July 18, 2005

BURNING CD'S

I have stepped into the seedy underworld of stealing music on the internet.
How do I rationalize it? Well, first off, a friend of mine showed me how to do it. If he does it and many other people do it, why shouldn't I do it.
Secondly, I got into buying CD's relatively late. Around late 1999, when I bought a JVC Stereo with the capacity to hold 3 CD's at once.
I started buying CD's at second hand stores, trying to replenish my record and tape collection. I proudly don't have any 8 tracks, and I almost by-passed CD's but caved just before DVD's became the "in" way.
I tried to find Ringo Starr's Blast from Your Past, or any of McCartney and Wings 1970-80 stuff. All I wound up with was a Band on the Run CD and a Wings Greatest CD.
Thanks to my friend, actually it is my brother's friend Jeff, he laughed at me for buying around 100 CD's and proceeded to download two programs that are needed to burn CD's. Heck, my computer came with a burner, so why not use it.
That was 13 days ago. Now I have burned over 100 CD's. My wife says I'm obsessed. But then again, she seems to dislike anything I enjoy doing.
I still can't find Blast from Your Past at the Torrent sites(the content sites) I have visited but I was able to download Ringo and Goodnight Vienna which has most of the good songs that I was looking for, including the No No Song.
I've kind of run out of music I like and I even downloaded Prince's Greatest Hits, so I think my "obsession" is just about over.

July 4, 2005

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

I was listening to my Rubber Soul CD today and then I actually listened to the lyrics of the last song, Run For Your Life.
I'm pretty sure if this song came out today, it might be banned. You decide:



Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl
Than to be with another man
You better keep your head, little girl
Or I won't know where I am

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl

Well you know that I'm a wicked guy
And I was born with a jealous mind
And I can't spend my whole life
Trying just to make you toe the line

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl

Let this be a sermon
I mean everything I've said
Baby, I'm determined
And I'd rather see you dead

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl

I'd rather see you dead, little girl
Than to be with another man
You better keep your head, little girl
Or you won't know where I am

You better run for your life if you can, little girl
Hide your head in the sand little girl
Catch you with another man
That's the end'a little girl
Na, na, na
Na, na, na
Na, na, na
Na, na, na

This is no Obla di Obla da, that's for sure.

June 13, 2005

I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M 44

I still think I'm in my early 20's, but I'm not. Maybe it has to do with not having any children. Maybe it is because I've always been into horse racing. Maybe it is because I haven't done much interacting with friends in person the last 4 years. Maybe it is the internet. Maybe it has to do with riding a bike.
I still have dreams that I'm in my 20's. I've dated a lot of chicks the last few months in my dreams. I have hair on the top of my head in those dreams too, and I'm sometimes married and sometimes separated and sometimes single.
Sometimes I'm in high school or university. It is like a Twilight Zone episode. When I go to sleep, I usually travel back in time.
Getting back to being 44. I may look it, but I don't feel it, until I actually do something too physical that is.

June 4, 2005

EVERY RELIGION CAN'T BE RIGHT

Wasn't it the Mormons who God (portrayed as some kind of amphibian) said was the right religion on Southpark. In fact God was a Buddhist in that show. That is such a funny concept.
The reason I'm even mentioning this is that whenever I see really religious people on TV (mostly Christians) they seem to have this gleam in their eyes and have complete faith in Christ and God. I'm still not sure if Christ is God or the son of God or both, or sometimes he's the son of God and sometimes he is the Lord. It is very confusing, even for someone as unbelievably intelligent as myself.
I'm not picking on Christians here. Many religious Jews believe the Chosen stuff. Many will say they don't, many don't. Many do. In fact, many unreligious Jews think Jews are the one, but not for relgious reasons obviously but because of survival, a commitment to family and education, etc.
The point is every religious person think they are right. Of course, this is impossible. And it usually boils down to ones birthright. If someone is born to Mormon parents, they will tend to believe Mormonism is 100% right, if they have Jewish parents, then it is Judaism baby, Muslim parents: Allah is number one, and so on.
Think about it, this is just craziness when it comes down to it.
Of course there are those who convert into a religion. Many do so not so much because they think that the religion they are converting to is the right one, most of the time it is due to social factors. There are exceptions of course. But because people sincerely pick Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, Mormonism, OK not Mormonism, how could anyone not born to Mormon parents possibly choose that one for fundamental reasons?
Anyways, even I think I'm right. No god, and religion is just a way to try to make sense of life while hoping desperately for an afterlife, while the leaders try to brainwash and control their flock.
I guess I'm just as guilty as a Mormon, who thinks he has the right beliefs. Although I became an Atheist very honestly and it was a rational choice in my Never Humble Opinion.

