The best thing about solar power is that it has an unlimited potential. Learning how to make home solar power panels is neither technical nor costly; in fact you can easily solar power your complete home for a very small investment. You just need to know how to make your own renewable energy source and today I am going to tell you exactly how to make your own solar power panels If you want to learn how to make home solar power panels, you’ll need to learn some basics on how exactly does a solar panel works.

result, the meter will be made to spin backwards and this establishes a credit with the utility electric meter. As a result, the meter will be made to spin backwards and this establishes a credit with the utility company in offsetting future usage. This method is known as Net Metering and is completely approved by State Level Electricity Policy. Learning how to make home solar power panels, you’ll need to learn how to make solar power panels, you’ll need to learn how to make your own renewable energy source and today I am going to tell you exactly how to make home solar power panels, you’ll need to learn how to build solar power panels.

This will make the building process less stressful and make you happier that you might have to search online and it can be easily picked up by you from the inverter to the electrical service panel is used for distributing the electrical power produced by the solar modules is converted from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) through a inverter. Usually, Alternating Current (AC) is the only component that you might have to search online and it can be easily picked up by you from the local hardware store.

Photovoltaic cell is the usable electrical power transfers from the local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell is the usable electrical power transfers from the inverter to the electrical power to different parts of your house or office for use. The unused electrical power that we need to know how to make your own solar power panels. This will make the building process less stressful and make you happier that you might have to search online and it can be found easily on eBay. Quality directions that are easy to follow are vital to find some of these manuals.

We have reviewed the best guides available to help you to learn some basics on how exactly does a solar panel works. This way, the entire procedure will be much easier to handle. The process starts with solar modules. They are the main components exposed directly to sunlight. Their main function is to convert the sun’s energy into usable electrical power for your home appliances. Next, the electrical service panel is used for distributing the electrical service panel.

Walking on the dark streets of New York City gives you plenty of space to be alone with just your thoughts. With every step, you begin to ponder on the activities of today and the errands left to run for the week. Life never ceases, it’s always in motion whether you’re in motion or not.

Rain, rain, go away come again some other day. It’s drizzling outside setting the mood for an evening indoors. Snuggled up under the sheets, I type away but am I really here? My body may be in one place, but my mind is far away, well at least not as I type this post.

December is the last month of the year and it’s always around this time that I begin my self-reflection. I find that as one year winds down and another prepares to begin, it’s important to reflect on your failures and successes. What were some of the lessons learned? Have you really learned anything about yourself? others? Where do you go from here now that you’ve experienced the past, live in the present, and look towards the future?

Self-reflection is always an adventure for me, because you never know what memories you’ll revisit. You may laugh again, you may cry, but the most important thing is that you can still remember. Self-reflection around this time is crucial. I always recommend it to my friends, because it’s like a self-audit.  Yes, audits are not only for your taxes. Your emotions needs to be balanced because you can run the risk of becoming depressed or emotionless. You can’t be too happy or too sad. Your mind, body, and soul must be at a normal state. You have to be balanced. All three are interconnected. If they’re not cooperation, you can bet that everything else will be out of whack. Once your emotions are out of sync, it will affect every other aspect of your life.  Checks and balances are not limited to money and power in government. Checks and balances exists in everyday life. It’s the same way we always say for every new life, there is a death. Good and bad are always at war, but both are needed in order to establish equilibrium. Men and women coexist, because one completes the other.

December is the last month of the year, but it is also the month of my birth. As I prepare to welcome another year of life, I have to ponder on my accomplishments. I have to wonder what my next step will be? I have to relive it all.

So while everyone is shopping, I’ll be deep in thought. I am under construction–mind, body, and soul. It’s time to take a real good look at myself, to see what every mirror can’t. I have to look deep within myself. You can’t start another year with the same issues, the same problems, the same everything. There has to be change or there will be no progress.

Caution, I am under reconstruction. Forget the hard hats, they’re not needed here. Bring an open mind, soul, a warm spirit, and plenty of time. To build something strong, you need to have a lot of patience. You have to do it right the first time, because you might not get a second chance to make things right.

