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Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!

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Comments

  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran
    edited April 24

    A NZ journalist called John Campbell has been investigating Destiny Church ( Cult being the more appropriate term). There was a segment on our local news this evening...

    The video quality not the best, but you will get the gist of how despicable the self proclaimed bishop of bling is ... Despicable as in his behaviour....

    Jeroen
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Seems like this Brian Tamaki is more a troublemaker than a religious figure… I find it hard to believe how civilised men could be so much into aggression, against women and whoever else this Brian sends them after.

  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    OatZ

  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran

    @Jeroen said:
    Seems like this Brian Tamaki is more a troublemaker than a religious figure… I find it hard to believe how civilised men could be so much into aggression, against women and whoever else this Brian sends them after.

    Yes, he’s a real nasty piece of work. He cruises around on a Harley Davidson, paid for by tithe money he syphoned off from his cult followers, and is flanked by his personal henchmen and bodyguards, many of them ex-gang members. Yes it’s more Hells Angels than holy.

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Our wild mouse seems to have died of old age, I read that field mice only live 2-3 years and we haven’t seen him in the house for at least a year.

    Shoshin1
  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran

    If it was a female @Jeroen, and she had children, they may decide to pay you a visit ....

    lobster
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    Mainland Spain, Portugal and parts of France have experienced a blackout!

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    @Shoshin1 said:
    If it was a female @Jeroen, and she had children, they may decide to pay you a visit ....

    I don’t know if it was a he or a she, but we live in a well-built concrete house and one of the problems our mouse faced once it got in through one of the upstairs windows was finding a way out again. I doubt that it did, and it lived out it’s days under the stove…

    @Kotishka said:
    Mainland Spain, Portugal and parts of France have experienced a blackout!

    It was on the news here. They say it will take up to 10 hours to completely restore electricity.

  • marcitkomarcitko Veteran

    @Jeroen said:
    Good morning my friends… I’ve been away for a few days because my father had a stroke, and is in the intensive care of a hospital near where he lived. I really miss our morning talks, he was a rock for me. I’m now back at my home taking care of my mother but it has been really intense… my father was always very health focussed and a sporty guy, I never considered seeing him suffering a delirium.

    That sucks @Jeroen. Take care. I hope your father recovers quickly and well. <3

    Jeroen
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Wishing your father a speedy recovery!!!

    Jeroen
  • WalkerWalker Veteran Veteran

    Best wishes for your Dad, @Jeroen

  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran

    Be well @Jeroen, and may your father find peace in body and mind. <3<3<3

  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    Anyone know if @how is okay..I left plenty of Zen bait and he has not said much..and now I realise he has not been online since the 27th!

    marcitkoJeroenShoshin1
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    One of The Netherlands’ Trappist Beers is going to vanish. These beers are brewed by Trappist monks, and there are not enough monks left to run the abbey. Young people are preferring to live lives outside the monastery, it seems. The brewery may continue as an independent concern.

  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran

    @Kotishka said:
    Anyone know if @how is okay..I left plenty of Zen bait and he has not said much..and now I realise he has not been online since the 27th!

    I can recall @how saying that sometimes he goes on retreat.

    JeroenKotishka
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    Another one hits the dust!

    Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.
    The Circle of Life (and death of course).

  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    Wait....Howard has passed away? Really?

  • marcitkomarcitko Veteran

    @Kotishka That's probably just @lobster being lobster.

    KotishkaJeroenWalkerlobster
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    ...............

  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    Grrr! Got scared!

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    You could argue that the whole of life is about not getting scared, it’s a long process of adjustment to the scary moments.

    lobsterVastmind
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    That is very true! Or seeing that there is nothing to be afraid of.

    lobster
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/netflix-will-show-generative-ai-ads-midway-through-streams-in-2026/

    I thought this was interesting. It seems it won’t be long before the add platforms try to analyse your emotions. Who is watching what, you the tv or the tv watching you?

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    https://nos.nl/artikel/2567613-zorgwekkende-toename-co2-vooral-doordat-natuur-minder-lijkt-op-te-nemen

    This was a worrying article about how CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are rising because the environment is absorbing less. This has to do with rising seawater temperatures, deforestation, and so on. It seems fossil fuel usage also has not yet peaked, despite the advancement of electric cars and renewable energy.

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    Went for a great walk this morning, before the humans and their pet canines start filling up the new pathways...

    KotishkaVastmindFosdickShoshin1
  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran

    @Kotishka said:
    That is very true! Or seeing that there is nothing to be afraid of.

