Monday 28 February 2011

Sex in History

As we human beings have changed and evolved over our thousands of years of recorded history so have our attitudes and expressions of all things sexual. The only thing that hasn't changed much is society's desire to exercise a certain amount of control over an individual's sexual behavior. Whether it be through church or state, educational institutions or popular media of the time, there have been rules and regulations, views and taboos about what we should do sexually, how we should do it, who we should do it with and even how we should think about doing it.

BODY PARTS

A particular area of interest, naturally, has been the body and specifically those parts that are obviously connected with sex. We've alternately hidden and displayed, worshipped and derided male and female genitalia.

In most non-Christian cultures there were gods and goddesses of power and fertility with exaggerated genitals. Some cultures liked penis gods so much they had several, for instance the ancient Greeks honored Priapus, Dionysus and Hermes. The Egyptians exalted Osiris, Bacchus was the Roman version, and Shiva reigned in India.

Penis and, less commonly, vulva worship, were practiced and this was reflected in objects connected with daily living. Vases in classical Greece were decorated with phalluses. In the ruins of Pompeii penis symbols were found just about everywhere, on bowls, lamps and figurines. Pitchers with enormous penis spouts were a unique specialty of the Mochica culture of Peru. The exteriors of medieval Irish churches were adorned with sculptures of Shelah-na-Gig, a vulva icon. In Egypt enormous symbols of penis power - the obelisk - were erected all over the landscape. Smaller penis symbols in the form of amulets and bracelets were worn as magical protection against evil in ancient Rome. In fact, the English word 'fascinate' is derived from 'fascinum' the Latin word for these magic penis images.

Words describing body parts vary from culture to culture and often reflect the attitudes we have about them. In India and China the penis and vagina were approached with respect and awe. Terms like Jade Flute, Arrow of Love, Ambassador, Warrior for the penis and Valley of Joy, Ripe Peach, Lotus Blossom, Enchanted Garden for vagina were used. In the English language however, words are much more likely to be discourteous: dick, tool, meat, dong and pussy, crack, slit.

Cock and prick are two of the longest-standing terms for penis in English. Prick was actually a pet name up until the seventeenth century when times became much more prudish and prick gradually became ostracized. Now it's used not as a term of endearment but of scorn. Cock, another penis word, comes from the name for the male barnyard fowl but in the late seventeenth century uptight early Americans were so offended by this that they began calling the bird rooster. Other common objects also had their names changed to make them more seemly: haycock turned into haystack, weathercock into weathervane, and apricock into apricot. Yiddish slang words for penis include schlong, putz and schmuck. Believe it or not in 1962 comedian Lenny Bruce was arrested because he used the terms schmuck and putz in his act!

When it comes to penises, many cultures have considered bigger to be better. But in classical Greece delicate and small penises were the best. Big sex organs were thought to be 'coarse and ugly'. During this time young athletes worked out in the nude. As protection for his private parts a man pulled his foreskin over the head of his penis, tied it with a ribbon and then fastened the ribbon ends to the base of the shaft. This precursor to the modern jock strap was known as a dog knot.

Other means of protecting and, in most cases, emphasizing the penis include codpieces, sheaths and even paper sculptures. Codpieces, which are brightly colored and gaily ornamented pouches for penis and testicles, were worn by Europeans over tight breeches and under short jackets during the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. Protective and decorative penis sheaths were common among primitive societies. Made out of everything from leather and vegetable fibers to bamboo, gourds and shells these sheaths were the mainstay of a man's wardrobe. From the ninth to the twelfth centuries Japanese men packaged their penises inside an animal shaped paper sculpture. This practice was designed to increase sexual pleasure: the penis would take on the qualities of the animal it was packed inside and the lovers would then act out fantasies stirred up by the animal package.

LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH

Although we've been fascinated by and have focused on our genitals since time began, in many cultures there has paradoxically been a policy of look but don't touch, at least not your own. Self-pleasuring, or masturbation, has been vilified for a number of reasons. For instance the Taoists in China condemned male masturbation to the point of ejaculation as wasteful because too much 'yin' or masculine energy would be lost with the expelled semen. The Christian church raised masturbation to a level of damnable sin. Penitential books published by the church during the eighth century, which outlined proscribed sexual practices and their accompanying penalties, emphasized masturbation over any other sexual offence.

From the eighteenth century onward doctors and scientists joined in the battle against self-pleasuring. Leader of the pack was Swiss physician Simon Andre Tissot who in 1758 preached that masturbation would stimulate an increase in blood pressure in the head thereby damaging the nervous system and causing insanity. Other doctors quickly joined the battle, blaming masturbation for such ills as: acne, backache, blindness, constipation, epilepsy, gout, infertility, nymphomania and vomiting. These were not the opinions of a few quacks but commonly held beliefs throughout western society.

From the 1850s until the 1930s thirty-three patents were issued in the U.S. to inventors of anti-masturbation devices. These painful and humiliating gadgets included such items as: spermatorrhea bandages, which bound the penis so tightly to the body that erection was not possible; a spike-lined ring which drove sharp metal points into a penis that was becoming erect; sexual armour, clothing with metal crotches which had holes through which urine could escape but which had to be unlocked at the back for defecation; the "Stephenson Spermatic Truss", a pouch which tied the penis back and down between the legs; and a harness which would ring an alarm and give an electric shock when a penis attempted to enlarge! It wasn't until Alfred Kinsey, in his ground-breaking research about sex that began in the 1930s, proclaimed that over 90 percent of men admitted to masturbating at least once that attitudes began to relax.

SEXUAL RELATIONS

Most likely because from the Neolithic period (10,000 - 4,000 BC) up until the late 17th century it was believed that men alone were responsible for producing children through the magic of their semen, women ranked second in just about everything including sex. Women were viewed as childbearers and as objects for male sexual satisfaction. Often it was not the same woman who filled both roles.

In almost all cultures from ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Indian, Asian and on, women belonged to their fathers when they were young and then to their husbands when they reached marriageable age. Their behavior, particularly sexual, was most often highly restricted. The ancient Hebrews stoned women to death for adultery. Early Romans could kill their wandering women as well. Later they were simply obliged to divorce them as were husbands in classical Greece. Europeans kept their women from straying through the use of chastity belts which first appeared there during the 12th century and became quite popular during the 1400s and 1500s. Many chastity belts were secured by padlocks, some had rigid metal bands which could be tightened or loosened depending on the mood of the husband.

Ironically, it was female members of the so-called 'oldest profession', prostitution, who in many societies had a certain amount of freedom and even influence. In Sumerian times (2,000 B.C.) prostitutes were respectable members of the temple. Through sex with a sacred prostitute Sumerian worshippers paid homage to their gods. Part of the prostitutes' value was that their earnings contributed substantially to the temples' income. Temple prostitutes were common in Greece and Rome, India, and even early Christian Europe. In Avignon, France there was a church brothel where the women divided their time between servicing clients and carrying out religious duties.

Top-level courtesans enjoyed a more liberated status than other women during many eras, ancient Greece, Confucian China, 15th century Rome, Louis' France, and a few were able to become very successful women in a man's world. They often received better education, had more social freedom and wielded influence in politics.

