Megablog: Crazy news & Links of 07 part II
Current mood: Other
2007 LINKS Part IIa Even more 2007 Psychotronic News Links from Miqel.com (repost if you like) Still Catching up on Meme Sharing ... In 2007 I saved hundred of links to interesting stuff I found online, for eventual use in postings on Miqel.com. However i never seemed to "have time" or the psychic energy necessary to get these up on my site. Here's some food for thought with brief commentary and/or related links. I also have a growing list of links i've saved in 2008, but first things first. Here are a couple dozen articles, images, ideas, discoveries and mysteries I noticed in 2007, many of which might be interesting to mutants, futants, neophiles, weirdos (and even 'normals') of all types. This full bulletin is available as a web page (still underway) here: http://www.miqel.com/new_information/2007_news_updates_two.html AND if you missed Part I of this series of mega-overloaded bulletins, it's also online at this address http://www.miqel.com/new_information/2007_news_updates.html
INCREASINGLY WEIRD COSMOLOGY / ASTRONOMY
Astronomers Find Gaping Hole In The Universe http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070823164846.htm ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2007) — University of Minnesota astronomers have found an enormous hole in the Universe, nearly a billion light-years across, empty of both normal matter such as stars, galaxies and gas, as well as the mysterious, unseen "dark matter." While earlier studies have shown holes, or voids, in the large-scale structure of the Universe, this new discovery dwarfs them all. "Not only has no one ever found a void this big, but we never even expected to find one this size," said Lawrence Rudnick of the University of Minnesota. "What we've found is not normal, based on either observational studies or on computer simulations of the large-scale evolution of the Universe," Williams said.
Comment: Dark Matter & Dark Energy, the E8 hyperstructure ... It just keeps getting more awesomely strange and fascinating! (~Miqel)
GROOVY DISCOVERIES
Damanhur - Eighth wonder of the world? The stunning temples secretly carved out below ground by 'paranormal' eccentric
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ "Here, 100ft down and hidden from public view, lies an astonishing secret - one that has drawn comparisons with the fabled city of Atlantis and has been dubbed 'the Eighth Wonder of the World' by the Italian government. For weaving their way underneath the hillside are nine ornate temples, on five levels, whose scale and opulence take the breath away. Constructed like a three-dimensional book, narrating the history of humanity, they are linked by hundreds of metres of richly decorated tunnels and occupy almost 300,000 cubic feet - Big Ben is 15,000 cubic feet. The 'Temples of Damanhur' are not the great legacy of some long-lost civilisation, they are the work of a 57-year-old former insurance broker from northern Italy who, inspired by a childhood vision, began digging into the rock.
It all began in the early Sixties when Oberto Airaudi was aged ten. From an early age, he claims to have experienced visions of what he believed to be a past life, in which there were amazing temples. Around these he dreamed there lived a highly evolved community who enjoyed an idyllic existence in which" all the people worked for the common good." But it was only as he began a successful career as an insurance broker that he began to search for his perfect site.
In 1977, he selected a remote hillside where he felt the hard rock would sustain the structures he had in mind. A house was built on the hillside and Falco moved in with several friends who shared his vision. Using hammers and picks, they began their dig to create the temples of Damanhur - named after the ancient subterranean Egyptian temple meaning City of Light - in August 1978. "
Comment: You can do almost anything ...
PLANT INTELLIGENCE
Smarty Plants: Inside the World's Only Plant-Intelligence Lab http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/10/veggie_intelligence "At the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology (LINV), about seven miles outside Florence, Italy, Mancuso and his team of nine work to debunk the myth that plants are low-life. Research at the modern building combines physiology, ecology and molecular biology. "If you define intelligence as the capacity to solve problems, plants have a lot to teach us," says Mancuso, dressed in harmonizing shades of his favorite color: green. "Not only are they 'smart' in how they grow, adapt and thrive, they do it without neuroses. Intelligence isn't only about having a brain." Plants have never been given their due in the order of things; they've usually been dismissed as mere vegetables. But there's a growing body of research showing that plants have a lot to contribute in fields as disparate as robotics and telecommunications." In addition to studies on the effects of music on vineyards, the center's researchers have also published papers on gravity sensing, plant synapses and long-distance signal transmission in trees. One important offshoot of the research activity is an international symposium on plant neurobiology. Next year's meeting will be held in Japan. "Biometrics can provide some of the most inspiring resources for us," he says. "Solutions found by nature that might not seem related to real engineering problems at first sight actually are related and give technical solutions." "Plants communicate via chemical substances," Mancuso says. "They have a specific and fairly extensive vocabulary to convey alarms, health and a host of other things. We just have sound waves broken down into various languages"
Not Exactly As Depicted - Bogus Memes
Scientists Now Know: We're Not From Here! http://www.viewzone.com/milkyway.html "Summary & comments by Dan Eden for Viewzone .. Imagine the shock of growing up in a loving family with people you call "Mum" and "Dad" and then, suddenly, learning that you are actually adopted! This same sense of shock came as scientists announced that the Sun, the Moon, our planet and its siblings, were not born into the familiar band of stars known as the Milky Way galaxy, but we actually belong to a strange formation with the unfamiliar name of the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy!" A new infra red digital survey of the entire sky was made in 2003. Teams from the universities of Virginia and Massachusetts used a supercomputer to sort through half a billion stars to create a -- NEW STAR MAP showing our Solar System (yellow circle) to be at the exact nexus crossroads where two galaxies are actually joining.
Comment: This one had me going .. for a couple of hours. long enough to tell my roommates and then later had to inform them i was full of shit after I looked this up. (~Miqel)
Here's the correction from Bad Astronomy.com "Here's how the writer from Viewzone sets this up; I have synopsized but kept his argument intact: 1) The Milky Way is eating a smaller galaxy, called the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy. 2) Because this galaxy has far less mass than our own, the Milky Way has far stronger gravity. This has destroyed the other galaxy, turning it into a long stream of stars. 3) This stream is at an angle to the plane of the Milky Way's disk, and intersects that disk. 4) The Sun is very near the position of this intersection. The odds of this happening are very low. 5) Therefore, the Sun originally came from the dwarf galaxy, and is not originally from the Milky Way.
The Milky Way is the blue spiral, the dwarf galaxy is the red stream, and the Sun's position is marked by the yellow dot (in pic at top). See how the dwarf galaxy is tilted with respect to the Milky Way? That means that all the stars from that galaxy are orbiting the Milky Way at that angle. So if the Sun came from the dwarf, we'd be orbiting the Milky Way at that angle ourselves! We're not. Studies of the Sun's motion relative to the plane of the Milky Way (using the stars, globular clusters, other galaxies, and many other sources) make it a rock-solid certainty that the Sun's orbit is in fact in the plane of the Milky Way. It's not plunging through the disk at a high angle at all. So right away we see that the claim that the Sun is alien to the Milky Way is complete rubbish. Seriously, we're done here. You can stop. Oh, you want more? OK. Let's continue the smackdown. If you read the Viewzone article (or the original claim from a site called, interestingly, CureZone) you can see they don't understand this angle issue at all! They do seem to get that the stream is at an angle to the Milky Way, but they also claim that this is why the plane of our solar system is at an angle to the Milky Way's plane, which is a bizarre (and totally incorrect) idea. First, the plane of the solar system (defined, really, by the plane of the Earth's orbit) is tilted with respect to the Milky Way's plane by about 60 degrees or so. But this is not a big deal; the Sun formed from a gas cloud 4.6 billion years ago, and any number of forces would have caused that cloud to collapse such that the plane of our solar system could be pointed any which way. There's no reason to assume the two planes would align. Second, the articles never actually make the case that the solar system is aligned with the angle of the Sagittarius dwarf stream! If the Sun came from that galaxy, and they make these claims about angles and planes, don't you think they'd actually see if our solar system aligns with the dwarf galaxy? That should set off alarm bells in your head. Anyway, by looking at the illustration I can see right away that the tilt of the solar system is not aligned with the dwarf galaxy's star stream either. Look: the important thing to see here is that the angle of the Milky Way in the sky is not important at all. What counts is the Sun's orbit around the center of the Milky Way. And the Sun's orbit is aligned perfectly with the plane of the Milky Way, and not at all in the plane of the Sagittarius dwarf [see pic above of suns orbit - miqel].
GLOWING PIGS & MAMMALS (& Instects) of Many Varieties - Some Now Reproducing - apparently Asian countries are kicking USAs ass in creating glowing animals
Scientists in Taiwan say they have bred three pigs that "glow in the dark". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4605202.stm They claim that while other researchers have bred partly fluorescent pigs, theirs are the only pigs in the world which are green through and through. The pigs are transgenic, created by adding genetic material from jellyfish into a normal pig embryo. The researchers hope the pigs will boost the island's stem cell research, as well as helping with the study of human disease. In daylight, the researchers say the pigs' eyes, teeth and trotters look green. Their skin has a greenish tinge. In the dark, shine a blue light on them and they glow torch-light bright.
