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Artomatic For The People, 2017
“Such a totalizing claim to be empowered to “fit reality to their lies” is precisely the capacity that Arendt finds in totalitarian movements before they actually attain the power to do so.
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.”
Only those who fully embrace cynicism are free to give their undying loyalty to a leader who promises to grant importance to the purposelessness of human life.” ―Roger Berkowitz
lareviewofbooks.org/article/arendt-matters-revisiting-ori...
DONALD TRUMP’S FIRING OF JAMES COMEY IS AN ATTACK ON AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/donald-trump-has-atta...
sometimes i oscillate so wildly between extremes that it makes my own head spin. i'm full of love for the world and my fellow man and everyone i know, and then i'm bitter, jealous, selfish, disenfranchised, all within the same breath. i'd rather be creative than happy. happiness is creative death. contentment is enough. i'm happiest when some part of my life is sufficiently incomplete that i have something to work toward. beyond that is the satisfied sense of happiness that bleeds seamlessly into that purposeless kind of depression that comes after the last showing of a play you've devoted the last six months of your life to, or filming the last take of the last scene of a movie. you're done. it's beautiful. but what the fuck do you do with your life now? happiness is vacuous. half the time, when i see other people being publicly and vocally happy, it makes me gag. it annoys me. it makes me want to punch them really, really hard. not because i'm jealous (goodness knows i have a nice life) but because i think it's vulgar and obnoxious. it's like you're rubbing it in the faces of everybody who's just normal and discontent. i wonder if this makes me a bad person, or if it's what we're all thinking but can't bring ourselves to say.
Travelling with ghosts,
All these spectral strangers,
Drained and bored phantoms
Because of the apathy or the noise
Of purposeless and endless jobs
Voyager avec des fantômes.
Autant d'étrangers désincarnés,
Autant d'inconnus abattus,
Par la fatigue et l'ennui,
L'apathie ou le bruit
de boulots sans but
Et sans répit
Gare centrale, Bruxelles.
Central Station, Brussels
"Chinese socialism is founded upon Darwin and the theory of evolution." Mao Tse-tung (1893 – 1976). Kampf um Mao's Erbe (1977).
(Apart from the last remaining, atheist regime in North Korea) we could say that global atheism died with the demise of the brutal, atheist regimes of the 20th century.
BUT - Incredibly, while the horrendous crimes of the hideous, atheist ideology are still within living memory, attempts are being made to resurrect it and make it seem respectable, under the guise of 'new' atheism.
Will the evil fruits of atheism be re-visited on us? Who knows?
What we do know - is what history tells us about atheism, and it is not at all pleasant.
The promised atheist/communist utopia ... the idea of an atheist Heaven on Earth resulted in an absolutely, diabolical Hell on Earth.
Atheism proved to be the most horrendous, barbaric, murderous and criminal ideology the world has ever experienced. There is nothing in the whole of human history to compare with it. Countless millions suffered and died at the hands of this hideous ideology, we must make sure they will never be forgotten.
Who, but a complete idiot would want to resurrect such a monstrous, no-hope philosophy?
The so-called 'new' (improved?) atheists try to disassociate themselves from the disastrous record of the world's first ever, official, atheist states of the 20th century's, great, atheist experiment. But there is no other example to go by.
The atheist experiment has been tried and, from beginning to end, was a diabolical failure. The new atheists may say: "it's nothing to do with us gov".
But who wants to risk such devastation again, by giving atheism another chance? Only an idiot would want to take that gamble. We rightly condemn and outlaw the brutal, Nazi, neo-pagan ideology. Why do we not regard the criminal, atheist ideology in a similar fashion?
However, it was only to be expected and it could easily have been predicted beforehand, that the inevitable result of atheism's lack of an absolute ethical or moral yardstick would be to wreak havoc on the world - and that is exactly what it did.
Atheism hasn't changed at all in that respect, because it can't. The ephemeral values, moral relativism and situational ethics of atheism is the ideal recipe for abuse.
We can see from the belligerent, intolerant, rabble rousing rhetoric and ranting of today's militant, new atheist zealots, that the leopard hasn't really changed its spots. Let no one doubt it - atheism has a hideous, barbaric history, ... we must not forget it - and we must never let it happen again.
Moreover, it is a singularly perverse ideology that motivates its adherents to waste so much time of the only life they believe they have, trying to convince everyone else that they are also doomed to eternal oblivion. The ultimate reward for atheists is to never know if they got it right, only if they got it wrong. It is the ultimate no-hope ideology.
In fact, there is no moral, logical or rational defence for the atheist cult, past or present.
But what do atheists themselves say about their ethical and moral values?
They claim that they DO have an ethical and moral yardstick, and cite the Humanist Manifesto as representing an ethical and moral code of atheism.
So is it really true?
The Humanist Manifesto looks good at first glance, but like most proposals atheists come up with, when examined closely, it is full of holes.
Problems ....
1. You don’t have to sign up to the Humanist Manifesto to be an atheist.
2. Even if you do sign up to it, there is no incentive to follow it. No reward for following it, and no penalty for not following it. You are not going to be barred from being an atheist because you reject or break the rules of the Humanist Manifesto. It is not enforced in any way.
3. It borrows its desirable ethics from Judeo-Christian values, there is no atheist, moral code per se.
Genuine, naturalist ethics is basically the Darwinian law of the jungle, the ethics of the Humanist Manifesto are actually a contradiction of social Darwinism. The ethics of the H.M. are not consistent with atheist materialist and evolutionist beliefs.
4. By far the biggest flaw in the Humanist Manifesto is the fact that it is entirely ephemeral. It advocates 'situational ethics' and 'moral relativism'. And that major flaw makes it a worthless scrap of paper.
Why?
Because .....
Situational ethics are based on what people want or find desirable, not on any adherence to what is intrinsically right or wrong.
A good, example of humanist style, situational ethics in practice, is the gender selection abortions now being blatantly carried out in abortion clinics in Britain. It primarily discriminates against female babies, who are especially targeted for killing, because most of the parents who want it, prefer to have boys for cultural reasons.
The abortion clinics openly admit to it happening, and claim it is legal.
The abortion act of 1967 certainly did not intend that, and the Government admits it was not intended.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pro-choice-aborti...
So we have a Government that knows it is going on, it also knows it is not what the abortion law intended, yet it is still reluctant to do anything about it.
Why? Because it is wedded to the secularist concept of situational ethics, i.e. whatever people want, people get. Any concept of intrinsic right and wrong has to take a back seat, to whatever is the spirit of the times. And that is an example happening right now, in a so-called democracy.
The Nazi persecution of the Jews became popular through brainwashing of the public, and was eventually supported by a good proportion of the public.
So Hitler cleverly used situational ethics to do what he had persuaded people was right and good.
So, all in all, the Humanist Manifesto is a very dangerous document.
It gives carte blanche to any so-called ethical values, as long they become the fashionable or consensus opinion. Whatever people want, people get, or what a government can claim people want, they are justified in giving to them.
And for that reason it would not stop; a Lenin, a Stalin, a Hitler, or a Pol Pot, even if they had signed up 100% to abide by the Humanist Manifesto.
