Archives 2

-January 22, 2003-

Send In The Clones

Mysterious Dr. X

In the never ending comedy act called the human race, the latest one is a group called the Raelians. One of their claims is that we were cloned from space aliens some 25,000 years ago. Last November I went to a presentation of theirs where I live. I left 2 hours later thinking they were pretty spaced out & was quite unconvinced of what they told me. There were about 20 to 25 of us & about 18 to 22 were around for the same reasons I was - entertainment.

Now the Raelians have alleged that two babies - with a third one coming - have been born recently as a result of cloning. When it came time to provide evidence, none was forthcoming from the parents as they withheld information that would have proved their story. While at the above presentation, I heard one of the women say that UFO's are there, we just have to look for them. I'm one who keeps an eye on the night sky - constellations & planet alignments fascinate me - but I've yet to see aliens. I believe UFO's are natural phenomena or are new types of aircraft - made by us - being given test runs.

Raelians aren't the only ones who would have believe outlandish claims. Remember the gang who believed a UFO was right behind the Hale-Bopp comet? Suicide is a rather high fare to pay for a ride on a UFO. Some think Adam was formed from dirt & Eve from one of his ribs. Then they go on to say Jesus was born as a result of a Virgin Birth - an oxymoron if I've ever heard of one. Instead of telling me to use faith, offer evidence on the hows & whys of such things. But then maybe the ones who came out with the Virgin Birth fable had a phobia about sex, the usual way of creating life.

Some think we descended from apes. When was the last time anyone say an ape evolve into a human? Based on how humans have treated the world, apes could build a solid case for libel & slander. Why did the process stop? But then there's party animals at closing time that could convince me the Missing Link is out there somewhere.

Actually I wouldn't mind a clone of myself. It could do my chores as I went out for a good meal or play with Princess & Toby. But then do we really want clones of politicians or a religous fundamentalist?

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-December 18, 2002-

Logical Absurdities Part 1

As observed by the Mysterious Dr. X

1) Have you really listened to the words of a love song on the radio? I have to ask who really wants to be in a relationship as described in those songs? Not me. Co-dependency all over the place but somehow these songs reach the Top 40.

2) One thing that annoys me no end is people using cards in the express lane at a supermarket. I'm beginning to think there should be a separate line up for them. Express lanes means in & out in a minimum of time. While technology is here to stay & has many good points, when it doesn't work, it's slower than the "old" way of doing things.

3) An expression that shouldn't be taken literally is "It's hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk." Who would actually do this? I'm tempted to ask how much dirt or pebbles they want with their eggs.

4) What is with the pressure put on people to be in a relationship, whether they want to be or not? Some people figure they need to be in one or they're not complete. What is with this mindset? An advantage of being alone is getting things done at your own pace & schedule. Too bad some people think a bad relationship is better than no relationship. If they want to be drained of energy that could be used for better purposes that's their problem. Having a life doesn't mean being in a relationship just for the sake of being in one or for something to do.

5) Can anyone honestly tell me how shuffling a deck of tarot cards can foretell how a person's life will turn out? Why should I make a major life decision based on what tarot cards tell me? I have more faith on what real life teaches me. But if one does make a decision based on what tarot, astrology or psychic predictions forecast & it doesn't pan out, don't come crying to me when things go wrong.

6) When someone says "Knock on wood", I'm tempted to go over & rap lightly on their head.

7) Ever notice who is more obsessed with sex, a puritan or a nudist? I always maintained there is more sexual activity among religious folk than among secular people. Why is this? If an activity is considered taboo, it adds a magnetic attraction for people to do it. If the sex drive is shut tight inside for too long, it will find ways to come out.

8) Two expressions that puzzle me is "Going to the dogs" & "Humans descended from apes." What did dogs & apes do to deserve this? They should sue us humans for libel & slander.

9) Sometimes I wonder what happens to old radio & TV signals. Do they eventually just fade out or do they travel through space until picked up by an alien antenna? What would they think of a civilization that has shows like the average sitcom, reality based shows & "pro" wrestling? Would they think we were a few marbles short in the thinking abilities?

10) Here is an expression that really confounds me. It is "Eat s--t." Has anyone really tasted it? What does it taste like? But hey, like what the bumper sticker says "850 billion flies can't be wrong."

11) Why is it when a man is good in business he is regarded as a success story but if a woman succeds in the business world, she is thought of as a cold hearted bitch?

