We are on the last regular cruise of our stint in the Mediterranean. I’ve already said goodbye to Istanbul which I hit three times. Some of these ports I’ve been to six times already and feel very familiar with, so each of them will be a warm farewell as we sail away. During our last stay in Piraeus, the seaport outside of Athens, I didn’t get off the ship, but I did go topside to deck 14 with my binoculars to take one last look around. I started recognizing some landmarks and darned if I didn’t suddenly see the Parthenon through my lenses. There it was, the Acropolis, and I was seeing it from the ship. I wish I’d known that was possible back in September. But it didn’t matter. I just looked at it for a while, said my farewells, and went to take my old man nap before my evening sets.

Needless to say, these seven cruises through the Greek Islands, Turkey and Italy have been an extraordinary adventure. When I got offered this ship and this itinerary last winter, it didn’t take me long to decide that this was the one I wanted. Kind of a no-brainer, eh? I know it’s expensive to take a trip like this, especially considering airfare, the cost of the cruise, the incredibly weak dollar against the euro and the length of time you would need to be away, but experiences like this stay with you forever. I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to do this the way I’m doing it. I, like many of you, would have a tough time affording a vacation like this.

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As of this writing, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. It’s my favorite holiday and the one where I most miss being back home with family and friends. Here on the ship it will pretty much be just another work day. There will be turkey, but I don’t think they’re throwing a party for us or anything. We will spend the day in Rhodes, Greece, which is a wonderful port-of-call. I’ll most likely got off the ship and walk around the fortress. That takes about an hour and then enter the wall and amble through the bazaar. They have a nice one in Rhodes. It’s more picturesque than most.

As for Thanksgiving, I walk around in a constant state of Thanksgiving. I never would have guessed as a younger man that my life would be better than ever when I was fifty seven. Of course, I’ve worked hard to put all the pieces in place, but the Universe has been a generous benefactor and I never forget that. Yet of all the blessings that have come my way, the thing that is the most important to me is relationships. Things are just things, and while experiences can be exhilarating, nothing would mean anything without the people I share my life with, both at home and here on the ship. It’s about Love, and Love is the most important thing of all and the thing I am most thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.

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The weather has remained excellent this last regular cruise through the isles. Most days a t-shirt is all that is needed. Sometimes it’s a good idea to carry a light jacket, but the sun is warm and the humidity is low and it’s very pleasant. Most of the local population is fairly bundled up these days, though. I guess it’s like when you live in Florida and it gets into the 50s and you’re freezing while in New Jersey people are still wearing shorts when it’s in the 50’s. We’re all very curious about how the weather and the sea conditions will be when we “cross the pond”. We’re hitting some very interesting ports on the way out of the Mediterranean – Florence (Livorno) Italy, Nice (Villefranche) France, Barcelona Spain, Cartagena Spain and Madeira (Funchal) Portugal. The ones in parentheses are the coastal ports that we will dock in. For instance, Florence is a good 60 miles from the coast, so it will take some doing to make it to the Uffizi Gallery. We just don’t get a whole lot of time to do those things, but many do, and I know a few people who are doing internet searches for train schedules and ticket pricing and such. I’ll keep you filled in.

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After our day in Capri, Donna and I had a little time to kill before getting back on the ship, so we wandered into Naples and found a sidewalk cafe next to a big fountain. We ordered some red wine, which is about as appropriate as can be in Italy, and did some people watching. After a while, an old Italian fellow came wandering over. He was selling sunglasses. He had a pair of aviator style Ray Bans which looked pretty sharp. His English wasn’t very good, but he got his point across. Of course his initial shtick was that they go for like a hundred twenty dollars, but “for me” he would let them go for $45. I’m getting used to the haggling procedure, which I will never enjoy, and I really didn’t need sunglasses, but I thought I’d play along and, like I said, they looked pretty sharp. I figured they were either stolen, or “genuine fakes”, something you see a lot of in this part of the world. I told him that I’d give him ten euro and he scoffed, but I told him that that was all I had and eventually he caved and sold me the cool aviator shades for ten euro. He walked away unhappy with himself.

Two days later there was a luncheon barbeque for the crew up on deck six which is an outside bar. It’s something they do for us once in a while to make our lives a little less mundane. I knew it was a warm and sunny day, so I grabbed my new Ray Bans and headed to the crew elevators. Since I wasn’t outside yet, I was just holding them by the arms as the elevator doors opened. There were about five crew members in the elevator and everybody just kind of gasped when my new shades leaped out of my hand and magically found the tiny space between the elevator and the floor, slipped through and plummeted to the bottom of the elevator shaft. I was actually able to look through the half-inch gap and watch them fall and smash at the bottom. Everybody in the elevator just looked at me, but I just kind of shrugged and said “Easy come, easy go”. I was, however, deeply saddened by the loss. They were cool.

So for some reason it kept bothering me until we got to Mykonos. It would be the last time I’d visit Mykonos, so I left the ship and went into town to say goodbye to the windmills, the giant white pelicans, the mangy cats and the maze of streets and whitewashed buildings. It’s the end of the season there and many shops were already closed, but several were still open with end-of-the-season sales. I passed one and there was a rack of sunglasses which caught my attention. I looked through them and darned if there wasn’t a pair of Ray Bans, aviator style, but with sharp black rims. When I asked the proprietor how much they cost he said, you guessed it, ten euro. So I guess I had a little karma to work through or something and I’ll be much more careful carrying around my cool new shades.

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Every once in a while we get a new bartender in the crew bar, which is called Mingles. For a while now we’ve had a young guy from Romania. His name is Aurel Vladutu. He’s got a great sense of humor and I couldn’t help but think “Romania” and “Vlad” as in Vlad the Impaler who is said to be the inspiration behind the Dracula story. Aurel even looks a little like Bela Lugosi, so I call him Count Vlad. He has fun with it telling me which of the female crew members he’d like to impale, and he sounds like Dracula when he does it. This is his last cruise, though. We’ll get a new bartender for the Atlantic crossing. It’s always tough breaking in a new bartender.

Dave in Napoli, Italia

Stay Up All-Night Yule Ritual
by Zyalia, the crone, found on The Dance

At the moment of Solstice light a large (either pillar or tall floor) candle. I use red as it is the Holly King’s time. This should burn itself out towards dawn (hopefully).

"As the long shadows fall
In the dark of Winter’s thrall
Let flame to wick alight
And illume the longest night."

At dusk – light the three candles of the Yule Log. Different Trads use different colored candles. Some use Black, Red and White. I Use Red for the Holly King, White for the Goddess, and Green for the Oak King. From now until dawn, the candles must be kept burning, light each replacement from its predecessor – don’t fall asleep – have company in to keep you awake. Have a party – that’s what I do. Sing, eat, tell stories… be creative…

"Watch we all ’til morn
When the Light shall be reborn
And in creeping measure, day
Replaces night’s cold sway."

At dawn, you may extinguish the Yule Log candles. Greet the fledging Sun … outdoors if possible, as He rises on the first Winter morning.

"As God is of the Goddess born
Upon this first of Winter’s morns
Let Time’s great Wheel turn
And the candle bright flame burn
With the first Great Light ascending
Let the long, dark night be ending."

