And McNair Makes Six

When I first heard the circumstances surrounding the deaths of former Tennessee Titans/Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair and his twenty-year old Iranian girlfriend Sahel Kazemi, the first thing that came to my mind was-honor killing. This was pretty much reinforced when I heard Sahel's family had disapproved of the relationship between her and McNair due to the "age" of McNair.

Then again, Middle-Eastern women who are the victims of honor killings tend not to look and dress like this.



I think its pretty cut-and-dried, a case of murder suicide. For one thing, Kazemi purchased a gun just two days before the deaths, though whether the gun used in the deaths of the two is yet to be made clear.

For another, McNair and wife Mechelle had recently arranged for the sale of their Nashville home, and intended to purchase another home together. Putting two and two together, it looks like Kazemi received notice that McNair was not planning on leaving his wife, which would suggest the relationship between her and McNair was going nowhere. It might have been more than she could process rationally, especially if McNair had led her to believe otherwise.

It could well be that the Cadillac Escalade the two of them had been pulled over in, Kazemi being then arrested for DUI, might have been intended as a parting gift. I have read reports, from family, friends, and co-workers (she was a waitress when McNair met her) that she was a free-spirited sort, easy-going by nature, who would never hurt a fly. And, I have read she was a pot-head who didn't seem to have a lot on the ball. No one is qualified to judge based on such scant knowledge, which in the case of family can hardly be considered objective.

One things for sure, this has definitely been a bloody and death filled last couple of weeks for celebrity figures. Robert McNamara just died too, by the way, so make that seven.

A Misfit Of Society

After a week-long robbery and murder spree that claimed five victims and left the rural South Carolina county of Gaffney on edge, he is dead. His name was Patrick Tracy Burris, and he was a 41 year-old recent parolee with a lengthy criminal record for burglary and assault, fresh from an eight-year stint at a North Carolina prison.

Though with five victims he qualifies as a multiple murderer, of course, he was not a serial killer, as he was falsely described, nor could you even call him a typical spree killer, as I wrongly believed him to be. He was simply a guy who thought he had to return to a life of crime to get by, and didn't want to go back to prison as a consequence of leaving witnesses behind to identify him. Of course, there may have been some rage involved, but it is noteworthy that, so far as has yet been revealed, he did not sexually assault any of the female victims (nor the males).

This was a small county in South Carolina, Gaffney, and interestingly enough, it had an earlier experience with a serial killer, a man named Lee Roy Martin, who was known as the Gaffney Strangler. His last victim was a fourteen year-old girl, and he died in prison, murdered by a fellow inmate. Like Burris, who was shot dead by police following his week-long murder spree, he claimed five victims.

So what can you say? Burris served his time, was released, and evidently should not have been, or should have had access to some kind of counseling, which I seriously doubt was the case. If we're going to put people with a violent criminal history back out into society, then we need to do a better job of making sure they can adjust. It's not just a matter of feel-good, politically correct social engineering, its just a matter of what's best for society in general. Either rehabilitate them, or keep them locked away. In worse case scenarios, involving such cases as mass or multiple murderers, serial rapist/killers and child rapists/killers, execute them.

But don't just put these people back out on the streets, fail to rehabilitate them, or make the attempt, and refuse to follow up on them, and then act surprised when it leads to tragedy.

And The Rockets Red Glare

North Korea went ahead with its latest round of missile tests over the Fourth of July weekend, defying the wishes of the UN and the US. How brave of them. NOT! What was it President Obama said again about reducing our nuclear armament? Or maybe he would like to eliminate them all together? Look, as scary as it admittedly is that a country ruled by a bunch of people that are for the most part certifiably insane may well have the capability to send nukes off towards Hawaii, and to sell them to places like Syria and Myanmar, at least it has the potential of putting the hiatus on any such crazy ideas as getting rid of our nukes, or even reducing them. Because frankly, if you think the US getting rid of their nukes would make these other fools and thugs give up theirs-or even think about doing so-you are out of your mind.

And frankly, it wouldn't matter to me if they would give them up.We should keep ours, and for that matter, we should build more. Believe me, when it comes to being the master dick of the world, size does indeed matter.

