The Creepy Blog

The Yeti - Origins and Characteristics

2009-04-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Among the Himalayas, there is a legend about a mythical creature called the “Yeti”, or better known to many as the “Abominable Snowman”. According to the legend, this “Abominable Snowman” is described as being over six feet tall in height, and is famous for its characteristic “big feet”, which are said to measure around 20 inches long in length. Because of this distinguishable characteristic, the name “Bigfoot” was coined. Since we have yet to confirm actual proof of this creature’s existence, we can only rely on eyewitness accounts of Bigfoot sightings and encounters. A list has been compiled from the information taken out of these Bigfoot eyewitness accounts:

Physical and Distinguishing Characteristics

• Six feet or taller, in normal standing height
• Feet measuring at least 20 inches in length
• Facial features that are similar to a human face
• Large, heavy build, with excessive growth of body hair or fur.
• Hair or fur that is dark brown, or reddish brown in color
• Emanates strong odors, described to be as- “pungent” or “musty” in aroma. In other words, terrible smelling.
• Communicates using the following sounds and noises- moans, whistles, cries, clicking, and grunts.
• Known to travel in groups, or pairs of at least two. Speculators believe that they travel with companions while in search for food supply.
• Eat a diet that mainly consists of both vegetation and animal meat.
• Many believe that the “Sasquatch” variety posses telepathic abilities and powers.
• Other known aliases of Bigfoot- in Asian provinces, better known to villagers as the “Yeti”; and in Florida, known as “Sasquatch”, originally named by native Indians occupying the area.

Origins of Bigfoot

There is no proof as to where Bigfoot first originated- whether he actually came from the Asian content, and migrated to the Florida keys over time, or if colonies of Bigfoot existed all around the world. The most common speculation is that Bigfoot is actually derived from the Yeti, who is of Asian descent. That the Yeti species (who are built to survive in cold climates and atmospheres) are actually very intelligent creatures that evolved from Neanderthal lines of ancestry.

Yet for the extraterrestrial fantasists, they believe that the Yeti are life forms from another planet, who landed here on Earth. In one such case, there were reports of unusual activities involving cattle mutilations in Florida and other countries south of the equator. Local citizens and town folk attribute these gruesome activities as acts performed by none other than Sasquatch. Yet there are others who take the legend of Bigfoot a step further, by adding the possibility that Bigfoot was actually created from some top secret government experiment. It goes on to say that genetic experiments were being conducted, crossing human DNA with extraterrestrial DNA, which resulted in the creation of Bigfoot.

Yet, who is to say that Bigfoot really doesn’t exist? With generations of people from all around the globe coming forth to tell their versions and stories of Bigfoot encounters, it’s nearly impossible to discredit the existence of this legendary being. In an apparent sighting by Maj. Laurence Austine Waddell of the Indian Army Medical Corps, his written account speaks of a trail of Yeti footprints in the snow. This visual account is logged at an elevation of 17,000 feet in northeastern Sikkim, 1889. Waddell published this account in an 1899 book entitled, Among the Himalayas.

Burden of Proof

Despite efforts in gathering sufficient amounts of evidence to establish Bigfoot as a creature of reality, versus a creature of legend and folklore, there are more skeptics than believers in this world. Regardless of the amounts of physical evidence collected throughout the years- photographs, footprint castings, film records, and even body parts- the results still remain inconclusive. For some of the hardcore believers seeking acknowledgement from the world that Bigfoot does in fact exist, a few have gone as far as staging fake “Bigfoot” sightings to stir up further controversy and to cash in on the public’s interest. It’s fair to conclude that Bigfoot- a.k.a. the Yeti, Abominable Snowman, has intrigued a population of believers and skeptics alike, and allows us to maintain a sense of naked hope that there are still remote areas left in this world which remain untouched by outside influences.

Ten Helpful Tips to Follow When You Lose Your Health Insurance Benefits

2009-04-06T13:14:00.001-07:00

With the downward spiraling of the American economy, more American residents are facing the threat of losing their jobs to layoffs. In efforts to help businesses stay afloat, employers are forced to cut hours, slash health insurance benefits, and have eventually resorted to laying off loyal employees and workers. U.S. legislators are structuring a proposal that would help carry continuation of health insurance benefits for these unemployed citizens. It is important to recognize that the American government should be at least partially responsible for the health and welfare for its American citizens. If for any reason, you or someone you know is laid off from their jobs, here are ten helpful tips for keeping your health insurance benefits.

If you lose your job due to lay-offs, you are entitled to COBRA benefit coverage through that employer, as long as insurance coverage is still being provided to current employees.

COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation) coverage is available for up to 18 months after termination of employment and insurance benefits. What COBRA does for you is it allows you to maintain your same insurance coverage and benefits, as long as you continue to pay for your premiums. Sometimes your premiums may cost more than the usual paycheck deduction, but is considerably more affordable than purchasing a newer private or individual health insurance plan.

