Mitsuharu Misawa - R.I.P.

Mitsuharu Misawa

June 18, 1962 - June 13, 2009


Jun Akiyama, Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Yoshihiro Takayama

The blog is still on hold. I was planning on doing a small update on how thing are going and whats up with my life right now. Then the news broke and for the moment I want to honour one of the greatest men in proffessional wrestling. This is no time for me to talk about myself.

I found out late yesterday just before the UFC 99 event. I'm shocked to say the least. Mitsuharu Misawa, maybe the biggest legents of puroresu (japanese pro-wrestling) poassed away at the age of 46 in the ring due to heart failure after a back suplex. Some reports say he could have died in the ring.

This is the man who has been in most classic matches and he has probably won more "match of the year" awards than anyone. He also had probably the most amount of five star matches in history of pro-wrestling. He wasnt in good shape the last few years and this might have been part of the cause of his early death. In hindsight I just wish he would have stepped down after his last reign as GHC champ or even before that.

He was essential to pro-wrestling NOAH since he was the one leaving AJPW (All Japan Pro Wrestling) to form this new group. AJPW's most recognizable name leaving to form his own group. Partly successfull but lately not so much. Still during the best days one of my favorite organisations ever.

I am very happy to have witnessed Misawa live in action almost exactly a year ago in the Coventry Skydome. It was a great experience and a fantastic match. I just wish he was still here with us.

Scenes difficult to watch from the awful accident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwzeAG2kmB0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndp0NUplIDI

WrestleView (through the Wrestling Observer) reports:

Mitsuharu Misawa, one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all-time, was declared dead at 10:10 p.m. Saturday night at a hospital in Hiroshima from an apparent heart attack after being being given a back suplex in a tag team title match.

Misawa would have turned 47 on June 18th.

Misawa, the president of Pro Wrestling NOAH, was teaming with Go Shiozaki in a match challenging Bison Smith & Akitoshi Saito for the GHC tag team championship in Hiroshima. Misawa was given the move at about 8:45 p.m. and knocked unconscious.

According to eye witness reports, Saito gave Misawa a "routine" back suplex that was described as a "7" in danger on a scale of one-to-ten. He did not get up. It was chaos in the ring as they attempted to revive him using CPR and the crowd was hushed for a while, and began a "Misawa" chant. He turned purple in the ring and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.

His heart stopped beating in the ring.

The wrestlers were told on the bus that he had passed away.

While it is being reported that he passed away at the hospital, he may have actually passed away in the ring.

Misawa was the Japanese high school national wrestling champion at 187 pounds in 1980, and was recruited by Giant Baba into All Japan Pro Wrestling. He gained his first taste of stardom in 1984 when he was chosen to be the second Tiger Mask. After unmasking in 1990, he became an even bigger star after a series of singles matches with Jumbo Tsuruta.

He was Japan's biggest pro wrestling star of the 90s, and one could make a strong case for him as the top wrestler of the decade. He was the Wrestler of the Year in 1995, 1997 and 1999.

After the death of Shohei "Giant" Baba, Misawa wrestled a little over one more year for All Japan Pro Wrestling, while working as company president. After consistently butting heads with owner Motoko Baba, the widow of Shohei Baba, he and 90% of the All Japan roster quit the company to form Pro Wrestling NOAH.

Here are some of my pictures from the show where I saw Misawa wrestle. They arent great but Im no proffessional. I also have a couple of pics of me and him both holding the swedish flag which of course was a great moment. All pictures feature Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi:

Im on blogger vacation....

Well, I havent been very active on this blog for quite some time now. There's several reasons for this. Work has been tougher with the restructuring we go through at the moment. I also try to decide on what to do and how to plan my vacation as well as trying to decide on my future. I will probably go to London this summer and basically get the feel of the city and see if I can get some input and/or insight into what might be the best action for me in regards to jobs and places to live. I will combine that with visiting a few friends of course. And will I sell the place I live in now or rent it out to someone etc? Theres just alot going through my mind and I havent felt inspired to write alot on here.

On top of all this Im trying to complete my studies in the science of religion which I hope I can manage before the summer starts for real.

Busy, busy, busy.....

Ny länk.

This is one of few posts in my native language and it is written in swedish because it deals with a blog that mainly uses that language.

Jag fann en blogg idag av en medlem av Golden Dawn som jag fann mycket intressant. Jag är som bekant mest inne på vänstra handens väg och dess uttryck och fann då ett långt inlägg som beskrev Thomas Karlssons (Dragon Rouge) syn på saken och sedan inkluderade bloggarens egna tankar. Det intressanta här är att sammanfattningen är mycket kompetent och så obektiv som jag tror att man kan vara och att kritiken på det är mycket väl genomtänkt. Delar av kritiken, ja kanske den största delen, håller jag dessutom med om. Den vänstra handens väg och den högra handens väg är olika vägar mot samma mål. Det var så de uppkom i öst och hur och varför de omtolkades till att ha olika mål vet jag inte. Oftast verkar det dock härstamma från Julius Evolas tolkning. Var Evola fick sin information om detta från vet jag inte.

För min del var tex Satanismen alltid ett uttryck för något som inte var dualistiskt även om jag givetvis inte alltid i mina yngre år uttryckte det på speciellt komplierade metafysiska nivåer. Jag kom tidigt i kontakt med "The Dark Doctrines Crew" och de förespråkade alltid en icke-dualistisk syn presenterat i sataniska termer (jag bryr mig föga om deras politiska åsikter, det var alltid det metafysiska som var intressant för min del). För mig var detta tidigt skillnaden mellan kristendomen och satanismen. Jag är medveten om att det i alra högsta grad finns satanister som är dualister också men för mig var det aldrig så. DD Crews längre texter är att föredra men dessa finns inte på hemsidan (de går att köpa, eller hitta på "inofficiella sidor").

Baphomet ser jag fortfranade som en av de främsta symbolerna för helheten i min värdssyn tillsammans med den Heraklitianska elden. Och även om jag gått ifrån att kalla mig satanist då det är för snävt och samtidigt något jag utvecklats bortom så har det stor betydelse för mig på flera sätt. Mina egna tankar om detta går att finna här, här och här.

Detta mycket längre än jag tänkte. Här är iaf länken till bloggen jag skrev om och texten om den vänstra handens väg i synnerhet. En länk ska läggas till i den vänstra menyn också.

Gyllene Gryningen - Angående den vänstra och den högra handens vägar.

Some notes.

As you can tell Im all healthy now which is why there was a slowing down in the posting compared to the amount of posts two weeks ago. Back at work means tired in the evenings but I hope to contribute more soon.

I made a Google Analytics account to see if people were really finding their way to this blog and to my surprise the blog has way more readers that I thought it had. The numbers arent amazing or anything but way more than the few I thought cared. Most based in Sweden, even though the blog is in english, but also from very varied parts of the world which is great. I just have a very low commentary rate on my posts and participation in my polls. I wonder why.

So anyway, I hope to be able to keep making people come back here and maybe to trick some new unexpecting victims into the Ephesos trap ;)

Barack Obama: We Are Not A Christian Nation.

Its very nice and refreshing to hear the president of the United States of America acknowledge that the country he represent isnt in fact a christian nation. Of course all the conservatives and the influential christian right may be terrified. However, as much as they talk about the founding fathers and the constitution did they ever read what they had to say about Christianity? Here are some excerpts that may get some people thinking:

The Founding Fathers on Religion

As the quotes on this page illustrate, the claim that America was founded on Christianity is a myth. Many of the Founding Fathers and Revolutionary War leaders were Deists, and upheld a firm separation of church and state.

