Home Depot Inc. and Lowe’s Cos., the largest U.S. home-improvement chains, are stocking fewer fake Christmas trees as shoppers plan to save money by buying the real thing. “As the economy has gotten tougher, artificial trees have become more of a discretionary purchase,” Craig Menear, Home Depot’s executive VP.

Source:
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-12-01/business/0911300298_1_artificial-trees-fake-tree-home-depot

Home Depot Inc. and Lowe’s Cos., the largest U.S. home-improvement chains, are stocking fewer fake Christmas trees as shoppers plan to save money by buying the real thing. “As the economy has gotten tougher, artificial trees have become more of a discretionary purchase,” Craig Menear, Home Depot’s executive VP.

Source:
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-12-01/business/0911300298_1_artificial-trees-fake-tree-home-depot

Espeluznante la nueva imagen de Bioshock 2, parece que el cirujano loco vuelve a la carga!

If you remember, I used to be in love with this show. The first and second seasons were probably honest. I say that because maybe every third episode had something to show, and the rest were snorefests wandering around. I think the pressure put on the actors was immense – not just from scifi but also from the viewers. Lets be smart for a moment and think about how many people probably DVRed the show after figuring out that two thirds of them were people bumping around in the dark for an hour?

Scifake became the prinicipal site to discuss this stuff after scifi decided to delete posts off their forums. Now scifake is up for sale and it make you wonder exactly how much of the muckraking was just to piss off people with money. Like the pirate bay and other sources of inconvenient truths, was the intent the entire time to piss off people with money so they could put their silence up for sale?

God only knows. Scifi killed their forums. Grant seems to have the most “on tape” paranormal experiences. Jason (who is an actor) claims nothing is faked – but he may also not be breaking role because he’s also a man who has to provide for his family. Several of the GHI team and other employees are flat on their asses broke and living with theit parents. And now Scifi is trying to spin the whole thing off into a new, heavilly promoted series called “ghost hunters academy”. Just when it looked like the trainwreck couldn’t get any deeper, Jason responds outside of the safe harbors of pilgrim films and scifi forums on scifake.com. It’s gotten so nuts that there’s death threats. Finally it seems every paranormal group in the nation is pissing on the Ghost Hunters.

At least with Paranormal State there was no doubt about it being faked. Penn State had issued a statement to that effect. With Ghost Adventures, it’s funny and it’s supposed to be funny. With Extreme Paranormal and Ghost Lab, they’re so pathetic and fat that they can’t conduct a proper investigation because they can’t walk from one side of the room to the other without weezing all over the EVPs. But Ghost Hunters, the original, still persists.

Two piece sets have become commonplace with OA issues for national events (NOAC and Jamboree).  They typically include a lodge flap and a lower chevron that continues the flap design.  Some lodges get pretty clever with their designs, you can do a search on eBay and turn up a variety of examples.  Tamegonit Lodge/Tribe of Mic-O-Say/Heart of America council have jointly produced two sets for recent National Jamborees (2001 and 2005).  In the case of the 2001 set, a fake of the lower chevron has surfaced.  Pictured below are the two patches.  The one on the left is the original, while the one on the right is the fake. 

The easiest way to tell the difference is by looking at the Mic-O-Say claws on the left hand side of the patch.  The original patch has black claws, while the fake has silver-mylar claws. 

The fakes show up on eBay fairly regularly, keep an eye out.  There are no apparent differences between the companion OA flap and the flap commonly sold with the fake chevron.

The Truth About Psychics: What’s Real, What’s Not, and How to Tell the Difference

By Sylvia Browne with Lindsay Harrison

Published December 1, 2009 (Hardcover) Fireside

More Info: Sylvia Browne

Sylvia Browne has a raucous sense of humor.  You see a glimpse — in The Truth About Psychics — where she tells numerous stories of her psychic hits, and caps it with this “I’m not one bit psychic about myself, and I’ve got the ex-husbands to prove it.”

