Taking a Look at the History of Robotic Technology

Robotic technology can be found in clocks, remote control vehicles, automobile computers, Aibo, factory robotic arms, self-guided rovers, service bots like ASIMO, robotic toys like AIBO or Robo-Raptor and a CNC milling machine. To be considered a "robot," the specimen must be able to interact with its environment and physically do something. Most recently, robots are being used in surgery, disaster recovery and firefighting.

Historically, ancient people believed in the existence of a humanoid robot species. The Greek god Hephaestus was thought to have created mechanical servants to help him build temples. Furthermore, the Jewish people thought that clay golems could come to life and the Norse believed that clay giants could awaken. In 4th Century BC, Greek mathematicians Archytas of Tarentum proposed that he could create a steam-powered bird known as "The Pigeon." Additionally, Hero of Alexandria (10-70 AD) devised automated machinery powered by air pressure and steam.

In 1088, Su Song developed the first clock tower that was built using mechanical figurines and audible chimes. In 1206, the first humanoid robot was created by Al-Jazari, a Muslim inventor who wished to entertain royal guests with automated musicians who played on a boat in a lake. Al-Jazari was already well-known for constructing everything from kitchen appliances and other astounding robotic machines.

There are many different ways to think about robotic technology. For instance, do we want an artificial being to look like a human or an unmistakable nuts-and-bolts prototype? Should they go to work at the plant or in our own homes? Should they think for themselves or be simply capable of pre-programmed simplified tasks?

There are "soft robots," which have silicone bodies and flexible actuators that behave almost human-like. There are "swarm robots" that behave like bees or ants, cooperating together to find something, clean, explore space or spy. "Haptic interface robots" allow users to interact with virtual simulation environments. Engineers are always coming up with new designs and uses for automation robotics.

Robotic technology is continually progressing. Early prototypes used steam, water or air, while new robotic prototypes use actuators, electric DC motors and air muscles. To study robotics engineering, interested students can attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which is the only school that offers a Bachelor of Science in Robotics Engineering.

Other schools have graduate programs based on robotics automation, including Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, UPENN and UCLA. To increase early interest in this field, programs like FIRST Robotics were devised to encourage students as young as six to look to math, science and technology fields for hobbies.

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Rhodes Lindos

Lindos is located on the eastern side of the island approximately 55 klms from the city of Rhodes. An imposing cliff whose height is 166m rises from the level of the sea. To the left and right of this enormous crag were two harbours, one larger than the other. On the triangular surface of this giant rock the ancient Lindians worshipped their patron goddess the Lindian Athena. The temple dedicated to the goddess was impressive as it was surrounded by a number of praiseworthy buildings which bore witness not only to the inhabitants piety but also to the ancient city's great wealth.

The wild beauty of the cliff and the surrounding medieval castle which jelously guards the splendour of the ancient monuments behind its towers and thick walls leaves the beholder in awe. Today the acropolis of Lindos is no longer surrounded by the sacred grove which the ancient Lindians tended with such care and piety. Indeed Aglohartos, Athena's priest, at the height of her worship in the 3rd and 4th centuries proudly recorded the care and trouble taken to preserve the ancient grove on several inscriptions. The worship of a female diety on this rocky site dates back to the dim realms of early prehistory. First the Acheans and later the Dorians identified this pre Greek diety with the goddess Athena. Pindar narrates how this ancient temple was founded by the Heliades, the direct descendants of the sun god, and explains the reason for the absence of an altar. To Lindian Athena they did not offer sacrifices on burning flames. Their offerings were grain, fruit, sweets, liquids and other items which were the product of the earth and which did not require burning. These offerings are referred to by Pindar as "fireless offerings" and traces their origins back to the HeHades. According to legend the Heliades, in their haste to be the first to offer sacrifices to Athena, quickly ascended the cliff forgetting to bring fire with them. This oversight by the Heliades was the source of the fireless offerings. The myth of the Heliades is not the only myth which refers to the founding of this temple. The myth of Danaos, who was the father of the Greek race, is also associated with the temple. According to this myth when Danaos and his daughters fled from Eygpt on their way to the Peloponessus, Danaos stopped at Lindos. During the course of his stay on the island he founded the temple and set up the first statue of the goddess. This statue was a simple peice of unprocessed wood, the symbol associated with a form of worship which is called "xoano" (that is the worship of a wooden image). The first temple dedicated to the goddess was built in the 8th century BC and it was during this century that the deity was first depicted anthropomorphically. This statue was small in size and made of wood. This archaic temple survived until the time of Kleoboulos. In the 6th century Kleoboulos built a new temple and decorated it and the statue of the goddess with trophies from his numerous victories. The ruins which survive today do not date from the 6th century temple. This was destroyed in 342 BC by a large fire. On the site of the destroyed temple the Lindians built a new temple and the old wooden statue of the deity was replaced by another. This new statue had a wooden body which was gilded and marble head, hands and feet. The history of the temple and a description of the votive offerings are set out in great detail by Timahidas in the chronicles of Lindos. One is impressed not only by the number of votive offerings which are outlined but also by the number of statues which -adorned the temple, the plinths of which only survive today.

A little below the temple, at the entrance of the acropolis a large stoa in the Doric order was built in the year 200 BC, while the temple dedicated to Psithirou, the god of prophesy, was built in 200 AD. During the Middle Ages the Byzantines fortified the ancient acropolis by building an impregnable castle and the church of St. John. The successors of the Byzantines, the Knights built another castle which enclosed the surrounding area and the palace of the Keeper of the Castle. One can reach the acropolis along the southern slope of the hill. As soon as one passes through the main gate one finds a stairway which leads to a small square. To the right, carved in the rock of the cliff by Pythourito of Timoharou in 180 BC, one can see an impressive monumental structure made up of a circular exedra in front of which stands a large plinth. This plinth was either the base of an altar or the base of a statue. The stern of a triere can be seen along the side of the exedra. The length of the relief is 4.46m and its height is 5.50m. Many details can be discerned which aid in reconstructing the technical details of ancient shipbuilding. In the same area there are the remains of Byzantine water cisterns and the remains of an archaic stairway. A newer stairway with approximately 80 steps leads up to a domed entrance and the medieval administrative building which was also the home of the Knights' Keeper of the Castle. Passing through the medieval entrance one can see the remains of the Byzantine church dedicated to St. John and the Doric stoa which has been restored and whose columns have been erected in situ. The stoa is in the shape of a Greek P and measures 90m in length, 8.9m in width and 6.20m in height. There were 42 Doric columns along the facade and 8 Doric columns along its sides. The columns were polygonal one third of their height up while the other two thirds of the columns were fluted. In the centre of this magnificent Hellenistic structure there was a staircase with 36 steps, built on top of the older staircase of Kleoboulos, which led to the Propylaea. The Propylaea was built in the 5th century BC and is a copy of the Propylaea found on the Acropolis of Athens.

On the highest point of the triangular plateau the Lindians built a temple dedicated to their patron goddess. The length of this temple is 22.40m and the width is 7.20m. A dip style temple in the Doric order, only sections of its walls have survived intact and several columns have been restored to their original position.

The archaeological area is not limited only to the area of the acropolis, but extends to include the entire surrounding area. Carved out of the western slope of the hill lies the ancient theatre. The orchestra, the platform of the altar and 27 seats survive. Near the theatre stands the church of St. Stephen. The large rocks which surround the church are the remains of the wall which enclosed the ancient city's gymnasium. The excavations which were carried out by Danish archaeologists in 1904 revealed not only a great number of inscriptions and artifacts, but also marble slabs which recorded in inscription the history of the temple of Lindian Athena, and found under the ancient floor flagstones of a Byzantine church. This is the now famous Chronicle of Lindos which is today housed in the museum of Copenhagen.

The foundation remains of another temple dedicated to the goddess Athena lie in the position of Vegli, on the northern slope of the hill and facing the large harbour. This temple is the so called "Boukopion" temple whose name is derived from the Boukopia sacrifices which were held in Athena's honour. The Dorians built this small temple in the 9th or 10th century BC so that they could offer to the goddess the slaughtered sacrifices which was the decreed custom.

During the Hellenistic Period a large circular structure constructed of large roughly hewn stones was built on the small peninsula which enclosed the bay of Palaistras, the harbour of ancient Lindos. The external perimeter of the monument is 28.42m while its height is 2.80m. The local inhabitants call it the Tomb of Kleoboulos. The main entrance to the interior is gained on the southwestern side. A narrow corridor leads to a small sepulcher chamber. On the southwestern side of the chamber, dug into the rocky ground, lies the tomb of the man in whose honour this monument was built. This structure was also used in later times as a church dedicated to St. Emiliano.

In Rhodes Travel Guide you will find much more than Pictures of hotels located in Lindos since there is also a full list of all Rhodes Hotels.

Volcanoes Affect History - From the Exodus to the Dark Ages

Iceland Volcano Conjures Up Recollections

Iceland has caused us to ponder. "Wow. A volcano can happen anywhere!" Of course, heated molten rock has nothing to do with the local weather. Volcanoes happen where they happen. They are the 800 pound gorillas of the earth's surface. Hawaii exists because of volcanoes. Iceland would not be there were it not for what we are watching on TV. But since we are the creatures that we are, we settle on the land and notice its properties, and start to plant and live and make babies and establish villages. A local Icelandic farmer who farms nearby asks why he is being punished. "My great grandfather started this farm". The "gods" might say: "Seems to me you guys got a great reprieve."

Iceland Makes Us Realize Volcanoes Aren't Just Far Off and Away

As a species we are downright amazing to watch. We forget, and forget, and then we go into trauma, then we forget again. There are millions of people now settled around Mt. Vesuvius. What was once a desolation of the City of Pompeii is now a tourist spot and romantic center of Southern Italy. History is meaningless and dire warnings are futile. Naples is like San Francisco. People develop a "devil may care fatalism" or a resigned philosophy. "If I die, I die." Mt. Rainier peers out toward Seattle and terrifies people and the prognosticators say: "Not in our lifetime". That's probably good enough for most of us. We hope to get our "3 score years and 10" and our grand kids, well, we have to deal with what we have to deal.