Green pig gives birth to first generation of glowing piglets http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22563650/ BEIJING - A cloned pig whose genes were altered to make it glow fluorescent green has passed on the trait to its young, a development that could lead to the future breeding of pigs for human transplant organs, a Chinese university reported. The glowing piglets' birth proves transgenic pigs are fertile and able to pass on their engineered traits to their offspring, according to Liu Zhonghua, a professor overseeing the breeding program at Northeast Agricultural University.
AND CATS TOO ... in Red ! South Korean scientists create glowing cats using modified gene http://inventorspot.com/articles/scientists_create_glowinthedark__9191 SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean scientists have cloned cats that glow red when exposed to ultraviolet rays, an achievement that could help develop cures for human genetic diseases, the Science and Technology Ministry said. Three Turkish Angora cats were born in January and February through cloning with a gene that produces a red fluorescent protein that makes them glow in dark. One died at birth, but the two others survived, the ministry said. This picture, taken through a special filter in a dark room, shows a cat, left, possessing a red fluorescent protein that makes the animal glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet rays, appearing next to a normal cloned cat.
GFP Pic: Rats with GFP expressing in Bones only ... trippy looking! Green Fluorescent Protein is a proof-of-concept "tag" used by genetic engineers to track the propagation of a protein sequence through an organism. By planting a GFP tag in a larger protein sequence or gene, its progress can be tracked much in the same way a software debugger might track information rippling through a network or a database. What's fun about GFP is, well, its visual interface, if you will: put the organism under blue lights, and the incorporated GFP-tagged proteins will glow green — a very visceral, not-at-all abstract report from the biochemical engines. GFP can be introduced via breeding or viral vector. This picture of GFP-tagged mice pups makes a powerful impression. (Via Wikipedia.)
Physics, Sacred Geometry, Geodesic Toy for kids - and/or Trip Toy for Adults
MagneBlocks-- Creative Magnetic Construction Playset http://www.magneblocks.com/home.cfm MagneBlocks-- are the leading educational magnetic construction toy that challenges the mind and allows for infinite creativity. It can be used to teach concepts like: * Art * Architecture * Design * Geometry * Geology * Problem Solving * Symmetry in Nature * and much more! From a choice of eight unique shapes, children of all ages (adults too!) can combine the blocks into many shapes and structures of limitless possibilities, from simple forms like houses and animals, castles, and cars, to complex geometrical shapes, cityscapes and beyond. Able to be combined with other magnetic systems, like the popular "sticks and balls", MagneBlocks-- contain more magnets per piece, offering many more ways to play. Discover constructions you haven't even imagined as you explore the hours and hours of creative fun and mind-building of MagneBlocks--.
Cognitive Science
Brain's Visual Cortex Doesn't "Tell" All It Knows http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010529070018.htm ScienceDaily (May 31, 2001) — The print on a page may be too fine to read, but that doesn't mean your brain can't discern the pattern of lines. New research by scientists at the University of Minnesota and the University of California, San Diego has shown that neurons in the human visual cortex, a brain center that processes visual information, can respond to patterns of lines too fine for subjects to resolve. The discovery contributes to the understanding of vision and has implications for the age-old question of consciousness. The work will be published in the May 24 issue of Nature. Everyone with normal vision can perceive patterns of lines up to a certain point. But when the spacing of lines becomes too fine, the lines seem to disappear and only a uniform blur is seen. "This is probably the first demonstration that visual cortical neurons are capable of resolving fine lines past the limits previously thought to exist," said Sheng He, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota and first author of the Nature paper. His coauthor is Donald MacLeod, a psychologist at UC San Diego.
Comment: Ever wondered what happened to the folks who bought the junk for sale on the latest late-night Informercial? Ever had the urge to buy any of that stuff yourself? Here's a site with listings and actual reviews of almost ALL of them. Surprisingly about 15% seem to work as promised and the customers are happy. Others seem to follow a distinct pattern as seen in these reviews of the Tobi Steamer ... (~Miqel)
"Product Description The Tobi Steamer claims to be the first portable and upright wrinkle remover. The Tobi Steamer is supposed to remove wrinkles up to 5 times faster than ironing. The infomercial claims the Tobi Steamer can remove wrinkles in one pass. Tobi Steamer is also supposed to remove odors. Check below for Tobi Steamer reviews.
Average Retail Value $119.80 (prices may vary)
Consumer Ratings: 2/19/2008 - Joanne of California, USA writes: I ordered my TOBI in mid Oct 2007 and received it end Oct 2007. I was excited about it and used it immediately. The damn thing leaked badly and soaked my carpet! Not to mentioned I was in danger of being electricuted. I emailed and called CS to get my unit changed. CS said the problem was with the water tank and that they will send one over to me. I waited for over a mth and still nothing. In Dec 2007, I got CS to agree to send me a return label. IT IS ALREADY END OF FEBRUARY 2008 AND I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM THEM! Just a bunch of liars and cheats who will verbally promise you but never act on it. Isn't there something like a consumer's association or consumer's rights law against companies like this? The product advertised on Informercial is a misrepresentation on the real thing. Where is the product integrity?!
2/17/2008 - Jen of Ontario, Canada writes: I just purchased the Tobi today from []. Thank god that I could return this product because it only works on certain materials. The Tobi also leaks and is not stable. The steam does not go through the clothing as well as it does not wrinkle free the shirts. Please do not purchase this."
2/16/2008 - Helen of New York, USA writes: I ordered this product after seeing the product on TV as I was ironing drapes! They sent 2 instead of 1 the free shipping turned out to be a company called Free shipping that charged over $100.00 to my credit card account this $119.00 product turned out to be a $330.00 nightmare. It also is not performing as it does on TV, it leaks, gets to HOT in the tubing and leaves wrinkles so what did I get a headache, and body aches trying to get the wrinkles out of the drapery.
Mary Ferrell Foundation JFK Assassination Records Archive http://www.maryferrell.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page The Mary Ferrell Foundation (MFF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to truth and transparency in our government's response to national tragedies as well as encouraging the continued research of the controversial events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy and its subsequent investigations.
Comment: Did Oswald kill Kennedy with a single bullet fired form the 3rd story of the Texas school book depository? Not according to hundreds of eyewitnesses and declassified goverment documents from the Warren commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations Review board. All the docs are here ... Don't take my word for it, if you have some time read through the evidence and form your own conclusion. At over half a million pages of documents, government reports, books, essays, and hours of multimedia, The MFF hosts the largest digital archive of information on the case and its larger historical context. (~Miqel)
Not Surprising ....
Police could not find any fingerprints on Dr Kelly's 'suicide' knife http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487627&in_page_id=1770 Fresh doubts were raised over the suicide of Dr David Kelly after it emerged that no fingerprints were found on the knife he supposedly used to kill himself. The Hutton Inquiry into the death of the Ministry of Defence weapons expert ruled that he slashed one of his wrists with a blunt garden knife and took an overdose of pills. The lack of fingerprints is especially strange as police records also revealed the germ warfare expert was not wearing any gloves when he died – nor were any found at the scene of his death. Mr Baker said: 'It is one of the things that makes me think Dr Kelly was murdered. 'The angle you pick up a knife to kill yourself – there would be fingerprints. Someone who wanted to kill himself wouldn't go to the lengths of wiping the knife clean of fingerprints. 'And wearing gloves would seem very odd when you are about to cut your own wrists. It is very strange.'
Mr Baker is also suspicious about the cut to Dr Kelly's wrist. It completely severed a tiny blood vessel called the ulnar artery, which is deep in the wrist and protected by nerves and tendons. It is highly unlikely anyone without a blood-clotting defect would bleed to death from a single cut to this artery. It would have required unusual force to cut through the tendons, particularly with a blunt gardening knife, and it would have been very painful. To ascertain just how unusual the injury was, Mr Baker asked the Office of National Statistics how many people in the UK died in 2003 from a cut to the ulnar artery.
He was told that Dr Kelly was the only one. The scientist was found dead in woodland near his home in Southmoor, Oxfordshire, in July 2003 after becoming trapped at the centre of a vicious war of words between the Government and the BBC. His death came days after he was unmasked as the source of a Today programme report alleging Labour had 'sexed up' a dossier outlining the case for war in Iraq. The document had famously claimed that Saddam Hussein could launch a nuclear or biological weapons strike on Britain within 45 minutes.
and more on the Kelly case ...
Iraq whistleblower Dr Kelly WAS murdered to silence him, says MP http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23417404-details/ Weapons expert Dr David Kelly was assassinated, an MP claims today. Campaigning politician Norman Baker believes Dr Kelly, who exposed the Government's "sexed-up" Iraq dossier, was killed to stop him making further revelations about the lies that took Britain to war. He says the murderers may have been anti-Saddam Iraqis, and suggests the crime was covered up by elements within the British establishment to prevent a diplomatic crisis. The LibDem MP, who gave up his front bench post to carry out his year-long investigation, makes his claims in a book serialised exclusively in the Daily Mail today and next week. The official Hutton Inquiry into the death of Dr Kelly ruled in 2004 that he slashed one of his wrists with a garden knife and took an overdose after being "outed" as the mole who revealed the flawed argument for invading Iraq. But Norman Baker is convinced the scientist was murdered.
