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  1. When one speaks of the usual senses, such as sight or hearing, everyone knows what it is like, and how it should be. If I say I heard a train today, everyone knows roughly what I heard. If ask you to repeat what you just said to me, despite you speaking in a normal voice, you would guess right off I might be hearing impaired. This sort of thing is easy as we all share the sense, and we all usually develop along the same lines, into the same normal range. It is the same with vision. We even have specialists who can adjust our vision with glasses to be the same as everyone else.

    But, when it comes to anything beyond that, outside the range of normal for the majority to experience and relate to, problems can arise. We can question ourselves, our friends and family may question us, and most certainly the world is full of people who seem obsessed with denying and questioning anything anyone tries to say or ask about outside the range deemed normal. Most of us tend to fall in line and decide it was simply imagination or misunderstood and never have to deal with it again.

    For some, however, an experience comes along which will not fit in the normal range and cannot be blamed on imagination. For example having a crazy nightmare of your friend being a car wreck and getting out scared but with a cut on her arm. You wake up thinking it was a crazy dream, confused what in the world could have inspired a mad dream like that and go back to sleep. You find out the next day at school that your friend was, in fact, in a car wreck the evening before and got a cut on her arm and will be alright but out of school for a day or two.

    This sort of experience defies being rationalized away and happens to thousands of people. Something you could not possibly have known, coming to you in a way that is confusing but succeeded in getting the information to you. A dream for one person, a sort of waking vision for another, a bad feeling lingering for no reason and the friend constantly coming to mind. Followed by independent confirmation, this is impossible for someone to ignore or accept it is not a valid and true experience they went through. 

    What typically comes next is a need to understand for most rational people who experience something like this. There are few sources for good information. If you are lucky, you know of a person who does this more often who will recognize what you are talking about and can explain. Maybe you will run into someone online on a forum who has some good information for you. More likely, though, you may run into those who are compelled to respond with rationalistic answers. It is delusion, you are lying, or some feat of explanation which far surpasses simply accepting that something really unusual sounding happened to you.

    For someone who has not experienced this sort of thing, they expect it to be like any other sense, or else it is wrong. You always can hear, so if it is a "real" sense it has to always be on also. When you see a color chart, if you have normal vision, you can identify accurately every color there, so if this is a real sense, you have to be right 100% of the time. If one "psychic" can see what is hidden inside a locked box, then if you are psychic you can do the same thing the same way. This can be really upsetting and further confuse you.

    Here is some survival guidance for you. 

    If you are really upset and alarmed, your sleep is disturbed or you are hearing or seeing things urging you to harm yourself or someone else, if it a negative thing, is disrupting your life or affecting your health and well being, do seek medical help, or a mental health counselor to rule out anxiety or depression or some other cause. We all can fall victim to stress or prolonged tension from deaths close to us, family set backs, or other trauma and need some expert advice on how to cope better with harsh periods in our lives. It does not make you crazy or wrong to need some specialized advice. Once you are through this you will be better able to help someone else going through it and recognize it early for them and be able to encourage them to find their answers too. If your "psychic" claim is pretty wild, don't be angry or hurt if people suggest you need to check out yourself and your mental health and be sure you are alright. They might very well be right. You will get nowhere in life if you do not learn the ability to consider yourself honestly and determine if they might be correct. Stress can do crazy things to us. 

    Be wise and consider the platform you are asking on. If it is the internet, and a forum of the caliber that the one this blog is hosted on is, featuring a broad array of experience and its share of sceptics, expect a broad array of replies. Also be aware it gets claims from the full spectrum of people daily, ranging from liars faking it and bored kids, to seriously unstable people who actually need mental intervention and all those in between. Be clear what you are asking, do not exaggerate, keep in mind they do not know you and also keep in mind you do not know who you are replying to. Respect goes a long way.

    If you are actually fine with what happened and simply wishing to know why or what happened, then accept such responses as people being concerned who may not understand or else don't have enough information from you to correctly assess what you are trying to describe. Focus on those replies which seem to address what you are needing and ask questions and don't get down on yourself. If you just react and get rude or angry you will lose a lot of ground and credibility for what you are saying happened to you.

    I can tell you that sometimes this sort of thing will happen once or twice over years and nobody will be able to tell you why it did that. You may never have answers as to why you saw this person, or were shown that. Things just lined up that way, maybe to show you it is possible and get you looking out there with new eyes to learn more about it. Unlike the normal senses, a so-called "psychic" sense can be different for everyone who has an experience with it. It can reveal one detail and skip the next dozen. It can make little sense. I think this is because we are not that great at receiving it right, and it takes a while to get better at it. I am not sure if this a new skill range trying to manifest among us more, or an old one some of us connect with and have to learn over again. My personal opinion is we can all potentially experience it at times, some more than others, and some of us are simply shut down in this area and never will readily understand it or even believe in some cases. 

    It is like a dream, not easy to control, sometimes seemingly random, often ambiguous or with inexplicable details that do not seem to fit, and other major details apparently left out illogically. You can do better, with work, understand more, if it stays around. In any case, it does make you realize we know less than we think about the ranges we are capable of, once you have seen something like this yourself which has no outside explanation, and maybe that is what makes it the most interesting when it does happen.

    I write to serve.

  2. More than six hundred miraculous healings have been reported in Medjugorje since the first apparitions. It is about documented healings for which after the scientific theological investigation there has been no cause other than the supernatural and the miraculous. In addition to these healings, there are thousands of testimonies that are healed both spirit and body, and which are not recorded. One of the particularly touching testimonies of Medjugorje is that of American Arthur Boyle from Hingham near Boston who came to Medjugorje near death.


    Continue:  https://mysticpost.com/2017/09/600-documented-miraculous-healings-at-medjugorje-and-the-astonishing-case-of-arthur-boyle/

  3. It seems from this that all lucky numbers are odd numbers, which I suppose is logical, as luck is an odd concept. Plus, anything that survives in this world must be lucky.

    As to The numbers that didn't survive, evidently it's their own fault for being lazy no good slackers. 


    Definition: To build the lucky number sequence, start with natural numbers. Delete every second number, leaving 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, ... . The second number remaining is 3, so delete every third number, leaving 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 19, 21, ... . The next number remaining is 7, so delete every 7th number, leaving 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 21, ... . The next number remaining is 9, so delete every ninth number, etc.

    Those numbers were lucky they weren't crossed out.

    First ten: 1, 3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 21, 25, 31, 33

    There are 1118 lucky numbers below 10,000.


  4. Roc Koch

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    The Metaphorical Universe — We are Spiritual Information.

    Visualize this.  The Universe is like a record, tape, disc, or some other storage device for information.  Only it is more.  It is a continuum that is open-ended.  It is everywhere and everything and it is in a state of duration.  It is enfolded in a super holographic moiré matrix of multiple dimensions that act as one or many depending upon the information.  Feedback loops appear to be its construction only in that emphasis localizes.  This universe is hierarchical in design with lower level entities not totally knowing of higher-level beings, yet the reverse is not true.  They know us, or things could not have been built.  

    Informational connections are like sense organs.  The more information and observation (feedback) the more complex the assemblage of localized forms.  The more gestalt the feedback loops of connections, the higher the being and more active is the work.  The Universe is metaphorical in that like-breeds-like in evolutional information.  Carriers, or entities feed through themselves growing through various stages that appear as birth, life and death to the localized environment but to the higher stages it is only process of information toward ever-higher levels.

    Opening up new feedback loops amounts to adding new information, thus expanding the localization into new realms of understanding.  As expansion grows, human language, because it is linear, becomes a curse for communication on higher levels where synchronistic hologestalt meaning is understood.  This language (meaning) is metaphorical and multifaceted, requiring a mind or lens (localized brain) of the same design.  Growth and decay, which is like withdrawing from a stage of development, depends on the quality of information that mingles with other information to create tools for leveraging information. We find ourselves in a Spiritual Dimensional Presence.

    Dimensional Presence — A condition where an entity mentally cognizes or thinks that he/she is present in existence or reality by discerning stimuli (atmosphere, environs, information and things) that suggest he/she is alive due to the feedback of instantaneous information to the Carrier’s mentality or mind. All sensory data gives the feeling that they exist reinforced by the constant input of past history. Memory is key to the feeling of progressing into potential. One wonders if such a presence has built from a condition of Always. Such a condition of eternally existing as a mentality in many states of expression is who and what we are here in Time/Space. Dimensional Presence coalesces via some means of manifestation into a package of informational dynamics that moves into and through a materializing state supported by an organizational apparatus that directs echeloned dissipation of preplanned articulation. To be requires preparation system/s of established instigators and expressers that can methodically synthesize consistently through a framework of laws and actions off those means of assembly. We should be totally amazed toward awe that we get to be here at all…Not that one is, but that whereby Is, is. Thus is the Crux of Being and Becoming.       

  5. Peace Prayer of Saint Francis Part 2

    2nd talk

    So the second part of the Prayer of St. Francis is the fruit of working through the first part.  The necessity of self-knowledge and an ever-deepening trust in God’s mercy.  This allows us to listen so that we truly become instruments of peace in God’s hands. 

    O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
    to be consoled as to console,
    to be understood as to understand,
    to be loved as to love.
    For it is in giving that we receive,
    it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

    I believe that the story of the Samaritan woman at the well shows how Jesus lived out the second section of the prayer of St. Francis.  Below is something I wrote about this beautiful story.


    To be seen

    The more the life of Jesus is contemplated, I believe the broader our understanding of what it was about, deepens.  To enter into one of the stories and see how differently Jesus related to others can be an eye-opener.  The Samaritan woman for instance with whom Jesus talked to at the well.  It is known that the Jews and the Samaritans had little to do with each other, what is not often understood was the depth of animosity that was present between these two groups.  I would imagine that the Samaritan woman, because of her having lived with six men, was also looked down upon by her fellow Samaritans.  Plus she was a woman, and men did not talk to women in public.  So she was really at the bottom of the social ladder.  Yet Jesus talked to her, did not look down on her, nor did he condemn her in any way.  No, he conversed gently and truthfully, aware of what was within her.  When Jesus revealed to her about her lifestyle, I would think she felt at first exposed before this very strange man, who was treating her with a loving gentleness and respect that she was not used to.  The fact that she was ‘seen’ allowed her to be open and not become defensive; at least not in a way that kept her from hearing what Jesus had to say.  Jesus saw her heart, her pain, what she had to go through in her life and the isolation that she must have endured among her own people.  We can shield our hearts with walls of anger, we can appear that we are getting along; when at a deep level the isolation can be killing us.  Jesus called her out of isolation into a new life of openness.   Because of this, she was able to go into the city and proclaim what had happened to her.  I would think that at first the people would have been taken back by this ‘new’ woman, who was standing before them, unafraid of their contempt and was speaking in a way that intrigued many if not all of them.  Because someone saw her depths and accepted and loved her, it leads to a healing that freed her from a defensive posture of uncaring what others thought of her and allowed her to re-enter into the community.

    If love is the greatest spiritual gift, then it would seem that if Christians want to be healers of hearts and souls, then we should pray for this gift, greater even than miracles, which can be flashy and then forgotten in time.  However, to experience being seen and loved by another, to understand that one's depths have been gazed upon and still loved, brings about the deepest of healing; for nothing needs to be hidden.  There is no one outside of God’s love because God sees the depths of the heart and loves what is seen.  It is true that Jesus got angry at some of the Jews of his time, but his anger was a tool to shake up those who thought themselves the top of the religious ladder.  Many of them did, after all, come to believe in Jesus; perhaps for the same reason, the Samaritan woman became a believer.  They understood that his anger was a form of teaching, trying to unmask what was keeping them isolated from others and unloving.   The easiest thing to do is to look down on others and show contempt, for in doing so it protects us from looking within our own hearts so that we can learn that what we condemn in others, is in reality self-hatred for ourselves. 