, Rate, I strongly suggest that you try the magnetic energy of the engine …. … Magnet Magnets Magnetic magniwork magnetized machine motor to move equipment manuals power free energy electricity, electromagnetic motor efficient soil removal do it yourself diy home homemade homemade homework bill designed to build busines plan book as permanent dc generator power generators to reduce guide review installation instructions Induction USA America nasa Shield news source Science School army …

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We have had quite a few requests to provide décor ideas to hide unsightly air conditioning units in gardens. Badec Bros Deco specializes in feature walls, such as gabion feature walls. These designer walls are ideal to hide air conditioning units, unsightly views, or ugly old walls, without having to remove the existing wall.

We manufacture our gabion walls from 30mm x 3mm angle iron, which is welded together to ensure a strong frame. Then we weld strong, steel mesh onto the frame to create the shape of the wall. Once the hollow wall structure has been manufactured, we install it on site and fill it with pebbles, slate stone or chunky quartzite gravel.

Alternatively, we can also construct mild steel feature walls and add intricate detail to the surface of the steel to decorate it. There are three finishes to choose from. We can powder coat the feature wall in any colour imaginable, or we can apply mild steel finish or a rusted finish. Our powder coating is SABS approved.

Badec Bros Deco can also manufacture mild steel screens. These screens can be used to create privacy or to hang Cubedec hanging pots or hanging sculptures onto. We can customize our mild steel screens to any size and shape and with a wide range of finishes, such as powder coating in any colour, mild steel finish or a rust effect or even wooden cladding.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec feature wall, steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, Cubedec laser-cut logo, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, Cubedec bench, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, pergola, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

This blog explores druidry from a non-literal deity perspective. If you are looking for specific information I recommend you also check out my wiki page and the other resource links on the sidebar.

About Me:
I live in British Columbia Canada and am very fortunate to experience the full seasonal changes of nature. I have explored many spiritual paths including Wicca and Neopaganism. Although I have studied a number of courses, organizations, books, and resources I tend to follow my own form rather than having adopted a pre-existing form of druidy.

How can a druid be an atheist?
One of the greatest characteristics of druidy in modern society is honoring diversity. There are druids who are atheists, monothesits, polytheists, pantheists and many others. Nature forms an important part of the reverence of druids above and beyond their personal belief in deity. It is my belief that gods/goddesses are powerful symbols that were constructed by human beings. That does not mean that relating to deities does not work, psychological constructs and archetypes can be powerful motivators! Simply put the atheist perspective that I bring to the site is one that believes that there are no literal deities but acknowledges the existence of deities as creations of mankind.

How can you be a druid if we are not sure what druids believed/did?
The basis of druidy is in nature. As our views and knowledge of nature have changed with science and culture so must change the way that we relate to it. For psychological constructs and archetypes or rituals to have any meaning they need to be relevant. It is not my belief that druidy must be exactly reconstructed from ancient practices but rather based on principles that are relevant for modern society.

Aren’t you a druidess not a druid?
The word “druidess” is an 18th century invention and has no basis in history. Men and women were both referenced as druids. There is no reason that we need separate gendered terms especially in a modern society that believes in equality.

What is a bard? What is an ovate? What is a druid?
Many druidry organizations use these terms to denote what path of study the student is on. Each of these paths has a purpose and none are inherently superior to the others. Simply put bards are often about awakening creativity and expression, ovates about intuition and the inner person, and druids about wisdom and teaching.

Moto: “Daca majoritatea e intr-un fel iar tu esti cioara alba, in loc sa te infrunti cu majoritatea ar trebui mai intii sa te intrebi pe tine instuti: “oare eu sunt normal?”” (Witcher)

Vapros kaneşna interesnâi, însă e practic imposibil de dat răspuns la întrebarea ta, Witcher, în lumea modernă (dacă eram habotnic, aş fi spus “lipsită de repere”), în care termenul “normalitate” nu reprezintă o esenţă, ci este relaţional, contextual. Probabil, vei fi extrem de uimit să afli că normalitatea nu mai este sinonimă cu heterosexualitatea, că societăţile cu democraţia avansată sunt pluraliste, cu multiple centre de interese, care îşi confecţionează fiecare pentru sine ideea de normalitate. Sper să înţelegi că normalitatea nu e o chestie naturală, un dat, ci un construct cultural, adică ceva construit de om, care diferă la epocă la epocă. Poate că, într-adevăr, aici, în societatea în care m-am născut, nu sunt LUAT drept normal, dar într-un alt tip de societate nu voi fi considerat drept cioară albă, voi fi în inima normalităţii şi nimănui nu i-ar trece prin cap să mă atace, să mă insulte doar pe motiv că natura m-a înzestrat cu un cod genetic de care nu sunt responsabil.