Krakatoa - Pacific Nightmare Near Java

The last Iceland Volcano in 1821. They say it lasted one or two years. No one wants to even think about that. But the thing volcanologists love to think about, (but only historically) is Krakatoa. Since it is far away for must of us, it has to be considered the A Number One Boil on the planet by most scientists concerned with the topic. It is theorized that one super eruption darkened the sun for years. It occurred in the 500 AD's and affected weather patterns for almost a century; cooling northern climes and cementing the "Dark Ages". It is said to have changed agriculture in Northern Europe for a long time, and, as one speculated, to the rise of the plague in the 600's, the end of the "Arthurian time" (Camelot) and the rise of Islam, as the southern parts of that region thrived. Krakatoa of the late 1800's, it is postulated, caused the devastating harsh winters in America in the 1880s. Krakatoa is on simmer right now, but the simmer is forming a new island as we speak.

The Eastern Med - Volcano Country - An Incredibly Active Seismic Zone

In the Eastern Mediterranean about 3500 years ago, it was much different from today. Today, many tourists travel to the white-painted villages on the Isle of Santorini. If you have flown over it, it looks like a finger nail clipping in the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean. It now makes an idyllic retreat for worn out Americans and Europeans who just want to kick back, lounge, drink Ouzo and bask in the warm sunlight. The people are wonderful, tourist tuned and have the handsome look of an ancient people. At least that's what the travel agencies tell us and the experienced traveler can attest to.

But once upon a time, this finger nail clipping of an island was the center of Mediterranean life. They were the Minoans, a powerful sea faring and trading people in the Late Bronze Age. They made this island one of their homes for their nearby capital of Crete. This is Volcano country if you have ever heard of it. Countless small eruptions over the centuries have occurred on small islands, reformed others and made a panoply of historical moments for the peoples of that region.

There was a volcano there in 1650 and many more small ones. The most recent in 1949 made the news but didn't cause cataclysm. The destruction of the Minoan civilization on Crete and these neighboring islands actually made way for replacing cultures and civilizations. The power vacuum created at that time, allowed for the rise of Grecian city states, and the Phoenicians of Biblical Lore and other powers to then dominate and influence this area. Egypt, was historically already founded and was not permanently damaged by the Volcano. However it might have been affected in another way, by assisting Moses with his people-moving exercise, and thus causing a diminution of their power and influence.

Santorini Was The Island of Thera

This volcano truly popped. It literally blew away the island, then known as Thera, and created the Caldera that is now Santorini. Then, tsunami waves crashed into Egypt, the east, the north and the west, continually pounding the region with large waves and causing dense dark ash thickened skies. The ash, they say, ascended to 50,000 feet. When it blew, it just turned villages into mist and crashed boats and ships for miles and miles. Archaeologists that study this keep on finding evidence of the destruction. Newer theories about the story of Exodus and the Children of Israel have made fabulous TV watching and tie in various issues that many have thought about for years, such as the possible location of Mt. Sinai, and even the Sea of Reeds, versus the "Red" Sea.

While the particulars as to how these effects might have caused the Plagues of Egypt are for a book, or at least another article, the fact remains that this volcano caused the displacements of peoples, movements into old areas and new commerce and cultural identity of formerly unknown peoples.

Historic Power and Destruction - Exodus and Diasporas and Immigrations

The "Danous" people that came to Greece are thought to be the Israelitish movement after Moses' relocation efforts. Golden images and relics make connections back to the peoples who were on the move after the Exodus. The tribe of Dan was always in motion. Dr. Herman Hoeh, an expert on legends concerning this time, talked about how Moses sons, having lost a real place at the table because Brother Aaron's children became the Aaronic priesthood, took a trip out of the area of the Holy Land, around the Pillars of Hercules to the Ancient Land of Ireland. The "Cohan" (priesthood and name of Moses kids) is a familiar Irish name. George M. Cohan, being a modern representative. The people who left Egypt eventually created a land that would become known for its outermost limits. As we would say from "Maine to California", or from "Florida to Alaska", the land was said to encompass from "Dan to Beersheba" (Dan, up north by modern day Syria, and Beersheba in the southern desert). The Children of Israel would eventually make a true Kingdom under Davidic lineage through Solomon. The lineage continuing through Nathaniel to the family of Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Greece itself, without the competition from the destroyed Minoan civilization began to thrive, and Alexander in the 300's BC took his Macedonian armies all the way to the Indus River, and established a Hellenized culture that affected the very nature of western culture. The western part of the Mediterranean was not as affected as much by this volcano, and it also thrived after this period. Villages grew and cities blossomed. The Minoans were not around anymore, controlling commerce, so western "vills" could make their own impact on history. Places like Carthage and Rome might come to mind.

No More Hubris

Since the Minoans were gone, people like the Phoenicians also make their mark on history. They were excellent sea faring peoples. These Semitic peoples made commerce through the Straits of Gibraltar (the Pillars of Hercules) doable. Their sailing technologies and skills allowed for movement around Spain to England and Ireland and the Eastern part of France. Hubris, a word for "excessive pride" was coined because that is what the Greeks called Gibraltar. In their minds, you were taking your life in your hands, and were defying the gods if you went past that sign post into the Atlantic. The Greeks and the Romans were not exceptionally skilled seaman and their boats did not cut through the waves, like the Phoenecians' did. (The Greeks and Romans made their living fighting on land.) The Phoenicians were the Navy of the Mediterranean, and this is the way they established themselves and promoted trade after the Theran Destruction. It no longer was tempting the gods with "hubris" to go through Gibraltar. Joseph of Arimathea's tin trade with Britain shows how trade developed in Roman times.

Causes of Volcanoes

Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is the Timing of Volcanoes. Astrological cycles try to track them to the movement of Pluto or Neptune. Astrology and astronomy may indeed have undetectable influences, but the very earth that we stand on is the main object of study. Still, predicting is beyond our wizardry at this moment. When we stare at the might being displayed on periodically historical moments, maybe we should lie down and put our heads in our pillows with a little more thankfulness. Thankfulness that these volcanoes are as measured and non-periodic as they are. Christofer French is the Founder of Astrologygetalong.com.

http://www.astrologygetalong.com

Greek Gods - Artemis and Apollo

Zeus and the goddess Leto, daughter of Titans Coeus and Phoebe, bore two children who would rise up to take a place in the Olympic pantheon. The twins were named Apollo and Artemis, and their arrival in the world was not so simple.

Hera, wife of Zeus, was insanely jealous of Leto and sought to prevent the birth of Leto's two children. She antagonized Leto and sent a serpent to terrorize the goddess and stop her from finding a place to bear her children. It was the goddess Asteria who offered refuge to her sister on the island of Ortygia and there that Leto bore Artemis and Apollo.

Artermis was born first and immediately set about assisting her mother through the nine days of labor she endured to deliver her son Apollo. Leto's aunt, Themis, acted as caretaker to the twins, feeding them ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods.

Apollo and Artemis loved their mother deeply and protected the safety and honor of their mother. On tale of Greek mythology tells how Artemis and Apollo prevented Leto from being raped by Titus in the grove of Delphi. Called by their mother, they attached the giant Titus with their arrows which rained down upon him and killed him in an instant. Zeus was outraged by Titus' actions and consigned him to Hades.

Another myth tells the story of how Artemis and Apollo killed all of the goddess Niobe's children when she boasted of her own children's superior beauty, insulting Leto. Though it's unclear if this was a defense of their mother or motivated by their own outrage.

At a young age, Artemis was told by Zeus to name the gifts that she desired. Artemis chose a bow and arrow, free reign of the mountains, a city to dwell in and eternal virginity. Zeus granted all these wishes. Artemis would come to be viewed as the virgin goddess of the hunt and wildlife. She was also seen as a protector figure of women in childbirth.

Apollo would become the god of archery, healing, music and youth. Greek mythology tells how Apollo took up the bow created for him by Hephaestus and pursued the serpent into Delphi where he killed it. Gaia was incensed at having her shrine, where the Oracle of Delphi resided, desecrated. Apollo was not punished for his crime and in time became the god of Prophecy, and the Oracle of Delphi became the Oracle of Apollo.

He would also become an influential god of music whose musicianship was unparalleled. Many challenged Apollo to contests of musical prowess, but all failed to best the god.

Apollo never married though he was definitely not an immortal virgin. He fathered more than a dozen children with many women both goddesses and mortals alike.

The twin god and goddess, Apollo and Artemis, were forever connected in Greek mythology. They are both expert archers and hunters who often enjoyed hunting together. They shared the capability of subjecting mortals to plague and pestilence as well.

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5 Reasons to Read the Percy Jackson Series

If you are looking for a great series to engage your teen reader, give the Percy Jackson series of books by Rick Riordan a try. Here are 5 reasons why this series of books have both kids and parents stamp of approval.

1. An Engaging and Fulfilling Read for Teens and Parents
Foremost the Percy Jackson books are engaging-not only for teens but for adults. I'm in my mid thirties and the series had me hooked so that I had to read one after the other until I crossed the finish line with The Last Olympian. The last two were particularly hard to put down as the series came closer to its ultimate conclusion.

2. Wonderful Teen Role Models
Percy and his friends are great role models for adventurous teens who are somewhat rebellious but who retain a sense of ethics and responsibility. They protect each other and have their eye on a greater goal-like saving the world!

3. Wonderful Parent-Teen Relationship
Percy's only parent is his single mother (as his father is the God, Poseidon) and she has faith in Percy to do what he feels is right. Percy contacts her when facing a challenge and she offers advice but trusts he knows the right thing to do. This kind of mother-son relationship is a welcome contribution to popular teen literature.