    When we sin against others we push them deeper into isolation, despair and self-destructive actions.  To discourage another, to judge them unworthy of our love and acceptance, is damaging to them as well as our own souls and has repercussions that can affect many people.  The hearts and souls of all men and woman are naked before God. Not so for us, for we are opaque not only to ourselves but to each other as well.  Self-knowledge is a lifelong process, but it is impossible to see into the depths of another.  All we can do is to treat those around us with love and respect…. little actions, one at a time, day in and day out.  If enough Christians and just people, in general, did this, I would think the world would become a better place, not perfect, but perhaps a little gentler and a little more loving.  This simple agenda of treating those around as we would like to be treated is harder than it sounds and leads to a great deal of self-knowledge and humility. 

    Some would say this is unrealistic, however the state of the world today would seem to indicate that a new way of relating is needed……perhaps we are all insane, doing the same destructive things over and over again without learning or even seeking to find new avenues in living out how we relate not only to our loved ones, friends, and acquaintances but strangers as well.—Br.MD










  6. Stumbling through life with Hank

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    What if polititions weren't elected. What if they were conscripted. Kinda like when those famous words were uttered; "Ask not what your country country can do for you, rather what you can do for your country". What if every one had to serve a term in office. Names could be drawn from a computer that match people's skills to a particular posting. All done randomly with the only caveat being you have to be qualified to do the job. That way the cream would be skimmed from the top instead of the bottom of the bucket.

         Lets face facts. Most people in politics today are in it for them themselves. It's easy for them to get elected because no one in their right mind would want the job. Pick the best from your population and you get the best representation. A good non political example is the Switzerland and Israel. In order to own a firearm you must first serve in your countries military. Make great sense.

    Applying this to politics may be the only hope we have of having a peaceful, prosperous, non partisan government.

                                                                           What if.  

    As usual, feel free to criticize or add suggestions. All are welcome.






    By Paul Dale Roberts, HPI’s Esoteric Detective
    Halo Paranormal Investigations – HPI International.
    Sacramento Haunted Paranormal Hotline: (916) 203-7503 – 4 Advice & Investigations
    Email: jazmaonline@gmail.com


    On April 7 & 8, 2018 - Saturday and Sunday, there was a Camptonville Ghost Tour scheduled.  HPI (Halo Paranormal Investigations) was to get a table to display our equipment, books, cleansing materials, etc.  We planned to do a bit of networking and hand out our business cards to the ghost hunting enthusiasts.   Holly Ulrey Bell who conducted a few investigations with HPI, invited us to this event.  I was supposed to be a guest speaker and when everything was said and done, we were going on a ghost tour.  Some of the HPI members that wanted to attend this event were Deanna Jaxine Stinson, Abigail Williams, Kathy Payne Foulk, Xandean Smith and Sally Johnston.  Unfortunately, since there will be rain on Saturday, the event was canceled.  Camptonville is expecting 5 inches of rain.  They are rescheduling for April 28 & 29, 2018 and I believe some of our HPI investigators will show up to this event.  Unfortunately once more, Deanna and I, will not be able to attend the event, because we will be in San Francisco.  We are taking a ferry boat from Vallejo to SF and spending the day in SF.  The San Francisco trip was already on our schedule. 



    April 7 & 8, 2018 Saturday and Sunday - Time to be there on both days: 2pm: HPI has been invited to the Camptonville Ghost Tour. HPI will have their own table and all of the investigators are invited. Bring your equipment, so you can display it on the table. There will be live music and lots of interaction with visitors. At 5pm, I will be giving a presentation / speech. This is all FREE! We are to meet at: 15333 Cleveland Avenue - Community Center - Camptonville, CA.  At 8pm they are having a ghost tour and that is not free and they are having a fundraiser, in case you want to donate anything. That will be up to you. No pressure. 


    Doing some research, I learn that Camptonville is very haunted.  I will give you some bits and pieces on the history of Camtonville and the paranormal activity that has taken place in Camptonville.  In 1850 gold was struck in Camptonville.  Camptonville during that time was known as Gold Ridge.  The town blacksmith was Robert Campton and in 1854, the town was named after Robert Campton.  There are stories that Robert Campton may still haunt the town, because a man wearing a black suit with coat tails has been seen walking around the post office area.  A resident named Menon Doyle from Marysville says that Robert Campton loved this town so much, his soul is still around to watch over the town.  Menon says that the locales believe the apparition that they have seen is Robert Campton.  The locals compare the apparition to a portrait of Robert Campton and how the apparition looks like the portrait. 

    That is one of the possible ghosts.  A few houses in Camptonville are known to be haunted.  More on the history.  Camptonville was a significant community during the California Gold Rush era.  Travelers would definitely stay for a spell, especially since the town in the 1850s and up to the 1860s boasted fifty saloons, some brothels and even a bowling alley.  Most travelers descended upon Camptonville from the Henness Pass, a major route that went over the Sierra Nevada mountains.  Present time Camptonville now has:  a Lost Nugget Gas Station and convenience store; a post office; Camptonville Elementary School; a monument to the Pelton wheel, the inventor of which lived here in the 1860s; and the original Mayo Saloon; currently home to a restaurant and bar called Burgee Dave's at the Mayo; and the Yuba River Ranger District Office of the Tahoe National Forest, which is also the headquarters of the Tahoe Hotshots fire crew.


    Danella Eaton from Yuba City says that her grandfather used to hunt near and around Camptonville and on one particular day, he spied a large buck, the buck looked behind him and seemed startled.  The buck darted away quickly.  Danella's grandfather couldn't figure out why the buck ran away, because he felt that he was as quiet as a mouse.  A few seconds passed and Danella's grandfather heard the breaking of branches.  The sounds came closer and closer.  Finally the sounds stopped.  Danella's grandfather looked up and he saw a huge hairy man.  The face was of a man, but the body of this creature was covered with thick matted brown fur.  The creature was at least 12 feet tall.  As Danella's grandfather was watching the creature, the creature looked at him and gave out a mighty roar.  Danella's grandfather ran like the dickens to get away from the creature.  As Danella's grandfather reached his vehicle, he looked back and on top of the hill was the creature watching him.  After that experience, Danella's grandfather stopped hunting and he had nightmares that centered around that encounter with the creature.


    A resident of Orangevale who does not want to be identified makes claim that one time while walking in Camptonville during dusk hours, he heard laughter, a woman screaming, piano playing, glass breaking, feet shuffling and what sounded like two men arguing. As he stood by, the sounds continued. Finally the Orangevale resident was very curious on where the sounds were coming from. He found himself walking towards the epicenter on where the sounds were originating. When he approached the epicenter, the sounds stopped. When the sounds stopped, other sounds seemed to stop also, he no longer could hear the sounds of crickets or the sounds of birds chirping.


    Lorna Whittenbach from Scottsdale, Arizona was visiting her mother that lives near Camptonville and she makes claim that she encountered 3 spectral horses grazing in a nearby field. The horses looked healthy and majestic. Lorna wanted to photograph them and approached the horses cautiously. As she went to snap a photo of the 3 spectral horses, they just vanished and when she looked at her photo, there was nothing in her photo except for grass, the hillside and a few bushes. Lorna calls the 3 horses, her Magic Horses. Lorna says after her encounter with the horses, she had some good fortune fall upon her. She was in extreme debt and was thinking about filing for bankruptcy before encountering the Magic Horses. The good luck came about after she encountered the Magic Horses. Lorna received some financial benefits that dissolved her debt. She is now debt free and she gives credit to the Magic Horses.  


    HPI will be going to Camptonville at the end of April 2018. I am anxiously awaiting to see what evidence of paranormal activity will be found when HPI places their boots on the ground. A defunct paranormal investigation group from Willows, California called W.S.U. (Willows Spectral Unity) makes claim that when the visited Camptonville, CA – they captured 6 EVPs. One of the EVPs was a Class A EVP that says…”no whisky tonight”. This Class A EVP was that of a gruffy sounding man. WSU also says they captured many orb pictures and 2 pictures of what looks like mist. WSU at the time had 3 male members and one of the members claims he was touched inappropriately. The leader of WSU says he may have been touched by a ghostly prostitute from one of the former brothels that were once in this town. WSU confirms that this town is indeed haunted.

  8. So I use a music streaming site, I won’t name it but it’s been around a while and yes it is a legal streaming site.

    I enjoy a very wide variety of music that includes classical (Bach, Motzart, Beetoven etc), 80’s butt rock (don’t ask), 60’s and 70’s rock, Blues, chinese opera, dubstep, industrial, goth, etc. Now the problem is on every channel but one they have recommendations based on the artists I have choosen fairley well. They might be songs that I don’t necessarily like but based on the artists it makes sense.

    Their is only one channel that it seems they can’t get right in order to save lives.  That is my goth channel. I have artists in their like Bahaus, Siouxie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, London After Midnight, Eva O, Gitane Demone, to name a few. Some of the most common “recommendations” are Christian Folk music, Country, and a couple other giant record scratches in the sky.  It boggles my mind that with a couple dozen artists to choose from as far as recommendations go, they pick those genres.

    maybe I should just go play Indian Leg Wrestling with a Yeti. That would be less stressful.

  9. CuriousChaos

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    Ability....or natural gift. Confusion goes along with chaos. So many questions, but not all have answers. Someone with insight, is usually the one who is disconnected... I know, I read, I see, I speak, I moved freely... Essence is upon me, any educators out there.


    Pagan CuriousChaos

  10. Witch Writes

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    So this may qualify as a vent, but there's something that's been really bugging me lately and I just have to get it off my mind - perhaps by writing about it and sharing it here.  First a little background into the situation:

    I come from a middle class background.  My dad always worked for himself and we were by no means rich or "well to do", but we did fine and had a decent house and most of the things we needed.  I learned the value of money at a very early age:  Growing up, I worked for my dad (helping him to maintain rental properties), babysat, and eventually starting working regular jobs when I turned 16.  I had a car payment by age 17, and had moved out of my parents house by age 18.  Back then, I had a full time job that paid minimum wage (about $3.47/hour in those days), so you can believe that I had to be very frugal to make ends meet.  Despite this, I put myself through college, and never had to ask for help financially.  The only time I distinctly remember any kind of financial help during this time was when my mom stopped by my apartment and gave me a check for $75.  I had not asked for it, and it was very appreciated at the time.

    Myself and my siblings are all either in our late 40's or early 50's now.  My sister and both of my brothers are doing very well financially- they all have nice homes, nice vehicles, take fancy vacations, etc.  My brothers have built beautiful homes for themselves, and my older brother just spent about a half million on a house.  My own financial situation isn't even close to being able to do something like that, but I'm perfectly happy with what I have.  I'm also not materialistic AT ALL, and enjoy living a more simple lifestyle.  Throughout the years, when talking to my parents, they often talked about how well my brothers were doing and how nice my sister's and brothers' homes were.  I was always the one who seemed to be looked down upon by the other family members.  I was the one who was always struggling, etc. (even though to me it didn't seem like it).  Still, this didn't stop my sister or brothers from asking me to pitch in when it came to helping my mom dig herself out of extreme dept with credit cards.  She (my mom) seems to have some kind of problem with credit cards, and has declared bankruptcy a couple times now that I'm aware of.  I can't support this and don't even know what to say to her on the subject.