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-November 3, 2002-

Nothing to fear but fear itself

Mysterious Dr. X

Words can be used as intimidation to keep people in line. Communist is a good example that is used to silence people & keep them from expressing new ideas as many are scared to step out from the crowd.

Does fear grow in proportion to unacknowledged guilt inside ourselves? When funding is cut for health, education & poverty programs, a case could be made for having committing an act of violence. Rather than facing up to this responsibility, we project our own fear & violence on a stranger or common enemy. How much of this is accomplished in that people have been conditioned to be told what to think & not taught how to think.

An ugly aspect of human nature is how it enjoys pulling people down to the lowest common denominator. The Great Unwashed seems to be jealous of people who have goals in life & want to accomplish them. This is why it is important for one to be careful of who they hang out with & what enviroment they live or work in.

A double standard is how celebrities are treated. Some are protrayed as good guys, others as bad guys much like what is done in the WWE or Vince McMahon follies. 2 Live Crew were up on obscenity charges stemming from a live concert & musical recording. Yet when Madonna simulates masturbation on stage & seduces a priest in a music video nothing much was done except for a bit of squawking from religious groups. Comic - I use this term liberally here - Andrew Dice Clay has made comments every bit as obscene & misogynistic as any rapper. Yet how often was Clay hauled into court over his act? Mercifully Clay's career lasted only a short time.

Fear mongers act like cockroaches. They do their work under the cloak of darkness but once the light of reason hits them, it's time to scurry for their holes. Enormous amounts of money & time is spent on battling street drugs when pharmaceutical drugs are more widely abused. Yet homelessness, prostitution & the tough times the working poor are going through have been largely ignored by those in power. It reminds me of a Ralph Ellison book called "The Invisible Man". The main character was flesh & blood but was "invisible" because people refused to see him until he screwed up.

The human race has to get away from the usual way of doing things. We need to wake up, smell the coffee & turn things around.

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-September 15, 2002-

What Is The Purpose Of It All?

The Thinking Wanderer.

Life is like a dead person saying to a deacon; "Can you save me?" I ask from what & to whom? We must go on & keep living till there is no existence. Where was the beginning, where is the end. Only we as the living will ever know. Yet there really is no answer. The dead cannot explain life & the living do not yet know death. What is the answer even the question is unknown. How can we materialize into life without a cause into which an answer cannot be provided?

Where did life come from? Only in our imagination? Therefore without it life would not exist as we know it. Before man got on this earth, I feel robots brought precreated life & then nurturered it to keep life preserved on this planet which was re engineered to support it. Frozen embryos can exist forever. We are a product of that procedure. However in a time past life was almost eliminated & our ancestors had to preserve it. Since it was a time manoever, there may be an end for mankind as we know it. Then another race will form, whether superior or inferior only time will tell. With our atomic weapons & chemical or bioligical means of existence, who can now say mankind will survive. At any moment the above can be unleashed as a deadly form of curruption that can even desintigrate our planet & then time will show us where we went wrong. If there is someone left to help correct us, where are our next steps taking us to oblivion? Or is there still enough time left fo change our course?

Does man in his wildest imagination think that polluting this planet will give us a better form of life? Man is only fooling himself. Time is running out, for in his endeavours, he only puts himself in precarious positions. Even our weather is changing. due to the chemical imbalance. He is allowing to upset our planet's conditions for life & is now causing effects we cannot predict & change. It will evidently provoke mankind to alter all the circumstances for his survival. Are we on the road to no return? Oblivion could be in store but somehow mankind keeps going whether he changes or not. Is ther a predistined pattern? For his appearance or is matter gong to change into energy where it originally came form? Matter is potential energy & energy is kinetic matter. Where did this Earth & matter originate? Who can answer these question satisfactory?

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-August 11, 2002

Ire of the Believer - Part 1

Paul Novak

Those with more than a simple passing interest in religion are likely familiar with the outrageous & often times brutal accusations leveled against skeptics willing to take vocal issue with claims & beliefs they find fraudeulent or misguided. These attacks in the main orginate from those commonly referred to as believers though in a noticeably smaller set of instances, some claiming to be skeptics are also responsible. I say claiming to be skeptics as this behaviour casts doubt upon thier actual intentions and state of objectivity required for true skeptical scrutiny. What starts as candid or direct discussion of the points leading skeptics to take issue with these claims often ends with the skeptic finding himself on the recieving end of some wholly asinine accusatons such as pedophilia, preverication, cruelty, insensitivity, athesim & a whole slew of other irrational accusations too numerous to list.