BIRTH CONTROL

For as long as people have been engaging in sex they've been inventing unique means of preventing it's frequent result: pregnancy. The most commonly used form of birth control over thousands of years has been good old fashioned 'coitus interruptus' or pulling out before the explosion, but there have been many other most interesting approaches.
The precursors of modern birth control emerged in Egypt about 300 B.C. There they used mechanical and chemical methods that foreshadow modern diaphragms, cervical caps and spermicides. Their versions included lint pads soaked in honey and acacia tips, and crocodile dung compacted with auyt-gum, both to be inserted into the vagina as a barrier to semen.

Some Romans of the 4th century decided that the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancy was to diminish a wife's desire for sexual intercourse. Specific methods included: mouse dung liniment; swallowing pigeon droppings mixed with oil and wine; or rubbing her loins with the blood of ticks off a wild black bull.

Condoms began to come into their own during the eighteenth century. They were usually made of sheep gut, or sometimes fish skin and were originally introduced not for prevention of pregnancy but as a protection against syphilis.

Finally, here are a few interesting tidbits of sexual history.

o In the 1600s Christians who lived in Turkey had to pay a tax. Tax collectors often required people to show their circumcision in order to determine who was taxable.

o John Harvey Kellogg invented corn flakes in 1898 as part of his diet for decreasing sexual desire and masturbation.

o The first electrical dildo was sold in 1911.

o The term homosexuality is derived not from the Latin homo, "man," but from the Greek homos, meaning "the same".

o During the 1920s many homosexuals were given electric shock therapy to heal what was then considered a disease. It wasn't until 1973 that homosexuality was officially removed from the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental disorders.

o Alfred Wolfram set the world kissing record in 1990 by kissing 8,001 women in 8 hours, that's one kiss every six seconds!

o Wilt (the Stilt) Chamberlain is credited with the most famous and well-used penis in sports history. He boasted of having sex with over 20,000 women.

o Some male members of Australian tribes still shake each other's penis as a ritual greeting.

o More than 8,000 adult videos are produced every year. That's almost 22 per day!

o In 1999 over $4 billion was spent on phone sex, but more than 50 percent of callers didn't pay their 900 number bill.




Al Link and Pala Copeland own and operate 4 Freedoms Relationship Tantra. They regularly host Tantra Sacred Loving weekends near Ottawa Canada, and weeklong retreats in exotic locations around the planet. For more information call toll free from Canada or USA: 1-800-684-5308 International long distance: 1-819-689-5308. Visit their website http://www.tantra-sex.com/ or send email: 4freedoms@tantraloving.com Their book, Soul Sex: Tantra for Two, is published by New Page Books, 2003.

Sunday 27 February 2011

The Legendary Magic Herb Dittany of Crete Has Its Roots Firmly Planted in Early Greek Mythology

The legendary Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus) has its roots firmly planted in early Greek Mythology. Quite literally the rare endemic plant known as Diktamo grows in the very birthplace of Zeus - the Dikteon Andron Cave on Mount Dikti on the Greek Island of Crete. And this is where it derives the name Diktamo.

Dittany of Crete is known in Latin as Origanum dictamnus. Origanum is a blend of two Greek words 'joy' and 'mountains'. The word dictamnus is again a blending of two words - the first part refers to Dikti, the mountain where Zeus was born and thamnos means shrub.

Zeus, ruler of the Olympian Gods, was born in the Dikteon Andron cave on Crete after his mother Rhea fled there to trick her husband Cronus and protect her son. Zeus, in thanks for his upbringing on Crete, gave the pink coloured and healing aromatic plant to the Greek island.

Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love, is also linked to Dittany of Crete as she used it to treat her wounded son Aeneas during the Trojan War. And because dittany of Crete has reputed Aphrodisiac qualities, it is inexorably linked with the goddess of love herself.

Aphrodite's sister, the Goddess Artemis, also has connections with Dittany of Crete, and was often crowned with a wreath of Dittany on her statues in temples to honour her.

An earlier Minoan goddess, Diktynna, has left many reminders of herself in Crete. There are rivers, mountains, gorges and bays all named after her and of course the wonderful herb Diktamo.

Dittany has also gained a reputation throughout the centuries as a magical plant, and is used even today in magic rituals and in casting spells.

It even gets a mention in the fictional Harry Potter books as a magical herb!




Alison M Yates wrote this article. To learn more about this miracle herb, visit http://dittany-of-crete.com/

Saturday 26 February 2011

A Love Story in Florida

A couple in Dania Beach Florida celebrates 70 (yes, seventy) years of wedded bliss this coming August 17th. Magazzu & Leto have been a couple since 1939. When they first met, the New York World's Fair was in full swing, Hitler had just invaded Poland, and gasoline was 17 cents a gallon.

"We're not going to have a party," said Magazzu, 97, insisting they're too old for such things. "Oh yes we are," responded Leto, 96, who noted the two can still polka. "This is a big one."

A big one indeed, particularly since the two have kept a secret between them for nearly all those seventy years. When they met, in New York, Magazzu was a former Army medic and teacher, and Leto was a telegraph operator. It was one of those love at first sight kinds of things. Before they knew it they were madly in love, and sharing a flat in Manhattan where they lived together for almost fifty years. There were the usual ups and downs, of course--career disappointments, health issues, an adoption--not a child, but a pet monkey named Chi Chi. Life in New York City has many advantages, not least of which is the ability to live anonymously in one of the most congested places on earth. Magazzu and Leto were able to come and go unquestioned, and virtually unknown by neighbors and colleagues.

We never know what goes on in the lives of people around us. Few of us even know our next door neighbors: their names, occupations, kids' names, spouses etc. But the unknowns can turn us around, and astonish us, too. They can make us realize that most of the time we don't even know ourselves all that well. Greek philosopher Hermes' said in Kybalion that "all truths are but half truths--all paradoxes may be reconciled". In other words, what I say is always different from the way you hear me say it. And some members of our society, those living with fearful secrets, hear what we say--when our racial, ethnic, or other deprecations, comments about Jews, blacks, gays, lesbians find their way into our conversation and we don't know the hurt they can cause. We propel ourselves through life never understanding the simple realities that stand directly in front of us, the half-truths that are realities for other people.

Magazzu and Leto lived this reality every day for nearly seven decades. Hiding their secret, changing the subject, avoiding situations that could expose them to real danger. The world was an unforgiving place in 1939; it's not much more accepting now. Their friends and acquaintances in the tight-knit little community took care of each other, tended to one another, even developed a certain language that only they knew and understood, a jargon to keep themselves safe. This society of outcasts built a rapport with those two lovers, forming a community that evolved with more cohesion and acceptance than any found in the safe, mainstream society.

Magazzu and Leto endured, their true love affair a testament to others like theirs. And they watched their compatriots endure the same harassment, judgment and criticism, only because they'd fallen in love with each other all those years ago, and, though it was forbidden, their love, like any between two human beings, was not to be denied.

This segment of our society still stands in the shadows, fearful, cautious, watching what they say, what they do, ever afraid to exhibit their feelings in public in this the land of the free. They work alongside us, pay their bills, pay their taxes, educate their kids, worship in the pew across the aisle from us each Sunday, or Saturday at Shul, or even at the Mizzen call. They're our teachers, police, clerks, lawyers, doctors, mail carriers, firefighters, sports heroes, TV personalities, even the fellow who plays the lady killer in all those big screen romantic epics.