    Over the years, by sister and I have remained pretty good friends.  But recently she did something that made me feel downright uncomfortable.  I live several states away from her so haven't been able to participate, but it seems my great-niece (my niece's daughter) has been in several performances in a local theater in their area.  Recently, I received a long letter along with an order form for tickets AND a self-addressed stamped envelope.  The letter detailed a fund raiser that my sister and her daughter were putting together to try to raise $500 for the theater.  My sister included a little hand-written note that said she was sending these things to me just to let me know that she wishes I could be there for the performances.  I don't know how in the hell asking for money is, in any way, a form of her just letting me know she wishes I was there.  Let me just put things into context:  my sister and her husband live in a very nice home in a rather upscale neighborhood.  They have expensive vehicles and my brother-in-law bought a new $40,000 truck not long ago.  They have a brand new camper that they take on trips all over.  My sister doesn't work and has only ever had a couple part-time jobs.  My brother-in-law teaches and has full retirement benefits from the Army.  They recently bought an empty lot with a garage so he would have a place to work on his race car.  My great-niece's grandparents on the dad's side live in a mansion, and the husband works as a doctor.  Meanwhile, my husband and I have both worked our asses off, full-time, for years.  Now our daughter is getting ready to go to an expensive college in the northeast.  Things are about to get even more expensive for us, and my sister knows this.  The fundraiser was basically, even blatantly, asking for $50 donations. 

    Given the situation, and all our other expenses, I chose to ignore the whole letter.  Even though my sister and I email fairly often, I didn't mention it.  But the whole situation did make me feel really weird.  I mean, $500 is probably a drop in the bucket for them and I found it really confusing and weird that they came up with a fundraiser for that amount.  Not only that, but to send the letter to me under the guise of trying to present it as a "wish you were here" type thing.  I mean, there's no way for me to even attend this theater, let alone my great-niece's performances.  Unfortunately, I feel awkward and disappointed by my sister for even sending this to me.  After a couple weeks went by, she even emailed me one day to let me know not to worry about sending anything - that between the family, they were able to raise the $500.  No kidding!  Either way, I just feel like the whole thing was in such poor taste, and that she was wrong to send me the fundraiser and "put me on the spot" the way she did.  If anybody reading this has any insight, comment, reaction to this at all, I would certainly appreciate hearing it!  Thank you!

  11. StarMountainKid
    Latest Entry
    “What are you doing?!” the Foreman asked me, sounding annoyed.
    “I’m trying to get this to behave itself!” I replied. “These parameters keep changing by themselves. It’s this new algorithm Adominis devised. He thinks it’s an improvement on the old customary one that works better. I wish these young techs would stop having new ideas. This next generation…I don’t know.”
    “Well, do the best you can with it,” the Foreman advised, “but the Supervisor expects results. We’re starting to go over budget already. We can’t afford another delay.”
    With that the Foreman left the lab. I concentrated for a while on trying to tease the formula to behave itself, but soon gave up in frustration. This job has its drawbacks, alright, I thought to myself. But the pay is good, and with a new family to support I would have to stick with it, frustrations or not.
    Of course I knew even if I tamed the wiggly thing, the result still wouldn’t be perfect. It’s all a matter of refining probabilities. That’s the basics of the process. It’s impossible to construct absolute determinism because, for one thing, that would not allow for the fundamental randomness that is essential for creative possibilities.
    Oh, it’s been tried in the early days. Locked-down, fixed parameters describing fixed resolutions of events, but the result was just a mechanism. We weren’t trying to build a clock-work machine; we were attempting to construct a self-resolving instrument that was resourceful, an autonomous entity that had the ability to initiate its own approaches to resolving various changes to its basic program.
    Well, in the end it’s tricky to accomplish all this, given the budget and time frame allowed. One other aspect is, it had to include certain, let me say, elements the higher-ups insist on. Imperfections, mainly. The configuration had to contain certain limitations and constraints as to its precision. In other words, it could not be a better device than the one we lived with ourselves.
    This has always a sticking point with me. I mean, why not build something that is as perfect as we can design it? But we’re not allowed to do this. We must introduce some specific flaws and defects into the project. Our algorithms must be adjusted ever so slightly so that the finished product has some shortcomings built into it.
    I think the great scientists and engineers at the top level have taken careful measure of our own system, and where they have discovered deficiencies they have decided these same defects must be included in the new model.
    This is maddening to me, for I can see how the project can be made perfect. But I’m not allowed to install these improvements. I must instead alter certain aspects so that the design contains these prescribed imperfections.
    I feel regret and even guilt that the function of the completed structure will not be ideal. Its evolution will be flawed in unpredictable ways. Then again maybe this is a good thing. Perfection would be dull and unimaginative. Perhaps within its flaws it will become inventive and resourceful in coping with its limitations.
    It’s a new beginning, afterall. It will have to rely on its instincts and capacity for variation to fulfill itself as best it can, as our system has done. The final outcome is unknown, but I hope it will be successful in realizing its potential.
    As I now sit back in my chair, I wonder if its evolution will result in new life arising from the parameters we have created for it. If we have fashioned a capacity for the as yet unborn. I like to think so. Oftentimes I dream of these, my forever unnamed children, orphaned into a universe they do not expect. They will never know me, their father. Never to hold them in my loving embrace, or perhaps to face in horror their glorious malevolence.
  12. Lunar Wolf
    Latest Entry

    Now you may be wondering why I have not been making status posts, and this is because it seems to be a big problem that I make large status updates, they are updates, quick, but also long as, because shocker, people have more than just one thing on their minds. Besides that, yes I did repost them a lot, but I never got to get the feedback because over and over they got deleted. And then when I tried to give you guys a link to a place where I can make long status updates without being nagged at, that too for some reason or another is a big problem.

    So for the time being, until I can make status updates again, though I agreed to the terms that were given in order for me to make them again, I will not be on here a huge deal. So for a bit, I will just stay off here. I will be spending my time updating stories on fanfiction under the author name of Evil's Wolf, on Quotev again stories and polls at Evil's Wolf, and then on Roosterteeth at Wolfzer99 making posts and other related actions. I may come back in a little time or make small updates here if anything of great importance happens. Otherwise, I am going to be focusing more time on my stories and the different ways of improvement and how I can make new stories and extend the concept of some of my other stories.

  13. Ryu
    Latest Entry

    There was a thread, at one point that discussed the concept of what life

    is and what it entailed, naturally when one thinks of "life" we automatically think of living beings from microscopic bacteria to the 

    leviathan great blue whales and generally we would be correct but as I pondered this idea I couldn't help by ask myself 

    if this was entirely accurate.

    In short, is our concept of life a bit myopic? Just as there are many types of love, there are also many types of life too. 

    When we look at physical matter, it is really just forms of energy that, when coalesced, oscillate at a particular frequency. It seems that there is not "energy versus matter" it is all just...energy 

    (again for the purposes of conversation, I use the term energy as a collective term out of convenience).



    When you break down matter (or maybe the term energy pattern is more appropriate) you have a tiny, imperceptible particle of energy. 

    It is tiny, and maybe that little particle is weak but it is there, it oscillates and affects an area of space around it no matter how large or 

    small parameter it is.Now you have trillions upon trillions of these little particles, some move really, really fast and 

    there are others that just mosey along at their own pace.

    At some point these particles will get bounced around, bumping off of this particle and crashing into others.

    Sort of like being in Grand Central Station in rush hour.

    Now each particle is able to attract or repel based upon whether those frequencies are compatible with one another, if one particle bonds 

    with another, that combined frequency becomes a little stronger and able to attract more and more until their combined frequency can 

    attract particles that emanate a stronger energy field. At some point the accumulation accelerates and baring that nothing happens to 

    break the bond in the meantime, something will be formed. 


    What it will be depends, I suppose, on the particles that are accumulated.

    Now one might ask how this constitutes "life" and it is a good inquiry, really. I suppose one of the ways "life" could be defined is the accumulation and maintenance of coalesced particles, bonded so strongly that they are able, by their energetic nature, to maintain a position on the 

    energetic celestial gear works of the cosmos such as a solar system.

    I would even surmise that even biological life assists in this process (this will relate to my other article on 'Lifestream') by creating its 

    own unique sets of frequencies that support not just the planet it is on but forms a sort of "net" that connects to all in the universe.

    (Yeah, for lack of a better term I am forced to rely on the heavily over-used and worn out of 'We're all connected' platitude. Sorry)



    Again if you have read through to the end then I once again am grateful for your patience

    and I may add more later.....maybe.

    And if you are totally confused then you are in good company, so am I!

  14. I just read one of the most sexist articles that I've ever seen before.

    Link: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/bj5ex8/how-to-help-gender-equality-international-womens-day


    I don't know who this woman is, but she is clearly one of the most sexist people I've ever encountered, and given the length of the article, I figured I should respond to every one of her insanely moronic points here in this blog post. I realize this article was posted over a week ago, but I'm just now stumbling across it and I just couldn't let this slide without saying something.

    Most people on here know by now that I'm unapologetically liberal and progressive. I'm a Democratic Socialist, I supported Bernie Sanders in the democratic primary, and (despite what many centrist establishment Hillary supporters might've said) I along with Bernie Sanders strongly support women's rights and oppose all forms of genuine sexism.

    However this includes sexism against women and men.

    There have been multiple forms of feminism throughout history, and many have even tried categorizing them into three separate 'waves'. I don't care to get into debating the definition of the term 'feminism', or saying whether or not I support or oppose 'feminism', because in my opinion, the term is widely used and rather vague. Some people who claim the title of 'feminist' appear to support genuine gender equality, whereas others appear to support female superiority under the guise of 'gender equality'. So for this post I'll simply approach this from the topic of gender equality vs. sexism in general.


    For the majority of this post I'll be responding to her article as if addressed to her directly. First I'll respond to her opening remarks below, and then go through her list of 100 'suggestions for men' in spoilers (so as not to force anyone to scroll down forever and ever to get to the comments if they don't want to). Then finally I'll leave you readers with a few closing remarks.

    And with that being said, let's begin...



    Every year, I wake up on March 8 to a flurry of tweets from men wishing me a “Happy International Women’s Day!”

    And every year, I find myself thinking: Well, thanks, but is that it? Is that all the support for gender equality that you can muster? For the entire year? It’s a nice sentiment, but at a time when the gender pay gap means that women in the UK work for free for 67 days each year, Black women in the US are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, and trans women in the US are four times more likely to be murdered than cis women, it doesn’t quite do it for me.

    And right off the bat we have an absolute absurdity.

    Do you really think that someone giving you a holiday greeting means that greeting you is literally all that person has done in support of whatever the holiday is supposed to represent for an entire year? Seriously? Does saying "Happy Valentines Day!" mean that you didn't do anything to show your partner you love them that year? Does saying "Merry Christmas!" mean that you didn't give any gifts to the people you care about that entire year? Of course not. You're literally taking a kind and happy greeting from men in support of your cause and spitting in their face.

    If you want to argue that simply saying "Happy International Women's Day!" alone isn't enough to truly support gender equality, then you might have a good point there. You can't say you support something and then act contrary to what you said, else you be a hypocrite.

    However at the same time, you don't have to be a full-time activist to genuinely be in support of something. There are plenty of things that I fully support, of which I simply lack the time, money, and resources necessary to actively promote. It's perfectly reasonable for regular working people to support something by simply voting for political candidates who support it as well. Very few people can realistically literally be out there actively doing things in support of every single cause that they support. This is why we have elected officials in congress who (are supposed to) represent us, so that we average American people don't have to keep up with absolutely every single political issue and vote for every single bill to be passed, etc. etc. We have lives, and jobs, and families. Yes, most of us have more time that would probably best be devoted to promoting some cause, however again, we can't all be activists for everything 24/7. That's just not realistically possible.

    So when you receive a 'flurry of tweets from men' wishing you a happy international women's day, you should be proud that your activism has touched the hearts of so many people who are there ready to support your cause. But instead you want to criticize them for such a simple and kind gesture. Shame on you.


    So, to ensure that men aren’t missing direction, a few years ago I started compiling a list of easy actions that men can take to meaningfully support gender equality. Every year, I would post it on social media. Slowly, other women started contributing suggestions. So the list grew. And grew. It will likely never stop growing.

    The suggestions cover many realms of life—from home, to work, to the ways we interact with strangers, to the language we use—but it is in no way comprehensive. Below, I’ve included a mere 100 entries out of the several hundred I’ve crowdsourced and personally compiled.