Webster's New World Dictionary -- Third College Edition

Deism: (1) The belief in the existence of a God on purely rational grounds without reliance on revelation or authority; especially in the 17th and 18th centuries. (2) The doctrine that God created the world and its natural laws, but takes no further part in its functioning.

United States Constitution

The First Amendment
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."

Article VI, Section 3
"...no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."


John Adams (the second President of the United States)

Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli (June 7, 1797). Article 11 states:
"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion."

From a letter to Charles Cushing (October 19, 1756):
"Twenty times in the course of my late reading, have I been upon the point of breaking out, 'this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.'"

From a letter to Thomas Jefferson:
"I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved -- the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!"

Additional quotes from John Adams:
"Where do we find a precept in the Bible for Creeds, Confessions, Doctrines and Oaths, and whole carloads of trumpery that we find religion encumbered with in these days?"

"The Doctrine of the divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity."

"...Thirteen governments [of the original states] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without a pretence of miracle or mystery, and which are destined to spread over the northern part of that whole quarter of the globe, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind."


Thomas Jefferson (the third President of the United States)

Jefferson's interpretation of the first amendment in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association (January 1, 1802):
"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State."

From Jefferson's biography:
"...an amendment was proposed by inserting the words, 'Jesus Christ...the holy author of our religion,' which was rejected 'By a great majority in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohammedan, the Hindoo and the Infidel of every denomination.'"

Jefferson's "The Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom":
"Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, more than on our opinions in physics and geometry....The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

From Thomas Jefferson's Bible:
"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."

Jefferson's Notes on Virginia:
"Reason and persuasion are the only practicable instruments. To make way for these free inquiry must be indulged; how can we wish others to indulge it while we refuse ourselves? But every state, says an inquisitor, has established some religion. No two, say I, have established the same. Is this a proof of the infallibility of establishments?"

Additional quotes from Thomas Jefferson:
"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."

"They [the clergy] believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition of their schemes. And they believe rightly: for I have sworn upon the alter of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

"I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half of the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth."

"In every country and in every age the priest has been hostile to liberty; he is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own."

"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear....Do not be frightened from this inquiry by any fear of its consequences. If it end in a belief that there is no God, you will find incitements to virtue on the comfort and pleasantness you feel in its exercise and in the love of others which it will procure for you."

"Christianity...[has become] the most perverted system that ever shone on man....Rogueries, absurdities and untruths were perpetrated upon the teachings of Jesus by a large band of dupes and importers led by Paul, the first great corrupter of the teaching of Jesus."

"...that our civil rights have no dependence on religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics and geometry."


James Madison (the fourth President of the United States)

Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments:
"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise....During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in laity; in both, superstition, bigotry, and persecution."

Additional quote from James Madison:
"Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together."


Benjamin Franklin

From Franklin's autobiography, p. 66:
"My parents had given me betimes religious impressions, and I received from my infancy a pious education in the principles of Calvinism. But scarcely was I arrived at fifteen years of age, when, after having doubted in turn of different tenets, according as I found them combated in the different books that I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself."

From Franklin's autobiography, p. 66:
"...Some books against Deism fell into my hands....It happened that they wrought an effect on me quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quote to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations, in short, I soon became a thorough Deist."


Thomas Paine

From The Age of Reason, pp. 89:
"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of....Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and of my own part, I disbelieve them all."

From The Age of Reason:
"All natural institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit."

From The Age of Reason:
"The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion."

From The Age of Reason:
"What is it the Bible teaches us? -- rapine, cruelty, and murder."

From The Age of Reason:
"Loving of enemies is another dogma of feigned morality, and has beside no meaning....Those who preach the doctrine of loving their enemies are in general the greatest prosecutors, and they act consistently by so doing; for the doctrine is hypocritical, and it is natural that hypocrisy should act the reverse of what it preaches."

From The Age of Reason:
"The Bible was established altogether by the sword, and that in the worst use of it -- not to terrify but to extirpate."

Additional quote from Thomas Paine:
"It is the duty of every true Deist to vindicate the moral justice of God against the evils of the Bible."


Ethan Allen

From Religion of the American Enlightenment:
"Denominated a Deist, the reality of which I have never disputed, being conscious that I am no Christian."

The founding fathers were not Christians. . .
Is America a Christian nation?
The U.S. Constitution.

This and that.

You might wonder why I write all these posts all of a sudden. Well, this is my third day being sick. I feel like I have a fever but the thermometer says otherwise. These days I only get this sick about once a year so I hope this is it and that I keep fresh the rest of 2009.

It has dawned on me how boring it is to be home with nothing to do. I did manage to read some a couple of days ago but in general I avent been able to. What I have done is watching loads of football (the kind of football where the participants actually use their feet to kick the ball). I went to a game some days ago with friends and I got into it. I never really cared alot even though I do have a favorite team and all. However the game I went to combined with me having loads of time being home and sick made me watch it more. Been watching about 5 matches. 4 champions league and 1 från the swedish league and Im getting into it. I will attend a game on Monday as well. I hope Im well enough to enjoy it by then.

I answered an add that a band had put on the internet about possibly becoming a bass player for them. When they found out I played in another band they said that they wanted someone who would focus whole heartedly on their band. Ah come on... Just because I play in two bands doesnt mean time has to be taken from either of them. Sounds kind of like when James Hetfield didnt want Jason Newstedt to do anything outside of Metallica. I guess thats their loss...

I got myself google analytics to gain stats from this page. So far it seem like my left hand path posts gather most internet traffic. And here I am writing diary like posts. We'll see if I can manage to throw something new together on the LHP topic soon.

On the importance of production.

This is just a link to an already existing piece but its a very good one and it explains on a low level why and how the production of an album is important. It all stems from the complete flop of Metallicas Death Magnetic in terms of the sound. It was awful. This article isnt so much focused on that but it does indeed touch upon that as well.

Was there anything wrong with the recording of the new Metallica album? How did Led Zeppelin revolutionize recording rock? Why do newer albums sound louder? For these questions and more, clink the link and discover why the production on albums matter! Read more...

New poll!

So I finally created a new poll. Itsreally simple this time around. 2 choices, not multiple answers allowed (since it wouldnt make any sense). The question is if you are a moral absolutist or a moral relativist. For those not familiar with the terms in question you can do some basic research on them here and here.

The usefullness of emptiness

Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub,
It is the hole in the center that the use of the cart hinges.
We make a vessel from a lump of clay,
It is the empty space within the vessel that makes it useful.
We make doors and windows for a room,
But it is these empty spaces that make the room livable.
Thus, while the tangible has its advantages,
It is the intangible that makes it useful.

I had a dream.

I havent been here for a long time now - well long in the internet time frame at least. I fell asleep on the couch yesterday afternoon after a run and decided to go straight to bed when I woke up around 09:00 PM. So I woke up around midnight and felt awake but realized I had to go back to sleep. I then decided to get out of bed at 04.00 AM when I woke up the next time. At that point in time I had a a strange dream.

I dreamt that I was back in my parents house and that I was still back in regular school. My mother tried to help me with mathematical problem but started shouting when I didnt understand what she said and claimed it was my fault. My father sided with me but as the dream progressed he also turned on me and claimed I would loose my own place because I didnt have the ability to sort my bills. Or maybe he said I didnt have them sorted and that I would loose all I had.