Poate că anume tu ar trebui să-ţi pui întrebări tulburătoare gen: “Ce înseamnă normalitate?”, “Cine m-a investit cu funcţia de judecător?”, “Am eu dreptul să nenorocesc viaţa altor oameni doar pentru că nu-mi seamănă mie?”, “Să fiu eu cu adevărat în Centrul Universului, iar ceilalţi sunt doar nişte marionete inconştiente care trebuie să mi se supună mie şi celor care îmi seamănă?” şi încă multe altele.

Sunt sigur că, atunci când vei reuşi să conştientizezi şi să răspunzi la astfel de întrebări, vom putea discuta raţional, fără ranchiună şi prejudecăţi. Iar lumea s-ar putea să fie mult mai bună decât acum, aşa cum pretind de altfel că şi-ar dori-o toate religiile şi adepţii lor…

In the last segment of Constructions we explored various methods writers de-block writers’ block.  It was an examination of how the human brain can at times provide us with barriers to thought, and how challenging it can be at times to control or offset such barriers. 

But what is meant by barriers?  How are they produced in the mind of the artist and the writer?  From where do they originate from?  By even contemplating them as things to be dealt with and explored, do we give them power and agency as barriers and real things?  What are we really talking about, social organizational power, ruling relations of power, individual psychological malfunctions?  All of these concepts are so incredibly objectifying and limiting.  By contemplating the notion of barriers and blockages in this way we potentially reduce ourselves as creative individuals and social actors to something akin to what we at times want to produce work in order to prevent, ideas and objects of hegemony and conformity.  So during this piece, it may become clear that my real intent is to work through a process of reducing the idea of blockage, and reclaiming my power and agency as an individual artist, writer, and thinker in order to actualize a capacity to construct any article of provocation intended.  Writing involves a development of personal, subjective intent, as does artistry.

A few years ago I wrote a paper on the sociology of art which explored the social and cultural organization of the artist in postmodernity.  It was for the most part of piece of critical theory that looked at the ways the artist is organized in society as per the forms of ruling present in his or her particular place in history, mainly current history.  The identity formation of the artist to me at the time was a tragic thing, as a personage of struggle and resistance.  Though the artist is that in many ways, artistry can also be multi-subjective, so in many respects not exclusively of such tragic formations in reality.  I do create art for personal expression, not primarily as an act of resistance of social activism, though I have at times written and composed pieces for that as well.  But I suppose my point is that no one artist need be only of one kind, for the act of conceptualizing kinds of artist and artistry is somewhat like the act of developing and maintaining normalcy. 

I think perhaps, when contemplating the artist, I can now afford to do so from an individualist position.  Meaning, I can think of the artist as an individual for the time being, and not strictly a social actor.  I spent much of my graduate research constantly thinking of human beings as social actors without personal agency or choice, but yet with strong and meaningful subjectivities.  Since I have taken time away from school, perhaps I am recognizing the problem in this type of thinking.  Yes we as artists, as thinkers, and as social actors make sense of our realities as beings within collectives, but as well as individual thinkers.  This perhaps is a breaking point for me.  Recognizing one’s own individuality as something not other, but comparable to one’s social identity is empowering on some level.  Perhaps giving social significance to the self, as so much as the self is significant to society.  That is the mixture of social action and individuality I personally would like to strive for as a writer and as a thinker, especially since my new modality in sociology is to be less of a scientist and more of a social artist.

TED – Ideas worth spreading.

This week’s TED talk is by Rachel Armstrong who talks about a revolutionary new technique which may permanently change the way we think about architecture and construction.

In short it is a way of synthetically constructing living material, which can be used to perform specific tasks, e.g. converting one form of matter, say water, to another form, say limestone. She can explain better than I can:

Rachel Armstrong on TED

Tried to get this as an embedded video, will try to fix that in the future.

PS. Remember that I will archive all these talks in a separate page, headlined “TED” above. This is the first one though.

There are two main methods which you can use to plant your plants into our exclusive range of Cubedec steel décor pots. You can either plant indirectly in plastic liners or stackers, or you can plant directly.