In fact, the 20th century, atheist tyrants even called their regimes ... Democratic People's Republics. They claimed they were representing people's wishes, and thus carried out their 'situational ethics' on behalf of the people.
What about the common, atheist tactic of highlighting alleged crimes and wrongdoing committed by Christians?
The point is ....
Christians who do wrong, go against the teachings of Christianity. They have no right to continue to call themselves Christians, and if they stubbornly continue to do wrong without any remorse or repentance, they can be excommunicated by the Church.
And, without sincere repentance, they don't get to go to the Christian Heaven.
End of story!
Atheists who do wrong, go against nothing, unless it is against the law of the land.
The atheist 'heaven' is right here on earth, and far from being a 'heaven' it is an horrendous nightmare. Anyone with any sense would call it a hell.
And even the law of the land need not stop them .....
Whenever, atheists get into a position of power they change the law to suit their situational ethics. Then they can do whatever they want.
That is what Stalin and all the other atheist tyrants did in their people's DEMOCRATIC republics.
And the atheist thirst for blood does not cease when they live in the so-called 'real' democracies, it is simply sanitised by atheist inspired, situational ethics.
They use their 'humanist' ethics to change the law, accompanied by 'newspeak' and propaganda.
So that what was once considered evil, is not only made legal, it is actually turned around so it is considered a virtue.
The wholesale and brutal slaughter, of the most vulnerable in society ... millions of unborn babies, is callously shrugged off as necessary, for 'free choice'.
Of course murder is always a free choice for the killer, only the dangerous, warped, atheist style, situational ethics could value a killer's free choice to kill, above the victim's right not to be killed, and make murder legal.
The callous slaughter of the unborn, which in most cases, was not even put to the people democratically (it was imposed on them by a handful of secularist politicians, lawyers and bureaucrats), is accompanied by the usual atheist lies and devious propaganda.
So the secularists simply laugh off democracy, it doesn't stop them, if it gets in the way of their ideology, they just ignore it, like they do with science.
Doctors acting illegally over abortions get off scot-free ....
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2609950/Scandal-doctors-...
"Democratic societies" what are they?
Why ask the people? They are apparently not qualified to consider such difficult matters of right and wrong, like whether babies should live or die? You can't give those ignorant peasants, plebs and rednecks a vote on it, ... leave it to the secularist EXPERTS and their wonderful, situational ethics based on 'reason' and 'science'.
We are told by atheist moralists that the unborn baby is not fully human, it is only a blob of jelly, which has, and deserves, NO rights.
And we are also told, anyone who supports the rights of the unborn babies not to be brutally ripped limb from limb is evil, because they are interfering with free CHOICE.
So the atheist leopard certainly hasn't changed its lying, devious, brutal and murderous spots, even in so-called 'real' democratic societies. It simply legalises and sanitises evil and murder and makes it appear good.
Then it can claim atheism is extremely ethical and virtuous, with its own, beautiful code of morals and conduct .... Yeah Right!
Remind you of anyone?
That, then ... is the atheist Heaven on earth, and the evil, rotten fruits of atheism mentioned in the picture are the fruits of humanist, situational ethics and moral relativism personified by numerous atheist tyrants of the last century.
Is atheism even credible, logically or scientifically?
Undoubtedly not!
If people would only think for themselves - there would be no atheists.
Atheism is anti-logic ......
Atheism = NOTHING created Everything, for NO REASON.
Makes perfect sense .... NOT!
www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existen...
Atheism is the rejection of one of the only 2 origins options.
The only two options are:
1. An uncaused, supernatural first cause.
2. An uncaused, natural first cause.
Atheists categorically reject option one, therefore they believe in option two - by default.
Option two (an uncaused, natural first cause) is impossible according to logic, natural laws and the scientific method.
Every natural event/effect/entity has to have an adequate cause.
All material/natural entities/events are contingent, they rely on preceding causes.
A natural first cause, cannot be a very FIRST cause because something (which didn't need a cause) must have caused it.
A natural first cause also cannot be the very first cause of the universe because it is woefully inadequate for the effect. An effect cannot be greater than its cause.
So atheism is a set of beliefs which violate the scientific method, ignore logic and defy natural laws.
In addition, the fact that there are natural laws and an ordered structure to atoms is not conducive to the idea of a purposeless universe.
Also, the Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out the unguided development of order of its own accord. The application of raw energy, without a directive agent, results in entropy, not increasing complexity and order, which atheists propose.
And the First Law of Thermodynamics tells us that there is no 'natural' mechanism for the creation of matter/energy. Yet atheists insist that matter (along with natural law and information) arose naturally of its own accord.
It is evident that, while pretending to be scientific, the atheist dogma is actually anti-science, it manipulates science to fit its own agenda, regardless of the violation of natural laws, logic and the scientific method.
Atheism is akin to a religion because it credits matter/energy with similar creative powers and attributes as those applied to a creator God. It is really just a more sophisticated version of pagan naturalism, which imbued natural entities such as Mother Nature, The Sun or Moon god etc. with creative and magical powers.
To clarify further:
If there are only 2 options and one is ruled out as 'impossible' by logic, natural law and the scientific method, then it is safe, indeed sensible, to deduce that the other option is the only possible, and likely one.
Anyone who believes in science should know - that the basis of the scientific method is looking for adequate causes for every natural event/effect.
An 'uncaused' natural event is an anathema to science, it cannot even contemplate such a prospect.
If someone was to propose a natural first cause of everything, science would have to ask - what caused it? You cannot claim it was uncaused - that defies the scientific method.
However, if it was caused - if it had a preceding cause, ... then it cannot be the FIRST cause. Because FIRST means FIRST, not second or third.
So the very first cause of everything must be UNCAUSED ... which means, according to science, it CANNOT be a NATURAL cause.
In other words ... it cannot be a contingent entity, it can only be an eternally self-existent, self-reliant, autonomous, infinite, omnipotent entity which is entirely independent of causes, and the limitations that causes impose.
Furthermore, the first cause also has to be completely adequate for the effect, the effect cannot be greater than the cause ... so the first cause has to have adequate powers, properties and potentiality to create the entirety of the universe, i.e. nothing in the universe can be superior in any respect to the first cause.
That means the first cause must embody, or be able to create, every property and quality that exists, which includes: natural laws, information, life, intelligence, consciousness, self-awareness, design, skill, moral values, sense of beauty, justice etc.
All proposed, natural first causes - Big Bang's, Singularities, quantum mechanics etc. are not only ruled out because, as contingent events, they cannot be uncaused, they are also grossly inferior to the effect, which definitively rules them all out as credible first causes.
To put it more simply ... all effects/events/entities are the result of a combination of numerous, preceding causes, but the very first cause is unique, inasmuch as it is a lone cause of everything.
Everything can be traced back to that single cause, it is responsible for every other cause, entity and effect that follows it. Unlike other lesser or subsequent causes it has to account for the totality of everything that exists. So it cannot be inferior in any respect to any particular property, entity, event, effect, or to the totality of them all.
If we have intelligence then, that which ultimately caused us cannot be non-intelligent.