Call them first class taxpayers, and second class citizens. These people are only now finding their true voice, their cause just beginning to make headlines and cause minds and hearts to either open, or turn away in harsh dismissal. But they will not be denied, because what they're asking for is not an outrageous personal right or benefit, nor is it some kind of separate distinction and consideration, no reparations for past wrongs, regardless of how egregious those harms may have been. No, they're asking only for what the rest of us take for granted each and every day. To enjoy the stated rights every citizen has in these United States of America.

Caroline Leto and Venera Magazzu are old now. They've lived together as a couple, in love, for seven decades. They're not freaks, or bizarre old people, nor are they diseased in some way. Nor are they sinners. If their love is a sin, we need more transgression like theirs. No, Caroline and Venera are just two old lesbian women who happened to fall in love in 1939, and, unlike a lot of their heterosexual friends and family members, they stuck it out. We should say good for them. Here's a suggestion, Florida, are you ready? I say the state issues them a marriage license. Do it today.




Byron H. Edgington is a writer and creator of the marriage resource website http://www.caffection.com Caffection is where marriage and its manifold benefits are spoken. Visit Caffection.com for an assets planning guide, heartwarming movies, a daily journal, quotes, an e-newsletter and more, all free to download.

Thursday 24 February 2011

Ancient Greece - The Role Of Donkeys, Mules And Horses

Both the donkey and the mule were certainly known and used in antiquity. Mules were employed both for riding and for drawing carts; from 500 B.C. on there were actually mule-cart races in the Olympic games, and one of Pindar's odes celebrates such a victory (Olympian 6, 468 B.C.). Yet what must have been a somewhat undignified event did not maintain its popularity, and it was abandoned in 444 B.C.

One old Athenian mule, who worked long and hard on the construction of the Parthenon, is said by Aelian to have been fed at public expense in the town hall (prytaneion) for the remainder of its life. Donkeys, as today, were used primarily for riding and as beasts of burden. Often associated with the god Dionysos and his rowdy, drunken followers, they are readily identified on painted pots by their characteristic long ears and evidence of sexual arousal. Remains of a donkey were found in the kitchen of a house, a victim of the destruction of Athens by the Herulians in A.D. 267.

Ancient Athenian literature is full of references to the horse, which played a significant role in Athenian social, political, and military life. Athenian sculptors, painters, and potters found horses a popular subject from the beginnings of Greek art to the end of antiquity. The excavation of cavalry archives and victory monuments, as well as the roadway used for processions and the training of horses, has shown that the Agora, focus of so much of Athenian life, was also for centuries the center of equestrian activity in the ancient city.




If you ever visit the island of Santorini you will find out that many of the locals move around with their donkeys and tourists try it too since it is a funny and different experience. If you look at Pictures of Santorini you will be enchanted by the islands beauty. On the island there are many incredible Hotels with magnificent view to choose from.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid

Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson series and now upcoming Kane Chronicles.

Was wondering if you should read Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid? Still debating if it's worth your time. Well, did you read Percy Jackson series (if you didn't you should read that also) Of course I am recommending this book. It TEACHES you about Egyptian Gods, how cool is that. Just like how Percy Jackson series taught you about Greek Gods.

Rick Riordan is a great story teller. He made his first series after telling a fantasy story to his kid. He already finished his first series and it was a hit! A movie came out that generated quite an income for him. It is not something to look away from.

Plot: Kane Chronicles is about a boy and a girl who was born with great gifts. Wielding gods, they are eager to save their dad from all the terror that is about to happen. Five gods were unleashed and settled in human bodies. One god wants to create terror while the others want to stop it. It is Carter and Sadie's duty to wield the gods and battle against evil.

Let yourself learn a little. Maybe you don't know the different gods and goddesses of the different cultures. Read this book and it will show you things you have never heard of. Use your imagination to take you through an adventure. Don't let anything hold you back from reading. It is fun and now a waste of time.

When I first picked up this book, I couldn't put it down unless I had to go eat. I am NOT a bookworm but when an interesting book comes before me, I must read it. I also read the Percy Jackson series, maybe you should read that first because it's completed, I read a book a day. I finished it before I knew it. I never watched the movie until my friends made me go with them. Use your imagination, it's always more fun.

Hope to find all of you reading books in the near future, this is just one book I recommend.



Monday 21 February 2011

With Great Reverence

One of the things I meant to do when I returned to Scotland four years ago was to look up an old Scottish friend that I'd last seen some twenty years ago in London. In truth I had a whole hatful of ambitions and intentions on my list, and rather to my own surprise and to the utter amazement of my wife and daughter, I've gradually managed to tick them off over the last few years. Alright, I know you can't wait to find out what was on this list, so I'll just run through some of them briefly. First of all, since I was no longer a full-time musician, having developed the guitarists version of tennis elbow, I needed something else to fill my time, and the only other thing I was good at (apart from snooker) was art. I had always painted and sketched, mostly landscapes, although I rarely sold anything.

I had an idea that there was a market for pet portraits if I could reach it, and and the way to do that seemed to be via the internet, so I bought a computer, digital camera, printer etc and hired a local company to design and run a website for me. After a while I realized that it was much cheaper to design your own site, so I thought I'd have a go - how hard could it be, right? Very hard, was the answer, as anybody who has tried it will tell you, but after two years of HTML, jpg's, links, virus's, backache, eye strain and late nights I finally got the hang of it, although as a result of being self-taught I find I'm quite knowledgeable about some aspects of web-building and appallingly ignorant about others.

Another project near to my heart was the search for any survivors of the Scottish side of my family - a side I had lost contact with as a child. This was one of the reasons I'd gone on the internet in the first place, and yes, there were still Collins's living in the Edinburgh area and Cowdenbeath, where I was born.

When I made the trip down to Fife, I met my cousin June, who told me about my dad, who I never really knew, and about my grandad, who was a miner (as all the men in the area were before the mining industry was destroyed by the - but don't get me started). Grandad was known as Tiger Collins because of his red hair. My cousin also told me that I had a half-sister who had been looking for me for years, and was under the impression that I had emigrated to Australia.

I had known that I had a sister but what I didn't know was that she lived just twenty miles from where I used to live in England. I now know there are Collins's across west to Glasgow and probably all the way over into Ireland and down to Dublin in Cork, where all Collins's ultimately come from. I'm also connected to the Donaldsons (my middle name). The Donaldsons or Clan Donald were Lords of the Western Isles at the time of the Jacobite rebellion, but that's a story for another time.

Another idea that I had was to own a collie and after I lost my Patch I acquired a border collie cross called Oscar and we've just bought a rough collie as a companion for him. We call her Daisy May. There are a couple of items still on my list - I can't find a decent snooker club and there are no chess clubs within easy reach, but there is one idea that will never be realized. Lindsay Cooper, my old friend from London died the year we moved up to Scotland.

I found this out recently when I finally got around to making a search on the internet. When I knew him he was the spitting image of 'Animal' from Hill Street Blues - remember the little guy with the dark hair and the droopy moustache? - except he had the broadest of Glaswegian accents. He played the double bass and also the cello. He played jazz but he also loved Bach.

I'm talking about a time before I'd met my wife. I was very young and, it seems to me now, pretty dumb, but I was lucky enough to be living in a house of bed-sits - or one-room apartments - peopled mainly by musicians. It was run by a little woman called Angie, who was near the end of her career as a dancer. At this time she had a whip act with a guy called Dennis. It was quite a skilful act, as he had to crack this whip around her throat from a distance, and, as she explained it, one little mistake and the whip would throttle her.