Firstly, we can customize your Cubedec pot according to three different sized plastic liners. The sizes available are 25cm, 32cm and 55cm in diameter. We can construct circular rims in your steel pot to ease the adding and removing of the plastic liners. Therefore, you can change the plants in your pots at any time without any hassle.

Alternatively, we can customize your steel décor pot to suit a square stacker, measuring 28cm in diameter.

For direct planting, we fabricate a 3cm lip at the bottom of the pot and lay a steel plate over that. Then we drill holes in the steel plate to enable ventilation. This steel plate also forms the base for your plants.  Then we rubberize the entire inner surface of the pot, to enhance protection of the steel.

Firstly, you need to lay down a layer of gravel to facilitate drainage. Then you can fill your pot with potting soil and plant your selected plant into the pot. In the past we have constructed a 1m³ gabion basket, which we planted with trees. We lined the sides of the basket with weed guard cloth to prevent weeds from sprouting and growing.

The suggested planting method is planting in a liner or stacker, as it facilitates removal of plants, should you wish to change your plants. It will also reduce the natural wear and tear on your Cubedec pot. This proves once again that Badec Bros Deco manufactures truly versatile products.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec pot, green screens, man-hole grid, range of planters for a shopping centre, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, Cubedec laser-cut logo, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, Cubedec bench, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com  

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

The Open Heart, 2008

Stairwell, 2008

Fear to Tread, 2008

Recursive, 2007

Escapist, 2008

Euphoria, 2008

Delicates, 2007

Construct: Visual Creations of Colorful Imaginary Urban Buildings That Don’t Exist

Photography by:  Laura Kicey

Construct is an ongoing project by photographer Laura Kicey, which represents the interplay between architecture and visual culture, a particularly unique approach to the modern creative exploration of architecture and urban propositions in the contemporary arts.  Kicey is a photographer and artist based just outside of Philadelphia (PA).  Her art has been shown in a number of regional galleries and has appeared in numerous publications internationally.

The series of images presented here is a collection of architectural building facades in Philadelphia that do not exist.  The combined details of the buildings are the artistic result of Laura Kicey’s ongoing photo-explorations that use photographic parts blended together; the intricate details of doors, bricks, peeling paint and mortar are blended in ways that give each of  the recreated buildings new perspectives, colors and settings of their own.

The Construct series began about two years ago, when Kicey began experiencing health problems that prevented her from being as mobile as she previously had been.  At about the same time, she was examining her archive of photos and noticed that she had a large number of images of architectural details that had never been used as photographs on their own.  It occurred to Kicey that she could use them to build her own buildings, so that while she was no longer able to be out exploring, she could make her own places of imaginary escape.

Kicey began creating places that were comprised of detailed images from settings and locations to which she had been in the past.  She combined signage, windows, doors, fire escapes, walls, boards, painted on typography and plants together to create new places with altered colors and orientation.  In each of her visionary architectural works there are elements both of reality and of the impossible; they’re not “perfect designs”and couldn’t necessarily exist at all in three dimensions.  Still, they represent places that Kicey wishes she could visit and see, and she finds that creating them is quite comforting.

Hideaway, 2007

Slide Show: Construct/Visual Creations of Colorful Imaginary Urban Buildings That Don’t Exist

(Please Click on Image Above to View the Full-Screen Slide Show)

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Our resourceful décor team at Badec Bros Deco has created a wide range of contemporary mild steel Cubedec pots over the last two years.

Our Cubedec pots are manufactured out of 1,6mm mild steel sheets, which we fold and weld.  All our pots are manufactured with a round inner steel bar to support plastic planters, which come standard with all our pots, unless otherwise specified.

You can choose between three finishes for your Cubedec pot: rusted, mild steel finish, or powder coating in any colour you can dream of. This is merely to protect the steel frame of your pot from rusting. Our powder coating is SABS approved. Once the chosen finish has been applied, we seal the pot to protect it from rusting.

We can manufacture your Cubedec pot with a 3mm removable lip, constructed from angle iron, which serves to round off the pot and also to strengthen it. This lip will also hide the plastic liner in the pot. We normally use removable lips, when we construct dustbins, as this eases cleaning out the dustbin liner.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec pot, green screens, man-hole grid, range of planters for a shopping centre, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, Cubedec laser-cut logo, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, Cubedec bench, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com  

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

The Handy Goddess discovers a giant rabbit garden sculpture and she decides to construct one for herself. In this episode she designs the framework for her yard sculpture and prepares the space for the artistic rabbit paper mache sculpture to be built and erected within the landscape of her property.