Speak to your regular medical doctor or physician about lower cost treatment and fees for services. Most experienced providers should be able to recommend alternative insurance plans or programs that they accept, so that you can remain a patient under their care. It’s best to try to stay with the same doctor who is familiar with your medical records and history.

If for any reason, you are unable to qualify or obtain health insurance benefits, now would be the best time to start taking good care of yourself. True to the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, we need to be more attentive to our overall health and well-being. Taking better care of ourselves by following preventative measures would reduce our risk of health complications significantly. Good preventative measures to start following would be:

- Routine fitness and exercise

- Eating a healthier diet

- Maintaining a normal weight level

- Monitoring our cholesterol levels

- Scheduling regular health check up appointments

- Getting screened for cancer and diabetes

Explore stress reduction therapies and exercises. Regulate and balance out your levels of stress to keep it to a minimum, so that you can focus more clearly on life. Try experimenting with yoga and breathing exercises, include more natural and healthier foods in your diet, and getting plenty of rest to allow your body to repair itself.

Eliminate smoking from your lifestyle. Not only is smoking not “cool” anymore, but it affects your health insurance coverage benefits and premiums. This is because studies and research show that smoking does indeed cause cancer, and this puts you at a high risk for health and medical complications in the future.

Check with your local Medicaid provider to see if you qualify for low to no-cost insurance benefits. Coverage requirements vary from state to state, so there may be a chance that you can qualify for this government aid. If you’re unsure of where to start try this website:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Senior aged people who are 65 years and older are eligible for Medicare, provided they meet certain requirements. You can submit an application for benefits as early as 3 months prior to turning 65 years of age. Those who aren’t sure if they qualify are encouraged to do so anyway by calling this number: 1-800-772-1213.

Seek Alternative Medicine or Holistic Healing Treatment alternatives. Statistics show that thirty eight percent of Americans are turning towards Eastern traditional medicine for their ailments. Popular forms of treatment are Acupuncture, Acupressure, and Herbal remedies.

If you have a spouse or partner who is currently employed and is receiving health insurance benefits, ask if you can be added to the insurance policy. In most cases, you should be able to be added on as a dependent. Be sure to check with the employer about specifics, i.e.- open enrollment dates, premium increases, etc.

Compensate a high paying job for a lower paying job that offers health insurance benefits. Even though employers are hiring for lesser pay these days, consider taking the pay cut. If you value your health, look at your cost of paying medical fees and costs without insurance, versus your visit and prescription co pays with insurance coverage. I’m sure you’ll agree that it proves to be a bigger advantage in the long run.

House Approves Affordable Health Insurance for Unemployed

2009-04-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives had just approved measures that extend relief for unemployed workers, who have lost their jobs due to the current economic recession. This measure is called the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”, and provides access to health care coverage as well as tax relief, to American citizens who are now jobless. The main goal of this act is to accomplish the following:

To stimulate the nation’s economy through job availability and security.

To provide financial relief and healthcare benefits to unemployed and uninsured citizens.

State assistance, as defined under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Under this measure, an estimated amount of $544 billion has been authorized towards new spending for access towards affordable health care coverage. In addition to this, another $275 billion has also been authorized in tax cuts. All of this effort is being put forth to maintain continuing health care coverage for 8.2 million American people.

It has been forecasted that millions of Americans would be affected by the recession, and with it, millions of jobs will be cut off as a result of difficult economic times. Not only do the work cuts and lay-offs affect the workers, but so are the families who depend on this financial support and health insurance benefits. Funding would be filtered through Medicaid programs, which will screen and monitor qualified applicants who meet certain requirements, such as- immediate assistance availability for unemployed workers, and their families or dependants, as long as they show proof of active search for employment.

Some of the federal funds would also be distributed to hospitals, clinics, doctors, and pharmacies. In return, these professional institutions would agree to employ adequate staffing to meet the healthcare needs of those who have unemployment health benefits, as well as their families or dependants. Also, bankruptcy relief is also extended to families of the unemployed, provided that they can furnish proof of financial hardship.

As the unemployment rate continues to skyrocket, so do the numbers for people who are not medically insured. For those who decide to continue with the same health insurance plan benefits, meaning that they chose not to apply for Medicaid government benefits, there is an allowance through COBRA that allow them to do so. COBRA stands for- Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), and it allows unemployed workers to maintain their current health insurance benefits for up to 1.5 years. In order to keep these benefits, the plan subscriber would have to make payments of 102 percent of whatever the cost of coverage may be. This can be a significant advantage since most plan benefits carry certain advantages over conventional plan benefits. This is only made possible because of special rates and plan packages that are exclusive to certain businesses and companies.