Atheists assume that we are greater in that respect than that which caused us .... that is ridiculous and it defies logic and natural law.
What about infinite time?
Time is simply a chronology of natural events. Time began with the origin of the material realm. No natural events ...means - no time. All natural entities, events/effects are contingent, they cannot be self-existent, they rely on causes and the limitations that causes impose. they are not autonomous entities, to propose that is anti-science.
Atheists often say: you can’t fill gaps in knowledge with a supernatural first cause.
But we are not talking about filling gaps, we are talking about a fundamental issue ... the origin of everything in the material realm.
The first cause is not a gap, it is the beginning - and many of the greatest scientists in the history of science had no problem whatsoever with the logic that - a natural, first cause was impossible, and the only possible option was a supernatural creator.
Why do atheists have such a problem with it?
Atheists seem to think that to explain the origin of the universe without a God, simply involves explaining what triggered it, as though its formation from that point on, just happens automatically.
This has been compared by some as similar to lighting the blue touch paper of a firework. They think that if they can propose such a naturalistic trigger, then God is made redundant.
That may sound plausible to some members of the public, who take such pronouncements at face value, and are somewhat in awe of anything that is claimed to be 'scientific'.
But it is obvious to anyone who thinks seriously about it, that a mere trigger is not necessarily an adequate cause.
A trigger presupposes that there is some sort of a mechanism/blueprint/plan already existing which is ready to spring into action if it is provided with an appropriate trigger. There has to be an existing, inherent potential for future development and everything else that follows the trigger. So a trigger is not a sole cause, or a first cause, it is merely one contributing cause.
Natural things do only what they are programmed to do, i.e. they obey natural laws and behave only within the limits dictated by the potential of their pre-ordained properties, composition or structure. Those pre-ordained properties are determined by the ability, powers and adequacy of the first cause, which brought them into being.
Lighting blue touch paper achieves absolutely nothing, unless there is a carefully designed and manufactured firework already attached to it. Chance or randomness is not an answer.
Atheists invent all sorts of bizarre myths to explain the origin of the universe and matter/energy.
Such as it arising from nothing of its own volition, for no reason.
Or even the utterly, ludicrous notion - of the universe creating itself from nothing. Obviously for something to create itself, it would need to pre-exist its own creation, in order to do the creating.
Incredible!
“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.”
― G.K. Chesterton ..... HOW TRUE THAT IS PROVING TO BE!
Atheism = NOTHING created EVERYTHING, for NO REASON.
Makes perfect sense .... NOT!
www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existen...
If people would only think for themselves - there would be no atheists.
Atheism is anti-logic and anti-science ......
Atheism is the rejection of one of the only 2 origins options.
The only two options are:
1. An uncaused, supernatural first cause.
2. An uncaused, natural first cause.
Atheists categorically reject option one, therefore they believe in option two - by default.
Option two (an uncaused, natural first cause) is impossible according to logic, natural laws and the scientific method.
Every natural event/effect/entity has to have an adequate cause.
All material/natural entities/events are contingent, they rely on preceding causes.
A natural first cause, cannot be a very FIRST cause because something (which didn't need a cause) must have caused it.
A natural first cause also cannot be the very first cause of the universe because it is woefully inadequate for the effect. An effect cannot be greater than its cause.
So atheism is a set of beliefs which violate the scientific method, ignore logic and defy natural laws.
Atheism is akin to a religion because it credits matter/energy with similar creative powers and attributes as those applied to a creator God, which is really just a more sophisticated version of pagan naturalism, which imbued natural entities such as Mother Nature, The Sun or Moon god etc. with creative and magical powers.
To explain further ....
If there are only 2 options and one is ruled out as 'impossible' by logic, natural law and the scientific method, then it is safe, indeed sensible, to deduce that the other option is the only possible, and likely one.
Anyone who believes in science should know - that the basis of the scientific method is looking for adequate causes for every natural event/effect.
An 'uncaused' natural event is an anathema to science, it cannot even contemplate such a prospect.
If someone was to propose a natural first cause of everything, science would have to ask - what caused it? You cannot claim it was uncaused - that defies the scientific method.
However, if it was caused - if it had a preceding cause, ... then it cannot be the FIRST cause. Because FIRST means FIRST, not second or third.
So the very first cause of everything must be UNCAUSED ... which means, according to science, it CANNOT be a NATURAL cause.
In other words ... it cannot be a contingent entity, it can only be an eternally self-existent, self-reliant, autonomous, infinite, omnipotent entity which is entirely independent of causes, and the limitations that causes impose.
Furthermore, the first cause also has to be completely adequate for the effect, the effect cannot be greater than the cause ... so the first cause has to have adequate powers, properties and potentiality to create the entirety of the universe, i.e. nothing in the universe can be superior in any respect to the first cause.
That means the first cause must embody, or be able to create, every property and quality that exists, which includes: natural laws, information, life, intelligence, consciousness, self-awareness, design, skill, moral values, sense of beauty, justice etc.
All proposed, natural first causes - Big Bang's, Singularities, quantum mechanics etc. are not only ruled out because, as contingent events, they cannot be uncaused, they are also grossly inferior to the effect, which definitively rules them all out as credible first causes.
To put it more simply ... all effects/events/entities are the result of a combination of numerous, preceding causes, but the very first cause is unique, inasmuch as it is a lone cause of everything.
Everything can be traced back to that single cause, it is responsible for every other cause, entity and effect that follows it. Unlike other lesser or subsequent causes it has to account for the totality of everything that exists. So it cannot be inferior in any respect to any particular property, entity, event, effect, or to the totality of them all.
If we have intelligence then, that which caused us cannot be non-intelligent.
Atheists assume that we are greater in that respect than that which caused us .... that is ridiculous and it defies logic and natural law.
What about infinite time?
Time is simply a chronology of natural events. Time began with the origin of the material realm. No natural events ...means - no time. All natural entities, events/effects are contingent, they cannot be self-existent, they rely on causes and the limitations that causes impose. they are not autonomous entities, to propose that is anti-science.
Atheists often say: you can’t fill gaps in knowledge with a supernatural first cause.
But we are not talking about filling gaps, we are talking about a fundamental issue ... the origin of everything in the material realm.
The first cause is not a gap, it is the beginning - and many of the greatest scientists in the history of science had no problem whatsoever with the logic that - a natural, first cause was impossible, and the only possible option was a supernatural creator.
Why do atheists have such a problem with it?
Atheists seem to think that to explain the origin of the universe without a God, simply involves explaining what triggered it, as though its formation from that point on, just happens automatically.
This has been compared by some as similar to lighting the blue touch paper of a firework. They think that if they can propose such a naturalistic trigger, then God is made redundant.
That may sound plausible to some members of the public, who take such pronouncements at face value, and are somewhat in awe of anything that is claimed to be 'scientific'.
But it is obvious to anyone who thinks seriously about it, that a mere trigger is not necessarily an adequate cause.
A trigger presupposes that there is some sort of a mechanism/blueprint/plan already existing which is ready to spring into action if it is provided with an appropriate trigger. So a trigger is not a sole cause, or a first cause, it is merely one contributing cause.