    Thus have I heard :

    Kotishka
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    “In May 1921, American polymath Walter Russell entered a 39-day coma-like state, during which he claimed to have accessed “the source of all knowledge.” Upon awakening, he frantically wrote down what he had seen—pages filled with philosophical, scientific, and spiritual revelations that would later form the foundation of his manuscript The Universal One. Though he sent his findings to 500 leading minds of the time, nearly all dismissed him as mad—except one. Nikola Tesla, the visionary inventor, was so struck by Russell’s insights that he urged him to seal the work away for a thousand years, insisting that humanity was not yet ready for its truths.

    Walter Russell’s revelations reimagined the very structure of reality. He argued that matter was not solid but crystallized light slowed by thought—that everything around us, from rocks to human bodies, was composed of light patterns, shaped by consciousness. He believed the universe was fundamentally mental, not material, and that all things moved in rhythmic cycles—expansion and contraction, like breath. He dismissed opposites like good and evil as illusions, asserting instead that everything sought harmony and balance. To Russell, death wasn’t an end but the release of compressed light returning to its source. Even time, he claimed, wasn’t linear, but a spiral where past, present, and future coexisted.

    These ideas were radically ahead of their time, blending metaphysics, wave dynamics, and a deep sense of universal unity. He believed electricity was a living spiral of energy, not merely electrons in motion, and that the vacuum of space was in fact a vibrant sea of untapped potential. Health, in his view, was the natural rhythm of the body, and disease was simply a disruption of that flow. Though ignored or ridiculed during his lifetime, Russell’s work now draws new attention in an era where quantum physics and consciousness studies begin to echo the same questions. To many, he is no longer a forgotten eccentric, but a prophet of a paradigm yet to come.”

    Shoshin1marcitkolobster
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    Shr00mz

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Morning Agent K! Hope you are well.

    Kotishka
  • marcitkomarcitko Veteran

    Good morning friend @Jeroen!

    Kotishka
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    how is it going ?

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    I recently came across a description of sky burials in Ladakh. They have these specialised undertakers called ‘bonebreakers’ whose job it is to break up the deceased bodies… not very nice to see a relative go like that.

    lobster
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    I should not laugh @Jeroen at this time. But I do.

    What would be nicer? Burning or buried to rot? Frozen in a money making business for future revival?

    You don't watch the bone breaking and feeding of meat to vultures...

    Anyway I am off to prepare for my death... o:)

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    7 Weird Ancient Egyptian Gods & Goddesses You've (Probably) Never Heard Of - Fun Guide for KS2

    Nov 29, 2021
    3 min read
    

    Updated: Mar 31

    The Ancient Egyptian religion includes over 2000 gods and goddesses. Although there’s so many, there’s a great number of Egyptian gods & goddesses that we know very little (or sometimes nothing) about. Because of this, you’ll often find a select few of the most popular gods and goddesses are included in every book, worksheet, article and classroom display about Ancient Egyptian religion.

    We’ve even written an article about these popular Egyptian deities ourselves!
    Ancient Egyptian imagery

    But what about the less well-known gods and goddesses? What about the ones that nobody mentions because they’re just a bit… well… odd?

    Well, we’ve scoured the long lists of Egyptian deities to find you 7 of the weirdest Ancient Egyptian gods & goddesses that you’ve (probably) never heard of.

    Ancient stone toilet seat, rectangular with a circular hole, displayed under warm light. The surface is textured and beige in color.
    An Ancient Egyptian toilet - courtesy ddenisen
    Dua

    God of: Toilets

    Dua was the Egyptian god of sanitation and, yes, toilets! This meant he was responsible for keeping things clean, particularly in very dirty places such as bathrooms. Sanitation also includes the safe disposal of everything that ends up in your toilet (yes, this was a long winded way of saying “getting rid of your poop”!). So in many ways he could be described as a deified flush.

    Weathered stone pharaoh statue with headdress, in dim light. Textured surface, some damage visible. Calm expression. Dark background.
    Not enough prayers to Khenti-Khas to protect this nose!
    Khenti-Khas

    God of: The Noses of the Dead

    And the award for the most obscure job for an Egyptian god goes to Khenti Khas, who is responsible for protecting the noses of the deceased. And clearly Khenti-Khas had his work cut out for him: many Egyptian statues were vandalised by ancient Egyptian people who believed that chopping off a statue’s nose would kill any part of that person’s spirit still living inside the statue. Lets hope Khenti-Khas was more successful in protecting the noses on the mummified dead bodies themselves.