So in a nutshell, here is a review of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for unemployed American citizens:

Government aid for up to 65 percent of COBRA premiums, up to a maximum period of one

year. Applicable only for unemployed workers who lost jobs from September 1, 2008 to

December 1, 2009.

Government funding for state Medicaid programs that provide coverage to: unemployed and

uninsured workers, including families and/or dependants.

Extended COBRA benefit coverage for senior employees who were laid off from long-term

jobs, until they can obtain health insurance through future employers, or qualify for Medicare

coverage.

Maggot Therapy Receives Full Funding Under Health Insurance Benefits

2009-04-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

Recognition of maggot therapy for use and treatment in wound therapy and healing, has earned major support through the American Medical Association as a viable form of treatment. Modern medical procedures are able to benefit from the use of medicinal maggots, especially to treat damage caused by evolving bacteria strains such as MRSA (Multi-drug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus). MRSA is a strain of staph infection bacteria that is resistant to broad spectrum antibiotics, such as penicillin and cephalosporin. In other words, there is no way to prevent the spread of bacteria and infection of human flesh, without removing it. This is where medicinal maggots come to play, they help to “clean” the flesh by removing infected and decaying tissue, thereby preventing the spread of infection.

True to the fact that maggots are able to naturally debride unhealed wounds, most people don’t understand the mechanics of their natural talent to “clean” the flesh. Contrary to the popular belief that maggots are only effective because they “devour” dead rotting meat, they actually don’t eat the rotting flesh. So how do they remove the bad flesh? Maggots are able to excrete special digestive juices that are powerful enough to break down solid rotten material, and turn it into a liquefied state. Once the liquid mess is wiped and cleaned away, a cleaner and bacteria free surface is revealed, promoting an optimal healing environment.

Many patients are wary to allow maggots to crawl around on their exposed flesh wounds, and this may be because of all the hyped media. Whenever you think of the word “maggot”, what image is conjured up in your mind? Perhaps a rotting corpse in a coffin, with maggots crawling in and out of the eye sockets. Or maybe even the rotting carcass of previous road kill, with nothing but skin and bones left, and a few maggots hanging off of a few strands of hair and fur. This is certainly not true, especially in a hospital setting. You will absolutely not expect to see any maggots down in the hospital morgue, only in closely monitored treatment room sessions.

One of the benefits to using maggot therapy is the elimination of drugs for use in healing, since some bacterial strains can’t be treated with antibiotics and prescription drugs and medications. It is no wonder why most hospitals are implementing more uses for maggot application for treating wounds, in order to promote successful healing results.

Proof that maggot therapy is gaining acceptance as a form of treatment is the approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, along with the American Medical Association, that they have confirmed reimbursement policies and guidelines for wound care through use of “medicinal maggots” and “maggot therapy”. In turn, health insurances should cover or at least include an option for this type of service as an insurance benefit. Insurance companies have been known to turn their backs on medicinal maggots, up until now. Medicinal maggots were able to be used in saving infected limbs, which probably would have been scheduled for amputation if not saved. This is a dramatic difference of a few thousand dollars for drug based therapy, versus less than a few hundred dollars for maggot therapy. Patients are also more accepting to the fact that they are able to opt for a less invasive form of treatment.

Not all types of maggots are used in maggot therapy, care is put into the screening process for appropriate specimens to use in treatment. Usually, the popular variety used in treatment today is the young larvae of the green-bottle fly species. Only clean and healthy maggots are used, and care is put into administration to the patient. This science breakthrough is not something that’s new to the knowledge of science, it has been around for many centuries, as far back as the Napoleonic Wars. It was also a favored application in treating wounded soldiers who were injured in World War I, up until the popular use of antibiotics in the 1930’s.

In a strange turn of events, more resistant strains of bacteria have evolved, and can’t be destroyed through the use of strong antibiotic medicines. Scientific technology has reverted back to this conventional form of treatment, not to mention natural and more economical.

The Sweeping New Health Insurance System Proposed for U.S. Residents.

2009-04-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

According to a recent article published by Natural News, health policy researchers from The Commonwealth Fund have issued a public proposal on behalf of major health insurance companies. Basically, the contents inside this proposal state that all Americans should be required to purchase their own health insurance. In addition to this, they have also designed a mandatory program which includes stiff government penalties for U.S residents who fail to participate.

Not to mention the fact that not only does this program “force” this country’s residents to purchase individual health insurance plans, but it also shows little to no interest towards promoting health awareness and well-being. How do they factor in a mandated program, which requires residents to purchase their own health plans, without providing health education? It seems that Americans are more in tune about issues such as- health education, disease prevention, and nutrition. So what would lead health industry experts to assume that the American people are more dependant upon emergency room visits and prescription drugs and antibiotics, as “reliable healthcare coverage”? It would be a rather wrong assumption to say that Americans don’t care enough to stay healthy, and that we would all wait until we get sick enough, before seeking medical attention.