We plunge into history right away — religions and spirituality — where it all originated.  The Ancients — Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Incans, Aztecs — and the history of the great religions.  Then come divinations.  I had no idea my favorite has a name. Pose a question and open a book at random, reading whatever passage your eyes select.  It’s called Rhapsodomancy.

About astrology, she says “God didn’t create anything haphazard in this universe.”  For the record, I’m Leo, with moon in Pisces, and my rising sign is on the cusp of Scorpio and Sagittarius.   Numerology – change your name, change your fate.  I found peace when I reclaimed my birth name, Diana Page Jordan, which had been changed “forever” when I was five.   My mother also cut me off forever, for changing my name, but that’s another story.  That name is me.

Sylvia speaks of Psychometry, Remote Viewing, Telepathy and others.  Imitative Magic — whose roots show up in our Halloween and our Christmas — translates to “act as if.”  I love the chapters on divinations.  I have a quick yes-no reading I do occasionally, and I took a quick break to do one.  If the X — or ten — shows up, it is a No; if the I — or one — turns up, that means your answer is Yes.  I asked three different questions related to allowing a certain man back into my life.  I shuffled three times, and cut the cards three times between each of the questions.  One card showed up all three times. X — and the card’s name was Oppression.  That answer was not just no.  It was hell no.

The book gets more exciting as each page is turned.  Although we begin with history, and definitions, Sylvia sheds fascinating information relating to famous men like Houdini and Conan Dolye as mediums.  And, you, too, get a chance to learn how to sharpen what you’ve got – and what the tricks of the trade are, as played by charlatans.

I’ll ask Sylvia more when I interview her about The Truth About Psychics.

Tonight we had lentil soup for dinner.  I don’t always remember to make it,  but every now and then life gets so busy that the simplest meal seems to be the best choice. Incredibly, the kids love it and go for seconds and thirds. Simple. Delicious. Easy. Soup.

So here’s to being grateful for the simple things. To keeping things uncomplicated and savouring the Everyday. You might not like lentil soup,  but you might have other reminders around you of flavour to be found in the simple things. A tune played on the piano. Or a moment in time (thanks Euan!).

Even an unsophisticated looking Banraku puppet’s evolution of dance changes the way that I’m going to remember the dance we have seen a million times on Facebook (thanks Kayt for sharing in your Google reader!)

Of course, I can’t write something about  lentil soup without a  reference to Neil.  Or without providing a recipe, so here goes Wonderwebby’s Lentil Soup (also known as φακές  or fah-kes )  :

Wash and clean 500 grams of green lentils. Boil in plenty of water then once they have come to a rolling boil, drain off the water. Add new water into the saucepan and continue to cook the lentils with 1 diced onion, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 cups of passata di pomodoro(tomato puree), salt and pepper. I like to add some vegetarian chicken flavoured stock. Simmer for half an hour or until cooked. If you like, add a dash of balsamic vinegar to serve.

Do you like to get back to basics sometimes? What’s your version of “lentil soup” to remind you of the simple things? I’d love to know!

This post was created as part of a global groundswell of gratitude called TweetsGiving. The celebration, created by US nonprofit Epic Change, is an experiment in social innovation that seeks to change the world through the power of gratitude. I hope you’ll visit the TweetsGiving site to learn more, and to bring your grateful heart to the party by sharing your gratitude, and giving in honor of that for which you’re most thankful.

I searched online for Myanmar metal stuff last night and found a forum. With great expectations, I clicked on the link.

What I found?

They were talking about… nu-metal??? Yes, nu-metal. Frigging hell mallcore stuff like Slipknot and Marilyn Manson. There were even people who mentioned Linkin Park and Flyleaf.

Seriously! There was nothing on it but mallcore. -.-

Next one was a blog. He was talking about Slipknot and how much he likes them and on another blog was an article on Myanmar metal scene and the author was talking about Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium. Frigging Metalcore.

EVERYTHING HERE IS JUST NU-METAL AND METALCORE????????????

-________-

Why can’t they just get out of this whole mallcore thing??? Why won’t they step deeper into the depths? WHY?????

