Crows are restless today
flying omens
in the sky

They will bring another life
stained in red and green
this morning
when the shadows grow

It is too warm for death
is it too cold for love
how fortunate are those
who are like hard-wooded trees

It is the hunter's season
time of the strong bow
brittle iron
and giant of the arrow

In these Northern fields
the way of breathing is icy
and like a Finnish birch
the Wizard hurls the winds
into the sky

He sings forth the future
humming silently within
touching the Holy
until there is
only this secret place

This narrow path
among the trees
far beyond the tumult
of the ruined world

Now sing
until you see
until you
find your way here

Grocery Street
First thing interesting I found was a covered grocery market, something like our sunday Bazar... only much smaller and much neater. Everything so clean, vegetables so fresh and colored. There was also fish (but no smell, i really wonder how they managed that). The whole street was covered with fiber glass roof so there was no sun disturbing the shopers which were very less this early in the morning.

Odin Park
Next within the vicinity I stumbled upon a great location, which I later found out was called "Odin Park". Following is the map of my route:

Red circle is residence
Yellow line is my route
Purple is Grocery street
Green is Odin Park

Odin park's main feature is that it is actually a wide green belt converted into a park. It has greenery, fountains and even the subway entrance within the park. Later I realized that this is the entrance I will be using everyday to goto office. you can find the time mentioned on above map of different locations matched to the video below... the video which I aptly title:

"Godzilla (me) in Odin Park"

Watch video

After having my first taste of Japan, I returned home to wait for my colleague to wake up, so that we may go on a longer expedition.

Automotive journalists aren't ever supposed to say something like this, so lean in close: maybe you shouldn't buy a new car right now.

What? With gas prices spiking, shouldn't you be looking to trade down for something more fuel-efficient? Shouldn't you consider that $2.99 gas guarantee Chrysler keeps advertising? We've all seen the stories about record low auto sales this year. Isn't this a buyer's market?
More from U.S. News & World Report

» Best and Worst Budget Cars

» Cars That Save You at the Pump

Well, yes. Those are all reasonable arguments. But you still might not want to buy a new car. Hold onto what you have for as long as possible -- and if you absolutely must replace your daily driver, lease a new car while you still can. It could make a lot more sense to buy in a few years than to buy now, and a good lease on a 2009 could give you the freedom to do that.

[tag]test, prover[/tag]

Odin: Starlight Mutiny is the most boring movie I have ever seen. It is quite possibly the most boring movie ever made. Which is why you should never, ever see it watch it immediately.

The basic premise of Odin is that mankind has voyaged out into space aboard... sailing ships. Space sailing ships powered by lasers. I know what you're thinking, how could such a brilliant premise go wrong? Well it does. Magnificently wrong.

Three minutes into the film things are kicked into high gear with a track called "Gotta Fight" from Loudness, an 80s Japanese hair metal band. GO! shouts Loudness and the crew of the spaceship Starlight does just that. As Loudness jams in the background the guys board their ship at a run, faces illuminated by flashing strobe lights. For some reason (perhaps they can feel the music rocking their souls) they are so stoked that they whoop and high five each other like idiots the whole time. The sad thing is that this hilariously bad opening is the best - no, the only - enjoyable thing about Odin. 

But let me backtrack a little. There's a lot of bad anime out there so why should you care about one bad movie? 

A little history might help. Odin comes from the mind of the infamous Yoshinobu Nishizaki, original creator and producer of the influential 70s space opera Space Battleship Yamato. However Yamato would have been nothing without manga artist Leiji Matsumoto who directed the show and greatly influenced everything about it, even coming up with the iconic battleship Yamato flying through space. Of course that didn't stop Nishizaki from claiming it as his own and milking the series for all it was worth. 

The thing about Odin is that Nishizaki obviously thought it was going to be some kind of masterpiece. And he was right, but for all the wrong reasons. I do have to admit that the art and animation is quite nice (and very 80s) but this wasted potential just makes it an even more painful experience.

The characters in Odin are so flat that I couldn't give a shit about any of them. The main character is Akira Tsukuba who failed the exam to get on the Starlight but is let on anyway because "he could be good for a laugh". The Starlight is on a historic flight, the first time they don't have to use those silly lasers to travel, when it responds to a distress call from another spaceship... and by "respond" I mean we have to watch the whole flight in real-time. They spend 10 minutes doing nothing but flipping switches and talking about gravity until the Captain says "what we need for this test is guts, not data!". Dammit, why didn't he say that earlier?