Now I have no problem with either of my parents but I think it symbolized my fears at this moment in time. I picked up school again to try to finish my candidate exam. Im doing alright and Im probably doing better than I think I am. The goal is however to keep on studying abroad. When I was last in school they offered us to apply for a school in manchester I believe it was. If that is still something I can do I would love it. So my dream might connect these two, one being worry about school and the other worry about leaving my home. A home which I did spend the past 1.5 years to look good. And I like it so its not that I just need to get away. At least Im counting on getting my money back and then some when I sell it. Or maybe I will rent it out. That would work out nicely if I could trust the person getting it. And maybe there is a third aspect to it being to move away from my family. I live very close to all of them and get along with them just fine. Im sure there wouldnt be a big problem or anthing if I did move (for me or for them) but its one of those stupid things I worry about beforehand.

Yes, life aint easy right now. Well it hasnt been for a long time but now its put up or shut up time for me which might be why I havent given the blog so much thought.

To be right and to move on.

Today I woke up early to make something for lunch later on in the day. Alot transpired yesterday and I feel empty yet quite satisfied. Its weird really how things happen. Someone let me down but I did kind of expect it so it didnt hit that hard. Its a shame though, I dont think she can help herself and in the end she ends up hurting people and then herself (even though she might not see that herself). I cant help to think how much better her life would be if she could be honest because when hanging out she is really nice and easy to talk to. Ah well, I cant do anything about it and my best guess is that she wont reply to my tries to contact her. So I guess this is good riddance and good bye. Im one experience richer and Im happy that me being careful and not get into things to much paid off. It kind of reassured that I wasnt off base. See you in hell miss ;)

Furthermore I have a good idea on my next philosophical post for the blog which will probably be about change. As usual the post will probably be influenced alot by eastern thought as well as western esotericism or left hand path pilosophy in one way or another.

I dont know when or if I have the time though. I decided to pick up my studies a few weeks back and registered. When I spoke to my teacher he immediately asked if I was interested in going for a phd. It gave me lots of ideas. Last time I was studying we got a few alternatives for further studies. One was in England (I believe it was in Manchester) and if they have something similar this time around and if things work out I will probably do something with it. And I know a couple of people in England who I have never met so it would be a good opportunity to start a relation t them in a non-online manner.

I would actually love to get paid to study and then getting away and try smething new is something I really need and I think the experience would be a good one for sure. Besides it would mean that I leave my current job which is close to my home, pay me alright and gives alot of security but is no future really.

I was also getting into alot of the norwegian black metal scene again the last week or so. It contains some really good suff and is actually very diverse and even if the scene often seems close minded its usually only the fans perspective. The bands are often quite experimental and they differ alot individually from eachother. My latest purchases have included Immortals "at the heart of winter", Mayhems "grand decleration of war", Gorgoroths "ad majorem sathanas gloriam" as well as Burzums "hvis lyset tar oss". Quite a far way from my last purchases that included Verdis "aida" and Miles Davis "bitches brew". Hey, diversity in music is a strength... :)

Nature

I took these photos today. These are all surrounding I pass by in work from time to time. I have planned to photograph them for a long time but it wasnt until today that I actually did so. Im no proffesional and my camera isnt of the expensive kind but I am satisfied with what I got. Nature can indeed be impressive:

Poll results.

These are the results of the poll. I was thinking of a more simple approach with the next poll with just a couple of answer alternatives. I just have to find a good question first.

Which kinds of music do you enjoy?

Blues 1 (7%)

Classical 3 (21%)

Country 2 (14%)

Dansband 1 (7%)

Electronic 4 (28%)

Folk 5 (35%)

Hip-hop 1 (7%)

Jazz 3 (21%)

Latino 1 (7%)

Metal 12 (85%)

Pop 2 (14%)

R&B 1 (7%)

Reggae 1 (7%)

Rock 11 (78%)


Number of votes: 14

How to cook an egg with a penn!

I have been very bad at updating this blog. I have some ideas for future posts in the "wisdom" category but I dont feel like going to deep into that just now since my ideas for posts arent that positive. And right now I am kind of positive so Im not in the right state of mind to bury myself in deep negative stuff.

After some weirdness and misunderstandings (and me being abit plump) in the planning stages a friend of mine came over for the weekend. This was the first time we met - yeah, Im a computer child I make my friends online ;) - and things turned out very good. Whatever differences we had had online they were all blown away in real life.

I had a very good time actually and will keep alot of good memories of this weekend. It was definately a good thing for me to do and Im glad it worked out.

See you again soon miss G?

A day in the life of....

This is just something I thought as quite funny.

This morning I started my day by insulting my mother in public, then punched out my father, my brother, and my sister. Then I gathered up all my clothes, sold them to a second-hand store, and with the proceeds bought a used Uzi and 50 rounds of ammunition. Next, I went down to the animal shelter and injected all the dogs with a drug that caused them to go insane and dive into the nearby canal where they all drowned. By this time I was hungry, so I went over to my neighbor's apple orchard and burned it down, because I wanted an orange and there weren't any. On the way home, I stopped at the local steel mill to discuss my philosophy of life with some of the guys. They laughed at me and said to stow it, so I tossed them all into the blast furnace. That night I discovered my son looking at a copy of Playboy. Concerned for his future welfare, I cut off his right hand. What historical character did my activities today most resemble?

Genghis Khan
Charles Manson
Adolph Hitler
Jesus Christ

Church of the Churchless

I just thought I'd add some more attention to this new link I added to a blog called "Church of the Churchless". It contains some very interesting reading and alot of it resonates well with me. Its based on a more eastern approach whch I of course like but it also critiques some of the traditional ideas.

Melek Taus

This post will be written in Swedish because it deals with a swedish radio show.

Idag rapporterade P1's "Människor och Tro" om Yaziderna. En folkgrupp och religion som ofta kopplas samman med ockultism och Satanism av både utövare, experter och motståndare. Mycket missförstådda är de och det här programmet klargör en del av dessa missuppfattningar. Det torde vara klart att dessa människor har en egen religion som inte är egentlig Satanism. Hursomhelst är det mycket intressant. Radioprogrammet kan fungera som en kort introduktion tll ett ämne som är mycket invecklat. Programmets hemsida hittar ni här, och inslaget börjar ca 8 minuter in.

Copper Wimmin

This is a song that someone, who I am starting to get closer to, recomended to me. She said it made her think of her and me and when I heard it it really hit me. The vocal delivery is beautiful and the lyrics hits me straight in the heart. This might be one of the strongest songs I have ever heard actually and I would like to recomend it to anyone out there.

I know you've been hurt
Many a' time before
Your heart bleeds rivers
Deep enough to drown
Thought I could be the one
To swim against the current
Swim against the force
The force that pulls one down

But no matter how hard I try
I can't seem to win this fight
I seem to be further behind
Than I was when I met you

I know that you choose
Where you want to be
Choose the heart of gold
And not the one for free
Choose the heart of the past
Belonging not to me

But no matter how hard I try
I can't seem to win this fight
I seem to be further behind
Than I was when I met you
No matter how hard I try
I can't seem to win this fight
I seem to be further behind
Than I was when I met you

Stairway to heaven

Made by blackgarlic.