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Manhattanhenge Sunrise (Source: David Reeves)

When posting about the Manhattanhenge sunset earlier this year, I had found information from Time Out New York that the sunrise edition would occur on 11/30 . There does not appear to be any official astrological confirmation online regarding when this year’s sunrise is, so I’ve decided to be an astrologer and do my own math. As we know, the dates of Manhattanhenge are linked to the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. In 2006, the sunrise Manhattanhenge occurred on December 5th. The equinoxes fall on the same dates in 2006 and 2009, so by my calculations, sunrise Manhattanhenge should also occur this year on December 5th. If anybody knows the answer, let us know!

Also, apparently the Manhattanhenge sunrise is a key clue to last night’s CSI episode, in which they claim the date to be 12/5/2009. Try both dates if you’re die hard, and send us your photos at untappednewyork@gmail.com: 11/30/2009 @ 7am and 12/5/2009 @7:05am. Regardless, it seems that even viewing it on dates in the vicinity gets you a similarly spectacular view.

Winter Solstice Spell for Healing
From Wiccan Magick: A Seasonal Guide to Wiccan Religion and Ritual (link is dead )

Needed:

• Mistletoe
• Pine Branches
• gold candle
• Frankincense (or other appropriate incense)
• Small cauldron (or similar container)
• a ripe apple
• three bay leaves
• rock or sea salt
• spring water
• sprig of evergreen

Adorn the Altar with the Mistletoe and Pine Branches and place the candle in the center. Burn your incense choice. In cauldron, place apple, bay leaves and a pinch of the salt. Light the candle, visualizing the rebirth and return of the God banishing the cold of Winter. Recite this Solstice Chant:

"Geese and standing stones and mist,
Baying hounds and hooting owl,
Sparkling Stars, and snow is crisp,
Herne is here, bring forth the Bowl."

As this is said, sprinkle spring water into the cauldron using a sprig of evergreen, visualizing the strength and healing power of Herne’s rebirth. This power flows into the Apple, energizing it with all the power of the God. Lift the apple from the cauldron. If the spell of healing is for another, visualize this person receiving the healing power within the apple, picture them gaining strength, becoming well. Replace the Apple into the cauldron and finish with a chant of thanks:

"May the Goddess of Night,
Fair Lady of the Moon
And the God-
Great horned hunter of the sun,
May the power of the stones and the oceans,
The Winds and the Flame,
Bless me this night in my sacred work,
Which is right and just in your name.
Blessed Be."

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Yew Lore
Taken In part, from an essay by Sarah the SwampWitch,
Originally written for and posted to the Witches Three list

Tree of the day before the Winter Solstice (Aprox. December 21)
Latin name: Taxus baccata.
Celtic name: Idho (pronounced: Ih’ huh).
Local name: English Yew, European Yew
Parts used: Needles, wood, berries.
Herbal Uses: Caution!! This plant is poisonous and should be used with caution!!!! The needles and branch tips have been used to treat lung diseases and bladder problems, and more recently a new cancer drug, Taxol, has been derived from its bark and berries.
Magical History & Associations: The name "Yew" is a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon word ‘eow’. The word ‘Taxus’ is from the Greek word ‘Taxon’, meaning ‘bow’. The 5,000 year old "Ice Man", discovered in the Alps, had a bow and axe handle made of Yew. The Yew is known as the ‘Tree of Death’ throughout Europe and is associated with the season of winter. It is sacred to many Dark Goddesses: Banbha, Amalthea (mother of the horned Dionysus), Morrighan, The Erinyes, Cailleach Beara, Berchta, and Hecate.  In addition, it was associated with Odin. Shakespeare recognized the relationship of Yew and Hecate and referred to the contents of her cauldron as

"slips of yew, silver’d in the moon’s eclipse…"

(Macbeth)

Elsewhere, Shakespeare makes ‘hebenon, the double-fatal yew’ the poison which Hamlet’s uncle pours into the king’s ear.

Hecate’s sacred tree of death is said to root in the mouths of the dead and release their souls, and also to absorb the odors of death itself. Bulls are associated with this tree, as are female goats. The bird associated with Yew is the eaglet, since the eaglet’s appetite is insatiable, and the bones of its nest are white like the snow on its cliff-ledge. The Yew’s colors are white and silver and it is associated with the element of water. The Yew is associated with the planet Saturn and with the metal lead. In Old England the Yew was known as "The Witches’ Tree" since it is associated with sorcery and magic, and was used by the Celtic-Irish to make dagger handles and wine barrels. Some say Yew wood is acceptable for the making of magical tools such as wands and staves, yet others strongly recommend not using this wood for any magical tools.

Magickal usage: The time of Yew is known as a time of death, and so on the day before Yule it said that is not a good idea to do actual spell work. Instead, it is suggested that rituals of the season concerned with reincarnation are appropriate. Because the Yew grows to such an old age, it has become a symbol of stability in Celtic areas of the world and so is often used as the central "World Tree" in ritual spaces. Yew sends up new trees from its roots, so is a powerful symbol of death and reincarnation. It is called for in "destructive" workings concerning death, as well as those concerning passage, spirits, penitence and psychic growth.

No tree is more associated with the history and legends of Great Britain than the Yew. Before Christianity was introduced it was a sacred tree favored by the Druids, who built their temples near these trees – a custom followed by the early Christians. The association of the tree with places of worship still prevails In ancient times Yew sticks were carved with the Ogham characters as tools of divination. The Futhark features a 13th Rune, which is considered one of the most powerful Runes and represents a stave cut from a yew tree. This Rune is regarded as the stave of life and death. As one of the three magical trees (along with the Alder and the Black Poplar) associated with death and funerals, the Yew has often been planted in graveyards. It is, as such, traditionally a cemetery tree, in large part because Celtic Priests and Priestesses regarded it as a symbol of immortality and planted it in their Sacred Groves, druids also used wands of Yew to foretell the Future. Yew leaves placed on a grave remind us that the death of a dear one is only a pause in life before rebirth. It offers healing for mental and emotional problems, and is said to contain the secrets of the Goddess. Yew can also be dried and burned as an incense to contact spirits of the dead – or even to raise the dead, so it is claimed…

Yew is represented by the letter I (idho) in the tree alphabet and is sometimes regarded as the most sacred tree to the druids with it symbolism of death and rebirth (due to the fact that the outer tree dies and a new tree grows within). It represents transformation & reincarnation and may be used to enhance magical/psychic abilities as well as to induce visions. All parts of the yew are poisonous apart from the berry covering, and as such, it was used to poison weapons. Before the use of iron became general, yew was greatly valued as it  resists the action of water and is a very hard wood. It is a symbol of the hunt, making superior bows and was widely used for that purpose. This use, and the high quality of bows achieved using the wood, also strengthened the belief that the Yew was strongly connected with death.

This herb is sacred to the the Winter Solstice and deities of death and rebirth. The Yew is known as the death tree in all European countries. The Silver Fir of birth and the Yew of death are sisters. They stand next to each other in the circle of the year and their foliage is almost identical.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Here’s a little song and vid I put together, in the spirit of 69, expressing my feelings about the miserable exploitation of our midwinter festival. The song can be downloaded from myspace.