When the crew finally gets there they find a survivor named Sara Cyanbaker who can only remember one thing: Odin is calling her. The funniest scene in the film is when they force Sara to read an alien log from a nearby spaceship. This causes Sara great pain, probably because she just realized that the rest of the film's "plot" is one long, interminable search for a planet paradise called Odin. Naturally she starts screaming:

Except the Japanese pronunciation is ODEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN! I was half asleep at this point (only 27 minutes in) but I woke up enough to rewind and hear it a few more times. Sadly this was the last good thing to happen in Odin.

After that Akira mutinies against the Captain because he's a young hothead who wants to search for Odin. The funniest thing about the mutiny is not that the hair metal starts playing again or that a whole bunch of people are killed by aliens because of it, no the funniest thing is that secretly the Captain wanted them to mutiny. This is because in his heart he wants to explore space but his better judgement overrules him. Basically it's the worst mutiny ever, especially when the Captain doesn't even hold Akira responsible.

The rest of the movie is one indescribably dull search for Odin. You wouldn't think that it could be boring considering there are space fights and aliens in robot suits but it is... Oh it is. I took notes while I watched just to stay awake. To impress upon you how bad Odin really is here are a few excerpts:

44:36 They can't do a damn thing without the Captain. Oh God, they're going topside to manually control the sails. WHY. WHAT DO SAILS IN SPACE DO?

48:00 48 minutes in and let's be honest here, NOTHING has happened. Oh wait... they're warping again. Cue the bad music and glowing red ship. My eyes are starting to close... I must not give in.

01:14 I swear if I hear "Odeen" one more time I'm going to kill something.

01:16 The bad references to Norse mythology just don't stop. Now the evil computer is Belgel, codename ASGARD 9.

It doesn't really matter what happens after that. If you want to find out watch it for yourself but I can guarantee that by then you won't care.

After the credits finally rolled I felt like I'd been watching Odin for centuries. Could this be an intentional representation of the never-ending search for Odin? I wouldn't put it past Nishizaki. Yet the frightening thing is that I bought U.S. Manga Corps' release which is only 96 minutes. The full version is 43 painful minutes longer, clocking in at about two hours and 20 minutes. I really don't know if I'd have been able to last through that but if you think you can, look for the original 1999 release.

The one great thing about the real version is that it has an amazingly bad Loudness music video at the end. They croon "Searching for Odin, my love!" over and over ad nauseam. 

After finishing Odin I had to ask myself why I didn't just turn it off halfway through. It was partly because it was Nishizaki, partly because I'd actually paid money for it and partly because damn it all, I said I was going to finish it and I did (I'm trying not to think about the fact that I wimped out and only watched the edited version). However the main reason is that I heard about Odin half a year ago over at AWO Podcast and their review stuck in my mind so much that I knew I had to pick it up. So go over there and listen to their show, they are infinitely funnier and more knowledgeable about everything than I am.

I recommend Odin to anyone who 1. is a masochist 2. wants to get a taste of Nishizaki's genius or 3. wants to find out the real meaning of the word "bad". If you watch this, the next time somebody tells you that a show sucks you'll know that it may be bad but it could never be worse than Odin.

Runes. Runes. Runes. What are they? How should you use them?

The Runes have been around since time immemorial. In recent history (the past 2000 years) they have surfaced three times in the affairs of man. The first time was about 1000 years ago when the Vikings held sway in the world. They took them on their Dragon Long Ships and left traces of them on stones and monuments throughout the world.

They rose are again in Germany at the turn 20th Century and Guido Von List and other German Mystics once more empowered them.

Now they are making another resurgence throughout the world. They have been used to write, to divine, to encrypt graves and tombstones, to bless ships, to empower weapons and to perform magic.

But what are they? They are symbols, keys to the Universal Creative Energies. They are energies that can be attracted and projected without any regard to distance or time. They can be used to recreate your life.

The Age of Aquarius, which we have just entered, has given us the Laws of Quantum Physics. These laws prove that the Runes are energies and can be used to better your life.

Simply stated the Laws of Quantum Physics tell us that there exists an infinite Ocean of thinking, intelligent energy called the Quantum Ocean. Spiritually it is the Mind of the Creator God. The God who created all other Gods. There is no time nor space in the Quantum Ocean only the HERE-NOW.