4. Powerful Storytelling That Gets Better With Each Book
There is a point in book three, The Titan's Curse, when the villain is revealed that hooked me onto the rest of the series and I read the last two books within 48 hours (they just kept getting better). The reveal fit so perfectly into the story and all the clues being left in the first half of the book finally made sense. The ability to do that and not lose either the reader's interest or the plot threads of the story is indeed the work of a skilled writer.

5. Exposure to Mythological Archetypes
Obviously the series references Greek Mythology, as Percy Jackson and his friends at Camp Half-Blood all have a Greek God as a parent. For the casual reader, these references invariably incite interest in the classic mythological stories of Ancient Greece. The more readers learn about the myths, the more they can read into the story and the characters motivations. By imbuing his story with these ancient archetypes Rick Riordan has given depth to his story and applied these old myths into a modern context, giving both texts a longer life on the shelves.

Inger loves stories and loves to write. She has been writing words on paper for quite some time so when the Internet came along she started writing online too. You can see her latest website which helps people to choose the best cotton mattress at http://www.cottonmattress.org.

Fanfiction - A Most Genre-ous Offer

(Slow pan right to the usual eerie shot of Rod Sterling, in color this time, standing there with that maddening know-it-all smirk on his face.)

...what happens when someone crosses the line into the reality of her wildest dreams, only to find that the end of them is closer than she thinks? Picture if you will, a woman who wants only to live life to the fullest, who finally finds herself stepping smartly into...the Eventide Zone.

A MOST GENRE-OUS OFFER

As though it knew of my presence, the white park bench embraced both me and the snow. I stretched slowly, yawning, taking a content appraisal of my surroundings. Covered in newspapers that crinkled and floated off me banally, as though all was suddenly well, I simply stood up as the snow caressed my face. Why was the park bench white? It seemed odd.

I was standing, and had a touch of my former disability, which involved turning left. Patting my head with the flat of my hand, I discovered my handicap had rather abated, which was a nice feeling, and I heard a female scream to my immediate right. It echoed around in my head like a narcissistic wail of mistaken ecstasy.

Toddling off in that general direction, I found tragic panoply of a winter's scene. There were four young guys. Three of them lined up to one side on my right, and the dude to my left was clearly the leader. He...had a rather menacing looking long knife in one hand, and was threatening "the girl" with it. She was simply standing there, laughing, held in another's arms. The leader started tossing his knife from one hand to the other ever so lightly. I was watching, and clearly looked intrigued, like I rather enjoyed the sight -- to fool them.

She was laughing merrily, lines of drug tracks on her arms, and was "grabbing the strawberry" like crazy. That means she was enjoying her last moments. Guy was going to slice and dice her. I thought, hey, it's my turn. I am, after all, Marsha Larts! Don't I hate all such rippings? Maybe I shouldn't...what is -- caring? Isn't it what Christmas is all about, I thought squeamishly?

So I grabbed her left arm, swiftly jerking her away from there, and danced The Unexpected. I moved right into place as "the girl," as Laughing Boy behind me took me right into his big ol' arms. But he was shaking with laughter, certain about what would happen next.

Everybody seemed to be having a great old time, and most of their seasick emotion eluded me completely. I was sober, and they were under water, filled with alcohol and crystal meth. I stood there smiling, and said, "You look like a great leader, guy. Say, what's that?"

"Huh?" he said, his Male Self suddenly alerted to the presence of a wise gal. He stood perfectly motionless, getting his drug-tired self to reappraise the situation. Which made a perfect moment to Japanese-karate-style sidekick him. You see, I really didn't know what knives are.

That was indeed unexpected. The knife went flying, I pulled the right arm of the guy holding me simultaneous to that moment of lurching time, just as I twisted sharp too, and I was out of there.

I took off, running like the wind, but knew I was going to run out of it. Like a character in a movie, I tried to relish the moment of my demise, while fleeing. I was grabbing that final strawberry, as they had told me to do in Karate Class. I wondered why they had prepared me to die. I would only be unconscious forever...was that what my husband, the one who had hurt me, had wanted? No, he was too altogether into dying for me.

Unfortunately, I was now headed down a weirdly angled city street. Curious and a little off in my timing, I started to lose "running abilities" as I right-angled into an obvious dead-end ally. I was slipping on the snow, and surely was heading toward my downfall. I slid into the alley, and saw the end of the road -- and death.

Tears began streaming down my freezing cheeks, and froze instantly. Wheeling around, I grabbed two frost-covered trash can lids that were handy. I thought maybe I could distract the thugs, as I could at least lift those things. They weighed about as much as sea foam. I lifted Flotsam and Jetsam, waving them around at the oncoming pack of guys. They definitely had all their Larger Knives out now.

I didn't matter. Somehow that girl did. I would at least die fighting.

Then, something swooped straight out of the cold and isolated darkness itself, and clobbered their leader. I could tell it was an evil thing, not a good thing, that was so swooping and darting and plowing through their faces like several sledgehammers leading at once into nowhere.

The trash can lids, as though disappointed, drooped down to my sides. For something most intriguing had shown up. I kept up a brief time of holding trash can lids before me as I felt their coldness sink into my grasping fingers. It, whatever it was, seemed to be a ninja made of no substance, and it took out the other three one at a time as they looked up, robbed of their easy victory.

Then the moving shadow of a sudden took the shape of a very large man. "Jesse Jackson? Not the dead Bruce Lee?...no, Vlad Tepes," I muttered under my disgruntled gasping breath, referring to Compte Dracula, the Moslem ruler who had killed the 700 Christians of the 700 Club. "Jim Crow?" Was this a racist figure, with which to spook superstitious blacks? Nah, I thought, honest to gosh, from an even older Italy..."Pierrot--?" A somber doll this, one with lengthy black horns on his head, and yet somehow it was so. And finally, I thought to myself, the thing somehow smacked of a medieval Jewish knight.

But that was not what Pierrot had been, though, quite. Out of nowhere, I was smack dab in the middle of the Commedia del'Arte, the centuries old farce of farces, of the clown and the serious man. It was ancient, Mediterranean, and mystical. What could I make of the serious man?

Pierrot had been white, handsome, and held up a head of straight black hair. He had contested with the curly haired Harlequin the Madcap Clown for Columbine the Beautiful, lost, and then hung himself due to losing his "wife." It was the woman he was going to marry. That was the Italian "del'Arte" thing, I recalled so vaguely from my dreams. It dawned on me; this black, masked and still hard to see figure must indeed be...Pierrot.

"No," said this deeply masculine but vaguely boyish-sounding voice, "I'm Me." I thought: I can't believe how much I feel at this moment of time. I'm disappointed. I had lost the fight. It would have taken less time if I'd been killed. What did this now mean? I had risked my life to save another's -- for what? For this?

How understated. The snow blew about in the alley, swirling around his draped costume, the grey and blue-black suit of The Bateman, a mere comic strip, book and movie character.

"Who are you? What do you think you're doing?" was said to me in this deep, bell-like carefully measured tone of an actual someone trying to reach an actual someone else. I choked, reaching for my own knowing throat. I had something very strange to tell him, as though it now gripped my brain, and I knew what it was well in advance.

He was standing there, thinking. I dropped both trash can lids with a loud clatter as "one of them" took off running and made it to elsewhere. Must have been an onlooker. The other three boys had been flattened. I achieved a wise gal look on my face, and shrugged. My husband was a tall Semitic Jew, non-practicing, who to me had always looked a lot like the Jester. I'd always thought it to be a mere coincidence. Now I had to stop and wonder...could it be? He had told me that though Jewish, he hated all Hebrew people. He was somehow anti himself.

The Jester...that would absolutely have to be Harlequin, from The Harlequinade. Nothing, nowhere, and no one else. The Madcap Clown himself.

But now Bateman was going to arrest me, or something.

And the Jester had reeked summarily all along of being Harlequin. The many bright colors of his costume clearly showed it. That comical character of yore, which was surely now going to take vengeance against me through such a ridiculous proxy as this -- The Bateman.

Vengeance-again? Harlequin had won so many times at the Harlequinade. He had made fun of the police, and he had practically pulled the rope that had hung Pierrot when the serious man had finally suicided...from losing Columbine to him.

If anything ever began to happen, or if "Bateman" there ever even moved. Snow swirled coldly about us both as he stood patiently watching me. A final clatter of noise seemed to hum in the background, as if some cars were nearby.

I squeamishly thought to myself about this. The Jester had started out as a "grubby" Jew in Detective, in the very first panel of the very first comic book strip he had appeared in, December of 1940. Harlequin had lost his battle in the eventual death throes of the Harlequinade, so long ago. He was not "pure." Racism had pulled its own ancient strings, one way or another. Harlequin was either too boring or too evil, and therefore Detective had found their victim, someone to lampoon as a villain, apparently. Casting him as a Jewish miser was fairly typical of their occasionally dismal style. A clown to contest with a vampire, for the kids buying "all in color for a dime" funny books. Bateman had merely been a Suprememan ripoff, a detective as a superhero. I remembered it.

My husband, on either the same or the other hand, had not been any too heroic. He was a curly black-haired clown. He had been up until now my loving and laughter-ridden companion of many years, and we had practiced the martial arts together. But I have already told you about him. He wasn't...nice.

But the Bateman, or whoever he was, remained motionless, with that cape surrounding him like an enormous black wrapper. Then he shrugged it off with one arm. He stood there silently, as if appraising me. I briefly wondered if I was good-looking at all to "The Bateman." For some strange reason, I was wearing a short sleeved shirt and shorts, which didn't help much in the cold.

"You are going to tell me what your role in this is," Brice Wayne breathed into my errant ear from too far away. Something told me this man was somehow named that, memories and fleeting impulses did. I had used to read scads of those silly comic books while growing up. And indeed, I had shown that "cop" there fighting capabilities, and had to deal with him -- while at the same time trying to figure out what to tell this...human being.