There were even some people who said,”Slipknot is Death Metal”. Ya, go die. It pisses me off when I hear people saying crap like that.

Mallcore, Nu-metal, Metalcore, BFMV, A7X, Marilyn Manson, BMTH, blah blah blah and it goes on and on and on in a never finishing mallcore whirlpool. This is what’s happening  in Myanmar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This should end.

Metal albums aren’t that rare anymore. You can pretty much buy them here. (Last week I got Black Sabbath:The Dio Years and Megadeth’s Endgame.) Or you can download them via Mediafire or 4shared (which I usually do).

Still people are still drowning in the mallcore whirlpool… labeling themselves “metalheads” with Slipknot songs in their mp3 players.

It’s time to ditch out mallcore people! Ditch it out and explore into the depths of Metal!

Compare it! Compare and listen! Compare Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Korn, Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me the Horizon, Atreyu (and whatever mallcore/metalcore/nu-metal stuff) to Iron Maiden, Death, Mayhem, Children Of Bodom, Judas Priest, (old) In Flames, Slayer, Dio, Black Sabbath, Kamelot, Gorgoroth, Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, Dark Tranquillity, Behemoth, Amon Amarth, Amorphis, Sonata Arctica, Opeth, Deicide, HammerFall, Moonspell, Venom, Testament, Morbid Angel, Candlemass, Exodus, My Dying Bride, Datkthrone, etc. Compare mallcore/nu-metal/metalcore to Death Metal, Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal, Power Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Doom Metal, Traditional Heavy Metal, Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal, etc. AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE!

\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/

Now ill put my own deal

on here . Then its ok well

here it goes we enjoyed

the conference on the far side of the moon.   Yea

they got rocket ships that take people there , it

just cost 12 dollars thats all.  Every one wants to

go there.  They all go naked on the moon these

days.  May be there is this fat well plump lady on

the moon that wants to have sex with a dog man.

Sone one on word press said men are dogs and

will fuck any thing with 2 legs.  Thats rong.

Just go to San Diego, Ca.  By mistake go to a

homo sauna.  Well bozo did once and left in a 

hurry.

http://www.dimitrilosabe.com/#/home

I’ll be posting the latest celeb fakes pics on my new blog here. Bookmark my celeb fakes site and come back soon for regular updates of the hottest celebrities!

The front of Steven's hand drawned shirt.

The back...a little more interesting

How I came to own this is another one of those “stories.”
You know a friend of a friend of a friend…..
Here goes.
A close friend of mine and one of the top Rock and Roll memorabilia dealers in the country, Jeff Gold of Recordmecca was contacted by an individual looking to sell an unusual item.
A hand drawned shirt made for Steven Tyler of Aerosmith back in the early 70’s.
Jeff checked out his story, the background, how he got it, etc….by the way, you won’t find anyone more interested in provenance and backup than Jeff.

Since Aerosmith memorabilia wasn’t exactly his thing, he called and offered the shirt to me.

I spoke directly with the owner and he supplied me with enough information and backup for me to feel comfortable buying this piece.

It it to the best of my knowledge the earliest clothing item belonging to Steven Tyler’s in existence.
Here’s the letter supplied to me by the owner.

A portion of the letter with the original owner's name taken out.

AJJAJAJJA…Solo ver esto me provoca una gran carcajada, y es que los amigos inventores de modelos, han llegado a la cumbre haciendo esta bota para chicas, con tacon basada en una Jordan 8, aunque con un colorway tambien inventado…Con 2 cojones, a parte de ser una cosa horrible, es falsa!!!….Una vez mas os lo digo, por favor…Decid no a las falsificaciones…

Now you know Jordan ain’t put his stamp of approval on these, but would you rock them ladies?

(RealTalkNY)

Downtown location of Costco

It was weird walking into Costco and seeing Rock and Republic jeans.  It’s just too bad that they only had size 27-32.  I might have considered taking a second look at them.  The washes weren’t amazing but the price was pretty reasonable.  The fact that Costco has no fitting rooms also makes it difficult to buy but they have a pretty good return policy.  Some forums I frequent have suspicions that these jeans are fakes so I would be cautious.

