurors'
emotions and biases, and politics or media attention can influence
whether
a prosecutor asks for execution, he said.
In his effort to create a scale to measure depravity in defendants,
Welner, who has testified as both a prosecution and defense witness,
created a list of 26 indications of intent, actions and attitudes which
could be used to rate crimes.
Among the intents are whether the person meant to cause emotional
trauma,
cause permanent disfigurement, or terrorize or target the helpless.
Actions include whether an attack was unrelenting or the attacker
prolonged the victim's suffering. Attitudes include blaming the victim,
having disrespect for the victim or taking satisfaction in the crime.
Welner is asking judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, psychiatrists
and
theologians to go to his Web site and rate each indicator for whether
they
believe it is especially, somewhat or not at all representative of
depravity.
The object is to find indicators, which all or most experts agree on, a
``consensus morality’’, which could be used in court.
Is this what Orwell was talking about in the book 1984 when he spoke of
thought Crime or thought Police? We already have hate crimes. Now, it
seems we won’t stop there. We are now evaluating the “evil quotient” or
EQ.
Is this like St. Augustine claiming that man is inherently evil? There
is
something that troubles me about having a consensus morality. Could it
turn into the State Morality?
This literally fuels my paranoia. Evil acts would be scaled and
measured.
If not the acts perhaps the Evil thoughts? Then after that is over, we
can
proceed to the Pavlovian mental brainwashing.
This can be similar to the theme displayed in the movie “A Clockwork
Orange” which is a metaphor for the mechanical human.
What exactly is Evil. Who can define Evil? We have placed evil the
realm
of semantics. So who will we apply the evil scale to?
Can we apply it to war criminals? Those who lead us? Those who kill and
destroy in the name of their cause?
V/XV\XXXVI
Stuffing Her Bra Has Whole New Meaning
BEVERLY HILLS, California - You've heard of the Wonderbra, the Miracle Bra, and even the Water Bra , but now comes an undergarment that will stop them cold: the SuperBra. The $30 design is available in black or white, and its unique feature is a holster for a .38 caliber snub-nose revolver. The inventor, Paxton Quigley, said, "Women like the idea of comfort and its ease of access...If a woman is attacked, the purse is the first thing taken from her. A good place to conceal a weapon is in the chest area."
V/XIV\XXXVI
Marilyn Manson plans to quote Bible
DENVER (AP) - Shock rocker Marilyn Manson will pepper his show with Bible verses, rather than stay away from Colorado as religious groups had hoped. "This way, fans will not only hear my so-called 'violent' point of view, but we can also examine the virtues of wonderful 'Christian' stories of disease, murder, adultery, suicide and child sacrifice," he said in a statement posted Thursday on his Web site. "Now that seems like 'entertainment' to me." The church-affiliated group Citizens for Peace and Respect has asked Manson to cancel his June 21 appearance in Denver as part of the Ozzfest tour. The group includes teens and victims' families of the Columbine High School shootings, who say Manson's music glorifies hate and violence. Citizens for Peace and Respect has planned meetings, rallies and a protest in the weeks before the show. Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, has not performed in Denver for two years. He canceled a Red Rocks Amphitheater concert scheduled a few days after the April 20, 1999, Columbine High School shootings after reports surfaced that shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were fans. {Which, by their own admission, they were not.}
Wicked Word
sacrilegious * \sak-ruh-LIH-juss or sak-ruh-LEE-juss\ * (adjective) 1 : of, relating to, or being a violation of something consecrated to God *2 : of, relating to, or being gross irreverence towards a hallowed person, place, or thing.
Example sentence: My great grandfather was a die-hard New Dealer who considered any criticism of Franklin D. Roosevelt to be sacrilegious.
Origins:It may seem that "sacrilegious" should be spelled as "sacreligious," since the word sometimes describes an irreverent treatment of religious objects or places. However, "sacrilegious" comes to us from "sacrilege," which is ultimately derived from a combination of the Latin words "sacer" ("sacred") and "legere" ("to gather, steal"). Its antecedent in Latin, "sacrilegus," meant "one who steals sacred things." There is no relation to "religious" (which is derived from the Latin "religiosus," itself from "religio," meaning "supernatural constraint or religious practice"). The apparent resemblance between "sacrilegious" and "religious" is just coincidental.
V/IX\XXXVI
Harry Potter Goes to Analysis
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY - Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ A roomful of psychiatrists analyzed Harry Potter and concluded the boy wizard is wonderful.
The orphaned hero of four best-selling children's novels makes mistakes but comes through in the end. He not only survived an abusive childhood in the home of hateful relatives, but came out with hope and the ability to love intact.
``He is adventuresome, tolerant of a lot of negativism directed his way, yet is not aggressive, arrogant or clinically depressed,'' said Dr. Leah J. Dickstein, a psychiatrist and former elementary school teacher.
Dickstein chaired a symposium Monday dedicated to Harry Potter - one of more than 1,000 sessions underway as part of the American Psychiatric Association's four-day annual meeting. This one looked at why Harry Potter is so wildly popular. Panel members noted that not only are the Potter books _ written by Scottish author J.K. Rowling _ great fun, but they also can help both young readers and psychiatrists.
Dr. Elissa P. Benedek, a forensic and child psychiatrist, said she regularly asks patients and their parents what TV shows and videos they watch and what books they read.
``Now I ask if they read Harry Potter. Who do they like? Who do they not like? What are their favorite scenes?''
It helps establish rapport and gives her an idea of what the children think and feel, she said.
One thing is consistent, Benedek said. None of her young patients _ not even those who idolize the rapper Eminem and quote his violent lyrics _ identifies with the character of Harry's archenemy Voldemort, a dark wizard driven by his lust for power into a life of evil.
``And I see some pretty bad kids,'' Benedek said.
The books are ``not merely escapes but tools for children and adults to work through their daily struggles,'' said Dr. Daniel P. Dickstein, a pediatrician and resident in child psychology.
Almost everyone in the audience of about 100 psychiatrists, psychiatry students and their spouses said they'd read at least one of the Potter books. Three-quarters had read all four.
In an interview before the session, Dr. Earle Biassey of Fairfield, Conn., said he had only read bits of the books.
Biassey, who treats mainly adult patients, said he has worked with some children who've became obsessed with Harry Potter and take the books as proof that they don't have to obey adults.
``They think more in terms of how powerful they can be and get more control than anybody else,'' he said, adding one 10-year-old became so violent her parents called the police. ``She was ready to take on the police department.''
He said the girl has become less combative since Nancy Drew replaced Harry Potter in her bookshelves.
Afterward, Biassey said the discussion made him ``rethink a lot of things.'' He was most impressed by discussion of how parents can use the books to connect with their children and talk about ethics and values.
``It's grist for the mill. That's what I'm here for,'' he said.
Genitortureres to play Fetish Ball
GX Newsletter: "Gen will be appearing live on stage at this years annual FETISH BALL EXTRAVAGANZA in HOLLYWOOD, Ca. The event is one of the world's largest and most talked about alternative performance & fashion gatherings! This years event will be hosted by Joseph Brooks at the Hollywood Athletic Center June 30th, 2001. This years event will feature the CLUB MAKEUP band with a host of Celebrity guest stars!"
V/VIII\XXXVI
Marilyn Manson asked to cancel show
DENVER (AP) _ Shock rocker Marilyn Manson, who some students said was an influence on Columbine High School killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, has been asked to cancel a Denver appearance this summer.
The church-affiliated group Citizens for Peace and Respect says Manson promotes violence, hate and drugs, and should not spread his message in Denver.
``We as a society seem to have grown numb to evil. There's a throwing up of our hands in exasperation, a feeling that we can't do anything to fight it,'' said South Sheridan Baptist Church youth pastor Jason Janz, the group's founder.
Manson is set to appear in an Ozzfest tour stop in Denver on June 21. He initially pulled out of the Denver show because of a scheduling conflict, but later reversed the move.
Some students quoted immediately after the April 1999 Columbine shootings speculated that Klebold and Harris were influenced by Manson's music. The two high school seniors killed 13 people and wounded about two dozen more before taking their own lives.
Manson canceled a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater after the shootings, and he has not performed in the area since. He also
issued a statement afterward, expressing sympathy for the victims.
[ Note: It is known by this time that Klebold & Harris disliked MM's music, opting for KMFDM, NIN, & Ramms+ein instead. This aside, despite what the xoids may want, Reverend Manson will perform where he wishes to. ~ DB. ]
V/VII\XXXVI
Adam Parfrey on Ground Zero
Ground Zero with Host Clyde Lewis presented a three hour long form Broadcast of the Oklahoma City Bombing review with guest Adam Parfrey of Feral House publishing. Parfrey raised questions about the true story of what really happened at the Alfred Murrah building on April 19th, 1995.
Clyde Lewis said that he believes that the death of McVeigh would not
only
silence a murderer but also a witness who may know more about an even
bigger conspiracy. Clyde believes that Mcveigh will be a martyr in some
people’s eyes, and he also believes that McVeigh knows more about the
bombing and that he did not act alone.
During the program a late breaking story came from the associated
press.
Stephen Jones, who led the defense team for Timothy McVeigh, says he believes there were between six and eight people involved in the Oklahoma City bombing. Jones says he believes McVeigh, who will be executed later this month, was a member of a terrorist group, but Jones doesn't think the truth ''will ever come out.''
Stephen Jones tells The Associated Press that when McVeigh is executed
later this month, the identities of his co-conspirators will die with him.
Jones led the defense team when McVeigh was convicted and sentenced to
death. Jones says ''the evidence is clear that he was a member of a
conspiracy.''
And Jones, who hasn't spoken to McVeigh in three years, wonders whether
the May 16th execution ''elevates him to martyrdom.''
He says he believes McVeigh is more interested in being an inspiration to others who share his anti-government views.
The April 19th, 1995, bombing killed 168 people and injured more than 500 others.
Clyde commented that the timing of the show couldn’t be more congruent
since listeners to the show expressed their concerns about the
execution of McVeigh and what it means for Americans
V/V\XXXVI
Grandma & The Cyberchild
Jennifer Smith had many regrets, but one of the things she regretted most was that her grandmother passed away before she got a chance to hear more of the old girl's stories about her life and times, the family history, secret recipes, etc. In this information age, the thought of all that "vital knowledge" being shoved under six feet of dirt alongside granny's carcass was almost too much for poor Jennifer to handle. So, in order to assuage her guilt at having been an unattentive grand-daughter, Jennifer did the only thing she could think of... she invented a computerized rocking chair capable of carrying on and recording entire conversations with the otherwise abandoned elderly! The key component to this bizarre creation is the video screen upon which a life-size, interactive image of a little girl appears. This cyberchild prods the rocking elders into telling the stories of their lives, which are then recorded and saved. Adding a touch of familiarity to this bizarre invention is the fact that the "little girl" reacts with all the gestures and vocalizations one would expect from a normal child carrying on a conversation, and her behavior is regulated by the modulations in the elderly subject's rocking speed and force.
Wicked Word
abyssal * \uh-BISS-ul\ * (adjective) - 1 : impossible to comprehend : unfathomable / 2 : of or relating to the bottom waters of the ocean depths
Example sentence: "Some folks like great heights, others the solid ground, and still others the abyssal depths of the seas." (Gregory McNamee, Outside, March 1993)
Origins: "Abyssal" is a relatively infrequently used word, though it's derived from the more prevalent noun, "abyss." In contrast, the adjective "abysmal" is more common than its corresponding noun "abysm." All four terms descend from the Late Latin word "abyssus," which is in turn derived from the Greek "abyssos" ("bottomless"). "Abyss" and "abysm" are synonymous (both can refer to the mythical bottomless pit in old accounts of the universe or can be used more broadly in reference to any immeasurably deep gulf), but the adjectives "abyssal" and "abysmal" are not used identically. "Abyssal" can mean "incomprehensible," but it's most often found in contexts referring to the bottom of the sea. "Abysmal" shares the oceanographic sense with "abyssal," but it more frequently means "immeasurably deep" or "absolutely wretched."
V/IV\XXXVI
Germany to return golden coffin
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - A museum in Germany will return an ancient, golden coffin stolen from Egypt 70 years ago, the visiting prime minister of the German State of Bavaria said Thursday. Edmund Stoiber said the coffin, which dates back to King Tutankhamun's era 3,300 years ago, will be returned to the Egyptian Museum from where it disappeared in 1931. He said the museum in Munich, which received the coffin from a Swiss collector in 1980, will not ask that Egypt reimburse it for the $91,000 spent on restoring the coffin.
The head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Gaballah Ali Gaballah, welcomed the move and urged other world museums holding Egypt's ancient antiquities to return them. Gaballah told The Associated Press the coffin will be reunited with its golden lid on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Before its return, the coffin will be seen at this year's exhibition in Munich along with other ancient Egyptian pieces from Tut's era on loan from a Berlin museum and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Stoiber did not give an exact date for the coffin's return.
V/II\XXXVI
Pope John XXIII's body on display
Christian Death-Cult Activities: VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican said Monday that it will put the body of Pope John XXIII on display in St. Peter's Square on June 3, the 38th anniversary of his death. June 3 is also Pentecost, a Roman Catholic holy day. The Vatican said the body, encased in a bronze and glass coffin, will be on display for the faithful to venerate. John, who died in 1963, is one of the most beloved pontiffs of modern times. He was beatified last year and is widely expected to go on to sainthood. The decision to put his body on display is a clear sign of the Vatican's enthusiasm for his eventual sainthood. A number of dead popes can be viewed on the lower levels of St. Peter's Basilica, but it is unusual for one to go on display in the square. Vatican officials recently examined John's body and reportedly found it was in a good state of preservation.
[Dispatcher] 911. What's your emergency?