    To the men reading: You may already do some of these things, and others you may not be in the position to do. But a good place to start is by, at the very least, reading the list through—in its entirety. And remember: These apply all year, not just during the annual 24 hours dedicated to half of the planet’s population.

    I don't just intend to 'read the list through', I intend to respond to each and every one of your 'list of easy actions'. Which btw, after reading through your list prior to writing this, many of these 'easy actions for men to do' do not in the least bit support gender equality. They support female superiority with a pious condescension and sexist expectation of how men should behave around women.

    So, onto the list:


    1. Before explaining something to a woman, ask yourself if she might already understand. She may know more about it than you do.

    I'd say this would apply to anyone, not just women, but okay.

    2. Related: Never, ever try to explain feminism to a woman.

    Why not? Are white people excluded from explaining racism to a black person too?

    There are plenty of examples of women (for instance, in some religious circles) who strongly support male dominance and female superiority. Should a male who strongly supports gender equality be excluded from explaining to these women what gender equality actually is?

    This is ridiculous. But worst of all, it's sexist; but in the reverse way. You're excluding people from the conversation based on their gender. That's the very definition of sexism!

    3. Trans women are women. Repeat that until you perish.

    I fully acknowledge that you can be born with the brain chemistry of that of a female, while outwardly having the physiology of a male. IF thee people wish to be identified as 'female', then I have no problem whatsoever with that as well.

    Although if you're implying that I should pretend that these women don't have male sex organs, then I'll have to side with reality on this one.

    Calling trans women 'women' is a kind courtesy that acknowledges their psychological femaleness. It isn't an absolute, as they are not 100% fully female. Whether you or they like it or not, they were born with male sex organs, and male hormones, and are therefore at least in some sense, male.

    There are some people who for whatever reason seek to challenge this notion, and insist that we acknowledge trans women as 100% female, when they aren't. That's an objective scientific physiological fact, and it isn't bigotry to acknowledge that fact. You can still acknowledge this, while fully supporting trans rights and referring to trans women with all the proper pronouns.

    Given your rather extremist views in this article, it's hard for me to tell whether you're implying here that you're part of this extremist form of political correctness camp or not, but if so I simply thought I would address this concern regardless.

    4. RESPECT PEOPLE’S PRONOUNS. It’s not hard.

    I support seeking to properly use most forms of political correctness as a common courtesy and as part of just simply being a decent human being.

    However, sometimes political correctness crosses over the line of actual correctness, to which I won't cross. If being politically correct means being factually incorrect, then I'm sorry, but I'll have to go with being actually correct, regardless of whether you're insulted or not. You can't avoid offending anyone, at all times, ever.

    Lastly I just want to reiterate, that political correctness is a common courtesy. It IS NOT an actual law. The freedom of speech still stands, and people are (and should be) free to say anything they so chose, regardless of whether it "respects people's pronouns" or not.

    5. Remember that fat women exist and aren’t all trying to get thin. Treat them with respect.

    Of course we should treat them with respect, we should treat all people with respect.

    Yet once again, you're implying an extremist position here where we pretend that obesity isn't harmful to one's health, and that we simply 'accept' their obesity as perfectly okay. My own mother is obese, and yet she doesn't pretend that it isn't damaging to her health. This is where political correctness should never trump factual correctness.

    I'm not sure if you're taking this position or not, but given your extremist attitude towards most other things in this article it's once again, hard to tell.

    6. In fact, just never comment on a woman's body.

    Oh come on, never? Really? Even if it's a simple compliment such as: "You look nice today."?

    Do some people's comments get creepy or go a little too far? Absolutely. But it's a little extreme to say that no man should ever comment on a woman's appearance, EVER.

    What about women who want men to comment on their body? And what about women commenting on men's bodies? Do they not count?

    7. Be kind to women in customer service positions. Tip them extra. (But not in a creepy way.)

    And now we've reached the point where your sexism is blatantly obvious. You're literally calling for women to have special treatment. Either you support gender equality, or you support one gender having preferential treatment over another. You cant' have both.

    8. Trust women. When they teach you something, don't feel the need to go and check for yourself. And especially do not Google it in front of them.

    So basically if it comes from the mouth of a woman, we're supposed to just blindly and dogmatically believe it simply because it came from a woman.

    Imagine if this statement were about men. Just insert the word 'men' in the place of 'women', and I'm sure you'd see the sexism apparent there.

    No, it goes without saying, that we shouldn't just patently believe everything that we're told, no matter who it comes from, men or women.

    9. Don’t maintain a double standard for… anything, ever.


    Your previous statement LITERALLY did just that.


    I honestly have no idea why this is even a thing. :hmm:

    If men were intentionally sending women unwanted sexual advances by doing so, then I could understand the complaint. But for the most part it's simply the way men subconsciously sit out in public. It literally means nothing to most guys. You don't have to like it, but it isn't causing any objective harm that would warrant any laws being made. Just because you personally don't like something, doesn't mean it should be illegal.

    11. Trying to describe a woman positively? Say she's “talented,” “clever,” or “funny.” Not “gorgeous,” “sweet,” or “cute.”

    How about we compliment someone based on what we want to compliment them on, and stop telling people what they can and can't say?

    I mean honestly, it's a bloody compliment for crying out loud. Get a real problem.

    12. Examine your language when talking about women. Get rid of “irrational,” “dramatic,” “bossy,” and “badgering” immediately.

    Once again you're acting as the word police. You apparently don't give two s**ts about the freedom of speech.

    So basically, remove X amount of words that you don't like as descriptors of you. Convenient.

    If you want to say that men shouldn't refer to ALL women as irrational, dramatic, etc. etc. then I'd perfectly agree, since that would be a bigoted stereotype. Although there are both men and women to which these words most definitely apply, and so apply them we should. It sounds as if yet again you're advocating special treatment for women, that they should never under any circumstance be described with these words, even if said word applies.

    13. Don't think to yourself, I describe men like that too. A) You probably don't. B) If you do, it's to criticize them for acting like a woman.

    Do you seriously not see how you just stereotyped ALL men by claiming they use such adjectives solely in conjunction to women? You seriously don't see this at all?

    You're literally being sexist as hell by criticizing those you're sexist against as ALL being inherently sexist. You might as well be saying ALL white people are racist.

    14. Do you love “fiery” Latina women? “Strong” Black women? “Mysterious” Asian women? Stop. Pick up a book on decolonial feminism. Read.

    And now you're assuming men to be inherently racist as well. More sexism.

    15. Stop calling women “feisty.” We don't need a special lady word for “has an opinion."

    The word 'feisty' does not apply to all women who share their opinion, or even all women in general really. Hell, I'd say there are plenty of men to which the word adequately applies. This is in no way a male-female issue.

    16. Recognize women's credibility when you introduce them. “Donna is lovely” is much less useful than “Donna knows shitloads about architecture.”

    Both are perfectly fine compliments. Perhaps Donna's degree in architecture doesn't apply to the current conversation? Ever think of that?

    I honestly don't understand why you keep criticizing compliments. They're bloody compliments. It's not like they're insults. Get over it.

    17. Think about how you describe the young women in your family. Celebrate them for being funny and smart, not for being pretty and compliant.

    Woah there, I've never met a single person who's celebrated a young female family member of their for being 'compliant'. No doubt there's some sleaze ball out there that probably does, but I'd say that's for the most part incredibly rare.

    18. Examine the way you talk about women you’re attracted to. Fat women, old women, queer, trans, and powerful women are not your “guilty crush.”

    In an ideal world, I suppose we would all be sexually attracted to personality traits rather than anything physical.

    However strictly from a scientific standpoint, that isn't how any of us (including you) operate. If you're attracted to old, fat, queer, trans, etc. women then that's what you're attracted to. Why lie about it? Aren't you an LGBT activist who claims that sexual orientation isn't a choice? If you don't choose what you're attracted to, then why should men 'choose' to pretend otherwise?

    It's not like being physically attracted to someone automatically equates to fully objectifying them and seeing them as objects not people. Are you even thinking about what you're saying here in the slightest?

    19. Learn to praise a woman without demonizing other women. “You're not like other girls” is not a compliment. I want to be like other girls. Other girls are awesome.

    Once again, why criticize compliments? These aren't even backhanded compliments, these are all for the most part pretty benign. All that compliment is saying is essentially "You're special." That's hardly 'demonizing' other people.
    Besides, are you seriously saying that you want to be like ALL other girls? Because ALL other girls are awesome? Even the ones that have committed heinous crimes, or those that are deeply conservative and oppose women's rights against their own interests?
    Once again, you're looking at things from a completely black and white perspective of ALL women being inherently good. You're being blatantly sexist here.

    20. Share writing by women. Don't paraphrase their work in your own Facebook post to show us all how smart or woke you are. I guarantee the woman said it better in the first place.

    I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, and your last sentence here is so brazenly sexist it speaks for itself.

    21. Buy sanitary pads and tampons and donate them to a homeless shelter. Just do it.

    I would personally argue we should combat homelessness in an entirely different strategy altogether really, but that gets into another topic entirely.

    22. How much of what you are watching/reading/listening to was made by women? Gender balance your bookcase.

    I've enjoyed various media from various outlets over the years, and couldn't even begin to tell you all of who was or wasn't female, because that was never even an important factor to me.

    I enjoy reading/watching/etc. what I enjoy, regardless of what gender produced what. The creator's genitalia is irrelevant to whatever it is I'm reading/watching.

    Why should I or anyone else try and make a conscious effort to quote 'gender balance' anything media related? Isn't the ultimate goal of gender equality for the gender of a person to not even be a relevant factor in their work in the slightest? I'd say I've achieved that, and it took no conscious effort on my part. 

    23. Feeling proud of your balanced bookcase? Are there women of color there? Trans, queer, and disabled women? Poor women? Always make sure you’re being intersectional.

    Seriously, why is this even an issue? I don't go buy things so I can 'balance' my collection. I simply buy what I buy based on what I need and want. Race, sex, LGBT, rich, poor, whatever. It doesn't matter to me. I already include various viewpoints from these various areas subconsciously, but I couldn't begin to tell you how much of what I read/watch/enjoy is white and how much is black, or how much is male and how much is female. It doesn't matter! THAT'S THE POINT.

    If you're out there consciously buying things based on what race or sex the person who made it is, then YOU are the one that's being racist and sexist, etc. I'm not consciously focusing on the race or sex of whatever I'm consuming, you are.

    24. Don't buy media that demeans women’s experiences, valorizes violence against women, or excludes them entirely from a cast. It's not enough to oppose those things. You have to actively make them unmarketable.

    I can agree that we shouldn't be putting your money into something that openly supports violence against women, but pretty much everything else you mentioned is just an individual decision for each consumer. Those are hardly crimes against anyone.

    25. Pay attention to stories with nuanced female characters. It will be interesting, I promise.

    It sounds like you're actively out there searching for anything that might possibly be the absolute least bit bigoted towards anyone in the slightest, and if you've determined it is then it must be shut down and criticized to the inth degree. You must be the queen of SJW's.

    Look, you don't have to go out of your way in seeking out racism/sexism/etc. There's plenty of it all around you. And if you encounter it, you shouldn't force them to be silent. Yes, we should passionately criticize it, absolutely. But to shut it down violates the right to freedom of speech, which is one of the lynchpins of democracy.

    It speaks to such an incredibly deep level of insecurity that you would try and silence someone else's argument. It only makes it look as though you can't refute it. This is my problem with Social Justice Warriors on the left. They are the #1 most harmful group among liberals, as they are what is portrayed by conservatives as us liberals as a whole. By going after fake cries of bigotry and silencing the opposition, it only strengthens the cries of the opposition itself, and enables genuine bigots to simply claim that the other side is perpetually crying wolf.

    26. If you read stories to a child, swap the genders.

    Beauty and the Beast, perhaps? :whistle:

    Lol, in all seriousness though. That may be an interesting exercise at times, but I don't see it as a must do in all cases.