He says he was told by a secret informant that British police knew about the plot but failed to act in time and that the death was later made to look like a suicide to prevent political and diplomatic turmoil. The highly-respected MP's personal quest to uncover the truth about Dr Kelly's death was prompted by deep concerns over the circumstances surrounding the apparent suicide. He - and a group of eminent doctors - were greatly troubled by the evidence presented to Lord Hutton. They claimed medical evidence proved that the alleged method of suicide - the cutting of the ulnar artery in the wrist and an overdose of co-proxamol painkillers - could not have caused the scientist's death.
Comment: I knew this after like 5 seconds of hearing the news story the day it happened .... pretty obvious, and the re-opening of the case is a bit late, but better late than never. (~Miqel)
COSMOLOGY
Universe Review - http://universe-review.ca/index.htm A Review of the Universe - Structures, Evolutions, Observations, and Theories http://universe-review.ca/F02-cosmicbg.htm AWESOME Diagrams of: "The Observable Universe, Big Bang Theory, CMBR (Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation) Spectrum, CMBR Fluctuations, Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Parallel Universes, Multiverse - the Unobservable Universe"
Comment: Do YOU Love the Universe that you are? Want to understand what is known of it at all scales? This site is packed with HUNDREDS OF KICK-ASS revealing diagrams of y(our) cosmological anatomy (~Miqel).
EMERGING PATHOGENS
MRSA Superbug More Prevalent Than First Thought - New Survey Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance -Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses; Public Health http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/75129.php "A new survey of US healthcare facilities suggests that nearly 5 per cent of patients carry Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the superbug known as MRSA, putting the national prevalence at between 8 and 11 times more than previous estimates.
According to its authors, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the survey is the "largest and most comprehensive MRSA study of its kind," and the results showed that 46 out of every 1,000 patients "were either infected or colonized with MRSA".
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/french-muck-is-this-the-new-penicillin-398141.html MRSA is the scourge of the country's hospitals, but now the discovery in France of a volcanic clay with miraculous healing properties raises the prospect of a cure for it, and to other dangerous superbugs Scientists have discovered a new and highly effective weapon against deadly superbugs like the MRSA sweeping through Britain's dirty hospital wards – green French muck. The dramatic antibiotic success of agricur, a clay made from ancient volcanic ash found near the Massif Central, marks it out as a potential rival to penicillin, the wonder drug of the 20th century. In experiments, the clay killed up to 99 per cent of superbug colonies within 24 hours. Control samples of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) grew 45-fold in the same period.
The clay has a similar effect on other deadly bacteria tested, including salmonella, E. coli, and a flesh-eating disease called buruli, a relative of leprosy which disfigures children across central and western Africa. It has been classed as "an emerging public health threat" by the World Health Organization (WHO). "We have found several antibacterial clays," said Dr Williams, a mineralogist who is trying to work out the chemicals that make them special. "We have multiple working hypotheses. Our primary hypothesis is that the clay minerals transfer elements, not yet identified, to the bacteria that impede their metabolic function.
"It is entirely possible that it is not one single element that is toxic to the bacteria, but a combination of elements and chemical conditions that attack the bacteria from different angles so as to overwhelm their defence systems," she said.Another possibility, less likely but potentially more significant, is that the clays work through a physical rather than a biochemical process. In that case, bacteria might never develop resistance.
Clay has long been used as a health treatment in spas, but that is because it holds heat longer than water, and draws toxins out of the skin. Clay is also sometimes eaten as a folk remedy for nausea. "It's fascinating," said Dr Haydel, a microbiologist. "Here we are bridging geology, microbiology, cell biology. A year ago, I'd look at the clay and say, 'Well, that's dirt.'"
Comment: Might be a good idea to do further research on Clays, natural antibiotics and other things that can still kill these new antibiotic resistant microbes. We are getting right back to the same problems we had before the age of 'modern medicine' where way too many people are dying from simple infections that become systemic.
But don't let it get you depressed ... here's a site that sells plush-toys of all your favorite deadly pathogens (and benign ones as well). Send one to your freshly amputated relatives .. I'm sure they'll laugh till their guts bleed! (~Miqel) http://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/products/mrsa.html - MRSA Plushy Doll http://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/main/calamities/ - The Most Deadly Microbes as Cute Fluffy Dolls! From the site: "We make stuffed animals that look like tiny microbes—only a million times actual size! Now available: The Common Cold, The Flu, Sore Throat, Stomach Ache, Cough, Ear Ache, Bad Breath, Kissing Disease, Athlete's Foot, Ulcer, Martian Life, Beer & Bread, Black Death, Ebola, Flesh Eating, Sleeping Sickness, Dust Mite, Bed Bug, and Bookworm (and in our Professional line: H.I.V. and Hepatitis). The Black Death has crippled civilization several times -- and Ebola haunts our imaginations. Sleeping Sickness seems like it's everywhere these days, and barbecues have gotten crazy. And while the modern world may have the upper-hand on big game, mother nature wants you to know that she can still eat you alive."
PHYSIOLOGY (another installment of "we know so much about so very little ....")
Bone Structure 'Vastly Different' Than Previously Believed http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071016131514.htm Researchers have discovered that the structure of human bones is vastly different than previously believed -- findings which will have implications for how some debilitating bone disorders are treated. the characteristic toughness and stiffness of bone is predominantly due to the presence of specialized sugars, not proteins, as had been previous believed.Scientists have long held the view that collagen and other proteins were the key molecules responsible for stabilizing normal bone structure. That belief has been the basis for some existing medications for bone disorders and bone replacement materials. At the same time, researchers paid little attention to the roles of sugars (carbohydrates) in the complex process of bone growth. (the research)"may also strengthen the rationale for the current popularity of over-the-counter joint and bone pain remedies such as glucosamine and chondroitin, which are based on GAG sugar molecules." Comment: I thought we pretty much had bones figured out .... always new discoveries. (~Miqel)
Laffoley Posters Are Here ... after 38 Years! THANATON III & DIMENSIONALITY!
YES .... They are still available! All Poster Sales will Support the Production of Paul Laffoley's Catalogue Raisonne, a book of his Complete Paintings and Writings in print and possibly DVD format: Expected release date, sometime in 2008; In 4 sections • Early Works, • Works prior to 1990, • The Time of the Bauharoque: 2000-2099, •The Journal So ... basically if you really want to see ALL of Paul Laffoley's works released in a large format book, in as short a time as possible,the best way to make that happen is to get these first-ever posters
Support Paul's work, treat yourself to an artifact from the future and get a reproduction of an Alien Dimensional Portal - OR - an Index/Chart of the Full Spectrum of Spiritual and Material experience of Dimensionality! ~Miqel .com
GETTING DIRTY IS HEALTHY, CURES DEPRESSION Fuk PROZAC - Go play in the mud once a week!!!
Getting dirty may lift Depression: Bacteria found in the soil activated a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin http://www.anxietyinsights.info/getting_dirty_may_lift_depression.htm Treatment of mice with a 'friendly' bacteria, normally found in the soil, altered their behavior in a way similar to that produced by antidepressant drugs, reports research published in the latest issue of Neuroscience.
These findings, identified by researchers at the University of Bristol and colleagues at University College London, aid the understanding of why an imbalance in the immune system leaves some individuals vulnerable to mood disorders like depression.
Interest in the project arose after human cancer patients being treated with the bacteria Mycobacterium vaccae unexpectedly reported increases in their quality of life. Lowry and his colleagues reasoned that this effect could be caused by activation of neurons in the brain that contained serotonin.
