Recently in Science Fiction Category

Last night, Red Wolf forwarded me a link to an article. I have spent much of the intervening time wondering what on earth I could say about it, but I could only detract from the sheer amazement at reading this piece for the first time. So, without further comment, Awesome New UFO Theory: Approaching Comet is Really a Borg Cube From Jesus.

Germany: Lufthansa is one of the sponsors of several "Christopher Street Day" (LGBT Pride) events around the country, and is offering a number of special deals should you wish to travel to any of the cities around those dates. One Catholic extremist "news" service is upset at this, and is not content with simply making a few snide comments about cabin crew. No, according to Kreuz.net, flying with Lufthansa could give you AIDS! Let me translate:

Travel advisory to passengers on the German airline: the upholstery and interior of the aircraft could be infected with HIV. Families and children are particularly vulnerable.

No mention is made of the cooties that could leap out at your delicate regions from the toilet seat.

Fans of the outrageous will be pleased to note that this religious group goes on to compare Lufthansa to another organisation from German history. Yes, that one:

Lufthansa marches the German goose-step in the gay parades in Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Hamburg....

In the Berlin homosexual parade — reminiscent of the Nazi Party rallies in Nuremberg — the homosexual mayor Comrade Klaus Wowereit will ride on a ridiculous vehicle also marred with Lufthansa logos.

Love the mixed metaphors there, and I'm hopelessly disappointed that they forgot to rant about the presence of the Orden der Schwestern der Perpetuellen Indulgenz.

Die ‘Lufthansa’ stürzt ab—Kreuz.net, 27th June 2011 (with thanks to Schwester Aura Scortea Beneficia)

• Sweden: Drunken chaos mars Walpurgis celebrations—The Local, 1st May 2011
• Uganda: Uganda gay activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera hailed—BBC News, 4th May 2011
• Scotland: Hydro plan 'threatens' Perthshire pagan shrine—BBC News, 4th May 2011
• Iran: Iran Christians Facing Trial For “Activities Against Order”—BOS News Life (note this is a Christian source), 4th May 2011
• United Kingdom: Church-run state schools have reached the end of their term—The Guardian (comment), 3rd May 2011
• United Kingdom: Aliens watching Ashbourne rugby?—Ashbourne News-Telegraph, 4th May 2011
• South Korea: The body of a man with his hands and feet nailed to a wooden cross and a crown of thorns on his head has been found in an abandoned South Korean stone quarry. Crucified man found in South Korean quarry—The Guardian, 4th May 2011

• United States: Man believed his Pasadena landlord was warlock, killed him—Baltimore Sun, 27th April 2011
• Nepal: Woman battered on witchcraft charge cries for justice—República, 28th April 2011
• Kenya: Woman Hacked to Death Over Witchcraft Suspicion—Nairobi Star (via allAfrica.com), 27th April 2011
• United Kingdom: UFO hovered over Will-Kate wedding venue, shows video—Mangalorean, 28th April 2011

• Greece: Arsonists attack Corfu synagogue at start of Passover—The Guardian, 19th April 2011
• England: Presenters prepare for Flora Day—BBC News, 19th April 2011
• A timely reminder that Hot Cross Buns are nothing to do with Christianity. Consider the hot cross bun—The Guardian, 19th April 2011
• Nor are Easter eggs. What about Easter, the Bunny and the Egg?—The Bahamas Weekly, 17th April 2011
• And especially not the Easter Bunny! Who is the ‘Osterhase?’—, 14th April 2011
• United Kingdom: Some people are getting married soon. BEWARE: Prediction spells doom for Royals—Vexnews, 19th April 2011
• India: Techie couple wakes up to witchcraft outside home—Bangalore Mirror, 19th April 2011
• United States: Psychic Could Not Foresee Her Own Arrest—LAist, 19th April 2011
• United States: John F. Kennedy requested UFO files 10 days before his assassination—abc15, 19th April 2011

Today's stunning bargain is this Mercury Retrograde Spray from the Daily OM. It can be yours for a mere $17.95 for a 4oz bottle, which translates as nearly 11 quid for 113.6ml. So, what does this remarkable substance do?

The Mercury Retrograde Balancer Spray is a tool to help influence the powerful positive and negative mental and energetic effects of Mercury retrograde.… To Use: Spray around yourself and your home and work space to protect you from the negative effects of Mercury in retrograde.

Apparently, when Mercury goes retrograde one often feels mentally wobbly, forgetful, and introverted. Mentally wobbly enough, it seems, to buy something like this!

Thanks to Geri Corvus for drawing this fabulous product to my attention. The site also looks like it will feature in Bargain of the Day in future.

Israel

Jesus crucifiction nails "found"

The film, 'The Nails of the Cross' by Simcha Jacobovici, follows three years of research during which he presents his assertions - some based on empirical data, others requiring much imagination and a leap of faith.

He hails the find as historic, but most experts and scholars dismissed his case as far-fetched, some calling it a publicity stunt.

Some of us might actually call it the demented ravings of a complete head-case, actually.

—Daily Telegraph, 13th February 2011.