Angie liked a drink or two and always wore dark glasses. She did not get on well with her partner. I think he had once been more than her stage partner, but now they bickered constantly, like an old married couple. Dennis was a big man with a little goatee beard. He had a soft, whiney voice, like David Beckham but he was mighty strong. I remember once giving Angie a lift in her minicar (she didn't drive), after they had had a row. He came out of the house and stood in front of the car to make it stop and then twisted off the wing mirror with one hand and tossed it in the gutter. Then he just ambled off. A nice guy, really, I don't think he ever hit her.

As I said, most of the tenants were musicians. There was Maggie, who had a great voice and adored Billie Holiday. In fact everybody in the house adored Billie Holiday, except one guy who was a second-hand furniture dealer. There was George, another bass player, who, on being hauled up in front of the captain of a liner when he was working on a cruise, stood eyeball to eyeball with him and told him that he (George) was just as good at his job as the captain was at his. He probably was, too.

Then there was Kenny Vick, who was a jazz guitarist. He was very fastidious and tidy, and would follow you about the room, picking up any bits of fluff or crumbs thst you might have dropped (a trait he shared with my mother). He was a great player though.

I learnt from all these people (with the possible exception of the furniture dealer, who nobody liked anyway), but the one I remember most is Lindsay Cooper. I remember playing flamenco in a pub while he read Frederico Lorca poetry in English (his idea) and I remember him dragging us all down to a music shop which had a sale on. He insisted that I buy a book of Bach's partitas and sonatas for violin. I couldn't afford it but I bought it anyway. I still have it on my bookshelf, and I would never part with it.

We used to get together in someones room about once a week to talk about whatever came into our heads. One time the talk turned to South Africa. (This was long before the end of apartheid). The conversation was animated as usual. Everyone had something to say except Lindsay, who said nothing for about half an hour. Finally the talk died down and everyone looked at Lindsay expectantly. He said nothing for a while, then cleared his throat. "South Africa's a turnip". There didn't seem anything to add to that.

Although he had a love of classical music he wasn't a great traditionalist. He thought that the past was sometimes a hinderance to creativity. I didn't have his bold, fearless approach then, and I havn't got it now. I remember asking him, at one of our gatherings, how he could ignore something like the paintings of Rembrandt and he said he would get rid of them. I asked him how, and he said he'd burn them. Nobody said anything. Lindsay looked around, noticed the stunned silence and hastened to make amends. " Oh, but with grrreat rrreverence", he said in his broad Glaswegian accent.

Rest in Peace, Lindsay.

James Donaldson Collins




James Donaldson Collins is an artist and writer. He lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, daughter and three dogs. His interests are conservation, history, science fiction, chess and snooker. He also claims to play guitar like a ringing a bell.

Friday 18 February 2011

Clash of the Titans Halloween Costumes Are All The Rage

Clash of the Titans relates to the tale regarding the mortal son of the god Zeus who starts on a quest to prevent the inhabitants from the underworld from dispersing their evil all through the world. Having this kind of a legendary setting, along with unforgettable characters, it's understandable that the 2010 motion picture has created a massive fascination with Clash of the Titans Halloween costumes!

Clash of the Titans Costumes:Perseus

Perseus stands out as the son of Zeus himself, half-man, half-god and also a ferocious warrior having armor to match. The officially licensed Deluxe Adult outfit is available complete with a tunic, carved body armor, muscle torso and stomach muscles, arm gauntlets as well as shin guards. This costume outfit is additionally readily available for youngsters.

Additional Clash of the Titans Costumes for Adult Men:

A different amazing Clash of the Titans Halloween costume suggestion intended for guys is Calibos: the primary villain associated with the film, searching for Perseus. Calibos has been around a while and exhibits numerous scars as a result of earlier battles. His armor is partly gone, yet he continues to battle on. Both the Deluxe Calibos grownup and youngster outfits highlight carved armor together with scarred face elements, arm gauntlets, shin guards, molded fingers, plus a terrifying face mask. Or you can just get the Calibos Deluxe Shoulder/Arm and build the remaining portion of the ancient Greek warrior ensemble on your own.

Or perhaps you will want to head out as ruler of the underworld, Hades? You may either purchase the separate wig and facial beard set, or obtain it together with the grownup Hades outfit that consists of: the underworld tunic along with the cape, arm guards as well as lower leg guards. With all that you should dominate the underworld on Halloween!

Female Clash of the Titans Costumes

The Clash of the Titans Halloween outfits are definitely not limited to the guys. Ladies can easily dress up as the gorgeous Athena or Aphrodite and turn into an authentic Ancient Greek goddess for the evening! The Sexy Athena grownup outfit will come complete with gown (having gold highlights) along with arm gauntlets. The Sexy Aphrodite outfit is comparable having silver metallic highlights. Then there is the heroin who assists Perseus in his journey, Io. Unfortunately, she didn't have very interesting outfits, so she's probably not a good one to copy.

If you want to really scare everybody as a female, go as Medusa. Other than the giant Cracken, she' the scariest character in the movie. And there's plenty of choices available for Medusa costumes.

Or you might duplicate the Clash of the Titans Halloween costume "Greek God" appearance on your own by incorporating careful positioning of bright white sheets! A toga costume is easy enough to create that way.

Clash of the Titans Halloween Costume Add-ons

* Perseus Sword: Virtually no warrior can be complete without having their own sword! This specific copper sword incorporates Ancient Greek styling for that authentic overall look.

* Perseus Shield: This particular shield is necessary proper protection for virtually any warrior, and it is ornately made to appear the same as the genuine thing.

* Calibos Sword: This Calibos sword is actually a damaged appearing split blade, showcasing an ornate design.

* Aphrodite Wig and Headpiece: In the event that you truly desire to achieve the look, then this pink wig and connected shell headpiece is the best way to accomplish this!




To see the exciting Clash of the Titans Halloween costumes that are available this year and find the lowest pricing, go right now to the Ultimate Halloween Site

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Become a Goddess Or Just Dress Like One for Halloween

When it comes time to find that perfect costume, consider casting your eyes toward Mount Olympus and getting some inspiration from ancient Greece. With a little background information on Greek mythology, it is easy to come up with a number of different ways to look like a Goddess or just dress like one for Halloween.

All of the Greek Goddesses had a couple of things in common. They were immortal and they were extremely beautiful. Each one had her own unique abilities and even though they took on human form, they possessed abilities and skills that surpassed those of mere mortals.

The Goddess transformation should begin with a long white tunic that ties at the shoulders and is made out of a fabric that flows. For a sophisticated look, choose a floor length dress with arm drapes hung across the upper back and attached at both shoulders. Add some metallic gold trim in a band just under the bust line and around the neckline and you have Hera, Queen of the Goddesses and wife of Zeus. The hair can be worn in an updo with loose ringlets at the temples or purchase an appropriate wig from one of the many online retailers. A gold headpiece, dangling earrings and a pair of flat Grecian sandals complete this regal look.

As the Goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite was one of the most popular of all the deities. Her flirty personality calls for a short white tunic with an asymmetrical hem. She wore a magical golden girdle that made her irresistible to all who saw her. She is often pictured holding a mirror, so an elaborate vanity mirror makes the perfect prop.