Comment: DIRT - the next crappy pharmaceutical ad on TV? CLay helps fight MRSA, dirt increases Serotonin ... and i saw another story about probiotics in the siol having a positive effect on the immune system. Maybe the in the future "playing in the mud" will be part of universal healthcare !! (~Miqel)
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
Micrographia - 1667 Book scan & Drawing of objects seen in magnifying lens
Hooke, Robert, 1635-1703 / Micrographia: or some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses : with observations and inquiries thereupon - [1667]
Comment: These are gorgeous drawings and it's amazing to envision the cat sitting there with his home-made magnifying lens seeing these microscopic sights for (probably but not definitely) the first time in human history. It's like the first maps of an entirely new world. Thanks to Ritzu-do for the link that led to finding this! (~Miqel)
_____ - - End of Miqel.com 2007 Links & Backlogged Stories Part IIa -- _______
Mega-Update News, Links, Pix, Scienc & Weird info
Current mood: stoked
Category: Life
2007 Psychotronic News Links from Miqel.com
2007 Links To Interesting Info and Cool Facts: Catching up on meme sharing ... In 2007 I saved hundred of links to interesting stuff I found online, for eventual use in postings on Miqel.com. However i never seemed to "have time" or the psychic energy necessary to get these up on my site with commentary. I also have a growing list of links i've saved in 2008, but first things first. Here are a couple dozen articles, images, ideas, discoveries and mysteries I noticed in 2007, many of which might be interesting to mutants, futants, neophiles, weirdos (and even 'normals') of all types. Quick Update: It's been a while since i've posted regularly ... been busy trying to keep things balanced at work and dealing with the slowdown (aka. recession) in the economy. I have been self-employed for the last 5 years doing internet related design, site deevlopment and marketing strategy and the past few months business has dropped off considerably and consequently i've been steadily creeping into debt & am just now starting to freak out about it.As an artist it's not really in my nature to promote 'myself', I just like to do the work I do without becoming yet another ad. but perhaps i can look at it as promoting not 'self' but a set of intellectual attributes and skills which I an willing to engage in a financial exchange ... so
To hire a mutant genius with a long list of refernces and sucessful projects to assist in your web development, design, Flash animation or marketing project - click here for my work history and skill-set. http://www.miqel.com/resume/index.html
I'll break this down into sections - Cool Science, Futuristic Discoveries, Politics & Society, Metaphysics/Occult, Ufos, Cultural Issues, Economics, The Environment, Mysterious events, Unfathomable weirdness, random other things. This full bulletin is available as a web page here: http://www.miqel.com/new_information/2007_news_updates.html
Comment: Do YOU Love the Yeti too? If so, this is the right blog for you. All about the Yeti in popular culture, info on recent cryptozoology news, crazy products using the Yeti to sell more stuff, Yeti links, old newsreel footage and other fun stuff. Suitable for humans but primarily fun for SubGeniuses(yetisyns) who are directly related through their ancient genetic & cultural Yeti ancestry. Check. www.subgenius.com to find out if YOU are related to the prehistorical Yetis of Mutantis (~miqel)
"Everything we thought we knew about X-ray images of the Sun is now out of date," says Leon Golub from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. "We've seen many new and unexpected things. For that reason alone, the mission is already a success." "Almost every day, we look at the data and we say – what the heck was that?" says Golub, a member of the XRT science team.
"Another surprise sighting is that of giant magnetic field loops crashing down onto the Sun's surface as if they were collapsing from exhaustion, a finding that Golub describes as "impossible". Previously, scientists thought they should emerge from the Sun and continue blowing out into space.
Astronomers do not yet know what to make of the surprises, but they hope Hinode will help solve many big puzzles. One is that the temperature of the Sun's tenuous outermost atmosphere, or corona, is far hotter than the layers underneath, which are nearer its energy-generating core. Scientists believe that tangled magnetic fields must somehow dump energy in the corona. "Theorists suggested that twisted, tangled magnetic fields might exist," says Golub. "With the XRT, we can see them clearly for the first time."
I thought this was interesting. The more we discover - even about things considered fairly-well understood by physics, the more we see how simplistic our theories are. (~Miqel)
Futuristic Discoveries,
******
Mathematicians finally map 248-dimensional structure 19 March 2007 -NewScientist.com news service http://aimath.org/E8/
"The team has exhaustively explored an esoteric 248-dimension structure called E8 and the results take up 60 gigabytes of data. If written out in tiny print, the results would cover an area the size of Manhattan. "E8 was discovered over a century ago, in 1887, and until now, no one thought the structure could ever be understood," says the team leader Jeffrey Adams. The group E8 encapsulates the symmetries of a geometric object like a sphere, cylinder or cone, but in 57 dimensions. E8 itself has 248 dimensions. "This is an impressive achievement," said Nicolai. He adds that the unique structure of E8 might help in the quest for a unified theory of gravity and the other forces in nature.
"This is a 2-dimensional projection of a E8, a 248-dimensional object seen here simplified into only 8-dimensions to help preserve sanity. Essentially, if I understand it correctly, it's like a 2-D shadow of a 248-D sphere, an object so symmetrical you could theoretically rotate it in any direction in up to 248 dimensions and it still appear the same" (for those into geometry And also DIG "E8 and the Platonic Solids" http://aimath.org/E8/platonic.html
7 Reasons Why the 21st Century is Making Us Miserable http://www.pointlesswasteoftime.com/misery.html from the site: "Scientists call it the naked photo test, and it works like this: Say a photo turns up, of you nakedly doing something that would shame you and your family for generations. Bestiality, whatever. Ask yourself how many people in your life you would trust with that photo. Studies show that for almost everybody, the number of people we really trust is shrinking. About a quarter of the people they talked to said they had NO ONE to confide in. Walk down the street, one out of four people you pass have nobody. Among the people who did have somebody, the average number of people in their circle of trust was two. And that includes spouses and parents. Yes, this is new. The numbers are down a whole bunch since just 1985. The world is becoming a colder and lonelier place. Here's why. "
Comment: Good and thoughtful discussion of how technology is bringing us together while simultaneously dumbing us down. More communication is happening at the cost of it being less accurate and more superficial. Also, floods of conflicting data available without adequately updated critical thinking skills in the general population makes the web a perfect info-warfare environment. Read this and find the solutions that work best for you. (~Miqel)
1. Continually expand the scope, source, intensity of the information you receive. 2. Constantly revise your reality maps, and seek new metaphors about the future to understand what's happening now. 3. Develop external networks for increasing intelligence. In particular, spend all your time with people as smart or smarter than you. - Timothy Leary, The Intelligence Agents
"Six ways to increase intelligence"
* Increase the diversity of input (varieties of sensory perceptions) * Increase the diversity of transformations (multiple meanings / interpreations / metaphors) * Increase the diversity of output (expression / application) * Improve the conditions of the physical support systems (body, environment) * Remove or reduce the environmental factors which inhibit intelligence (labels, bureaucracies, etc.) * Increase the environmental factors which support intelligence (trust, communities, unpredictability, communication technologies, etc.)
Bureaucracies are designed to reduce intelligence by limiting information (input) and conditioning pre-defined interpretations of value, authority and procedures (transformations) while increasing obedience and efficiency (output). Fixed hierarchies remain fixed through force (or threat of force = terrorism).
Natural hierarchies reflect the intelligence of a system by constantly changing, emerging and dissipating relative to the needs of specific situations.
Communities are designed to increase intelligence by presenting new information (input), discussing new perspectives (transformations) and offering new actions and tools for sharing, participating and fellowship (output)."
Bruce Eisner: "This site begins with the question 'Are you smart enough to get smarter?' and tries to furnish some answers – from Leary as well as other sources. In addition to its intelligence increase theme, this is the most constantly updated source of what's happening on the web with the Leary legend.""
Comment: Thanks to Justin Boland (the brains of Brainsturbator, Wishtank, Skilluminati and more) for finding this site and pointing out what an elegant and precise presentation it is - just the minimum amount of words to communicate the ideas and inspire you to get on with the actual activity of increasing your intelligence. (~Miqel)
UFO's ??
Washington abuzz with talk of dragonfly spies http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/11/1191696075903.html?page=fullpagecontentSwap1 The Washington Post: US agencies are staying tight-lipped about robobug research, writes Rick Weiss. VANESSA ALARCON saw them at an antiwar rally in Lafayette Square in Washington last month. "I heard someone say: 'Oh my god, look at those'," the university student recalled. "I look up and I'm like, 'What the hell is that?' They looked kind of like dragonflies or little helicopters. But those are not insects." Bernard Crane saw them, too. "I'd never seen anything like it in my life," the Washington lawyer said. "I thought: 'Is that mechanical, or is that alive?' " That is just one of the questions hovering over a handful of similar sightings at political events in Washington and New York. Some suspect the insect-like drones are high-tech surveillance tools, perhaps for the Department of Homeland Security. No agency admits to having deployed insect-size spy drones, though several US Government departments say they are trying. But several federally funded teams are growing live insects with computer chips in them, with the aim of mounting spyware on their bodies. The robobugs could follow suspects, guide missiles to targets or navigate collapsed buildings to find survivors. The protesters probably saw dragonflies, said Jerry Louton, an entomologist at the National Museum of Natural History. Washington is home to some large, spectacularly adorned dragonflies that "can knock your socks off", he said. But, he added, some details do not make sense. The eyewitnesses all reported seeing at least three dragonflies manoeuvring in unison. "Dragonflies never fly in a pack," he said.