    27. Watch women's sport. And just call it “sports.”

    I can sorta see where you're coming from here.

    Although as a whole, sports mostly appeal to men, so I understand why women's sports are specifically classified as "women's".

    Either way, again, minor issue.

    28. Withdraw your support from sports clubs, institutions, and companies that protect and employ rapists and abusers.

    FINALLY. I can completely agree with something you've said.

    29. Stop raving about Woody Allen. I don't care if he ****s gold. Find a non-accused-abuser to fanboy over.

    Again, I fully agree.

    30. It's General Leia, not princess. The Doctor has a companion, not an assistant. It's Doctor Bartlett, not Mrs Madame First Lady.

    Aaaand now we're back with the word policing...

    Look, I honestly don't understand why you care. These are all perfectly relevant titles. If these women don't want to be called 'princess' or whatever, and prefer to be called 'general', that's up to them. I don't care. Neither do most people. Get over it.

    31. Cast women in parts written for men. We know how to rule kingdoms, go to war, be, not be, and wait for Godot.

    If you're talking about anything in a historical setting, doing so would be inaccurate, as throughout the majority of human history men have maintained a more dominant role in society as kings and generals and whatnot. If you want a fantasy world or futuristic setting where women are dominant then have at it hoss. Just don't force your 'balancing' act onto historical fiction. Your inclusivity should not expand beyond the boundaries of objective fact.

    32. Pay for porn.

    Lol, you're fine with women being objectified by men so long as they pay for it? I honestly don't understand the logic here.

    You over and over again passionately criticize men for viewing women as pretty little sex objects, and you insist upon us treating you as human beings, and then the next minute you're fine with it so long as it's paid for?

    I don't care what your stance is on pornography. I'm just asking you to be consistent with your criticisms here.

    33. Recognize that sex work is work. Be an advocate for and ally to sex workers without speaking for them.

    You can call prostitution whatever you want, it's still prostitution. And while I support legalizing and regulating it so as to better prevent the spread of STD's, get rid of pimps and eliminate human rights abuses often associated with it, etc. I don't support prostitution any more than I support strip clubs.

    I understand that this is somewhat of a debatable issue, and so presenting my personal opinion on it isn't necessarily a proper response, but I'll give it in a nutshell nonetheless.

    Porn, prostitution, and strip clubs objectify women, and I think it's best for human beings overall to stick to dating and marrying each other. We should be promoting meaningful relationships, which thereby promotes healthy strong families, which promotes psychologically healthy children, etc. Just because you can legally do something, doesn't mean you necessarily should do it. It's kind of like junk food. It doesn't make you a bad person if you eat junk food (lord knows I do it when I know I shouldn't), but it isn't healthy and we shouldn't promote it. There are objectively healthier alternatives to junk food, and we should promote those alternatives all the time. What you're arguing here essentially is that we should once again, lie to ourselves and promote junk food as being equally as healthy as actual health food, and to not act like there's any sort of problem with it. There is, whether you like it or not. Calling prostitution 'sex work' is a typical marketing trick of renaming something that already has a strong negative stigma attached to it (prostitution) so as to gain greater appeal amongst people who would otherwise have no idea what you're talking about.

    Anyway, those are my personal thoughts on it. The primary thing to note here is, there are various opinions regarding this topic that in no way take away the legal rights of people to engage in prostitution. In other words, you don't have to fully support 'sex work' to be in support of a woman's right to practice in that profession if she so chooses.

    34. Share political hot takes from women as well as men. They might not be as widely accessible, so look for them.

    Forgive me, but I honestly don't know what a 'political hot take' is and I'm not so sure I want to look it up. Somebody else reading this may very well know what you mean by that, and if they can explain then I'll just let them respond in the comments. Otherwise I'll just leave this one alone.

    35. Understand that it was never “about ethics in journalism.”


    36. Speak less in meetings today to make space for your women colleagues to share their thoughts. If you're leading the meeting, make sure women are being heard as much as men.

    Being raised by a strong, single, independent woman my whole life I can tell you from experience that when a strong woman wants to be speak up and be heard, she will be heard. This is not a male/female issue, this is a shy/assertive personality issue. Gender plays little to no role. By suggesting that it is about gender, you're being sexist again.

    37. If a woman makes a good point, say, “That was a good point.” Don't repeat her point and take credit for it.

    WTF? Where in the hell is this coming from? Are you assuming that men do this regularly or something? God this is sexist...

    38. Promote women. Their leadership styles may be different than yours. That's probably a good thing.

    How about we promote those who are properly qualified and ignore gender entirely? What does having a penis or a vagina have to do with how well you can properly do your job? In most cases little to nothing.

    39. Recruit women on the same salary as men. Even if they don't ask for it.

    Yes, that's a no brainer.

    40. Open doors for women with caring responsibilities by offering flexible employment contracts.

    Okay, so now employers have to give women special treatment? What about men with caring responsibilities? Those exist too.

    41. If you meet a man and a woman at work, do not assume the man is the superior for literally no reason.

    We're 41 suggestions into this, and practically every one of these suggestions assume that women are superior for literally no reason.

    42. If you're wrongly assumed to be more experienced than a woman colleague, correct that person and pass the platform to the woman who knows more.

    Again, what does male and female have to do with any of this? How about: "If you're wrongly assumed to be more experienced than a colleague, correct that person and pass the platform to the person who knows more."

    By inserting male and female into issues like this where it doesn't belong, you're being a straight-up sexist.

    43. Make a round of tea for the office.

    Okay. And? This is totally irrelevant.

    44. Wash it up.

    Sexist stereotype.

    45. If you find you're only interviewing men for a role, rewrite the job listing so that it’s more welcoming to women.

    I'm all for having a workplace be inclusive, however we should primarily search for those who are qualified for the job regardless of whether or not they have a vagina.

    46. Make sure you have women on your interview panel.

    Interview the people who are relevant to the topic at hand, regardless of gender.

    Once again, stop inserting male and female into issues like this where it doesn't belong. It's sexist.

    47. Tell female colleagues what your salary is.

    Tell male colleagues what your salary is. You could be making more by sleeping with the boss.

    As you can see, I can play this game as well.

    48. Make sure there's childcare at your events.

    So now every single event should provide childcare for you? Are women strong and empowered and able to work and be a parent all at the same time? Or are they so weak as to require assistance in parenting at every event? Are you so childish as to expect other people to constantly raise your child for you everywhere you go? My mother never had that and she was the damn greatest parent in the world. This is sheer nonsense. And yet again, there are single male parents out there too. It's nice that you keep ignoring them.

    49. Don't schedule breakfast meetings during the school run.

    So employers are supposed to just bend over backwards and give women all sorts of special treatment to women essentially. Women have managed getting their kids to school just fine for years. You're literally just expecting everyone (but mostly men) to cater to your every whim. Newsflash lady: the world does not revolve around you.

    50. If you manage a team, make sure that your employees know that you recognize period pain and cystitis as legitimate reasons for a sick day.

    I don't see where this is typically an issue. You might find a few ******* employers out there who won't, but otherwise this isn't a major issue.

    51. If you have a strict boss (or mom or teacher) who is a woman, she is not a “b****.” Grow up.

    Substitute 'woman' with 'man', and substitute the B word with another B word that rhymes with 'plastered'.

    These words apply to whoever they apply to, regardless of gender.

    Your arguments are so childish and weak it's sickening.

    52. Expect a woman to do the stuff that's in her job description. Not the other miscellaneous **** you don't know how to do yourself.


    Seriously, this would apply to anyone. This is not a widespread issue.

    Women in Saudi Arabia just recently obtained the right to drive, otherwise they basically lack all other human rights. And you're over here complaining over petty nonsensical s**t like this? YOU are the one that needs to grow up.

    53. Refuse to speak on an all-male panel.

    If the all-male panel is made up of qualified speakers regarding the topic at hand, why the hell shouldn't I? Sex is irrelevant.

    54. In a Q&A session, only put your hand up if you have A QUESTION. Others didn’t attend to listen to you.

    And you're addressing this to us males? This never applies to a woman in your eyes, is that it?

    55. If you have friends or family members who use slurs or discriminate against trans or non-binary people, sit them down and explain why they must stop. (This goes for cis women, too.)

    It's fine to explain to people why they shouldn't discriminate, and it's also fine to ask people to respect others and be careful when using your words. But what you're doing is different. You're policing what people can and cannot say, and this is partly what gave us a Donald Trump who became so popular amongst conservatives precisely because he was insulting as all hell. It was a reactionary response to your sorry ass for silencing people's free speech.

    56. If you have friends or family members who use slurs or discriminate against women of other races, sit them down and explain why they must stop. (This goes for white women, too.)

    No need to repeat myself, read the above response.

    57. If you see women with their hands up, put yours down. This can be taken as a metaphor for a lot of things. Think about it.

    WTF??? It's clearly a metaphor I've never thought of, so I have no idea what in the world you're talking about here.

    I mean honestly, how in the world could you get anymore sexist then that first sentence there? Damn...

    58. Raising a feminist daughter means she's going to disagree with you. And probably be right. Feel proud, not threatened.

    If by 'feminist' you mean the sexist garbage you've been spewing, then don't worry about it. I won't be raising any potential daughter of mine to be 'feminist' at all actually. Instead I'd raise her to be an egalitarian who supports gender equality thank you.

    59. Teach your sons to listen to girls, give them space, believe them, and elevate them.

    Again, listen to all people.

    I seriously just don't get where you're getting this notion of widespread sexism from. I mean yes it exists, undoubtedly. But I don't see it nearly as prevalent as you're making it out to be.

    60. Dads, buy your daughter tampons, make her hot water bottles, wash her bras. Show her that her body isn't something to be ashamed of.

    When dads don't want to do that, it's typically out of embarrassment and/or respect for their daughter's privacy. It has nothing to do with sexism or discrimination.

    61. But dads, do not try to iron her bras. This is a mistake you will only make once.

    This would actually be mildly funny if not for all the unabashed sexist bull**** you've been spewing for the past however long.

    62. Examine how domestic labor is divided in your home. Who does the cleaning, the childcare, the organizing, the meal budgeting? Sons, this goes for you, too.

    A typical family issue that again, has nothing really to do with gender. Why you keep inserting gender into the mix is beyond me.

    63. Learn how to do domestic tasks to a high standard. “I'd only do it wrong” is a bull**** excuse.

    Sexist stereotype.

    64. Never again comment on how long it takes a woman to get ready. WE ARE TRYING TO MEET THE RIDICULOUS STANDARDS OF A SYSTEM YOU BENEFIT FROM.

    I'll admit that it's unfair for women to be expected to take care of themselves to such a higher degree than we do for men. That's more of a societal issue however as a whole. If you don't think other women will judge fellow women on their looks, think again. Try landing a job from a female employer with make-up and whatever else versus without. I'd say the same standard would apply.

    65. Challenge the patriarchs in your religious group when they enable the oppression of women.


    66. Challenge the patriarchs in your secular movement when they enable the oppression of women.

    Having said that, I feel that by 'the oppression of women', what you really mean is this nonsense you've been spewing above and calling that 'oppression'.

    Let me remind you, there are women in Saudi Arabia who just recently obtained the right to drive cars. Most other rights of theirs are stripped away. This kind of s**t still happens all over the world in various countries.

    Name me one single right that men have that women don't have here in America. Just one. Yes, I know. The gender pay gap argument, which is highly debatable actually. And regardless, sexism in the workplace does not equate to your literal rights being lesser than another's.

    You are whining and moaning about the 'oppression of women' for 66 out of a 100 points, and not one of them so far has mentioned the oppression of women in the middle east or India. Literally every one of your complaints are so mind-numbingly petty (and flat-out fabricated) that it's outright laughable if not for the fact that this garbage was published in typically well-respected news journal.

    You are literally living in one of the few places on Earth where women have absolute 100% equal rights to men, and you have the audacity to b**** and moan about being 'oppressed'? You're an utter disgrace for a 'human rights advocate'.