Athena is the virgin Goddess of war and wisdom. She usually wears a breastplate and helmet to identify her status as a warrior and she is always ready for battle with her shield and spear.

Pair a short tunic with knee high Greek sandals and grab a toy bow and arrow for a good imitation of Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt.

For those that wish to stick with the mythological theme but want something scary, there is no spookier character than Medusa. Athena punished Medusa for desecrating her temple by transforming her into a monster so hideous that all who looked at her were turned to stone. Her beautiful hair was turned into a nest of living serpents.

Complete any of these looks with dramatic makeup and a dusting of body glitter or bronzer for that Goddess glow.

You will find that the best selections for full costumes as well as individual pieces, props and accessories can be found online. With so many options to choose from, you should have no problem finding something that will release your inner Goddess.




I am a huge fan of dressing up any chance I can. Halloween is always a fun time for me and my family.

If you are looking for a roman goddess costume or greek goddess costume you'll find a nice selection of different romans gods and goddesses online.

Sunday 13 February 2011

Sicily - Not Just A Rock Off The Coast Of Italy

One of the most beautiful places to take a boat is the Italian Island of Sicily. Though now a part of Italy, for much of its history Sicily was Greek. As a result it has a character entirely its own. Ancient ruins, medieval towns and modern cities crowd together, but viewed from the sea, the island looks the same as it did to the invading fleet destroyed by Archimedes at the siege of Syracuse in 212 BC.

The modern day capital of Sicily is Palermo, a busy city in the North West corner of the island. Almost three thousands years old, Palermo has some outstanding architectural treasures, including the nearby cathedral of Monreale, a huge Norman cathedral which is a fascinating mix of byzantine and Norman architecture. One of the worlds most famous religious sites, the Cathedral dates from the 12th century and is filled with stunning byzantine style mosaics.

From Palermo it is easy to hire a boat and travel either North to the Aeolian islands and the volcano of Stromboli, or to the west around the coast of Sicily itself. On the West coast of the island the port of Trapani is well worth a visit, if only to see the hillside town of Erice, which often disappears into the clouds. Like many Sicilian towns Erice appears quaint, charming and medieval, but nothing could be further from the truth. Erice, like most of the island is ancient. Carthaginians, sailing across the Mediterranean are said to have used the beacon of the temple at Erice, high on its mountain top, to help them find their way.

All of Italy is famous for its pasta and desserts, but here in Sicily seafood pizza and pasta is the norm, with sea urchins being one of the local specialities. The island is filled with orange and olive groves as well as vineyards and famous for Marsala wine, the foundation of many Italian recipes.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and dominated on its eastern coast by the largest Volcano in Europe, Mount Etna. In ancient times Etna was believed to be the home of the Hephaestus, the crippled god who forged Zeus's thunderbolts in the heart of the volcano.

Lying in Etna's shadow, the sleepy city of Syracuse is now merely one of many ports around the Sicilian coast. In the past Syracuse was one of the most important Greek city states of the ancient world. The ancient city occupied the island of ortygia, only a few feet offshore. Visitors can still inspect the walls as well as the important fresh water spring which allowed Syracuse to withstand many sieges. The 'fountain of Aresthusa' is also home to many papyrus plants. As well as being the factual home of the mathematician Archimedes, in legend Syracuse is the birthplace of the goddess Artemis.

Most scholars agree that Sicily is the island of the Cyclops from Homers Odyssey, an idea which seems far fetched in the bustling heart of Palermo, but very likely when you see the island from the sea, free from its modern trappings.

If you enjoy a mixture of history and legend, as well as the chance to relax on a boat, a trip around the island of Sicily something you will enjoy. Don't forget to check all your equipment, including your radio, before casting off and be sure you know how to use it.




When going on any major outing on a boat safety must be a priority. On top of your safety list should be a reliable and powerful form of communication. We recommend a 10 Meter Radio. A 10 Meter Radio has several key advantages, first it offers alot more transmitting power then a traditional CB radio, up to 100 times more. Second it can also operate on international frequencies if you ever wish to travel abroad.

Saturday 12 February 2011

Top Baby Names From the Great Heroes and Heroines of All Time

Top baby names from the great heros and heroines of all time are gifts that are meant to enrapture us. They are romantic and thrilling names from the world's best books, plays, and poems.

Think of a knight in armor such as King Arthur and of his beautiful Queen Guinevere. Then, there is Byron's heroine, Leila, to say nothing of Flaubert's hauntingly beautiful Emma. And, who can forget Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's amazing detective, Sherlocke?

For now, though, let us look more closely at a few more great baby names and their meanings.

Top Baby Boy Names of Heros

Dorian - (Greek) meaning "A Dorian." (The Dorians were a people of ancient Greece). Dorian is the main character in Wilde's "A Picture of Dorian Grey."

Leander - (Greek) meaning "Lion-Man." In Greek mythology, Leander is the valiant lover of the beautiful goddess, Hero.

Roland - (French from the Germanic) meaning "Fame of the Land." Roland is the brave hero of one of the greatest world legends, and was killed in battle.

Holden - (English from the Germanic) meaning "Kindly." Holden is a major character in Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye."

Cedric - (Anglo Saxon) meaning "Chieftan." Cedric is the hero of Sir Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe."

Top Baby Girl Names of Heroines -

Lenore - (English, from the name, "Eleanor") meaning "Light." Edgar Allan Poe longs for his "lost Lenore" in his epic poem, "The Raven."

Jessica - (Hebrew, from the Biblical name "Iscah") meaning "Grace of God." Jessica is the heroine of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."

Anna - (Hebrew) meaning "Grace and Mercy." One of the most beloved characters in literature is Anna in Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina."

Winona - (Dakota Indian) meaning "First-Born Daughter." Winona is immortalized in H.L. Gordon's romantic poem "Winona."

Rowena - (Anglo Saxon) meaning "White Mane." Rowena the lovely heroine in Sir Walter Scott's masterpiece, "Ivanhoe."

Well, that is about it. I hope you like today's top baby names from the great heros and heroines of all time. They carry with them magnificent tales of battles, romance, and daring.

In the meantime, have fun naming that beautiful baby.




Learn more about your wonderful name at http://www.giftscrolls4u.com While there, look around at gift ideas for birthdays, Christrmas, anniversaries, baptisms, and other occasions. Claim your personalized name scroll and receive a free treasured gift. For more information, visit http://www.giftscrolls4u.com

(c) Benedict Manovill. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Friday 11 February 2011

Mint - How Mint Became the Herb of Hospitality

Mint. That name conjures up the memory of commercials watched when I was a child. Wrigley's Spearmint Gum, Double Mint Gum - "that's the state'mint' of the great mint, double mint gum." Advertising jingles aside, mint is used to flavor mouthwashes, toothpastes, candy canes, ice creams and desserts. It is also used as a tea to calm and settle the tummy.

Mint is often made popular with children as they study a well-known myth about Hades, the God of the Underworld, falling in love with a nymph named Menthe. His wife, in a not surprising jealous rage, trampled Menthe under her feet. Hades changed her into a plant which gives off a wondrous scent when it is crushed.

Sometime after that sad event, mint gained its reputation as the herb of hospitality from another story in Roman/Greek Mythology. The story was written by Ovid, a Roman poet, and recorded in Metamorphoses, Book VIII, lines 611-724.