• Italy: Catholic church gives blessing to iPhone app—BBC News, 7th February 2011.
• Uganda: Woman stripped in market for witchcraft—Uganda People News, 8th February 2011.
• Swaziland: Drama as prophet probes resident for witchcraft—Times of Swaziland, 8th February 2011.
• India: Sorcerers target Soudha again—Times of India, 8th February 2011.
• Romania: Fortune tellers whose predictions do not come true could face prison like all other fraudsters. Hard-hit by recession, Romania considering getting even tougher on witches—The Canadian Press, 8th February 2011.
• India: Rationalists strike back, all set to nail the facade of ‘religious magic’—Daily News and Analysis, 8th February 2011.
• Indonesia: Muslim mob burns, ransacks churches in Indonesia—AFP, 8th February 2011.
• Wales: North Wales UFO ‘crash’ is back in the spotlight—The Leader, 8th February 2011.
• United States: 'UFO Phil' Wants to Put a Pyramid on Pikes Peak—AOL News, 8th February 2011.

• Papua New Guinea: Man caught eating his newborn son—Sydney Morning Herald, 5th February 2011.
• United States: Ronald Reagan cared more about UFOs than AIDS—Salon, 4th February 2011.
• Pakistan: Bill passed to curb the use of loudspeakers for spreading religious hatred. Clearing the air: Lowering the volume of hate—Express Tribune, 5th February 2011.
• Israel: That UFO? Just a hologram according to the good old India Daily Technology Team. Created by people who want to discredit the real space aliens. UFO illusion uncovered over Jersulalem - who created the hologram illusion?—India Daily Technology, 4th February 2011.

• United Kingdom: Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement ring will bring bad luck unless purified, a feng shui expert said. Princess Di's 'ring is bad luck'—News.com.au, 5th February 2011.
• India: Astrology is a science, court rules—Daily Telegraph, 4th February 2011.
• Ing-er-lund: Racist thug claims to be victim of own medicine. EDL founder claims he is target of Islamist death threat—The Guardian, 4th February 2011.
• Italy: Catholic Church says Pope will not be allowed to save lives, whatever his wishes might be. Donor card or not, the pope's organs are going nowhere—The Guardian, 4th February 2011.
• England: Gilbert Deya nephew Paul Deya jailed for murdering son—BBC News, 4th February 2011.

• India: Four jailed for murdering a woman they believed was a witch. 4 get lifer in murder case—OneIndia News, 2nd February 2011
• Bangladesh: In this country, a married man having sex with a 14-year-old would be before the courts. Note that this appears to be an extrajudicial killing, as this type of religious punishment is illegal in Bangladesh. Four arrested after Bangladesh girl 'lashed to death'—BBC News, 2nd February 2011.
• United States: Wizard from child abusing cult upset that people are going elsewhere for their spiritual fix. Exorcist warns parents of rise in ‘demonic’ websites—Catholic Herald, 2nd February 2011.
• India: Superstition over witchcraft has led to the murder of three persons in two days in Keonjhar district's Daitari and Telkoi police station areas. Sorcery claims three in Keonjhar—Times of India, 2nd February 2011.
• United States and Egypt: A perfectly rational analysis of the root causes of the events in Egypt! Georgia Nicols: Pluto cycle means major upheaval in Egypt—The Province, 2nd February 2011.
• Israel: Ancient problem solved—it belonged to the Raelians all along! UFO hovers over Jerusalem shrine—Daily Telegraph, 2nd February 2011.
• United States: Faith-Healing Parents Sentenced—NBC Philadelphia, 2nd February 2011.

United Kingdom: a little over three weeks ago, The Observer posted a story about a prominent Tory, Philippa Stroud, alleging that she was involved in attempts to "cure" LGBT people. She has disputed this allegation, and the paper has appended her complaint to the article. Part of the summary of this complaint jumped out, as it makes her look as if she's a believer in the Satanic abuse myth:

In addition, the reference to demonic activity in her book "God's help for the poor' does not relate to sexual orientation but to those who have been involved in occult practices, including violence and sexual abuse.

That last comma is in a particularly interesting place...

Rising Tory star Philippa Stroud ran prayer sessions to 'cure' gay people—The Observer, 2nd May 2010.

Northern Ireland: A government minister is calling for a Belfast museum to treat fairy stories as science, and claims their failure to do so is a human rights issue. Culture minister Nelson McCausland, wrote to the trustees of the Ulster Museum demanding their exhibitions reflect his belief that his imaginary friend made the universe in less than a week. And he claimed a substantial proportion of the Northern Irish population shared his insanity.

McCausland defended a letter he wrote to the trustees calling for anti-evolution exhibitions at the museum. He claimed that around one third of Northern Ireland's population believed either in intelligent design or the creationist view that the universe was created about 6,000 years ago.

I have had more letters from the public on this issue than any other issue, he said.

So clearly, the museum, as an educational establishment, needs to correct their misconceptions, not encourage them. McCausland has some other insane ideas: he believes that Ulster Protestants are one of the Lost Tribes of Israel! One suspects that deporting them there would only cause more trouble.

The Guardian does not indicate whether he was writing in his official capacity, but indicates there is an orchestrated campaign against Northern Irish museums who wish their exhibitions to reflect reality. He's also not the only lunatic in the Northern Irish Assembly. Fellow party- and Assembly- member Mervyn Storey insists that publicity for one of Northern Ireland's few tourist attractions, the Giant's Causeway, reflect his belief that it is only 6000 years old, rather than the millions indicated by the evidence. He did not indicate whether equal space should be given to the just as convincing belief that the Causeway was created by legendary warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill so he could get to Scotland for a fight.

Northern Ireland minister calls on Ulster Museum to promote creationism—The Guardian, 26th May 2010.