Everything that ever was, is or will be contained within the Quantum Ocean the Runes are there and have always been there.

The Quantum Ocean responds to our thoughts and symbols. What ever you think or what ever symbol you use connects you directly to the corresponding Energy in the Quantum Ocean..

Therefore Runes are symbols for the Creative Energies of the Universe contained in the Quantum Ocean.

To begin meditate on each of the 18 Runes of the Armanen Futhark. In this way you will attract the energies of the Runes into your Aura. Whatever energies you carry in your Aura attracts your life to you.

Do not be concerned at this time with Rune History, Rune Mythology, Rune Monuments, etc. Get the Rune energy inside of you. Take one Rune a day and look and meditate on it for 15 minutes. Only be concerned with one Key Word per Rune, so you will know exactly what energies you are attracting into your Aura.

Now Begin. Rune FA - Wealth; Rune UR - Health; Thorn - Protection; Os - Wisdom; Rit - Intuitions; KA - Creativity; Hagal - Universe; Not - Karma; Is - Self; Ar - Honor; Sig - Victory; Tyr - Courage; Bar - Birth; Laf - Law; Man - Masculinity; Yr - Femininity; Eh - Marriage; Gibor – God. The trip of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing.

To see more of his writings visit his websites.

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

and

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

and

http://www.radionics-quantum-physics.com/

Or go to goggle and type in his pen name RAGNAR STORYTELLER for his listings. He is also a ghost writer and will write and article for you. Email Ragnar for his FREE 10 PART MINI-COURSE, "How-To use Quantum Physics in Your Every Day Life to Attract More Wealth, Health and Love, Now."

You can contact him at:

ragnarstoryteller2@gmail.com

]]> http://positiveleo.wordpress.com/?p=870 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:04:54 +0000 Rebecca http://positiveleo.wordpress.com/?p=870 [caption id="attachment_869" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="East Hartford Police Officers and their award-winning K-9s, from left: David Rhoades and Charlie Brown, Stephen Gross and Odin, Todd Mona and Primo, and John Zavalick and Axel. "][/caption]

When the East Hartford Town Council and Mayor Melody Currey decided to honor the police department's K-9 unit for their outstanding performance during the recent state K-9 Olympics, they couldn't imagine that the first place winner in the competition would show up in bandages.

Yet danger is part and parcel of a public safety team member's life. Only a concerted effort and a lot of luck that helped officer Steven Grossi's partner Odin avoid the worse.

"We were tracking robbery suspects, and we ended up going into the woods, and we ended up with him catching his leg in ... I think it was glass, but could have been some type of debris," Grossi recalled, just before the start of the ceremony. "He got an artery cut, and he was bleeding really bad," he said. "When I saw the bleeding - actually Jay Cohen pointed it out to me - I picked him up, carried him to the car - I have a First Aid bag that I keep in my car - I took a compress and pressed it on the wound."

But not even that could stanch the blood, Grossi said, and the two officers and Odin ended up in Bolton Veterinary Hospital, with Cohen driving the car as fast as he could, and Grossi holding his wounded partner, where the doctors were able to stitch up the hole.

"They did wonders for him and got right in there and sewed him right up, and took care of him," Grossi said. "But then they thought he was going to go into shock, [because of the blood loss,] but he pulled through. I was a little nervous, but he's going to be fine." It was only one more day in the life of one of the oldest and more successful K9 units in the state, which made even more appropriate the high praise the mayor and the Council heaped on the team.

And when town council chairman Richard Kehoe read a proclamation extending "sincere congratulations to the Officer/Canine teams John Zavalick and Axel, Stephen Grossi and Odin, and Todd Mona and Primo on their tremendous effort at the K-9 Olympics" and congratulating the entire East Hartford K-9 squad for their hard work and dedication throughout the year, the audience's applause was long, warm, and sincere.

A separate proclamation honored Officer Todd Mona and his K9 partner, Primo, who in their first year of partnership achieved a long list of finds and apprehensions - among them tracking suspects in an armed robbery/kidnapping, tracking a suspect with felony warrants who violently resisted arrest, apprehending suspects involved in the beating of three tow truck operators, tracking suspects in several home burglaries, and even helping Manchester Police tracking down suspects involved in an armed robbery.

The team was honored with the state-wide "Daniel Wasson Memorial Canine Award" that has been established by the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, and is named after a Milford K9 police officer who fell in the line of duty.