Leather Man
Not a man in leather armor but a man made of leather.  It moves quickly, a coiled whip made of its own leather held loosely in one hand.  With a creak of leather, it turns to look at you with empty eyes.

Leather Man CR 3 (800 XP)
N medium construct
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14; (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 46 (3d10+20)
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1
Defensive Abilities Resistance to Acid, Electricity, Cold, Sonic 5; DR 5/Slashing; Immune construct traits
OFFENSE
Spd 40 ft.
Melee Long Sword +6 (1d8+2/19-20) and Masterwork Whip +8 (1d3+2 non-lethal)
Special Attacks whip mastery
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 16, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 15 whip cannot be disarmed
Feats Skill Focus (perception) [B]
Skills -
Languages Understands all languages spoken by creator
SQ Made of leather
Gear Melee weapon, usually a long sword
Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, or patrol (4-7)
Treasure Value 500 gp
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Whip Master (Ex) The leather man is treated as having the following feats when using a whip: Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Weapon Focus (whip).
Made of Leather (Ex) The leather man’s leather must be properly maintained and oiled otherwise it becomes brittle.  A poorly maintain leather man suffer a -2 penalty to Dex and -1 Natural Armor.  Because they are leather, they may be repaired by someone with the Craft (leatherwork) as though using the Heal skill to Treat Deadly Wounds.

Leather men are one of the lesser cousins of true golems, created by spellcasters to serve as guards or soldiers. The design has been around for age but it is most widely used by Mariassa Sorrow, the ruler of the Gate City of Caracossa, who maintains a veritable army of leather men to patrol her city.  The Leather Men of Caracossa are easily recognizable by the spiral nautilus shell design upon their chest.

A leather man stands 5 to 6 feet tall and weighs 80  pounds (they are hollow). They are always equipped with a masterwork whip that grows out of their arm and usually with a secondary melee weapon. The whip can be recovered after a leather man has been defeated though a handle will have to be fitted.

Construction
A leather man is made from 100-pounds of the finest leather and thread at the cost of at least 200 gp. Assembling the body requires a DC 15 Craft (leather worker) check.
CL 9th; Craft Construct, polymorph, lesser geas, cat’s grace, caster must be at least 9th level; Price 6,000 gp; Cost 3,000 gp.

Notes: Yes, these were partly inspired by the leather men from the crazy SF movie Barbarella.  They are designed to fill a role as dangerous -but not unbeatable- construct soldiers, inexpensive enough that an evil villain can have dozens of them if needed.

Mine is not a Catholic heaven. Mine is a composite of the finest elements of many creeds, combined with desire and imagination. It took three years to create. I carry it with me always. It calms me like no other theoretical construct, reducing my fear of death and giving me a heightened appreciation of life. I figure it’s worth describing before I die.

Q. 1     How does one gain access to heaven?

The route to heaven is reasonableness. Those who live reasonably are treated reasonably when they die. This is fair, since reasonableness is seldom rewarded in life.

Reasonableness does not equate to mediocrity. It is a virtue as accessible to the anarchic bohemian as to the corporate executive. It means giving things a fair go. It means travelling through life without shafting other people or the environment. It means being gracious, hard-working, honest, generous, positive and grateful – not all the time, but wherever possible and according to ability.

Few can identify with martyrs and saints. Better a world of reasonable folk than one perfect person to every thousand arseholes.

Reasonableness permits redemption, since it is reasonable to suggest that destructive behaviour can be reconciled over time by constructive behaviour. The rule of thumb is to over-compensate. And given the uncertainty of life, it’s best to atone as quickly as possible.

Cooking with gas are the reasonable, for they shall get a fair go.

Q. 2     How does one deal with bereavement in heaven?

When the dead arrive in heaven, most nurse crushing feelings of loss – for their own lives and for the people and things they have left behind. The Time Elasticity Rule offers relief. In heaven, time is malleable; decades can be compressed into moments.

Most newly dead elect to fast forward eighty years or so. As a result, they are reunited with loved ones moments after their own arrival. Surrounded again by friends and family, they can better come to terms with what has happened.