I don’t know how I feel about buying designer denim in Costco though.  Some have said it cheapens the brand.  I’ve bought designer denim at sample sales, warehouse sales, clearance sales, outlets, Winners, but somehow, Costco seems worse than all that.  I don’t know why but the thought of stacks of R & R jeans next to coffee makers and blenders just doesn’t seem right.

Ever bought a fake? Well unfortunately, you’re not alone. Tons of people buy fakes every year, whether it’s a watch, a bag, or some bootlegged movie. It happens, but hopefully after this post you’ll think twice before purchasing a counterfeit.

I’m just going to start out by saying, I detest fakes and the people who buy them with every fiber of my being. I’m going to try and be as nice about this as I can, but it’s something I really feel passionately about. Fashion is an art, and it’s not really fair to go around copying other artist now is it? A designer works so hard only to see his designs dwindle from hot couture down to department stores, then to the J. Crews and the Abercrombies, to the Targets and Walmarts of the world, and then finally we hit the lowest of the low, the people trying to flat out pass their knock offs as the real thing.  I can live with some of the copying, its inevitable that fashion will trickle down into the streets, and at least they aren’t trying to pass for the real thing. No, what really pisses me off is the complete knock offs. I can’t stand it.

It so heart breaking to watch a designers credibility get tainted because there are so many fakes out there. You know it’s bad when somebody walks down the street with a very nice bag, and you don’t even look twice because you automatically assume it’s a fake. Those cheap knock offs don’t even look good, and are of the worst quality. I just think if you really like a certain designer piece you should either pay the money for it, or buy a cheaper approximation, but don’t go for the full on knock off.

Anyway, if your still not convinced, I have more to say. When you purchase a counterfeit you’re an accomplice to an illegal act. Just because it’s a very blatant, and out there form of fraudulent activity doesn’t mean it’s okay. Also, have you ever stopped to think of how these fakes get made? The counterfeiting business is one that is very corrupt . Often times counterfeits are made by children. Counterfeiters deal in things like child labor, human trafficking, and gang warfare. It really is a human rights issue.  There is tons of more information on this, I have barley even told you the half of it. In fact Bazaar has a website, which is where I did a lot of my research called, www.fakesareneverinfashion.com. It’s very interesting, I recommend everyone visit it and get educated. It offers such tips as how to spot a fake and avoid purchasing one, and a lot more alarming facts. So please go look at it, and become part of the fight against fakes. Okay, with that I will leave you.

                                             Love,
                                                Katherine

Guy Fawkes & The KJV

“Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?”

Ecclesiastes 8:4

This past Thursday, November 5, 2009 a fellow by the name of Malik Nidal Hasan shot up the army base at Fort Hood killing 13 and wounding 31. But something you may not know is that the British celebrate November 5 (Guy Fawkes Day) kind of the way we celebrate 9/11.

November 5, 1605 was the day a group of Catholics had plotted to blow up the King of England along with the entire parliament. Most Catholics of that day like most Muslims of our day wouldn’t have participated but wouldn’t have felt too bad about it either.

In 1605 the economy was on the rise and thriving kind of like it was in 2001 when terrorists flew planes into the twin towers. The King knew he had opposition but never imagined it would escalate to the level it did.

The name of the King was James and he was a student of the Bible.  He wrote a paraphrase of the Book of the Revelation and even translated some of the Psalms.

But being king of England wasn’t James’ first crowning achievement.  In fact, James was only 13 months old when he was crowned James VI of Scotland on July 29, 1567. Five months earlier his father had died in a bomb blast at his home. Then 20 years later his mother was beheaded at the age of 44. Finally, in 1603 when Elizabeth died, James VI of Scotland was crowned King James I of England.

I don’t know if James was a saved man but when you study the history behind Nov 5, 1605, you can’t help but see the hand of God at work.  Historians speculate that they would have carried out the plot sooner but for some strange reason the meeting of parliament had been delayed.