    67. Trust women's religious choices. Don't pretend to liberate them just so you can criticise their beliefs.

    First of all, for the billionth time, what does sex have to do with this?

    Second, criticizing religious beliefs is perfectly legitimate to anyone open to discussing the topic. Free speech society and whatnot.

    Third, do you even know how many religious teachings are absolutely abhorrent when it comes to women's issues?

    68. Examine who books your trips, arranges outings, organizes Christmas, buys birthday cards. Is it a woman? IS IT?

    I would say that typically for most people it probably is. And? Your point?

    69. And if it is actually you, a man, don't even dare get in touch with me looking for your medal.

    So if it's a woman doing so, then you complain and say that it should be the man doing it (I assume that's what you mean, since you didn't really clarify), but then when the man does do it he shouldn't dare be thanked or praised for doing it?

    I seriously don't know how people like you fail to see how sexist this s**t really is...

    70. Take stock of the emotional labor you expect from women. Do you turn to the women around you for emotional support and give nothing in return?

    Well if you're going to treat men like this, I'm not surprised why someone might not want to open up to you.

    71. Remember that loving your mom/sister/girlfriend is not the same as giving up your own privilege to progress equality for women. And that gender inequality extends beyond the women in your direct social group.

    Focus on helping people besides your family and friends. Got it.

    72. Don’t assume that all women are attracted to men.

    Don't assume that all men are and do pretty much all of the things you've assumed thus far.

    73. Don’t assume that a woman in public wants to talk to you just because she’s in public.

    WOW. Seriously? Don't even frickin' start a friendly conversation with a woman out in public if you happen to be male? Seriously!?

    And you honestly want to complain about men not reciprocating to you enough emotional support, while you're unwilling to even be friendly to a frickin' stranger? REALLY?

    Jeez Louise, this is some serious hardcore sexism right there. Imagine if that were said about not talking to a black man. I mean, damn...

    74. If a woman tells you she was raped, assaulted, or abused, don't ask her for proof. Ask how you can support her.

    Even a broken clock's right twice a day.

    Once again, I fully agree with you here.

    75. If you see a friend or colleague being inappropriate to a woman, call him out. You will survive the awkwardness, I promise.

    Ding ding ding, did it again.

    Although I will say that your idea of 'inappropriate' is apparently vastly different from the average person's though.

    76. Repeat after me: Always. Hold. Men. Accountable. For. Their. Actions.

    Repeat after me: Always. Hold. EVERYONE. Accountable. For. Their. Actions.

    77. Do not walk too close to a woman late at night. That **** can be scary.

    Dear mother of God... Imagine if that were said about a black guy. How racist would that be?

    78. If you see a woman being followed or otherwise bothered by a stranger, stick around to make sure she’s safe.

    Wait wait wait, hold up... :huh: You literally just said to stay away from you at night. Now you're telling us to stick around? Which is it?

    79. This should go without saying: Do not yell unsolicited “compliments” at women on the street. Or anywhere.

    Again with the compliments. What's with this? What is so damn harmful about a freakin' compliment?

    80. If you are a queer man, recognize that your sexuality doesn’t exclude you from potential misogyny.

    That's true.

    81. If you are a queer man, recognize that your queer women or non-binary friends may not feel comfortable in a male-dominated space, even if it’s dominated by queer men.

    That's sexist.

    Imagine if you said that "we're just not comfortable being in a gay-dominated space." You'd be a straight-up homophobe.

    Like seriously, do you think this stuff out at all?

    82. Be happy to have women friends without needing them to want to sleep with you. The “friend zone” is not a thing. We do not owe you sex.

    The "friend zone" is a thing, and it has nothing to do with the expectation of someone 'owing us sex'.

    Who in the hell said that men think women 'owe us sex'? Sure, some douchebag out there probably thinks that, but most don't for sure. That's utter nonsense, and just more of your sexist bull****.

    And btw, I am very happy with my female friends. Literally my BFF is female, and she and I have never even thought of sex in any sort of way towards each other in the slightest. I mean that with absolute honesty.

    I mean my god, this is so beyond ridiculous.

    83. Remember that you can lack consent in situations not involving sex—such as when pursuing uninterested women or forcing a hug on a colleague.

    Absolutely true.

    However don't draw a false equivalency between lacking consent in some areas with outright rape.

    Lord knows, if you don't even want men to strike up a conversation with you in public, no telling what kind of hair-brained nonsense you might be accusing some innocent guy of.

    84. Champion sex positive women but don't expect them to have sex with you.

    Here, just for you:


    Basically what you're saying is, it's okay to get paid to do porn or prostitution, or anything sex-related that benefits you; but if it benefits men then they can quite literally F off. Uh-huh, yeah...

    Don't worry lady, I'm sure most men wouldn't want you with that attitude anyway.

    85. Trust a woman to know her own body. If she says she won't enjoy part of your sexual repertoire, do not try to convince her otherwise.

    Fair enough.

    86. Be sensitive to nonverbal cues from women, especially around sex. We’re not just being awkward for no reason. (You read “Cat Person,” didn’t you?)

    So basically you expect us to read your minds regarding an issue of consent that we could literally could go to jail for. Are you effing serious right now...

    87. It is not cute to try to persuade a woman to have sex with you. EVER. AT ALL. Go home.

    Really? EVER??? So basically you want mankind to go frickin' extinct, because we're never ever ever supposed to try to have sex with you, EVER.

    It's a good thing you don't speak for most women (even though I'm sure in your deluded mind you think you do), but I wouldn't worry about it lady. You're keeping us all away from you perfectly fine on your own.

    88. Same goes for pressuring women to have sex without a condom. Go. Home. And m********e.

    This is so crude, petty, and childish that I won't even dignify this with a response.

    89. Accidentally impregnated a women who doesn't want a kid? Abortions cost money. Pay for half of it.

    Woah there, what the hell happened to "Its' my body and I can do what I want with it."? Isn't that one of the main arguments of pro-choice? Why should the guy by forced to pay half of your medical expenses? And don't pull the whole "he caused it" argument, that's not how medical expenses work (apart from a lawsuit anyway). This isn't a car crash and you aren't a car.

    90. Accidentally came inside a woman without protection? Plan B is expensive. Pay for all of it.

    So now we pay for all of your medical expenses. Brilliant.

    Which btw, I love how you keep painting this as if it's always the guy's fault that you get pregnant. That's rich.

    91. Get STD tested. Regularly. Without having to be asked.

    Not against that. Although it's also fair to say, that this wouldn't be that much of an issue if you simply maintain a healthy relationship with someone rather than hooking up every other night, but to each their own.

    92. Examine your opinion on abortion. Then put it in a box. Because, honestly, it's completely irrelevant.

    Because y'know, literally any issue that doesn't affect you personally, you should have absolutely no opinion of, and if you do it's completely irrelevant.

    Now what was that about respecting LGBT people, and people of other races again that you were talking down to us about earlier? I doubt you fit literally every category of the LGBT spectrum and are a part of every single race on planet Earth. You should put all those opinions in a box, because it's completely irrelevant since it doesn't affect you.

    93. Understand that disabled women are whole, sexual human beings. Listen to and respect them.

    Put that opinion of yours in a box, cause again, I doubt you're disabled and so it doesn't affect you.

    94. Understand that not all women have periods or vaginas.

    ...You're literally just repeating point #3...

    95. Believe women's pain. Periods hurt. Endometriosis is real. Polycystic ovaries, vaginal pain, cystitis. These things are real. Hysteria isn’t.

    And who the hell says they aren't?

    Might as well be saying "Cancer is real, heart failure, leprosy, it's all really real!"

    Well naw duh. No one's debating saying it isn't. (except some crackpot faith healer maybe, idk)

    96. If a woman accidentally bleeds on you, try your absolute best to just keep your **** together.

    Again, this is so damn childish that I wont' even dignify this with a response.

    97. Lobby your elected officials to implement high quality sex education in schools.

    If sex education includes the bull**** you've been spouting off, then count me out.

    98. Uplift young Black and Indigenous girls at every possible opportunity. No excuses.

    Put that opinion in a box, it's irrelevant to you.

    99. Do not ever assume you know what it’s like.


    100. Mainly, just listen to women. Listen to us and believe us. It’s the only place to start if you actually want all women to have a “Happy International Women’s Day.”

    I've listened to about enough of this crap. Thank God this is the final point of yours.


    Last thing I want to say in response to this: Do not assume you speak for all women.

    I'm incredibly grateful that the majority of women do not believe in or support this crap that you've been spewing about "women's rights" and "the oppression of women". You are clearly and open and unapologetic sexist man-hater, who likes to pretend that she's fighting for women's rights and equality when she's not.

    I felt it a duty to oppose you here, not just for the sake of all the innocent men you pathetically attempted to steam roll with this hate-filled article, but also for the sake of all the decent hard working and intelligent women who fight for genuine equality on a regular basis, and who have unfortunately been mischaracterized by such a sexist amateur faker like yourself.

    • Are there genuine male misogynists out there who need to be called out still today? Absolutely.
    • Are there issues that women are more likely to face out there in the world then men (such as sexual assault in the workplace, etc.)? Absolutely.
    • Do your suggestions address any of that? Unfortunately, not in the slightest.

    All they do is demean, stereotype, and criticize men for the most part literal non-issues.

    You're a sexist against men, plain and simple; and you have no business being a part of any movement that seeks to promote gender equality. I pity you. And I'm disgusted that you are more often then not the example of what many conservatives see when they look to political activists on the left. You give us a bad name, and you fuel genuine sexism against women on the right by your cries faux sexism giving real sexists an excuse to claim that the left is just 'crying wolf' when we call them out on their genuine sexism and bigotry. You hurt the cause, not help it. You are not a part of the gender equality movement, and I will not support you, nor anyone like you on the left who pretend to care about sexism is bigotry.

    And with that ladies and gentlemen, I bid you adieu...

  15. The First Annual "Spamentine Days Festival (and Car Wash)" was recently held at the World Famous Institute of Epicurean Delight, and City Dump. This report has been delayed by several factors, including the unfortunate fact that UM has a new policy of asking for contractor bids for planning and running social events. The winning contractor for this highly anticipated (by someone I’m sure) event was $5.15 made by UM’s very own “Comatose Reaction And Procrastination” (CRAP) Club.  No one on the selection committee noticed that the CRAP Club’s bid was actually for an afternoon tea that had been scheduled for February 24th 1923 – and they had just gotten around to submitting it. After being notified of their winning bid, the club sprang into uncharacteristic activity and was able to stage the event only two weeks late (or 95 years late depending on how you look at it). ((Okay, Okay… The truth is I’m just lazy))

    At first there was great concern that with such a low budget they would not be able to supply the required amount of food (Spam) and beverages, however, they soon found that many people were actually willing to pay them to take the Spam off of their hands…. In no time the event staff found themselves richer by $10,000 and the proud possessors of 150,000 metric tons of Spam.

    Working in close(ish) conjunction with the Grumpy Old Coot and Cootess League, the Banquet hall was decorated in a stunning display of empty Spam cans, old pill bottles and crepe paper Penguins (no one knows why). The massive mound of malodorous meat was sliced, diced, chopped and torn into semi-convenient bite sized (ish) bits and placed on crackers that had been donated by the UM Ancient Cracker and Fungus Collectors Club. The many casks, barrels, bottles and flagons of beverages made from liquefied Spam were rolled in and set up alongside the snack tables. The Floggers Guild volunteered many of its members to act as servers (and to ensure that everyone consumed their fair share of the bilious bounty).