Natural things do only what they are programmed to do, i.e. they obey natural laws and the demands of their own pre-ordered composition and structure. Lighting blue touch paper would do absolutely nothing, unless there is a carefully designed and manufactured firework already attached to it.
Atheists invent all sorts of bizarre myths to explain the origin of the universe and matter/energy.
Such as it arising from nothing of its own volition, for no reason.
Or even the utterly, ludicrous notion of the universe creating itself from nothing. Obviously for something to create itself, it would need to pre-exist its own creation, in order to do the creating!
Another idea which seems to be popular with atheists at present, is a continuously, reciprocating universe, one which ends by running out of energy potential and then rewinds itself in an never ending cycle.
However, the idea that the universe can simply rewind itself in a never ending cycle, which had no beginning, is complete, unscientific nonsense.
It seems atheists will try anything to justify their naturalist ideology. They apparently have no compunction about completely disregarding natural laws.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out such atheist, pie-in-the-sky, origins mythology.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, the idea of a rewinding universe is tantamount to applying the discredited notion of perpetual motion - on a grand scale, to the universe.
Contingent things don't just rewind of their own accord. The Second Law (not to mention common sense) rules it out. Where does the renewed power or renewed energy potential come from? If you wind up a clock, it doesn't rewind itself after it has stopped. The universe had a beginning and it will have an end. That is what science tells us, it cannot rewind itself.
Such ridiculous atheist musings are just a desperate attempt to wriggle out of the inevitable conclusion of logic, and the Law of Cause and Effect which are the real enemies of atheist ideology.
Atheism is hoisted on its own petard by natural law and science, not by religion. Atheists can’t refute the Law of Cause and Effect which is so devastating to their naturalist agenda, so they regularly invent bizarre scenarios which ignore natural laws, and hope people won’t notice. If anyone does they just brush it off with remarks like “we just don’t know ”.
Sorry, atheists apologists may not know …. but we do know, we certainly know what is impossible …. And we certainly know that you cannot blithely step outside the constraints of natural laws and scientific principles, as atheists do, and remain credible.
Atheists are anti-science, because they treat natural law and the whole principle of the scientific method with utter contempt, while they masquerade as the champions of science to the public.
A further nail in the coffin of atheist pseudoscience is existence of order.
The development of order requires an organizational element. To do useful work, or to counter the effects of entropy, energy needs to be directed or guided. Raw energy alone actually tends to increase the effects of entropy, it doesn't increase order.
The organizational principle in living systems is provided by the informational element encoded in DNA.
Natural laws are a type of information which guide the behaviour of energy and matter, but also serve to limit it. They are an inherent property of matter/energy, natural processes operate only within the confines of natural laws. They cannot exceed the parameters of those laws.
A major problem for atheists is to explain where natural laws came from? In a purposeless universe there should be no regulatory principle at all.
Firstly, we would not expect anything to exist, we would expect eternal nothingness.
Secondly, even if we overlook that impossible hurdle, and assume by some amazing fluke and contrary to logic, something was able to create itself from nothing ….. we would expect the ‘something’ would have no ordered structure and we would expect it to behave randomly and chaotically.
This is an absolutely fundamental question to which atheists have no answer. The basic properties of matter/energy scream …. ‘purpose’. Atheists say the exact opposite.
Furthermore, if we add the accepted, atheist belief; that matter is inherently predisposed to produce life and the genetic information for life, whenever environmental conditions are conducive.
The atheist idea of a random, purposeless, universe is left completely in tatters.
It is the atheist ideology that is anti-science, not necessarily individual scientists.
There may be sincere, atheist scientists who respect the scientific method and natural laws, but they are wedded to an ideology that - when push comes to shove, does not respect natural laws.
It is evident that whenever natural laws interfere with atheist naturalist beliefs, the beliefs take precedence over the rigorous, scientific method. It is then that natural laws are disregarded by atheists in favour of unscientific fantasies which are conducive to their ideology.
Of course, in much day-to-day practical science and technology, the question of violating laws doesn't even arise, and we cannot deny that in the course of such work, atheists will respect the scientific method of experiment and observation within the framework of the Law of Cause and Effect and other established laws of science.
Bizarrely, It is a different matter entirely, when it comes to hypotheses about origins. It then becomes an 'anything goes' situation. The main criteria then seems to be that it doesn’t matter whether your hypothesis violates natural laws (all sorts of excuses can be made as to why natural laws need not apply), all that matters is that it is entirely naturalistic, and can be made to sound plausible to the public.
However, the same atheist scientists would not entertain anything in general, day-to-day science, that is not completely in accordance with the scientific method, they make an exception ONLY with anything to do with origins, whether it be the origin of the universe, or the origin of life, or the origin of species.
Atheism is not simply passive non-belief, you can only be a ‘genuine’ atheist if you proactively believe in the following illogical and unscientific notions:
A natural, first cause of the universe that was ‘uncaused’.
A natural, first cause of the universe that was patently not adequate for the effect, (a cause which was able to produce an effect far greater than itself and superior to its own abilities).
That the universe created ITSELF from nothing.
That natural laws simply arose of their own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
That energy potential at the start of everything material was able to wind itself up from absolute zero, of its own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
That the effect of entropy (Second Law of Thermodynamics) was somehow suspended or didn’t operate to permit the development of order in the universe.
That life spontaneously generated itself, of its own volition, from sterile matter, contrary to: the Law of Biogenesis, the laws of probability, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, Information Theory and common sense.
That the complete human genome was created by means of a long chain of copying mistakes of the original, genetic information in the first living cell, (mutations of mutations of mutations, etc. etc.).
That the complex DNA code was produced by chemical processes.
That the very first, genetic information, encoded in the DNA of the first living cell, created itself by some unknown means.
That matter is somehow inherently predisposed to develop into living cells, whenever conditions are conducive to life. But such a predisposition for life just arose of its own accord, with no purpose and with no apparent cause.
That an ordered structure of atoms, guiding laws of physics, order in the cosmos, order in the living cell and complex information, are what we would expect to occur naturally in a purposeless universe.
The claim of Dawkins and other atheists to be the champions of science and reason is clearly bogus. They think they can get away with it by pretending to have no beliefs. However, when challenged, they indirectly espouse the unscientific beliefs outlined above, in their futile attempts to refute the evidence for a supernatural first cause. Whenever possible, they avoid declaring those beliefs explicitly, but you don’t need to be very astute to realize that relying on those beliefs is the unavoidable conclusion of their arguments. That is why atheism is intellectually bankrupt and is doomed to the dustbin of history.
FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE
The Law of Cause and Effect. Dominant Principle of Classical Physics. David L. Bergman and Glen C. Collins
www.thewarfareismental.net/b/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/b...
"The Big Bang's Failed Predictions and Failures to Predict: (Updated Aug 3, 2017.) As documented below, trust in the big bang's predictive ability has been misplaced when compared to the actual astronomical observations that were made, in large part, in hopes of affirming the theory."
Evolution is on the rocks - some recent evidence:
www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/sets/7215 7635944904973/
Fossil museum:
www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/sets/7215 7641367196613/
So much for atheism .... What about progressive (macro) evolution?