Usually this can be observed to take place immediately after the skeptic presents the believer with evidence denying the validity of his claims or beliefs. The believer is suddenly confronted with the uncomfortable conundrum of either acknowledging the weakness of his position & allowing that his beliefs may be founded upon false premises or continuing with them despite their having been rendered ineffective or baseless. No one enjoys being proven wrong but not only wrong but often a charlatan or liar. To have this done publicly is intolerable to believers as it driectly damages credibility which they they often hold steadfastly to be impeccable in their respective cases. Worse & more to the point, it touches upon their perceptions of their self image. It represents the destruction of a pleasing self image. One where the believer holds his own virtue above reproach & considers himself a model of good character & strong intelligence. This percieved destruction however is wholly of his own doing although he is quite unaware it is he who is responsible.

"That hatred springs more from self comtempt than from a legitimate grievence is seen in the intimate connection between hatred & a guilty conscience." - Eric Hoffer.

It is the self image being falsified by confrontation wiht material percieved as detrimental that I feel is responsible for the hate filled tirades many believers resort to in their arguements against skeptics. Such believer hatred begins as an attempt to disavow certain undesirable potentialities within the self. These potentialities exist within all of us & are quite normal, yet this is not understood by many of us as the teachings of our society & culture instill in us the feelings that they are "bad" & abhorrent without preparing us to deal with them in a rational & effective manner. Potentialities such as lust, greed & deciet are denied their existence within ourselves in order to form a pleasing self image ourselves albeit a false one. This formation of a self image begins in early childhood & continues throughout life without the individual aware this is being done. He is taught that these "bad" potentialities are to be denied, not accepted & reconciled. Therefore he forms a self image completely denies their existence within himself & believes himself to be free of them completely. However, simply denying thier existence does not negate their presence. This presents a conundrum as he is aware of their presence yet they cannot be present within himself. A conundrum which the individual resolves by rationalizing his understanding of these potentialities through projection of them onto others where they can be safely recognized with no threat to the erroneous self image built without acknowledging their presence within himself.

In the case of skeptics & believers, the believer is aware of these potentialities yet denying their existence within himself becomes severly agitated when openly confronted with the fact that they are not responsible for his beliefs. Caught in the lie or having the truth regarding his misplaced faith or belief dispassionately driven home by the skeptic, the beliver subconsciously projects his own self loathing upon the skeptic. Whereupon he can direct his self righteous indignation & contempt at such abhorrent traits. This has the desired effect of salvaging his false yet pleasing self image as innocent & righteous believer & allowing him to continue to deny thise unpleasant potentialities. The skeptic is attacked & claimed by the beliver to be "closed minded", a liar, a fool & whole gamut of unpalatable possibilities. The believer may be trying desperately to deny these characteristics exist within himself.

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August 12, 2002

Ire of the Believers - Part 2

Paul Novak

Unrealized by the believer is that by denying these potentialities within himself he is engaging in a form of self deception which has it's only benefit the formulation of a self image, which while pleasant, is at it's root false. While pleasing to the person employing such self deception the false self image places is in an uncomfortable position should anything confront him which places it at risk. His inherent potentialities & his pleasing self image are always one step away from conflict. And this conflict happens often in ufology. Every point suggesting gullbility, every truth suggesting error, every fact revealing fraud is felt intimately & his first & overriding concern is to deny them in any manner possible. The most common & expediant manner being persecution & discrediting of those he feels are his attackers responsible for placing him in this position. Yet it is himself who places his self image in jeopardy as the very qualities he seeks to exemplify in himself by denying those he finds "bad" require that he acknowledge & recouncile these inconsistencies within himself. How can he understand the "badness" without knowing it intimately? He is caught in a catch-22 with no logical way out except to admit his very perception of himself is false.