The story is centered around a couple named Philemon and Baucis. It is a beautiful love story of devotion: Long ago, two strangers were walking through a village. At one thousand homes the strangers asked for aid. At one thousand homes, the villagers ignored them and offered neither food nor drink. Finally an old couple, Philemon and Baucis, offered them a meal. The old ones were not prepared for the visit, but did their best to hurry through the preparations while keeping their guests engaged in happy conversation. Philemon pulled out a bench, and Baucis threw a blanket over it to make it more comfortable. There was a hanging bucket full of water which the guests were invited to use to refresh themselves with before dinner. The table legs were leveled with a handy broken pot, and before she set it, Baucis wiped the surface with fresh mint. A mattress of soft sedges on the floor was covered with their best cloths, which were quite worn, but transformed the rushes into a comfortable couch.

The first course consisted of black and green olives, cherries, and wine as well as radishes, endives, and cheese. The second course favored the strangers with nuts, figs, dates, plums apples and grapes. (This list shows you how hard-working and truly prepared the couple was.) The strangers turned out to be the gods Zeus and Hermes in disguise. They told Philemon and Baucis to follow them up a hill, and they did so. When they turned around, their village was gone and all that remained was their home which was transformed into a temple. Then the Gods said to them, "Ask of us, virtuous old man, and you, wife, worthy of a virtuous husband, what you wish." All they asked for was to live out the remainder of their days caring for the temple, and that they could die in the same hour so they would never have to live without each other. Their wish was granted. When they were very old, and as they stood discussing death, they were turned into two trees, close together.

And that is how mint became the symbol of hospitality.




Diana is a master gardener, family herbalist, and essential oil enthusiast. Learning, and implementing knowledge is a joy. Sharing knowledge brings satisfaction.

Ignorance is far more costly than preparation.
http://thefragrantnote.com
http://dianasgarden.com

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Ancient Astronauts: An Extraterrestrial Fairy Tale

Before embarking on my little fairy tale, I note that for such taken-for-granted imaginary beings, the polytheistic gods and their relationships and adventures are spelled out in exquisite detail. I mean this was way before multi-season TV shows and volumes of related paperback novels for mass consumption. I mean we know an awful lot about Captain Kirk and Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter. But were there writers of polytheistic fiction back then who knew perfectly well they were fabricating the lives and times of the gods for consumption by and entertainment for the great unwashed and kept quiet about their literary fictions? Probably not! I don't think the gods were literary characters invented out of whole cloth. Dare say a non-fictional biography of (fill in the blank - pick a god, any god) would be far more detailed than a similar tome devoted to God or J.C.

The second point from the outset is that IMHO the polytheistic gods aren't gods but 'gods'. We think of them as the mythological gods but they weren't actual gods but real alien beings. Now let's get on with the tale.

1) Once upon a time, a long time ago, a group of boldly going extraterrestrials discovered Planet Earth and took dominion over it, like humans take dominion over national parks and reserves, but starting at a time before humans.

Discussion: If you assume advanced extraterrestrial civilizations exist; If you assume that some advanced civilizations arose way, way, way before human civilization did; if you assume that they (or some of them) will boldly go and explore their galaxy; if you assume that there are no laws of physics that prevent subluminal space travel (there aren't); and if you go along with calculations that suggest that the time it takes to explore every nook and cranny of the galaxy is but a short fraction of the age of the galaxy; if you accept that Planet Earth isn't cloaked/invisible; then it's logical that one of more such extraterrestrial civilizations have noted and logged Planet Earth in their galactic databanks, and because Earth is such a bio-friendly place, took a liking to the place, perhaps as a nice vacation spot for R&R.

There are many references in creation times and myths to the concept of paradise, perhaps ultimately nice vacation spots for the extraterrestrials, who we've come to identify with as the 'gods'.. For example, the ancient Sumerians had this paradise called Dilmun, but it was a resort of, and for, the 'gods', not for humans. Dilmun was something like Eden, though who's to say Eden didn't serve as 'God's' paradise retreat - a summer vacation home away from His day-to-day abode in heaven? In this case, 'heaven' is God's home base, or in the case of the Norse 'gods', Asgard is their heaven equivalent, or perhaps spaceship. In Star Trek terms, 'heaven' or Asgard is the NCC 1701 Enterprise. So perhaps we have Starship Heaven and Starship Asgard!

One could argue that you'd need a very long lifespan to get subluminally from there to here. While there are other ways around that chestnut, recall that the 'gods' are immortal, or as close to it (in the human mind at least) as makes no odds. Whether it's natural or technologically enhanced immortality is of no consequence in this case.

2) Now I've no idea where they came from except from somewhere out there. Different myths and legends point to different points of origin, all of which could well be the case.

Discussion: In the case of the ancient Greek 'gods', there's some association with the stars, or constellations - the Pleiades and Orion in particular. The Greek Andromeda is also associated with a constellation of stars. Now a constellation is just a random grouping of stars usually not in close association with each other, but when viewed from Earth against a 'flat' blackboard or background of space, tend to form a sort of picture and our minds are very good at finding patterns and connecting the dots when presented with random configurations. The Big Dipper and the Southern Cross are two well known examples. Of course the ancients, our remote ancestors, didn't know that. It was probably just as logical to associate a 'god' or 'gods' with a constellation as with one specific star (which we of course would do today). It's sufficient for the sake of this argument that there is an association between the 'gods' (or at least some 'gods') and outer space. It seems as if nearly every culture's 'gods' has some affinity with various stars, constellations, etc.

3) In the time of humans, sometime later on down the line, these extraterrestrials would become, in the minds of the humans, the 'gods'. But the so-called 'gods' (including 'God') were never real supernatural deities, but 'flesh-and-blood' extraterrestrials with advanced technology and powers.

Discussion: How would our ancient ancestors, with no knowledge of physics and chemistry and relatively little of what we'd call modern day astronomy, and who had only the rudiments of mechanical and construction engineering (though sufficient to build the pyramids, etc.) but certainly nothing in the way of being knowledgeable of electrical or nuclear engineering or abilities in same, view sky beings who had all this sort of advanced technology and powers. As equals? No, probably just as deities or 'gods'.

What's Zeus and Thor noted for? Lightning or thunderbolts, which is what ancient humans might have interpreted laser and particle bean weapons as, sort of like that envisioned as part of America's Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) - the 'Star Wars' program. 'God's' been known to toss around a thunderbolt or two as well. That's an example of advanced technology or powers.

4) The 'gods' reign over their dominion of mankind wasn't always benign and just.

Discussion: Well any readers of the Bible are well aware that 'God' has a big temper and a short fuse. Our so called 'loving God' certainly has directly caused massive death and destruction, so much so that I'd rather find my 'loving' in the arms of someone else. The 'gods' on the other hand are very loving, but often treat us mortals as their sexual playthings. Zeus apparently fathered a considerable proportion of the ancient Greek populus via mortal women and not via Mrs. Zeus - Perseus for one; Herakles (Hercules) was another; ditto Helen of Troy, the list goes on and on. And Zeus wasn't the only randy 'god'. That the 'gods' were sex machines, well that has filtered down to us even via such means as Richard Wagner's four-part mega-opera "Der Ring Des Nibelungen". In the second installment, "Die Walkure", we find the head god Wotan (Odin in Norse mythology) has fathered twins via a mortal woman, Siegmund and Sieglinde (who would in turn have a role in the hay and produce the flawed hero, Siegfried). Needless to say, the 'gods' hardly offer up any alimony or child support!