American Independence Day-Time For A Do-Over

For Americans to celebrate the Fourth of July is a little bit like a dickless man celebrating Valentine’s Day, isn’t it? Why continue the charade? People need to get a clue. This is not the same nation that broke free of the bonds of England two hundred thirty three years ago today. We have morphed from that into something the founders would not recognize. In the meantime, our President has voiced support for Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a military supported coup, at the behest of the country’s Supreme Court, for trying to force through an unconstitutional referendum. His purpose would seem to be not only to win himself a second term as President of Honduras, but more ominously, to try to bring Honduras in line with the whims and dictates of the Bolivarian controlled Organization of American States, an entity which Obama seems disturbingly determined to cozy up to.

While the nation of Honduras, in which the ousted Zelaya only enjoyed twenty-five percent support, by the way, wishes to assert its independence and its own national sovereignty, the OAS seems determined to force it to reinstate Zelaya. While our nation celebrates it's independence, our President has joined with the OAS in condemning the coup which is aimed primarily at securing Honduran freedom, sovereignty, and independence.

That should be no surprise to anybody. We ourselves have long ago, gradually and in incremental stages, given up our own independence and national sovereignty in order to play the role of straw boss of the international community, in such organizations as NATO and the abomination known as the United Nations.

It is not only the Democrats who relish this role, nor is it only the left which strives to keep us bound to the dictates of the needs and in some cases the capricious whims of the international community. Republicans are just as offensive in this regard, although at least attempting to play the role of respect for American sovereignty. The only difference in the two parties in this regard is the form their betrayal of American independence takes. The Republicans favor NATO. The Democrats favor the UN. Neither party would dream of renouncing, leaving, or disbanding either one or the other.

As a result, Washington’s vision has been shot to hell. We are no longer a nation willing to trade with all nations while defending our national sovereignty from foreign encroachments and from all enemies, foreign and domestic. We are no longer a nation that will refuse to involve and entangle itself in foreign intrigues and disputes. We have taken on a role we were never meant to have, and it has caused us immeasurable pain, suffering, and grief.

It is time for the people to stand up and demand their independence back, and to demand that politicians adhere to those wishes, and to vote only for those that do so, in addition to only those who adhere to the Constitution as written and amended. (and in a great many cases, some of those amendments need to be given a closer inspection for the purposes of potentially making them go the way of the Eighteenth Amendment).

Failing that, there is only two other options. One, we become just another nation among nations, ruled by an elitist corps that gives lip-service to democracy while neglecting, to say the least, the Federalist principles which made our nation a truly unique nation, and was the basis for our initial, unparalleled success.

Or two, we urge our military to follow the example of the Honduran military and stage a coup, for the purpose of, in effect, enforcing the rule of law by way of the Constitution. Would that be democratic? No, but who cares. Democracy is not the most important thing. The most important thing-the only important thing, in fact-is adherence to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. If our military did such a thing, it should be looked upon as an emergency measure, much like the emergency measures implemented by Lincoln in the course of the Civil War, or the actions taken by FDR during the height of the Great Depression-acts which were on their face arguably, blatantly unconstitutional, but which were nevertheless necessary, at least to a point, as temporary emergency measures.

Maybe then, we can eventually get back on the right track. If something like this doesn’t happen, or if our elected representatives don’t take matters into their own hands in the way of bringing this Republic back into line with the founder’s vision, it doesn’t matter anyway. We will have lost it all regardless.

Happy Fourth of July? Please explain what’s so happy about it. We have a government that conducts itself in an unconstitutional manner, and that military I would urge to conduct a coup? That's not likely to happen. They, too, have been transformed into pigs feeding at the Federal government trough. But a man can dream.

And Another One Bites The Dust

It's starting to look like Sarah Palin has timed the up-coming Independence Day weekend to coincide with her own declaration of independence from the Alaska governor's office, probably in an ill-advised attempt to concentrate solely on running for President on 2012.

I certainly understand her reasoning, and am sympathetic to an extent. Since she was chosen as McCain's running mate, she has been subjected to the most foul abuse ever heaped on a national political figure, and even her family have been targets.