    Stone lion head fountain spouting water against a blurred green and dark background, evoking a regal and serene atmosphere.
    Its not polite to spit - courtesy Linnaea Mallette
    Tefnut

    Goddess of: Spit

    Alright so you may have heard of Tefnut before – she is often summarised as the goddess of water. But “goddess of the water” is a very generalised title and we certainly don’t want to get her confused with Anuket who is also a goddess of water, but more specifically the water in the River Nile. So let’s get down to the specifics. Tefnut is the goddess of moisture. This includes moist air, dew, a light drizzle and yes, even spit. In fact, Tefnut’s name can be translated as meaning “to spit”. And she has even been depicted as a picture of a mouth in mid-spit action. Poor woman!

    Ancient Egyptian painting of four adults and a child walking, wearing patterned garments. Background has floral motifs and symbols.
    Ancient Egyptian clothing
    Hedjhotep

    God of: Fabric

    Hedjhotep was said to have invented clothing and was responsible for creating the clothes for the Pharaohs, the gods and the deceased. Not a lot is known of Hedjhotep, but he occasionally turns up in Egyptian mythology stories alongside other gods and goddesses. For example, he often hangs out with Tayet, the goddess of weaving. He also occasionally turns up in mythical stories featuring Shezmu, the god of treatments for headaches and stomach aches (pretty sure he should have made it onto this list too) where Hedjhotep sensibly makes bandages for him.

    Egyptian painting of Anubis, a jackal-headed figure, embalming a mummy on a lion-shaped bed. Hieroglyphs and geometric patterns in background.
    Ancient Egyptian Mummification in progress
    Sepa

    God of: Centipedes

    Centipedes seems a strange thing to be a god of – but Sepa’s job was a very important one. The Egyptians were obsessed with preserving their dead and would mummify dead bodies to keep them in tip-top condition. Unfortunately for the Egyptians, insects would often attack the dead bodies before they could preserve them, forcing the body to start to decay. But the Egyptians had a secret weapon – the centipede. Centipedes feed on other insects so the Egyptians believed they protected the dead. So it was Sepa’s job to protect the dead through the use of predatory myriapod invertebrates with 100 legs (that's a centipede to you and I).

    Egyptian painting of three figures in traditional attire, holding ankh symbols. Ornate geometric patterns and lush plants in background.
    Helping Anubis mummify the dead
    Kebechet

    Goddess of: Freshness

    No, we’re not saying that Kebechet was the goddess of armpit deodorant or fabric conditioner. Kebechet was the daughter of Anubis, the Egyptian god of death & mummification. So Kebechet was responsible for keeping the dead bodies nice and fresh during the embalming process. Imagine what a difficult job that must have been. But Kebechet knew what she was doing, because she was also the goddess of embalming fluid. Lucky thing.

    Goose with outstretched wings stands on green grass by a lake. Sunlit feathers show brown, white, and black hues, creating a calm scene.
    Could this be the "Great Honker" himself?
    Gengen Wer

    God of: The Celestial Egg

    If this isn’t something straight out of a video-game, we don’t know what is. Believe it or not, Gengen Wer was a celestial goose. And if that wasn’t enough, his name means the “Great Honker”. In Egyptian mythology, it is said that Gengen Wer laid a great honking heavenly egg that contained the life force. Gengen Wer’s job is to protect that life force. What a goose!

    Fosdick
  • marcitkomarcitko Veteran
    edited June 21

    I've been making daily plans (to-do lists) for a long time now. It helps tremendously with keeping anxiety at bay, knowing what I'm supposed to / want to be doing, not getting sidetracked, and knowing whether I hit my targets for the day.

    However, this week, for the first time, I made a weekly plan for work. Even better, I've been sticking to it. I was drawn to do it because I had a phase of a lot of work, and the last time that happened, I became an anxious mess. The weekly plan has done wonders for my anxiety and allowed me to do fun things without remorse or worry before work and once I hit my targets for the day.

    Can recommend! :)

    VastmindJeroen
  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    I used to make plans for people’s engineering work years in advance…

  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran

    God of: Toilets

    Ancient stone toilet seat, rectangular with a circular hole, displayed under warm light. The surface is textured and beige in color.
    An Ancient Egyptian toilet - courtesy ddenisen
    Dua

    Holey crap ;);)

    lobster
  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran
    edited June 22

    At yesterday’s weekly Gaza rally and march, a young Kiwi Palestinian woman sang while a young man played the violin beside her. Her voice was haunting and strong. She was meant to be on the March to Gaza currently taking place in Egypt, but was stopped at Egyptian immigration, detained, and then deported.
    Our government has said nothing about this. Neither has our mainstream media.
    This is not the first time she has tried to break the siege. She was also on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship Handala last year, which was blocked from reaching its destination.