If you’ve ever noticed in football, sometimes when one team goes to kick a field goal the other team will call a timeout.  They don’t call a timeout because they need it.  They call a timeout because they want the kicker to get shook up thinking about his next kick.  And when God delayed the meeting of parliament those men got nervous.

Some of them even took the time to try and warn several members of Parliament to stay away from the court that day (all of which were Catholics too). One of those was Lord Chamberlain Monteagle.  When he received an anonymous letter telling him to avoid parliament that day, he immediately brought it to the attention of the King

The king and his people had little to go on. On November 4, 1605 they were still investigating and looking for clues, when, at the stroke of midnight they discovered Guy Fawkes standing outside the cellar door of Westminster Palace. The men had searched the cellar before and found nothing.  But after finding a tinderbox and some matches in the pocket of Guy Fawkes, they decided to search it again.

This time, under a pile of firewood and coal they found 36 barrels of gunpowder sitting right under the spot where King James would be standing in just a few short hours.

So at 1 AM they woke up the King and drug Fawkes in to stand before him. Historians say that he stood emotionless, regretting only that he had failed in his attempt to kill the King. If I’m not mistaken they used “enhanced interrogation techniques,” otherwise known as “torture” to make him give up the names of his buddies.   None of them ever stood trial but died in a shootout when authorities tried to apprehend them. Not long afterward, Guy Fawkes was tried and hung all by himself in St. Paul’s churchyard.

400 years later the British celebrate Guy Fawkes Day as a day they killed the Catholics who tried to kill their King.

Now, why would Satan have wanted to destroy the King and his parliament? Perhaps because only a year before that day the new King had given permission to a large group of scholars to begin work on a new translation of the Bible.   This translation would never have been completed had Fawkes and his Catholic co-conspirators been successful.  But they weren’t and in 1611 the new translation was completed, presented, and dedicated to King James.

Most King James Bibles still have this dedication in the front of the Book.

TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE

JAMES,

BY THE GRACE OF GOD

KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH,

The Translators of the Bible wish Grace, Mercy and Peace, through JESUS CHRIST, our Lord.

GREAT and manifold were the blessings, most dread Sovereign, which Almighty God, the Father of all mercies, bestowed upon us the people of England, when first he sent Your Majesty’s Royal Person to rule and reign over us. For whereas it was the expectation of many, who wished not well unto our Sion, that upon the setting of that bright Occidental Star, Queen Elizabeth of most happy memory, some thick and palpable clouds of darkness would so have overshadowed this Land, that men should have been in doubt which way they were to walk; and that it should hardly be known, who was to direct the unsettled State; the appearance of your Majesty, as the Sun in his strength, instantly dispelled those supposed and surmised mists, and gave unto all that were well affected exceeding cause of comfort; especially when we beheld the Government established in Your Highness, and Your hopeful Seed, by an undoubted Title, and this also accompanied with peace and tranquillity at home and abroad.

But among all our joys, there was no one that more filled our hearts, than the blessed continuance of the preaching of God’s sacred Word among us; which is that inestimable treasure, which excelleth all the riches of the earth; because the fruit thereof extendeth itself, not only to the time spent in this transitory world, but directeth and disposeth men unto that eternal happiness which is above in heaven.

Then not to suffer this to fall to the ground, but rather to take it up, and to continue it in that state, wherein the famous Predecessor of Your Highness did leave it: nay, to go forward with the confidence and resolution of a Man in maintaining the truth of Christ, and propagating it far and near, is that which hath so bound and firmly knit the hearts of all Your Majesty’s loyal and religious people unto You, that Your very name is precious among them: their eye doth behold You with comfort, and they bless You in their hearts, as that sanctified Person who, under God, is the immediate Author of their true happiness. And this their contentment doth not diminish or decay, but every day increaseth and taketh strength, when they observe, that the zeal of Your Majesty toward the house of God doth not slack or go backward, but is more and more kindled, manifesting itself abroad in the farthest parts of Christendom, by writing in defence of the Truth, (which hath given such a blow unto that man of sin, as will not be healed,) and every day at home, by religious and learned discourse, by frequenting the house of God, by hearing the Word preached, by cherishing the Teachers thereof, by caring for the Church, as a most tender and loving nursing Father.