There is no credible mechanism for progressive evolution.
Darwin believed that there was unlimited variability in the gene pool of all creatures and plants.
However, the changes possible through selective breeding were known by breeders to be strictly limited.
This is because the changes seen in selective breeding are due to the shuffling, deletion and emphasis of genetic information already existing in the gene pool (micro-evolution). There is no viable mechanism for creating new, beneficial, genetic information required to create entirely new structures and features (macro-evolution).
Darwin ignored the limits which were well known to breeders (even though he selectively bred pigeons himself, and should have known better). He simply extrapolated the limited, minor changes observed in selective breeding to major, unlimited, progressive changes able to create new structures, organs etc. through natural selection, over millions of years.
Of course, the length of time involved made no difference, the existing, genetic information could not increase of its own accord, no matter how long the timescale.
That was a gigantic flaw in Darwinism, and opponents of Darwin's ideas tried to argue that changes were limited, as selective breeding had demonstrated. But because Darwinism had acquired a status more akin to an ideology than purely, objective science, belief in the Darwinian idea outweighed the verdict of observational and experimental science, and classical Darwinism became firmly established as scientific orthodoxy for nearly a century.
Opponents continued to argue all this time, that Darwinism was unscientific nonsense, but they were ostracised and dismissed as cranks, weirdoes or religious fanatics.
Finally however, it was discovered that the opponents of Darwin were perfectly correct - and that constructive, genetic changes (progressive, macro-evolution) require new, additional, genetic information.
This looked like the ignominious end of Darwinism, as there was no credible, natural mechanism able to create new, constructive, genetic information. And Darwinism should have been heading for the dustbin of history,
However, rather than ditch the whole idea, the vested interests in Darwinism had become so great, with numerous, lifelong careers and an ideological agenda which had become dependant on the Darwinian belief system, a desperate attempt was made to rescue it from its justified demise.
A mechanism had to be invented to explain the origin of new, constructive information.
That invented mechanism was 'mutations'. Mutations are ... genetic, copying MISTAKES.
The general public had already been convinced that classical Darwinism was a scientific fact, and that anyone who questioned it was a crank, so all that had to be done, as far as the public was concerned, was to give the impression that the theory had simply been refined and updated in the light of modern science.
The fact that classical Darwinism had been wrong all along, and was fatally flawed from the outset was kept quiet. This meant that the opponents of Darwinism, who had been right all along, and were the real champions of science, continued to be vilified as cranks and scorned by the mass media and establishment.
The new developments were simply portrayed as the evolution and development of the theory. The impression was given that there was nothing wrong with the idea of progressive (macro) evolution, it had simply 'evolved' and 'improved' in the light of greater knowledge.
A sort of progressive evolution of the idea of evolution.
This new, 'improved' Darwinism became known as Neo-Darwinism.
So what is Neo-Darwinism? And did it really solve the fatal flaws of the Darwinian idea?
Neo Darwinism is progressive, macro evolution - as Darwin had proposed, but based on the ludicrous idea that random mutations (accidental, genetic, copying mistakes) selected by natural selection, can provide the constructive, genetic information capable of creating entirely new features, structures, organs, and biological systems. In other words, it is macro evolution based on a belief in a total progression from microbes to man through billions of random, genetic, copying MISTAKES, over millions of years.
However, there is no evidence for it whatsoever, and it is should be classified as unscientific nonsense which defies logic, the laws of probability and Information Theory.
People are sometimes confused, because they know that 'micro'-evolution is an observable fact, which everyone accepts. However, evolutionists often cynically exploit that confusion by citing obvious examples of micro-evolution such as: the Peppered Moth, Darwin's finches, so-called superbugs etc., as evidence of macro-evolution.
Of course such examples are not evidence of macro-evolution at all. The public is simply being hoodwinked, and it is a disgrace to science. There are no observable examples or evidence of macro-evolution and no examples of a mutation, or a series of mutations capable of creating new structures, organs etc. and that is a fact. It is no wonder that W R Thompson stated in the preface to the 1959 centenary edition of Darwin's Origin of the Species, that ... the success of Darwinism was accompanied by a decline in scientific integrity.
Micro-evolution is simply the small changes which take place, through natural selection or selective breeding, but only within the strict limits of the built-in variability of the existing gene pool. Any constructive changes outside the extent of the existing gene pool requires a credible mechanism for the creation of new, beneficial, genetic information, that is essential for macro evolution.
Micro evolution does not involve or require the creation of any new, genetic information. So micro evolution and macro evolution are entirely different. There is no connection between them at all, whatever evolutionists may claim.
Once people fully understand that the differences they see in various dogs breeds, for example, are merely an example of limited micro-evolution (selection of existing genetic information) and nothing to do with progressive macro-evolution, they begin to realise that they have been fed an incredible story.
To explain further.... Neo-Darwinian, macro evolution is the ridiculous idea that everything in the genome of humans and every living thing past and present (apart from the original genetic information in the very first living cell) is the result of millions of genetic copying mistakes..... mutations ... of mutations .... of mutations.... of mutations .... and so on - and on - and on.
In other words, Neo-Darwinism proposes that the complete genome (every scrap of genetic information in the DNA) of every living thing that has ever lived was created by a series ... of mistakes ... of mistakes .... of mistakes .... of mistakes etc. etc.
If we look at the whole picture we soon realise that what is actually being proposed by evolutionists is that, apart from the original information in the first living cell (and evolutionists have yet to explain where that original information came from?) - every additional scrap of genetic information for all - features, structures, systems and processes that exist, or have ever existed in living things, such as:
skin, bones, bone joints, shells, flowers, leaves, wings, scales, muscles, fur, hair, teeth, claws, toe and finger nails, horns, beaks, nervous systems, blood, blood vessels, brains, lungs, hearts, digestive systems, vascular systems, liver, kidneys, pancreas, bowels, immune systems, senses, eyes, ears, sex organs, sexual reproduction, sperm, eggs, pollen, the process of metamorphosis, marsupial pouches, marsupial embryo migration, mammary glands, hormone production, melanin etc. .... have been created from scratch, by an incredibly long series of small, accumulated mistakes ... mistake - upon mistake - upon mistake - upon mistake - over and over again, millions of times. That is ... every part, system and process of all living things are the result of literally billions of genetic MISTAKES of MISTAKES, accumulated over many millions of years.
So what we are asked to believe is that something like a vascular system, or reproductive organs, developed in small, random, incremental steps, with every step being the result of a copying mistake, and with each step being able to provide a significant survival or reproductive advantage in order to be preserved and become dominant in the gene pool. Incredible!
If you believe that ... you will believe anything.
Even worse, evolutionists have yet to cite a single example of a positive, beneficial, mutation which adds constructive information to the genome of any creature. Yet they expect us to believe that we have been converted from an original, single living cell into humans by an accumulation of billions of beneficial mutations (mistakes).
Conclusion:
Progressive, microbes-to-man evolution is impossible - there is no credible mechanism to produce all the new, genetic information which is essential for that to take place.
The evolution story is an obvious fairy tale presented as scientific fact.