    A rough translation

    Your voice, my people,
    a song that carries forward,
    softly resting in a home,
    then rising again—
    a melody that never fades.

    Your voice, my people,
    makes a lily bloom
    from stone.

    Your voice, my people,
    a lullaby that sleeps
    and wakes within our homes
    a melody that does not vanish.
    It makes a lily bloom
    from stone.

    Your voice, my people,
    a song that hides,
    then rises again
    in a melody that never fades.
    It makes a lily bloom
    from stone.

    We are here to be heard.

    Oh my people
    your voice, your poetry
    makes lilies bloom
    from stone.

    No matter how long the night,
    the dawn will come.
    The threads of sunlight will return,
    my people.
    From the rubble of death,
    life rises.
    My people live.

    Oh, and Destiny Church,aka the Dysentery Cult, held a large anti-LGBTQI march that ended in the same square where we held our rally. There was a significant police presence. but fortunately no major disturbance.

    Fosdick
  • Shoshin1Shoshin1 Sentient Being Oceania Veteran

    @Shoshin1 said:
    At yesterday’s weekly Gaza rally and march, a young Kiwi Palestinian woman sang while a young man played the violin beside her. Her voice was haunting and strong. She was meant to be on the March to Gaza currently taking place in Egypt, but was stopped at Egyptian immigration, detained, and then deported.
    Our government has said nothing about this. Neither has our mainstream media.
    This is not the first time she has tried to break the siege. She was also on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship Handala last year, which was blocked from reaching its destination.

    A rough translation

    Your voice, my people,
    a song that carries forward,
    softly resting in a home,
    then rising again—
    a melody that never fades.

    Your voice, my people,
    makes a lily bloom
    from stone.

    Your voice, my people,
    a lullaby that sleeps
    and wakes within our homes
    a melody that does not vanish.
    It makes a lily bloom
    from stone.

    Your voice, my people,
    a song that hides,
    then rises again
    in a melody that never fades.
    It makes a lily bloom
    from stone.

    We are here to be heard.

    Oh my people
    your voice, your poetry
    makes lilies bloom
    from stone.

    No matter how long the night,
    the dawn will come.
    The threads of sunlight will return,
    my people.
    From the rubble of death,
    life rises.
    My people live.

    Oh, and Destiny Church,aka the Dysentery Cult, held a large anti-LGBTQI march that ended in the same square where we held our rally. There was a significant police presence. but fortunately no major disturbance.

    I've just been reading in a local newspaper that the Destiny Church march wasn't about the LGBTQI, (even though they are often targeted by them). it was a protest against ‘foreign’ religions in Aotearoa. Islam, Buddhism, and Sikhism,

    Tamaki and his supporters denounced Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh and Palestinian communities at their rally in central Auckland this afternoon.

    “Tear it, boys”, the self-described Bishop told supporters holding a Buddhist flag, among several they destroyed while performing haka.

    Palestine, Islam, Buddhist and Sikh flags were torn and stomped on by the men, in video footage shot as Tamaki spoke.

    At one point, a woman dressed in a make-shift burqa approaches the torn Islamic flag and strips off the full body covering, aggressively throwing it on the ground.

    Not all Tamaki’s words could be heard over the crowd, but of Sikh he claimed they were “taking over our country, our businesses and our companies, and they no longer employ Kiwis, they employ their own people".

    Of Buddhism he challenged anyone who said it should be left alone because 'it’s a nice religion, they’re quiet people'.

    Tamaki claimed Buddhism “might be nice on the surface, but it’s dangerous underneath”.

    “This is another deceptive religion in our country … God said, ‘You shall have no other Gods before me’.”

  • JeroenJeroen Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter Netherlands Veteran

    Happy belated 4th of July to the US contingent!

    Kotishkamarcitko
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    I'm writing sad poems lately. Attachment to emotions and partners is annoying. But oh well! :D It makes you human after all.

    lobster
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    @Kotishka, the Path never ends. Use the emotions to write Rad poems.

    I betrayed my E-Motions
    My Wrathful and Bene Buddhas
    I will Be-tray my Bodhi Body
    We are the Future Feature 
    
    Kotishka
  • KotishkaKotishka Veteran

    Beautiful

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