In attempting to build a positive self image one attempts to conform to the standards set forth by society & his peers. His peers are his sounding board. How they react to his actions & positions determines his appraisal of himself. Believers cloistered together in mutual interest or "support" groups & sharing what they feel to be a common bond born of "knowing a hidden truth" reinforce each others self deceptions & collectively gear themselves towards denying the potentialities these groups believe they are free of & abhor. Rather than act as a true support group & facilitate understanding of the underlying problems inherent in their false beliefs, these groupings present a chance to bolster the beliefs & self deception by mutual consent to support the others position regardless of underlying doubts & refuting facts simply because the other will do the same for them. This is an unspoken understanding."Don't question me & I won't question yours. We're all in this together." They all suffer the same neurosis & gaining support is preferable to direct confrontation with unpleasant truth. Instead of realizing the existence of these potentialities even within the group they deny them even more strongly thanks to positive reinforcement of the false beliefs by a group of peers. This is where stereotyping & persecution of skeptics begins in earnest.

The groups mentioned above do not necessarily need to be organized & cohesive to be effective. A mere belief in similar fantastical myths or enigmas is enough to form a loose bond between those, who while knowing nothing of those they share the belief with, will readily defend & agree with them simply due to their common bond which is a credulous belief.

The stereotyping within religion of skeptics by believers is very well known & can be seen almost anytime discussion betwen the two positions is engaged in. Skeptics are everything "bad", believers feel they themselves are not. The skeptics are branded as evil through a convoluted morass of illogic intended by believers to prove to themselves that they recognize the undesirable potentialities within only because the skeptic has them & not themselves. This also has the benefit of destroying, at least for themselves, any credibility the skeptic has thereby making further attempts by the skeptic to advance rational or plausible alternatives to fantastical beliefs ineffective. The skeptic is an evil debunker, concerned only with destorying interest in their beliefs, therefore he should be ignored & reviled for his deplorable actions.

Put simply, the skeptic is revealing to the believer regardless of what discomfort it may cause the fallacies of not only his beliefs but his own self image. The believer in his attempting to deny his own unpleasant potentialities places them greatly exaggerated upon the skeptic. There, he can safely display his disgust & revulsion for such deplorable characteristics with no consquences for his own self image. Further, the group or peers if you will, already biased in favor of his position through a shared credulous belief, do not question his misdirected actions & often share in them. The individual percieves this as approval & support of his false yet pleasing self image. The cycle continues & compounds with few ever willing or able to objectively assess the true state of the matter. In order to do this, it is necessary to first acknowledge that there is indeed a problem. Getting past this point is difficult for most as it forces realization that a deep seated assumed "truth" may not be the truth at all. A truth upon which much of the persons entire self image hinges upon. Once past this though it becomes much easier to begin the process of learning. Identifying & accepting these potentialities will allow the individual to reconcile them with the person they wish to be. They are present & are a genetic part of all of us. What we do with them though is what decides exactly the kind of person we are.

It is not wrong or bad to experience feelings or tendencies taught to us by society to be bad or evil. The detrimental effets they have on us personally & upon others supports the view of them as being bad & society has justly labeled them as such in most cases. It is wrong however to allow them to exist without control or mitigated integration into the whole of the self. This, in the end, allows them free reign to affect without control, who we are & what we believe in. We than can & do become "bad people."

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-July 24, 2002-

Raising Compassion

Mysterious Dr. X

2 winters ago I was in a church service & heard a couple of things that had me wonder what right some churches have to set standards for human conduct. I listened to the pastor speak out against two marriages that had taken place at the Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto. Two men & a lesbian couple had married each other, raising the shackles of many christian groups across Canada. When I hear the kind of condemnation that was spoken form the pulpit, it makes me wonder if they fear the "demon" within & project what they don't like about themselves onto another group. I have to start wondering if the homosexual community is more caring than the Christian one & this may disturb the Church to some degree. Other times I believe that individuals in the church maybe hiding or fearing the homosexual inside themselves. One thing that annoys me no end is the stereotyping of groups. It shows a lack of compassion & dehumanizes the person involved. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine told me he was gay. I have to appreciate the honesty & courage it took for him to come forward like he did. It brought home the fact that homosexuals are human beings just like anyone else. But to listen to how churches condemn homosexuality makes me wonder where the compassion has gone. With so many concerns in the world. I think it would be better if the church concentrated on how it could help make the world a better place to live in instead of getting involved in people's personal choices.

It seems as if the church is more concerned with maintaining power & control over people lives as much as possible. Is God so biased that He/She picks one sect as the chosen ones & forgets about the rest of humanity? Was the Bible or other sacred texts written by men inspired by the Holy Ghost or by those with axes to grind? I believe now that organized religion is little more than a money making business concerned with the bottom line like any other business.