[Caller] I’m scared.
[Dispatcher] What’s the problem?
[Caller] I just got a Ouija board for my birthday and now there’s writing on my wall and I can’t get it off....This thing is going back to Kmart first thing in the morning!
IV/XXVII\XXXVI
Group Pin-Up Show
Friday, May 18th, 2001 7:00 - 11:00pm
Features 15 established artists such as: Dorian Cleavenger, Julie Strain, Jon Hul, Robert Rhett, Walter Girotto, Alex Posada, Drew Posada, Michael Mobius, Carlos Cartegena, Jim Silke, Leo Jensen, Ricky Carralero, and Dave Nestler.
Call 310-205-0555 for more details.
Tamara Bane Gallery located at 834 North La Brea Avenue Los Angeles, California, 90038.
Wicked Words
1) enosiophobia \en o" si o fo' bi a\ (noun): fear of having committed an "unpardonable sin."
2) yarmouth \yor' meth\ (adjective): insane (slang)
IV/XXIV\XXXVI
Spider Eyes
How do hunting spiders find their way home? Some kinds of spiders use the polarized light of the sky as a compass to find their way back to their nests. These spiders, who are active hunters at dusk and dawn, sense the light's polarization with a pair of special eyes.
The two direction-finding eyes are on the top of the spider's head, right behind its primary image-forming eyes, which are much larger. Each iridescent blue directional eye has a V-shaped crystal that only allows light through that is polarized in a particular direction. The two eyes have crystals whose polarizations are at right angles to each other. Because of their special construction, they can't form images.
In a study, spiders whose directional eyes were covered had trouble finding their way back to their nests. Since the sky's polarization is greatest right around dawn and sunset, it makes sense that these twilight-active hunting spiders would use polarized light as a directional clue.
In February, Robert Valle, 58, a Catholic parishioner at the St. Thomas the Apostle Church, filed a lawsuit against the Joliet (Ill.) Diocese because the namesake statue in front of the church fell over on him while he was doing volunteer repair work on it in 1999; St. Thomas the Apostle is the patron saint of builders and construction workers.
Wicked Words
1) gyneolatry \gi" nee ol' e tree\ (noun): worship of women.
2) blabagogy \blab' e go" jee\ (noun): criminal environment.
3) theurgy \the' ur jee\ (noun): alleged supernatural intervention in earthly affairs.
IV/XIV\XXXVI
Magnetic Moon
What is the only magnetic moon in the Solar System? The largest planetary satellite in the Solar System is also the only moon known to have a substantial magnetic field. When the Galileo spacecraft first approached Jupiter's moon Ganymede, it recorded bursts of radio noise and magnetism that revealed a teardrop-shaped magnetosphere, just like Jupiter's.
Ganymede's magnetic field is embedded in the much vaster magnetic field of Jupiter, which in turn is embedded in the enormous magnetic bubble carved by the Sun from the galactic field. Earth's magnetic field is embedded in the same bubble.
It is not clear how Ganymede can generate a magnetic field. To do so, it must contain an inner core or layer that conducts electricity. Is its core made of metal? Is there a layer of salty water above the core? Future exploratory missions may help settle the mystery.
Fresh Rain Smell
What causes the smell of new rain on dry ground? It's been a warm, dry day but now the rain begins. As the first drops wet the ground, there is a sharp, fresh smell with a peculiar, almost metallic tang. It only lasts a few minutes, until the ground is fully wet. It is especially strong near sun-warmed pavement.
The smell is caused by the spores of a kind of filamentous bacteria called Actinomycetes that grow in warm, moist soil. When the weather dries out, these bacteria release vast numbers of extremely small spores that blow around, landing on everything.
When the rain hits the dry soil or pavement, the spores are kicked into the air along with tiny bits of soil. For just a few minutes (until the rain washes them out of the air) we can smell these pungent particles as they land in our olfactory sinuses.
More on bacteria.
Wicked Words
bellicose [adj. BELL-ih-kohss]: Bellicose means warlike or inclined to fight. Near synonyms include pugnacious, combative, aggressive, hostile, quarrelsome, and contentious.
The word is thought to be a borrowing from the Italian bellicoso (1363), from the Latin bellicosus, from bellicus (of war), from bellum (war). Bellum is also the root word of today's English words rebel (a person who rises in arms against another) and belligerent (aggressive, apt to fight or wage war).
avocation \av' o ka' shen\ (noun): an activity taken up in addition to one's regular work
or profession, usually for enjoyment; a hobby; one's regular work or profession;a distraction or diversion.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES: One of Julia Roberts's avocations is knitting; The sarcastic talk show host asked if the star was dating anyone, slyly adding, "and I don't mean as an avocation."; While Cindy grew up, her mom's avocations always included cross-stitching and reading.
Origins: Early 17th century Latin avocatio, avocation mean-
ing "diversion" from avocatus, past participle of avocare,
meaning "to call away:" a-, ab- "away" ab + vocare "to call"
1) gulosity \gu los' i tee\ (noun): enormous appetite; greediness.
2) enchiridion \en kir id' i en\ (noun): a manual or handbook.
IV/VI\XXXVI
Natural Gas Chamber
A man got "gassed up," and died due to a terrible diet and a
room with no ventilation. His diet reportedly had consisted
primarily of beans and cabbage, which apparently is why a
large amount of methane gas was found in his system. It app-
ears that the man died in his sleep from breathing from the
poisonous cloud that was hanging over his bed. Medical off-
icials say had he been outside or had his windows been opened, it wouldn't have been fatal. However, it was said he had been
shut up in his near airtight bedroom, and was know to have a
"huge capacity to create this 'deadly' gas." Three of the
rescuers reportedly got sick from being in the deadly "gas
chamber" and one was hospitalized.
Wicked Word
semasiology \sem a" si ol' e jee\ (noun): semantics.
IV/V\XXXVI
CHINA: TOMB SWEEPING DAY
Also known as the Qing Ming ("Clear and Bright") Festival or as Remembrance Day of the Dead, this festival honors the dead in China. Families go to cemeteries to maintain the ancestral graves and present food, wine, and flowers. Paper money is burned at the graves to provide ancestors with funds in the afterworld. A day for family outings, many people picnic while reaffirming their filial piety.
IV/IV\XXXVI
Wicked Words
quixotic [adj. kwik-SAH-tik]: To understand the word quixotic, it helps to know who Don Quixote was. Cervantes created this fictional character in the 1600s. His novel Don Quixote of La Mancha was published in two parts in 1605 and 1615.
Don Quixote was a romantic old gentleman who believed himself to be a knight. He was prone to flights of fancy and is best-known for loving a scullery maid as his Lady Dulcinea and for charging with his lance at windmills that he thought were giants.
Since the 19th century, to be quixotic has meant to be like this famous literary character: extravagantly chivalrous, romantic, or idealistic. Or it can mean capricious, impulsive, and deluded. A quixotic pursuit is generally a bold and romantic one, but also unrealistic.
Translations and illustrations of the book
1) glossolalia \gloss o la' li a\ (noun): nonsensical talk, gibberish.
2) cogitabund \ko' ji ta bund"\ (adjective): meditative.
3) taphephobia \taf e fo' bi a\ (noun): fear of being buried alive; fear of cemeteries.
IV/III\XXXVI
Melanoma, anyone?
Two women were selling Human Meat outside a butcher's shop in the capital, Chisinau Moldava. They allegedly obtained the Human flesh from a cancer clinic. The women were later arrested for selling meat illegally. Police said they did not want to make an official statement on the arrest of the women because they did not want to create public revulsion and panic.
Wicked Word
presentiment * \prih-ZENT-uh-mint\ * (noun): a feeling that something will or is about to happen : premonition
Example sentence: Beth had a presentiment that something out of the ordinary was going to happen, and sure enough, she soon got a phone call from her long lost brother.
Origins: "Do you ever have presentiments, Mr. Flintwich?' 'I am not sure that I know what you mean by the term, sir,' replied that gentleman. 'Say, in this case, Mr. Flintwich, undefined anticipations of pleasure to come.' 'I can't say I'm sensible of such a sensation at present,' returned Mr. Flintwich, with the utmost gravity." Nothing sensational said here, perhaps, but Mr. Flintwich shows a sensitivity to words that share with "presentiment" (with its added prefix "pre-," meaning "before") the underlying sense "to feel" and its origin from the Latin verb "sentire." He uses two of these words, and we've added three more. The quote is from Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit, and the words are "sensible," "sensation," "sensational," "sensitivity," and "sense."
IV/I\XXXVI
1924: Hitler Sentenced
Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler was sentenced to the Landsberg Prison for high treason for his abortive 1923 "Beer Hall Putsch" that sought to overthrow the German government. During his stay in prison, Hitler wrote his best-known text, "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle).
INTERNATIONAL: APRIL FOOL'S DAY
April Fool's Day seems to have begun in France in the 1560s. April 1 used to be New Year's Day but then a newcalendar was introduced changing the date to January 1. People who didn't change the date and celebrated on the old day were called "April Fools." It became common to pay tricks on them. Today in France, schoolchildren fool their friendsby taping a paper fish to their friends' backs. When the person discovers the prank the child yells "Poisson d'Avril" (April Fish).
A lesson plan linked to April Fool's Day
Wicked Words
Svengali [n. sven-GAH-lee or sfen-]: Svengali is an eponym -- a name drawn from a proper name. The original Svengali was a character in George du Maurier's best-selling novel Trilby, published in 1894. Svengali was a musician and hypnotist who exerted malevolent control over the story's title character.
Since the early 20th century, Svengali has meant someone who manipulates another, particularly for sinister reasons. A Svengali is powerfully persuasive, dominating another person usually with selfish or evil motives. It is often used in the context of an older man influencing a younger woman. Example: "Britney's agent was her Svengali, dictating her every career move without concern for her well-being."
III/XXX\XXXVI
Wicked Words
1) hosticide \hos' ti side\ (noun): one who kills the enemy.
2) aniconic \an i kon' ik\ (adjective): figurative rather than literal; opposed to the use of idols.
III/XXVII\XXXVI
Mormon ride conflicts with Ozzfest
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - It was a scheduling conflict. The Heritage Trails Celebration wagon train was set to leave Provo on April 24, arriving at Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, Calif., June 28-30. The 700-mile journey commemorates colonization by Mormon pioneers in Southern California. As it turned out, an Ozzy Osbourne rock concert was scheduled in the same 1,340-acre park on the same weekend. The June 30 concert is a part of Ozzfest, a nationwide tour. While the park is large enough to handle both the concert and the wagon train, the Heritage Board decided to reschedule. "The concert is completely incompatible with our celebration," Mills said. The wagon train will leave Labor Day weekend from Provo and arrive in Glen Helen Park on Oct. 25. Mormon pioneers left Provo in the spring of 1851 and arrived at Glen Helen (then called The Sycamores) in early July. They camped for three months at Glen Helen until they found permanent areas to settle.
Wicked Words
1) galeanthropy \gal e an' thre pe\ (noun): the delusion that one has become a cat.
2) silentiary \si len' shi er" e\ (noun): someone appointed to keep peace and quiet; someone sworn to keep state secrets secret.
III/XXVI\XXXVI
1721: Bach Presented Brandenburg Concertos
The Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg, a local noble, would have been long forgotten had it not been for an unexpected gift he received on March 24, 1721: a gorgeously bound musical manuscript containing six concertos. The Margrave never thanked the giver of the gift, never paid him for it, or gave him anything in return. He had no way of knowing that this gift from Johann Sebastian Bach would come to be regarded as a masterpiece of Baroque music, or that nearly three centuries later it would remain among the most widely admired and frequently performed musical works. The irony is that the six lively chamber orchestra concertos were later named for their unappreciative recipient: The Brandenburg Concertos.
Music historians believe that the Margrave's small orchestra in Brandenburg never performed the Brandenburg Concertos. At the time that he wrote them Bach was music director in the small town of Coethen, and it is assumed that they were first performed for the court there, directed by Bach himself. Although the six compositions are essentially orchestral rather than solo concertos, they include prominent solo parts. Concerto No. 5 comes closest to the solo concerto form, featuring an assertive harpsichord solo of enormous complexity and difficulty, which Bach himself performed. In fact during his lifetime and immediately after, Bach was famous less as a composer than as a harpsichord player and organist.
MARILYN MANSON
Marilyn Manson has pulled out of the Denver stop on this summer's Ozzfest heavy-metal concert tour. His publicist says Manson won't be able to perform at Mile High Stadium because of "a prior commitment." However, the Denver Post quotes sources involved with the tour as saying Manson was concerned about being linked with the April 1999 shootings at Columbine High School. Manson wrote an article a few months after that incident, saying that he and other entertainers were being unfairly blamed for the tragedy.
High priest of the Santeria religion Richard Rossie was arrested in Palm Beach, Fla., in January after he allegedly dumped a box of chicken carcasses (recently used in Santeria ceremonies) into the environmentally protected Intracoastal Waterway, where they were to be received by the ocean god Yemoja).
Wicked Words
fulminate \fool' ma nat'\ (verb): to issue a thunderous verbal attack or denunciation; to explode or detonate; to cause something to detonate or explode violently.
EXAMPLE SENTENCES: Her father's scathing fulmination against her new boyfriend brought Cindy to tears. The son wanted to rebel even more every time his father began to fulminate about his reckless behavior. The wise-cracking fulmination against gays in the military offended many sectors.
Origins: Middle English fulminaten, from 15th Century Latin fulminare, fulminat - to strike with lighting, from fulmen, fulmin - lightning that strikes.
1) maffle \maf' el\ (verb): to mumble or stutter; to confuse.
2) philosophastering \fil os" o fas' ter ing\ (adjective): pseudo-philosophizing.