Iconoclasm

I have a document where I copy quotes I come by from around the internet. I just read through some of them and came by this one which I found interesting:

I really think many of you put way too much stock in the word Satanism, and being "Satanic"! Quit being a Satanist and grow yourselves outside the title. The very philosophy of this very base religion is to cast off that which has no value and grow oneself. I submit that the title "Satanism" has no value.

Satanism stagnates because the people who wear it as a title are stagnant in the title. Satanism is personal to each individual, thus if there is nothing new its because we are lazy and have not sought anything new. If you truly have followed an idea to its fullest conclusion, cast it aside for something fuller.

Quit being Satanists. Religious titles are nothing but food for our egos. It is when you can mold yourselves into any idea that you can really begin to expand. I meant what I said: Become Christian for a while! When you can become your own antithesis at will you will be astounded at what you find.

This post was made by someone going by the name of birdland at the 600 club forums. I actually find this very educating and its an approach I naturally take to this myself. Allthough I have to admit it often shows with me wantng to fit into a label or category. Things would be so good if that were to happen. It would truly be the easy way. However it never happens and I know it probably never will.

I often find myself reading things and really liking one or a few ideas and try to justify the rest based on these ideas. Of course it never happens but I always understand that. But every time I pick up a book Im ready to plunge deep into it and I try to be as open as I can and I hope I will find that philosopher or thinker that resonates with me 100%. As I said above that has never ever happened and if it will I might be scared to confront it. How freaky would that be.

I think Im to strong of an individual to ever accept just one perspective without adding my own thoughts and incorporate other ideas and traditions into it.

I just read the newest chapters of Michael Aquinos unfinished history on the Temple of Set. It dealt with the Ronald K. Barrets policies that he introduced to the temple once he became a high priest why it happened and why it chocked the temple and made it lose so many members (from around 200 to just 31 active Setians in 1982). It was an extensive test much based on litterature study from a fixed and set reading list. He might have had good intentions and I understand how he wanted to produce something special of the members that he was the leader of. But as Aquino put it, its hard to herd a group of cats. This approach seemed to me to be about molding everyone in the same way. The initiation wasnt being personal anymore but collective and the importance was with a fixed set of books.

This is the way I feel strangeled by labels. They are to often so exclusive that they become limiting. I just heard a interview with Peter H. Gilmore of the Church of Satan. Despite my main philosophy being more in terms with Anton LaVey than with the Temple of Set I just cant deal with the LaVeyans praise of their dead leader and past accomplishments (and indeed history revisionism as well). Nothing new has come from that organisation in years and years and even Anton wrote just 5 books. Its static and meaningless and afraid to include new influences. In this way I find the Temple of Set way more beneficial and interesting. Although because of my disagreements with their core philosophy I could never be a member of their organisation.

In my first serious search for philosophy end religion I took a stand against Christianity. I was never raised in a very christian way and I wasnt constrained by direct influence of christian rules but I somehow felt the need to break free from its chains. This was the most important charachteristic of Satan as I saw it back then (and still do but in another way - or more evolved way of thinking).

In the past few years the motto of "questioning all things" had gone from questioning Christianity to questioning Satanism. This is what I think the aove quote refers to. By changing the outlook one can learn alot about the label one wears. Now I didnt choos ethe christian perspective since Im familiar with that already. I instead coose to go deeper into eastern metaphysics and I learned more about Satanism that way when I compared the to than I ever did by re-reading The Satanic Bible, The Diabolicon or whatever other book/essay there is on Satanism.

My main problem with Satanism is the claiming of a symbol (or symbols) of change, of chaos in its metaphysical meaning, of becoming but never actually do anything. Well Im sure alot of people are actively seeking to develop but to many are just parroting words written down a long time ago. But that might be the nature of the beast. People are lazy and want comfort and taking the easy way. This is why I can see the logic in this point that the Cavacante la Tigre blog recently described.

16 random things about me.

This is something I wrote for facebook. A friend wrote me 16 random things about her and the rules was to write her back with 16 random things about me as well as send it on to 16 other people. Given my nature I gave this alot of thought instead of just sitting down and writing 16 things off the top of my head. I think it turned out in a way that can be compared to a tattoo only less permamnent. Its a print of where I am just now and what is going through my head. Its pretty short and has no real structure but I thought it would be a good idea to re-publish these on my blog to keep it alive. So here we go:

1. I am often so caught up in my own "thing" that I cant understand how others cant even understand me - even if I dont demand that they have to agree with me.

2. Because of the above Im much of a lone wolf, for good and bad, and very few people really know me (if anyone these days).

3. I almost never read fiction. I tend to be bored with it and not think it has any significant value. I prefer books on philosophy and whatever connects to that.

4. I am an elitist but I cant live up to my ideals because they are too high and Im to lazy.

5. I think ignorance can be a blessing because that often means that youre happy. Knowledge on the other hand tends to be a heavier load and more often leads to unhapiness. Of course I always seek knowledge and tend to not be as carefree and do not take things in a very easy and relaxed manner.

6. I still love pro-wrestling. Its easy and it speaks to the most basic human instincts and it works as an escape from reality for me. Or as a return to an easier reality.

7. If I had to choose I would rather be mute than deaf or blind.

8. I wish I could start all over again and embrace the things I may not have dared to embrace in the past.

9. I strongly dislike people who claim that they listen to any kind of music. It usually means that they listen to anything that the radio burps out for them to consume. If asked if they like death metal, jazz fusion or opera they either dont know the genre or say they dont like it.

10. I on the other hand have a diverse taste in music but would never say "I like everything" or alike because I dont want to be categorized with those people I described above. The stuff thats been playing the most for me recently has been Rome (neofolk), Giuseppe Verdi (opera), Anthrax (thrash metal), Wardruna (folk), Weather Report (jazz fusion) and Black Sabbath (heavy metal/hard rock).

11. I cant really go out to bars/clubs because if I do after a while the music sounds distorted in my ears and I can never really hear what others are saying even if they are standing right next to me. I think its combination of loud music and so much other sounds. I think my ears have a hard time concentrating when there is to much and to loud sounds.

12. I dwell on things for way to long even if there is no reason for it. I really wish I could move on easier but I cant and I have to accept that.

13. I have a few dreams I'd like to come true but I am at the same time afraid to loose my comfort. The ironic thing is that much of what I want to get away from is the comfort and predictability of my life.

14. My main philosophical foundations for metaphysics tend to lie with Heraclitus work "fragments" and it is added to by concepts from eastern metaphysics (mahakali in vamachara tantra, sunyata in buddhism, tao in taoism), nietzsches worldview and ancient myths of now dead religions (ginnungagap in ancient norse tradition for example).

15. Despite me drawing influence from theistic religions and systems I myself am an atheist who like to describe the world in a theistic language to personalize it. Nietzsche also did it with Apollo and Dionysus.

16. I am to serious to often. Hey, take a look at the points above and tell me otherwise ;)

Update - Januray 28, 2009

I havent written much in a long time now. I dont have any particular reason. I have been busy and have also been doing alot of thinking and some things may change my future quite soon. Alot going on at the moment both in the objective and subjective universe as Dr. Aquino would say ;)

I have a few ideas for posts but I havent decided on what to use or if to use any at all. We'll see.

I also thought about creating a new blog that would be like a diary of sorts. But I probably would keep it anonymous so I would not post the link on this blog if that happens. But as with everything else, I dont know what will happen with that.