"Yes, you're right, Brice," I muttered, "Good old martial arts are to save only me. Self defense." I had to droop down to Columbine's status in my innocence. She was, I think, the innocent ingénue of that old Italian farce. "After all, it's always self defense, isn't it?

"What are you doing here?" was said in this quizzical Italianesque voice, one that enveloped my soul with deeply baritone overtones of stolid hurt-you Cop. He would kill me, his voice implied, if I so much as moved.

"Is this Gothic City?" I wincingly asked him. I realized that whoever he was, he could kill very quickly.

"You know where you are, do you?" he asked me back. It sounded like he was pumping me for information. Maybe he didn't know me at all. It sounded like a command taken strictly for an early grave.

If this was Bateman, wherever I was, what did that make me? Who was...I? Surely, no, I was not Columbine! That was only Columbine High School, where something awful had happened, too. The black suited Bateman-like kids had shot some of the other kids at a high school. I was not seeing Bateman. I was dreaming, but everything was real. And I had a feeling my hair had gone right back to being a bright and cherry colored red, as when I was a teenager.

"Climb on my back, and up we go. On board now." What? I thought, as weird fantasies go, this one should disappear rapidly. Maybe if I shut my eyes, it would all go away. But I had to open them and go over there, and be next to him. It was like a command from a very serious man, and I was utterly forced to obey it.

I moved behind him, and got on his back. We were heading up the building at a rapid pace, and I barely had time to clutch those broad shoulders as that Damned Jock went straight up the alley wall. I saw the technical equipment, trembled, and grew dismal. I finally had to say it.

"Is Harlequin really my husband?" I screamed aloud as we made it over and plumped like bricks, my knees bouncing without too much pain, onto the rubbery roof of the building. That Giant Sucking "Moslem" or Musselman who had once been my childhood God and Hero stood there, looking at me as though I were something that was only vaguely amusing. I don't weigh that much, I thought, as he lead me over to some metal pipes. I felt very embarrassed and ashamed of myself.

"No, but he's probably only your basic hilarious Jewish 'sidekick.' I've met several of those. Remember Jerry Lewis? Actually, he was the main guy and Dean Martin was the sidekick. Did you ever watch their movies? I never had the time to enjoy..." Before he could finish, I cut him off curtly.

"Take care of my girl, Woman Hater," I muttered as he chained me to the old, grey pipes sticking out of a slab of concrete, probably something worth studying as I was going to be standing there for awhile. I meant the girl I had earlier saved by this curt comment. She was surely wandering around out there somewhere.

"So that's what you are, a woman hater?" was chuckled as he simply clicked the handcuffs into place. They were loose, and I was suddenly on a long leash. How long I would be standing there, I didn't know, time enough to find what to tell this overdressed wombat or whatever it was who was calmly leaving me. "Oh and Satan, there, would you go look out for my...girl?" -- He was gone.

I knew why he'd done that. He went looking for her. Maybe she needed more help. Surely that was it. She was wandering around in the cold.

I thought, maybe he's right to have chained me. I wouldn't have stood there forever. Maybe I would have jumped off, merely to see if I could fly. Perhaps Bateman knew what I was! Cold, tired, and a little too well off. Where was my old and familiar disability, though?

I looked around, and the place seemed to materialize before me, as if it was an area of New York City that lay untrammeled by its acres of skyscrapers. Coated whitely all about me, as far as my blinking eyes could grasp, roofs peaked and sloped so that I could only gauge everything for a short distance. I sighted along the minaretted rooftops of a gleaming silver-grey neighborhood.

But several monumental buildings stretched in a greyly sprawling, spreading group, overpowering in their rugged austerity and achingly far away, forcing themselves into my newly heightened sense of awestruck wonder. This city contained --held insanely -- over many dozens and even more of them. There were the usual NYC-style shining tower shapes of rectangles, but inhabiting a much bigger metropolitan area. The whole gigantic sprawl of a city could only be described as unspeakably huge, gargantuan, spread out further than my eyes could see. And I suddenly realized none of it was blurry. I could see without my glasses.

I thought, possibly all I could ever see was Gothic, from this low and relatively flat crowded rooftop anyway, and what part of "town" was I in?

It looked like one district, almost carefully laid out, but with the usual sudden erratic problems of individual, grainy structures that inhabited their huge vista of space. It was a city, yet like none other I'd seen before in my thirty-five years of life. It hit me that a younger me would die to explore a city like that. I would haunt its snug little shops, read its newspapers, and drink its exquisite coffees.

The VIEW! As it slowly appeared, it was a gargantuan of monolithic color. Sounds of beeping cars and grinding busses pulling up to curbs festooned my ears. This WAS Gothic City. Greens, blues, silvers, reds, purples, sparkling golden were the twinkling lights of the distance between us. Astonished, I strongly yearned to head for the Heaven that was obviously out there. What was that like at night for the Bateman? The place needed Gabriel's Trumpet to announce it.

I could finally see All in Color for a Dime. Gothic City lived and breathed all around me, although I had a clutching thought about drug abuse, ladies of the evening, and cheap hotel rooms. And I knew I was too old for it. I took one deep in breath, and all of the pollution was mysteriously missing. And yet I smelled a cheerful breezy air all about me. Were there bloods out there researching? Did anything of the black race have a chance against the supposedly chosen people? The group I'd fought were as white of trash as I had ever seen. Surely there were black heroes about, brown wonders with strange...I'm imagining this dream I'm having here, I thought.

What in the world did such a juxtaposition mean? How could there be drug abuse in such a situation as this? Surely there weren't enough jobs available. The city bustled too harshly, beauty that she was. There was crime in this trap of a Queen. Maybe Metropolis, being King, did not have enough resources to spread them around. Maybe NYC, the Jack somewhere nearby...I got randomly lost in speculation. What the Jester had to do with such a very odd deck of cards.

I'd definitely been "fixed" by someone. Yes, I was real, but most of my disability was gone, and I turned to the right, feeling so much better about myself and hoping that Suprememan or Supremegirl was watching. Frowning, I knew it had to be one of those two who'd done it, and made me be this way.

That, that, I laughed, I'll wake up from this soon enough, suddenly thinking of The Girl and her nonexistent life; he's out there trying to chase her down, and she's a "druggie" who thinks she's fine.

Perhaps she's Columbine, I gasped! What was her name? He's talking to her, I figured, and I "got jealous," after having had a decent go at trying to help her. But maybe she always had a rotten life. He probably wasn't beating her up. Most cops don't really do that. They try to help. But he might have her down on her back in a cheap motel, somewhere. I hated him.

Anyway, maybe he took her home. Perhaps I was only...Pierrette. She was the least important character in the ancient Italian mystery play. She was supposed to marry Pierrot...that's right, and she didn't. She merely slipped offstage. Did she end up hanging herself, too? I was all hung up on the handcuffs. I looked at the edge of the building roof, longing to jump off it and die. Columbine had danced off a cliff, and I totally had forgotten what had happened to Pierette.

It was so cold. I began shifting my legs back and forth to keep myself warm. Would "Bateman" ever return? The very thought of it made me sick. Surely, that was a new form of cop who knew martial arts, all dressed up as Bateman. I was in New York City still, and this was only a dream.

Some dream. I breathed, sighed, looked out into Gothic City. Might be worth exploring. Might be like NYC of my wildest dreams. I cackled suddenly and clamped my own hand over my mouth.

Then "the sight" happened. He looked mildly tired as he climbed back over the roof. He strolled over to me, as though something was on his mind. Or Mind? Let's see, these guys are more highly evolved life forms than me, sort of like the X-Men from Marvel, but slower or something, and human enough to relate to. Or, he's just some bastard of a ludicrous cop. I showed him what I thought of this with deep tiredness on my face.

What had I been thinking, I grabbed myself and inwardly shouted, no, this is not Bateman! I have to collect my soul, and tell him off. Now.

"Brice, I know who you are," I choked into my palm. All the knowledge I had of him spilled out of my mouth, spewing out beyond my capacity to understand. I had to say it; there was nothing else to say. Maybe if I played along with the farce, "Bateman" would confess his falseness.

"Okay," said the same voice, sounding totally tired. "What are you doing here...no, come home with me, and...I'll show you where I'm living...right now." I remembered that The Bateman didn't necessarily get a lot of sleep at night.

Okay, I thought. And I told him what I remembered of my entire life story as we swooped through the enormity that was Gothic City down to the car. It was tumultuous and too lengthy to herein describe, but scared me a little less.

"You must be used to soaring. Swoop and snatch. I mean, you like Suprememan, you! You will not take anything unacceptable out on me, who am, is surely imagining this. Not!" He's dressed up as the enemy, I reasoned out, slowly, over along period of time.

"No, it's not. I'm not. Get into the car, vagabond. And do exactly what I say." Who knows what he was making of my knowledge of his identity. Probably wants me to stay at home all day. What will we do while I'm trying to stay faithful to my husband?

But he had done something terribly wrong, my usually sweet man had, something undeniably hideous -- which I could not remember.

It seemed in a dismal blur to have to do with my husband's breaking open my breastbone, ripping my screaming chest open, and tearing out my...soul. It had hurt. There'd been great pain and blood, everywhere. Then I'd passed out.

"'Nkay," I blurredly intoned as he opened the car door. I was wobbling on my feet after the wild and windy ride. It had taken some time, and it was growing dark outside. I was staring at the car, which looked pristinely black, but menacing.

He nodded, while looking carefully at my head, and blithely he ducked my entire body down into the vehicle. I sat there waiting as he climbed artistically, the same old familiar moving shadow, down into his own side. "Whatever you do, don't turn me over to, uh, them," I suddenly said. "The JLA."