Not all K9 teams are though involved in tracking and apprehension work, and officer David Rhoades presented another valuable member of the police department that e work that plays a very important role in keeping the citizens of Connecticut and and visitors to the state safe: his own partner K9 Charlie Brown, who as a Labrador is particularly apt in sniffing out danger, and as a member of the regional bomb squad recently secured the site where Senator Obama gave his speech in Hartford, during the recent Democratic primaries.

Still, pointed out John Zavalick, "We couldn't do that without a support system," Zavalick explained. "Our families - number one. You know the dogs ruin our houses," he explained to general laughter.

"And we certainly couldn't do it without the support of our K9 unit, and that is run by lieutenant Todd Hanlon, ... who reaches to us all the time: 'Whatever you guys need.'"

During the entire length of the ceremony it was evident how highly the officers of the K9 unit and their four-legged partners were regarded by both town officials and the members of the public that were present, and every council member present offered his or her own praise, all of them drawing a lot of applause.

But it was newly elected state representative Jason Rojas who had a particularly poignant message for the officers.

"When I leave my family, every morning, they can be relatively sure I will be safe in my little air-conditioned office, while officers like you get up every day and go to your jobs, and your families have to worry about you come home at the end of your shifts. I thank you for all of your service."

"You are an outstanding group of men and we thank you from the bottom of our heart," added East Hartford Mayor Melody Currey, expressing the general sentiment in Town Hall Chambers Tuesday night.

Link

Presto il diario di quest'ennesimo viaggio.

The conversation began as any conversation - and lasted for a long time about secret organizations, and what Wicca would have become if all of its secrets had not been leaked.  What if we had a way to exert control over the imposters?  An interesting concept, to say the least.

But then it led to me finally asking my high priest:  Who taught you?  Who taught them?  At first, he did begin to delve into our "physical" religious history.  He told me of the two different traditions from which he was born - of the charges he was given as a third degree, and where he has gone since then.  He told me of the three of the seventy three witches at the '74 witchmeet who were part of his magical ancestry.  He told me of his ex-wife, who nearly went crazy while subjected to all of the knowledge and mysteries of the path in three months, instead of years and years.

But the discussion took a turn while we were talking, and ended at this:

Do not allow me to tell you of those who taught me, nor allow yourself to tell others of me.  We gain our spiritual knowledge, we move along our spiritual paths not from the wisdom of humans, but from the wisdom of the universe itself.  Our teachers are not our high priests and priestesses, but rather Jesus and Allah and Buddha, Adonis and Anubis and Hecate.  Diana, Aphrodite, Ra, Odin - let these be our teachers.

Wicca is a religion.  It is a hierarchal path to gain enlightenment.  Yet going through the steps - ascending the 'spiritual ladder' and gaining our marks of honor are merely recognitions that we have learned *something*.

But what lies between us and God(s)?  That's our path.  And that is the single most important thing in any discussion of religions and philosophies.

After the sumptuous dinner, we head to mind's cafe. It's my first time there, and man, did I love the epxerience, especially with the crazy jj there! I don't know if I remember all the games we played... it goes something like Snorta (animal sound game), Squint, Uno Stacko, Banana Slap... Tremendous fun! Let's go again next time!

Played till 12, and then the group of us left proceeded to Rochor dou hua you tiao to have supper! With a satisfied stomach and more stories about shit from jj, we broke off, heading home. I really enjoyed every moment of it. We can have such outings again next time, regardless of the purpose!

Special thanks to yt who shopped for the gift together with some in the group, but then decided to eat bread at home than eat with us, and Christa who came specially after band prac to see me off, sort of.

(Yee, hope you like the shoe and the suit! Shopping with you is great fun! haha.)

137
I trow I hung on that windy Tree
nine whole days and nights,
stabbed with a spear, offered to Odin,
myself to mine own self given,
high on that Tree of which none hath heard
from what roots it rises to heaven.

138
None refreshed me ever with food or drink,
I peered right down in the deep;
crying aloud I lifted the Runes
then back I fell from thence.

Projection

Up to this point in our lessons, we have been learning how to attract the energies of the Runes out of the Quantum Ocean and into our Auras.

Runes are creative, universal energies and the Runic energy you bring into your Aura, will create similar things in your physical reality. You attract Rune FA into your Aura and you will attract physical money into your life.

Attract Rune UR energies into your aura and you will attract physical health.