Cultural Issues
Leading surveillance societies in the EU and the World 2007 http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd%5B347%5D=x-347-559597 from the site "The 2007 International Privacy Ranking - State of Privacy Map Each year since 1997, the US-based Electronic Privacy Information Center and the UK-based Privacy International have undertaken what has now become the most comprehensive survey of global privacy ever published. The Privacy & Human Rights Report surveys developments in 70 countries, assessing the state of surveillance and privacy protection. In recent years, Parliaments throughout the world have enacted legislation intended to comprehensively increase government's reach into the private life of nearly all citizens and residents. Competing "public interest" claims on the grounds of security, law enforcement, the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration, administrative efficiency and welfare fraud have rendered the fundamental right of privacy fragile and exposed. The extent of surveillance over the lives of many people has ow reached an unprecedented level. Conversely, laws that ostensibly protect privacy and freedoms are frequently flawed – riddled with exceptions and exceptions that can allow government a free hand to intrude on private life. At the same time, technological advances, technology standards, interoperability between information systems and the globalisation of information have placed extraordinary pressure on the few remaining privacy safeguards. The effect of these developments has been to create surveillance societies that nurture hostile environments for privacy. - The 2007 rankings show an increasing trend amongst governments to archive data on the geographic, communications and financial records of all their citizens and residents. This trend leads to the conclusion that all citizens, regardless of legal status, are under suspicion. - The privacy trends have been fueled by the emergence of a profitable surveillance industry dominated by global IT companies and the creation of numerous international treaties that frequently operate outside judicial or democratic processes. - Despite political shifts in the US Congress, surveillance initiatives in the US continue to expand, affecting visitors and citizens alike.
Comment: If you are wondering where the USA ranks in personal privacy, click the link above. It's not a pretty picture.(~Miqel)
Economics
This sounds WAY too familiar ...
Two Years After Katrina, Billions in Relief Funds Are Missing http://www.alternet.org/rights/60494/ from the site: "This article is taken from the new report compiled by the Institute for Southern Studies called, "Blueprint for Gulf Renewal," giving a voice to grassroots advocates calling for greater federal accountability in the Gulf Coast rebuilding process. The report is available at: http://www.southernstudies.org/BlueprintShort.pdf. When pressed on the slow pace of recovery in the Gulf Coast, President Bush insists the federal government has fulfilled its promise to rebuild the region. The proof, he says, is in the big check the federal government signed to underwrite the recovery -- allegedly more than $116 billion. But residents of the still-devastated Gulf Coast are left wondering whether the check bounced. Even worse, less than 42 percent of the money set aside has even been spent, much less gotten to those most in need. For example: * Washington set aside $16.7 billion for Community Development Block Grants, one of the two biggest sources of rebuilding funds, especially for housing. But as of March 2007, only $1 billion -- just 6 percent -- had been spent, almost all of it in Mississippi. Following bad publicity, HUD spent another $3.8 billion on the program between March and July, leaving 70 percent of the funds still unused. * The other major source of rebuilding help was supposed to be FEMA's Public Assistance Program. But of the $8.2 billion earmarked, only $3.4 billion was meant for nonemergency projects like fixing up schools and hospitals."
Comment: Yeah, the most of the money went to bureaucratic expenses while hundreds of thousands of victims had to fend for themselves. my mom was unable to evacuate from Metarie Louisiana after Katrina. She was stuck there for over a week and then escaped to Florida. I know firsthand how sloppy and fucked up the treatment of Katrina refugees has been. My uncle lives in N.O. and says it still is like a gost town in many areas. Then there was the toxic gas in the housing trailers provided by FEMa, AND the interference by FEMA with adequate lab testing to determine the threat to occupants. This event and the aftermath will go down as one of the worst failures of FEMA and humanitarian services in U.S. history .. unless things continue to get worse. (~Miqel)
The Environment & Health
Behind the Label: Diet Coke "Far from being the healthy drink implied by its sports sponsorships, Diet Coke is a worrying cocktail of neurotoxic and potentially carcinogenic chemicals" http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=636 "Five countries – the US, the UK, Germany, Canada and Brazil – guzzle more of this supposedly healthy, sugar-free alternative to regular Coke than anywhere else in the world." Comment: DO YOU DRINK DIET SODAS? For many readers the answer is certainly yes ... I know quite a few people who are generally "hippies" who also are pretty aware of nutrition & diet, yet they still chug these diet drinks sweetened by Aspartame, Splenda and others. Ok Friends, consider a switch to Tea, herbal tea, low-sugar juice, or just plain water. It would be safer to drink nothing than to drink most colas ... which seem innocent enough right? just some sugar-water with a little color and flavorig right? here's what's up with the chemical spill rebranded as a healthy alternative to higher calorie beverages. Bah ... (~Miqel)
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UV Light Filter Kills H5N1 Bird-Flu in Ventilation Systems! http://www.swnebr.net/newspaper/cgi-bin/articles/articlearchiver.pl?160183 From the story: "This study was jointly funded by VIGILAIR Systems and a number of Wall Street based financial and insurance institutions that are concerned about the disruptive effects of a pandemic on business continuity. Independent laboratory test results show that UVGI effectively deactivated the H5N1 virus. The study tested UVGI's ability to deactivate the Vietnam strain of H5N1. This is the first time such testing has been performed on live H5N1 viruses, not surrogate microorganisms. UVGI is a potent germicide. When microorganisms are exposed to specific wavelengths and quantity of UV, the organism's genetic material is corrupted. These organisms are then unable to reproduce and are rendered harmless. VIGILAIR(R) systems are nstalled inside a building's ventilation system effectively disinfecting the air that is circulated throughout the structure. VIGILAIR(R) has achieved similar positive results when tested against SARS and anthrax" Comment: Can probably be created from WAY cheap with just a little DIY engineering and proper technical data. Build your own when it comes to your town ... especially good for people living in apartments or places with central air. (~Miqel)
**
MICROCHIP IMPLANTS CAUSE FAST-GROWING, MALIGNANT TUMORS IN LAB ANIMALS Damning research findings could spell the end of VeriChip http://www.antichips.com/press-releases/microchip-imlants-tumors.html from the site: "The tumors originated in the tissue surrounding the microchips and often grew to completely surround the devices, the researchers said. Albrecht first became aware of the microchip-cancer link when she and her "Spychips" co-author, Liz McIntyre, were contacted by a pet owner whose dog had died from a chip-induced tumor. Albrecht then found medical studies showing a causal link between microchip implants and cancer in other animals. Before she brought the research to the AP's attention, the studies had somehow escaped public notice. A four-month AP investigation turned up additional documents, several of which had been published before VeriChip's parent company, Applied Digital Solutions, sought FDA approval to market the implant for humans. "
Comment: Another good reason not to get your pet tagged with a chip. These inventions are usually pushed through the approval process with insufficient testing to demonstrate they are truly safe. When the time comes where everyone is encouraged to "get chipped" be sure to have copies of these research papers on RFID chips and cancer and find a physcian willing to support your decision not to be chipped.
***
and also ...
Mobile phones 'alter human DNA' - BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4113989.stm from the site: "Radio waves from mobile phones do harm body cells and damage DNA, a laboratory study has shown. But the European Union-funded Reflex research did not prove such changes were a risk to human health. The mobile phone industry maintains there is no scientific evidence of harmful effects from electromagnetic radiation. (well of course they are gonna say that ... duh! ~miqel) 'Precautions' The four-year Reflex study, co-ordinated by the German research group Verum, studied the effects of radiation on animal and human cells in a laboratory. They found that, after being exposed to electromagnetic fields, the cells showed a significant increase in DNA damage which could not always be repaired by the cell. Damage was also seen in the next generation of cells. Mutated cells are seen as a possible cause of cancer. The study, which has not been published in a journal, also reported other harmful effects on cells."
Comment: How many studies like this does it take to "prove" that cell phone frequencies are biologically unhealthy? This study was not yet published, but plenty of other investigations have shown similar effects. Grrrr. (~Miqel)
Mysterious events
The Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society http://www.kirchersociety.org/blog/2007/09/05/hole-punch-clouds/ "The Athanasius Kircher Society was chartered to perpetuate the spirit and sensibilities of the late Athanasius Kircher. Our interests extend to the wondrous, the curious, the singular, the esoteric, and the sometimes hazy frontier between the plausible and the implausible — anything that Father Kircher might find inspiring if he were alive today. Records of our proceedings are maintained for the public's edification."
"Athanasius Kircher (sometimes erroneously spelled Kirchner) was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine. He made an early study of Egyptian hieroglyphs. One of the first people to observe microbes through a microscope, he was thus ahead of his time in proposing that the plague was caused by an infectious microorganism and in suggesting effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Kircher has been compared to Leonardo da Vinci for his inventiveness and the breadth and depth of his work. A scientific star in his day, towards the end of his life he was eclipsed by the rationalism of René Descartes and others. In the late 20th century, however, the aesthetic qualities of his work again began to be appreciated. One scholar, Edward W. Schmidt, has called him "the last Renaissance man"
Comment: historical and modern oddities. Kinda like the Fortean Times .. but a little less wacky. Quite a cool blog with stories on weird science and unusual discoveries dating back a few centuries. Easy to get pleasantly lost for a few hours in this page. (~Miqel)
**
The Dolichocephaloids Missing Race Of Our Human Family http://www.biped.info/articles/missingrace.html Evidence outlined below indicates a distinct "race" of people becoming extinct during our Christian era. The "link" this race may represent is not to a pre-human evolutionary lineage, but rather an antediluvian (pre-last ice age) cycle of civilization."