However, nothing has changed - those who dare to question Neo-Darwinism are still portrayed as idiots, retards, cranks, weirdoes, anti-scientific ignoramuses or religious fanatics.
Want to join the club?
What about the fossil record?
The formation of fossils.
Books explaining how fossils are formed frequently give the impression that it takes many years of build up of layers of sediment to bury organic remains, which then become fossilised.
Therefore many people don't realise that this impression is erroneous, because it is a fact that all good, intact fossils require rapid burial in sufficient sediment to prevent decay or predatory destruction.
So it is evident that rock containing good, undamaged fossils was laid down rapidly, sometimes in catastrophic conditions.
The very existence of intact fossils is a testament to rapid burial and sedimentation.
You don't get fossils from slow burial. Organic remains don't just sit around on the sea bed, or elsewhere, waiting for sediment to cover them a millimetre at a time, over a long period.
Unless they are buried rapidly, they would soon be damaged or destroyed by predation and/or decay.
The fact that so many sedimentary rocks contain fossils, indicates that the sediment that created them was normally laid down within a short time.
Another important factor is that many large fossils (tree trunks, large fish, dinosaurs etc.) intersect several or many strata (sometimes called layers) which clearly indicates that multiple strata were formed simultaneously in a single event by grading/segregation of sedimentary particles into distinct layers, and not stratum by stratum over long periods of time or different geological eras, which is the evolutionist's, uniformitarian interpretation of the geological column.
In view of the fact that many large fossils required a substantial amount of sediment to bury them, and the fact that they intersect multiple strata (polystrate fossils), how can any sensible person claim that strata or, for that matter, any fossil bearing rock, could have taken millions of years to form?
You don't even need to be a qualified sedimentologist or geologist to come to that conclusion, it is common sense.
Rapid formation of strata - latest evidence:
www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/sets/72157635944904973/
All creatures and plants alive today, which are found as fossils, are the same in their fossil form as the living examples, in spite of the fact that the fossils are claimed to be millions of years old. So all living things today could be called 'living fossils' inasmuch as there is no evidence of any evolutionary changes in the alleged multi-million year timescale. The fossil record shows either extinct species or unchanged species, that is all.
The Cambrian Explosion.
Trilobites and other many creatures appeared suddenly in some of the earliest rocks of the fossil record, with no intermediate ancestors. This sudden appearance of a great variety of advanced, fully developed creatures is called the Cambrian Explosion. Trilobites are especially interesting because they have complex eyes, which would need a lot of progressive evolution to develop such advanced features However, there is no evidence of any evolution leading up to the Cambrian Explosion, and that is a serious dilemma for evolutionists.
Trilobites are now thought to be extinct, although it is possible that similar creatures could still exist in unexplored parts of deep oceans.
See fossil of a crab unchanged after many millions of years:
www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/12702046604/in/set-72...
Fossil museum: www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/sets/72157641367196613/
What about all the claimed scientific evidence that evolutionists have found for evolution?
The evolutionist 'scientific' method has resulted in a serious decline in scientific integrity, and has given us such scientific abominations as:
Piltdown Man (a fake),
Nebraska Man (a pig),
South West Colorado Man (a horse),
Orce man (a donkey),
Embryonic Recapitulation (a fraud),
Archaeoraptor (a fake),
Java Man (a giant gibbon),
Peking Man (a monkey),
Montana Man (an extinct dog-like creature)
Nutcracker Man (an extinct type of ape - Australopithecus)
The Horse Series (unrelated species cobbled together),
Peppered Moth (faked photographs)
The Orgueil meteorite (faked evidence)
Etc. etc.
Anyone can call anything 'science' ... it doesn't make it so.
All these examples were trumpeted by evolutionists as scientific evidence for evolution.
Do we want to trust evolutionists claims about scientific evidence, when they have such an appalling record?
Just how good are peer reviews of scientific papers?
www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6154/60.full
www.examiner.com/article/want-to-publish-science-paper-ju...
Piltdown Man and Nebraska Man were even used in the famous, Scopes Trial as positive evidence for evolution.
Piltdown Man reigned for over 40 years, as a supreme example of human evolution, before it was exposed as a crudely, fashioned fake.
Is that 'science'?
The ludicrous Hopeful Monster Theory and so-called Punctuated Equilibrium (evolution in big jumps) were invented by evolutionists as a desperate attempt to explain away the lack of fossil evidence for evolution. They are proposed methods of evolution which, it is claimed, need no fossil evidence. They are actually an admission that the required fossil evidence does not exist.
Piltdown Man... it survived as alleged proof of evolution for over 40 years in evolution textbooks and was taught in schools and universities, it survived peer reviews etc. and was used as supposed irrefutable evidence for evolution at the famous Scopes Trial..
Nebraska Man, this was a single tooth of a peccary. it was trumpeted as evidence for the evolution of humans, and artists impressions of an ape-like man appeared in newspapers magazines etc. It was also used as 'scientific' evidence for evolution in the Scopes Trial. Such 'scientific' evidence is enough to make any genuine, respectable scientist weep.
South West Colorado Man, another tooth .... of a horse this time... It was presented as evidence for human evolution.
Orce man, a fragment of skullcap, which was most likely from a donkey, but even if it was human. such a tiny fragment is certainly not any proof of human evolution as it was made out to be.
Embryonic Recapitulation, the evolutionist zealot Ernst Haeckel (who was a hero of Hitler) published fraudulent drawings of embryos and his theory was readily accepted by evolutionists as proof of evolution. Even after he was exposed as a fraudster, evolutionists still continued to use his fraudulent evidence in books and publications on evolution, including school textbooks, until very recently.
Archaeoraptor, A so-called feathered dinosaur from the Chinese fossil faking industry. It managed to fool credulous evolutionists, because it was exactly what they were looking for. The evidence fitted the wishful thinking.
Java Man, Dubois, the man who discovered Java Man and declared it a human ancestor ..... admitted much later that it was actually a giant gibbon, however, that spoilt the evolution story which had been built up around it, so evolutionists were reluctant to get rid of it, and still maintained it was a human ancestor. Dubois had also 'forgotten' to mention that he found the bones of modern humans at the same site.
Peking Man, made up from monkey skulls which were found in an ancient limestone burning industrial site where there were crushed monkey skulls and modern human bones. Drawings were made of Peking Man, but the original skull conveniently disappeared. So that allowed evolutionists to continue to use it as evidence without fear of it ever being debunked.
The Horse Series, unrelated species cobbled together, They were from different continents and were in no way a proper series of intermediates, They had different numbers of ribs etc. and the very first in the line, is similar to a creature alive today - the Hyrax.
Peppered Moth, moths were glued to trees to fake photographs for the peppered moth evidence. They don't normally rest on trees in daytime. In any case, the selection of a trait which is part of the variability of the existing gene pool, is not progressive evolution. It is just normal, natural selection within limits, which no-one disputes.
Is macro evolution science? The answer to that has to be an emphatic - NO!