Which leads us to another hot topic for discussion- “Big Pharmaceutical and Health Care Supply Companies”? These are the guys that rely on people to get sick, so that they can thrive in our American economy. They are profitable because of their success in developing solutions to treat medical conditions. Solutions consisted of products that range from prescription drugs and medications, to healthcare and medical supplies. Their focus is on sustaining a given condition for that moment in time, but in no way do they spend money to research an actual cure or prevention for that same medical condition or disease.

Here are a few resources where you can find additional information on this topic, “Health Insurance and Reform”. They can also be purchased online at website booksellers such as Amazon.com and Borders. These are selected excerpts from books written by leading authors on this important topic:

Excerpt taken from:

“Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in America”, by E. Richard Brown

In the absence of a sufficiently independent and militant working-class movement, national health insurance continued to be defeated in the decades that followed. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s the AMA carried on its vehement opposition to any federal intervention into the financing of medical care. Liberal reformers tried to get national health insurance included in the Social Security Act as part of the New Deal response to the Great Depression and the militant organizing among the unemployed and industrial workers.

Excerpt taken from:

“Oxymorons: The Myth of a U.S. Health Care System”, by J.D Kleinke

For better or worse, the "free" market will remain our nation's choice for funding health insurance and delivering medical care. Our only hope of fixing the health care system's biggest problems is to enact simple legislative reforms designed with one purpose: to allow the market to provide health insurance more efficiently and affordably. This is a significant and somewhat painful conclusion for the same author who wrote a book as recently as 1998 arguing that managed care would compel the market to reform itself.

In 1994, the political debate over health insurance reform came to a draw, and concluded with an agreement from both sides that change will come about naturally. Since then, there has been an increased trend of numbers in uninsured U.S. residents- about an estimated five million people to date.

99 Reasons to detest Xbox 360 !

2009-04-06T00:53:00.001-07:00

Here are 99 reasons why the most people detest the Xbox 360:

99. 360 Launch Bundle

98. Xbox shoes

97. Bill Gates

96. RROD

95. Overheating

94. Peter Moore tattoos

93. The DUKE

92. Game Fuel Halo 3 drink

91. Mario Lopez w/ Fudgehog

90. Points = $?

89. The Core System

88. Halo 3 Console: Fugly

87. Army drone w/ 360 controller

86. Blue Dragon on multiple discs

85. Ads in dashboard

84. XBL subscription fee

83. Generic heroines

82. ilovebees viral marketing

81. Unwanted friend requests

80. AA battery life

79. Halo Overrated

78. Fergie: 340?

77. Halo novelizations

76. Believe fries

75. HDMI only in elite

74. Awful launch game: Azurik

73. DRM issues

72. Broken faceplates

71. First-party sports titles

70. Halo 3 beta download busted

69. Charged for Gears Map Packs (Epic wanted to give them away free!)

68. Japanese Xbox ad

67. Brute Force (the next Halo)

66. PDZ (the next Halo)

65. Halo Wars (the next Halo)

64. Games too testosterone-driven

63. Tork: Xbox's Sonic

62. Xbox Look

61. Xbox Size

60. Xbox Weight

59. Halo 3 LE scratched discs

58. Echo in headset

57. Hip hop halo 3 party

56. Even Halo 3 can't sell Zune

55. Achievement whoring

54. "Bigger than Hollywood"

53. Albert Camus: Your Gamer score is meaningless

52. Xbox must be horizontal

51. 360 must be vertical

50. Xbox power cord fires / recall

49. Viva Pinata TV show

48. Movie download service

47. Max: a robotic man who services Xbox customers

46. 360 Launch Shortages

45. Bought / Ruined RARE

44. Had to buy Crackdown to get into H3 beta

43. Controller vs mouse

42. Squashed XBMC

41. Japan hates Xbox

40. In-game ads

39. No Beyond Good & Evil on 360

38. No Oddworld Strangers Wrath on 360

37. Spendy Wireless Adapter

36. Red ring denials

35. Steel Battalion controller

34. The power brick is huge

33. J Allard makeover

32. Vampire Rain

31. XBLA is a dumping ground for shit games

30. Charging for gamerpics

29. HD-DVD drive

28. Sneak King

27. Halo Clans

26. 3 in 360 to catch up to PS3

25. 360 looks like a Dell

24. Over G Fighters

23. Messenger kit

22. Vision Cam

21. Buzz ripoff

20. No one wants PC / 360 head-to-head in ShadowRun

19. Sneakers (TrU exclusive)

18. In-game product placement

17. Too many accessories

16. Paid for GTA IV exclusives

15. Buzzing power brick

14. Community generated content on XBL hasn’t happened

13. One good RPG

12. Too much beefcake (Gears)

11. Launch-day muggings

10. People forget to mute

9. Hex 168 viral ad campaign

8. Text is hard to read in SD

7. Generic Space Marines

6. Canceled Psychonauts

5. Broken Big Daddy toys

4. Noisy fans

3. 40% FAIL

2. Army recruiters use Halo to recruit cannon fodder

1. Overpriced Launch bundles / life is short, play more ad.

Was Hitler a Christian ?