Winter Solstice Soup
Submitted by: Sara Mayes From All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine and sauté the onions for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the carrots, potatoes, water, salt, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor in small batches and return to the pot. Stir in the soup, mixing well, and season with salt and pepper to taste. A golden colored, nourishing soup created on a cold northeastern winter night. Perfect to warm you from the inside! Serve with biscuits and a fruit salad.

Makes 4 servings.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes.
Cook Time: 45 Minutes.
Ready in: 55 Minutes.

Disclaimer: No one involved in this blog or its contents may be held responsible for any adverse reactions arising from following any of the instructions/recipes on this list. It is the reader’s personal responsibility to exercise all precautions and use his or her own discretion if following any instructions or advice from this blog.

Fair Use Notice: This page may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This website distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107.

Having Donna Delany here on the ship for the 11 day cruise was a wonderfully different change for me in many ways. As I mentioned, Donna and I have known one another for a long time and we get along real well. She’s an adventuresome soul and motivated me to do many of the things I would not have done otherwise in the ports of call. One of the first places we hit was Santorini and it was the worst weather day of the cruise. The wind was very strong which made the tendering to the ports interesting. Once we got to the island, which was fairly early, we saw that the cable car line to the top was way too long to wait, so for the third time I climbed up the twisty mule poop road to the top of the cliff and the town of Fira, Santorini.

Donna hikes regularly around the mountains of Pennsylvania, so the climb was not a big deal for her. She also loves animals and thought the mules were cute. I was struggling to keep up and trying to wave the mules out of my way while she was barely winded and petting the varmints as she climbed the cliff. From the looks on their long faces, I think they actually appreciated a kind voice and a gentle touch. I don’t think they get much of that. I actually did fairly well climbing and made fewer stops than previously, so I guess my mountain climbing muscles are improving. I think I’m going to need to keep at it though.

Once we got to the top to the town of Fira, we wandered around, got a little lost trying to get away from the tourist section and see the far side of the island, which we did, and paid attention to the massive dark storm cloud that was approaching the island with streaks of lightning and distant thunder. We really weren’t topside for more than an hour or two before the wind picked up even more and the rain started and by then we were near the descent line for the cable car, but everyone decided when the rain started that it was time to go, so the line was really long.

We debated our options and finally decided to brave the mule poop trail to get down to the tender dock. Now THAT was an adventure. The wind was howling and the rain was pouring down as we started down the road. There were only occasional lights on the road and it was dark as night. The road is slippery under good conditions, but was treacherous at this point and we moved very slowly, a step at a time, as the wind and rain tried like an angry god to tear us from the cliff face. I was having some serious second thoughts about our decision to walk down the poop road, but at a certain point you are committed and all we could do was proceed, very carefully.

Thankfully the rain began to let up as we descended and the lower we got, the more the cliff sheltered us from the wind. I had only one slip which had no worse result than mule poop on my hands, which while not pleasant, sure beats a broken hip. We finally made it down to the tender dock, much to my relief, and headed back to the ship. It was a truly exciting first port-of-call. I was hoping the rest would be a bit more peaceful, and thankfully, that’s the way it turned out.

I’ve previously related our ventures into Mykonos and Istanbul. Our visit to Athens had us doing the trip I’d previously scoped out and we had an excellent day visiting the Acropolis, riding the train and having a traditional Greek lunch at an outside cafe next to a large public square.

When we got to Naples, Italy, Donna had done some research (she had brought several books about our various destinations) and suggested we visit Capri while we were there. My wonderful supervisors had given me the day off, so there was no reason not to go and we headed out as soon as we could on that, the last day of Donna’s cruise.

We left the ship and walked a short distance to a hydrofoil dock. We got our tickets and barely made the 9:35 boat to the Island of Capri. It was about a 50 minute ride and a light haze gave the passing islands a ghostly quality, but as the Island of Capri came into view in front of us, the haze was burning off and the soaring cliffs had everyone clicking away with their cameras.

Capri is simply one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. It is a giant limestone rock, pushed on edge by millenia of tectonic forces and weathered to a verdant, tropical paradise inhabited by easy-going, friendly people. Donna had found a few things in her books that we needed to see and we wasted no time buying our tickets and trying to figure out how to go about our adventure on Capri.

The first thing we did was book a trip to the Blue Grotto. We first took a small boat out of the harbor where the hydrofoil had docked and traveled along the massive cliffs to a small anchorage at one end of the island. At the bottom of the cliff face was a small opening to a cave. There were about a dozen row boats taking people from the tenders three or four at a time. They would approach the cave opening and, timing the waves, everybody would duck down into the rowboats and the gondolier would haul them into the grotto using a chain fixed to the cave opening.

Once inside, you are in a cavern where you can barely see the rock ceiling, but the water is lit an amazing blue color from the the light coming through the cave entrance. The bottom is apparently white sand and the water is crystal clear, so you get the impression that you’re floating on glowing irridescent liquid. It’s otherwordly and exquisitely beautiful. The gondolier plays it up and sings “Oh Solo Mio” and “Volare” as he rows us around the cavern for a while, and of course the resonance in the cave creates quite an effect. Finally it is all over and we time the waves once again to rebirth ourselves out of the cave and back to our waiting boat.

Once back at port we took a series of transports up the very vertical island, including a “funiculare” or cable car up to the the actual town of Capri. Next we got on a bus which took us on a winding adventure up the mountains on narrow roads that overlooked steep drops with crazy Italians on motorbikes and tiny cars passing us and scaring the hell out of me. Finally that dropped us off at a quaint little village and we soon found a ski lift that took us on a long climb over the green mountainside to the very top of this exquisite island.

It’s overwhelming once you get off the lift and walk around the stone patios that are there expressly for viewing the natural beauty that surrounded us on all sides. Did I mention that this is about as romantic a trip as you can possibly take? I can’t express the peace, joy and gratitude that I felt as I looked out at one of the most beautiful scenes possible and considered the amazing series of events that had brought me there. It was one of my finest moments and will stay with me forever. Capri will always be an extraordinary memory for me.

Of course we got to enjoy the return trip and had enough time to sit at a seaside cafe to enjoy some lunch where we were joined by some of the more entertaining characters from the ship and a good time was had by all until it was time to board our hydrofoil back to Naples and an evening of fun and frolic aboard our floating luxury hotel.

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The next morning had Donna and I saying very early, very hurried goodbyes after our 11 day Mediterranean adventure together, and I joined three of my fellow crewmates for a day trip into Rome, this being one of our last chances to visit this historic city. Eric and Alex, two of the ships’ glassblowers and Brad, one of the main singers in the theater cast, joined me as we took the shuttle bus into Chivitavecchia and made a short walk along the seaside promenade to the train station where we purchased round trip tickets to Rome.

The train was very nice and I dozed much of the 50 minute ride to San Pietro Station in Rome. We made a rough game plan. Brad had brought very good guidebooks with maps and soon we were in a taxi, winding through the impossibly mazelike streets of Rome to our first stop, the Palindrome. This ancient structure is one of the best preserved buildings of Roman antiquity. Soaring columns on the outside were impressive, but inside you are amazed by the perfect domed ceiling with an open top and the grand walls and columns that house the statuary, alters and the tomb of Raffaele. Since the very top of the dome is open to the outside, the marble floor is slightly slanted to the sides so rainwater can drain. This monument, like so much of Roman architecture, was only our first mindblowing stop. The weird part is that after you leave the building and look out over a large square, you can’t help but notice the McDonalds on the other side. Life can be funny sometimes.