    As the teeming crowds were let in to enjoy the festivities (herded by cattle prod bearing Floggers) they were greeted by the loud, festive sounds of UM’s premier band “The Noggin’ Knockers”. As the evening progressed the partiers danced to classic songs like “Stairway to Spam”, “Long Cool Woman in a Spam Dress”, “Spam on the Water” and “Spamstruck”… The dancing and gorging on Spam d’oeuvres continued on into the evening, and as each partier left they were given a parting gift of a full metric ton of (opened) spam. (Attendance was not mandatory, but roll was taken – and those not in attendance will be given three metric tons of Spam as punishment)

    As a side note, the various UM cafeteria’s, snack bars and eateries that dot the vast sprawling UM complex will be serving many different variations of Spam for the next few coming months… So put your bib on, grab a fork and dig in! (It’s the only way we’ll get rid of this stuff).

    For a first Annual event, The Spam Fest attendees produced and wore some spectacular party garments… While no prizes were given, everyone was highly impressed with the creative usage of that weird rubbery gel like stuff that they pack the spam into the cans with… Good work Ladies (and gents)!...

    Prior to the start of the party, the UM Grumpy Old Coot and Cootess League ran a car wash for the attendees. While there are few automobiles in the Great UM Complex, there are a large number of tricycles (including some very sporty racing ones left over from last years Annual UM Tricycle Race, Demolition Derby and Chili Cook-off) and a veritable plethora of war surplus Assault Pogo-Sticks that most UM Complex citizens use to get around (rather than rely on Public Transportation provided by the Galapagos Turtle Taxi Company)… For the low price of $1 these lucky people were treated to the memorable sight of a bunch of geriatric geezers and geezettes lurching around wearing risqué swimsuits (well… risqué by 1890’s standards anyway) swimsuits.thumb.jpg.554f3b7b6a8af565eb4191b8ce077932.jpg

    and almost sorta scrubbing their rides clean(ish) kinda…. While the many tricycles were lovingly affectionately kindly grudgingly hand soaped and scrubbed clean(ish), the pogo-stick pilots were routed through a much quicker “Automatic” wash system… They would pogo-bounce through a series of sunken tubs filled with soapy, (mostly) clean(ish) hot warm tepid water. The pogoers were thus happy to discover that for a single $1, they could not only get their “ride” cleaned, but also their clothes washed AND take their weekly bath – all at the same time!

    But the real surprise at the car wash was when the Infamous Renegade Beer Balloon Fleet appeared, and demanded that their war surplus zeppelins get a thorough cleaning… for $1 each!... As the Renegade zeppelin crews sat and reclined about guzzling beer and snacking on the mounds of free spam snacks, the (by now VERY grumpy) old coots and cootesses did their best to scrub down the 420 foot long (128 meters) 38 feet in diameter gas bags that were (still are for that matter) heavily stained with spilled beer and nacho cheese dip. Eventually all 27 Zeppelins were (more or less) scrubbed down and the tipsy crews boarded their air craft and sailed off over the Creepy Old Forest bombarding those below them with empty beer bottles, empty (sometimes full) spam cans and loudly blaring heavy metal polka music…

    As he gathered up the piles of cash that the car wash brought in, Gustav “Grumpy Gus” Crabapple – the head wash attendant, reported that all proceeds would go to Charity (Charity Laflamme is a rather popular “exotic dancer” at one of UM’s “more colorful” nightspots).

    The event was largely considered a great success, and many happy couples rekindled the fires of romance at this festival... After all, nothing says "I love you" like a can of Spam!

    Feel free to post your comments on your participation at either of these two events, and also to post pics of your costumes! And if you are a member of the Renegade Beer Balloon Fleet, you stiffed us the twenty seven bucks you owe us!


  16. preacherman76
    Latest Entry

    Hey guys. I decided to write a short story. I try not to go to long without writing something, so I don't lose it. This was done kinda quickly, and is unedited for the most part, but I thought it was ok. Let me know what you think. I haven't titled it yet.


         It was a mid January night in the winter of ‘94. The moonlight reflected off our billowing breath from the deep cold and cast our long shadows on the railroad tracks as we walked to our small ice skating pond that was a stone's throw from the Hudson River.

         We would both be graduating high school at the end of this year, and not knowing where either of us would be, or what we would end up doing in the fast approaching new phase of our lives, we decided to take advantage of one last midnight skate. Before the first winter storm of the year that was coming the next day ruined the ice.

         “Jay the ice is perfect” Matt said as we stepped off the tracks and down the rocky embankment to the frozen ice below. The ice almost seemed to glow in the glimmering moonlight and brightly lit the surrounding trees. The stars shined through the still air as we  quickly took off our boots and put on our hockey skates.

         Neither of us said a word as we got up to begin our last of many nights over the last 5 years skating on this forsaken little pond. Just a quick glance towards each other told the story of how we would both miss these nights, and how grateful we were that the last night here was as perfect as it could possibly be.

         I was saddened at the thought that there would be no one to come visit this place after we were gone, but I quickly shook that feeling as I exploded across the ice. “Wait for me” Matt yelled out as he tied his last skate.

         The sound of our skates gliding across the ice almost sounded like rolling thunder. We began to shed layers of clothes as our body temperatures climbed. Even in this cold night air.

         I was skating the edge of the pond along side the thick brush going about as fast as I could go, when I noticed something strange stuck in side a bush I had just past. Ice shredded under my skates as I quickly came to a full stop. Matt wasn't as good at stopping as I was, and he nearly knocked me right over as he slammed into me from behind.

         “What did you stop for?” Matt asked me curiously, as he struggled to keep his balance. I told him that I had seen something in one of the bushes, as I back tracked to find the mystery object. It only took a few seconds to find it. We both looked at each other puzzled as I pulled a small pink winter hat out of the thorny brush.

         “I wonder who that belongs to” Matt said. We both stood there puzzled as we examined the pink hat. It is a difficult walk for two strong teenage boys to get here in the winter. Who ever this hat belonged to certainly couldn't have made it this far on their own.

         As we stood there pondering, Matt shrugged his shoulders as if to say he gave up trying to solve the mystery, and he began to take off across the ice again.

         Not anywhere near as satisfied as Matt was trying to solve this mystery I began to inspect the pink hat much more closely. On the back side of the hat the name Becky was stitched into the cloth. A cold shiver ran down my spine when I turned the hat inside out to reveal what looked like a large blood stain.

         Keeping my focus on the stain, I yelled out to Matt to come back. I could hear his skates begin to dig into the ice as he tried to come to a stop. Then I heard a loud thud.

         I quickly turned to see Matt laid out face first in the middle of the pond. He never did quite get the hang of stopping quickly, and like had happened before I figured his feet must have come out from underneath him as he dug his blades into the ice. The last time this happened we ended up in a emergency room. 12 stitches later he was as good as new.

         I dropped the hat and skated over to him as quickly as I could. Face down he laid there motionless. At his side I dropped to my knees and began to try and wake him up. I started nudging him, lightly at first, but when I got no response I began to nudge him harder. I could see his breath like a pausing smoke stack, so I knew he was still alive. I thanked God for that much.

         "Matt” I yelled frantically, “wake up”. Again no response. He was out cold. So I grabbed one arm and one leg, and started to roll him over onto his back. Wondering to myself how I was going to get him all the way home if he didn't come to. Knowing no way could I leave him there even to get help. He’d freeze to death before I could get back to him.

         I nearly had him flipped over when suddenly for one moment I felt a cold tingling blast, almost like electricity going right into my back, then right through my chest. I looked down at Matt now lying face up when his eyes instantly opened wide.

         For one moment I felt a sense of relief that he had woken up. That feeling left me quickly when I realized that his large eye’s had become as white as the snow surrounding the pond. Horrified I tried to stand up. Never taking my eyes off his evil looking stare. That's when Matt reached over and grabbed my arm.

         As soon as he grabbed me that same electric like feeling I had just felt blow through me was now coursing through my entire body. Like every cell in me began to hold a high frequency pitch. I tried to pull away, but there was no use. He had me in a death grip, and my senses were being overridden by this terrifying vibration.

         My mind had begun to get very cloudy. It felt as though I was beginning to lose consciousness. I closed my eyes and fell onto the ice.

         The next thing I knew I could see a bright light behind my eyelids. The cold breeze that had redend our cheeks and nose went completely away. I could no longer feel the cold at all. I opened my eyes and for a moment I was blinded by what looked like the midday sun.

         It was the middle of the day. Light beams from the sun were glistening off ice sickles hanging off the tree’s. The white snow magnified the sunlight all around nearly blinding me for a moment. I looked to my side to see Matt standing there looking as confused as I felt. Before either of us could say a word, we heard what sounded like someone coming down off the railroad tracks and on to the frozen pond.

         A large man in a thick winter coat came down the hill. He was slowly stepping onto the ice, as though he wasn't sure it could hold his weight. He took a few small steps, and bounced up and down slightly to make sure. Then he turned around and yelled out “it’s safe Rebecca, come on down”.

          A little girl around 7 maybe 8 years old with ice skates hanging around her neck began to make her way down the hill. She nearly stumbled down, then she decided to sit down and slide on her butt the rest of the way. As she put her skates on the man was making his way towards us.

         He was looking at the ground has he came near. I said out loud to him, “hello”, but he never even looked up. It was as though he completely ignored me.  He was heading directly towards us. When I noticed he was going to walk right into us. I tried to move aside, but it was too late.

         That's when he walked right through me. As he did, I felt a darkness like cold chills running up and down my spine. The kind of feeling you get when the hairs on the back of your neck stand in attention. I began to question if I was going crazy. There is no way to rationally explain what was happening, yet there I was living it, breathing it. We had become like ghosts, unable to be heard or touched. I turned to Mat and asked if this was a dream. He said to me “I don't think so” with a look of panic on his face.

         Just then the little girl began to skate across the pond. “Look at me Uncle Toni” she yelled out as she awkwardly stumbled one foot in front of the other. “That's great Becky” he yelled back to her.

         Becky? I thought to myself. Where I have I heard that name recently? An ice cold chill ran down my spine, as she skated past me. I saw her little pink hat with the name Becky stitched on the front, and instantly my heart sank into my chest.

         Frantically I yelled out to her, but she couldn't hear me at all. In desperation both me and Mat began to follow her towards the brush at the other end of the pond. I felt as helpless as I knew Becky was right then. Knowing there was nothing I could do but watch whatever horror that was about to play out in front of us.

         As she approached the man I could see he was taking something out of his coat pocket. It was a short metal pipe. I stood frozen in silence as I heard Mat scream NO, as the man raised the pipe high in the air. Before I could see what happened I suddenly became very dizzy and lightheaded. I could see the twisted evil look on the mans face. It was as if for one moment time had completely stood still. Then everything went black.

         “Jay wake up” I could hear someone yelling at me. My eyes were closed but I could see through my eyelids that it had become dark again. I felt the cold wind hit me in the face as I opened my eyes to see Mat sitting by side shaking me.

         “Alright” I said “stop shaking me”. We then both just looked at each other for what seemed like forever. “Did you see”, Before I could get the sentence out he abruptly said “Yes, I saw it too”. We sat in silence again. I turned to look across the pond to see Becky’s little pink hat still sitting on the ice where I had dropped it.

         “Let's get the hell out of here” Mat said as he turned towards his boots sitting on the edge of the ice. He reached down to help me to my feet. We just looked at each other again, unable to process what had just happened. We were just about to leave when suddenly we heard a small voice call out from the bush across the pond.

         My heart dropped to my stomach. There in the brush just a little ways beyond the ice stood a little girl in a pink hat. I could see lines of blood that had run down her face. There were stains of mud and blood all over her.

         We both began to race towards her. I know that sounds crazy but we both had the overwhelming feeling that she needed our help. I don't know how, but we both knew she didn't mean us any harm. I shredded ice to stop as I reached the end of the pond. Mat slammed into me, again. She was no more than 10 feet in front of us.

         “I'm here” said as she looked and pointed to the ground right in front of her. Then like smoke she faded away in the cold winter breeze.