The Laws of Quantum Physics explain to us that ALL is energy. That there exists an infinite ocean of thinking, intelligent energy called the Quantum Ocean. In reality, it is the Mind of God who created everything, including the lesser Gods.

The God who has remained hidden down through the ages, couched in so many religions. Now with the Age of Aquarius, we can not only know who this God is, but we can know the Laws of Creation.

Runes are very powerful tools to use to co-create and recreate your life.

Since the Quantum Ocean responds to our thoughts, we can think these Runic energies into our lives. I call it the Science of Mental Radionics.

Once you have your Aura charged with the suitable runic energies, you can project these energies to others, to family or other loved ones or to the soldiers on the battle field.

Here is how you can project runic energy while in your favorite chair, which by now has become your outer Rune Realm due to all the Meditations and Breathing exercises you have been practicing while sitting in it.

Inhale the runic energies you intend to use out of the Quantum Ocean. Mentally chant the specific Rune Mantras over and over.

Hold your right hand up and imagine the rune energy flowing from your Aura to the index finger.

You can either have the person you want to project runic energy to in the room with you or you can use a photo or simply a mental image.

Take a deep breath and exhale the runic energy out from your hand and into the Aura of your partner or the person you wish to project to.

As you are projecting, chant the rune mantra three times. While exhaling, imagine the runic energies flowing through your hand into the Third Eye of your partner.

You can proceed and project this energy to each of your partner's chakras. Or simply to their Aura in general. If you intend to heal using the Rune Ur, point directly at the Chakra which is associated with the ailing organ, or directly at the organ itself.

All is Energy, your are energy, your chakras are energy, your organs are energy, your loved ones are energy, Runes are energy. Learn how to project Runes and help bring them into the 21st Century.

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing.

To see more of his writings visit his websites.

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

and

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

and

http://www.radionics-quantum-physics.com/

Or go to goggle and type in his pen name RAGNAR STORYTELLER for his listings. He is also a ghost writer and will write and article for you. Email Ragnar for his FREE 10 PART MINI-COURSE, "How-To use Quantum Physics in Your Every Day Life to Attract More Wealth, Health and Love, Now."

You can contact him at:

ragnarstoryteller2@gmail.com

]]> http://cruush.wordpress.com/?p=160 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:33:08 +0000 Jörg http://cruush.wordpress.com/?p=160 Am Dienstag war ich mal wieder beim Hockey. Es tut gut der kleinen Kugel hinterher zu rennen. Das Wetter hat auch mitgespielt und die Sonne schien herrlich. Der Hockeyliga-Spielplan ist nun auch endlich raus und am kommenden Donnerstag werde ich mein Debüt in der ersten dänischen Liga geben.

Ich bin mal gespannt, schließlich ist das Niveau in meinem neuen Klub der Verbandsliga in Deutschland sehr ähnlich. Ich habe aber auch noch nicht alle Spieler kennen gelernt. Am Donnerstag geht es zum Auftakt direkt gegen einen Spitenklub, wobei man in einer Liga mit nur sieben Mannschaften glaube ich schnell zum Spitzenklub werden kann.

Meine Mannschaft besteht überwiegend aus sehr jungen Spielern. Soweit ich das überblicke bin ich einer der fünf Ältesten. Und ohne prahlen zu wollen, kann ich glaube ich auch sehr gut mithalten. Ich bin gespannt wie es läuft und wo ich auflaufen werde. Also ruhig mal die Tabelle im Blick behalten.

Am nächsten Tag fahren wir dann nach Deutschland und vielleicht kann ich dann ja nochmal für die Preußen auflaufen. Das ist natürlich noch besser!

Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is one of the three sons of Odin, the chief god of Norse paganism. He yields the mighty hammer Mjolnir to fight off Giants and has to wear Megingjord, a magic belt, and Jarn Griepr, the iron gloves, to be able to lift the hammer. The short-handled hammer has become one of the most iconic signs in Norse paganism. Adding to that image of a Pagan God is his chariot that is pulled by the two goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr. With a lot of ruse and cunning, Thor solved the challenges posed before him (he once had to dress like a woman to trick the king of the Giants). But at the end, when everything else failed, he could rely on his strength and his mighty weapon.

Thursday was named after Thor, along with other Norse gods whose names were used to form the days of the week. Friday is named after Freyja. Wednesday is named after Odin (Wodanaz / "Wotan" in German).