After that we managed to use the maps and Eric’s beginner Italian to make our way to the Trevi Fountain which is yet another remarkable and massive piece of artwork that simply sits tucked into a busy neighborhood in this remarkable city. From there we decided we’d better head to our main destination, The Vatican. Another taxi took us on a fast joyride through the impossible streets of Rome and dropped us off unceremoniously right in front of St Peter’s Square. I don’t think the driver even looked up, but from the moment you see it, you can’t help but be captivated by the grandeur and magnificense of this famous monument to one of the world’s biggest religions.

In the grand square that is surrounded by columns topped with statuary there is a giant obelisk that was brought there, after several other stops, from ancient Egypt. Topped with a small cross it is apparently there to remind the faithful of the humble station of a Christianity that was built on the roots of paganism. Nice touch. Behind it sits the entrance to St Peter’s Basilica, one of the most famous and recognizable sights in the world.

There was a huge crowd, but we were fairly early and the lines moved rather quickly as we made our way inside. There is no way to describe the impact of entering St Peter’s Basilica. Every inch of the church is a sight to behold, from the massive vaulted ceilings to the intricate ancient marble floors. There are statues and paintings at every turn. The Pieta is right by the main entrance. The massive bronze columned main alter where the Pope says mass sits in the very center, but there are many arms and branches to the edifice, each as intricate and mindblowing as the next.

Cameras can’t capture it. Words can’t describe it. We conjectured that The Solstice, a very large ship, could easily fit into the main section of the church. I’ve been to St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey in England, the second and third largest churches in the world and they would each fit easily in St Peter’s. The statues are ever-present and all the artwork is humbling, to say the least. We stayed as long as we could, but had to stay on schedule. We were meeting a friend of Brad’s and had tickets to tour the Vatican Museum.

So we eventually made our way out of St Peter’s, miraculously bumped right into Brad’s friend, Clare, amidst the thousands of tourists, and walked about twenty minutes to the Vatican Museum. I will not go into detail about this amazing collection of artwork, sculpture, cartography, architecture and history, but we seemed to go through dozens and dozens of rooms, each filled with more than the mind could absorb. It is enormous and took a few hours just to make our way through until the last stop, which is the Sistine Chapel.

Every inch of the Sistine Chapel is covered with artwork, floor to ceiling, topped by the famous image of God touching Adam’s finger. Once again, words cannot describe it. Cameras can’t capture the effect. It is quite overwhelming, even after several hours of viewing the overwhelming. After the Sistine Chapel, we were led through dozens of more rooms of artwork and managed to exit the building with only about twenty minutes before our return train to Chivitavecchia. The Roman taxis are quite efficient, though, and we got to the terminal with about ten minutes to spare before our train came. Needless to say we were all exhausted and it felt great to get off my feet and enjoy the ride back.

I managed to get back to the ship with enough time to get a short nap and ready myself for the evening’s duties which, thankfully, were fairly light. After the passenger drill I finally ate some food and took a good long nap before my late set. All in all, it had been a whirlwind two days. I slept really well that night.

Capri

You have to give the GAP a big round of applause!  In the perfect slap across the face to the supposed “War on Christmas” crowd…  you know… the CNP’s voting base… the O’Reilly, Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity loonies?  Well, let’s just say that the word is these folks aren’t happy about this commercial!

Two thumbs up (and if I had a third or fourth thumb, they’d be pointing up too) to the GAP!  I normally don’t like commercials, but this one is FUN!  Happy Holidays!

After weeks of blood, sweat, and tears (ok, maybe not tears) it’s finally here.  I am so stoked.  There’s already been hundreds of tweets about it.  Guys, I say this as unbiased as I can — this film truly is awesome.  Now you can get it in 3 digital formats and a Collector’s package with some pretty cool artwork by yours truly… My good friend and co-owner of QNTM Studios, Chris Loope, did a superb job directing/editing this film.  Kudos my friend.  You’re aces in my book….

This DVD comes with the full-length documentary, complete live performances, the beginning of the Travel tour, and a vintage photo slideshow (again, by yours truly) of the making of this documentary.  Totally worth it weight in gold.  Don’t hesitate.  Get your copy while they last…

http://futureofforestry.com/store/solstice/

Christmas Cheers ~

  I feel as though I have neglected this blog lately.  We had a dark moon on Monday and I didn’t even mention it.  The problem was, we also set up and opened the holiday kiosk all freaking day.  Way busy, so the lunar report was left out.  Spending far too much time at the mall right now but it’s only temporary.  Seasonal jobs are like that.

The big news of the day though (other than J.D. being The Solstice Saviour) was that Hanny met Al Gore!  They shared cheese!  First Gloria, now Al.  This radio gig is definitely the place to see and meet important folks.

Posted by Audiegrl

The American Family Association attacked Gap for not using the word ‘Christmas‘ in its advertising — but in fact it does, and in a big way too

Los Angeles Times/Dan Neil—The Mississippi-based American Family Assn. last week issued a fatwa against Gap Inc. — the retailing giant whose brands include Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic — calling for a “two-month boycott over the company’s failure to use the word ‘Christmas’ in its advertising to Christmas shoppers.”

The War on Christmas season has officially begun.

Gap “does not use the word ‘Christmas’ to avoid offending those who don’t embrace its meaning,” writes Buddy Smith, executive assistant to the president of the AFA, on the organization’s website. “Christmas has historically been very good for commerce. But now Gap wants the commerce but no Christmas.”

“I interpret Gap’s decision as a warning sign to Christians to get out there and tell people about Jesus Christ,” writes Smith.

And they say nobody likes fruitcake.

It would be easy to get sidetracked into debating the merits of the War on Christmas. Why, for example, is the phrase “Happy holidays” so insufferable to Christian fundamentalists, but not the vulgar, surfeiting exploitation of Christ’s name to sell smokeless ashtrays, dessert toppings, Droid phones and trampolines? I’m not a theologian but I think the Gospels are pretty clear that Jesus was no fan of merchants.

And since China is in the news this week: Why not go after Gap and other retailers for trading in Chinese-made goods, since the Chinese government actively oppresses the Christian faith? Seems like building a case on religious tolerance would have more resonance. Oh, wait. Never mind.

But here’s the real question: Why attack Gap for not using the word “Christmas” in its advertising when in fact it does, and in a big way too?

Surf on over to YouTube and watch Gap’s latest 30-second spot, titled “Go Ho Ho” (Crispin Porter + Bogusky). The spot — which is in heavy rotation on network and cable TV — features a group of insanely athletic dancers leaping and twirling and stomp-cheering around a white log-cabin set. They chant, “Go Christmas, go Hanukkah, go Kwanzaa, go Solstice. . . . Do whatever you wannukkah and to all a cheery night.”

There it is, right up front, enjoying pride of place: the C-word.

More @

In one of the first lines of Gap’s new holiday ad, the dancers yell, “Go Christmas! Go Hanukkah! Go Kwanzaa! Go Solstice!” Check it out, its got great dancing too!