The usual definition of science is: that which can be demonstrated and observed and repeated. Evolution cannot be proved, or tested; it is claimed to have happened in the past, and, as such, it is not subject to the scientific method. It is merely a belief.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with having beliefs, especially if there is a wealth of evidence to support them, but they should not be presented as scientific fact. As we have shown, in the case of progressive evolution, there is a wealth of evidence against it. Nevertheless, we are told by evolutionist zealots that microbes to man evolution is a fact and likewise the spontaneous generation of life from sterile matter. They are deliberately misleading the public on both counts. Evolution is not only not a fact, it is not even proper science.
WALT KELLY
Walt Disney's Comics And Stories Vol. 4 No. 9
Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While he was still a child, his family moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut where his father worked in a munitions plant. After graduating from Warren Harding High School in 1930, Kelly worked a few odd jobs until landing a position as a crime reporter on the Bridgeport Post. There he took up cartooning and illustrated a biography of Bridgeport native P. T. Barnum.
The Disney Studios
Relocating to Southern California, reportedly in pursuit of his future wife, Helen DeLacy, who had moved there, he found a job at Walt Disney Productions as a storyboard artist and gag man on Donald Duck cartoons and other shorts, requesting a switch to the animation department in 1939. Starting over as an animator, Kelly became an assistant to noted Walt Disney animator Fred Moore, and became close friends with Moore and Ward Kimball, one of Disney's Nine Old Men.
Kelly worked for Disney from January 6, 1936 to September 12, 1941, contributing to films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Dumbo, and The Reluctant Dragon. Kelly once stated that his salary at Disney averaged about a hundred dollars a week. During 1935 and 1936, his work also appeared in early comic books for what later became DC Comics.
Kelly's animation can be seen in "Pinocchio" when Gepetto is first seen inside Monstro the whale, fishing; in "Fantasia" when Bacchus is seen drunkenly riding a donkey during the Beethoven/"Pastoral Symphony" sequence; and in "Dumbo" of the ringmaster and during bits of the crows' sequence; and his drawings are especially recognizable in "The Reluctant Dragon" of the little boy, and in the Mickey Mouse short "The Little Whirlwind" when Mickey is running from the larger tornado.
During the 1941 animators strike, Kelly did not picket the studio, as has often been reported, but took a leave of absence — pleading "family illness" — in order to avoid choosing sides. Surviving correspondence between Kelly and his close friend and fellow animator Ward Kimball chronicles his ambivalence towards the highly charged dispute. Ward Kimball stated in an interview years later that Kelly felt creatively constricted in animation, a collective art form, and possibly over-challenged by the technical demands of the form, and had been looking for a way out when the strike occurred.
Kelly never returned to the studio as an animator, but jobs adapting the studio's films "Pinocchio" and "The Three Caballeros" for Dell Comics — apparently the result of a recommendation from Walt Disney himself — led to a new (and ultimately transitional) career.
Dell Comics
Kelly began a series of comic books based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes along with annuals celebrating Christmas and Easter for Dell Comics. Kelly seems to have written or co-written much of the material he drew for the comics; his unique touches are easily discernible. He also produced a series of stories based on the Our Gang film series, provided covers for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, illustrated adaptations of Disney films, drew stories featuring Raggedy Ann and Andy and Uncle Wiggily, wrote and drew a lengthy series of comic books promoting a bread company and featuring a character called "Peter Wheat", and did a series of pantomime (i.e. without dialogue) two-page stories featuring Roald Dahl's Gremlins for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #34-41. Kelly also wrote, drew, and performed during this period on children's records, children's books, and cereal boxes. He was so prolific in the 1940s that it is assumed that the extent of his work can never be completely documented.
Although his health would not allow him to serve in the military during World War II, Kelly also worked in the Army's Foreign Language Unit illustrating manuals, including several on language — a favorite Kelly subject — and one manual on the use of tools depicting his friend Ward Kimball as a caveman.
This period saw the creation of Kelly's most famous character, Pogo, who first saw print in 1943 in Dell's Animal Comics. The initial stories, probably influenced by Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus stories, pitted a human boy named Bumbazine against wily Albert the Alligator, with Pogo Possum in a supporting role. Albert eventually supplanted Bumbazine for the lead role, and Pogo supplanted Albert, with the sole human character- whom Kelly ultimately considered less believable- disappearing from the series altogether.
Pogo was almost unrecognizable in his initial appearance, resembling a real possum more closely than in his classic form. He gradually assumed a rounder and more appealing shape and construction, much like Mickey Mouse's, including a black nose that he would retain until the eve of his transition to the comics page in 1948.
Kelly's work with Dell continued well into the successful run of the newspaper strip in the early fifties, ending after sixteen issues of "Pogo Possum" (each with all new material) in a dispute over the republication of Kelly's early Pogo and Albert stories in a special comic book called "The Pogo Parade". Having grown tremendously as an artist and writer, Kelly no longer wished to see his earlier work in print.
The New York Star
He returned to journalism as a political cartoonist after the war. In 1948, while art director of the short-lived New York Star, Kelly began to produce a pen-and-ink strip of current-events commentary populated by characters from Okefenokee Swamp. The first Pogo strip appeared on October 4, 1948. After the New York Star folded on Jan. 28, 1949 Kelly arranged for syndication through the Hall Syndicate which relaunched the strip in May of 1949. Kelly eventually arranged to acquire the copyright and ownership of the strip, which was uncommon in that era.
Pogo
Pogo was a landmark strip in many ways and Kelly is arguably one of the greatest and most influential of cartoonists in the history of the craft. Kelly combined masterful line and brush-work (learned at the "mouse factory", Disney) with fluent and highly amusing story-telling acted out by an endearing cast of "nature's screechers". He borrowed from various dialectical sources and his own fertile imagination to invent a unique and charming backwoods-patois, heavy on the nonsense, to fit his cartoon swampland. Although Pogo stands on its own as a superbly-realized cartoon strip for the ages, it was perhaps Kelly's interjection of political and social satire into the work that was its greatest pioneering accomplishment — such commentary was simply not done in the genre of dailies in Kelly's time.
The principal characters were Pogo the Possum; Albert the Alligator; Churchy LaFemme (cf. Cherchez la femme), a turtle; Howland Owl; Beauregard (Houndog); Porkypine and Miss Mamzelle Hepzibah, a French skunk. Kelly used the strip in part as a vehicle for his liberal and humanistic political and social views and satirized, among other things, Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist demagogy (in the form of a shotgun-wielding bobcat named "Simple J. Malarkey") and the sectarian and dogmatic behavior of Communists.
Another interesting facet of the comic strip were the unique speech balloons that several characters were drawn with. One character, Deacon Mushrat, an educated muskrat, spoke in speech balloons with decorated Gothic style lettering. The village mortician, Sarcophagas Macabre, a vulture, had square, black-framed speech balloons with fine script lettering, resembling funeral announcements. P.T. Bridgeport, a bear and showman and promoter of questionable repute, spoke with speech balloons in highly decorated type, resembling 19th century circus posters.