Queen of Night

Today I attended a musical called footloose. A friend invited me and I thought it ould be nice. I usually dont do these kind of things so I gave it a shot. On the way home we discussed doing thing we dont usually do. I remembered having attended the opera as a child and when I got home I decided to look up some opera. I havent been able to get into alot of classical music before but I remembered having a VHS-tape of "the magic flute". This was when I was really young and I remember liking it and watching it alot. So in my search I came across this clip. This is Diana Damrau as Queen of Night from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts "The Magic Flute". Im quite stunned to be honest. I may not be hugely into this kind of music but this performance really touches me. The aria itself is a masterpiece and Dianas voice is superb. Listen and enjoy:

What preserves the species.

This is a quote from Friedrich Nietzsches "The Gay Science" (Book 1:4) which I recently started to read:

The strongest and most evil spirits have so far done the most to advance humanity: again and again they relumed the passions that were going to sleep- all ordered society puts the passions to sleep- and they reawakened again and again the the sense of comparison, of contradiction, of the pleasure in what is new, daring, untried; they compelled men to pit opinion against opinion, model against model. Usually by force of arms, by toppling boundary markers, by violating pieties- but also by means of new religions and moralities. In every teacher and preacher of what is new we encounter the same "wickedness" that makes conquerors notorious, even if its expression is subtler and it does not immediately set the muscles in motion, and therefore also does not make one that notorious. What is new, however, is always evil, being that which wants to conquer and overthrow the old boundary markers and the old pieties; and only what is old is good. The good men are in all ages those who dig the old thoughts, digging deep and getting them to bear fruit- the farmers of the spirit. But eventually all land is exploited, and the ploughshare of evil must come again and again.

Riot in Everyone!

While at work I decided to listen to Crash Diets debut album. Im not a huge fan of them even if I do enjoy a little bit of sleaze at times. We used to rehearse in the same building as they did and they were nice guys. However I realized that what has shaped me more than anything else when it comes to my outlook on life are crtain kinds of lyrics. Sure, Crash Diet wasnt around when I was younger (they probably grew up around the same time as I did) but this song really represents the kind of lyrics that I always loved. Back then it was alot of Manowar for me. Despite what anyone says I still admire the ideals put forth in their lyrics from time to time (hold true to and fight for your beliefs, stand strong and alone but also recognize the ones that are like you etc). This however is "riot in everyone" by Crash Diet:

They think they can hold us down forever
But no one can beat us out of phase
We live hard, creatin' all the terror
The government is shaded by our craze

We take shit from no one
Breakin' free, never stop
Livin' rabid in the everland

Oooo we're the kids of the underground
There's a riot in everyone
We're the kids of the underground
And we're loud as we tear 'em down
Oooo we're the kids of the underground
There's a feelin' you can't deny
There's a feeling you can't deny
Coz there's a riot in everyone

They say you should live as you are told to
I say you gotta be strong and make up your own mind
Be yourself not a puppet in their freak show
Coz that's the way you'll end up when they beat you blind

Won't take shit from anyone (NO ONE)
Never played by the rules
Coz we're the kids of the underground

Our time, our ways, we're the wasted generation
Our life, we pay, with our nasty reputation
We will always be living free
Always on top of our misery
To live hard is a luxury
And to die of our prophecy

R.I.P. Dave Lepard

Nightmares...

I woke up yesterday morning before my alarm clock had sounded and realized I had a bad dream. Now there is nothing extraordinary aout that, or there shouldnt be at least. However I almost never have bad dreams nowadays, and even less ones that cause me to wake up. Whatever tough times I have been though night is the one time I have never had any problems whatsoever.

Now Im not surprised. Things went pretty godd throughout my two week vacation but from this past weekend and then through monday and tuesday my mind hasnt been in the right place at all. Many thoughts have passed through, most of which I would rather not have at all. Its like if going back to work triggered it for whatever reason.

Just bring me peace of mind....

New poll and some thoughts on friendship.

I'd like to start with a small note. I changed the poll. The was never satisfied with the political one since I honestly never have cared much for politics. I replaced it with a poll on which kind of music you most enjoy. Multiple answers are allowed of course.


Furthermore I have been thinking about something lately. Its basically loneliness but loneliness by choice. I have often considered myself to be a lone wolf. I have always had friends but usually just a few select ones. Right now that number is maybe 5 persons. Then I have some people I used to hang out with that I hope to regain some contact with and thats another 5 people maybe. Then there is the band but I pretty much only play music with them. And then there's friends friends that I can enjoy being around but arent that close to.

Anyways, this is what Im comfortable with. I have however realized something. I have never ever really relied on a friend until 5 years ago. That was when I met my ex girlfriend. yes the one I have a hard time getting over. I think I know why now. That was something that turned into a, for me, extraordinary friendship. I told her everything and we were in contact every day. It became a habit to tell her everything and anything that was on my mind. I never had that with anyone before. Not friends, not teachers in school and not my parents.

One of the hard parts with the break up was that now I had no one to talk to about these thing (no one that wouldnt get bored with listening to it anyway). That has been a huge thing for me. Unfortunately materializing in a negative way. The break up did cause me to get alot closer to two of my friends however which is good.

I never felt suffocated in my relationship but I can now feel it when contact with my friends get more intense. I mean I love them to death but Im just not the person who gives someone a ring and comes over for a cup of tea. I can feel restricted if things become to intense (and to intense to me probably aint nothing compared to what others think). If we go into town just to walk around and look through stores I can find myself being annoyed because things dont move along as fast as I'd like them to. Or maybe we go to a shop I dont have any interest in and I become restless and annoyed. I shut up about it of course, I can work in a team, but its just something I have become increasingly aware of.

Furthermore I start to notice small thing that annoys me about my friends if I spend to much time with them. One of my friends really wants to meet a new girl (he was dumped some months ago). And I hate it when he drinks and totally goes for it. Its so predictable and his attitude is "everyone should have a great time" but in reality he's closed in his own bubble and just care about pleasing himself and the girl or girls in question. If something non-comercial is being played on the stereo he's there changing it and saying "we should have music that suits everyone" not even thinking that the majority of people in the room probably prefer something a little more rock n' roll rather than some comercial pop stuff.

Now I dont want to create any bad feelings. I doubt any of them reads the blog but I have to say that I like em all. This is just something I have been thinking about lately. I guess its just as much a reflection of my short comings as it is of theirs. So no hard feeling if you read this alright? ;)

The Cube

I re-watched The Cube today. A relatively unknown movie, at least in my circles, that has become a favorite of mine. Its the archetype for the kind of movie I like. Deep, philosophical and concentrating on the story and being minimalist with no huge need for special effects. It absolutely has its flaws but in general a really good movie. I have copied a review of it below. Im not sure however if I would recomend a person who hasnt seen the movie to read the review first. I had no idea what kind of movie this was when I first saw it and it took me by storm so remember that you have been warned ;)

Compelling idea - poorly executed
Seven strangers are trapped in a deadly maze and must work together to escape. Each of the seven prisoners has a unique personality, background, and skill set; can they work together to solve the riddle of the cube and escape? I thought this was a very interesting idea for a film and is largely driven by character development among and interaction between the prisoners. In the end though, the characters are so unrealistic and uncompelling that there is little to hold your attention. The maze, or Cube, consists of a series of interconnected rooms. Each room contains six doors, one on each wall, one on the floor, and one on the ceiling. Some of the rooms contain deadly traps that the group must figure out how to avoid. They must also figure out how to exit the maze. The six persons trapped in the maze include a college math student, an autistic man, a policeman, a doctor, a fugitive from prison, and an architect. Initially the story is very compelling: why are they in the maze? who selected these individuals? who built the maze? how do they get out? A tense, claustrophobic atmosphere is created as we learn some initial details about the maze and about the prisoners. As the story develops though, the characters start arguing amongst themselves, ultimately fighting each other. The nature of the arguments is silly, and in the end I couldn't wait for the film to be over. Once they figure out how to escape, the film turns into more of an escape/evasion type of story as some try to leave the other(s) behind. The writers and producer took this film into a pit from which it couldn't recover. Some of the most enthusiastic reviews claim that this film is a microcosm of society or other such nonsense. Balderdash. The most enthusiastic reviews grossly overstate the quality of this film. This is strictly a watch once as a rental type of film, not bad, but could have been much better.