May 19, 2005

JESUS REALLY WAS BASED ON MYTH

Either the Devil really has perfected the art of diabolical mimicry or there is a mystery to solve here. Let's review the evidence:

- Jesus is the saviour of mankind, God made man, the Son of God equal with the Father; so is Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is born of a mortal virgin who after her death ascends to heaven and is honoured as a divine being; so is Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is born in a cave on 25 December or 6 January, as is Osiris-Dionysus.

- The birth of Jesus is prophesied by a star; so is the birth of Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is born in Bethlehem, which was shaded by a grove sacred to Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is visited by the Magi, who are followers of Osiris-Dionysus.

- The Magi bring Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, which a sixth-century BCE Pagan tells us is the way to worship God.

- Jesus is baptized, a ritual practised for centuries in the Mysteries.

- The holy man who baptizes Jesus with water has the same name as a Pagan god of water and is born on the summer solstice celebrated as a Pagan water festival.

- Jesus offers his followers elemental baptisms of water, air and fire, as did the Pagan Mysteries.

- Jesus is portrayed as a quiet man with long hair and a beard; so is Osiris-Bionysus.

- Jesus turns water into wine at a marriage on the same day that Osiris-Dionysus was previously believed to have turned water into wine at a marriage.

- Jesus heals the sick, exorcises demons, provides miraculous meals, helps fishermen make miraculous catches of fish and calms the water for his disciples; all of these marvels had previously been performed by Pagan sages.

- Like the sages of the Mysteries, Jesus is a wandering wonder-worker who is not honoured in his home town.

- Jesus is accused of licentious behaviour, as were the followers of Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is not at first recognized as a divinity by his disciples, but then is transfigured before them in att his gIory; the same is true of Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is surrounded by 12 disciples; so is Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus rides triumphantly into town on a donkey while crowds wave branches, as does Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is a just man unjustly accused of heresy and bringing a new religion, as is Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus attacks hypocrites, stands up to tyranny and willingly goes to his death predicting he will rise again in three days, as do Pagan sages.

- Jesus is betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, a motif found in the story of Socrates.

- Jesus is equated with bread and wine, as is Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus' disciples symbolically eat bread and drink wine to commune with him, as do the followers of Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus is hung on a tree or crucified, as is Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus dies as a sacrifice to redeem the sins of the world; so does Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus' corpse is wrapped in linen and anointed with myrrh, as is the corpse of Osiris-Dionysus.

- After his death Jesus descends to hell, then on the third day resurrects before his disciples and ascends into heaven, where he is enthroned by God and waits to reappear at the end of time as a divine judge, as does Osiris-Dionysus.

- Jesus was said to have died and resurrected on exactly the same dates that the death and resurrection of Osiris-Dionysus were celebrated.

- Jesus' empty tomb is visited by three women followers; Osiris-Dionysus also has three women followers who visit an empty cave.

- Through sharing in his passion Jesus offers his disciples the chance to be born again, as does Osiris-Dionysus.

Discounting the 'diabolical mimicry' argument, as all sane people must, how are we to explain these extraordinary similarities between Pagan myth and the story of Jesus?

http://www.courses.drew.edu/sp2000/BIBST189.001/Jesusmys.html