Get Ready For Holiday Cheer – visit cheerfactory.com to send some personalized digi-cheer to your friends.

IMHO, this entire drama could be avoided by simply educating people on the origins of what we know today as “Christmas“.

Several years ago a family member gave me the DVD “Christmas unWrapped- The History of Christmas“. It examines each of our holiday traditions and explains where they came from. Many people who believe we should “keep Christ in Christmas“, will be surprised to learn the historical facts. Its a very interesting documentary, that I highly recommend.

Click here to purchase

People all over the world celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th. But why is the Nativity marked by gift giving, and was He really born on that day? And just where did the Christmas tree come from? Take an enchanting tour through the history of this beloved holiday and trace the origins of its enduring traditions. Journey back to the earliest celebrations when the infant religion embraced pagan solstice festivals like the Roman Saturnalia and turned them into a commemoration of Jesus’ birth. Learn how Prince Albert introduced the Christmas tree to the English-speaking world in 1841, and discover how British settlers in the New World transformed the patron saint of children into jolly old St. Nick.

This documentary explores the origin of Christmas and how it came to be the way we know it today. The documentary also incites the thought as to how Christmas is on one hand a result of social, cultural, and political influences (hence somewhat obscuring the apparent purpose of the festival: Christ’s Mass), and on the other hand a influence over people’s lives (particularly consumerism). Youtube links to the first three parts of the show are below.

I highly recommend purchasing this DVD.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr.19)
When teaching your children how to thumb wrestle, you will forget that the game does not begin with the phrase “One, two, three, four, I declare fist war!” And your attorney will be powerless to help you.
Taurus (Apr. 20-May. 20)
Your gung-ho attitude toward censorship will be revealed for what it really is next week, when you are caught masturbating to a magazine full of black bars.
Gemini (May. 21-Jun. 21)
When you attend the church dinner on Thursday, it will behoove you to remember that it is considered rude to bring your own deity.
Cancer (Jun. 22-Jul. 22)
Your upcoming 30th birthday will be ruined when every person you promised to marry when you turned 30 decides to cash-in all at the same time.
Leo (Jul. 23-Aug. 22)
The stars wanted to tell you that your friend is not suicidal, but rather has a phobia of hemophobes.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
Being unemployed sucks, but seriously:have you even applied for that wizard iternship yet? Show some ambition dammit.
Libra (Sep. 23-Oct. 23)
It would be in your best interests to stop calling whales the ‘gentle giants of the deep’. Did you even once think about all the dead krill at the fins of these genocidal fucks?
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21)
Due to the ascent of Neptune, your doctor will discover that you have a massive tumor. Its big, and hairy and has teeth in it. Did I say tumor? I meant cat.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Your life-long dream of owning your own pet shop will crash and burn shortly after fruition, when you make the mistake of hiring Edwin Schrodinger as a clerk.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
The stars predict great terror in your future when you meet Stan, the local beekeeper. Beekeepers. Holy fuck, beekeepers. These fuckers scare the ever living fuck out of me. These guys are badasses. They just walk right up to mother fuckin’ bees.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
This Tuesday, you will get the nicknames, “Horsepecker,” “Penis McLong” and “Phallus Giganticus.” This surely would be good news, if only you were a man.
Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)
You will drown in sorrow next Friday as your website on proper English is devastated by grammatical e-terrorists.

La Saint-Jean-Baptiste était autrefois une fête religieuse de grande importance au Québec. On célébrait alors le “saint patron” des québécois. Les temps ont changé, mais la fête est restée. C’est qu’au-delà de l’aspect religieux, la date de la Saint-Jean a toujours été reliée au cycle solaire.

C’est en effet pour l’hémisphère nord le moment du solstice d’été, c’est-à-dire le jour de l’année où l’ensoleillement est maximal. Cette date était célébrée dans toutes les traditions spirituelles depuis des temps immémoriaux. Pensons à Stonehenge où aujourd’hui encore, des milliers de personnes se rassemblent chaque année aux solstices.

Au 24 juin correspond l’autre solstice, celui célébré dans la tradition chrétienne le 25 décembre, et qui a toujours été une date cardinale dans le calendrier des civilisations spirituelles. Une relation dynamique basée sur le cycle solaire s’établit donc entre le baptiste et l’ “enfant-lumière”, cette lumière qui va croître pendant 6 mois.

 La période entourant le solstice d’hiver est le moment de la vie intérieure, du regard intérieur, un moment pour l’âme. Le sens même du mot solstice, en latin “solstare”, signifie l’ “arrêt du soleil” avant qu’il ne reprenne sa course en sens inverse, comme un immense yo-yo arrivé au bout de sa corde.

La période qui commence maintenant, celle qui va du 24 juin au 25 décembre, est marquée par la décroissance de la lumière visible, au début imperceptible, puis très évidente après l’équinoxe d’automne. Au solstice d’hiver, la lumière doit exister dans l’âme des humains parce qu’elle est minimale à l’extérieur.

 Ainsi l’exhortation de Saint-Jean à “se préparer” est compréhensible parce que celui qui ne l’aura pas fait, celui qui pense l’été durera toujours, se retrouvera démuni quand viendra l’obscurité. Il ne pourra pas “re-naître”.

Au 24 juin, la tradition veut que l’on allume un feu de joie, une sorte de pyramide de lumière autour de laquelle on danse et on chante, en un rituel qui célèbre la lumière dans la nuit. La forme conique de ce feu de joie rappelle celle du sapin de Noël. Là où le feu monte vers le ciel à la Saint-Jean, à Noël c’est l’étoile des bergers qui descend pour féconder la terre.

Avec le rythme de la vie moderne et le style de vie “24h / 7 jours”, peu de gens ont conscience de ces moments clés de l’année que sont les solstices et les équinoxes. Ce sont pourtant des opportunités pour se relier aux cycles de la vie et en tirer des enseignements.

 -Charles Goyette

Sometimes, people take things too far.

There are times when humor is humor for humor’s sake.  And there are times that an ad is an ad for advertising’s sake.  The point of advertising is to present a message about a product or service in such a way so as to drive a desire for that product or service by as wide a group as possible–thereby bringing in sales and profit.

Happy Pick-Your-Holiday!

I first saw the Gap ad last night during that fantastic Colts win over the Patriots (35-34)!  I had to ask my wife to hold a point she was trying to make as I enjoyed the ad and waited to confirm my guess at it being a Gap ad. 

I was right.  I thought that it was one of the coolest ads yet for this trend-setting brand.  It had all the trademarks of their ad style and was very catchy.  I was captivated.  And a day later, I could remember who the ad was for.  (Consider that benchmark when you watch Superbowl ads.)

Now, the American Family Association wants a boycott of Gap over the ad campaign because it censors “Christmas”. 

My goodness!  It’s just an ad!  Give it a break! 

And for the record, the Gap ad DOES mention Christmas! 

So here’s a clue, AFA:  Christmas is so fraught with paganism and commercialism that for you to not object to the modern Western concept of Christmas itself is a mystery to me.  Passing on that obvious low-hanging fruit, you should leave Gap alone and focus on more important issues.  In going after such trivial matters you set yourself up as a target to be mocked and you minimize whatever good work it is that you do. 