There are infinite arguments of this right christian and religious affection in Your Majesty; but none is more forcible to declare it to others than the vehement and perpetuated desire of accomplishing and publishing of this work, which now with all humility we present unto Your Majesty. For when Your Highness had once out of deep judgment apprehended how convenient it was, that out of the Original Sacred Tongues, together with comparing of the labours, both in our own, and other foreign Languages, of many worthy men who went before us, there should be one more exact Translation of the holy Scriptures into the English Tongue; Your Majesty did never desist to urge and to excite those to whom it was commended, that the work might be hastened, and that the business might be expedited in so decent a manner, as a matter of such importance might justly require.

And now at last, by the mercy of God, and the continuance of our labours, it being brought unto such a conclusion, as that we have great hopes that the Church of England shall reap good fruit thereby; we hold it our duty to offer it to Your Majesty, not only as to our King and Sovereign, but as to the principal Mover and Author of the work: humbly craving of Your most Sacred Majesty, that since things of this quality have ever been subject to the censures of illmeaning and discontented persons, it may receive approbation and patronage from so learned and judicious a Prince as Your Highness is, whose allowance and acceptance of our labours shall more honour and encourage us, than all the calumniations and hard interpretations of other men shall dismay us. So that if, on the one side, we shall be traduced by Popish Persons at home or abroad, who therefore will malign us, because we are poor instruments to make God’s holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the people, whom they desire still to keep in ignorance and darkness; or if, on the other side, we shall be maligned by self-conceited Brethren, who run their own ways, and give liking unto nothing, but what is framed by themselves, and hammered on their anvil; we may rest secure, supported within by truth and innocency of a good conscience, having walked the ways of simplicity and integrity, as before the Lord; and sustained without by the powerful protection of Your Majesty’s grace and favour, which will ever give countenance to honest and christian endeavours against bitter censures and uncharitable imputations.

The Lord of heaven and earth bless Your Majesty with many and happy days, that, as his heavenly hand hath enriched Your Highness with many singular and extraordinary graces, so You may be the wonder of the world in this latter age for happiness and true felicity, to the honour of that great GOD, and the good of his Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour.

Don’t you hate it when a good story passes you by? This happened to me the other day when Kimberly Daniels wrote an article on The Danger of Celebrating Halloween. Unfortunately, the article can only be found in a Google cache at this point, after having generated over a thousand comments of scorn on such sites as the Huffington Post.

While I could let the (un)dead bury the dead, I really feel that this article should be addressed. However, it’s not the highly tendentious particulars of Daniels’ argument that deserves attention as much as her general thrust.

For example, she states:

Decorating buildings with Halloween scenes, dressing up for parties, going door-to-door for candy, standing around bonfires and highlighting pumpkin patches are all acts rooted in entertaining familiar spirits.

While one could argue the validity of these claims, the bigger issue is that the supposed etymologies of these activities are given pride of place over how they are actually used in the holiday. What matters is not what people intend by their observance as much as the historical roots of their activity.

However, if we turn this around, wouldn’t the same hold for that most cherished of Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter? If someone is celebrating these holidays, won’t their inherent crypto-Christian behavior rub off on the participants the same way that Daniels holds for Halloween?

Obviously, some folks will hold that this augment fails because Easter might be related to a poorly attested pagan spring festival and Christmas is mistakenly aligned to Saturnalia. The links for both of these are quite tenuous. The former is attested only in Bede’s discussion of Ēostur-monath in De Temporum Ratione. The latter runs into numerous problems when one actually compares the 3-5 day festival (from Dec 17-23) with Christmas. In short, the argument is mostly bogus.

Likewise, Daniels’ contention that the origins of a rite dictate is also bogus. An ardent Christian celebrating Halloween is in no more danger of crypto-Paganism than a secular atheist celebrating Christmas is of crypto-Christianity.