Comments: Ever seen those weird enlongated skulls? Many such skulls have been retrieved in archaelolgical work in South America. Doubtlessly most of these 'deformities' were caused by the practice of head-binding in early age. The child wears a contraption that causes the bones adopt a different shape. However, this author asks if the origin of head binding was to emulate the look of a distinct archaic side-branch of the human species who's heads naturally grew with this enlongated conical shape, resulting in a much larger cranial capacity. .. Similar skulls and artistic representation have been found in Egypt and even China. Additionally a few skulls have beem discoevred that show absolutely no signs of deformation by binding and even a mumified unborn infant with a fully enlongated skull. The jawbones, teeth, brow ridges and bone density indicate these non-bound anomolous skulls may have genetic similarities to the Neanderthal race and small groups remained until relatively recent times. Interesting idea and I personally believe that despite this being from a website with definite religious-based & possibly creationist world-view, there is enough anecdotal evidence presented to inspire further scientific investigation or at least a re-evaluation of the existing data and artifacts, perhaps if the samples are in good shape genetic studies could be done. ~ Miqel
Random other things
Sarlo's Guru Rating Service http://www.globalserve.net/~sarlo/Ratings.htm from the site: "There are now almost 1500 teachers/gurus/masters listed. Many more will be coming! Thanks for new info go to my fellow collectors, and to many visitors and explorers of The Way. Welcome to Sarlo's Guru Rating Service, a compilation of mostly non-mainstream religious leaders whose mission/job description is basically to help us lift ourselves out of the multiple ruts of misery we find ourselves in as we live our lives. Their methods, quality and authenticity vary tremendously, as do the degree to which they encourage worship of their exalted selves and even their conceptions of our misery. What they have in common (mostly) is a kind of free-standingness, at least a semi-independence from traditional established (organised) religious structures and hierarchies, although of course there is nothing to stop them from setting up their own structures and hierarchies."
Conspiracies
"The Project For Exposure of hidden Institutions" http://www.pehi.eu/disinformation/911/pentahole_dimensions_est.htm from the site "The one thing that I think is important with conspiracy theories, is that they are not based on false assumptions, or on the selective gathering of evidence. The problem is that this is exactly what has been done with the Pentagon crash. And not just a little, it has been taken to the extreme. The important Pentagon related questions had already been raised right after 9/11. The thing left to do here is to get testimony from the people who know more about the 9/11 event, while at the same time making sure the truth movement A) gains momentum B) doesn't derail itself into bogus issues. Although, I have to admit, even after many hours of research over several years, the only conclusion I'm willing to make these days about 9/11 is that nobody really knows what happened."
Comments: BRAVO! A 911 truther who is actually willing to ADMIT the truth .. that nobody knows exactly what happened, and the movement should be about collecting legitimate evidence and not simply pointing fingers based wild on assumptions and selective presentation of data. There has to be some kind of research methodology to get to any real answers, Loose Change is a great example of how easy it is to fool people with a good presentation, chart-topping film - but full of blatant oversimplifications, omissions and easily disproven ideas presented as "fact". This page is about clearing up some prevelant myths & disinfo in the "911 Truth" movement concerning the Pentagon flight 77 and claims that it was a missle of some type and NOT a jet which crashed into the building. Scholary and raitional presentation based on a bit less sensationalistic and speculative examination of the available data. (~Miqel)
E. Howard Hunt - Nixon henchman confesses to JFK Murder involvement. Major Fuckin Story here! fron RS: "He was the ultimate keeper of secrets, lurking in the shadows of American history. He toppled banana republics, planned the Bay of Pigs invasion and led the Watergate break-in. Now he would reveal what he'd always kept hidden: who killed JFK" http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13893143/the_last_confessions_of_e_howard_hunt and documentation on who Hunt was at this link ... Complete Info on Clandestine Activities from Court Records and Congressional Investigations. http://www.ajweberman.com/nodules2/nodulec22.htm
Comments: Last Year Rollong Stone was the first to break the story that one of the infamous Watergate burgulary operatives & CIA agent Howard Hunt had made a deathbed confession on tape in an signed statements in 2003 when he was very ill. However he got better and asked his son to put the documents away until after his passing. LAter when he was about to die he gave his son permission to release the information on his role in and foreknowledge of the assasination plot against JFK. His version is much like the other recent revelations .. basically that a covert group (operation 40) set up to invade Cuba turned on Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs incident (a backfired attempt to kill Castro and launch a counter coup in Cuba) and the CIA controlled Cuban exiles in collaboration with members of the Chicago and New Orleans Mob were the ones that planned and carried out the hit. in this version, much of the cover-up was not due to direct massive conspiracy control, but was a carefully orchestrated self-censoring part of the plan. Oswald was CIA controlled and had been set-up to take the blame, he'd recently traveled to Mexico and spoken with a russian agent skilled in political assasinations. Therefore, Oswald was guranteed to be called a 'lone nut' and gotten rid of quickly, because the military, CIA and Whitehouse didn't want the public perception to be that Kennedy was killed by a russian agent, which could have caused a nuclear war because of deep international tensions at that time. So they guranteed that even agencies not aware of or not participating in the hit would be obliged to not release various crucial details. (~Miqel)
911 Unsolved Anthrax Attacks - NEW INFO Anthrax Coverup: A Government Insider Speaks Out http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24273 "Francis A. Boyle, an international law expert who worked under the first Bush Administration as a bioweapons advisor in the 1980s, has said that he is convinced the October 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people were perpetrated and covered up by criminal elements of the U.S. government. The motive: to foment a police state by killing off and intimidating opposition to post-9/11 legislation such as the USA PATRIOT Act and the later Military Commissions Act."
Comment: This is one major completely unsolved thread in the 911 narative which really seems to indicate someone in the military industrial biowarfare sector was taking advantage of the 911 chaos to drive up the fear-level even higher and blame it on arab terrorists, specifically Iraq - which we now know had No WMD. Apparently to hasten the public approval of draconian laws and the creation of DHS, etc. So, who was prepared with the anthrax already generated immediately after 911 (indicating possible foreknowledge of the 911 plot) with a plan to send this stuff out and help incite action against Iraq? I dunno ... but we all know who was pushing to go into Iraq from the first day ... primarily Cheney, Bush, Wolfowitz, Pearle and Rumsfield. (~Miqel)
***
Bonus Link: The stupidest 911 truth website i've ever seen!! Moron thinks the plane crash videos in NYC were faked. Seriously, this is a new low in stupidity.
from Killtown's Blogspot profile info - "Interests: Being a thorn in the side of the New World Order."
My Comment: Yeah right KT ... I'm sure the NWO is really worried about your stupid blog and thoroughly uninformed 'analysis' of these videos. You've really got 'em running scared bro! Jeezus! Fucking morons. Sure there IS a conspiracy ... and it has made a lot of people into dumbasses who will believe virtually anything. UFOs are real too, but most UFO websites seem to focus on the most sensational and unprovable claims - same goes for the majority of 911 truth sites. (~Miqel)
SICK of pointless circular debates about controlled demolitions, missles and fake planes? Here's one (of the few) websites that is actually well researched and names individuals involved, Daniel Hopsicker - Venice Fla. and the 911 cover-up - http://www.madcowprod.com/09062006.html
Metaphysics/Occult
About 90 hours(!) of MP3 Lectures by Sound Yogi Kirpal Singh
Comment: Online Rosicrucian book, full set of 27 pages in high resolution! (~Miqel)
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Grant Wallace - Metaphysical/Occult Artist and Researcher (1868 -1955) I posted a few images into a gallery on miqel.com from the available works of Grant Wallace. miqel.com/visionary_art/grant_wallace_visionary_art.html Can anyone with a scholarly level of understanding of OCCULT NUMEROLOGY, Codes, Occult Terminology and Sacred Geometry recognize any particular contemporary influences in his work? I'm seeing an amazing amount of intellect and inspiration in his work, but the influences & methods are pretty arcane. Kaballah? Theosophy? Alchemy? None seem to be an exact fit, possibly he was working on genuinely new systems. i'm not competent to fully evaluate it, but write me if you have any answers.(~Miqel)
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Laffoley Posters Are Here ... after 38 Years! THANATON III & DIMENSIONALITY!
YES .... They are still available! All Poster Sales will Support the Production of Paul Laffoley's Catalogue Raisonne, a book of his Complete Paintings and Writings in print and DVD format Expected release date, sometime in 2008; In 4 sections • Early Works, • Works prior to 1990, • The Time of the Bauharoque: 2000-2099, •The Journal
So ... basically if you really want to see ALL of Paul Laffoley's works released in a large format book, in as short a time as possible,the best way to make that happen is to get these first-ever posters
Here they are! Hanging in my room ... I have been waiting like 15 years for these to exist!!! It was worth the wait, these ROCK!