By the way, your boycott manifesto says it’s effective November 1st but it’s dated November 11th.  Huh???  Is this a retroactive boycott?  Does that mean people are supposed to return stuff that they bought before you published this?

MORE:

http://www.stylelist.com/2009/11/16/gap-holiday-ad-causes-religious-controversy/?icid=main|main|dl3|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stylelist.com%2F2009%2F11%2F16%2Fgap-holiday-ad-causes-religious-controversy%2F

http://www.stylelist.com/2009/11/16/gap-gets-glee-ful-for-new-holiday-ad/

http://www.cheerfactory.com/?cid=gaphomepage

Video alone:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVMPWlWDvsI

I don’t know if it hit the papers back in the States, but on the evening of Nov 6 one of the guests jumped from the 14th deck of our ship into the Aegean Sea as we were heading at high speed from Santorini to Naples. It happened about 9:00 PM. I had just been at the Hot Glass Show up on deck 15 and was taking deck 14 back to my cabin, but I didn’t see anything unusual. However, I was on the starboard side of the ship and just as I got in the elevators, the announcement came over the intercom with the crew code for “man overboard” on the port side.

Of course the ship had to stop, which takes a while considering it’s size, and emergency procedures had to be put into place. It took a while to get any information, but it slowly trickled in. As usual, the best place to get updates was the crew bar. Apparently it was an elderly Asian woman and some of her party tried to stop her from jumping but they were not successful. A fall from the 14th deck is a long fall and that alone may have killed her. After nine hours of search and rescue procedures, her body was not recovered.

At first they didn’t even know who it was and the Cruise Director had to go over the intercom and ask everyone to return to their staterooms so that they could do a head count to find out the identity of the woman who jumped. It didn’t take long and a few more announcements were made about delays and emergency procedures, but it was a somber group that collected in the crew bar and exchanged stories of other ships when people had jumped overboard. Mike the Bandmaster told me about a few years ago on another ship that a distraught crew member whose girlfriend had just dumped him jumped off the ship on New Years Eve. His body was never recovered either.

The next day had a strange vibe to it. It was a busy one for me, but since I’d had the previous day off, I was rested and ready to go. I had two early sets in the Grand Foyer, which is a very open, very big place to play and my music is piped over a wide area that includes a few decks. I started out without any background tracks, just guitar, harmonica and voice and sequed from one song to the other without stopping and continued to play that way for thirty minutes or so. About halfway through that medley I played “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, one of my favorite songs. The last line of the chorus is “There’s a better home a’waitin’ in the sky, Lord, in the sky”. It was cathartic for me and after that medley I picked things up and went for the festive mood that we all seemed to need. It was a weird day.

********************************************************************

As I mentioned in the last post, Donna Delany boards the ship tomorrow for an eleven day cruise. Normally crew members are not allowed to visit guest staterooms, but the necessary communications have been made and the required permissions have been given. So I will be getting out of my little cabin a lot and seeing how the other half lives a bit. I’ve been waiting for Donna’s arrival to visit some of the places that are featured on our itinerary. I’m sure a lot of pictures and video will be shot also, so you can expect updates but probably not until the cruise is over, but we’ll see you on Facebook for sure.

********************************************************************

I’ve been asked about the procedure for getting paid onboard. Yes, I do actually get money for doing this. The travel, adventure, free food, medical care and public acclaim apparently are not enough reward for my hard work. We get paid every two weeks near the middle and end of the month. I am a salaried employee, so my pay is always the same. Everyone, including salaried employees, fills out time cards and they are very strict about that process.

So we are notified the night before about when our department lines up to collect our pay. We are usually paid in midships along I-95, the crew corridor where there is a room that is an embarcation station when we are in port. They set up long tables and a few of the purser crew sit back there while we file past one at a time. I hand them my A-pass card, the card that is used for everything on the ship, and they find my envelope and hand it to me. I check the receipt, count the money and sign a copy of the receipt.

We get paid in cash. I’ve never asked anyone in authority why this is so, but I suspect it’s because there are so many nationalities in the crew, it would be crazy to change everybody’s currency and issue checks. So we all get paid in American dollars. Each person has a safe in their room and that’s where we keep our cash until we either wire it somewhere or purchase money orders at a later date to send to our banks or loved ones. Some people open accounts at banks near the ship’s home port which is probably what I’ll do when I get to Fort Lauderdale in December.

In the beginning of everyone’s contract they remove a little bit of your pay the first few paydays until you’ve accumulated enough for an airline ticket home. This is to cover the company’s ass if you quit or jump ship or something. You get the deposit back at the end of your completed contract, so it’s no big deal. I think they even give you some interest on it for the time they held it. I still have two more payments to make for my airline deposit which I believe is around $460. They obviously give you a receipt for that also. So that’s how we get paid. The crew bar is always hopping the night after we get paid.

With regards to spending money on the ship, we do not use cash. We always use our A-pass card. There are a few machines, one of which is in the crew bar, where you can put cash on your card. You can’t have a negative balance, which is a new policy apparently. On the Constellation you could, but you had to pay the balance on payday. So if you have no money on your card, you don’t get your drink. It keeps us honest.

********************************************************************

Donna Delany Update – We’re at about day 8 of Donna’s cruise here on The Solstice. I am finally doing many of the things I’ve been wanting to do since I got on the ship. No, I mean besides that, things like hitting the tourist spots. Donna is tireless and motivational. When we were on Mykonos she saw a little chapel high up on a hill and next thing I knew we were climbing that hill, cutting through lots and climbing ancient walls until we reached the little chapel. It was locked and vacant, but the surrounding view of Mykonos, the Aegean and the islands that lay beyond was incredible.

We had an overnighter in Istanbul, so we had two long trips into town. On day 1 we crossed the Galati Bridge, which is always lined with men fishing, into old Istanbul and walked through the town to the Topkapi Palace and then to the Hagia Sophia. We walked back through the Grand Bazaar, which is bizarre indeed, and then had dinner at a window table on the third floor of a cafe along the waterfront. The next day we went back into the old town and made it to the Blue Mosque which is really impressive. We had to remove our shoes and carry them with us in a plastic bag. The Blue Mosque is so named because of the abundance of blue tile that lines the inside. There are thousands of tiles on the walls and ceilings. It’s impossible to capture with a camera and quite overwhelming.

We’re also enjoying the amenities of the ship. I finally have someone to go to the specialty restaurants with and we’ve gone to The Murano and The Tuscan, both incredible meals in beautiful venues with fabulous food and impeccable service. It’s pricey even with my crew discount, but well worth the experience. I also get to hang out in a stateroom which is a refreshing change from my little cabin. It will be an adjustment going back to my neighborhood after this cruise is over. As you can guess, Donna and I are getting along very well and are having a fabulous time together. And it looks like she’ll be returning to the ship when we’re in the Carribean for the New Year’s Cruise. Life is good.

Spring Newsletter 1999 – Vernal Equinox Volume X number 2 (vol.X no 1 was Samhain 98 q.v.)

Picts, Kings, Saints, Chronicles

Crescent and V-rod, sun-disk and serpent carved Pictish stone

FOGS Membership feedback. . .