"What, the Justice Legion of America?" Who were those, I mused, that group of superheroes with their own Earth-centered satellite, of which The Bateman was supposedly a member -- or something like the B'nai Brith or the Italian Anti-Defamation Legion? Strangers in suits, who fought for civil rights? Or was the Justice Legion of America only the Klu Klux Klan, like my Mexican friend had told me before?

Meanwhile, I was with that same racist cartoon character. Where to now?

"No sweat. We're going to my apartment, and we're leaving for there starting right now. You'll be safest at home, o careless female. You know too much. You'll have to stay put while I figure out what we should do with you."

The car swiftly fired up, and we were out of that shadowy back alley after all of the vehicle's systems had shut on -- too rapidly for me to follow.

I sat back, lurching not at all. "So tell me why we're moving so fast and easily."

"Might be Suprememan," intoned The Voice of The Bateman, "But this incredible journey is mostly being brought to you by me, a lot of technical equipment including ozone positors that you can't possibly understand, and my need to fill you in is...nonexistent." Long pause. "As yet."

"Understood," I whispered ramblingly, glancing around. We were on the freeway pretty fast, honking at exactly one fannish driver. I guessed the guy was just saying hello. The Batemobile strutted neatly to her own purring repose, nonchalantly maneuvering into place as though circumscribed lines and angles were all around, guiding and lighting her way. The snow was glistening, streaked by the side windows without affecting them, and in an instant was melting.

The same gorgeous sight, Gothic City, was still out there. Now it was starting to "jewel up," or become lustrous with the many bright lights of late evening, reminding me of one time I'd entered San Francisco at night. It was so beautiful.

"I finally broke down and thought 'her,'" I said, to measure his mental telepathy. I nonchalantly waited. Nothing. "I mean the car. No, 'the girl.' What happened? What did she turn into? A beastly parking garage?"

That's when the Batemobile suddenly dove downward into a midnight blue underground garage, after doing a swift swoop straight off the freeway. We were in an enclosed space, deep underground. The Bateman turned to me, and whipped his demonic mask off. I was gape mouthed again, because I couldn't believe what I saw. What I shouldn't have been able to see, three mere inches away from my face.

Love.

And so I waited for The Bateman's considerate reply, as the cold beneath and around us slowly melted. A cocoon of warmth emanating straight from the sun surrounded us, and I heard Samuel Taylor Coleridge's old poem about Xanadu, something about "...weave a circle round him thrice, and close your eyes with holy dread, for he on honey-dew hath fed, and drunk the milk of..."

"The Girl, Brice. What did she turn into?" I interjected.

"I turned her into rehab, and you don't care about her at all. You are now with me, with me you will stay forever, and there will be no more running around rescuing people. Got that? Leave that to us. Good. Oh, and by the way..."

"What?" I breathlessly asked Brice Wayne, who with his mask off looked very dark, male and awesomely handsome. In a way beyond telling, one that wasn't strictly...human. Looking down shyly, I noticed the black bat symbol on his massive chest.

It wasn't really a picture of a bat. It seemed to emblemize something else, like a massive gaping wound. I remembered that Bateman was sometimes called "The Dark Knight." And I recalled he'd been nicknamed "The Caped Crusader." Didn't those titles have to do with the Crusades? There had been Jewish, Christian, and Moslem knights, I realized. Had Pierrot been one of their number? I had heard Jesus Christ invented vampire bats.

It was as if something had happened to him, because of something having happened to me. I blinked, looking again, and the symbol was back to being a filled-in outline of a black, "campy" bat, surrounded by the yellow glowing moon that Cary Bates had long ago supplied.

I had a feeling the Commedia del'Arte was over. Finally.

"Happy Holidays, my dear Marital Arts," the Bateman sighed, taking off one glove and cradling my small chin smoothly in his large, tawny hand. "Ever hear of a legal matter called getting a divorce? Works much better than running away. If you're hungry, there's plenty of food upstairs. By the way, I'm cooking our dinner. What do you like? Chinese, Thai...Italian?"

"I love spaghetti. What happened to Alfred?"

"He's still around. He has tonight off."

(Cut a long, slow pan to Rod Sterling, who isn't smiling as usual, as he never did at the end of each episode. Instead, he's wincing mildly -- as if in great pain about the unknown.)

...and such is the tale of a simple woman who came to a startling realization about a potentially Christian, or presumably otherwise, winter's holiday. One that could be portrayed by almost anything, such as: a batlike symbol; a tawdry joke by a fat, unsmiling black man as a TV show's earnest host; or a somewhat realistic hero who could save a nice, brave lady from something far, far worse than a storytelling white man like me...the Eventide Zone.

RAINBOW WRITING, INC. -- featuring Karen Cole, copy editor, ghost writer and book author. We are inexpensive professional freelance and contracted book authors, copywriters, ghostwriters, copyeditors, proofreaders, manuscript rewriters, coauthors, graphics and CAD artists, publishing helpers, and screenplay writers/editors/helpers with producing and selling screenplays. http://www.rainbowriting.com/.

History of the Hawaiian Hula Dance

The Hula dance is associated with Hawaii and luaus and while everyone knows what the hula is very few people are actually knowledgeable of its origin, not even the Hawaiians. According to Hawaiian history there is no information available as to who performed the first hula dance or why, however it is a common agreement that the original hula dance was performed by a god or goddess, making the dance sacred to Hawaiians. And this dance is sacred to men and women in Hawaii because the hula was danced by both sexes despite some information stating only men danced the hula. This information is incorrect and actually men and women both were involved in the sacred hula dance.

There are many types of Polynesian dances; however the hula is one of a kind and completely different than other dances in this area of the world. The origination of the hula was used for rituals and ceremonies, however this changed over time and eventually the hula was a dance used strictly for entertainment.

When dancing the hula individuals truly must become one with the dance and the actions, objects, or images they are imitating in their hula dance. The hula is a very meaningful dance and every movement of the body represents something. In addition to this, the hands are very important in the hula dance as well. When the individual is dancing the hula they may be imitating a palm tree, war, plants, and even animals. Because of this when the individual is dancing they are transforming themselves mentally into the object they are portraying through dance. Basically, the hula dancer is telling a story through the movements of the body and hands and as a result it is very important to watch. Chants also accompany the hula dance and while they used to be the most important part of the dance to portray what was happening they are no longer so and the movements are most important. You will notice the difference if you see a portrayal of old style hula dancing compared to new style hula dancing. While both are still hula dancing and fun to watch, the first is more ritualistic and the second more entertaining.

The hula dancers wear a costume in order to perform the hula dance. This consists of leis made of flowers around the neck or even the shoulders. A grass skirt is also used and is made of tapa and known as a pau. The dancers also wear anklets made of whale bone or even dog teeth. The whole ensemble makes up the vision of the hula dancer the whole world is aware of.

In the past, when hula was danced as a religious ritual rather than simply for entertainment the rules regarding the hula dance were very strict and individuals involved in hula dancing school were required to follow them while they were learning how to dance. Generally, students were required to follow all rules and behave properly while obeying their hula teacher in all requests. Some of the rules stated that hula students could not cut their fingernails or even their hair. Other rules stated hula students could not engage in sex nor could they eat certain foods that were forbidden. As a result, the life of the hula dancer in hula school was very strict, yet all of the rules were for a purpose that believed the students would learn to dance the hula better if they did not engage in the forbidden activities.

Today there are two types of hula, hula kahiko and hula auana. Hula hahiko is the old style that was described above and generally includes percussion, chanting, and the traditional costumes. Hula kahiko is traditional and ritualistic and the chanting tells the story more than the dance moves. However, for the more entertaining hula auna there is music, guitars, entertaining costumes to enhance the dance, ukuleles and even songs. This type of hula uses body movements and the hands to really tell the story because it is easier for tourists to understand.

While the hula dance has been around for thousands of years and always been popular it almost disappeared in the 1800s when missionaries arrived in Hawaii. The missionaries believed that hula dancing was devilish and against God and tried to convince the dancers of their wrongdoing by dancing the hula. However, King Kalakaua did not want the traditional dance of the islands to disappear simply because the missionaries did not understand what the hula was all about in the first place so he took action.

As a result, King Kalakaua developed his own group of hula dancers and encouraged them to learn the hula dance, the old style hula, and fortunately the hula did not disappear and still remains a very important dance of the islands and even today there are hundreds of hula schools on all the Hawaiian islands that teach the hula dance, old style, to the students. Even today many of the hula schools have strict rules like the old hula schools implemented.

There are even hula schools and groups that teach old style hula dancing to people on the mainland so while hula remains an important part of Hawaiian culture the culture is spreading and many people show an interest in learning how to hula dance.

When you visit Hawaii, no matter what island you visit, you will certainly see plenty of hula dancing from old style to the newer and more entertaining hula and regardless which one you like the most you should definitely attend festivals or dances that exhibit both styles so you can see the performing arts of the island and learn about the culture, history and the people of Hawaii. You never know, you may learn a few hula moves yourself.

Bill McKenzie is reservation manager for Wailua Bay View, oceanfront Kauai Vacation Rentals. He has personally researched and experienced many of the Hawaiian activities and destinations as described above.

Important Greek Goddesses

Half a dozen goddesses reigned over Mt. Olympus in accordance to the stories of Greek mythology. Hera was the spouse as well as the sister to Zeus and as a result is considered as the queen of the Gods. Ancient Greek mythology portrays the goddesses as guards as well as stewards of the womanly attribute. These goddesses control love and fertility and like their male brethren, they have amazing intelligence to make judgments upon mankind.

Hestia is the eldest daughter of Cronus as well as Rhea. She was considered a virgin just like Athena and Hera. Poseidon and Apollo wanted to marry her but she stayed loyal to the oath she made to Zeus to remain a virgin. Hestia was warmly looked on by all those who worshipped her for her peaceful nature. Hestia always been on Mt. Olympus, and has never practiced wars or any type of conflicts with the other gods. Hestia is the only goddess to be worshipped in all Greek mythology temples no matter what their connection is to another god.