2008-09-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

After serious debate and discussion over Holocaust documents, it is believed that Hitler’s actions were provoked by Catholic teachings of Christianity. Though all of the events that resulted from his reign of tyranny were heartless, and totally opposite of a Christian profile, there is no denial that the Catholic Church was the driving force behind it all. According to historical records, Hitler promoted acts of pagan cult and atheism against those who did not worship the actual God himself, and Jesus Christ. Through close examination of the formation of the Nazi party, Hitler did exhibit Christian intent and purpose for German soldiers and citizens. Here are a few examples of Adolf Hitler’s earlier life, before his rise to military power:

Hitler leaves the Marine Church in Wilhelmshaven.

The link between Adolf Hitler and the Catholic Church
• Hitler was baptized by the Catholic Church, and served as an altar boy.

• He held high aspirations and hopes of serving as a religious clergyman within the church. He has also authored several documents which express his interest and passion for religion, as depicted in this excerpt taken from Main Kempf- “I had excellent opportunity to intoxicate myself with the solemn splendor of the brilliant church festivals. As was only natural, the abbot seemed to me, as the village priest had once seemed to my father, the highest and most desirable ideal.” - Adolf Hitler

• The church never looked down upon Hitler’s vicious acts against the Jews, as they felt it was justified for what they believed was their responsibility for the killing of Jesus Christ. There is no mention that Hitler suffered from religious persecution, nor was he rejected by the Catholic Church.

• In an ironic turn of events, Hitler was categorized together with Franco and Mussolini, and was empowered by the Vatican the authority to Veto bishops appointed by the pope in the following countries- Spain, Germany, and Italy. In addition, those who were demoted were also charged with excessive taxes, which were directly paid to the Vatican. Expressing his conceit in acknowledgement from the Catholic Church, Hitler goes on by saying in one of his speeches- “The fact that the Vatican is concluding a treaty with the new Germany means the acknowledgement of the National Socialist state by the Catholic Church. This treaty shows the whole world clearly and unequivocally that the assertion that National Socialism (Nazism) is hostile to religion is a lie.” July 22, 1933, in a Nazi Party address.

• Concrete evidence that suggests Catholic approval of Nazi principles can be found in sermons and public education materials. There is speculation that Hitler held close relationships with Catholic clergymen of importance, as shown in one photographic example of Hitler and Archbishop Cesare Orsenigo of Tolemaide. The photo was taken at a Berlin New Year’s gathering in 1935.

• As Hitler became deeply involved within the inner workings of the Church, he started to introduce Catholic doctrines under martial law. In these sets of newer rules and regulations, her added severe and corporal punishment for confirmed homosexuals within schools and homes.

Holocaust Remnants

• Christian based teachings provided the catalytic elements for the onset of Holocaust. Hitler developed an anti-Semitic nature from his Christian upbringings. During his childhood, there was a strong Aryan Christian presence in Germany and Austria, which bore a strong impression that people of Jewish descent were inferior in comparison. For the past few hundred years, Christian leaders (Catholic priests and hierarchy, Protestant ministry) in Germany concluded that Jews bear the responsibility for the untimely death of Jesus. Closely following the example set by Martin Luther, of Protestant background, attesting a shared distaste for all things of Jewish origin. Immersed in the literary works of Martin Luther, which continued well on up until World War II, Hitler’s favorite piece was “On Jews and their Lies”.

Nazi Conversion Campaign for Christianity

• Somewhere along the timeline in the 1920’s, the German Workers’ Party (later known as the Nazi) constructed their own constitution titled “Programme”, which consisted of twenty-five point. In the twenty-fourth point, their mission statement to promote Christianity is clearly defined by saying, “We demand liberty for all religious denominations in the State, so far as they are not a danger to it and do not militate against the morality and moral sense of the German race. The Party, as such, stands for positive Christianity, but does not bind itself in the matter or creed to any particular confession...”

Forced conversion of Serbs to Catholicism

• Within the Nazi regime, a branch was created to form a youth outreach, through which it spread Nazi philosophies to young children and adolescents. By appealing to a human being’s religious self-worth, Hitler has been quoted as saying this in his Mein Kampf, “By helping to raise man above the level of bestial vegetation, faith contributes in reality to the securing and safeguarding of his existence. Take away from present-day mankind its education-based, religious- dogmatic principles—or, practically speaking, ethical-moral principles—by abolishing this religious education, but without replacing it by an equivalent, and the result will be a grave shock to the foundations of their existence.”