More importantly, though, she has been subjected to a seemingly endless litany of frivolous lawsuits, obviously designed to drain her time, energy, and resources, and which in most cases probably warrant judicial sanctions. These aren't just frivolous lawsuits, they are in many cases malicious ones. By stepping down now, she can put an end to them.

And, she can also devote her resources to a presidential run. I fully expect to see her become a regular contributor on Fox News, and possibly other outlets as well, in addition to making a series of speeches and appearances. After all, don't forget that she started her public career as a television anchor woman. Maybe she figures she can repeat the formula that brought her initial success on the national stage.

I still think she might have acted too quickly. If she runs in 2012, and loses, that's it for her. And lose she well might. Three years is a lifetime in politics. Seven years is an eternity. A lot can change within that period of time. She might not even win the primaries in 2012. Even if she does win them, she could still lose the general election. By the time 2016 rolls around, she will be old news. She will just be some broad that was governor of Alaska for a short time a bunch of years ago.

I'm afraid by pulling this stunt, she might well have turned herself into the Fred Thompson of 2012. If she runs again, in 2016, she might well be that years John Edwards.

I'll still vote for her though, in either 2012 or 2016. I'm just afraid a whole lot of people aren't going to be inclined to vote for a two-year, long-ago governor of a sparsely populated state. Now if she remained the governor of said state, for a whole term, or two, and maintained her popularity and current level of success, and maybe even improved on it, while gradually increasing her level of national exposure and respect for her political and governing abilities and accomplishments-something that would take some time-she would remain a top-figure and contender.

Another thing that makes this such a damn disappointment to me is that this makes her look like just another weaselly politician out to grab the brass ring of national power, something I had tentatively hoped she had the capacity to rise above. I thought she was a special force in politics, a fresh persona so unlike the vast, swirling sea of mediocre misfits, who all laugh behind our backs and wink to their big-money contributors while cynically pretending to our faces to be our "public servants".

I still hold out some hope that she is that different kind of honest public servant, somebody who really is "of the people". Then again, that would make her only human after all, wouldn't it?

A Month Of Death And Destruction

Make of it what you will. Did I forget to mention that, when the Sun entered Capricorn, the exact second of the Winter Solstice (Yule), the Ascendant for any person born during that period would be Sagittarius? Or, more importantly, that said Ascendant would mark the character of the entire current year following that particular solstice? Now, we are in the astrological month of Cancer which, according to the year's Ascendant, is therefore in the Eight House of Sex, Death, and Changes. On top of that, the Sun, during the Summer Solstice, was in opposition to Pluto-the planet that rules the Eight House. Briefly, so was the Moon, when it came into conjunction with the Sun the following day. During this relatively brief period of time, a period of basically two weeks, we have seen (and in one case been bombarded by the news of) the deaths of-

Ed MacMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, and Karl Malden; we have political turmoil in Iran, which everybody here is weighing in on without knowing jack shit about what the hell they're talking about, which means its 1979 all over again; a military coup in Honduras which threatens to draw large segments of South and Central America into a web of political uncertainty; a major Republican conservative governor has suffered a major blow, from which he will likely not recover, to his political career; while the US Congress has, almost behind closed doors, passed an environmentalist cap-and-trade boondoggle which might well wreck what is left of any potential for economic recovery.

Were you expecting a cheesy Fourth of July patriotic post? I'll have to give it some thought.

Was Michael Jackson A Psychic Vampire-From The Ancient Rites And Rants File

Since Michael Jackson died, this blog has received a ton of hits to the update to a post I originally entitled "Michael Jackson-Psychic Vampire", but none whatsoever to the original post, which I have decided to reproduce here. By the way, it happens to be the third post ever posted to this blog, from way back in June of 2005 (which in blogger terms seems like an eternity ago).