With all the heroic stories of mythological gods, it is not really a coincidence that Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby got the idea to turn Thor into a comic character and superhero.

Graphical Thor

Marvel Comics first introduced Thor in Journey into Mystery #83 in August 1962. After that he continued his journey in "The Mighty Thor", a 13-page feature.

The young god Thor is sent to Earth by his father, Odin, to learn how to be humble and therefore is placed in the human form of the partially disabled medical student, Donald Blake, with no memories of his divine abilities. Thor later on discovers his powers and discovers his compassion and loyalty for the human race. He sees himself as the protector of Midgard (Earth) and has to fight all kinds of supervillains, like the Destroyer, the Midgard Serpent or Mangog. His nemesis remains to be his adopted brother Loki, who has hated Thor since they were children. In his fight against his enemies, Thor manages to find allies and becomes part of the group called "The Avengers".

Thor's adventures have later on, after discovering his true identity and powers, been of epic proportions and therefore his enemies were in a different league than those an earthly hero like Spider-Man, Flash or Iron Man had to face.

That is exactly what I really like about the Thor comics. Thor being a god, you could not just send the Green Goblin or the Mandarin after him. He would crush them in the blink of an eye. A god needs devine enemies, like the God Eater, Thanos, Mephisto, Ego the Living Planet and the Dark Gods are much scarier foes than we are usually used to in the Marvel universe. The Thor's battles against these adversaries are often epic- the ideal material for a blockbuster movie in the times of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight.

Thor - The Movie

It took nearly 50 years to bring Thor to the big screen and I hope it will not disappoint. In 2010, the blond Norse god and his hammer Mjolnir will have their feature film. There is not much information available on this project. And the discussion about the actor to play Thor has already started. Next to Brad Pitt, Christian Bale and Karl Urban, actors who have played a mythological hero, the dark knight and a Norse fighter (all very important characteristics of Thor), the wrestler HHH (brute vampire in Blade:Trinity) was considered to play the main character.

I personnally would have liked a young Vladimir Kulich to play Thor. I have never seen a Norse clan chief die with such dignity on his own throne as Kulich in "The 13th Warrior". But with his 52 years, he might already be too old for the part. I guess that depends on what part of Thor's life will be shown. Or why not have Til Schweiger (King Arthur), the German Hollywood actor, have a crack at it. We'll see...

Malik

.
Each day goes by

like a raven sent

to fly out over the world

Dave Pritchard
Armored Saint

Date Of Death: February 27, 1990
Cause Of Death: Leukemia

One thing that you need to understand about my early teens is that local bands were just as big as arena bands to us. We had the great and unfair advantage of seeing many of our local heroes blow up and become some of the biggest names in rock – Van Halen, Motley Crue, Ratt, etc. Armored Saint was next in line and in prime position. Armored Saint went from being the biggest unsigned local band in the San Gabriel Valley to a household name around the country.

During Armored Saint’s rollercoaster of a career, the band faced some serious changes that challenged the future of the mighty rockers. In 1989, the band made a bold decision to replace guitarist Phil Sandoval, recruiting another local hero, Jeff Duncan of Odin. As the new Saint lineup began work on new songs and demos for their upcoming album, guitarist Dave Pritchard was diagnosed with Leukemia. Unfortunately, the aggressiveness of the disease would prevent Pritchard from taking part in the final recording sessions of Symbol Of Salvation.

In a heartfelt move, Sandoval returned to Armored Saint, replacing Pritchard and bringing harmony to the Saint Family. Armored Saint honored Pritchard’s memory by using his guitar solo that he recorded on the four-track demo version of Tainted Past for the final album version that was released on Symbol Of Salvation.

Photographed with my old Canon AE1 Program and a cheap, no name 70mm-210mm f 5.6 lens. Shot on Kodak Ektachrome film.

]]> http://lowestate.wordpress.com/?p=1016 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:06:11 +0000 Ensio http://lowestate.wordpress.com/?p=1016

The single open
all-seeing Eye
the supreme will
reading the heart and mind

The craft of the builder
the wood and the stone
the level and square
the hidden law

Each stone set
where it should be
the walls stand strong
stairs lead in the hall

The self of him
who has traveled some
through many a woe
tested and forged

The compass-drawn line
no profane power can break
'tis the mark of mastery
the grip over everything

Odin is a partnership between two lodges, both meeting in Freemasons Hall in Copenhagen on Wednesdays: Hafnia and Zorobabel and Frederick to the Crowned Hope (Z&F). It was created to strengthen the bonds of friendship between the lodges, offer social activities outside of lodge, and encourage intervisitiation. It is primarily aimed at the newest members.