You can Order Online Now
Each Poster is $30.00 plus $15.00 For Tube shipping (these are HUGE posters)
Support Paul's work, treat yourself to an artifact from the future and get a reproduction of an Alien Dimensional Portal - OR - an Index/Chart of the Full Spectrum of Spiritual and Material experience of Dimensionality!
quoting from the site: "The mission of the sect was to "draw men from the study of material effects which has so far occupied the exclusive attention of scientists, and to direct them to the study of cause, force, vibration, and the unseen." The resulting advancement would "transmute the scientist into a Magus" and lead to contact with the inhabitants of other planets. This sect is an interesting precursor to the various movements and metaphysical groups that are active today. "All the centers under the direction of this order have certain definite teachings and methods of development. The basic principles are: 1. The universe is one, therefore, all are united in universal brotherhood. 2. The existence of a supreme Deity. 3. Man is a spiritual being, and as such is responsible for his actions. Principles of Development 1. The ascendancy of the spiritual man. 2. The development of the individuality or soul nature. 3. The entire submission of the personality, or man of emotion and desires, to the higher nature. 4. The cultivation of the will and its practice in the daily life in harmony with the Divine will. 5. Nonresistance of the law of love. 6. The realization of positive thought force and the rejection of the negative states of fear, doubt, and morbidity. 7. The strict accomplishment of all the duties of the daily life without any thought of reward, leaving the results to the Divine. 8. The order does not teach or indorse [sic] hypnotism, spiritism, or any negative, psychic practices, but teaches and points out their dangers."
Comment: I found this after seeing her groups name in Jacques Valee's book, 'The Invisible College'. Yet ANOTHER small off-branching of Freemasonic and Theosophical (and what would now be called 'new age' ) groups flourishing among the elite in the turn of the last century. All sharing a common fascination with semi-occult rituals, highly speculative ideas on egyptology and atlantis, esoteric & syncretic symbolism, interest in merging occidental and oriental spiritual ideas, and, of course, grand sounding titles such as SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL of the SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTORS GENERAL of the 33rd and last degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite of Freemasonry. Not much is new ... the same hopes and aspirations are expressed in each generation, and each time we get a wee-bit closer to a genuine understanding of the fifth dimensional 'cosmourbanomic'(Laffoley's term) realm. ~Miqel
** on a similar topic ....
Crowley's false Fremasonic credentials:
In the 1800 there were dozens (probably more) of small groups claiming illustrious freemasonic status and offering courses in initiation, but which were not considered to be legitimate by the "actual" organization of Masonic lodges. Many of these people believed they belonged to actual 'recognized' masonic lodges and were pissed when they found their masonic status was not recognized by any masons other than the small lodge they joined and paid dues to. Either by accident or by design it appears that the famously title-hoarding Aliester Crowley fell victim to the same type of scam he later pulled on others. I.E. Selling bogus degrees and initiations claiming not-actually-existent occult heritage. See "The Golden Dawn: A Documentary History" for original GD and OTO documents showing forged names on -original- membership rolls. Private letters betwen Mathers, Crowley, Reuss & others where one learns that their German Illuminati connections were completely fabricated, and thus the very core foundation on which they based all their subsequent authority to invent and sell G:.D:. degrees and titles was purely fictional. Like "Bob" Dobbs ... perfect! Except they didn't let anyone else in on the joke ... ~Miqel
Letter from the Supreme Council of Freemasonry about Crowley's supposed status in the Masonic Order
( Seal of the 33rd Degree) THE SUPREME COUNCIL 33~ of the Ancient & Accepted Rite 10 Duke Street For England and Wales St. James and all provinces in the London United Kingdoms SWN 668 Telephone - (omitted) Telegrams and Cablegrams should be addressed to: Our ref:2413
Ill.^. Bro. R. Noone 32~ (address omitted) U.S.A.
Dear and Illustrious Brother Noone, I acknowledge your letter regarding Crowley and Yarker.
I can only tell you that John Yarker was expelled from this Order on the 30th November, 1870. From this it would follow that any degrees purported to be conferred by him were clandestine and irregular.
Yours sincerely and fraternally,
/S/_________________________ Grand Secretary General 33~ A.^.A.^.
2. Text of Clandestine "33rd Degree Patent" which Crowley purchased in 1910, from JOHN YARKER's Degree Mill.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++start+++++++++++++++++++ T. T. G. O. T. S. A. O. T. U. DEUS MEUMQUE JUS SPES MEA IN DEO EST | ( Great Seal ) SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE OF THE ROYAL SECRET |POST PUISSANT SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTORS GENERAL of the 33rd AND LAST DEGREE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE OF MASONRY H.R.D.M. R.M.S.H. SITTING IN THE VALLEY OF MANCHESTER PEACE - TOLERANCE - TRUTH
From the East of the SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL of the SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTORS GENERAL of the 33rd and last degree of the Ancient and Accepted Rite of Freemasonry in and for Great Britan and Ireland under G.L. near the D.B. coresponding to 53', 25" N. Latitude 2', 3" West Meridian of Greenwich.
To all Illustrious, Ineffable and Sublime Freemasons of every degree Around and [unclear] over the surface of the Globe, Greetings:
HEALTH - PROSPERITY - FRATERNITY
KNOW YE - That the undersigned Sovereign Grand Inspectors General do hereby certify and proclaim, our Illustrious Brother ALEISTER CROWLEY of *London*,to be an Excellent Master Mason, Secret Master, Royal Master, Intimate Secretary,Provost and Judge,Intendant of the Building,Elect of Nine, Elect of Fifteen, Sublime Knight Elected, Grand Master Archetect, Ancient Master of the Royal Arch, Grand Elect Perfect and Sublime Mason, Knight of the Temple, Prince of Jerusalem, Knight of the East and West, Knight Rose Croix of Heredom, Grand Pontiff, Master ad Vitam, Patriarch Noachite, Prince of Libanus, Chief of the Tabernacle, Prince of the Tabernacle, Knight of the Brazen Serpant, Prince of Mercy, Commander of the Temple, Knight of the Sun, Knight of Saint Andrew, Grand Elect Knight Kadosh, Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander, Prince of the Royal Secret, Most Puissant Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the 33rd and Last Degree.
WE ALSO COMMAND: All the Knights, Princes and Sublime Masons under our Jurisdiction and we pray all other MASONS over the Surface Of The Globe, to Welcome and Honor Him as a SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTOR GENERAL, and to give credit to these LETTERS PATENT, we have caused to be signed in the margin by our said Illustrious Bro. ALEISTER CROWLEY, that they admit no other than himself.
Signed and Delivered by us SOVEREIGN GRAND INSPECTORS GENERAL of The 33rd and Last Degree with the Seal of our said SUPREME COUNCIL affixed in the Valley of Manchester this 29th day of the 11th month |A.M. 5071 coresponding to the 29th November, A.D. 1910.
| +--------------+ +------------+ | /S/_________________________ | Ancient & (SEAL) | {*} John Yarker 33~ Accepted M.P.S. Gr. Comm. of England | Scottish Rite (SEAL) | +--------------+ +------------+ | (Foil Embossed) (Rubber Stamp)
/S/__________________________ /S/_____________________________ {*} Rich Higham 33~ {*} Edward Yarker 33~ M.W. Chancellor of England W.^.Gr.^. Secretary of England
RATIFIED AND CONFIRMED
/S/___________________________ {*} John Yarker 33~ M.^.P.^.S.^.Gr.^.of Gt. Britan & Ireland
/S/______________________________ /S/__________________________________ {*} Rich Higham 33~ {*} Edward Yarker 33~ M.W. Chancellor of G.^.B.^.& I.^. W.^.Gr.^. Secretary of G.^.B.^.& I.^.
(Letter from Legitimate 33rd Degree Masons continues ...) .. The preceeding Masonic patent (called erroniously a diploma, in the illustrations to Crowley's "Confessions" ed. by Symonds & Grant) can be found in the aforesaid book, now out of print. Bear in mind that document 1 (letter to Ill.^.Bro. Noone) the Grand Lodge of England's records show that John Yarker was thrown out of the Masonic Fraternity in 1870. Fourty years later, (1910) we find that he is selling copies of HIS 33rd Degree Patent to anyone he can collect a fee from. This is one reason for the laborious and sloppy printing that can be seen in the original document_
* NOTES & such *
We should take note of the following unusual factors:
a. The document has been obviously altered, in several ways. Upon examination of a reproduction of the original it will be immediately obvious where these alteration occurs,due to the fact that where the original was done in beautiful calligraphic script, the copy which John Yarker altered has the altered sections done in rather sloppy laborious hand printing.
The major altered section is in the middle of the body of text, wherin it is impossible to tell what was originally there, but it was obviously altered to list each and every one of the 32 degrees of the "Scottish Rite" of Freemasonry.