To believe in biblical standards is fine but how many times has the bible or other sacred texts been edited to satisfy the writers viewpoints? No one group should have the mononpoly on spirituality as there are many non-religious groups out there to improve the local & global scene. Plus how much of the talk regarding Hell is little more than intimidation to keep people in line? Condemnation does little to uplift the human spirit up to the next level. Instead of just repenting, praying & fasting, let's break down the barriers between people & open up the communtication lines. To find practical ways of giving a person a hand up has more long term benefits than citing scripture.

As churches find themselves being less than a full house on Sunday mornings doesn't mean that people aren't interested in spiritual matters. The church may have to take a good look at ridding itself of dogmas, creeds & tenets that do little more than block the flow of spiritual energy from a Higher Source. There may be a day where churches as a building may disappear as people accept responsibility for their own spiritual renewal & connect with other believers on their journey, as they find there is more to spirituality than meeting twice on Sundays & on a mid-week Bible study. In order to survive organized religions need to reconnect with the sense of mysticism that brings a sense of wonder & awe into a persons life. When individuals do this they seem to gain a heightened awareness of what is happening around them & inside themselves.

Jesus was one of the greatest teachers to walk the planet, along with others like Buddha & Moses. Like others, Jesus showed people how to live by the spirit of the law not by the letter of it. Organized religion has become part of the establishment. It needs to get away from that & become a "hospital" for the spiritually wounded & stick up for the less fortunate.

-June 23, 2002-

To Be Eccentric

Mysterious Dr. X

What this world needs is an Alfred E Neuman worked into the collective psyche. The type of mentality that parents pray from the depths of the souls that their kids wouldn't turn out to be like and feared they would. Neuman reprensents the simple minded who was too childlike to get caught up in the social trappings, yet smart enough to see through the masks of conformity. The Neuman mentality opens up a window to let in fresh air and be free of the restraints of society. With this fresh air, one can breathe again and new thoughts, ideas or at least a good laugh comes out of it.

The 50's was a rare generation in that it was not one who rebelled against its parents. True enough the economy was good as new gadgets made their way into the marketplace. But with it came mindless conformity. Joseph McCarthy and Madison Avenue were two major influences. How many turned fink at the time on their left leaning peers? How many executives lied and faked their way up the corporate ladder? Conformity and affluence were to bring ease and contentment but the stakes kept being raised and there was no rest to be had in the search for success. As the 60's progressed, people started to question the status quo and went on to other ways of doing things.

Once a person starts thinking, even laughing at the things considered "normal", they are making the transition from "sane" mentality of day people to the "abnormal" psychology of night people. When this happens one becomes unconventional, skeptical, honest & doesn't take themselves too seriously. The polictically correct needs to be aware that most of us don't want to live in a sanitized little box. One needs to retreat from the demands of the adult world. Some do it on a casual basis, others want to drop out on a permanent basis. We, at CoLA, want to encourage people to look carefully and question what they learn at home, in school, church and in the world at large.

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-February 24, 2002-

Divine Intervention?

Mysterious Dr. X

It's been said that if one survives a tragedy it is a sign that God is with them. Find and dandy but what if that person dies, then what happens? Did God ignore the situation at hand or was God busy somewhere else in the Universe?

If I'm walking along railway tracks, playing a walkman real loud and get hit by a train, whose fault is it? Mine by all means. But if I suffer crippling injuries instead of dying, I would seriously doubt that God was truly with me and Divine Intervention meant it to happen. God could have stepped in and have one of the earphones fall out of my ears minutes before the train arrives where I am or caused the walkman to have the batteries run low. Or find another way to tell me that a train was on its way. To say that God wants me to go through life permanently crippled is an absurdity. It is to shake ones head to notice the lack of logic and reasoning in this idea.

I find it cold comfort to think religious fundamentalists want to be in full charge of social policies, so they can impose their sense of morality on the majority. We, at CoLA, feel that people need to step out of their usual patterns and look at things in new perspectives. The quest for knowledge is not to be denied.

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-November 4, 2001-
Subliminal Messages
Mysterious Dr. X

It's all around us, all the time, telling us to buy this product, choose that one. It comes to us in the form of the media, TV, songs & advertising. It's subliminal messages out to take over our minds and souls. Maybe it is a delibrate action to pacify the general population and get them away from thinking about what is really happening in the world.