Stories of the foundation of Athena differ, however it's usually agreed upon that she is a child of the God Zeus as well a daughter of Metiis. Throughout the story Zeus had feared a prophecy that said that the child of Metis will be stronger than Zeus himself. So what did Zeus do? He swallowed the titan goddess whole. That didn't stop Metis from giving birth and raising her child. Inside the belly of Zeus she did just that, and Athena the goddess of wisdom was born. Athena educated women the correct way on how to sew as well as weave along with teaching men the best way to work their lands and metals. Athena had the city of Athens and the Parthenon built in her honor.

Demeter is the second daughter of Rhea and Cronus, Demeter is the goddess of the lands who nurtured soil. Ancient Greek mythology place Demeter as "the bringer of the seasons" Her main misconception implicated that her daughter Persephone had been kidnapped by the underworld ruler Hades and was forced to become his queen. Demeter ended up being anguished and her lifestyle was full of grief causing the seasons to cease. Having people starving to death due to lack of seasons caused Zeus and other gods to help bring Persephone from the depths of the underworld. Even though Persephone returned to Demeter, Hades had fooled her, and through the law of fate Persephone ended up being compelled to return for 4 months each and every year just to eat the seeds that Hades gave her.

If you are interested in learning more about greek goddesses check out http://greek-goddesses.com

The Medical Caduceus - Jewelry and Origins of the Symbol

Caduceus jewelry is a popular gift for graduating nurses, physicians and veterinary students but do you know how this symbol came to be used by medical personnel? The Rod of Asclepius is a more appropriate symbol for medicine and medical organisations but the caduceus is also used, although, unlike the Rod, it has no medical significance. In fact, just the opposite as the symbol is associated with Hermes, god of the market place and travel, of the cunning of thieves and liars, who was a patron of commerce and generally associated with mischief as a deified trickster. He was also the conductor of souls to the underworld so the use of his symbol for medicine is particularly inappropriate.

The Rod of Asclepius

The more correct symbol is the Rod of Asclepius which is a walking stick or staff entwined by a serpent. Asclepius is the god of medicine in the Greek mythology and his daughters were Hygieia, Aceso, Aglea, Meditrina, Iaso, and Panacea who symbolise medicine, cleanliness, and healing. Panacea means literally 'all healing' and is a familiar word in modern English. Asclepius was the son of Apollo and Coronis and was raised by a centaur called Chiron after his mother was killed for unfaithfulness. Chiron taught Asclepius the art of medicine.

In Ancient Greece, around 300BC the cult of Asclepius was popular and his healing temples were called Asclepieia. Snakes were used in the healing rituals and non poisonous snakes freely crawled around the temples. The Oath of Hippocrates originally began with the words 'I swear by Apollo the Physician and by Asclepius and by Hygieia and Panacea and by all the gods..."

The Caduceus

The caduceus is usually depicted as a herald's staff with two entwined serpents and very often a pair of wings. Originally the staff was carried by Iris who was the messenger of Hera. Only in later myths was it borne by Hermes. It may be the basis for the astrological symbol for Mercury, who was the Roman equivalent of the Greek Hermes. It is often used as a symbol for medicine especially in the United States. Why is there confusion between the Rod of Asclepius, an appropriate symbol for medicine and the caduceus which is inappropriate, associated as it is with Hermes, patron of thieves and tricksters and conductor of the dead to the underworld?

The Use of the Caduceus by Medical Personnel

It appears that it was used mistakenly instead of the Rod of Asclepius in the nineteenth century. It was first used as a medicine symbol around 1856 in the US on the uniforms of army hospital workers and was worn by medical officers from about 1902. The Surgeon General noticed the error a few years later but did not change it. The name is thought to come from a Periodical of military medicine called La Caducée and it was used by the Navy Hospital Corps and the Army Medical Department after the first world war. Although the American Medical Association used the caduceus for a time it was replaced by more correct symbol for medicine, the Rod of Asclepius, in 1912.

Modern Use of the Caduceus in Jewelry

Nowadays caduceus jewelry is popular especially among nurses and it is available as a charm for bracelets or a pendant or necklace. A medical caduceus is a popular gift for graduating students whether nurses, physicians or veterinary personnel. One theory of why the caduceus, rather than the Rod of Asclepius, is more popular is because it simply looks better!

For more information and some good deals on gold and silver caduceus jewelry and charms visit Gold and Silver Charm Jewelry or Caduceus Charm Jewelry

The Greek Hero Theseus

Theseus was the son of both king Aegeus of Athens and Poseidon. His mother was Aethra, a princess of Troezan near Athens. His mixed paternity may seem unusual, however the ancient Greeks believed that it was possible for a hero to have two fathers.

Shortly after Aegeus married Aethra he decided to return to Athens. Aethra was instructed to keep their son with her until he was old enough to travel to his father in Athens. Aegeus buried a pair of sandals and a sword under a huge stone and told Aethra that when Theseus could lift the stone and take the items from under it, then he would be ready to come to Athens.

When Theseus came of age he went to the rock and lifted it with ease and took the sandals and sword from under it. Aethra explained that he would have to travel to Athens to meet his father. He could reach Athens by land or sea, however the sea faring route was the safer way, whereas the land based route was full of dangers. Theseus decided to reach Athens by land and thus test his heroic skills.

The 'labours' of Theseus were known as the six entrances to the underworld that were passed as he made his way to Athens.

1. When Theseus reached the sanctuary of Epidaurus (in the Peloponnese) he met Periphetes. Periphetes was the son of Hephaestus and a monstrous creature who owned a bronze club that he used to beat travellers to death with. Theseus beat Periphetes, firstly with a boulder that he threw at the monster and then used the bronze club to finished beating him to death.

2. He next met the monster Siris near the Isthmus (near Corinth). Siris would imprison unwary travellers and tie them to two trees that were bent down to the ground. He would untie the tree, which would tear the unfortunate person apart. Theseus killed Siris in the same way that the monster had killed his victims. Siris had a daughter called Perigune who was raped after Theseus had killed Siris.

3. The next monster Theseus came across was known as the Crommyon Sow. This was an enormous pig that may have been the offspring of another monster known as the Typhon. Theseus killed the pig and continued with his journey.

4. Theseus reached Megara and met the robber Sciron. Sciron would lure people to a cliff edge and throw them off when they were off guard. He did this so that a giant turtle or sea monster would be regularly fed.

5. When Theseus reached the mystery shrine of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis he met king Cercyon. King Cercyon would challenge travellers to a wrestling match and then beat them to death. He needed to do this in order to stay alive. Anyone who beat Cercyon would need to do the same. Theseus beat Ceryon to death and then refused to follow this rite, thus ending the bloodshed.

6. Theseus then made his way from Eleusis towards Athens. Here he met Procrustes. Procrustes was known to either stretch his victims to death on a special stretching device. If they did not fit on it he would lop off feet. Theseus stretched Procrustes to death (although it is uncertain if he had to lop off his feet first) and then carried on with his journey.

When Theseus arrived in Athens, he kept his identity a secret from his father. Aegeus had some years earlier offered Medea refuge from Corinth. She had helped Jason retrieve the golden fleece from her father king Aeetes in Colcis and fled with him. They later married and settled in Corinth with their two sons. Jason decided to abandon Medea and marry Glauce, a princess of Corinth.

Medea was furious and poisoned Glauce and her father to death. She then killed her two sons and refused to give their bodies to Jason. Shortly before committing these murders, Aegeus happened to be passing by. He was looking for a cure to his childless marriage. Medea gave him advice in return for his promise to give her a safe refuge in Athens. Aegeus agreed to this and later Medea arrived in Athens.

They married and all was well until Theseus arrived. She realised that Theseus would inherit the throne from Aegeus and tried to poison him. Aegeus realised who Theseus was just in time to stop him being poisoned. Medea left Athens soon after.

At this time, Athens had lost a war against king Minos of Crete. In retaliation, Minos had forced very unfavourable terms against the Athenians. Every nine years they had to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete. No one knew what happened to them so when the time came for the tribute to be given, Theseus volunteered to go in place of one of the youths.

When he arrived in Crete it became apparent that they were an offering or sacrifice to a monster known as the Minotaur. This monster had the head of a bull and the body of a man. It was said that the Minotaur was the offspring of king Minos' queen and a bull that was a gift from the king of the sea, Poseidon. Minos offended Poseidon, so instead of taking the gift back, he decreed that Minos' wife should fall in love with the bull and procreate with it. Minos was so ashamed of his wife's actions that when the Minotaur was born, he imprisoned it in a huge maze or labyrinth to keep the world from knowing about his wife's guilt.

Minos' daughter, Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and helped him to kill the Minotaur. She fled with him and expected him to repay her by becoming her husband. Instead, Theseus abandoned her on the island of Naxos as she slept.

When he returned to Athens he forgot to exchange the black sail of his ship for a white one, which led Aegeus to believe that Theseus was dead. Aegeus threw himself into the sea in despair and died.

For the rest of Theseus' story visit http://www.mythologyhellenic.com

Jane Sproston was a teacher of Classical Civilisation and Classical Greek in a number of secondary schools. She is also an examiner of Classical Civilisation for a major examination board. Her website is http://www.mythologyhellenic.com

Greek God Costumes - Which God Are You Going To Be This Halloween?

Greek myths and legends are back in the public consciousness thanks to movies like Clash of the Titans. This popular movie, that came out earlier this year, tells the tale of the battle between three Greek gods and brothers for control of the land, sea and air. And humans are the pawns caught in the midst of this power struggle. Out of the story a hero emerges. The themes of all powerful gods manipulating humans for their own ends and the eventual triumph of a human hero are hallmarks of ancient Greek stories and many of these concepts are still used as powerful story telling devices today in Hollywood blockbuster movies and other popular culture. With this in mind, why not go as a Greek hero or get dressed up in a Greek god costume this Halloween.