5) They, the extraterrestrials, made their presence felt at the dawn of mankind's emergence; but hence, because there were so many of them, polytheism became the religious order of the day as far as the various human cultures were concerned. The humans obviously mistook the advanced extraterrestrials for supernatural deities, worshiping what they thought were the 'gods', but who in reality were at best pseudo-gods.

Discussion: One criticism of von Daniken's (and others) 'ancient astronauts' was the 'evidence' in their use of their advanced technologies in building, or assisting in the building of the ancient Egyptian or Mesoamerican pyramid and other monumental constructions or well, monuments. Critics suggest that it insults the reasoning, resourcefulness, ingenuity, stubbornness, imagination, intelligence and other capabilities of our remote ancestors. If that's the case, and I agree it is, then it's equally insulting to suggest that they couldn't distinguish fact from fiction and invented imaginary beings (their 'gods') out of whole fictional cloth as opposed to presenting their 'gods' as real entities. They certainly believed their 'gods' were really real, so let's give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they were indeed really real.

So what evidence do I offer up that the 'gods' were really real, albeit actual flesh-and-blood extraterrestrials. Well, there's the consistency of the tales within each culture and often parallel consistencies between ancient societies and their mythologies. For example, parallel ideas central to a 'paradise' or to 'sky beings' or to 'wars fought in heaven'. That's very unlike the Bible which contradicts itself no end - like at nearly every opportunity. I mean, 'turn the other cheek' vs. 'an eye for an eye'; 'thou shall not kill' but please execute homosexuals. Then there are the images of the 'gods' as wall paintings or rock carvings or as statutes, frescoes, etc. So what? Well, these images are contemporary with the reign of the 'gods; it's as if the 'gods' sat for their portraits. The 'gods' weren't camera shy! If the 'gods' didn't exist, why would the ancient Greeks go to so much trouble as to construct the massive Statue of Zeus at Olympia which occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple that was built to house it, and was 12 meters (40 feet) tall; the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue of the Greek god Helios, god of the sun, some 35 meters (110 ft) tall; or the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus which was dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis and took 120 years to build. Oh, all of these are listed as being three of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. That's big league territory. Sorry, not one of the Seven Ancient Wonders was devoted to 'God'.

Then there is the nature of some of those images. I mean if you look at, or read a description of the Egyptian god Seth (Set), it just screams out 'I'm an extraterrestrial'.

6) Therefore, the polytheistic pseudo 'gods' (or at least some, many or most of them) exist. Later on down the track, what became the monotheistic 'God', actually pseudo-God also existed. However, in the beginning, pseudo-God was just one of the pseudo-gods.

Discussion: If you assume the 'gods' exist, you may as well assume 'God' exists, but it's also logical to lump them all together. On the other hand, if 'God' exists, why are there no images of 'God' from say 4000 years ago (to the best of my knowledge anyway)? There are no paintings; no frescoes; no statues; no images at all. Perhaps that's suggestive evidence that there is no 'God', or perhaps 'God' was just 'camera' shy!

7) Now I assume here that the 'gods' and 'God' are all related, but like humans, aren't always one big happy family. In fact, if there's any one word that describes the family of the 'gods', its "dysfunctional"!

Discussion: Take the ancient Egyptian 'god' Seth (or Set - whose appearance just screams out something extraterrestrial), who had quite a domestic spat with fellow 'gods' Osiris, Isis and Horus. Poor Osiris was murdered in fact by Seth. That's dysfunctional!

Speaking of dysfunctional, there are lots of references in mythology to wars fought in heaven between the 'gods' (battles in outer space - a sort of 'Star Wars' perhaps?). There's no doubt the 'gods' do fight among themselves for dominance. For example, the Olympian 'gods' (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, etc.) kicked out the Titans to achieve top ranking status as the Greek 'gods'. Then there's the Norse apocalypse of Ragnarok - more 'gods' behaving badly. Finally, there's that heavenly battle royal between 'God' and company, vs. 'Satan' and company. [See Section 9]

8) Even further on down the track, was there was some sort of a falling out between 'God' (and His followers) and the other 'gods' for control over humanity? If so, 'God' and hangers-on win - monotheism comes to the fore.

Discussion: Well there's no disputing that once upon a time, polytheism ruled the world; today monotheism tends to hold sway. Translated, in those ancient polytheistic times the 'gods' ruled, but in later times, our beloved monotheistic 'God' ruled heaven and Earth. If 'God' were once just one of the boys, just one of the 'gods' then there must have been some sort of falling out, even if there's no documentation to that effect (that I'm aware of). Of course a non-existent 'God' might have won the hearts and minds of humanity by default. The supporters of monotheism had a good PR operation going!

9) However, 'God' (assuming His reality) and His minions have a falling out in turn - a house divided against itself. This is where 'Satan' and followers tell 'God' and followers to take a long walk off a short pier. Ultimately, 'God' proves to have 'the force' be with Him.

Discussion: Well there's no disputing the Biblical (tall) tales that 'document' some sort of domestic disagreement between 'God' and some sort of entity we call today 'Satan'. If you believe those Biblical tall tales, the end result of that domestic dispute, Armageddon, isn't in fact in dispute. There's a decided element here of "This ain't over till it's over; this ain't finished yet; I'll be back"! However, if you believe the Bible and the Book of Revelations, then you realise that Armageddon should have taken place over 1900 plus years ago, at least according to J.C. He said that the final battle between good ('God') and evil ('Satan') - I bet he was biased in deciding who was what - would take place within a generation or two of his utterances. So, if it took place way back then it took place off planet and out of human sight - a real life 'Star Wars'. But if it hasn't happened yet, assuming 'God' and 'Satan' are really real ET's, then it probably isn't every likely to. I mean you can only hold off a grudge match so long. Maybe they've kissed and made up, or...

10) But, a now much weakened 'God' and company are ripe for getting their comeuppance and it was so. They then get overturned and banished by the 'gods', which is why there's no evidence for any Godly presence over the past several millenniums. 'God' has left the building! 'God' has been tarred and feathered and exiled from Dodge City.

Discussion: There have been no 'acts of God' documented over the past several thousand years - no burning bushes, no universal floods, no pillars of salt. So either there is no 'God', or 'God' is afraid to show His face or His presence, or 'God' has tucked tail between legs and sought fame and fortune elsewhere - if the latter, who else had the power to exile 'God' but the 'gods'?

11) But are the 'gods' still around? There's been equally and relatively little evidence for them too over the past several millenniums. Still, I propose they're out there at a distance, patiently observing, ever observing.

Discussion: It's unlikely that if the 'gods' are really boldly going extraterrestrials, and since they have expended so much time, effort and energy in exploring this strange new world and new civilization (Earth and Earthlings) they would totally abandon their investment, their vacation R&R spot, their paradise, their home away from home. On the other hand, it's one thing to hold sway over relative primitives, quite another to try to hold sway over a rapidly advancing civilization, one which by leaps and bounds begins to achieve their level of thunderbolt and related technologies.