---

For people with an attention spanThis is one of the most intelligent films ever made. It is a metaphor for the prison that is the limitations of the human mind/western society.

The key to understanding the film is illustrated in the open scene when we see a lone guy get turned into dog food: they can't survive alone, they have to cooperate with others.

Unfortunately, the people in the Cube though are just like me and you, they are people who have individual skills but have individual flaws and this prevents them seeing the woods for the trees. They are prisoners of the individually and socially constructed limits of imagination, they are prisoners of society and the cube is just a microcosm of this.

I find it astonishing that so few people actually seem to understand this film.
The clues throughout the film are abundant. Each of the characters' names represents a prison:

Leaven + Worth = Fort Leavenworth Prison.
Holloway = Women's Prison.
Kazan = Prison for the mentally handicapped.
Rennes = Prison that innovated many prison norms and regulations used today (Hence Renne's creativity in dealing with traps).
Quentin = San Quentin, a prison known for it's brutality.
Alderson = A prison that focuses on isolation as a form of punishment.

Each of the characters has a skill that will help the group as a whole to escape but conversely each skill is tied to some character defect. Quentin is the leader (cop) who is also a bully when he doesn't get his way, Worth is, effectively, an insider who knows about the making of the Cube - he knows that there is no master plan or conspiracy but that the Cube is just a product of people like him who just do what they are told, accept a pay-cheque and don't want any trouble. Worth is not really that bothered about telling anyone else in the Cube because he is not really concerned as to whether he or anyone else escapes - he is indifferent, 'worthless'.
Holloway cares for the mentally ill but shows no care or tact towards her peers.
Wren is an escape artist but not interested in helping the others escape.
Leaven is a pretty, young and brilliant Maths student but tends towards apathy.
Kazan is a maths genius...perhaps...but has no ability to socialize (he is autistic).
Alderson is a loner whose faith above reason destroys him very early on.

The set of characters in the cube are bound by culturally constructed laws, rules and letters. There are 26(x26x26) rooms which may represent letters in the American-English alphabet. The rooms are all marked by 3-dimensional Cartesian co-ordinates (representing the limits of human spatial imagination). Traps in the rooms conform to a rule with respect to the particular coordinates and the prime numbers applicable to the 3-digit number.
The Cube and the technological traps within thus represents western society as a product of technico-cultural evolution and the individuals inside are trapped by a) the limits of their imagination as represented by the Cube logic, as well as by b) their inability to cooperate.

These two facets are the simultaneous products of historico-cultural evolution of western thought. The Cartesian perspective of "I think, therefore I am" projects a dualist, separatist view of the world - i am different and separate from that around me. This philosophy is, in itself, a product of the legacy of orthodox Christian theology - Christianity is at heart a religion that preaches separation and ego-centrism, e.g. I am special, if I behave i go to heaven, I have an inner-self which is in some sense separate from the material world.
This perspective conflicts with Eastern philosophical doctrines such as Buddhism that emphasize instead the oneness of beings and the (physical and social) world around them. The inability of the individuals to apprehend the Cube's limitations (and thus be able to escape) is a manifestation of their own inability to throw off the shackles of their own personal and inherited socio-cultural history - they are born free but everywhere they are in chains. They are trapped by their own separatist identities, perceived failings, and ego-centrism.
Furthermore, they are victims of being part of a society that rewards such separation. They are stuck in the "Prisoner's Dilemma" (Axelrod, 1984) - the simple premise is that cooperation can provide greater benefit than self-interested behaviour but only if others are willing to cooperate. If other fail to cooperate, it is better to be self-interested rather than a sucker.
This is a frequency-dependent phenomenon meaning that if a majority decide to cooperate, then cooperation will pay and cheaters may even be punished so as to encourage cooperation - tight-knit Eastern societies such as those in Japan and China work along these principles.

So, ultimately the individuals' skills are tied to their failings as this is all part and parcel of the separatist identity they have developed - an aspect of human nature that necessarily develops from infancy to adulthood in conjunction with basic self-consciousness and identity formation but has been prolonged into adulthood by a socio-cultural western tradition routed in Christian and Cartesian separatism and egocentrism.
The prisoners' inability to recognize that they are just elements in a bigger dynamical system which doesn't render them worthless (a perceptual side-effect of egocentric excess) but rather necessary elements of the macro state, the group, accounts for their failure to escape - the irony being that the one escapee is the one that is indifferent to his fate and not bounded by the rules and regulations of the Cube so representative of the western socially constructed world.

Through the overcoming of egocentrism the individuals have the potential to escape their personal prisons that the Cube represents and that is a manifestation of a symbolic, rule-based world in which they have developed - again a Christian legacy that has affected philosophical and scientific perspectives (e.g. information theory, gene-centrism, cognitivism) and governs western thinking to this day.
From this escape they can unravel possibilities that may take them beyond the constraints of current western intellectual imagination and free them from the hell of a world that is bereft of executive instruction (whether from God, aliens, or human dictators) and is instead a socio-culturally evolved accident.
Where such a liberated path might lead noone knows, but any path out of the inferno can't be bad, can it?

Matter = fluctuations in the quantum vacuum

I found this interesting article from New Scientist magazine on matter confirmed as fluctuations in the quantum vacuum:

Matter is built on flaky foundations. Physicists have now confirmed that the apparently substantial stuff is actually no more than fluctuations in the quantum vacuum. Read more...

Quite interesting albeit not surprising for anyone who has followed the development of physics for a while.

On the left hand path.

(Mahakala and the wheel of life)

The subject of what the left hand path really is is a controversial one. There seems to be at least two, maybe three, main theories and based on some of the books I have read on the subject. I will present them here along with references to the books I have used. I will start with the books that deals with the oldest traditions and work my way towards today.

I'd like to start with the most ancient notes on the term left hand path that we probaly have. It is based in what we today would call hinduism and my first point is being made in the book Encountering Kali by Rachel Fell McDermott and Jeffrey J. Kripal. They write that vamachara (left hand path) tantrism is the strife to realize the nature of the world as pervaded by the one shakti (the female force, in this book specifically symbolized by Kali). This is done through rituals of pancatattva with use of the 5 forbidden things in hinduism. This is an antinomian practice that is done to overcome the apparent duality of this world. It affirms radically the way of the phenomenal world.