The obvious reason for this, is that John Yarker's "degree mill" sold the 33rd degree "patents" to men who did not possess any of the legitimate degrees of Freemasonry. So to confir the 33rd (supposed) degree on some unqualified individual, it was first necessary to make some rationalization for the problem that the supposed "Mason" didn't possess the necessary 32nd degree, as well as the preceeding degrees, including the basic qualification of being a Master Mason.
So it was a simple matter to alter the certificate to give the individual all of the necessary qualifying degrees at one time. We can only guess that John Yarker added an extra fee for this service.
b. The next thing that a qualified expert on Masonry would notice is that the "patent" has been signed and the 33rd degree "Cross of Salem" caligraphed NO LESS THAN six times. However upon closer examination it is seen that only three individuals signed the paper, each of them signing it in TWO different places, with TWO different titles. MOREOVER, one of the individual signers is one EDWARD YARKER who was, I believe,a brother of John Yarker.(Or son, this is unclear)
So it becomes more obvious with examination, that the supposed "SUPREME COUNCIL" was in reality a cottage industry, wherein the aforementioned John Yarker and his whole family was involved in the pretended "Masonic Body" which really was a "Degree Mill" ie., a money-making scheme of the lowest and most base effort imaginable. Yours sincerely and fraternally,
/S/_________________________ Grand Secretary General 33~ A.^.A.^.
Comment: BTW, The letter above is the pissed off 'actual grand masters' discussing the issue, but Yarker and Crowley are given a slightly more respectful and balanced assessment in these links from the website of the Freemasonic Grand Lodge of British Columbia. (~Miqel) On Yarker http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/esoterica/yarker_j/yarker_j.html
On "Irregular"(fake or corrupt) and "Clandestine" Masons (not paying dues to or recognized by the unified Grand Lodges.)' + Other new-age groups claiming Masonic affiliation. http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/esoterica/index.html
Super massive archive of historical and scholarly research on the G:.D:. and OTO and palz!!!!! The Ordo Templi Orientis Phenomenon - A Research Project done by Peter-R. Koenig http://user.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/hallo.htm
Comment on the Koenig Research site and Reuss Essay: All OTO, G:.D:. and associates interested in the historical source-documented & less mythologized backstory on the social and fraternal scene at the turn of the century in relation to Mathers, Crowley, Reuss etc. should be familiar with this essay. It is based on exhaustive research & presents enough detailed information to be of use in further studies. (~Miqel)
____________________ End of Miqel.com 2007 Links & Backlogged Stories Part I _____________________
Bulletin Hoax List & Myspace Hacks V2.0
Current mood: determined
From Miqel To all MySpace users who are interested in accurate information and using Myspace Bulletins as a viable news spreading system:
PRIMARY REALIZATION / CONSIDERATION: Think about this, If a fake or misleading bulletin is posted and reposted and just 200 people each spend 10 minutes reading it, that = 33.3 hours or 2000 total cumulative minutes you ha
Astronomers Find Gaping Hole In The Universe 
"At the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology (LINV), about seven miles outside Florence, Italy, Mancuso and his team of nine work to debunk the myth that plants are low-life. Research at the modern building combines physiology, ecology and molecular biology.
The Milky Way is the blue spiral, the dwarf galaxy is the red stream, and the Sun's position is marked by the yellow dot (in pic at top). See how the dwarf galaxy is tilted with respect to the Milky Way? That means that all the stars from that galaxy are orbiting the Milky Way at that angle. So if the Sun came from the dwarf, we'd be orbiting the Milky Way at that angle ourselves! We're not.
Scientists in Taiwan say they have bred three pigs that "glow in the dark". 
MagneBlocks-- are the leading educational magnetic construction toy that challenges 
Consumer Ratings:
Mary Ferrell Foundation JFK Assassination Records Archive
Mr Baker said: 'It is one of the things that makes me think Dr Kelly was murdered. 'The angle you pick up a knife to kill yourself – there would be fingerprints. Someone who wanted to kill himself wouldn't go to the lengths of wiping the knife clean of fingerprints. 'And wearing gloves would seem very odd when you are about to cut your own wrists. It is very strange.'
MRSA Superbug More Prevalent Than First Thought - New Survey
The clay has a similar effect on other deadly bacteria tested, including salmonella, E. coli, and a flesh-eating disease called buruli, a relative of leprosy which disfigures children across central and western Africa. It has been classed as "an emerging public health threat" by the World Health Organization (WHO).
PHYSIOLOGY
GETTING DIRTY IS HEALTHY, CURES DEPRESSION
stoked
In 2007 I saved hundred of links to interesting stuff I found online, for eventual use in postings on Miqel.com. However i never seemed to "have time" or the psychic energy necessary to get these up on my site with commentary. I also have a growing list of links i've saved in 2008, but first things first. Here are a couple dozen articles, images, ideas, discoveries and mysteries I noticed in 2007, many of which might be interesting to mutants, futants, neophiles, weirdos (and even 'normals') of all types.
As an artist it's not really in my nature to promote 'myself', I just like to do the work I do without becoming yet another ad. but perhaps i can look at it as promoting not 'self' but a set of intellectual attributes and skills which I an willing to engage in a financial exchange ... so
I LOVE the YETI - 
City of TOMORROW
"Everything we thought we knew about X-ray images of the Sun is now out of date," says Leon Golub from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. "We've seen many new and unexpected things. For that reason alone, the mission is already a success."
"This is a 2-dimensional projection of a E8, a 248-dimensional object seen here simplified into only 8-dimensions to help preserve sanity. Essentially, if I understand it correctly, it's like a 2-D shadow of a 248-D sphere, an object so symmetrical you could theoretically rotate it in any direction in up to 248 dimensions and it still appear the same" 
"Scientists call it the naked photo test, and it works like this:
"Six ways to increase intelligence"
The Washington Post: US agencies are staying tight-lipped about robobug research, writes Rick Weiss.
In recent years, Parliaments throughout the world have enacted legislation intended to comprehensively increase government's reach into the private life of nearly all citizens and residents. Competing "public interest" claims on the grounds of security, law enforcement, the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration, administrative efficiency and welfare fraud have rendered the fundamental right of privacy fragile and exposed. The extent of surveillance over the lives of many people has ow reached an unprecedented level. Conversely, laws that ostensibly protect privacy and freedoms are frequently flawed – riddled with exceptions and exceptions that can allow government a free hand to intrude on private life.
Albrecht first became aware of the microchip-cancer link when she and her "Spychips" co-author, Liz McIntyre, were contacted by a pet owner whose dog had died from a chip-induced tumor. Albrecht then found medical studies showing a causal link between microchip implants and cancer in other animals. Before she brought the research to the AP's attention, the studies had somehow escaped public notice.
The four-year Reflex study, co-ordinated by the German research group Verum, studied the effects of radiation on animal and human cells in a laboratory. They found that, after being exposed to electromagnetic fields, the cells showed a significant increase in DNA damage which could not always be repaired by the cell. 
"Athanasius Kircher (sometimes erroneously spelled Kirchner) was a 17th century German Jesuit scholar who published around 40 works, most notably in the fields of oriental studies, geology, and medicine. He made an early study of Egyptian hieroglyphs. One of the first people to observe microbes through a microscope, he was thus ahead of his time in proposing that the plague was caused by an infectious microorganism and in suggesting effective measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
"The one thing that I think is important with conspiracy theories, is that they are not based on false assumptions, or on the selective gathering of evidence. The problem is that this is exactly what has been done with the Pentagon crash. And not just a little, it has been taken to the extreme.
in this version, much of the cover-up was not due to direct massive conspiracy control, but was a carefully orchestrated self-censoring part of the plan. Oswald was CIA controlled and had been set-up to take the blame, he'd recently traveled to Mexico and spoken with a russian agent skilled in political assasinations. Therefore, Oswald was guranteed to be called a 'lone nut' and gotten rid of quickly, because the military, CIA and Whitehouse didn't want the public perception to be that Kennedy was killed by a russian agent, which could have caused a nuclear war because of deep international tensions at that time. So they guranteed that even agencies not aware of or not participating in the hit would be obliged to not release various crucial details. (~Miqel) 
How NOT to Fake Plane Crash - by Killtown 
About 90 hours(!) of MP3 Lectures by Sound Yogi Kirpal Singh
quoting from the site: "The mission of the sect was to "draw men from the study of material effects which has so far occupied the exclusive attention of scientists, and to direct them to the study of cause, force, vibration, and the unseen." The
In the 1800 there were dozens (probably more) of small groups claiming illustrious freemasonic status and offering courses in initiation, but which were not considered to be legitimate by the "actual" organization of Masonic lodges. Many of these people believed they belonged to actual 'recognized' masonic lodges and were pissed when they found their masonic status was not recognized by any masons other than the small lodge they joined and paid dues to.
determined
From Miqel