At the time, Michael Jackson was also very much in the news for an entirely different reason. He was awaiting trial on charges of child molestation, and in fact faced numerous counts, including one of giving alcohol to a minor. I predicted he would be acquitted on all charges but that one, and maybe one or two others. I was wrong, and flabbergasted when he was acquitted on all charges. The original post follows-

Since I like to dance out on a limb, and sometimes have been known to saw away while I am out there, I will go ahead and give my own prediction of the up-and-coming verdict in the Jackson case. I predict that jackson will be found guilty of one count of molestation, maybe two, but not guilty on all the other counts. He will probably also be found guilty of at least one count of giving alcohol to a minor, but only on one of the misdemeanor counts (probably the one witnessed by the airline stewardess). The felony count, which requires proof that he intended the alcohol consumption by the minor in question to be for sexual purposes, might seem obvious, and yet from a legal standpoint is probably a bit too nebulous to warrant a guilty verdict. Finally, and here is where I differ from the vast majority of pundits, I believe that as pertaining to the conspiracy charge of holding the family at the Neverland Ranch against their wills, scheming to remove them from the country, etc., I predict that this will be the one charge which will result in a hanged verdict.

Most people will probably be inclined to vote Not Guilty on this charge, but I am thinking there will probably be about three jury members who will not be swayed from a Guilty verdict on this charge as well. After all, just because a conspiracy is unsuccessful doesn't mean it was never put into motion. Also, the fact that the mother at least was allowed a little lee way-some might call it giving her enough rope to hang herself, in a manner of speaking-could be construed as a way of divining her exact intentions. They were obviously kept under close surveillance.

Now, it will be noted that I did not say whether I believed Jackson to be guilty of the charges, nor will I, save for the misdemeanor charge of giving alcohol to a minor, which is almost seemingly undeniable. Otherwise, I would not deign to speak with any certainty on the subject, certainly not on the molestation charges. However, guilty or not, one thing is certain. Mr. Jackson is-well, Mr. Jackson is different. And that is really the subject in chief of this post.

I have long maintained that Mr. Jackson is a kind of psychic vampire. This is of course not a vampire in the traditional supernatural sense of the word, but is instead a designation coined years ago to denote a type of individual who will by ingratiating him or herself with a victim by some triffling favor or flattery, establish a hold over the victim and thereby draining the victim of resources and energy, including mental and emotional energy. It seems to me that, the subject of sexual deviancies notwithstanding, Mr. Jackson fits the bill quite well in this regard. In fact, he seems to have become a vampire by way of being victimized by them. Now, it would seem that his life may have indeed come full circle, as he appears almost certainly destined to end by again being victimized by a family of grifters, psychic vampires in their own right.

One need only peruse Jackson's history to trace the origins of his condition. This is a man who, as a young child, was not permitted to have a childhood of his own, and, despite the manufacturd image of a close-knit, loving family, was subject to physical, mental, and emotional abuse by his father, a man driven to achieve success in the music industry by way of his children, a success he himself could not attain on his own merits. Michael's young life was forcibly devoted to hard work, training, and practice, and constant beratements toward the achievement of perfection in the craft that was foisted upon him.

Of course, as time went on, Michael went into puberty. Now, at this point, the young boy who was never allowed to be a child, was now becomming a young man who, it seems, was never allowed to grow up. By the time he was a fully grown adult, the psychic damage was probably irreversible. Most people would have totally disintegrated by the process that he had undertaken. But there was one thing that sustained him. His love for music, which he did indeed have a nearly incomparable talent for. As well as dancing, for which he was to all intents and purposes without peer in the world of pop and R&B. He was also a talented producer, and composer. And the fans. He had a way of reaching out to the fans, with his talent, and more, with his longing for acceptance, and for love.