WHITECROSS Equinox

ABERDEEN member Dr Theodore Allan remarks on  the Hill of Whitecross one mile south of Chapel of Garioch at NJ 717 225, visible from the recumbent circle of Balquhain but not from Easter Aquhorthies. His interest is apt at this time of year, as it is a marker hill for sunset on the Feast Day of  Bride (Candlemas, and incidentally at its opposite season, Martinmas). However its derivation as the Hill of the White Cross or Crossing may stem from its sacred point of the moon’s crossing or setting – as seen from Balquhain – at the end of summer, the pagan White season, and the point where the full moon sets once in 19 years at its minor standstill. This should be a hill to watch in the summer of 2014 at the next standstill! The physical crossing of the hill must also have had significance to Bronze Age and Pictish descendants, as anyone who has walked the Netherton of Balquhain road can testify.  Leaving behind in the east the Bronze Age burial cairn on Dilly Hill, NJ 751 224, and walking due west, not only does the outline of the Hill of Whitecross draw the eye but for a mile and a half the traveller’s visiion is filled with the sacred shape of the Mother mountain Bennachie. At Burnside of Balquhain, NJ 730 225, where the road turns sharply north, the walker can clearly see how the old road used to rise directly west to Whitecross, itself topped by a cairn. An added delight for placename enthusiasts is the name of this miniscule valley created by the burn which springs on Whitecross’ lower slopes, flows past Burnside and Mains of Balquhain, turning to join the Urie at Drimmies (which Pictophiles will know has its own symbol stone:  it is the Strathnaterick, valley of the serpent of ancient wisdom. This lonely stretch of road, now mostly used by farm traffic, is an inspiration to walk on a spring evening. Thanks to Dr Allan for his observations.

BLUE MOON

TWO OF our regulars communicate on the phenomenon of this year’s blue moons, first in January and now in March; Griselda Macgregor in Inverurie and Trevor Alcott in Crimond are both interested in lunar activity, although from slightly different angles: Ms Macgregor requests the reason for the use of the term ‘Blue Moon’, i.e. for two full moons in the month, while Mr. Alcott likes to extrapolate grander figures of moons in the Metonic cycle.  We might cover both in a limited way.  First, we find  no-one in any context outside Scotland, and perhaps even outside the  bounds of Aberdeenshire, using the term ‘blue moon’ to mean two full moons in the month [in 1999, January 2: 0250; 31:1607, accompanied by a visible penumbal lunar eclipse at 1619; March 2: 0659; 31: 2249 - all times GMT]. The fact that February this year had no full moon at all is purely a figment of modern man’s calculations, as our forefathers when they spoke of the moon, meant the month, and vice versa.  The arbitrary nature of the ‘phenomenon’ can  be seen, particulary in the second March date, to occur only from Europe west, and not for instance, in Australia, where the second full moon falls within April. While not answering the question, we open the door to any contributions from members who have NE knowledge of folkloric or traditional useage.

LUNAR STANDSTILLS

We have touched on standstill moons before, as the time once every  18.61 years that the moon is seen at its most erratic in the night sky, behaving as if with a ‘wobble’. We receive several calls a year requesting more detail for stone-watchers with astronomical leanings – the latest from a member in Edinburgh who prefers anonymity.

Trevor Alcott puts it simply:

‘Correction for our latitude (57ºN approx) is, according to Reed’s Nautical Almanac, seven minutes. The rule is, when declination is north, subtract from moonrise time and add to moonset time. Reverse applies if declination is south. Our biggest problem is one with which mariners do not have to cope, i.e. the height and distance of the horizon relative to the observer, but I promise, you don’t want to know!  The easiest way is to observe a few full moons, note the times, and correct from the nautical times for that particular observation point.’ 

Sensible man.  So, for those early birds preparing for their next maximum and minimum moonset and moonrise, when the moon’s motion relative to other months  is distinctly wobbly,  may we suggest marking your diary now: 

Next major standstill at the full moon nearest to winter solstice occurs in 2005, when the full moon will rise in midwinter at the most northerly point it ever rises.

Next minor standstill, or full moon nearest to summer solstice, happens in 2014.

If we are spared, we may try for a gathering for wobble watchers at a stone circle to compare notes.
©MCY 1999-2009

Ok, my exams ended last friday. I now have 4 to 5 months of holidays ahead of me. And this release is late cos some person was playing dota.

It seems that coming weekend, 21st to 22nd Nov, is Anime Festival Asia 2009. on the 20th we’re gonna go collect the pre-regged tickets and watch Evangelion 2.0. So expect yet another delayed released. I will post them picts of AFA XD.

And here is the release:

Torrents:

H264

XviD

Bots:

H264:

/msg [KyouNoBot]Erin xdcc send #84 @ #kyounosubs

/msg [Solstice]Cecily xdcc send 12 @ #solstice

XviD:

More hitch-hiking stories, I’m afraid. Now that I’ve dragged up the ones that I’ve written about so far I’ve found a couple more memories have come back to me. One concerns an old friend, Niall, who is now a member of the space-rock band Hawkwind. We’d decided we wanted to head for Stonehenge and see if there was going to be a Solstice festival by the stones. The previous year had seen the Battle of the Beanfield, in which the police had broken up the revelry by smashing traveller’s coaches and pulling women out of vans by their hair, so the grapevine was uncertain what might happen the year we set off in the back of Niall’s dad’s van. (His dad, MO, took us some of the way but not all, if I remember rightly.)

We arrived a day late: I have always had trouble working out whether the Solstice falls on the dawn of the longest (or shortest) day of the year or whether it is the following dawn. Things must have been pretty quiet that year anyway as we encountered few fellow hitchers and no travellers. In nearby Salisbury we wanted to go and grab a coffee or a bite to eat somewhere but every single shop seemed to have the same, hand-written sign stuck on the door: ‘No Hippies!’ I managed to find a small shop which would sell us a couple of pasties and some drinks by making them laugh when I insisted I was not a hippy, I was a beatnik. While we were munching away we met two girls who thought we might find a small festival at the  wood henge near Amesbury, only a couple of miles away. When we found the place it was deserted so we all ended up in a neighbouring field. The girls, sensibly, had a tent, which they pitched while we boys gathered wood and lit a fire. Niall and I had not thought to bring a tent, thinking we’d be able to crash in someone’s van at the big festival we never found. We did have sleeping bags though so we laid them out on the ground across from the girls tent and we all warmed ourselves by the fire.

And then the rain came. Quite heavily. The girls tent was far too small for four of us to have crammed in there so they found us some bin bags to put over the outside of our sleeping bags. And there we lay, Niall and I, with our heads stuffed under the sleeping and bin bags, praying the rain would ease off at some point so that we wouldn’t die of water on the brain. Then, in the middle of the night the sound of rain battering my flimsy, sodden bed stopped and I poked my head out to behold a glorious sight. The break in the clouds had formed a perfect circle and slap bang in the middle of the circle was the full moon. I wondered what the odds would be on such a phenomenon as I stared at it, transfixed, and finally feeling as though I’d found some Solstice magic.