3) epigamic \ep i gam' ik\ (adjective): tending to attract the opposite sex during mating season.
III/XXIII\XXXVI
Lance Burton's showcase for young Harry Potters
LOS ANGELES (Launch) - Magician Lance Burton's latest television special, "Lance Burton's Young Magician's Showcase," features 15
magicians ages 7-17 performing their acts at Las Vegas's Monte Carlo Resort. Burton searched worldwide for the young tricksters, reviewing
more than 200 videotapes before choosing who he considered the "best of the best" of the field. The young magicians spent a week in Vegas
perfecting their acts. Burton said, "I called it a weeklong camp for 'Harry Potter Young Wizards.' The young magicians and their families spent
a week at the Monte Carlo Resort in Las Vegas, where I will be performing 10 shows weekly through the year 2009. It was a dream come true
and truly magical for the young wizards." The acts show a wide variety of showmanship and skills and range from '50s rock and roll to mad
scientist themes.
III/XX-XXI\XXXVI
HAITI: LEGBA ZAOU
Voodoo remains the dominant religion in Haiti and today its followers will celebrate Legba Zaou. Believers honor Legba, the trickster god who guards the gates between worlds, with the sacrifice of a black goat. The spirit of Legba is invoked at the start of many Voodoo ceremonies but this day is a special celebration of the god himself.
MEXICO: SPRING EQUINOX
Mexicans surround the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan near Mexico City on this day. Dressed all in white with red sashes around their heads, participants chant, bang drums, and blow conch shells as they wind their way up to the pyramids to celebrate the first day of spring. The throngs of people come each year hoping to soak up the site's mystical powers on the equinox.
A news story about a recent equinox celebration.
Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the Moon
A photo gallery of this prehistoric city.
Hocus Pocus 'Spells' Death For Ghana Man
GHANA - Perhaps a twenty-three-year old Ghana man should have asked for an intelligence spell instead. Aleobiga Aberima, was reportedly shot dead by a fellow villager while testing a magic spell designed by a witchdoctor to make him bulletproof. After smearing his body with a concoction of herbs every day for two weeks, Aberima volunteered to be shot to check if the spell had worked. Aberima died instantly from a single bullet. After the shooting, villagers began to beat the witchdoctor severely until a village elder rescued him.
The Great Disappointment
On this day in the year 1843, the world fails to end as popular evangelical preacher and widely-read apocalyptic millennialist William Miller had predicted. Strangely, Miller's hundreds of thousands of followers didn't even bat an eyelash when he declared he'd made a mathematical mistake, then simply changed the End Time date to October 22, 1844. Miller gave his own personal guarantee that the world would end for sure this time, and many of his followers gave away all their earthly belongings and wealth in anticipation of the Godly Destruction of All Things. It is for this reason that today's Seventh Day Adventists - including the Branch Davidians (direct descendants of the original Millerite church) refer to October 22, 1844 as The Great Disappointment.
Wicked Words
Clairaudience (n.) supernatural hearing ability, specifically, the ability to 'hear' voices of the dead.
rack * \RAK\ * (noun): 1 : a framework for holding fodder for livestock *2 : an instrument of torture on which a body is stretched 3 : a framework or stand on
or in which articles are placed.
Example sentence: "Both you and I must be questioned upon the rack, as possibly
concerned in the affair, and whether innocent or guilty we must die
very horribly." (James Branch Cabell, The Certain Hour)
Origins: "Rack" is sometimes used where its homophone "wrack" would be more
usual, and vice versa. But beware - there are language critics who
would stretch you on the rack for such uses. The noun "wrack" and the
verb "wrack" are etymologically related to "wreck" and are usually
used to describe wreckage and destruction (as in "wrack and ruin" and
"storm-wracked"). "Rack," on the other hand, comes from the Middle
English word "rekke" or "racke," which is probably from the Middle
Dutch "rec" ("framework"). Like "wrack," it can be a verb as well as
a noun; the verb "rack" means "to torture on a rack," or more
figuratively, "to strain or torment" (as in "nerve-racking" and
"racked his brain").
III/XVIII\XXXVI
Slayer Lawsuit Dropped
A lawsuit claiming that the death metal band Slayer's music incited three teenagers to kill a 15-year-old girl as a satanic sacrifice was dismissed by a judge Tuesday. According to the lawsuit, the teenagers were Slayer fans and drug users who decided to sacrifice a virgin to Satan in hopes of winning success for their band.
The family of Elyse Pahler was given 60 days to submit an amended complaint.
According to authorities, Pahler was taken to a eucalyptus grove near her Nipomo, Calif., home in July 1995 by Joseph Fiorella, then 14, and fellow teens Royce Casey and Jacob Delashmutt.
After she was given marijuana, a belt was cinched around her neck, and she was stabbed to death with a hunting knife, authorities said.
III/XVII\XXXVI
NOTORIOUS SERIAL KILLER HENRY LEE LUCAS DIES IN TEXAS PRISON
MARCH 12, 2001 - Notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who
claimed to have killed as many as 600 people around the country but later recanted, died at a Texas prison after complaining of chest pains. He was 64. After his arrest in 1983, detectives from 40 states talked to him about an estimated 3,000 homicides. Lucas first served 15 years in Michigan for stabbing his mother to death before being sent to Texas, where he was currently serving six life sentences plus 210 years for nine slayings.
Henry Lee Lucas Art
III/XII\XXXVI
Manson-fan entrapment
The Ontario Court of Appeal, in the course of its January ruling that drug charges against a teen-ager at a Marilyn Manson concert would have to be thrown out because of police entrapment, described a scene that some concert-goers found gross and scary in its own way: older men (undercover police officers) dressed in Goth garb trying to trick kids into selling them marijuana by saying things like, "Hey, man, it's going to be a wicked concert" and "Hamilton (Ontario) sucks."
Jailbirds In Love
Excerpts from letters written by convicted murderer Christa Pike, 24, to fellow imprisoned Tennessee Satan-worshipping murderer John Fryman, who apparently believe they can communicate their love for each other telepathically (as reported in the Knoxville News-Sentinel in January): "(Blood) is quite beautiful before it turns brown." "I love the feel of life then lack thereof in my hands. And just knowing the pain I can cause after accepting so much." "I like to see blood and brains fatty tissues and wide-open ripped flesh." "See, I have an innocent baby face, the face of an angel. It disguises me to a lot of people. I need my horns so I'll have
something to hang my halo on." "I used to have 3 (demons), now only one. The other 2 were weak. I do wish you'd remove this one. He may be big and tough, but he's stupid, and he's holding me back." "I'm unlike all the others, Johnny. You know that!"
Ted Turner apologizes for remark
ATLANTA (AP) - CNN founder Ted Turner has apologized for a remark in which he referred to CNN employees who observed Ash Wednesday as "Jesus freaks." "Special Report With Brit Hume," the Fox News Channel show, reported this week that Turner, attending a meeting at CNN's Washington bureau on Feb. 28, noticed some employees with ashes on their foreheads and made the comment. Veronica Gunnerson, a Turner Broadcasting spokeswoman, said Turner was apologetic Thursday. "Ted called in this morning, and he was genuinely upset that he had offended anyone," she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gunnerson said Turner did not deny making the comment. In 1990 the media tycoon said Christianity was a religion for "losers," and in 1998 he denounced Catholics and insulted Pope John Paul II. He later apologized for both remarks.
It is clear Mr. Turner has an Anti-xian stance, & expresses himself from time to time to the media, & regularly to friends & associates. But also being a businessman, he recognizes the neccessity to keep the show on the road, so he does what is neccessary to remain on top. Turner Entertainment displays some of the best, imaginative presentations, including the forthcoming "Mists of Avalon", a personal favorite for some time. It is sad in this day & age that a man cannot express himself completely without the xian gestapo nosing in on one's business. We know Turner's heart burns with the black flame. Hail Ted Turner!
Dr. Seuss and his quirky cast of characters forever changed the face of children's literature, but at first his books were considered too outlandish to appeal to children. His first book, "And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street" (1937), was rejected by twenty-eight publishers before Random House wisely picked it up. This book is quite a delight to read to Infernal Progeny, I especially enjoyed the character "Mr. Black".
III/IX\XXXVI
Wicked Word
Grand Guignol * \grahn-gheen-YAWL\ * (noun) : dramatic entertainment featuring the gruesome or horrible
Example sentence: Part fairy tale and part Grand Guignol, the film had a bizarre
overall effect that many viewers found very disturbing.
Origins: In the 19th century, gory plays dealing with murder and mayhem were
popular in Paris. These plays were performed mainly at the Théŕtre du
Grand Guignol. The name "Grand Guignol" apparently springs from an
18th-century puppet theater in France that was frequently violent and
featured a main character named Guignol. Today we use "Grand Guignol"
to mean entertainment of the horror-show variety. We also use it as a
modifier meaning "gruesome" or "horrifying."
III/VII\XXXVI
Wicked Word: masochistic \mas'och is'tic\ (adjective): of or felling masochism: relating to or experiencing the
desire to be humiliated and abused by others in order to feel
sexually fulfilled : liking and inviting misery - tending to invite and enjoy
misery
SYNONYMS: self-imposed
ANTONYM: sadistic
Example Sentences: Tim knew taking organic chemistry and advanced engineering
at the same time was masochistic, but he wanted to do it
anyway.
Gwen knew that dating a rock star would be masochistic, but
she was attracted to the lead singer.
The dieter knew eating a jar of pickles would be masochistic, but
they tasted good, and she relished it.
Origins: From late 19th Century, named for the Austrian
novelist Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, (1836-1895) who described
such sexual practices.
Wicked Words
1) coulrophobia \coul ro pho bi a\ (noun): fear of clowns.
2) merdivorous \mur div'o res\ (adjective): eating dung.
3) orgulous \or'gu les\ (adjective): proud and haughty (humorous).
The Feast of Sacrifice
MENA, Saudi Arabia, March 5 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims stoned a pillar
symbolising the devil in Saudi Arabia and sacrificed some 600,000 sheep, cows and camels on
Monday as the annual pilgrimage wound down.
As Muslims around the world celebrated Eid, the Feast of Sacrifice, the nearly two million pilgrims
who made the haj pilgrimage to Mecca trekked to Mena from Muzdalifah, where they had spent the
night after a day of prayers on Mount Arafat.
The five-day ritual, marked by tragedies in the recent past, was proceeding without
any major incident, Saudi authorities said. A brief rain shower on Monday night
surprised the pilgrims who were spending the night in makeshift tents or in the
open.
Local newspapers said it was the first time it had rained in
the desert area during the haj in 10 years.
Chanting ``God is Greatest,'' the pilgrims in seamless white attire marched on Jamarat Bridge, where
each pilgrim hurled seven pebbles at a stone pillar erected where Muslims believe the devil
appeared to the Prophet Abraham.
The crowds repeatedly shouted, ``In the name of God, God is Greatest,'' as they raised their arms
high to hurl the pebbles.
``This is a vow to God that after washing our sins and seeking his mercy, we declare war on the
devil and evil deeds,'' Mohammad, a Somali pilgrim, said.
``We are trying to get rid of Satan, we are trying to disgrace him,'' said Leah Khan, a 34-year-old
Canadian.
The sea of people moved slowly as hundreds of Saudi police monitored the scene and guided lost
pilgrims while helicopters hovered above.
BACK TO MECCA
After the stoning, pilgrims had their hair cut or their heads shaved completely and returned to Mecca
to circle the black stone Kaaba at the centre of the Grand Mosque seven times.
The faithful then changed from their seamless two-piece white outfits and modest clothes into
smarter attire to celebrate the Muslim holy day of Eid.
Slaughterhouses around Mecca killed hundreds of thousands of cows, sheep and camels on behalf
of pilgrims who paid 375 riyals ($100) each, a 10 percent increase from last year. Most of the meat
will be distributed later to needy people in 27 Muslim countries.
The sacrifice symbolises God's last-minute command to Abraham to slaughter a sheep instead of
his son Ismail, according to the Muslim holy book, the Koran. It says God wanted to test Abraham's
faith when he ordered him to cut the throat of his son.
The pilgrims will return later to spend the next two nights in Mena, and to repeat the devil-stoning
ritual over the next two days before the five-day haj season finishes.
Official figures showed that 1.36 million Muslims from 160 countries are taking part in the haj this
year, 96,000 more than last year. The visiting pilgrims were joined by about 500,000 worshippers
from inside the kingdom.
Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can afford the trip must complete the haj at least once in their
lifetime. Muslims believe that pilgrims who perform the haj with a sincere heart return home as pure
as the day they were born.
Saudi Says 35 Muslim Pilgrims Killed in Stampede
By Nadim Ladki
JAMARAT, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Thirty-five Muslim pilgrims were killed in a stampede at the
annual haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia Monday, a civil defense official said.
Civil Defense chief Brigadier General Saad bin Abdullah al-Tuwaijer said 23 women and 12 men of
various nationalities had been crushed to death in the stampede during the devil-stoning ritual at
Jamarat, near the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
"At 8:12 a.m. this morning...most pilgrims who had arrived in Mena early flocked to Jamarat in huge
numbers," Tuwaijer, quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency, said.
"As a result of pushing at the stoning point, several pilgrims,
most of whom were elderly, fell to the ground, resulting in the
death of 35 persons...as a result of suffocation and stampede."
He said the nationality of the dead pilgrims would be announced later.
Tuwaijer said security men intervened and took control of the situation, ensuring the safety of
hundreds of thousands of other pilgrims gathered at the bridge.
The Jamarat bridge was the scene of a similar stampede in 1998 in which at least 119 people were
killed, including some Saudi policemen.
In 1997, 343 people died in a fire that swept through thousands of tents in Mena, another holy site
near Mecca. Saudi Arabia has since spent millions of dollars on fire-proof tents.