         After long consideration we decided a unanimous call to the police would be the best course of action. Neither one of us ever told anyone what had happened. We both felt a sense of peace as we read in the local paper how they had found Becky’s body. We also felt a sense of justice reading about how “Uncle Toni” was arrested for her murder. I got chills the first time I saw his picture on the front page.

         Over the next few years me and Mat would visit her grave site at Hilltop Cemetery, just down the road from where went to high school.  Turns out neither of us moved far from where we grew up. And we still get in the occasional midnight skate. 

         We never did see or hear from Becky again. Accept from time to time in a dream.


    Thanks for taking the time folks.


  17. Many people think that reports of unrecognized flying objects are received from the United States only. Some such messages are considered to be fairy-tales, others legist stories about aliens from a outer-space visiting us. UFO's in Europe have been reported since the middle of the last century.

    1942 - Europe - FooFighters

    August 1948. The whole Europe has laughed at a number of statements about aliens allegedly visiting the United States. However, on August 16, one Austrian newspaper published the article "The First Flying Disc Performances in Central Europe". The inhabitants of the small Miolvirtel town near Czech border noticed flying saucers flying at an extremely high speed and returning to their place of origin. Shortly afterwards rumors about flying objects appeared elsewhere. It was the start of a boom for European flying saucers.

    Few people knew, that the UFO's have been noticed already before in Europe, but did not receive such attention. 
    Testimonies of UFO's were described in local newspapers, mostly in Germany, France and Italy.

    In November 1947, one Istanbul newspaper published witnesses testimonies about flying saucers flying over the Soviet Union and the Turkish border. The newspaper also published an opinion that perhaps Soviet scientists are experimenting with rockets driven by cosmic rays.

    In March 1948, seven UFOs were observed in northern Italy. The Rome newspaper published witnesses stories about objects flying at high altitudes at extremely high speeds and producing low sounds

    In August 29, 1948, newspapers across Europe wrote about strange sightings near Munich (Germany): Five air force US pilots were watching a strange silver object, similar to the so-called flying saucer hovering over the Neubiberg Air Base in Bavaria.  The object was floating about 30 minutes above the air base after at a great speed, before the pilots eyes it disappeared. A similar object were seen by others American pilots a few days ago aswell.

    This message knocked out astronomers and scientists. They said that this could be a secret Russian apparatus or other planet population spaceships. Some scholars have said that this is a US work.

    In November 1948, Denmark newspapers wrote that unidentified flying objects had been spotted in Skagen. They were described as rockets that flew over Skagen at high altitude and disappeared in the north. One Danish Coast Guard officer saw a disk-shaped object flying at a height of several kilometers. With binoculars he saw another "shining like silver and flying in the opposite direction" object. The number of witnesses does not allow this event to calle fairy-tale.

    The French magazine discovered a 500 year old manuscript telling about the UFO's: in the Christmas eve night the object "size like half a moon", was visible for almost a quarter of an hour. He made a few maneuvers, and then disappeared from the glare. "

    In October 1949 , Copenhagen's inhabitants also had the opportunity to see "flying fire balls" in and around the city. Fireballs were also seen on the Bornholm Island of the Baltic Sea. Similar UFO's were seen in Sweden, just a week earlier.

    Until the 1950's, reports of flying saucers were interesting to humans just a little bit more than usual news. Most UFO's were recorded in 1950-51 years. Hundreds of reports have appeared in Belgium, Germany, Sicily, Austria, Libya and Portugal. Surprisingly, the American news service was silent about those events. For example, postman Jozef Brem of Kiocling in Germany, reported having seen a strange object in sky. Brem described it as a yellow silver disc, similar to an inverted plate and surrounded by a light ring. The object was visible for more than a minute, and then flew southwest.

    A few dozen Brussels shopping center workers flooded the police station, telling they saw a flying saucer over their market.

    The Coast Guard team on the Portuguese coast has noticed a dozen strange objects flying "faster than gunfire".

    All the inhabitants of Sicilian island (Italy) saw a disc-shaped object flying over the village Caltagirone. Flying machine made several arcs around the area, then  disappeared in the southeast.

    Two policemen from Vienna reported UFO moving towards the Czech border. The policemen saw the object about half a minute.

    It was hard for the Europeans to believe their eyes. Every morning in the newspapers, they read about new and new flying objects from Spain to the Soviet Union. During this period, most of the UFO's were reported in Denmark and Italy. More and more scientists have come up with the idea that UFO's are US or Russian flying machines. Others agreed with the American "expert" theories that it was just ionized clouds, mirages, meteorites, or mass hysteria. Many European scholars supported the theory of extraterrestrial life. Everyone had own opinion and "theory" of flying saucers. Of course, some went too far saying that they were "keepers of the sky" or even found a biblical explanation "And then there will be signs in sky". In France, 20 UFO's reports per day were recorded for three consecutive days.

    1950 article included an illustration of Rudolf Schriever's alleged disc design

    In January 1952, an American meteorite expert, reported on green fire balls, which were probably not meteorites, but rocket missiles operated by the Soviet Union. The story was published in the "Look" magazine and argued that the UFO's are "human handmade, probably made by the Soviets". Then a professor of Prague University came with the statement that he himself had created a disk-shaped flying machine before the Word War II. Professor Rudolf Schriever said that his work drawings were stolen, and when he gave the duplicates to the University of Prague, they managed somehow to get into Soviet Union hands.

    At the beginning of 1954, a Swedish pilot noticed a strange metal disk flying in supersonic speed in southern Sweden near Russian rocket bases. A few days later, the Moscow Radio announced that Russia was not associated with the UFO. Flying saucers were called "propaganda aimed at provoking neighboring states."

    In March 26, 1954, a report on the UFO was received at the NATO Air Base in Germany. The F-86 supersonic aircraft tried to catch the object, but they did not succeed. Air forces did not give any conclusions.

    In April 28, 1948, in a secret US Department of Defense document, written: "Sometimes, objects in a saucer (plate) form are noticeable at high speeds and changing direction. This suggests that they are controlled by thoughtful creatures or controlled by radio waves. The speed of these devices exceeds the known standards. The apparatus flies without any sound. By calculating their size using special instruments, we can say that the diameter of the disc reaches from 25 to 40 meters". If this document was based on facts, then an official statement issued after a month by the air force, that there are no flying objects and it can be considered as a trick.

    Whichever side you support, you should admit that so many testimonies of witnesses can not be considered to be full falsity. Thousands of people around the world say they have seen the UFO with their eyes and do not accept the explanation that it is reflections in the sky or incorrect interpretation of the usual objects. More recently, the US Air Force has announced that 20 percent of American reports of UFO's can not be explained. But what about many thousands of Europeans who also saw unexplained phenomena in the sky? How many percent are unexplained and who will examine them? Maybe what's now considered by ufologists the greatest secret ever, one day gonna be investigated? Maybe not?..
  18. This is a highly anticipated time every year... the swans are home.

    The sun has been lighting the early morning increasingly for a few weeks now.. the sun starting to feel warm again, the earliest of bulbs and blooms popping. Little birds showing up at the rosebud tree where they know I will be hanging out feeders soon to start watching the early color show.

    But it's really the true herald of spring is truly come when the swans are home. We have an island in our pond that has hosted a mated pair since well before I lived here. When it's still chill a pair come back and start swimming again... but there is the one day that for the first time I see Mr. Swan escort Mrs. Swan into the foldback of the reeds and cattails where they have their yearly nest... and Mr. Swan starts patrolling the waters. This means the waters are going to be warm enough to grow the plants they like.

    It is a much more reliable way of knowing that winter is finally over and spring is coming on than any ole shadow-scardey and shy groundhog.

    And the swans are excellent guardians- they keep all the nasty geese flocks off the property :)

  19. Yesterday I set a new personal record for hiking while on a working overnight in Burbank, CA. As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I packed my small REI backpack with two liters of water, some salted- and honey-roasted peanuts, and two flashlights (just in case I got hurt and had to signal for help after dark).

     I set out hiking into the Verdugo Mountains, with my sights set on the Radio Towers at the peak: 6.5 miles up, and 6.5 miles down. 

    I stopped at the Nature Center in Stough Canyon to borrow a hiking stick. It’s a good thing I did, because in that last half-mile struggle to reach the top, I was using both hands to propel myself forward like those gondolier guys in Italy.

    It was tough going, but it was worth it for the view: downtown Los Angeles to the west, Interstate 5 winding through the mountains to the east, and dozens of amazingly huge crows circling above me in the deep-blue skies and chasing one another, soaring and spinning, chattering and cawing. I wonder if they know they have an audience, and they put on a show for whoever’s watching? If I had a lawnchair, I could sit for hours and watch their aerial antics.

    Hiking back down the steep mountain switchbacks was painful: my right knee and my left hip were screaming in pain from the unnatural angles and the extra torque of slamming my feet into the hillside. I was walking slowly, wincing in pain, swinging my right leg like a pirate with a pegleg.

    Thankfully, I made it back to the hotel safely, looking only a little bit like The Walking Dead, and I got to my room and dined on a peanut butter & jelly sandwich and some applesauce. After my 13-mile hike, it was a meal fit for a King.

    Today, of course, I was popping aspirins like they were jelly beans, but you know, all things considered, I think I did okay for an old dinosaur. 

  20. The fact that hauntings can never be disputed as proven by the amount of evidence available by those having captured it has been hotly debated for many years between believers and skeptics alike. And even when all conditions had been exhausted regarding all the hows something might have existed is it found that often there will always be those who will just never chose to believe! Which is why you never go out of your way to prove something of which you may know to be real but that those who had not been there to experience it may align with that fact to both ridicule and bury you and your efforts. In essence, you state your case, provide your evidence, remain firm in your conviction, and move on to your next moment of acquisition. 

    This particular photo was captured during a rather hot day and coinciding with what had been a Class X solar event!

    Not sure if that made any difference as to how this rather startling apparition had appeared for my camera but then it would always be wise to perhaps consider it so.



  21. Master Miya

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    This honestly scared me so much

  22. Every year at this time we are invaded by wild birds that fly south for the winter. We really enjoy watching them at our feeder.

    Mrs ZZ took these:

    The American Goldenfinch arrive all the way from Michigan.


    Tufted Titmouse with sunflower seed.


    Birds of a feather living in harmony.


    Female Cardinals, along with their mates are very popular visitors.


  23. Books, Books, Books!

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    Three Heart Echo by Keary Taylor ended up on my reading list by yet another mislabeling on NetGalley, I must admit. As seen in the title image above, the book is a paranormal suspense. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll no doubt guess that I grabbed it from the horror genre titles. Fortunately, after revisiting its cover I can at least say that its actual genre is the right one. While Three Heart Echo does have some elements of horror, it reads more like a paranormal-themed Lifetime movie.

    Taking place soon after the death of Jack Caraway, Three Heart Echo tells the story of two vastly different people meeting and, you guessed it, falling in love. It's not that simple though, and several of the more twisted things that one might expect from a horror novel surface throughout the plot. Iona Faye, a frail woman mourning the death of her fiance, seeks out Sully Whitmore, a man rumored to be able to speak to the dead. Together, the two unravel the darkness of Jack's past while racing against time to unravel not one, but two curses.

    Overall, the story itself is engaging to a degree, but it definitely wasn't my style. I think it belongs more in the paranormal romance genre than it does horror.

    Rating: 2/5 Skulls

    Read the full review on The Ghastly Grimoire

  24. clifford1944's Blog

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    I sure don't have a lot to show for all my time here.  I do come here almost everyday but I just don't not sign in.  Don't even remember 2004.  Four years before Obama came to power.  So I will try to blog more.  Also post in the forums.  This is a good site , I do like it here.  See you soon.  cliff


    Antarctica Secrets includes US Navy footage from Admiral Byrd's South Pacific Expedition , reveals the impenetrable wall of ice they encountered, discusses Operation Highjump and looks at the recent mysterious events that have taken place in Antarctica. Just what is this "land of everlasting mystery" as Admiral Byrd liked to call it, hiding?