Next up is the book Aghora - at the Left Hand of God by Robert E. Sveboda. This is the biography of an Aghori and self proclaimed pratitioner of left hand path hinduism. This book explains the left hand path as the perfect symbiosis of right and left. The left hand does however traditionally do the more "inauspicious activities". The left hand path is the faster but more intense and dangerous path towards the goal. And the goal of both the right hand and left hand paths are to realize the universe as atma. This is done, on the left hand path, by the use of traditionally forbidden things in ritual such as corpses, sculls, menstrual blood and the eating of human flesh. The reasoning is that the aghori shouldnt fear anything in samsara because all is atma and we too are atma. To eat ones own feces not as a perversity but as a sign of recognition of the unity that is the all. "Everywhere I see, everything is Me".

Moving along to Buddhism in the book The Tantric Tradition by Agehanda Bharati. The same kind of antinomian nature is described in relation to the practices of buddhistic vamachara tantra. Here however the goal is seen to be the realization of the world as sunya or emptiness and that nothing has a real individual existence at its core.

If we make a huge leap to modern day in Stephen E. Flowers book Lords of the Left Hand Path. This perspective is highly influenced by th deinition of the left hand path as described by Dr. Michael Aquinos Temple of Set. Flowers explains that in his opinion the right hand path is the uniting of the Self with the objective universe, God or nature. The Self is destroyed. The left hand path however would then be the path to free, empower and bring forth a more forceful individual existence of the Self. Often to a level that is seen as divine. Flowers does indeed touch on other perspectives such as the ones described above that the right hand path and the left hand path does lead to the same goal but in general he doesnt deal alot with it and does everything to prove his own point. That to me is one of the major faults in the book because in all my sources that are not not connected to the "satanic scene" it is the traditional view described above (hindu and buddhistic vamachara tantra) that reigns supreme. Im not sure where the idea of the total individuation of the self entered the left hand path in the equation before the modern era. If anyone knows, please contact me.

Furthermore we have the view of the relatively small Swedish magical order Dragon Rouge in Glimpses of the Left Hand Path. Their main symbol, the dragon, symbolizes the union of all opposites. The left hand path is seen as the revival of the contact with nature, with primordial atavistic chaos, that which has been demonized by, among others, the christian religion. The feeling here is that the left hand path is non-dualist and that light and darkness complements eachother (just like it does in taoism or hinduism) while the righ hand path seeks to destroy the darkness and then reign supreme as "the one". This is also explained in Mörk Magi by Tommie Eriksson. It explains how the author sees Chaos and Darkness as the base of our existence and thus the foundation for light. We shoud then embrace all of nature and not just small parts of it and not ty to destroy one part of it which he claims is a trait of right hand path religion.

This is also a philosophy that is described by Jeremy Christner in his Kosmology booklet (not related to Dragon Rouge as far as I know). However this incorporates another element where Chaos is the foundation of all and that light emerges out of necessity but that the Demiurge who appears with the light, and is a creative aspect of light, thinks he is the be all end all of everything that is. The "dark path" would then be to fight the delusional worldview of this demiurge.

Chaos magician Peter J. Carrol writes in his Liber Null & Psychonautthat: "the magician [in the left hand path sense] aims to become a center of creation and destruction himself, a living manifestation of Chaos force within the realm of duality, a complete microcosm, a god" They see Chaos as the ruling force behind the universe and to be as Chaos would then be to act in a left hand path type of way.

Furthermore we have the Temple of the Black Light. This too is a small organisation and they have a view on the left hand path that we cant really find anywhere else. In their world light and darkness is at odds with eachother. This world, the cosmos, is a creation of the light and as such the goal is to ultimately destroy it. This is very different from hinduism and related systems who see the dark force as permeating this cosmos and actually in itself giving rise to this world. The goal is to realize this. The TotBL however has a more dualistic view and seeks to ultimately destroy this world. How they fit this into the use of hindu godess Kali is beyond me as the destruction of the world is but one of her three main qualities. The other two being the one who emanates the universe and then as the one who nurtures it.


This was written as a small overview of the different perspectives that do exist on the term left hand path and how different it can be used by different religions or in some cases different people within the same religion (at least same in regards to the name). This is no claim to any truth even though my personal feeling did shine through a few times. I hope this might create some curiosity with some readers who decide they want to know more.

Bertrand Russells views on the self and the body.

This is an excerpt from Bertrand Russells essay "do we survive death" that can be found in the book "why I am not a christian". The view on the self/soul is one which I would say I have to agree with. I also agree that its highly improbable that we can survive what we know as death. Purely linguistically its of course impossible to survive death because death means that which we do not surivive. However it is so commonly used to mean the same thing as "a life after this" or and "afterlife". It can also mean the survival of the bodys death but then they reason that what we truly are (the soul) doesnt die. This is of course far from my opinions since I am not a dualist. Anyway here's Bertrand Russells thoughts on this:

Before we can profitably discuss whether we shall continue to exist after death, it is well to be clear as to the sense in which a man is the same person as he was yesterday. Philosophers used to think that there were definite substances, the soul and the body, that each lasten on from day to day, that a soul, once created, continued to exist throughout all future time, whereas a body ceased temporarily from death till the resurrection of the body.

The part of this doctrine which concerns the present life is pretty certainly false. The matter of the body is continually changing by processes of nutriment and wastage. Even if it were not, atoms in physics are no longer supposed to have continuous existence; there is no sense in saying: this is the same atom as the one that existed a few minutes ago. The continuity of a human body is a matter of appearance and behavior, not of substance.

The same thing applies to the mind. We think and feel and act, but there is not, in addition to thoughts and feelings and actions, a bare entity, the mind or the soul, which does or suffers these occurrences. The mental continuity of a person is a continuity of habit and memory: there was yesterday one person whose feelings I can remember, and that person I regard as myself of yesterday; but, in fact, myself of yesterday was only certain mental occurrences which are now remembered and are regarded as part of the person who now recollects them. All that constitutes a person is a series of experiences connected by memory and by certain similarities of the sort we call habit.

If, therefore, we are to believe that a person survives death, we must believe that the memories and habits which constitute a person will continue to be exhibited in a new set of occurrences.

No one can prove that this will not happen. But it is easy to see that it is very unlikely. Our memories and habits are bound up with the structure of our brain. in much the same way in which a river is connected with the riverbed. The water in the river is always changing, but it keeps to the same course because previous rains have worn a channel. In like manner, previous events have worn a channel in the brain, and our thoughts flow along this channel. This is the cause of memory and mental habits. But the brain, as a structure, is dissolved at death, and memory therefore may be expected to be also dissolved. This is no more reason to think otherwise than to expect a river to persist in its old course after an earthquake has raised a mountain where a valley used to be.

Congratulations Brock Lesnar!

NEW UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

NEW UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!

Random thoughts 15 November 2008

The blog has been quiet for some time but now I had the urge to let my feelings be known on a few things.

First off I was speaking to my mother yesterday about the issue of gay marriage. In Sweden we have 4 parties that joined in an alliance to rule the country. These are centrist and right wing parties. The opposition consists of one leftist party (formerly a communist party), one enviromental party as well as the largest single party (the social democrats). Now one party is againt the right for gays to marry. The problem lies with the word "äktenskap" (translation "marriage"). This pary is know as the christ democrats and while they to are way more secularised than they used to be they do have their roots in traditional christian values.

The feeling among these people is that God made man and woman to be with eachother and made marriage an institution between man and woman. Thus they are against gay marriage because they claim marriage as a word is something reflecting a union of man and woman not of man and man or woman and woman.