About two million Muslim pilgrims from 160 countries are in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, one of
the five pillars of Islam.
Muslims round the world are celebrating the feast of Eid al-Adha, which marks God's last-minute
command to Abraham to slaughter a sheep instead of his son Ismail, according to the Muslim holy
book, the Koran. It says God wanted to test Abraham's faith when he ordered him to cut the throat
of his son.
III/V\XXXVI
1922: "Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror" Premiered
F. W. Murnau's film "Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror" premiered in Berlin. The most important film by the German director, Nosferatu was based on the original legend of the vampire. The brilliantly eerie silent film revolutionized cinematic statement because in it Murnau used the camera to interpret the mood of the characters.
III/I\XXXVI
1692: Beginning of Salem Witch Trials
Three women were arrested in Salem, Massachusetts on charges of witchcraft, marking the beginning of the Salem Witch Trials. During the next few months, more than 150 men and women were arrested, and nineteen people were hanged. Smallpox and hysteria were among the factors leading to the witch trials.
Charles Manson's Lie
On this day in 1970, a young singer-songwriter and veteran of the psychedelic West Coast music scene releases his first album of folksy rock tunes, attracting the attention of a number of music industry heavy hitters. The album is titled Lie. The singer-songwriter is Charles Manson. The Manson Family Jams | Charles Manson Sounds | CDNow / Charles Manson - Lie.
Wicked Word
hypothecate * \hye-PAH-thuh-kayt\ * {verb}: hypothesize
Example sentence: The scientist hypothecated that lab rats' new behavior was linked to changes in their sleep patterns.
Origins: "Hypothecate" is a controversial word. It has existed as a synonym of
"hypothesize" since 1906, showing up primarily in scientific and
linguistic sources, but usage commentators have decried it, from
Henry Fowler in 1926 to Harry Shaw in 1987. It is sometimes perceived
as a mistaken use of another "hypothecate" - one meaning "to pledge
as security without title or possession." Both "hypothecate"
homographs - and "hypothesize" too - derive ultimately from the Greek
"hypotithenai" ("to put under, suppose, deposit as a pledge"), but
each entered English by a different route. The hypothesizing
"hypothecate" is a legitimate (albeit uncommon) word in its own
right, not a misuse of its homograph. If you want to avoid the
controversy altogether, however, you can stick with the more common
"hypothesize."
II/XXVIII\XXXVI
Archaeologists Expose 'Drinking Penis' at Museum
LONDON, England - Archaeologists have exposed a "Drinking
Penis" at the Museum of London which was found during a dig
in the cities outskirts. The phallic-shaped cup is believed
to date from the late Stuart period and is being hailed as
the only known example of its kind. The cup features lifelike
testicles and an "anatomically correct" opening at the end.
Its original maker also added a small cup above the base and
covered it with floral designs in blue and purple. According
to Hazel Forsyth, curator of museum's late collection, the
piece reflected the period's "rather bawdy sense of humor"
but it is also in remarkably good condition.
Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell
The Milwaukee Sentinel reports a surge in popular music at
funeral services, recently including "Stairway to Heaven,"
presumably as baby boomers begin to die off. Local funeral
director Mark Krause said, "For one young man, we played Led
Zeppelin all night long. I think some of the older people
were uncomfortable, but the boy's friends totally embraced
it." Krause added, "We even had a biker funeral where they
played 'Born To Be Wild.'" Several area funeral directors
report having funerals marked by every style of popular music,
including rock, country, swing and even polka. Evidently,
"Roll Out the Coffin" is more stirring than Mozart or Bach.
Jam Inheritance Proves To Be Grave Matter
ROMANIA - A thirty-seven-year-old Romanian sought revenge
against his recently deceased mother-in-law after learning
she bequeathed him a single pot of jam in her will. Claudiu
Vlad, from Buzau, got back at his mother-in-law by selling
her grave to unsuspecting neighbor Costel Petrache without
telling him that Roxana Petrescu's body was still in it.
However, Petrache discovered the body two weeks later after
his own father died and is now suing Vlad for fraud.
Wicked Word
1) hypengyophobia \hi pen" ji o fo bi a\ (noun) : fear of responsibility.
ATF Attempted to Serve Warrants on Branch Davidians
In 1993: A gun battle erupted at a compound near Waco, Texas, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents tried to serve warrants on the Branch Davidians. Gunfire erupted, resulting in several deaths on both sides and beginning a standoff that would last nearly two months. Four agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began.
Good riddance unto this day.
II/XXVII\XXXVI
MARILYN MANSON DOES MOSCOW
Marilyn Manson played to some 14,000 fans inside Moscow's Olympic
Stadium last Saturday. It was the shock-rocker's first show in the
Russian capital. The concertgoers -- who paid between 300 and 500
rubles ($10.50 to $17.50) for tickets -- were well behaved, perhaps
because a large contingent of riot police had been assigned to the
show. While Manson's Moscow appearance did not bring protests from
religious conservatives -- as he's managed to do in the United
States -- Russian church officials were hardly dancing in the aisles
over the show. "Parents should tell their children not to go to this
concert because no moral person could look at Manson as a positive
figure," Vsevolod Chaplin, a spokesman for the Moscow diocese of the
Russian Orthodox Church, said in a radio interview. The deputy editor
of a church newspaper even compared Manson's performance to the con-
troversial airing on Russian TV a few years ago of "The Last
Temptation of Christ." The editor, Alexander Khludentsov, asked:
"How come a satanist can be allowed into a country that has such a
large number of churches? This is the kind of thing that sets out to
insult believers." But the music critics yawned. Said Vladimir
Polupanov, a music critic for Argumenty I Fakty, one of Russia's most
widely circulated newspapers: "All of his efforts to act like the
anti-Christ are just a public game to scare housewives. I think that
in reality he lives an ordinary life and pays his taxes on time."
Asked during an interview on the Moscow station Radio Ultra about his
first visit to the city -- his "Guns, God and Government" tour's only
stop in Russia -- Manson said, "I had no idea what to expect because
I realize that a lot of what I know about Russia probably isn't true."
His impressions of the country had been, "unfortunately, created by
television," he added.
{Thanks to UPI's Alexander Bratersky in Moscow}
ITALY: CARNIVAL OF VENICE
Venice hosts its annual carnival in the 10 days before Ash Wednesday. It is a time of lavish costumes, masks, and revelry in the streets. Masked participants dress in shimmering, glamorous costumes reminiscent of the 18th century, and join pageants, balls, and musical events. The Grand Canal is illuminated by torchlight throughout the carnival, and street artists entertain the crowds.
UNITED STATES: MARDI GRAS
Today is the big day for Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. The popular Zulu and Rex social clubs will be among those parading down the city's Canal Street with floats pulled by tractors. Paraders throw necklaces, adornments, stuffed animals, or other novelties from the floats. Each club participating in a parade has its own distinct "throw."
Origins: 1827: Mardi Gras Began in New Orleans
The open celebration of Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday") in New Orleans began when students paraded through the streets wearing masks and colorful costumes. Mardi Gras is a modern statement of ancient Celtic traditions.
1919: Boult Conducted "The Planets"
Adrian Boult conducted the first public performance of "The Planets" by Gustav Holst. The seven-part work includes all the planets except Pluto (which had not yet been discovered) and Earth. Holst called it "a series of mood pictures."
Revenge of The Dead
An Eau Claire, Wisconsin man who pilfered money from offerings envelopes while working at a funeral home - that he could reduce the amount of time he spends behind bars… if he agrees to stand in front of a cemetery eight hours a day, for three days, wearing a sign around his neck proclaiming "I stole from the families of the dead." No word yet on the grave-robber's decision.
T.E. Lawrence, 1888-1935. British adventurer, soldier, author.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was sent to Mecca as the British Empire's liaison to the Arabian people. Later, as a renowned author, he became one of the most outspoken advocates for Arabian independence from colonial rule.
Lawrence had graduated with honors in 1910 from Oxford University, and then embarked on a career in archaeology. But when World War I erupted, he was sent first to Egypt and then to Mecca to gather facts about the Arab revolt against the Turkish empire. He later described this conflict in "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," which found worldwide readership.
When the war ended, Lawrence remained involved in Arab causes and unsuccessfully supported Arabian self-determination. In the ensuing years, he served in the British military under an assumed name. Soon after his retirement in 1935, he died in a motorcycle crash. Peter O'Toole later portrayed him in the Academy Award-winning 1962 movie "Lawrence of Arabia," based on Lawrence's book.
In 1999: Rev. Henry Lyons, president of the National Baptist Convention, was convicted in Largo, Fla., of swindling millions of dollars from companies seeking to do business with his followers.
Informational Resources
St. Petersburg Times Article
Capitol Times Report
Metro & State Report
Affidavit
Prosecutor's Case
St, Petersburg Times: The Aftermath
Wicked Words
1) oxyesthesia \oks" e es the' zi a\ (noun) : extreme sensitivity to touch.
2) doxy \doks' e\ (noun) : a creed or doctrine, especially a religious one.
3) rocta \rok' ta\ (noun): a medieval violin-like instrument.
II/XXVI\XXXVI
King excerpts to be released on Web
NEW YORK (AP) - Stephen King is on the Web again. Starting March 5, a portion of the author's upcoming novel, "Dreamcatcher," will be excerpted in three free installments on the Internet site of Time magazine. The full book, published by Scribner, will come out in traditional paper form on March 20. Audio of the excerpts, read by actor Jeffrey DeMunn of "The Green Mile," also will be available on the Time site. Starting with his e-novella "Riding The Bullet," King has become the virtual symbol of online books. Last year, he self-published the serialized e-novel "The Plant," which has been suspended while King pursues other projects.
Wicked Word
Fantasia [n. fan-TAE-zhuh, fan-TAE-zhee-uh, fan-tuh-ZEE-uh]: A fantasia is a musical composition that is improvised or appears to abandon traditional forms. Often this free-style piece of music is meant for an instrumental soloist.
A fantasia can also be a musical composition based on several familiar tunes. Example: "Her favorite part of the fantasia was the part when Tchort appears on Bald Mountain." {Tongue-in-cheek inclusion there}.
In the Arab world, fantasia can also mean a kind of dance, or a performance of troops on horses.
Origin: The English word fantasia comes from the Italian fantasia {fantasy}, from the Latin phantasia {fantasy}.
1848: "The Communist Manifesto" was Published
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published "The Communist Manifesto," which was to become the ideological inspiration for the ill-fated socialist and communist movements of the 20th century.
II/XXII\XXXVI
MARILYN MANSON
It's not true: Rev. Marilyn Manson will not, repeat not, be playing the role of Willy Wonka in the Warner Bros. Pictures remake of the children's classic film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. ”Rumors to that effect began flying after a London tabloid, The Sun, erroneously reported recently that the rocker would star in the remake. Both the studio and the estate of “Wonka” author Roald Dahl issued statements denying the tabloid report. Marilyn Manson has been quoted by Interview magazine saying he admires the 1970 movie, which starred Gene Wilder.
Occultnik Alert!
Oklahoma native Carol Sue Elvaker is currently in jail for stabbing her son in law to death after using a Ouija Board with her to daughter and grandchildren while her daughter's husband, Brian Roach, snoozed on the couch.
Wicked Word
mantic * \MAN-tik\ * (adjective)
: of or relating to the faculty of divination : prophetic
Example sentence:
"You may be skeptical now of my mantic skills," said the
fortune-teller, "but you'll soon learn that my prophecies are true."
Origins: The adjective "mantic" comes from the Greek word "mantikos," which
itself derives from "mantis," meaning "prophet." (The mantis insect
got its name from this same source, supposedly because its posture -
with the forelimbs extended as though in prayer - reminded folks of a
prophet.) Not surprisingly, the combining form "-mancy," which means
"divination in a (specified) manner" (as in "necromancy" and
"pyromancy"), is a relative of "mantic." A less expected, and more
distant relative, is "mania," meaning "insanity marked by
uncontrollable emotion or excitement" or "excessive enthusiasm."
"Mania" descends from the Greek "mainesthai" ("to be mad"), a word
akin to "mantis" and its offspring. And indeed, prophesying in
ancient Greece was sometimes believed to be "inspired madness."
II/XX\XXXVI
Wicked Words
1) mollitious \mol-'ish-es\ (adjective) : luxuriously softening; sensuous.
2) erotographomania \ehr-"aht-oh-graf-oh-'may-ne-eh\ (noun) : mania for writing love letters.
3) philocalist \fil-'oh-ke-list\ (noun) : a lover of beauty.
II/XVI\XXXVI
Marilyn Manson is joining Ozzfest
The band confirms that it'll play the main stage before headliners
Black Sabbath perform. This marks Marilyn Manson's second outing
with the festival, having hooked-up with Ozzy Osbourne & Co. during
their first outing in 1997. On that tour, New Jersey's Meadowland's
Arena threatened to withhold ticket sales unless Marilyn Manson was
removed from the line-up, citing something about "community standards
of decency." However, with both Manson and Osbourne threatening legal
action, the venue backed down. Ozzfest 2001 kicks off June 8 at
Chicago's World Theater.