Take advertising for instance, a major way of getting the word out. Just how many times is the average person bombarded by ads from radio, TV and the printed media? Buy our product and you'll reap so many benefits is the major attitude. Buy our aftershave and women will swoon all over you. Buy the latest video game and you'll be the envy of your school mates. But there are more subtle ways of getting the message out. Have you walked by a bakery or restaurant and smelled the aromas coming out of the store? How many times have people gone in and bought something regardless of their being hungry or not? This is not to say that advertising is right or wrong in itself, but it is the way it is used that makes it good or bad. One needs to know what products are in the marketplace and how to effectively shop for the best brands at the best prices. But the drawback is when advertisers start dictating how people should think or feel. The public then should be on alert on how their public/private lives are affected and how their opinions are being manipulated. People need to learn how to think and use common sense to combat the illusion of what could be called accepted reality.

A sad ting to see is how the media has become neutered in reporting news stories. What is read in newspapers is little more than half truths if not just mind candy. Journalists in years gone by were mavericks, ready and willing to get the straight goods on a story. But I guess when prestige, ego and a good paying job are on the line and can be taken away on a whim it can compromise most. As a result how many journalists have sold out to the system and write what the parent corporations or advertisers want to have written? Or is it a case of journalists selling out, or are files kept on a reporter's private life that puts them in a tight spot?

Have you ever really listened to the words of a love song on the radio? I have to ask who wants to be in a relationship as described in those songs? Not me, too much co-dependency all over the place. But somehow these songs reach the top of the charts. These fairy tale from la - la land are impossible to reach but I wonder what the effects are on people. Do they contribute to the battle of the sexes? Most love songs paint an unrealistic picture of what happens between men and women. Instead of portraying a healthy and vibrant relationship, love songs show the darker side of relationships.

TV is the most effective form of getting subliminal messages out into the general public. Putting people into a hypnotic and suggestive state, TV can place several subliminal messages into the subconscious mind. The average sitcom shows unrealistic versions of family life. TV newscasts have very little time to cover the day's events, so they gloss over what they can. Other shows are little more than sensationalistic hype. TV talk shows need no explanation on how they ruin the mind. All of the above shows contribute to the dumbing down of society.

The enemy of those who use subliminal messages is a population that know how to think and use critical analysis. We won't learn these from those who have been bought and paid for by wealthy interests. So an individual needs to start the process by self-intiative. Then we can become real people and reclaim our minds and souls.

For anyone wanting to know more about subliminal messages, check out the Subliminal Messages Museum on the Internet.

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-October 10th, 2001-
Y2K in Retrospect
Mysterious Dr. X

One thing I like to do is to keep up on current events. One was how Y2K affected people & the end of the world predictions that came along with it. If the computers did crash world wide, would it have necessarily meant that Christ would have returned at that moment and the apocalypse would have occurred? Somehow I doubted it.

I had little time or patience for religious people or groups that used Y2K to further their fear mongering. It was bad taste when the Christian bullies expected the gentle yet assertive Jesus to return at their convenience.

What was despicable was the tons of money raised from the sales of videos, CDs, books and seminars. Why bother getting people anxious over the second coming of Christ when chances are we'll be around for awhile yet. I plan on getting on with my life and other than keeping an eye on the religious tyrades, I'm not going to worry too much about them.

What is a concern is how the fringe dwellers give advice on how to handle any coming chaos. It is one thing to stockpile food and water but to advise on what weapons to have is when I worry. I have no problem if it's to hunt wildlife but if it is to have a miltia style set up, it's time for concern. What tortured forms of mentality produce sects like Heavens Gate and the Solar Temple that choose mass suicide over facing the future. It makes me wonder if the year 999 had the same effect on people.

Those who fail to study history are condemned to repeat it. It is believed by biblical scholars that the Roman monks who established our Gregorian calendar didn't realize that Jesus was born in 4 BC. If this is true then the third millennium had already begun before we knew it. Sorry to disppoint anyone.

Yet the fear mongers still expect Jesus to return at their convenience. What happens if any of these misguided souls want to take matters into their own hands and try to usher in their own version of the rapture?

Rather than getting uptight about Y2K, I admired those who organized the Joseph Project 2000. They were there to help out people in case electricity, heat, water, & other essential services experienced disruption on January 1, 2000.