The other side claims that everyone has the same right to get married and show their love for eachother independent of what sex they are. They say love is love and nothing can stand against that.

Now where do I stand in all this? I think it is a non-issue really. Its just linguistics. Its all about one tiny word. I personally dont see the importance for either side to claim this word as their own. Get over it already!

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I was at a dinner with my colegues at work last weekend and some surprising facts were being brought up. I already knew that one of my co-workers used to be in the same class att school as the woman who played the lead role in the most classic swedish cult porno of all time, Fäbojäntan, but now I have yet another connection. A girl I work with told me how her grandmothers place was the actual place for filming this movie. They apparently had no idea what kind of movie this was and they were just happy to own the houses they used for a movie. s the story goes they invited their parents to the premiere (this was when pornos were being shown on the cinemy in Sweden) - apparently still not knowing what kind of movie it was. Sadly the girl I work with didnt know the reaction they had when they saw the actual movie. Still a great story!

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Tnoight is the big match in UFC with Randy Couture defending his heavyweight title against former pro-wrestler Brock Lesnar. While one has learned to never bet aainst Couture ever I really tink Lesnar has a chance here. However Lesnar is very much an untested fighter and we dont really know how much he has in him. He is a freak of nature. Very strong, very fast and heavy (outweighs Couture by 20 pounds I believe).

Now Couture has the routine and always goes in with great gameplans but he cant do what he's usually good at and thats controling his opponent close to his own body. Lesnar will be to strong for that. At the same time Couture has out-stricken a good striker such as Chuck Lidell (well at least he was on top for a long time and really only had the striking going for him).

I think Lesnar has a fair chance of winning but at the same time I wouldnt bet against Couture. I want Lesnar to win but man betting against Couture isnt very smart most of the time. besides somethime his age must show.

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And once again I was dealing with an ignorant person. It was in a thread where I wrote that I did indeed cry at the end of WrestleMania XX when Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero celebrated together. Best friends and bot world champions on their respective brand. Both their stories has now ended, both in tragic fashion but very different from eachother. Guerrero had a hear attack a few years ago and as a result Benoit broke apart. 1,5 years ago or so Benoit hung himself in his gym after having murdered his wife and son. I dont accepts what he did the last few days of his life but he was one of the greats - all time greats even - who's legacy is forever tarnished which is a damn shame.

In any case this person replied to my post with "So you get emotionally involved in something that has been planned from the start o_O?" My reply was:

Yes, just like people cry at the movies or laugh at a play in a theater. Whats so weird about that?

People usually discredit pro-wrestling for all the wrong reasons since they themselves also enjoy scripted shows but they never think of it that way.

I just hate when peple critize me for thing they themselves have no knowledge of. This person never did respond to my comment so I guess he got the point but Im still angry that I I have to make it all the time. Learn to think bastards!

New poll!

So a new poll is up and running. As with the other poll I have accepted multiple answers from one person seeing as one might not entirely be comfortable under just one label. I could not include every political ideology of course so therefore this selection that I've will have to do. If you're something else entirely just vote for "other".

Where do you stand in the political landscape (multiple answers are allowed)?

Anarchist
Communist
Socialist
Social Democratic
Enviromental (green)
Centrist
Liberal
Conservative
Fascist
National Socialist
Other

Poll results.

This is the final result from the poll. While the response havent been overwhelming Im quite happy to see that the few who read this blog are from very different walks of life.

What are you (multiple answers are allowed)?

Atheist 3 (16%)

Agnostic 3 (16%)

Christian 0 (0%)

Jew 1 (5%)

Muslim 0 (0%)

Hindu 2 (11%)

Buddhist 2 (11%)

Taoist 1 (5%)

Satanist 4 (22%)

Pagan 3 (16%)

Other 6 (33%)

Number of votes: 18

The foundations of Satanism... as I would have it.

In a recent comment to my post on the TotBL someone asked me what my views were on the LHP and Satanism. I did give him/her an answer but it also inspired me to make a post. I dont claim to hold this as a true version. I consider it the one that resonates the most with me and the one I think would be closest to the truth. I am however sick to death of the attitude in satanic circles about "True Satanism" and "Pseudo Satanism". This is how I would have it:

1. Non-duality. One of the things I immediately saw as a core with Satanism was the attitude of non-duality. This is hardly explained as deep as in hinduism or buddism and it doesnt even mean the same exact thing but I found it to be a fundumental principle whenever I thought of satanic concepts. Let me explain.

I regard Satanism as something seperate from Christianity but that grew out from it which is why we use the lingo we use today. Much like Christianity grew out of Judaism but really isnt Judaism anymore. Satan was the concept of what opposed the good, the perfect (i.e. God) to the christians. My conclusion was always that as a Satanist one wouldnt just accept the christian worldview but "choose the other side of the coin" so to speak. The real opposition would be to throw away the coin alltogether. That would be truly Satanic in my world.

This means that from opposition of a christian worldviewwe get something totally different. First of all one main tenets of Christianity is that they divide everything into good or bad. We have concepts such as hell, Satan, sin, chaos and material reality that opposes all that the christian views as being good. To me this means that a Satanist is one who doesnt accept the dividing of the world like this. As I have already been writing about I dont view the soul as seperate from the body. It is all one thing (or several things combining - depending on the language/explenation used - think of the difference between Nietzschean hindu "soulview"). They cant exist apart because they depend on eachother and the words sould, spirit and body are just distinctions of different processed within the whole. They cant exist apart from eachother because they are eachother.

The same way I dont believe there is a material and a spiritual world. It is all the same but we categorize the processed differently. One can say that this related to the eastern concept of the physical world as maya - or illusion. This wouldnt mean that this world doesnt exist at all only that its true "core" may be hidden. It isnt what it seems to be alot of the time. This can be strongly related to modern sub-atomic physics as well.

Furthermore Satanism would be a focus on the world we live here. Alot of religions do prepare for the inevitable death of the self and whatever they think happens after that point. Satanism would then be something quite different in that it doesnt necessarily have to deny that something can happen after this life but that the focus should be on this life because its the only one we can ever know of.

Chaos is another thing that is linked to Satan in the bible (from where we often take our words and concepts). Or more correct Leviathan and Behemoth. The christian worldview has it that chaos and darkness did indeed precede God, order and light but the two are at odds with eahother. I think you know where Im going with this by now. I wouldnt accept this at all. I do reognize both chaos and order but much like spiritual and material the two are entwined and essentially the same. Chaos with its full potentiality manifests itself in order which if we look deep enough isnt something apart or seperate but it is also chaos at its core. This too is strongly related to modern sub-atomic physics. And while things may appear as stable and unchanging everything does indeed change at all times. There is no exception. This is very Heraclitean. and this also leads to another opposition of Christianity and how it described God.

In Christianity God is actual perfection. To be perfect means to not change at all. The perfect is the highest state and to change would mean to depart from that. And something that isnt perfect at all times isnt really perfect at all. Satan and chaos would be concepts of change and dynamics that opposes concepts of an unchanging and static "anything".

On a less metaphysical side of things I would consider Satanism not as immoral but amoral. There would be no static moral laws. Morals do exist and they need to exist if we are to lie together and function well. However no rule can always be true in every situation. Some may be more useful at more times and during longer times but there are always exeptions. This would be very un-Kantian and also un-christian since both recognizes eteral laws and morals.

I may elaborate even more on this in the future but this will do for now. Any comments or questions? Feel free to ask.