Nude female Jesus photo stirs chaos
NEW YORK (AP) - A photography exhibit that includes a work depicting Jesus as a naked woman is stirring debate at the same museum where
a dung-decorated painting of the Virgin Mary sparked a heated six-month legal battle. The work "Yo Mama's Last Supper" features the
photographer, Renee Cox, nude and surrounded by 12 black apostles. It is part of an exhibit of 94 contemporary black photographers opening
Friday at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. ox, a Jamaican-born artist who was raised Catholic, said the Last Supper image highlights legitimate
criticisms of the church, including its refusal to ordain women as priests. "Get over it!" she said. "Why can't a woman be Christ? We are the
givers of life!" Another artist's photo collage depicts a topless woman, crucified. "I think what they did is disgusting, it's outrageous," Mayor
Rudy Giuliani said, adding that anti-Catholicism "is accepted in our city and in our society." Giuliani said Thursday he is appointing a task
force "that can set decency standards for those institutions that are using your money, the taxpayers' money," including the city-subsidized
museum. In 1999, the museum's "Sensation" show featured an elephant dung-embellished Virgin Mary. The mayor froze the museum's annual
$7.2 million city subsidy - about a third of its annual budget - then sued in state court to evict the museum. The museum filed a countersuit in
federal court, where a judge ruled that the city had violated the First Amendment and restored the funding. This time, Giuliani said he would
go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, whose decisions he said are based on "showing decency and respect for religion.''
On this day in 399 BC, after a trial during which he had been accused of corrupting the youth of Athens, practicing atheism and, paradoxically, "introducing new divinities," the great philosopher and war hero Socrates was sentenced to death by a slim majority of pious, self-righteous bigots. The 70-year-old thinker was ordered to drink a deadly poison Hemlock brew, and he did so without complaint.
Christian Kills Angel
CALIFORNIA - The remains of a 5-year-old Missouri girl who
was murdered in 1993 for failing to recite the alphabet were
stumbled upon, literally, in the California desert by a woman
snapping photographs. Angel Hart was killed by her mother's
boyfriend, Gary Christian, who drowned her in the bathtub of
a motel in Kansas City Mo., and encased the girl's body in
concrete. Two months after the slaying, he and Angel's mother,
Angela Melton, and the woman's two other children drove West
with the body. Near the California-Arizona line, Christian
dumped the concrete block. According to Chief Deputy Coroner
Rick Macken, a fire in recent years had cleared the area of
vegetation and probably fractured the concrete block, making
the discovery possible.
Hiccups = Possession?
On this day in the year 600, the ever-modest Pope Gregory the Great creates a monster when he decrees that the correct response, upon witnessing a sneeze, is to reflexively say: "God bless you." People caught in the act of hiccupping, however, don't get off so easily. According to Greg, these sinners are to be broken on the rack, threaded upon the wheel, and left to twist in agony until they renounce the evil spirits that have taken up residence within the corrupt vessels of their earthly, sinful flesh.
In 1923: The burial chamber of King Tutankhamen's recently unearthed tomb was unsealed in Egypt.
FEBRUARY 17, 1909 - Apache chief Geronimo, whose reputation
as a fearless warrior lead the American military parachute
troops to adopt his name as their battle cry as they jump
from airplanes. Geronimo died of pneumonia at the age of 80.
II/XIV\XXXVI
Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini called on Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses," condemned as blasphemous.
1989: Fatwa Issued Against Salman Rushdie
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, spiritual leader of Iran, issued a fatwa (religious decree)
declaring that the Anglo-Indian author Salman Rushdie should be killed for having
insulted Islam in his novel "The Satanic Verses." Since then, the author went into hiding
and has received police protection. In 1999, a private group increased the reward for
killing Rushdie to $2.8 million.
VARIOUS COUNTRIES: VALENTINE'S DAY
Valentine's Day is a traditional day of love and romance in many countries around the world. The most popular explanation of this holiday suggests it was named after St. Valentine, a priest in Rome and the patron saint of lovers, who was executed on this day in 269 AD. At the time, February 14 was already a holiday honoring Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage. The traditions of the pagan celebration (such as a lottery that matched young boys and girls) and the name Valentine were later linked.
BULGARIA: TRIFON ZAREZAN
Celebrated since ancient times, Trifon Zarezan is also called Vine Grower's Day or Viticulturists' Day. In a rite based on the cult of Dionysus, Bulgarian wine growers dress up, prune their vines, and then sprinkle them with wine. This is meant to ensure a good harvest in the coming year. A feast follows at which songs and dances are performed. In some regions, a "Vine King" is chosen.
Spine treatment inadvertantly causes orgasm
In attempting to help assuage a patient’s chronic
back pain, Dr. Stuart Meloy - a pain specialist from
North Carolina - may have inadvertently taken the
first step in realizing that long-held science-fiction
dream: the push-button orgasm! One of Meloy’s
specialties is, apparently, pain reduction through
direct electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. On
one occasion, when he placed an electrode in his
patient's back, she instantly experienced a
shuddering climax. The good doctor quoted the
anonymous young lady as saying: “you're going to
have to teach my husband how to do that!” And so,
after a bit of experimentation, Meloy did what any
self-respecting doctor of medicine and healer of
men would do under similar circumstances… he got
a patent! This, despite the fact that he didn’t even
invent the device used in the procedure: a
Medtronic spinal cord stimulator that helps cure patients of pain not by dulling it, but
by changing the way the brain receives the signal. For instance, it can turn a
stabbing ache into an annoying - but tolerable - tingle.
Nude weddings part of new industry
RUNAWAY BAY, Jamaica (AP) - When you get married in the nude, where does the best man keep the wedding ring? That question will be
answered and little else will be left to the imagination Wednesday when 11 couples tie the knot in the buff on Valentine's Day. "We're nudists
because we're comfortable nude, so why not get married the way we're most comfortable," said Paige DeBell, a 34-year-old artist from
Hamburg, N.J., who will get married at Hedonism III - a Jamaican resort known for its wild ways. The nuptials have sparked protests from
clergy and the government, but the weddings also highlight the growth of a burgeoning nude travel industry, estimated at $300 million a year
worldwide. The amount is triple what it was a decade ago, says the Trade Association of Nude Recreation of Los Gatos, Calif. "In the last five,
maybe 10 years, it's become a very organized industry," said Donna Daniels, a nudist and owner of Houston-based Castaways Travel, a
company specializing in "clothing optional" vacations. "This used to be a word of mouth thing." Daniels, who also runs a more conventional
travel company, stumbled into the nude travel business through a chance encounter with a businessman at a chamber of commerce meeting. The
man - whom she declined to identify - came by her office a few days later and politely inquired about nude travel options.
Where is the deepest canyon in North America?
The Grand Canyon in Arizona may be the most famous gorge in North America but it is not the deepest. That honor belongs to Hell's Canyon, along the border between Idaho and northern Oregon. Also known as The Grand Canyon of the Snake River, it reaches a depth of more than 7,900 feet (2410 meters).
Hell's Canyon was formed about a million years ago when water from a vast lake in southwestern Idaho broke through a mountain range and began flowing north. The resulting river, now called the Snake River, completely drained the lake. Even today, the Snake River usually carries more water than the Grand Canyon's Colorado River.
II/IX\XXXVI
1863: "Tom Thumb" Wed Lavinia Warren
The great showman P. T. Barnum staged an extravagant wedding for two of his human exhibits, the very small people "Tom Thumb" {Charles Sherwood Stratton} and Lavinia Warren. The newlyweds received their 2,000 guests while standing on a grand piano.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The devil is planning a comeback in Hollywood. Filmmakers began casting Wednesday for a prequel to the Academy
Award-winning 1973 horror film "The Exorcist," which chronicled an aging priest's fight to save a possessed girl. In the original film, Max
Von Sydow played Father Merrin, who reveals that he encountered the same demon during his time as a missionary in Africa. The prequel,
tentatively titled "The Exorcist: Dominion," will follow this early battle between the young missionary and the evil spirit, according to Morgan
Creek Productions. It's unknown whether the 71-year-old Von Sydow will have a role in the new movie. Warner Bros., which rereleased "The
Exorcist" last year with never-before-seen footage, plans to distribute "Dominion." This would be the fourth movie in "The Exorcist" series.
The original was followed by "Exorcist II: The Heretic" in 1977 and "The Exorcist III" in 1990.
NIAMEY, Nigeria - A Niger man was sentenced to 10 years in
prison for dismembering his cousin and eating bread soaked
with his blood. Victim Souley Halidou, had killed two of his
relatives and threatened to murder more over a land dispute
in the West African country. On January 13, 1996, his cousin
Hassan Salou, who said he feared for his own mother's safety,
decided to take the law into his own hands and beat Halidou
to death with a stick. Salou then cut him to pieces with a
machete and ate a blood-soaked piece of bread before going
to the police with the left arm of his victim.
Wicked Words
prescience * \PREH-shince or PREH-shee-ince\ * (noun) : foreknowledge
of events: a : divine omniscience *b : human anticipation of the
course of events : foresight
Example sentence: We thought Katie was being too hasty when she switched jobs, but when
her old company folded months later, we remarked on her prescience.
Origins: If you know the origin of "science," you already know half the story
of "prescience." "Science" comes from the Latin verb "scire," which
means "to know" and which is the source of many English words
("conscience," "conscious," and "omniscience," just to name a few).
"Prescience" comes from the Latin verb "praescire," which means "to
know beforehand." "Praescire" joins the verb "scire" with the prefix
"prae-," a predecessor of "pre-." A lesser-known "scire"-derived word
that follows the same pattern as "prescience," "omniscience," and
"conscience" is "nescience." "Nescience" means "ignorance" and comes
from "scire" plus "ne-," which means "not" in Latin.
1) hadeharia \hay-dee-'ha-re-eh\ : constant use of the word hell.
2) skybald \skeye-bold\ : a good-for-nothing; a worthless person, animal, or thing.
3) gilravage \gil-'rav-ej\ : to celebrate noisily; to go on a rampage.
II/VII\XXXVI
oaf * \OAF\ * (noun): 1 : a stupid person: *2 : a big clumsy slow-witted person.
Example sentence: The owner of the china shop winced when she saw the big oaf in the
doorway.
Origins: A long time ago in England, it was imagined that elves sometimes
secretly exchanged their babies for human babies. This was used as an
explanation when parents found themselves with a particularly ugly or
deformed child. These parents might believe that their perfectly
healthy and beautiful baby had been stolen by elves, and the other
left in its place. The label for such a child was "oaf," a word of
Scandinavian origin that, like "elf," is related to the Old Norse
word "alfr," meaning "elf." Since most such oafs were physically or
mentally lacking (hence the need to blame the elves), it's no
surprise that today the word is applied to anyone who appears
especially unintelligent or graceless.
panoply [n. PA-nuh-plee]
In the late 1500s, the English derived the word panoply from the Greek panoplia. The
Greek word described a complete suit of armor. It was made up of pan- (all) and hopla
{the plural of arms, armor}.
Still today, panoply can mean a full suit of armor or other protective covering. A
panoply can also mean ceremonial attire. Near synonyms of this sense include regalia,
trappings, and get-up.
However, panoply is now usually used to mean a magnificent or impressive array or a
wide range of different things. {Examples: a panoply of flags, a panoply of job offers.}
II/VI\XXXVI
chthonic * /THAH-nik {TH as in "think"}\ * (adjective) : of or relating to the underworld : infernal
Example sentence: Sharon compared entering her brother's basement bedroom to a descent
into chthonic regions -- it was dark and odd-smelling, and she was a
little frightened of what she might find there.
Origins:"Chthonic" might seem a lofty and learned word, but it's actually
pretty down-to-earth in its origin and meaning. It comes from
"chthon," which means "earth" in Greek. "Chthonic" is associated with
things that dwell in or under the earth. It is most commonly used in
discussions of mythology, particularly underworld mythology. Pluto
and Persephone, who reign over the underworld in Greek mythology,
might be called "chthonic deities," for example. "Chthonic" has
broader applications too. It can be used to describe something that
resembles a mythological underworld (e.g., "chthonic darkness"), and
it is sometimes used to describe things associated with the earth or
nature (as opposed to the elevated or celestial).
mendacity {n. men-DA-suh-tee}
Mendacity is dishonesty or untruthfulness, or the tendency to lie. This noun can also
mean the dishonest act itself. A lie, deceit, or falsehood is a mendacity.
Mendacity came into English in the mid-1600s via the French mendacite, from Late Latin
mendacitas, from the Latin mendax (lying).
The adjective form mendacious means given to deception or falsehood.
II/II\XXXVI
CANDLEMAS
Candlemas was originally a pagan Celtic holiday called Imbolc or Oimelc, celebrating
preparation for the coming of spring. The Catholic Church renamed it, making it a feast
celebrating the purification of the Virgin Mary, but the focus on weather has remained;
for example, it has become Groundhog Day in the U.S.
There are many Candlemas traditions throughout the world. In tiny Liechtenstein, children carry special candles called Lichtebengel. While carrying the candles in a procession of light, the children sing songs wishing their listeners health and prosperity.
Wicked Words
vertigo [n. VUR-tih-go]
Vertigo is a reeling sensation with the appearance that the surroundings are spinning. In
this state, a person typically feels like he or she is about to fall. Near synonyms include
giddiness, dizziness, and lightheadedness. For some people, piloting an aircraft or diving
underwater may cause vertigo, because they have none of the normal reference points
with which to orient themselves. For others, simply looking out of a high window can
trigger the state.
Vertigo can also be used figuratively to describe a dizzy, confused, or bewildered state of
mind. Example: "Every time she thought of him, she felt overcome by vertigo."
This noun from the early 15th century is derived from the Latin vertigo (dizziness),
which was a variation on vertere (to turn). Other derivatives of vertere include
vertiginous (causing dizziness), adverse (being in an opposite or contrary direction), and
vortex (a whirling mass).
adamantine * /ad-uh-MAN-teen or ad-uh-MAN-tine\ * {adjective} 1 : made of or having the quality of adamant *2 : rigidly firm :
unyielding 3 : resembling the diamond in hardness or luster
Example sentence: "Ideas he had, in abundance, along with a ferocious capacity for hard
work and a streak of adamantine stubbornness." (Evan Cornog, The New
York Times Book Review, October 29, 1995)
Origins: The Greek and Latin word for the hardest imaginable substance,
whether applied to a legendary stone or an actual substance such as
diamond or steel, was "adamas." Latin poets used the term
figuratively for things lasting, firm, or unbending, and the
adjective "adamantinus" was used in similar contexts. The English
noun "adamant" (meaning "an unbreakable or extremely hard
substance"), as well as the adjective "adamant" (meaning "inflexible"
or "unyielding"), came from "adamas." "Adamantine," which has such
figurative uses as "rigid," "firm," and "unyielding," came from
"adamantinus." "Adamas" is actually the source of "diamond" as well.