• Under Hitler’s direction the Nazis seized control of schools so that religion would be an educational requirement.

• Until 1961, anti-Semitic propaganda that filled educational textbooks and material were removed.

• In order to participate in the Nazi regime, soldiers were required to convert and share the same religion. To show their religious dedication, Nazis donned religious icons and symbols to show their spirituality, such as- belt buckles and military ornaments. Even belt buckles were imprinted with religious ornamentation, reading- “Gott Mit Uns” (God With Us).

Imprinted belt buckle.

• Before performing a mission, soldiers were blessed with the sprinkling of holy water in religious ceremonies presided over by an ordained Catholic priest.

• The formation of a Nazi secret service called “SS Reich” relied on trained spies to expose opposition parties and heresy.

• Under close examination, you’ll be able to recognize Hitler’s intent on building a religiously united Germany. Unfortunately, the violence and forceful nature of Nazism posed conflicting views of Christian faith. The Church attempted to discredit Hitler as a pagan and atheist. Nevertheless, Hitler continued to proclaim his strong sense of religion, and publicly said, “We were convinced that the people needs and requires this faith. We have therefore undertaken the fight against the atheistic movement, and that not merely with a few theoretical declarations: we have stamped it out.” October 24, 1933- Berlin.

In this proclamation he is again telling the world about his vision of creating unity through Christianity. The Holocaust was an extreme measure used to filter out non-Christian believers, that is, those who didn’t accept and worship Jesus. Although historical records show that millions of Jews were killed, omissions have failed to reflect that atheists, as well as Aryan pagans, were also executed for non-Christian practices and beliefs. Using the Bible as leverage, in conjunction with his Christian faith, Hitler persisted in his attacks of anti-Semitism- "Christianity could not content itself with building up its own altar; it was absolutely forced to undertake the destruction of the heathen altars. Only from this fanatical intolerance could its apodictic faith take form; this intolerance is, in fact, its absolute presupposition."- Mein Kampf. According to this, he is saying that desecration of Jewish alters must take place in order to construct Christian foundations.

The following are excerpts taken from popular speeches of Adolf Hitler; they go on to justify his actions and anti-Semitic propaganda:

“Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” –Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

"With satanic joy in his face, the black-haired Jewish youth lurks in wait for the unsuspecting girl whom he defiles with his blood, thus stealing her from her people." -Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Promoting the anti-semintic propaganda through the newspapers and the radio .

"…the fall of man in paradise has always been followed by his expulsion." -Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf. The basis for this speech stems from Chapter 3 of Genesis in the Bible, as Hitler interprets it, that Jews have failed to acknowledge God and should be removed from the face of the Earth just the same as Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden of Eden for their disobedience.

“Only in the steady and constant application of force lies the very first prerequisite for success. This persistence, however, can always and only arise from a definite spiritual conviction. Any violence which does not spring from a firm, spiritual base, will be wavering and uncertain.”
- Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf. Hitler attributes his success as approval from God.

“The anti-Semitism of the new movement [Christian Social movement] was based on religious ideas instead of racial knowledge.” –Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf. This quotation is very unique in that Hitler clarifies his motivation for causing the Holocaust. In this, he says that the movement was not fueled by race or color, but by opposition to those who denied Jesus

10 Most Barbarous Torture Methods Ever Known!

2008-04-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

10. The Rat:

A cheap and effective way to torture someone was with the use of rats. There were many variants, but the most common was to force a rat through a victim's body (usually the intestines) as a way to escape.

This was done as follows:

The victim was completely restrained and tied to the ground or any horizontal surface. A rat was then placed on his stomach covered by a metallic container. As the container was gradually heated, the rat began to look for a way out - through the victim's body.

Digging a hole usually took a few hours of agonizing pain for the victim. This almost invariantly resulted in death.

9. The Pillory:

The pillory was used to publicly humiliate a victim. Even though it was meant as a mild form of punishment, the crowd sometimes made it lethal.

The pillory often served as a post for Flagellation. When the victim was restrained with the device, he was completely defenseless and subject to the crowd.

In many cases the crowd threw harmless objects such as vegetables, but when the victim committed a serious offense they threw stones or other heavy objects. The crowd often humiliated the victim by cutting his hair, putting marks on his body and even mutilating some of his body parts.

The pillory didn't last more than a few hours, but it was sometimes carried on for days. The device was situated in either the marketplace or the plaza - where most villagers could see the victim's suffering. The army was also well-known for using the pillory as a means of punishment.

8. The Chair of Torture :

Also known as the Judas Chair, the Chair of Torture was a terrible device of the Middle Ages. It was used until the late 1800's in Europe.

There are many variants of the chair. They all have one thing in common: spikes cover the back, arm-rests, seat, leg-rests and foot-rests. The number of spikes in one of these chairs ranges from 500 to 1,500.