This longing for acceptance and for love doubtless propeled him to make many unwise decisions, as regarding the multiple plastic surgeries, which have left him at last with the appearrance of a not very life like mannequin with a sound track. It was said at one time that, in order to maintain his popularity with his original fan base, he gargled periodically with bleach, in order to maintain the high falsaetto quality of his child-like vocals. He became white. He became Elizabeth Taylor. He became Dianna Ross. He became Elvis. But he never became Michael jackson. That was the tortured individual trapped in the body of a trained seal, but still yet the powerful overriding force who manipulated the other personnas like a maestro. It also manipulated the fan base. It craved the attention and the love of the children that he could never more than long to emulate, even when he himself was a child. In time, as he grew closer and closer to his fan base, and to the children that swooped into his orbit, he absorbed their childhood into himself. He drew on their energy, and he drained their essence unto himself. The money, time, and resources that he expended in the wake of this pursuit was to him a trivial matter. Like with all psychic vampires. What was so important about millions of dollars? After all, he was getting so much more in return. He was keeping his youth. He was Peter Pan. He was immortal. And, if it just so happenned that it might have in time escalated into the sexual domains of which he has been accussed, then he would have of course paid well for it. And he would have in the meantime been not only a sexual mentor to his young beloveds, but a spiritual mentor as well. After all, everybody has to grow up sooner or later, everybody has to have guidance, in all areas of life. Michael would be there to play the role. It was his calling.

Of course, as pertains to the sexual aspects, like I said, I can not be sure. I am only theorizing on the why's of the ifs. And to point out that, if it had not by now escalated to the point of sexual misdeeds, I have very little doubt that in time it would have. Whatever the caase, now that the stake has been all but driven through the heart of this psychic vampire-or at the very least, he has been exposed to the glaring light of a burning sun-it will be interesting to see if it might be possible to piece together the remants of this disintegrated personality. If there is anything that is left to piece together.

(End of original post)

I will probably have some more to say about Jackson at some later date. In the meantime, be sure to check out my previous post, posted in the immediate aftermath of Jackson demise, which asks Was Michael Jackson death faked?

Michael Jackson-Proof His Death Was Faked?

I was up early one morning, somewhere along 3:30 am, and so far as I know, that was the only time this segment has ever been aired at any time on CNN. But boy, is it a doozy. It involved a panel discussion of people, some of them tabloid journalists, others who had at one time or another had a personal or business relationship with the "King of Pop".

One of them in particular made the very compelling argument that Jackson, realizing his health was nowhere good enough to make good on his recent tour commitment, faked his death so that he could go into hiding, secure in the knowledge that his vastly increased record sales on word of his death would greatly eclipse what he could otherwise hope to achieve in his wildest dreams.

I know, it sounds like the standard crazed conspiracy theory, but it had added weight due to the fact that, according to this individual-

JACKSON HAD DISCUSSED THIS EXACT SAME PLAN WITH HIM JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO HIS REPORTED DEATH!

Of course, the guy went on to point out that Jackson put this across in a way seemingly meant to convey casual conversation, but at the same time, it seemed to the man that Jackson had evidently put a whole lot of thought into this. Moreover, Jackson even made the comment that, were he to stage a comeback after a two or three years long absence, in the form of a "Thriller-Back From The Dead" tour, it would blow everybody away.

As if that were not enough, another man, a former Private Investigator who had once worked with Jackson, relayed that he had it on good authority that, not only had Jackson faked his death, but had actually gone into witness protection, after giving out information pertaining to his knowledge of several internet child pornography rings. He insisted that this made sense, and in fact was the only explanation as to how Jackson could pull this off, under seeming official cover.

It took a while, but I was lucky enough to find the CNN video in question. You watch it, and judge for yourself as to the potential legitimacy of the claims made therein. And believe me, there are more. What I have relayed here is the tip of the iceburg. For example, he may be in the process of undergoing a sex-change operation. One other that was related I am loathe to repeat in its entirety.

Suffice it to say that, if indeed Michael Jackson faked his death and went off into hiding, he may have done so in the company of a very special companion. I won't say anymore, except this-YBRR

Watch the video that follows. Prepare to be dumbfounded and shocked-

My Hero

Sometimes ordinary, everyday people are the bravest of heroes. Enjoy.