"Diamas," the Latin term for diamond," was an alteration of "adamas."
II/I\XXXVI
Wicked Words
1) kreatophagia /"kree-eh-tow-'fay-je-eh\ : the eating of raw meat.
2) exsibilate /eks-'ib-eh-lait\ : to reject with a hissing sound.
I/XXXI\XXXVI
1936: "The Green Hornet" Aired
WXYZ Radio in Detroit, Michigan aired the first episode of a new superhero show called "The Green Hornet." The main character, Brit Reid, who in his other identity was the crime-fighting Green Hornet, was the great nephew of John Reid, also known as the Lone Ranger, who first aired from the same radio station. "The Green Hornet" spawned comic books, a TV show, and movies.
AUSTRIA: MOZART WEEK
Mozartwoche in Austria celebrates Salzburg's native son, the classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was born January 27, 1756. Salzburg celebrates the week around his birthday with a festival of operas and recitals, drawing distinguished musicians and ensembles from around the world.
Mozart @ The Classical Music Pages.
Doctors at a prominent children's hospital took hearts, brains, eyes
and
heads from thousands of dead children without the consent of their
parents, a government report said Tuesday.
The report called the findings "grotesque" and "appalling."
The hospital apologized and announced punitive steps against those
involved, but families said that did little to diminish their horror
and
heartbreak over the unauthorized raiding of their children's organs for
research and teaching.
Health Secretary Alan Milburn told lawmakers that Dutch pathologist
Dick
Van Velzen, who was responsible for post-mortem examinations at the
Royal
Liverpool Children's Hospital between 1988 and 1995, had
"systematically
ordered the unethical and illegal stripping of every organ from every
child who had a post mortem."
.
The report found Van Velzen lied to parents, other doctors and hospital
managers; that he stole medical records, falsified reports, and
encouraged
others to do the same. The report, which was referred to police for
possible criminal prosecution, recommended that his medical license be
revoked.
Van Velzen, who is wanted on criminal charges in Canada, is now on
indefinite leave of absence from Westeinde Hospital in The Hague,
Netherlands.
Some specimens dated to the 1960s, and documentation of the collection
was
"shocking and disrespectful," the report said.
One label relating to a 9-week-old fetus read: "Inflated monster.
Humpty
Dumpty."
Another on a 45-day-old fetus read: "Neck deeply lacerated. Pull it to
pieces sometime and reject."
Revelations that Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital was keeping
infants'
organs emerged in 1999 during an inquiry into the high number of
pediatric
cardiac deaths at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. Dr. Robert Anderson
testified then that at least nine British hospitals retained more than
8,000 children's hearts for study, with the largest collection at
Liverpool.
Van Velzen left Liverpool in 1995 to run the pathology department at a
children's hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was fired in 1998.
In September, Canadian police issued a warrant for his arrest after
warehouse workers discovered eight organs thought to belong to two
5-year-old children. The doctor was charged with indecent interference
with a dead body, which carries a five-year prison sentence.
DIGITAL ANGEL GETS IT’S FIRST LAB IN CALIFORNIA
Applied Digital Solutions , the company responsible for Digital Angel,
the subdermal microchip used for tracking animals and humans will get
it’s
first lab in a ceremony to beginning February 2, 2001. The facilities
will be located in the University Research Park area of the Riverside
Regional Technology Park in Southern California.
A number of local government and business officials will attend the
opening, along with key members of the University's administration and
faculty. Following the opening ceremonies, senior executives of Applied
Digital Solutions will host a special tour of the new facilities.
In December of 1999, Applied Digital Solutions announced that it had
acquired the patent rights to a miniature digital transceiver -- which
it
has named Digital Angel.
Digital Angel represents the first-ever operational combination of
advanced sensor technology and Web-enabled wireless telecommunications
linked to GPS systems. The company believes this technology will enable
it
to tap into a multi-billion dollar marketplace with a number of
applications that will prove to be extremely popular.
Potential applications include: medical and location monitoring for
at-risk patients; emergency location of lost or missing children;
finding
lost or missing household pets; managing livestock and other
farm-related
animals; pinpointing the location of valuable stolen property; and
managing the commodity supply chain.
Digital Angel data is transmitted wirelessly, on a real time basis, to
an
Internet-integrated ground station and made available on a Web-enabled
desktop, laptop or wireless device. The new Technology Park facilities
will be the primary application center for the entire Digital Angel
Delivery System. A new Digital Angel wristband device will be unveiled
at
Cyberposium at Harvard Business School on February 10, 2001.
I/XXIX\XXXVI
1845: "The Raven" Was Published
Edgar Allen Poe is best known as the author of horrifying short stories and as the father
of detective fiction. But he was also a poet, and at least one of his poems, "The Raven", is regarded as a classic and appears in most anthologies of American poetry. At once comical and haunting, it describes a visit from a mysterious black bird who answers all questions with the same word: "Nevermore." When "The Raven" appeared in the New York Evening Mirror, and a few days later in The American Review, it was an instant sensation that finally brought Poe some measure of the fame he had long sought. It did little, though, for his wretched financial situation or for the depression and alcoholism that plagued him throughout his life. Although he was an American writing in English, Poe's literary reputation in the U.S. was never as high as it was in France, where Charles Baudelaire's translations of his work were, and continue to be, enormously admired.
I/XXVIII\XXXVI
"God's Will"
A 45-year-old woman who was killed as she walked onto I-55 near Sherman, Ill., in October was revealed to have been a member of a
Jehovah's Witnesses breakaway group that believes they should test their faith {much like snake handlers do} by standing in the
middle of traffic. A few days before her fatal demonstration of faith, she had been pulled to safety from the same highway as she
attempted to proselytize to drivers zooming by.
President's Inaugeral
Personally, I found the entirety of the inaugeral speeches to be annoying & presumptuous. Bringing out a preacher to say, basically, that "jesus" is the only god, the name above all names, etc., while standing before a nation whose very contitutional premise is that of acceptance for all religions as given equal consideration. Oh, the hypocrisy! The obstinance! He should have been impeached right there. And this came right after he proclaimed that all religions, jewish, xian, etc., would be represented & given full expression, that all men, regardless their creed, must work together, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Hot miasmic, nauseus hair. Political BS. Seems the preacher was more honest & revealing in his intent. You know Pat Robertson {nicknamed "Snowball" for his resemblence of the 'Pinky & The Brain' hamster character} loved that one! I forsee religious conflicts in the future. Freedom of religion, as well as freedon from religion should be the focus. Such thinly disguised ploys to enact 'humanitarianism' in the name of jeezwiz is apalling, denigrating other religions to inferior roles, despite claims of egalitarianism. Sneaky, but sloppy.
Egalitarianism {blindlighter politics} serves to stunt the growth of a society's evolution unto the heigherarchy of Darwinian Law, by assuming that everyone is "equal", which is utter nonsense - all one has to do is witness all of nature, & humanimal history to see this is not true. This nothing but another political ruse to content the herd by this romantic premise - to keep them satiated - although redundant displays of the opposite become evident on a daily basis.
It is known that christianity is a muckraker, scraping up the dregs of society, & a brainwasher, an enslaver even of the 'intelligent' {"the hydra-headed tree of unreason"}; but be this as it may, lower-life forms should be allowed to gravitate towards these foolosophies, as it can act as a stratifier, keeping them in their place, comfortably deluded & habitual. The opiate of the masses. They have the right to rot alive. Leave them to it, as long as they don't step on My hooves.
It has been commented about a 'curse' on presidents who are elected on zero years, well besides this, if this underlying condisending attitude persists, he may very well be taken out of office one way or the other by those who have been insulted from other blindlighter faiths, who do not believe in "turning the other cheek". I suppose you just can't take the red out of the redneck - even if he is a republican.
"serpent jesus, snakes of christ....."
I/XXVII\XXXVI
Carl Jung, 1875-1961
He revolutionized the study of psychology.
Early in his career, Carl Jung used word association studies in developing his theory that
"complexes" could be identified in patients by observing their responses to verbal
stimuli. Since that time, Jung's theory has become widely used, with a variety of
complexes, such as the Oedipus complex, the inferiority complex, and others, becoming
household terms.
In 1921, Jung published "Psychological Types," the first work to propose that people
could be identified as "introverts" (who tend to look inward) and "extroverts" (whose
energies are directed outward). Jung was also one of the first psychologists to attempt to
understand schizophrenia.
Jung also theorized that, in addition to their individual memories, people possess "racial
memories" which are part of a "collective unconscious" formed in humanity over
generations of experiences. He felt that by balancing the personal unconscious with the
collective unconscious, a person could achieve balance and mental health.
1302: Dante AlighieriSentenced.
Catholic Church leaders sentenced Italian poet Dante Alighieri to a heavy fine and
permanent exclusion from public office for being on the wrong side of political rivalries.
In April, he and others in his party were driven out of Florence. Dante ended his days in
Ravenna.
Unlawful Dismissal Has Disgruntled Policeman in Stitches
MEXICO CITY - The alleged unlawful dismissal of two Mexico
City policemen had one of the disgruntled officers in
stitches. Jose Gonzalez, who claims he and nine of his
colleagues were fired by a corrupt superior officer, marched
through Mexico City streets bearing a wooden cross before
reaching the capital's main square for his planned ritual
crucifixion. In front of a group of curios onlookers, officer
Humberto Vazquez uses a nylon thread to sew his own mouth
shut, then attempted to nail Gonzalez to the makeshift cross.
Authorities arrived in time to prevent the crucifixion.
In Springfield, Vt., in October, Brian Dodge, 44, owner of two
Christian radio stations (including LOVE radio in Madbury,
N.H.), was charged with punching his wife and choking her
with a towel (and was subsequently arrested for violating a
stay-away order).
Vatican observers believe St. Isidore of Seville will soon be named patron saint of
the Internet.
I/XXVI\XXXVI
Wicked Words
1) pluviophobia \"ploo-vee-o-fo-bee-eh\: fear of rain or of being rained upon.
2) xenapistia \'zen-eh-pis-tee-eh\: extreme disgust of strangers.
3) orthobiosis \"or-tho-buy-'oh-ses\: hygienic, moral, and allegedly "normal" living.
I/XXV\XXXVI
Miniseries brings Attila to life
LOS ANGELES (AP) - In high school, screenwriter Bob Cochran was fascinated with Attila the Hun. So when his agent called years later with
the chance to write a four-hour miniseries on the man called the Scourge of God, Cochran jumped at it. His "Attila," a two-part miniseries on
the USA Network reminiscent of "Gladiator" and "Braveheart," airs Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 30-31, at 9 p.m. EST. While Cochran takes
historic liberties with the story, the result is a grand epic production that has something for everyone - romance, jealousy, greed, betrayal, sex
and, of course, huge, bloody battles. The story follows Attila (Gerard Butler) and Roman general Flavius Aetius (Powers Boothe), two men
who represent their respective worlds in the fifth century. Often cast in history as a mindless plunderer, Cochran's Attila is a visionary who sees
more in his people - the Huns - than they see in themselves. While the Huns are content to plunder and extort from surrounding nations, Attila
looks beyond - to the possibility of an empire to conquer and a new world order to establish.
I/XXIV\XXXVI
Magazine to publish Twain story
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The Atlantic Monthly has bought the rights to publish a Mark Twain story it rejected when the author pitched it in
1876. "We're having the Atlantic change its mind, as it were, after 125 years," said Patrick Martin, the lawyer who negotiated the sale for the
Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, which owned the rights. The sale price of the story, "A Murder, a Mystery and a Marriage," has not
been disclosed. The short story was written in 1876, the year Twain began "Huckleberry Finn." It was conceived by Twain as part of a friendly
contest in which seven or eight writers would take a shot at writing a story that would fit a particular outline. Twain was the only writer to
finish the project. The story will appear in the Atlantic Monthly's June 15 issue. It will also be published as a hardcover book by W.W. Norton
and Co. in September.
Aussie school bans Harry Potter book
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - A Christian school has banned the popular Harry Potter children's books from its library, saying they are violent
and dangerous. Dr. Chas Gullo of the Christian Outreach College, a private school in Queensland state, said he read one chapter from the latest
story about a young magician, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," and was exposed to four murders. "It was pretty gory," Gullo was quoted
as saying by Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper. Some parents' groups and academics on Tuesday criticized the school's decision, saying the
books by J.K. Rowling are fantasy and pose no threat. University of the Sunshine Coast popular culture expert Dr. Karen Brooks said the
books encourage children to read and use their imaginations. "I think that in this day and age there's a huge spiritual dearth in our lives," she
told ABC radio.
In 1984, Inventor Timothy Zell developed a method of growing
unicorns that are of higher intelligence and physical
attributes, They are also said to be useful as a guard
animal. What you may not want to know is the method involves
surgical alteration of a one-week old goat, so that its two
horn buds will grow together.