To avoid movement, the victim's wrists were tied to the chair or, in one version, two bars pushed the arms against arm-rests for the spikes to penetrate the flesh even further. In some versions, there were holes under the chair's bottom where the torturer placed coal to cause severe burns while the victim still remained conscious.

This instrument's strength lies primarily in the psychological fear caused on the victims. It was a common practice to extract a confession by forcing the victim to watch someone else be tortured with this instrument.

The time of death greatly varied ranging from a few hours to a day or more. No spike penetrated any vital organ and the wound was closed by the spike itself which delayed blood loss greatly.

7. The Knee Splitter:

The knee splitter, a terrible torture, was mostly used during the Inquisition. What this instrument accomplished was to permanently render the knees useless.

Even though the name implies that this instrument was only used for "splitting" knees, it was also used in other body parts including: the elbows, arms and even the lower legs.

As the torturer turned the handle, the claws slowly slammed against each other mutilating any skin in between. The number of spikes the knee splitter contained varied from three to more than twenty.

There were many variants to this instrument. Some claws were heated beforehand to maximize pain - others had dozens of small claws that penetrated the flesh slowly and painfully.

Even though this method very seldom provoked direct death, it was often followed by other more painful methods if the victim refused to cooperate.

6. The Wheel:

This device was used as a capital punishment during the Middle Ages. Reserved for hated criminals, The Wheel always killed its victim, but did so very slowly.

The Wheel originated in Greece and quickly spread to Germany, France, Russia, England and Sweden. The device consists of a large wooden wheel with many spokes. The victim's limbs were tied to the spokes and the wheel itself was slowly revolved. Through the openings between the spokes, the torturer usually hit the victim with an iron hammer that could easily break the victim's bones. Once his bones were broken, he was left on the wheel to die, sometimes placed on a tall pole so the birds could feed from the still-living human.

In France, many executioners used the coups de grÃ¢ce, which caused lethal injuries, to make the victim's death faster. When extreme pain was desired, the victim just had his bones broken and left there to die. It could take up to two or three days for him to die of dehydration.

5. The Thumbscrew:

The victim's fingers were placed inside the instrument and slowly crushed as the torturer turned the handle on top. This method was primarily used to extract confessions as it was both painful and very lasting.

If the victim refused to speak, the torturer could choose from many other torture methods.

The same instrument was also used to crush victim's toes.

A bigger variant of the instrument that followed the same principle was used to crush victim's feet, knees and elbows. The Head Crusher was used for crushing the head.

A similar device was used for medical purposes in order to straighten the fingers of warriors who had been injured. The effectiveness of such instrument is debated.

4. Crocodile Tube:

The crocodile tube wasn't common, but it was used to kill many infidels and thieves.

The victim was fixed inside a tube just big enough for the victim's entrance. The tube, having crocodile teeth-like spikes, was slowly compressed leaving the victim totally immobilized. The torturer could only see his face and feet.

With the help of carbon and fire underneath the tube, the torturer gradually heated the tube until he extracted a confession or killed the victim. The former was most common, as this is one of the cruelest and most painful tortures ever used on human beings.

With the face and feet exposed, the torturer was able to inflict painful wounds on the victim. Facial mutilation and toe ripping were preferred choices.

3. The Heretics Fork:

The heretics fork was used in the Middles Ages mainly during the Spanish Inquisition.

The instrument consists of two forks set against each other that penetrated the flesh under the chin in one end and the upper chest in the other. As usual, this instrument didn't harm any vital points; thus avoiding death and prolonging pain.

The victim's hands were tied behind his back to prevent any chance of escape. The Heretics Fork made speech and neck movement almost impossible and was used after a confession to avoid hearing the victim any further. As can be seen in the picture, a small collar supported the fork forcing the victim to hold his head erect.

Sometimes the victim was incarcerated and subject to this instrument as well. This instrument often harmed the neck of the victim, as well as potentially spreading an infection or disease.

2. The Coffin (The Gibbet)

The Coffin Torture was feared throughout the Middle Ages. It is enough for one to look at the picture to the left to realize the reason.

The victim was placed inside the "coffin". Torturers were well-known for forcing overweight victims into the device, or even making the "coffin" slightly larger than normal to make the victims more uncomfortable.

The period of time a victim was to be kept inside the coffin was determined by his or her crime. Very serious crimes, such as blasphemy, were punished by death inside the coffin where the victim was to be kept inside under the sun with animals eating his or her flesh.

The coffin was sometimes placed in a public plaza so the local population would congregate around it and mock the unlucky victim. Sometimes death occurred because of the hatred towards the person as others often threw rocks and other objects to further increase the pain.

1. The Head crusher

The head crusher was widely used during most of the Middle Ages, especially the Inquisition. With the chin placed over the bottom bar and the head under the upper cap, the torturer slowly turned the screw pressing the bar against the cap.