Happy Litha

The Holiday Viking-A Poem by Patrick Kelley

Tyr throws a tongue in the furnace
It burns as a housewarming gift for the Moon
She waits with impatience
Dark forces surround her
She looks to the sun for her sustenance

A violent image from a televised fiction
Channels visions of hope for
The foolish and sheepish
The holiday Viking
In his hot bath tub sprawling
Sings a song while he plays with his
Little model long ship

Wild visions he dreams
Of the conquest of maidens
Midst the casual dispatching of
Giants and trolls
Then embarks to the hive
For the camaraderie
The safety
And the courage of honey and blood
Drawn from pen pricks

Freya is not there
Never has been
Nor will be
She bristles at the thought
Of such vile indignation
She knows the brave god
In there will be found not
Having heard while in passing
Sacred names passing
From lips mixed with the vomit of
Profane degradation
She just keeps on passing
For a brief moment pausing
To laugh at their manhood
Their impudence
Her gold mesh scarves she will move on to hang
In the
Great Hall of Heroes
Where Tyr waits with his hounds
As for Hel she will leave it as a
Hangout for zeroes, for the knaves
And those small limp-dick ones

May The Force Be With You

I drew this card in reverse, which doesn't necessarily denote it's opposite, weakness. It can mean that, but it can also mean an inordinate and inappropriate amount of force, overpowering the target, yes, but more importantly, taking possession of the wielder. Think of someone going totally berserk and smashing up a bar because someone told an off-color joke, and you pretty much get the picture, albeit maybe somewhat of an extreme one.

It also fits the astrological alignments for this night and the following. Whatever one might think of the lack of aspects during the preceding Sabbat (Beltane) you would have to be struck by the totality of the alignments now. Every planet comes into play now, with the sole exception of Mercury, who plays the part of the wandering wayfarer here, far from home, yet close to our hearts and in our minds.

One would be hard-pressed to find so many important aspects to occur within such close proximity to such an important event, astrological and spiritually speaking, as a solstice/Sabbat.

We have the Sun in opposition to Pluto in Capricorn (and incidentally, at Yule, at the opposite side of the Zodiac, we had these two bodies in conjunction); we have the Sun also in a trine to a conjunction of Neptune and Jupiter in Aquarius; we have the Sun squared Uranus in Pisces.

And, to really put the icing on the cake, we have the Moon sharing all of these aspects with the Sun while speeding towards a conjunction with the Sun, a conjunction which will occur sometime tomorrow, in affect serving to extend the magic and spiritual power of this sacred night.

It is almost as an afterthought that we view what would ordinarily be the very important conjunction of Venus and Mars in Pisces, a conjunction which possesses the rarity of a trine to Saturn in Virgo. For the two lovers, patience will and in fact is already paying dividends.

Still, there are great cosmic forces at work, battles to be won, and mountains to climb.

With all this in mind, I wish everyone a blessed and happy Litha. Let's hope it is that, anyway.

A Short Film For Litha (And A Damn Good One)

This film Directed by Yuval Hen Edited by Tom Palliser and Was commissioned by J Smith Esquire for His Spring/Summer 09 collection.
The film will be shown at his fashion show in London and Barcelona.

A Very Selective Tool Indeed

Well, how else would you describe a carbon counter that measures carbon emissions in real time and in conjunction with the accumulative effects of emissions from the last two centuries, while excluding from its data base any reference to natural cyclical patterns, sunspots, El Nino, etc., in measuring their effects on Global Warming?

Download it if you must to your desktop of website, but don't be unduly surprised if the first evidence of pollution you discern isn't from your own computer.

I love how they openly admit to excluding other factors while excusing it on the grounds that the effects of these other factors are unknown, or minimal at best.

Mother Nature Slams The City Of Poe

I have no idea if this is a real picture or some kind of artsy-fartsy drawing. but I chose it anyway, for no other reason than, as bizarre as it looks, it is probably the happiest picture you will ever see anywhere of Edgar Allen Poe, who was born on January 19th, 200 years ago. This year is the bi-centennial of his birth. Look at how big his head is. You can almost see all of his strange, twisted ideas and characters swimming around inside there, knocking against the inside of his skull demanding release.

What better year than for a tornado to hit the city of his birth or where he lived most of his adult life. Though technically the tornado hit Baltimore County, a separate though adjoining area of the city of Baltimore, it is notable not so much because of Poe as it is due to the close proximity to the Summer Solstice.

I notice things like that, and sometimes, it makes my head hurt. I think too much, just like Poe. Come to think of it, I based my novel in Baltimore due mainly to it being his home town.