Emperor Caligula Assassinated
Gaius Caesar, the grandnephew of the Roman emperor Tiberius, spent much of his early
childhood in military camps, where he picked up the nickname Caligula, meaning Little
Sandal, because of the miniature military sandals he wore. Tiberius named his grandson,
Tiberius Gemellus, and Caligula joint heirs to the throne, but the Roman Senate chose
Caligula as sole emperor. Caligula adopted Gemellus as his son, and in the year 37 he
became emperor at the age of 25. After governing reasonably and humanely for the first
half-year of his reign, Caligula suffered a severe illness which historians believe left him
insane. From then on Caligula ruled as a vicious and sadistic tyrant. He had Gemellus
murdered, as he banished or killed most of his other relatives; he enjoyed watching
people tortured while he dined; and he declared himself a god and had temples built and
sacrifices offered in his honor. His savage reign ended abruptly on January 24, 41 when
he was assassinated in a conspiracy by officers of his own guard. Although his rule
lasted less than four years, Caligula's name has gone down in history as a synonym for
"insane tyrannical excesses".
Wicked Word 1: helter-skelter {adv., adj. or n. HEL-ter SKEL-ter}: To do something helter-skelter means to do it in a haphazard manner, rushing headlong to
act or perform a task with little concern for order. Near synonyms for this adverb are
pell-mell and haphazardly.
Similarly, the adjective helter-skelter means carelessly hurried, confused, or disordered.
Example: "Everything in the room was helter-skelter after the break-in."
Helter-skelter is also used as a noun to mean confusion or tumultuous disorder.
Origin: The origins of this rhyming compound, first used in the late 1500s, are obscure. One
possible origin is the Middle English word skelten (to hasten).
Wicked Word 2: ineffable {adj. in-EF-uh-bul}: Something that defies description, or is too great for words, is ineffable. Near synonyms
include inexpressible and indescribable. Example: "Jenn felt ineffable joy the day she fled
her cubicle for the freedom of self-employment."
A thing that cannot be spoken, often because of its sacredness (perhaps the name of a deity), can also be ineffable. A near synonym is unutterable.
Origin: Introduced in Middle English in the 1400s, ineffable is derived from the Latin ineffabilis.
This Latin word comprised of in- (not) and effabilis (to utter, say) literally translates to
not to be spoken.
THE SELLING OF OZZY OSBOURNE
TheThreshold.com -- a subsidiary of multimedia and intellectual
property management giant Threshold Entertainment -- has acquir-
ed the exclusive rights to the Ozzy Osbourne brand. The company
-- which identifies itself as the world's leading on-line enter-
tainment network for branded entertainment -- has plans to launch
the Osbourne line on the Internet, with original live action and
animated programming. It also intends to expand Ozzy offline in
all media including TV, live stage tours and more, including some-
thing called the OzzFest. TheThreshold.com will create and operate
the official Ozzy Osbourne Web site
(www.thethreshold.com, www.ozzy.com, www.ozzyosbourne.com and www.ozzfest.com. The announcement said the sites will feature original content based
on Ozzy, exclusive news, updates and interviews, merchandise and
chat rooms.
IRON MAIDEN TURNS GUITAR OVER TO JIMMY PAGE
Jimmy Page showed up at an Iron Maiden news conference in Rio de
Janeiro last Wednesday, to accept a gift from the band -- an auto-
graphed Fender Stratocaster guitar that Page will auction off to
raise funds for Casa Jimmy. Page and his wife organized the charity
to benefit homeless young people. Britain's New Musical Express
reports that Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson jokingly told Page
at the news conference, "We're giving you just what you don't need,
Jimmy -- another guitar!"
I/XXII\XXXVI
Wicked Word: gynotikolobomassophile /"guy-not-ee-ko-lo-"bo-mas-'o-fil\: one who likes to nibble on a woman's earlobe {from the Greek 'gyne' - woman, 'otikos' - of the ear, 'lobos' - lobe, 'masso' - chew, and 'philos' - loving}.
I/XIX\XXXVI
Benjamin Franklin, 1706-90.
This American patriot was also one of the country's first spies.
Students of history have long respected Benjamin Franklin as a scientist, statesman, inventor, and diplomat. But, he was also one of the first Americans to actively engage in espionage for his country.
During the American Revolution, Franklin went to France on behalf of the fledgling United States to court the support of the French government. Franklin appeared to be a harmless emissary of his government, but was actively engaging in propaganda efforts and paramilitary operations to further the cause of American independence.
Among his most successful schemes was the creation of a false impression that American and British relations were about to take a turn for the better, prompting France to sign a military alliance with the United States. Franklin also helped plan the only American attack on the British Isles, and created false news reports that swayed British public opinion against the war.
Wicked Word: Pandora's box * /pan-DOR-uhz-BAHKS\ * {noun} : a prolific source of troubles.
Example sentence: Leon didn't realize that spreading gossip about his boss would open a
Pandora's box, but he was soon chastised by Mr. Beckwith.
Origins: According to Greek mythology, the problems brought by Pandora's box
started with Prometheus. He was a Titan, one of the first Greek gods.
He stole the secret of fire from his fellow gods and shared it with
mortal humans. To punish humans, the gods then created Pandora. Each
god gave her a gift to make her appealing (her name comes from a
Greek word meaning "all gifted" or "all giving"). Then they sent her
to the mortals with a jar full of evils. Pandora's curiosity prompted
her to open the box, and all those ills escaped to plague humanity.
Wicked Word: Salacious /se-'lay-shes\ {adjective} : arousing or appealing to sexual desire or imagination.
Synonyms: incontinent, libidinous, lascivious, licentious, lecherous, lustful, lewd. satyric, libertine.
Example Sentences: Margo's performance at the burlesque show had a salacious
impact on the male clientele. Eyes opened wide as the normally quiet grandmother read her salacious limericks at the community fair.
Origin: From Latin salac, salax, from salire - to move
spasmodically, leap. Date: circa 1645.
MANSON BREAKUP
Marilyn Manson and actress Rose McGowan have broken off their engagement. The 28-year-old McGowan -- who starred in such movies as "Scream," "Encino Man" and last year's wrestling comedy, "Ready to Rumble" -- issued a statement through her publicist saying, “There is great love, but our lifestyle difference is, unfortunately, even greater.” The statement did
not say whether Manson and McGowan are breaking up as a couple -- only that the engagement to be married is off.
I/XIX\XXXVI
On this day in the year 1971, The Beatles' Helter Skelter is played in the court-room where the case against Charles Manson is being heard. During one of their bloody midnight massacres, Manson's brood had scrawled the words helter skelter on a mirror, in their victims' blood.
I/XXVII\XXXVI
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA - It takes liquid nitrogen to create
the 390-degrees-below-zero atmosphere necessary to float
non-metallic objects in mid air. It's true! Researchers at
the University of Alabama have created real antigravity using
powerful super-magnets. This could be the start of eventual
efforts to allow rockets to run without propellant and power
plants to run without fuel. So far they have only managed to
float a live tadpole. Scientists involved in the "tadpole"
experiment say the animal was apparently not harmed by the
intense magnetism and predict that someday they will be able
to float a human, if they can find two things: A powerful
enough magnet and a willing subject.
Wicked Word: Augur {\AW-gur} {verb}: transitive senses. 1 : to foretell especially from omens; 2 : to give promise of : presage intransitive sense: to predict the future especially from omens.
Example sentence: Amelias's excellent first semester grades augured a successful college career.
Origins: Auguring is what augurs did in ancient Rome. These were official
diviners whose function it was, not to foretell the future, but to
divine whether the gods approved of a proposed undertaking, such as a
military move. They did so by various means, among them observing the
behavior of birds and examining the intestines of sacrificed animals.
Nowadays, of course, when we use the extended senses of "indicate"
and "promise," auguring is done from other signs. The verb is often
used with an adverb, such as "well," as in "high investment returns
augured well for Paul's early retirement." "Augur" comes from Latin
and is related to the Latin verb "augere," meaning "to increase." The
exact nature of the connection between "augur" and "augere" is lost
in obscurity, however.
KISS bassist to talk about industry
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - He used to rock and roll all night and party every day. Now, Gene Simmons is going on television to talk about
the ugly side of the music industry. The former KISS bassist will host a one-hour documentary, "The Secret History of Rock 'n' Roll," on
Court TV. The program is scheduled to air on June 11. Simmons said most programs about rock are fluff, and the things he's seen behind
the scenes would horrify people. "There are unscrupulous types who affect the music business and affect how and where you hear music and it's
important to shed light on that because, just like at home, you shine a flashlight, the cockroaches go scurrying," he said recently. "It's a very,
very shady business and you have to have a strong backbone to survive and to come out clean. Along the way, this special will talk a little
more about that."
Metallica bassist quits band
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has left the band after 14 years. "Due to private and personal reasons, and the
physical damage that I have done to myself over the years while playing the music that I love, I must step away from the band," Newsted said
in a statement. "This is the most difficult decision of my life, made in the best interest of my family, myself and the continued growth of
Metallica. I extend my love, thanks and best wishes to my brothers: James, Lars and Kirk, and the rest of the Metallica family, friends and fans
whom have made these years so unforgettable," the statement continued. Newsted replaced the late Cliff Burton in Metallica in 1986, and
appeared on six of the band's albums. Prior to joining the band, he was a founding member of Phoenix-based speed metal outfit Flotsam and
Jetsam. A replacement has not been named.
"Playing with someone who has such unbridled passion for music will forever be a huge inspiration," vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield said.
"On stage every night, he was a driving force to us all, fans and band alike. His connection will never be broken." "We part ways with Jason
with more love, more mutual respect and more understanding of each other than at any other point in the past," drummer Lars Ulrich added.
Metallica will release the fourth edition of its "Fan Can," a fan-club only paint can filled with band memorabilia. The latest edition, to be
offered to members some time in February for $40, will include an exclusive video of the band's 1997 parking lot show in Philadelphia with
behind-the-scenes footage, a live CD, an "And Justice For All" crew T-shirt and a Metallica Club dog tag.
I/XVI\XXXVI
Can bats catch fish?
There are several kinds of bats that can catch fish. They fly above the surface of the
water, using their echolocation skills to detect the slight ripples made by fish swimming
close to the surface. When a fishing bat detects a ripple, it comes around for another pass
very close to the surface and drops its legs into the water as it flies, hoping to snag the
fish.
One kind of fish-catching bat is the bulldog bat (Noctilio leporinus). Bulldog bats have
developed special adaptations for fishing, including long legs with large forward-facing
talons to snag their prey. They are also able to swim, and can take flight directly from
the water if they fall in. They catch fish from lakes, streams, rivers, and even ocean
lagoons.
615 die in Central America quake
By NIKO PRICE - Associated Press Writer
SANTA TECLA, El Salvador (AP) - The earthquake death toll rose
above 600 Monday as rescuers' hopes faded of pulling more survivors
from landslides that swept through villages and cities across El
Salvador.
As information came in from the countryside, where hundreds of
communities remained isolated, the government said 609 bodies had
been counted in El Salvador. At least six people died in
neighboring Guatemala, and hundreds of people were still believed
to be buried.
The vast majority of those killed were here in Santa Tecla,
where a mountain of rock and earth came tumbling down on the Las
Colinas neighborhood, three miles west of the capital, San
Salvador.
Salvadoran police said 2,412 people were injured and more than
45,000 houses were damaged or destroyed in Saturday's magnitude-7.6
quake.
Rescuers said the chances of finding survivors were dwindling as
more time passed and the ground, convulsed from the landslides,
settled.
Residents of Las Colinas complained that the government allowed
land owners over the years to clear trees from the hillside,
alleging that the lack of ground cover left those below vulnerable
to landslides.
The quake loosened that hillside, burying the middle-class
neighborhood at its base and bringing down some of the mansions
above.
Although the largest number of deaths appeared to be in Las
Colinas, the quake caused 185 landslides across El Salvador,
burying coffee workers and blocking roads.
The numbers varied and the death toll was expected to rise. The
emergency committee for the Santa Tecla region said 436 were dead
here alone. It said 366 remained missing _ hundreds less than the
figure given Saturday by the Red Cross.
Police said nearly 18,000 people had been evacuated from
dangerous areas. Many were living with relatives or in shelters.
Others who still had homes lacked basic services. Water service was
cut to as many as half of the country's 6 million people, the
Pan-American Health Organization said.
Aftershocks continued to rock the country Monday, frightening
residents and knocking more debris onto highways. Many towns were
reachable only by helicopter, and little was known about damage or
deaths in isolated communities.
In Las Colinas, environmentalists and residents had sued
landowners and construction companies to stop the deforestation of
the hillside. A judge had ruled against them, and angry residents
on Monday argued that the resulting development had caused hundreds
of deaths.
``What good does money do us if we are subjecting our children
to something like this?'' asked Santa Tecla Mayor Oscar Ortiz.
After two days of rescue efforts, officials pulled Sergio Moreno
from beneath a pile of cinder blocks and earth late Sunday, raising
hopes that more may be found alive. But kidney and heart failure
left Moreno fighting for his life on Monday.
While buried, Moreno had used his cell phone to call for help.
After 31 hours waiting to be freed, he began to lose faith. At one
point, anguished, he told rescuers: ``You stayed here to watch me
die.''
Army Maj. Jose Miranda said there was little chance more
survivors would be found, adding that the majority of those under
the rubble who weren't killed instantly likely had already
suffocated.
``Nonetheless, at 4 a.m. they pulled out a body that still had
warm blood on it, so anything is possible,'' he said.
Kathia Machaca has lost all hope that her parents and two oldest
daughters will be found alive. Rescuers found the body of one of
her children, 5-year-old Kathia, but she had no information on the
others.
Pulling a child's sock from the mud, she said: ``I'm finding
everything from the house except the most important things.''
She has stayed at the spot where her parents' house used to be
since the quake, and she vowed not to leave.
``I won't move from here until they find the bodies,'' she said,
weeping.
Her daughter, who had been riding her bicycle when the
earthquake struck, was found hugging a boy.
``Maybe she was afraid,'' Machaca said.