This resulted in the head being slowly compressed. First the teeth are shattered into the jaw; then the victim slowly died with agonizing pain, but not before his eyes were squeezed from his sockets.

This instrument was a formidable way to extract confessions from victims as the period of pain could be prolonged for many hours if the torturer chose to. This could be done by repeatedly turning the screw both ways.

If the torture was stopped midway, the victim often had irreparable damage done to the brain, jaw or eyes.

Many variants of this instrument existed, some that had small containers in front of the eyes to receive them as they fell out of their sockets.

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The Nazca Lines

2008-03-12T01:41:00.000-07:00

The Astronaut

When you hear the mention of the Nazca Desert, what first comes to your mind? It should be the Nazca Lines, which are a series of geoglyphs spread all throughout the Peruvian regions. According to the Wikipedia online definition, geoglyphs are defined as “drawings on the ground, or a large motif, (generally greater than 4 meters) or design produced on the ground, either by arranging clasts (stones, stone fragments, gravel or earth) to create a positive geoglyph (stone arrangement/alignment, petroform, earth mound) or by removing patinated clasts to expose unpatinated ground (negative geoglyph).

These geo-drawings in the ground are more concentrated among the plain areas of coastal Peru. This includes the following areas: Socos, San Jose (Jumana), El Ingenio, and other areas located south of Lima, Peru. The Nazca Lines were made famous and became a world tourist attraction in 1939, by Toribio Mejia Xespe. Although there are similar occurrences of other geoglyphs all around the world, including- Malta, Chile, Egypt, Bolivia, the United States (in the states of California and Mississippi), and in other countries as well. Because of the uniqueness, complexity, and vast numbers- the Nazca Lines are classified as an archeological group all of its own.

Design and Theory

The Nazca Lines are created by skillfully drawing, or carving, designs into the ground. The impressions made into the earth revealed the layer of ground beneath the top layer of ground covering. Because of the ferrous oxide composition, found within the pebble ground covering in the Nazca region, the shallow imprints take on a negative type effect when viewed from above. Surrounding desert terrain take on several different hues ranging from a reddish, grayish, or blackening tint- again as a result of the ferrous oxide composition found within the pebbles. The actual design can be compared to a photo negative, in that the object is revealed by viewing it in contrasting colors. The uniqueness in this technique is that the Nazca Lines are best viewed by using an aerial or birds eye view from the sky. Since the formations are believed to have been dated as far back as 200 BCE and 700 CE, in correlation to Nazca culture, the accuracy of design is impeccable considering the lack for technology during that time period.

There are three popular theories suggesting the origination of the Nazca Lines, which are:

They were constructed in such a way that was pleasing to their aerial gods. That as part of religious deity worship, the lines served as sacred paths which lead the way to designated sites of worship. The animal or object design of the formation symbolizes invocation of- guardians, and/or focal points of worship or prayer.

Geographical landmarks used to locate distant places, such as where the sun and other astronomical bodies were located.

They were purposed for some unconfirmed ritualistic reason. Speculators think that they may have been used for fabricating textile pieces used in burial rituals; or may have been used to induce availability of water and crop fertility.

Most of the earlier drawings are more defined, in comparison to other geoglyphs, and are speculated to have resulted from religious ceremony and/or ritual. Scientists and leading experts believe that the definition may be a result of ceremonial process or ritual, because stones and gravel interfering with the line contours have been removed to maintain a clear image. Since these designs are so complex and large (the largest is recorded to be as big is 200 meters across), it would take a significant amount of time to clear any rock and other debris from marring the image.

Adding to the uniqueness factor, the regional weather conditions create the perfect environment for design preservation. The extent of design variety notably changes in correspondence to the changes in cultural eras. Some of the designs have been restored by Maria Reiche, along with teams of other collaborators, in efforts to preserve the clarity and original condition of each design. To this day, these preservation efforts are still an ongoing project of maintenance.

Popularized Varieties

The drawings have no template for design, so each is unique from one another. They range in variation from- animate and inanimate objects such as:

Simple geometric shapes and forms- i.e. triangles, spirals, wavy a line, angles, rectangles, bunches, concentric circles, converging lines and angles, geometric planes, etc.

Figures and objects such as- plants, animals, and anthropomorphic (suggestion of human characteristics of animals or inanimate things) figures.

* Popular anthropomorphic figure designs are:

- The Astronaut, discovered in 1982 by Eduardo Herran, which has a length of 32m.

- The Man with a Hat (primitive origin)

- The Executioner (primitive origin)

- Miscellaneous deformed animals and strange figures, i.e. drawing of a being with two

monstrous hands of unproportional size (one normal, and the other with four fingers)

Man-made objects, i.e. looms, tupus (ornamental clasps), and yarn.

Famous Nazca Lines:

The Pelican

The Monkey

The HummingBird

The Dog

The Spider