There are many Greek gods to choose from. They all seemed to have various roles and responsibilities that had some influence over the earth or the hearts and minds of humanity.

Zeus was the King of the Gods. He lived on Mount Olympus with many of the other gods and rules over heaven and earth. He was supposed to have control over thunder and lighting (or the weather I guess).

Zeus became the king of the Gods with the help of his brothers, Poseidon and Hades. They fought another group of gods known as the Titans to become supreme. After the fight they divided the spoils. Zeus got the earth and sky, Poseidon got the sea and Hades got the underworld or place where humans went when they died.

Consequently Zeus has to look like a king. As classic Greek depictions show the gods in white Togas or tunic, Zeus has to look slightly different. He might wear a different colored toga and may have accessories, like a crown, to show that he is the main man.

Poseidon spends all his time in the sea. Typically he would be dressed in a loin cloth with maybe some arm and calf gauntlets,. His most distinctive feature is that he carries a trident.

Hades is often portrayed as the person that gathers the dead in the underworld. His appearance is not generally favorable and he is even sometimes portrayed as a grim reaper type character. In the recent Clash of the Titans movie he has a more human look to him but his choice of clothing and colors reflects that he lives in the underworld.

There are many female Greek gods or goddesses too. Aphrodite and Athena are two popular goddesses. Aphrodite is particularly popular because she represents love and beauty. She was supposed to be beautiful but a bit capricious.

A more humorous or fun god is Dionysus. He was basically the god of having a good time. In wine women and song was truth was his catchphrase. He appealed to the human need to have fun and enjoy themselves and would make a great character to go as to your next Halloween party.

Become Zeus, Dionysus or Aphrodite this Halloween in your own Greek God costume. The Zeus costume will definitely make a great impression at the Halloween party.

P90x Plyometrics - How Effective Is This?

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Among P90x workouts, undoubtedly the most demanding fitness session is the P90x plyometrics workout. This high grade physical exercise is vigorous and intense and requires proper guidance to execute.

When it comes to tough physical workouts, you cannot miss out on P90x plyometrics for the simple reason that it makes your figure look like the Greek gods or goddesses in just over a few months. Owing to its tough regimen, many people back out from following a P90x plyometrics schedule. However, if you keep your aim fixed and your mind under control nothing is impossible. The timely workout sessions bring out a great change in your physical shape as well as train your mind to be more disciplined and methodical which goes a long way in making your personality more attractive. So it's a double advantage to follow the P90x plyometrics workout schedule.

With all this you might ask how this regimen really works out. To get the answer let us look at the very basis of P90x workouts. The plyometrics workouts are commonly known as "jump training" and it includes certain exercises which actually involve a bit of jumping! However, you don`t need to be scared at all, it's not "bungee jumping" after all. P90x plyometrics is a scientifically devised workout targeted mainly for those people who wish to shed off extra pounds and get a perfect shape and look all the more appealing in the eyes of society.

Like most other workout sessions which include a predefined R.O.M or range of motion, plyometrics has no such bindings. While undergoing these sessions, you can push off or jump off as hard and as high as you can to set your body in total motion. The aim is to shed off those extra calories you are building on with each meal you take thereby not giving them any scope to convert into fat deposits which forms the bulk around your torso. P90x plyometrics works on your upper body including, chest, shoulders, collar, side ribs and abdominals as well gives you that perfect 10 figure. What's even more, it helps you to develop that perfect "v" shape figure and 6 pack abs. If you wish to develop your pectorals as well there is no other better substitute than the plyometrics.

The p90x plyometrics workout comes with a great combination of set exercises that excel your fitness level to a complete 100% in just over a few weeks. You can develop large muscle groups by following plyometrics regimen. Even more, you can make your own choice of food sans the fatty and sugary ones while selecting your diet. This opens up a whole new range of choices before the person following the P90x workout. You do not have to starve like in other diet programs to get yourself in shape.

Get going with p90x plyometrics and see the change in yourself every single day. With this highly effective combo of diet and set workout sessions you can surely carve out a chiseled body together with sound health in just over a few weeks.

Jesus and the Gnostic Cathars

These are some of the highlights of a connected story of Milesian/Phocaean/ Phoenician architects who allow 'his'-story to confuse the masses. It is still going on and we must try to change it. There was a better time if one is concerned for freedom and ethics, and there is no Malthusian 'one pie' to worry about. Creative potential can develop new pies!

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ALPHABET COMPARISONS: A key to the greatest heresy of the ages.

TIME-LINE OF CONTROVERSIAL POINTS:

INTRODUCTION:

-the Dead Sea Scrolls say there are two spirits - 'truth and error' -the Britannica 'Ogham' cover-up is disgusting and as wrong as the Scale of Nature
-the bounty on the heads of Druids

CHAPTER ONE: THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE SEXES:

-prostitution for the temple was required of women but why not men -"Together our voices accumulate the power to topple the systems that condone violence, incest and rape." - The Courage to Heal by Bass & Davis
-"If your parents refused to tell you about sex because of their religious beliefs...that is religious sexual abuse." - Fr. Leo Booth
-The cover-up or poor scholarship of Byblos, on the Persian Gulf which was a Phoenician base to help the Sumerians become civilized, and where the Egyptians bought ocean-going ships in 2900 BC according to the World Book
-Psychoanalysis by 'experts' on the 'Confessions' of St. Augustine which brought us the 'Original Sin' or 'women are the harbingers' of his own evil
-Priestly interpreters of the soul within that connects us all are into making sheep for their flock rather than empowering humanity.
-The Qaballa or Verbal Tradition which formed part of Jesus' learning.
-'Love and Living' by Thomas Merton displays the truth of Mayan beauty.

CHAPTER TWO: MOSES, MIRIAM AND THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS:

-Mariae is the sister of Moses who 'discussed the problem of the whitening of the stone in a few days.' (Stone = The alchemical Great Work)
- Rabbi Silver gives insight to the lengths those in need of sheep will go to defend their position and keep their 'flock' ignorant.
-". .Thoth-Hermes and Imhotep-Asklepios... these two cults and elements in the two Moses stories" have 'numerous similarities'- Rabbis agree
-The Old Testament of Augustine who merely interpreted Genesis (falsely) was written by a woman ('The Book of 'J").
-There was no such word as Essene. A debate on derivations provides some interesting connections from Bible and Dead Sea scholars.
-"For the Essenes we have only what was said about them by outsiders writing in a different language and for people who knew nothing at all about them." -'The Dead Sea Scrolls' by Millar Burrows
-Jesus and his father were wise 'arch-tectons' in the Septuagint which is the Greek Bible once thought to be the first Bible, not poor carpenters.
-Hyam Maccoby, 'a leading Talmudic scholar' says "Paul alone created a new religion through his vision of Jesus as a divine Savior who died to save humanity."... taken "from Gnosticism and the mystery cults."
-"Jesus' threat to the Temple was not subversive... of Jewish religion, but it was a real threat to the quisling regime of the High Priest. (Appointed by Rome)... rather it was the Jews who were framed by the Gospels."

CHAPTER THREE: THE 'TUATHA De DANAAN' & THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE OF MEGALITH BUILDERS:

-"The sacred books of 'the subject peoples had a special place in this systematic project of collection and translation, because religion was, for those who wished to rule them, a kind of gateway to their souls." (2)
-"... the bearded white gods South America's shadowy legends say brought knowledge and culture to Andean tribes." (3)
-Ogham as a sign language and Huna as a spiritual enhancement language like chanting.
-Homer's 'DNN' are the original settlers of Greece and the De Danaan are the 'Ogygia' or 'ancient ones' of Keltic colonizing culture.
-"Some scholars now feel that the early Hebrew Bible shows an enormous amount of influence from Canaanite and Phoenician sources...Through the Bible the entire civilized world has fallen heir to Phoenician literary art." (6)
-"The group that emerged by the time Dido arrived was culturally diverse, ruggedly independent and, as Herodotus has emphasized, often given to animistic religious practices, which means simply that they may have venerated natural phenomena..." -'Carthage' by top scholars, on the Berbers.
-Velikovsky supported by Einstein comments on the top Egyptologist Sir Flinders-Petrie - "This script was known in Egypt for a thousand years for a thousand years; it was never used to write down an Egyptian text..."
-Barry Fell from 'America BC.'-"The rise and fall of Celtic sea power has been strangely neglected by most historians and archaeologists as to prompt much skepticism when first I began to report Celtic inscription in America. 'I can't say I've ever heard that the Celts were seafarers,' was a typical comment." - watch the movie 'Spartacus' and see him talk to Keltic sea captains [Seleucids] who controlled the Mediterranean.-Mystery Hill, N.H.
-"Simon Magus himself was of the race of the Gaedhils of Erinn." A Celtic Reader'
-"Iberian or Megalithic people of Britain introduced the immigrant Celts to the Druidic religion."
-in 2600 BC, the Beaker People came to Britain and they are Kelts from Old Danube or Hallstatt.
-CHART - Phoenician Brotherhood - Enterprises and Colonies.

CHAPTER FOUR: POSSIBILITY-THINKING AND SOUTH AMERICA!:

-"Colombia's outstanding archaeological remains occur along the Atlantic coasts of Santa Maria. Here were found abundant evidences of a sprawling public works' system, cities and ceremonial centers, paved roads, efficient irrigation and sophisticated agricultural practices... resembles... Hal Saflieni, in Malta..." Ancient American, Vol. 5.
-Aristotle's 'Strange Things Heard' says the Carthaginians didn't allow people to go to America anymore in order to keep their population?