It should be explained that when one lodge has a first degree on, the other will have a third. This means that Apprentices and Companions (Fellowcrafts) of the latter lodge will be "out of work", but they are welcome at the first lodge's first degree meeting. Since we don't have business meetings, there will always be something interesting going on, degrees and lectures. Once this system of mutual benefit was set up, the newly initiated brother of Hafnia knew that he could always visit Z&F, and vice-versa, and a member of Odin would be there to welcome him.

The long-term benefit is that the new brother is immediately in the habit of going to lodge once every week (once he makes Master, he may choose to stick with his motherlodge, as he is able to attend every meeting – this is partly why it is mainly aimed at newcomers). And more importantly: He now has a group that he can share his questions with. The first time can be confusing, and you have no rights in lodge (can't speak or vote). Odin serves to ease the transition. This, I hope, will support retention, and hopefully more brothers will feel at ease with the rituals.

This is a success story, and we are proud to have made it happen. But, as always with things such as these, they are based on individual initiative, and the next important challenge is passing the torch.

I intend to put some time into our Odin newsletter, and when I return to Copenhagen, I will have some recruiting to do.

From The Pagan Book of Days by Nigel Pennick:

The first day of Odin's ordeal on the world tree Yggdrasil, leading to the discovery of the runes. According to the Edda, Odin hung on the tree for nine days and nights. This is commemorated from 17 August to 25 August, the final day being the festival of the Discovery of the Runes, when Odin fell "screaming" from the tree, having gained the knowlegde.

Now that we have entered the Age of Aquarius and have been given the Laws of Quantum Physics, we must widen our world view. We must build a new Rune Paradigm that includes the Laws of Quantum Physics.

These Laws simply tell us that there exists an infinite ocean of thinking, intelligent energy called the Quantum Ocean. There is no time there only the Now.

In reality, it is the Mind of God, the Creator God, the Prime Mover, the Grand Architect of the Universe. It is the God who created all the other lesser Gods, including Odin.

Everything that ever was, is or will be exists in the Quantum Ocean. You always existed, I always existed, Odin always existed and the Runes always existed. The Runes are keys to the Universal Creative energies of the Universe.

Another fact of the Laws of the Quantum Physics is that all is energy; energy is relationships. There is nothing solid in our physical Universe, only the configuration of energies held together by pre-set patterns.

Our physical body is not solid but made up of energy centers called chakras, held together by a, panty hose type energy called an Aura.

There is a definite relationship between the Runic Energies and your chakras. To stay healthy you must have strong, healthy energy centers, Chakras. They must have life-force flowing though them continuously.

By meditating and breathing in the corresponding Runes, into your corresponding Chakras, you will keep the life-force flowing.

Runes and Chakras:

Crown Chakra: FA, HAGAL, BAR

Eye Chakra: UR, KA, TYR, NOD, LAF, GIBOR

Throat Chakra: THORN, RIT, IS, SIG, MAN, EH

Heart Chakra: OS, AR, YR

Solar Plexis Chakra: THORN, RIT, IS, SIG, MAN EH

Spleen Chakra: UR, KA, TYR, NOD, LAF, GIBOR

Root Chakra: FA, HAGAL, BAR

Inhale slowly and mentally project each of the Runes and into each one of the Chakras. Start at the Crown Chakra and work your way down to the Root Chakra.

Strongly imagine each of these Runic energies going down the spine into the Root Chakra.

First visualize the energies of the Runes cleaning and balancing the Chakras. Later you can pick a single rune and direct it at a single organ.

Chakra development is a natural part of Rune Magic.

Once you have your Chakras flowing with life force and Runic energies, you can project them to help others.

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing.

To see more of his writings visit his websites.

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

and

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

and

http://www.radionics-quantum-physics.com/

Or go to goggle and type in his pen name RAGNAR STORYTELLER for his listings. He is also a ghost writer and will write and article for you. Email Ragnar for his FREE 10 PART MINI-COURSE, "How-To use Quantum Physics in Your Every Day Life to Attract More Wealth, Health and Love, Now."

You can contact him at:

ragnarstoryteller2@gmail.com

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