Superstition and Other Silliness: April 2003 Archives

Patna, India: The incoming Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda, moved into his official residence on Thursday. But first, the government splashed out on paying a Hindu priest to exorcise the evil spirits which had caused his predecessor's premature departure.

The chief minister will now complete his full term, said an optimistic Gauri Kant Thakur, a Hindu priest from Begusarai in Bihar, who performed the rituals for the grih pravesh. It was a worship of Vaastu Purush for prevalence of peace, he added. The grih pravesh also coincides with Munda completing one month in office on Thursday. The changes effected appeared simple yet tasteful. Ceramic tiles have now replaced the previous cement flooring with wall to wall carpeting.

The wooden staircase leading to the first floor, which was earlier south-west facing, proved to be inauspicious for Marandi and hence has been blocked now. The staircase now faces the north-east which, according to Thakur, will augur a problem-free regime for Munda.

The cost of the exorcism was between 800,000 and 1, 000, 000 rupees. ( £10,731 - £13, 414 or €15,494 - €19, 367). Evil spirits gone, CM Munda moves in - The Times of India, 18th April 2003.

India: A well known television personality and her husband have been reported to the police after naming their dog Sardar Ruginder Singh Bedi. The name is a combination of Sikh honorifics and a name associated with the religion's founder's clan. Ironically, the star is herself a Sikh from the Bedi clan. 'Please Sikh another name for your dog' - IOL, 8th April 2003.

The Sci-Fi Channel in the US is to show Mad Mad House, a rather bizarre game show:

This show puts contestants into Alt Manor, a house inhabited by a vampire, a witch, a voodoo priest, a yoga master and a psychic, where the contestants must compete in a series of increasingly bizarre challenges to claim a grand prize.

SCI FI Gets Real - SciFi.com, 2nd April 2003.

Trebor has put together this page, Nice Guy? or the Devil's Spawn, to demonstrate that George W. Bush is the Antichrist.

I first posted this almost two years ago to sound the alarm. Tragically, nobody listened. Now, eight months after stealing the election and assuming power, the stock market has crashed, people are losing their jobs, the World Trade Center is gone, and our nation is heading off to fight a bloody Holy War in the Middle East. Suddenly, nobody is laughing anymore.

Now if only he'd spend some time honing his Photoshop skills...