On the other occasion that has sprung to mind, I was again travelling alone, heading for Sussex once more. I had been picked up by a decent guy and had been chatting for about forty miles or so but knew that when the motorway we were on connected to a different motorway (the M25 around London), he was going the opposite direction to the one I needed to go. I also knew that it is illegal to hitch on motorways but if I wanted to try and pick up one of the smaller roads it would mean a walk of several miles. It was already dark and I was not keen on the idea of the walk. So when the guy dropped me off I decided to use my cunning. I walked along the M25 until I found one of those telephones which, in pre-mobile phone days, were the only way of contacting breakdown services if you had car trouble. They asked me what the problem was and I told them a big fib: I said that I’d been dumped on the motorway by an angry driver and that I knew I shouldn’t be here because it was against the law. They put me through to the police who immediately wanted to know why the driver had been angry and dumped me there. Remembering a story a fellow hitch-hiker had once told me I said “He tried it on with me, you know, wanted to have sex with me. And I told him I wasn’t into that so he got angry and told me to get out of his car.”

The police said to stay where I was and they’d come and pick me up and drive me to a more suitable spot for hitching. By the time they arrived I was feeling really guitly about my lie. Not only were they now wasting police resources and time on a bullshitting hitcher, I felt bad about my last lift as he was, as I’ve said, a decent guy who I’m sure would never have dreamed of coming on to me. But soon enough I was in a nice warm cop car, chatting merrily away with the policeman who wasn’t doing the driving, and generally being treated so nicely that I let their kindness wash over me and help me overcome my guilt. They dropped me about thirty miles further down the road but there my luck ran out. Or perhaps karma decided that enough was enough and lying to policemen was a breach of the hitcher’s code. Whatever the reason, I failed to get another lift that night and ended up sleeping in a ditch. At least it didn’t rain that time as, again, I had no tent. Well you know what they say: ‘Lying hitch-hikers never prosper, they always end up covered in mud and cow shit from sleeping in ditches.’

Posted by Audiegrl

“There apparently is a great deal of interest in celestial bodies, and their locations and trajectories at the end of the calendar year 2012. Now, I for one love a good book or movie as much as the next guy. But the stuff flying around through cyberspace, TV and the movies is not based on science. There is even a fake NASA news release out there…”~~Don Yeomans, NASA senior research scientist

NASA—Remember the Y2K scare? It came and went without much of a whimper because of adequate planning and analysis of the situation. Impressive movie special effects aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won’t be the end of the world as we know. It will, however, be another winter solstice.

Much like Y2K, 2012 has been analyzed and the science of the end of the Earth thoroughly studied. Contrary to some of the common beliefs out there, the science behind the end of the world quickly unravels when pinned down to the 2012 timeline. Below, NASA Scientists answer several questions that we’re frequently asked regarding 2012.

Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.
Answer (A): Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.

Q: What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012?
A: The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012. Then these two fables were linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 — hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.

Q: Does the Mayan calendar end in December 2012?
A: Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then — just as your calendar begins again on January 1 — another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.

Q: Could a phenomena occur where planets align in a way that impacts Earth?
A: There are no planetary alignments in the next few decades, Earth will not cross the galactic plane in 2012, and even if these alignments were to occur, their effects on the Earth would be negligible. Each December the Earth and sun align with the approximate center of the Milky Way Galaxy but that is an annual event of no consequence.

Q: Is there a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction?
A: Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth in 2012, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Eris is real, but it is a dwarf planet similar to Pluto that will remain in the outer solar system; the closest it can come to Earth is about 4 billion miles.

Q: What is the polar shift theory? Is it true that the earth’s crust does a 180-degree rotation around the core in a matter of days if not hours?
A: A reversal in the rotation of Earth is impossible. There are slow movements of the continents (for example Antarctica was near the equator hundreds of millions of years ago), but that is irrelevant to claims of reversal of the rotational poles. However, many of the disaster websites pull a bait-and-shift to fool people. They claim a relationship between the rotation and the magnetic polarity of Earth, which does change irregularly, with a magnetic reversal taking place every 400,000 years on average. As far as we know, such a magnetic reversal doesn’t cause any harm to life on Earth. A magnetic reversal is very unlikely to happen in the next few millennia, anyway.

Q: Is the Earth in danger of being hit by a meteor in 2012?
A: The Earth has always been subject to impacts by comets and asteroids, although big hits are very rare. The last big impact was 65 million years ago, and that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Today NASA astronomers are carrying out a survey called the Spaceguard Survey to find any large near-Earth asteroids long before they hit. We have already determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs. All this work is done openly with the discoveries posted every day on the NASA NEO Program Office website, so you can see for yourself that nothing is predicted to hit in 2012.

Q: How do NASA scientists feel about claims of pending doomsday?
A: For any claims of disaster or dramatic changes in 2012, where is the science? Where is the evidence? There is none, and for all the fictional assertions, whether they are made in books, movies, documentaries or over the Internet, we cannot change that simple fact. There is no credible evidence for any of the assertions made in support of unusual events taking place in December 2012.

Q: Is there a danger from giant solar storms predicted for 2012?
A: Solar activity has a regular cycle, with peaks approximately every 11 years. Near these activity peaks, solar flares can cause some interruption of satellite communications, although engineers are learning how to build electronics that are protected against most solar storms. But there is no special risk associated with 2012. The next solar maximum will occur in the 2012-2014 time frame and is predicted to be an average solar cycle, no different than previous cycles throughout history.

Addition information concerning 2012

NASA Astrobiology Institute: “Nibiru and Doomsday 2012“

Bad Astronomy: “The Planet X Saga: The Scientific Arguments in a Nutshell“

Sky and Telescope Magazine: “2012: The Great Scare“

Dan Brown’s New Book, 2012 – Are You Ready for the Consciousness Shift?

The 2012 Phenomenon Plus 10 Failed Doomsday Predictions

Why the World Will NOT End in 2012: NASA Scientist Debunks Conspiracy Theories

The Longest Night

I’m writing this to let you know
That I’m thinking of you tonight
This longest night of the year
I see your colours in the sunset
And smile at the thought of you
The frosty winter blue of your eyes
Hovers over the pale pink horizon of your lips
I hear your voice in the whistling wind
And feel your spirit wrap around me
As the dark cloak of night draws closer
I miss you, my friend
And I hope the new year will bring us closer
May we be standing side by side
Celebrating the longest night next year
-written 12 December 2008  For J.

Solstice Musings

The light is growing brighter
In it, I can see
All that was, is
And has yet to be

The old King has died
Just as the new is born
Drink a health to the Son
And ne’er for the Father do mourn

The snow piled all around
Will melt into the Earth
And refresh the budding trees
Ushering in the Mother’s rebirth

So sing out the old year
And ring in the new
And accept this Solstice blessing
From my heart to you
-written 21 December 2008  For J.

Winter Has Come

When icy winds whistle
Through your hair and bare branches
Winter has come
When stars in the deep blue sky
Shine like the noonday sun
Winter has come
When every sound around you
Is muffled by a blanket of new fallen snow
Winter has come
When the dark of night stretches on
And the waning sun gives a feeble warmth
Winter has come
When friends and family gather
Around the hearth and renew old bonds
Winter has come
When people speak of good will
Ans songs of faith and peace are sung
Winter has come
-written July 2009

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