Here's to you, Poe. If you were alive you'd probably write some fucked up spell-binder about somebody being whisked off by the tornado, never to be seen again, and I have no doubt it would be somebody you were madly in love with.

Makes you wonder.

Hot Fun In The Summertime

You Should Do Something Special To Mark The Summer Solstice

I just don't see that a Scavenger hunt is particularly special, different or unusual. Every day is a "scavenger hunt" in Covington Kentucky. Why advertise it?

I'll admit, it is a good way to get some damn good day old pastrami.

Red River Gorge And Natual Bridge

I've been wanting to do a post about the Red River Gorge for some time. It's one of the most worthwhile environmentalist success stories of all time (arguably one of the very few). Slated to be razed to make way for a reservoir in the seventies, due to environmentalist protests it was made into a state park, which includes several prominent natural features, most notably Natural Bridge.

Previously, it was as wild as the wild west, with gambling, bootlegging, drugs, prostitution, and even a hippy commune at one point.

I'm glad I found this video. The accompanying music by itself would be worth the price of admission. I'll probably bore everyone to tears posting about this place and over places in Kentucky. Fair warning.

I'm Taking My #*&^@ Marbles Home

A new museum opening in Athens is designed expressly for the purpose of hastening the return to Greece of the Elgin Marbles, taken from Greece over two hundred years ago by Lord Elgin, who was then the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

The Brits don't want to give them up, and I can't say as I blame them. I'm not really sure which side I take on this. The Brits have taken care of the marbles, after all, while many of the pieces that remained in Greece have, as pointed out in the article linked, fallen victim to war and to natural disasters. Some are gone forever.

Still, they are, after all, a very important part of Greece's cultural and historical heritage.

It might be a lot easier to side with the Greeks if the leaders of their dominant religion-the Greek Orthodox Church-were not so easily inclined to make such statements as "monstrous errors of the past" in referencing the ancient pagan faiths and cults of their forefathers.

For the time being, I'll just side with the deities. Maybe they like it where they are just fine.

I'll Have One Great Shatan On A Stick

I'm not about to get all mushy and romanticize recent events in Iran, because frankly, I don't know what to think. Was it in reality a sham election? I have my doubts. Remember that all candidates, including Mousavi (himself a former student radical during the early days of the Islamic Revolution) had to be approved by the Ayatollahs, and you have to wonder, why should it matter?

Some point out the vote was counted too fast. Uhhm, I don't know, but I have a feeling there were plenty of vote-counters, and they were engaged throughout the entire day tabulating ballots. They didn't just start counting when the polls closed.

So I don't know. Maybe it means something. Maybe it means nothing. This is actually not the first time there have been street demonstrations against the mullahs. It's just the first time we have been made that blatantly aware of it.

In the meantime, what better way to experience the Persian culture than with their food? I wish them all the best, but in the meantime, I'm not about to rush over and paint my blog green. Baby steps, people, baby steps.

Magical Food For A Magical Night

From the website All Recipes comes this recipe for Granny's Gingersnap Cookies.

Yes, I know this might be a better recipe for Yule, but bear in mind, tonight the sun is in opposition to Pluto, which is itself just a couple of degrees from the cusp of Capricorn, where it was in conjunction with the sun during Yule.

Besides, I just discovered just how good these things are. Admittedly, I use the store bought kind, which are fine, but if you really want to put some of your own magical energy into the creation of these beauties, you can't go wrong with this recipe.

I went through a whole bag one night, and found myself while sleeping dreaming that my bowels were moving. I then woke up to find they were in fact about to move. I made it to the bathroom just in the knick of time. Ginger is a purifying agent, and good for magical energy. Used magically, they are good for raising power and magical energy, for grounding following a ritual, and of course for purification purposes, quite appropriate for a situation in which the Sun is in opposition to Pluto, in fact.

Most of all, they are just damn good cookies, and even if purchased from a store in a little old-fashioned style brown paper bag, they are as close to a natural product as anything you can buy that way.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1/3 cup cinnamon sugar
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl.
• Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.