12) But what happens when humans get advanced enough technologically to begin to, at least in principle, have the potential to challenge the 'gods' on their own turf? That is, we humans can begin to toss around a thunderbolt or two of our own.

Discussion: There's no doubt that we've come a technological long way baby over the past 6000 or so years; even in the past 600 years, far less the past 60 years which has seen humans go from a relative state of being at the mercy of Planet Earth, to Planet Earth being at the mercy of humans. Even if the 'gods' decide to concede their dominion over Planet Earth to the natives, they can not be confident that the tide won't turn and that we humans, we natives, might ultimately seek dominion over the 'gods'. So, if we're becoming an increasing potential threat to the 'gods', why don't they just wipe us out while the wiping out is good. Well, firstly, we're just 'potential', not actual. Secondly, they may have some sort of Prime Directive against genocide. The 'gods' aren't totally amoral beings. Thirdly, they could just leave, leaving no trace as to where they went. Sure, thousands of years hence, when we boldly go, then it might be the case that they can't hide from us, but by then perhaps we too will have a Prime Directive in place. But in the meantime...

13) Enter the modern UFO era, with the 'gods' moving in to keep far closer tabs on us and their dominion, which they've probably never relinquished but are worried that it will be taken away from them, even by force. Our thunderbolts are now, or soon will be, bigger and better that their thunderbolts.

Discussion: Well, there's no denying that the modern UFO era dawned at the very time our nuclear thunderbolts came to the fore of our offensive capabilities. We've only increased the technological sophistication of our thunderbolts since.

The question is, will we all live happy ever after?




Science librarian; retired.

Monday 7 February 2011

Greek Tattoos - Why Are They So Popular?

Greek tattoos are becoming more and more popular these days, but what exactly constitutes a 'Greek' tattoo?

Well, it's any tattoo which is related to Greece or Greek history! Patriotic Greeks often get the Greek flag tattooed on themselves, but even people who aren't connected to the country by blood find themselves fascinated by its history and culture and want to get a tattoo which represents that.

Some people opt for elaborate designs of Greek gods relevant to their personality.


  • Consider yourself a bit of a party animal? Then get a tattoo of Dionysus, the god of wine, parties, madness and merriment!


  • More the quiet, contemplative, creative type? Then a tattoo of Apollo could be just what you're looking for. Not only is he god of music, prophecies, poetry, light and truth, but he is also referred to as the most beautiful of the gods.


  • Are you something of a siren? A wanton seductress? Then Aphrodite, goddess of love, lust, sex, and beauty is the goddess for you.


  • Perhaps you're driven by wanderlust, forever bouncing around the globe? Then Hermes, god of travellers, is exactly what you need!

Every god has their own symbology - a grape vine for Dionysus, an axe for Hephaestus, god of fire and the forge, and winged boots for Hermes - so a wide variety of tattoo designs can be found to suit you.

Those seeking more simple Greek tattoo designs often opt for something in Greek letters. How about the Alpha and Omega symbols, one on either shoulder-blade? How's that for profound! Or if you're thinking of getting a tattoo of a loved one's name, choose Greek letters for a uniquely beautiful design.

Greek tattoos are becoming more popular for a reason. There are dozens of beautiful designs to suit everybody. All you have to do is find them! Check out a decent on-line tattoo design image gallery and this won't be hard.




David Lancaster has had a keen interest in tattoos for many years. Noticing how difficult it was to find the perfect tattoo design, even amongst the mass of sites on the Internet, he set up http://www.tattoospark.com This is the first in a series of planned articles on various aspects of tattoo design and history, so be sure to check back often. And good luck finding that perfect Greek tattoo design!

Wednesday 2 February 2011

"Percy Jackson & the Olympians - the Lightning Thief" Movie Review

"Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief"
My 0-10 rating: 8
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Chris Columbus
Screenwriter: Craig Titley, based on the Rick Riordan novels
Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Melina Kanakaredes, Jack Abel, Catherine Keener, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, Uma Thurman
Time: 1 hr., 59 min.
Rating: PG (for action violence and peril, some scary images, suggestive material, mild vulgarity)

Hey, big surprise. "Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is almost totally fun for everybody, with enormously imaginative and spellbinding digital effects, has a pretty decent script and is terrifically educational while being never less than top entertainment.

Critically, it's being compared unfavorably to Harry Potter. Unfair. This is not Harry Potter and isn't supposed to be. It has its own singular delights and its concepts of what Greek gods do are often very humorous. Granted, by virtue of its attractive and appealing leads, it's pitched hard to teenagers, but its attractions are numerous and never cheap.

In fact, if one wants to push the Harry Potter qualities, it must be said that "Percy Jackson" is more intellectually accessible and won't bother you with attracting pseudo-sophisticated analysis. It's just easy, visually jolting fun with solid family values and worthwhile ancient mythology elements. It's another of those many movies which you pick apart afterwards but you know darned well you were spellbound through most of it.

In ancient Greek mythology -- which here in the film turns out to be not mythology at all -- the gods walked among ordinary people and even bore them children, called demigods. Three of the gods, the big honchos, were the brothers Zeus, Poseidon and Hades.

Well now, here's New York teenager Percy (Logan Lerman) who is living with single mom Sally (Catherine Keener) and her no-good boyfriend Gabe Ugliano (Joe Pentoliano). What Percy has never known is that his real father is Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), the Greek god of the oceans. So Percy is a demi-god, son of a god and a human.

Although he has been aware of some strange personal talents, like being easily able to exist underwater for over seven minutes, he'll presently find out about his demi-god status during a museum field trip on Greek antiquities. Turns out that up in the celestial world, the gods of Mount Olympus, headed by chief god Zeus (Sean Bean), are quite upset. Seems that Zeus' famed and feared master lightning bolt has disappeared and he seriously suspects that Percy, son of his brother Poseidon, has ripped it off. This bolt, of course, as per the classical mythology, is the ultimate weapon of the universe, perfectly able to rain total destruction.

Percy's teacher is Mr. Brunner (Pierce Brosnan), his friend is Grover (Brandon T. Jackson). They, it will become clear, are hybrid human-animal creatures whose mission it is to protect him in the imminent Olympian showdown.

Complicating matters is that his mom has mysteriously disappeared. It will be learned that she had been kidnapped by Hades (Steve Coogan), the god of the underworld. Percy's mission then involves a double goal: find and rescue his mom, and prove his own innocence to his dad, Poseidon. And maybe find the sword? At a remote, magical camp for demi-gods and centaurs is Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), who is the daughter of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom (Melina Kanakaredes) and is a martial arts and swordsperson extraordinaire. Percy also finds that Mr. Brunner, a.k.a. Chiron the centaur, and handsome-but-suspicious young Luke (Jack Abel), messenger to the gods, are in charge. Bodyguard sidekick Grover, now also revealed as a centaur, stands by.

As always in such epic tales, they will meet many a monster, like the snake-headed Medusa (Uma Thurman). Strangely, she is peculiarly vulnerable to being hit and demolished by a Ford pick-up. Meantime, Percy's power with water. he being the son of the god of the seas, will come in handy.

There was so much immense, earth-destructive power on display in the effects that I never got tired of them.




Marty Meltz, http://www.martymoviereviews.com, was the 30-year films critic for the New England Award-winning Maine Sunday Telegram until his column was terminated for budget cuts on Dec. 31, 2007.