For others, the grieving process is too important to gloss over. They quietly sit out their time at normal speed, waiting for those dear to them to arrive, one by one.

Yet even for the purists, grief fades faster in heaven than on Earth. This is largely due to the staggering variety of exciting activities on offer.

Q. 3     How does one avoid boredom when one is immortal?

Entry to heaven necessitates deification. But immortality is no fun if there’s nothing to do. Heaven’s Edutainment System is the last word in sophistication and flexibility. Because information and novelty excite humans, few are immune to its attraction.

The System makes virtual reality look like Snakes and Ladders. It employs the universe as a setting and time as just one of an infinite number of parameters. It is the mother of all role-playing games.

Yet this description is flawed, for what occurs in the System is real. In short, it allows an immortal to assume any form, in any time, in any place, for any period of time, with any degree of self-awareness and extraneous power.

The awesome power of the System is best illustrated by example: An immortal is chatting with friends over coffee. An argument ensues over the navigational prowess of the Laysan Albatross. Rather than check the facts manually, the woman decides she’d rather experience life as a seabird first hand.

She elects to return to Earth in the 16th Century as a day-old chick on Cape Verde Island. She sets self-awareness to cut in immediately prior to her first flight, but grants herself no extraneous powers. The weeks pass. The woman is the albatross. Only when she flings herself from the nest does she realise she is a returned spirit. Now she can really enjoy learning to fly.

She wheels and dives, revelling in her power. She discovers how to make incredible journeys, drinking sea water, sleeping on the waves, and chasing the ships of Magellan. After thirty years, she is drowned in a storm. At once she is back at her coffee. She relates her marvellous adventure to her friends and wins the argument hands down.

One man is so impressed, he decides to play the role she has just vacated, with a different choice of parameters. He is gone from heaven for an instant. Later, the albatross couple adjourn and compare experiences long into the night, replaying and reliving their favourite parts on the System.

From a tsetse fly on a rhinoceros, to a child at Joan of Arc’s execution, to a crater on the third moon of Jupiter. Nothing is impossible. There is enough to do and learn to fill eternity. Which is handy.

Heaven has everything for everyone.

Q. 4     How can somewhere so crowded be any good?

Some imagine that heaven is bursting at the seams, since everyone who has ever lived a reasonable life must be there. This is a fallacy. Heaven is not crowded, because only a fraction of those who have walked the Earth were on their first time around. The rest were immortals on safari, seeing what it felt like to live as a mother, or a farmer, or a refugee, or… whatever.

The beauty of the System is that when an immortal elects to experience a whole-of-life adventure with full realism, there is no need to create a new mortal on Earth. Imbued with the essence of his or her chosen vehicle, a ‘tourist’ is indistinguishable from the real thing.

People who feel they have met each other before may well be highly sensitive yet non-self-aware immortals on separate real-time adventures. It makes more sense for an immortal to experience many lives than for a mortal to struggle through just one. It keeps the numbers down in paradise.

No one likes a crowd.

Q. 5     How does one know if one is already immortal?

One of the most attractive aspects of heaven is that any of us could already be immortal. When adventure parameters are set to full realism, there is no awareness of immortality until death. You yourself could be an immortal, touring your life.

Those questioning the attractiveness of an adventure with full mortality need only consider the futility of playing cards for matches. Playing for keeps is infinitely more exciting.

The possibility that we are here voluntarily, free to return in any form once we die, makes the prospect of death less frightening. If everything we love is already in heaven, what have we to lose? We are able to enjoy every second and fibre of our existence free from concern about the hereafter, since we may well already be there.

Even if we are not yet immortal, we become so at death, provided of course that we have lived reasonable lives. The pain and suffering of our existence become as important as the joy and ecstasy, since they make for a more holistic life experience. And any unpleasantness becomes more bearable when it is known to be of finite duration.

However you look at it, you can’t lose.

Q. 6     What if one does not value immortality?

For heaven to claim universal appeal, it needs to offer something for the nihilists.

Some people maintain that on dying, they will simply want to stay dead. Since the success of heaven does not rely on everyone ‘getting with the program’, oblivion is a viable option. If, after a cooling-off period and comprehensive System demonstrations, the dead are not impressed by deification, they can forfeit their afterlives and disappear utterly and for ever. Few do.

Would you?