Her brother, Oscar, 25, also lived at the house, but had been at
work as a chauffeur when the quake struck.
``I ran home after the quake because I thought my mother would
be worried about me, but... '' he said, pausing with tears running
down his cheeks. ``I felt like I was dying.''
I/XII\XXXVI
JANUARY, 2001 - Australian euthanasia advocate Dr. Philip
Nitschke announced that he plans to start teaching healthy
elderly people how to kill themselves so they can prepare for
terminal illnesses. According to Nitschke, some senior
citizens want to learn how to end their lives, and which
drugs they would need, while they are still in control of
their own destinies. He has scheduled his euthanasia workshop
on the subject for later this month in the southern island
state of Tasmania. Nitschke is reportedly careful not to
present nothing more than just basic information about
euthanasia because it is illegal in Australia to advise or
assist someone to commit suicide. In the last two years, he
has told about 300 terminally ill people how best to commit
suicide, 40 of which subsequently killed themselves.
I/X\XXXVI
Another Marriage Shot to Hell
GILLINGHAM, UK - Some marriages just go to hell in a hand
basket. Paul Sainsbury and Lynda Eastwood are petitioning
authorities for permission to have a satanic wedding to
ensure theirs does, literally. The pair have been told by
their local council that it has "in principle, no objection"
to the wedding - even though it involves the drinking of
"blood" red wine while those present lift their arms to the
sky saying: "Bless you, father Satan, I will always love
you". The damned couple met last year at an Iron Maiden
concert and say they are looking forward to their midnight
union in August.
Man Severs Penis in Bizarre Religious Movement
SAO PAULO - In order to "bring himself closer to God," a
A 23-year-old convicted Brazilian rapist sliced off his own
penis and flushed it down the toilet. Flavio dos Santos
Cruz was found by prison guards screaming and bleeding in
his cell. "It is written in Bible that if a part of your
body distances you from God, and makes you commit a sin,
you should cut it off," Cruz told reporters. According to
urologist Aerton Barbosa Neves, who operated on Cruz, he
will now have to urinate through a tube, but can still
impregnate someone, "albeit only with medical assistance."
I/IX\XXXVI
Wicked Word: Necromancy {'ne-kre-"mant-see / noun}: conjuration of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events: magic, sorcery.
Synonyms: bewitchment, thaumaturgy, conjuring, witchcraft, enchantment, witchery, magic, wizardry, sorcery.
Example Sentences
1. At the seance, Nick led the necromancy to seek advice from his Uncle Frank on who he should bet on in this year's Kentucky Derby.
2. The necromancy mezmorized children of all ages at the hospital's community fair.
Origin: Alteration of Middle English nigromancie, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin nigromantia, by folk etymology from Late Latin necromantia, from Late Greek nekromanteia, from Greek nekr- plus -manteia, -mancy. Date: 1522.
Wicked Word: Shaman {n. SHAH-mun or SHAE-mun}: In certain tribal cultures, particularly Asian and Native American ones, the shaman is the high priest or priestess. This person is believed to have magical powers that can be used to cure the sick and to communicate with the spirit world. Near synonyms include medicine man, priest, and oracle.
First seen in English at the end of the 17th century, shaman was likely borrowed from the Russian shaman {such as Rasputin}. This is a variation on the Tungus saman, which was the term for a Buddhist monk ("he who knows").
I/VIII\XXXVI
Walter B. Gibson, 1897-1985.
He invented The Shadow under the pseudonym Maxwell Grant. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" Thus began one of the most popular radio programs of all time -- featuring the mysterious protagonist known as "The Shadow." Created in 1931, "The Shadow" became an instant success and Gibson went on to produce nearly 300 novels featuring the character. As a child, Gibson demonstrated a strong interest in magic, and would eventually produce more than 200 articles on the subject, as well as several non-fiction books. His position with "The Philadelphia Public Ledger" newspaper also led to assignments as a ghostwriter for noted magician and spiritualist Harry Houdini among other illusionists. One of his best-known works in that arena was a compilation titled Houdini's Escapes.
The Wicked Word: Fester [n. or v. FES-tur] A fester is a wound or a sore. Near synonyms of this noun include ulcer, abscess, and
boil.
The verb fester is to cause pain or aggravation. This sense is used figuratively as well.
Example: "She knew that if she didn't say something her anger would just fester inside of
her." Near synonyms include irritate, annoy, rankle, gall, plague, torment, and rile.
English speakers first called their sores festers in the early 1300s. The word was derived
from the Old French festre, which ultimately traces back to the Latin fistula (ulcer). The
verb sense of fester began causing aggravation in English a century later.
I/V\XXXVI
miasma {n. my-AZ-muh or mee-AZ-muh}: A miasma is a cloud of poisonous or unwholesome air, usually one that rises from or is close to the ground. The word can refer either to airborne pollutants (man-made or natural), or to germs. Example: "Enveloped in a miasma of cigarette smoke, Carol coughed uncomfortably." Used figuratively, a miasma can be a dangerous, confusing, or unhealthy atmosphere or influence. This word entered English in the mid-17th century via New Latin, from the Greek word miasma (stain, pollution) from miainein (to pollute).
ITALY: EPIPHANY FAIR
On the Eve of Epiphany, the Piazza Navona in Rome is alive with rowdiness. Nestled
among the Bernini fountains, a fair for toys, sweets and other presents wraps up today
with much noise and revelry. In the equivalent of North American last minute shopping,
people gather their gifts tonight before the arrival tomorrow of Befana (a kindly witch
who gives children treats and toys).
I/III\XXXVI
Pollyanna [n. pol-e-ANA-uh]
This noun, usually capitalized, has is a person who achieves happiness by deluding
themselves, refusing to see that bad things can and do happen.
A Pollyanna is someone who is naively optimistic or excessively cheerful. Example: "Her
stock broker was such a Pollyanna about the market that Donna decided she had to move
her portfolio to another broker."
The original Pollyanna was a character developed by American fiction writer Eleanor
Hodgman Porter in the 1920s. The title character in her book was an orphan child who
developed a "Glad Game" to keep herself cheerful in the face of hard times. She was
always looking at the bright side of things and in the story won the hearts of even the
grumpiest people.
sui generis * \soo-eye-JEN-uh-rus or soo-ee-JEN-uh-rus\ * (adjective)
: constituting a class alone : unique, peculiar
English contains many terms that ultimately trace to the Latin forms
"gener-" or "genus," (which are variously translated as "birth,"
"race," "kind," "gender," and "class"). Offspring of those roots
include "general," "generate," "generous," "generic," "degenerate,"
and "gender." But "sui generis" is truly a one-of-a-kind "gener-"
descendant that English speakers have used for singular things since
the late 1700s. Its earliest uses were in scientific contexts, where
it identified substances, principles, diseases, and even rocks that
were unique or that seemed to be the only representative of their
class or group. By the early 1900s, however, "sui generis" had
expanded beyond solely scientific contexts and it is now used more
generally for anything that stands alone.
XII/XXX\XXXV
High school student Brandi Blackbear filed a federal lawsuit against
the school district in Broken Arrow, Okla., in October for suspending
her
twice during the previous school year, once for her Stephen King-type
writing
journals and once after the assistant principal implied that
Blackbear's
Wiccan "curse" actually caused a teacher to become ill. "I, for one,"
said the
Oklahoma director of the American Civil Liberties Union, "would like to
see
the (evidence) that a 15-year-old girl made a grown man sick by casting
a
magic spell."
Prostitutes in Romania's dismal economy have been forced to spruce up
their services, according to a June Reuters dispatch from Bucharest, by
agreeing to cook and clean up after making house calls. And an
exclusive Tokyo
club has gone even further: For about $1,000, the customer can visit a
brothel
decorated as a traditional Japanese man's "home" fantasy, of a
beautiful young
"wife" who waits on him hand and foot, watches the TV shows he wants to
watch,
listens to him brag about his day, refrains from mentioning her own
problems,
cooks him a meal and has sex with him.
Latest Survived Impalings: A 22-year-old Spokane, Wash., pizza
delivery
driver was hit in August by a 2-foot-long piece of rebar that shot
through the
windshield and penetrated his skull, protruding from the back; he
requires
extensive rehabilitation. And an 18-year-old University of Southern
California
student fell out of a second-story apartment window in September and
skewered
her buttocks on two wrought-iron security bars; four USC football
players
rushed to help, pushing her body upward to relieve the pressure until
paramedics arrived.
Christines: A 1982 Chevrolet Citation (faulty wiring) in Winter
Haven,
Fla., and a 1991 Eagle Talon (ignition came on when the trunk was
slammed) in
Milton, Ontario, reportedly started up on their own in incidents in
August and
October, respectively. Firefighters were hosing down the Citation when
it
mysteriously lurched away from them; the Talon suddenly ran down a
bystander
(hospitalizing him in serious condition) during a car auction.
XII/XXI\XXXV
In the 1920s, gramophones {wind-up phonograph players} were all the rage. These sound machines used a sharp needle to trace the undulations of a groove spiraling around a flat disk that rotated under the needle mechanism. The changing position of the needle was mechanically amplified to produce audible sound vibrations. The least expensive gramophone needles were made out of hard steel, which eventually wore out the records. Because they were inflexible, the steel needles also reproduced the micro-bumps made by tiny dust particles, adding those distinctive noises called the hiss and crackle.
The most expensive needles, which also produced the best sound, were made out of softer materials like pig bristles or carved bamboo slivers. These soft needles did not produce as much hiss and crackle as the steel needles and did not wear out the records. The very best needles were made out of the spines of prickly pear cactus {Opuntia}, which are not only sharp and flexible but also very durable.
PAKISTAN: CHOWAS
Chowas {also called Chaumos} is the winter festival of the Kalash people who live in the northwest corner of Pakistan. The festivities mark the winter solstice with singing, chanting, dancing, and bonfires. One day during this 12-day festival, women and girls will take a purifying bath while holding bread cooked by the men. On another day, the men take ritual baths.
IRAN: YALDA
Today on the Iranian calendar, family and friends stay up through the night to help the sun in its battle against the darkness. The night of the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, is the night when light and good battle for supremacy. People recite poetry, eat special fruits, and tell stories to pass the evening. This is also known as Eve of Yalda.
SWAZILAND: FESTIVAL OF THE FIRST FRUITS
The Festival of the First Fruits, known in Swaziland as Incwala, begins today. Over the next three weeks there are two main festivals. They each feature sacred ceremony and colorful pageantry. A highlight is when the king eats the first pumpkin to be harvested. When he throws the rind to the ground the crowd breaks into a special song and dance celebrating him and the harvest. This festival is only held if there is a King, not a Queen, on the throne.
Hybrid Cars
Hybrid cars have two engines. The first is a conventional internal combustion gasoline motor. The second is an electric motor, powered by a bank of rechargeable batteries. This second motor acts as both an electric generator to charge the batteries, and as the brake. Connecting the two motors is a gear transmission, supplying power to turn the wheels.
Turn the key, and the gasoline motor starts, spinning the generator. The gasoline motor turns off only when the batteries are completely charged. Press the gas pedal, and the car begins to move using battery power, until the gasoline engine kicks in at about 10 m.p.h.
Decision-making about which motor to use is done by several microprocessor chips.
Hard acceleration switches on both motors simultaneously, and the generator is responsible for braking. The car's motion spins the car's generator, re-charging the battery bank as well as slowing the car. Unlike a conventional car, this is a highly efficient braking system. For this reason, the hybrid car uses less gas, and is more efficient.
Nefarious News/Infernal Progeny: Joseph Barbera, 1911-
His award-winning animated cartoons have amused millions. The Jetsons, Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and dozens of other characters created by the imaginative minds of cartoonists Joseph Barbera and William Hanna have entertained people around the world for generations. Barbera had been working as an accountant for a New York bank when Collier's magazine bought a cartoon he had created. Inspired by that small success, he gave up accounting and embarked on a career as a cartoonist. After joining MGM, he met Hanna and the two collaborated on dozens of animated shorts and even a number of full-length films. Together Hanna and Barbera received seven Oscars in the 10-year period that ended in1953. The names Hanna and Barbera were joined for good when the pair formed Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1957. In the ensuing years, they continued to produce volumes of work still seen on Saturday mornings everywhere.
1913: First Crossword Puzzle.
Arthur Wynne's job was producing a weekly puzzle page for "Fun", the eight-page comic section of the "New York World". For the Christmas 1913 edition, published on December 21, he set up a diamond-shaped grid, put the letters 'F-U-N' across the top squares, and filled in the rest of the grid with words. He then numbered the squares and wrote clues to the definitions of the words. The puzzle, which Wynne called a Word-cross, was an immediate success, and continued to appear in the paper. A few weeks later he changed the name to Cross-word, the name by which his creation is now known throughout the world.
The Wicked Word
Pedigree: In human genetics pedigree is used to trace the inheritance of specific traits. However, the word pedigree is most often used in the context of animals. It is a genealogical record that shows the purity or a breed. Example: "The breeder told us the horse's pedigree as part of his sales pitch." Pedigree is also your family tree, the line of ancestors that have preceded you. Near synonyms include lineage, breed, blood, and ancestry. Pedigree is a variation on the late Middle English word pedegru, which was derived from the similar sounding French phrase for foot of a crane (pie de grue). The three splayed out toes on the crane's foot were thought to be a good way to describe the appearance of the lines on a genealogical chart.
The Wicked Word: Scabrous [adj. SKAB-rus]: Scabrous means rough to the touch. Used figuratively, it can mean fraught with difficulties. (Example: a scabrous predicament.) Scabrous can also mean indecent or obscene. Example: "Balzac's novels had been criticized as scabrous." Near synonyms of this sense include suggestive, salacious, and unseemly. First seen in the late 1500s, scabrous comes from the Latin word scaber (rough).