-Necho II of Egypt engages Phoenicians to travel for two years for him. We later show books that identify this time and the place they went in South America.
-Cyprus and the importance of mining led to an original Mt. Olympus.
-Recent report of l.5MM old 'well made wooden throwing spears' should make archaeologists swallow hard as they try to maintain our ignorant cave man heritage with spears from just 20,000 years ago(Asimov). From an unrelated article in Scientific American by linguists.
-Mayan knives from pre-Columbian times were better than iron and made from meteorites - Mircae Eliade's 'The Forge and the Crucible'.
-Solid state chemistry and Don Robins the top dog in a science being used that relate to the lattices that encode information in stone.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE GODS OF THE ORIGINAL MT. OLYMPUS:

-"Geophysiologists warn that if the planet does function like a body, the Earth may have the equivalent of vital organs and vulnerable points." (l) British atmospheric scientist James Lovelock and microbiologist Lynn Margulis are able to see what 'representational deities' were all about.
-ILLUSTRATION: THE TREE OF YGGDRASIL - Cosmic Fire (Bel) and Cosmic Ice are in the Aristotelian concept borrowed from Shamans and they are in the sephirah of the Hassidic 'Tree of Life', which Jesus studied.
-Heraclitus "conceded the existence of an over-riding, all-encompassing unity, in which the apparently contradictory opposites are all linked to one another, in a single, regular, cohesive system of balanced, harmonious measure and just order."- the 'Logos', the 'I Ching' and Miletus.
-Men and women both can live in harmony with this order according to Heraclitus who Michael Grant (top classical scholar) says: "This inertia, resulting in a total non-recognition of the truth (shared by anti-feminists... had learned about many things which had failed, however to bring them real understanding."
-Tacitus - "So obscure are the greatest events; as some take for granted any hearsay, whatever its source, others turn truth into falsehood, and both errors find encouragement with posterity."
-Rennes le Chateau = Jesus in PLAID swaddling clothes, "Tau - (Hebrew) St. Anthony's cross; a T-shaped cross patterned after the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet meaning the end of the world..."
-"Essentially the Sea Peoples theory was a convenient and plausible invention of the 19th century, designed (largely by historian Gasten Maspero) to fit very limited facts." (14)
-Lies about Pyramids as tombs for 'freaky' Pharaohs are debunked. The almost intact Keltic ship on the Giza plateau has a 40 Ton displacement and is not a funerary barge, with sails to go a few hundred yards.
-Druidic 'Cabiri' and the Cauldron of Ceridwen = Cosmic Egg and shamans
-ILLUSTRATION: THE 'TRAVELERS' - 6,000,000 years of man and how the ethnic and cultural growth seems likely to have occurred with a conservative archaeologic perspective included.

CHAPTER SIX: BRUTUS, BRITAIN AND THE GOTHS:

-Quintus Fabius Pictor led Livy to try to make sense of a myth that has truthful roots in the 'Aeneid' of Virgil and the 'Iliad' of Homer. Both are shown support in true history and from the Phocaean/Milesian roots of Ireland. A consistent picture emerges with real historical and aristocratic families who became forced to accept EMPIRE when Brutus failed to maintain the Republic.
-1800 BC. brought the (carbon-dated) Nuraghe of Barumini, Sardinia as Jacquetta Hawkes talks about the "'tombe di giganti' in which the inhabitants of the nuraghi buried their dead." and "It is difficult to avoid the terms of medieval castle architecture in describing the nuraghi." There are over 6500 on Sardinia.
-"Picti is invariably translated = 'Redshanks'," epithets become history.
-Crete had the royal house of Mallia and was the origin or related to the Milesians when we know the code of Ogham and its use of vowels and doubling or reversing of letters.

CHAPTER SEVEN: SPIRITUALITY WAS NOT 'OCCULT' (HIDDEN):

-Mircae Eliade says: "There appears to be an unbroken continuity of folklore traditions, Taoism and alchemy: The Taoist alchemist is the successor of the hunter of medicinal remedies, who, from time immemorial, went off into the mountains with a calabash to collect magic seeds and plants." Yet character assassins employed by the hegemony say alchemists are hermits who sought only gold for avaricious needs.
-The Hubbell photos of the center of the universe bring us proof of energy coming through from other universes and much more that mystics have known.
-The cover-up of Da Vinci's alchemy and how he saw the 'bicycle' is exposed in-depth though scholars avoid it.
-These concepts are not in conflict and do not need to create stress or threaten anyone in search of truth. The 'Zen' of the moment is not designed to promote ignorance and lack of concern for our collective history or our soulful potential.
-"The 'Bardo Thodol' ('Liberation by Hearing, on the After-Death Plane') is among the sacred books of the world, unique. As an epitomized exposition of the cardinal doctrines of the 'Mahäyäna' School of Buddhism, it is of very great importance, religiously, philosophically, and historically. As a treatise based essentially upon the Occult Sciences of the 'Yoga'..." (15)
-We know the War department contractors are working on Pyramid technologies and yet it isn't being exposed to the general public.
-Ossianic legends of pre-Egyptian culture who founded Egypt are explored.
-Dark Matter is not the regulating force causing the increasing outward velocity of the universe. Tesla's non-force 'info-packets' and Bearden's energy from vacuums are related to the 'one-dimensional harmonic force'.
-The 'Triads of Bardism' 'enlighten the darkness'.
-Pythagoras knew the truth of the Sphinx but has been portrayed a 'fool'.

CHAPTER EIGHT: BEL-IG-ERANT 'Brothers' - GOTHS & ARYANS!

-'Cleopatra' - "This book is about them, but it is also about politics - sexual, racial and constitutional - and about morality, neurosis and desire. Above all it is about propaganda and the persuasive power..." (1)
-Jack Kerouac's 'Some of the Dharmas' brings us 'The Cause of Sorrow'.
-"Meanwhile, in early 1985, researchers at the University of Colorado announced that they had discovered a lost city in Northern Peru. The name? Gran Pajaten! How many times can you discover a city, especially one discussed in tourist guides?"
-Savoy -"The magnitude of the Gran Vilaya ruins, consisting of over 80 interconnected city-type layouts composed of some 23,950 structures to date,." (1985 in South America) Is this where the Ostrogoths went after Italy as the 'Chronicle of Akakor' says was the case in 570 AD.?
-Hitler was an indolent scatophagist and pawn who would have gladly kept England and America strong, if they had only given to him what they gave to the criminal genius Stalin. In fact he would have wanted less than Poland and the other 50,000,000 Eastern Europeans who feared the same treatment the 32,000,000 Ukrainians were already getting from Stalin.
-The 'Grail' legends as a useful managers tool and coded study of the Merovingian dynasty of Benjaminites who are not Israeli and wish to revenge themself on those Tribes they tried to help.

CHAPTER NINE: JESUS CHRIST!!

-Those who call him Messiah are righter than they know.
-Mishnaic Law of the Judean teachers would not have allowed Jesus to be a teacher (rabbi) without having a wife.
-"the archetypal Roman shouldered the White Man's Burden, the arduous but fabulously profitable task of governing those whom, despite all evidence to the contrary, the Romans judged incapable of governing themselves." (Lucy Hughes-Hallett from 'Cleopatra')
-Jesus and His Curricula Vitae:
-Joseph of Arimathaea - Another Phoenician!
-"The excavations of Thomas W. Jacobsen at the Franchithi Cave on the Bay of Argos... by 13,000 - 11,000 B.C. and that the cultivation of hybrid grains, the domestication of animals, and organized community tuna hunts had already begun." (Britannica) Yet there are those who say we couldn't travel the ocean when obsidian had to be brought from a distance, at this time. They like to intimate we couldn't travel the oceans for a reason when they say (NY Public Library's Chronicles) the earliest recorded sea travel was in 2600 BC to Lebanon.
-What entitles unproductive half-witted inbred psychopomps and sadists to lounge around making deals to improve their power over people? The Divine Right of KINGS?!?!

CHAPTER TEN: FROM THE TEMPLARS TO TEMUJIN:

-Blood was a vital psychic or spiritual and ritualistic ingredient that communion is based upon according to Gardner and those who still do the Star Fire Ceremony with Crowley's 'blood of the moon' or female hormone
-'To drink like a Templar' became a common... Sir Walter Scott portrays them as bullies... not established to protect pilgrims."
-Genghis Khan was a gifted 'smith' and listener who learned a lot that his progeny built upon; and did unto others before they did unto him.
-Marco Polo was a 'slaver' who worked with Catholic cowards whose need for concubines and slaves was enough to allow the Mongols to conquer a recently Christianized Russia. Greek Fire was available to them.
-"According to the Supreme Grand Lodge of the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, there were thirty-nine men and women on the High Council of the Brotherhood, who sat at the Temple of Karnak in Luxor. (2) A branch of this Order became more generally known as the Egyptian Therapeutae, who in Heliopolis and Judaea, were identified as the Essenes. (3)...Jesus was later initiated..."
-Illustration; The Pyramid Propaganda:

EPILOGUE: THE GREATEST HISTORIANS!

-Bernard Mandeville brings us the Fable of the Bees which Childeric, Napoleon and the Sarmoung Brotherhood of the esoteric secret groups including the Merovingians (and the Melchizedek Mormons) use as a main symbol. He says 'Virtue is just a pretence which man has invented for his own advantage.'
-Fukayama deals with Plato and Hegel, though appropriately notes the real master philosophy of politics - 'Machiavelli was the founder of modern political philosophy, who believed that man could become the master of his own earthly house if he took his cues not from the way men ought to live, but the way they actually live.'
- Fukayama the social engineer, would have us believe there is little chance of another 'Holocaust' (in 1992 he wrote this, before the Rwanda genocide) or 'communist resurgence' and placates the American public with a plethora of half-truths. The Durants document the true nature of continuing cycles and 'Dark Ages' brought about by class and economic or power re-adjustments.
- The Pope's 1995 encyclical spoke of a worldwide culture of death.

Author of Diverse Druids Columnist for The ES Press Magazine Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com