In 1951 Simon and Schuster issued the first paperback book collection of the strip, simply titled Pogo, to excellent sales. The book introduced Kelly's unusual format: rather than simply reproduce strips, Kelly edited them heavily, removing many panels, adding many others, and omitting many strips entirely in order to create many short, humorously titled chapters that read in a comic book (rather than comic strip) style. I Go Pogo quickly followed the first book. Kelly would go on to produce about thirty titles in this format during his lifetime, with several more issued posthumously. All are highly sought by collectors. Still ultra-prolific, Kelly often wrote and illustrated short poems for these books, and eventually began adding elaborate full-length stories that were specially created for the books. Over time, the amount of special material in these books would grow to the point that some contained no daily or Sunday "Pogo" material and were created by Kelly from scratch.
In 1952 and later, a "Pogo for President" campaign, with followers wearing "I Go Pogo" buttons, became an expression of political protest. "Pogo" was also distinguished by exceptional linguistic inventiveness and playfulness, as expressed, for example, in the Pogo version of songs such as "Deck Us All with Boston Charlie" (for "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly") and "Ma Bonny lice soda devotion" (for "My Bonnie lies over the ocean").
Perhaps the most famous quotation to come from this series is, "We have met the enemy and he is us" (a paraphrase of Commodore Perry's famous "We have met the enemy and he is ours" from the War of 1812). The earliest form of this expression appeared in his introduction to The Pogo Papers (1953); it was used much later in the comic strip and as the title of a collection of strips. This is typical of the wry and politically astute commentary to be found in the daily and Sunday strip. It was distributed by King Features Syndicate to hundreds of newspapers for many years. The individual strips were collected into at least twenty books edited by Kelly, reprinted editions of some of these remain available today. He received the Reuben Award for the series in 1951.
Walt Kelly illustrated The Glob, a children's book about the evolution of man written by John O'Reilly and published in 1952. The characters and creatures in the book have a distinctly Pogoian character.
In 1969, a half-hour animated television special, The Pogo Special Birthday Special was produced, and aired on the NBC television network. Kelly himself provided the voices for P.T. Bridgeport, Albert Alligator and Howland Owl. In an interview Ward Kimball, who had worked with Kelly at Disney, quoted Kelly as saying angrily that Chuck Jones had changed the script without Kelly's ok, and altered Miss Mam'selle Hepzibah's face to look more human.
Having previously lampooned McCarthy, Kelly was also censored by some papers in the 1960s for portraying Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev as a pig and Fidel Castro as a cigar-smoking goat spouting pseudo-Marxism like "The shortage will be divided amongst the peasants!" Kelly had spent time in Cold War Berlin, writing newspaper articles about the situation there.
During the 1968 political campaign, Kelly's strip depicted rival Presidential candidates Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon as the Tweedle twins (Tweedledum and Tweedledee) but never established which was which: each twin claimed to be "Dee" while identifying the other as "Dum". In later years, Kelly's strip featured caricatures of Nixon depicted as a spider, J. Edgar Hoover as a bulldog, Spiro T. Agnew as a hyena and George C. Wallace as a bantam cock.
Throughout the run of Pogo, the strip's characters frequently traversed the Okefenokee Swamp aboard a flimsy flat-bottomed boat. Kelly developed the pleasant gimmick of lettering the boat's name on its hull ... the gimmick being that the name changed from one day to the next, and even from panel to panel within the same day's strip, but was always a tribute to some obscure real-life person whom Kelly wished to salute in print.
In contrast to the rigidly straight-edged panels of most other comic strips, the panels of Pogo were always defiantly hand-drawn in Kelly's beautiful ink lines with no attempt at straightness. Frequently a Pogo character would lean against the edge of the panel, or Albert would strike a match (to light his cigar) against the nearest panel edge, invariably distorting the panel even further.
Walt Kelly died in 1973 in Woodland Hills, California from diabetes complications, following a long and debilitating illness that had cost him a leg. During his final illness, work on the strip had fallen to various assistants (and occasionally reprints), and Kelly characteristically joked about returning to work as soon as he re-grew the leg. He is sometimes listed as having been interred in the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York, but there is no grave for him there. He is believed to have been cremated.
Legacy In Print And Other Media
"Pogo" was continued by Kelly's widow, Selby, and various assistants until the summer of 1975. Reprint books continued in a steady stream, including a series reprinting several original books under a single cover according to various themes — romance, elections — that ran into the 1980s. In 1977, a small publisher called the Gregg Press reprinted the first ten "Pogo" books in hardcover editions with dust jackets. In 1995, another small press called Jonas/Winter issued another ten "Pogo" titles in navy blue cloth editions. In the 1980s a series of trade paperbacks- The Best Of Pogo, Pogo Even Better, Outrageously Pogo, Pluperfect Pogo, and Phi Beta Pogo collected material from Kelly fanzine "The Okefenokee Star" and combined examples of Kelly's massive output of non-strip material with new interviews, essays, and in each volume, a complete year of dailies from the strip starting in 1948. These books were unusual in that they were focused on Kelly's entire life and work, rather than just "Pogo" specifically.
In 1980, a clay animation feature film, Pogo For President (aka I Go Pogo) was released, but failed to gain much media attention. Ironically, it was ultimately purchased by The Walt Disney Company and has seen limited release in home formats.
In 1989 the Los Angeles Times attempted to revive the strip with other artists, including Kelly's children Carolyn and Peter, under the title "Walt Kelly's Pogo". The new strip ran through the early nineties. Also in 1989, Eclipse Books began publication of a hardcover series called Walt Kelly's Pogo And Albert collecting the early Dell "Pogo" comic book stories in color and starting with the characters' first appearance in 1943. The series reached four numbered volumes, with volumes 2, 3, and 4 subtitled At The Mercy Of Elephants, Diggin' Fo' Square Roots, and Dreamin' Of A Wide Catfish, respectively.
In 1992, Fantagraphics Books began a series of chronological strip reprints in paperback form, simply titled Pogo. Through 2000, the series reached 11 volumes and reprinted daily strips from the first New York Star strip of October 4, 1948 through February 12, 1954.
In 2002, Dark Horse Comics issued Pogo and Albert figures in limited editions as part of their "Classic Comic Character Series" of statues. Issued in lavishly illustrated tin containers, the figures quickly sold out.
In 2003, Reaction Records reissued Kelly's 1956 album "Songs Of The Pogo" on compact disc. The album features Kelly singing his own comic lyrics and nonsense verse to melodies written by Norman Monath. The disc also features the content of Kelly's later recordings, "No" and "Can't", which were issued as children's book-and-record sets in the late sixties, with booklets written and illustrated by Kelly to go along with his recorded performances.
In February 2007 it was announced that Fantagraphics Books would begin publication of The Complete Pogo, a projected 12-volume series collecting the complete chronological run of daily and Sunday strips, to be overseen by Kelly aficionado and famed comic book creator Jeff Smith. The first volume in the series was scheduled to appear in October 2007, but delays, reportedly resulting from the difficulty in locating early Sunday strips in complete form, have pushed its release until sometime in mid 2009.
Fantagraphics Books has also published two volumes of a series collecting Kelly's "Our Gang" comic book stories from 1943–1945, with cover art by Jeff Smith and introductions by Leonard Maltin and Kelly chronicler Steve Thompson.
Trivia
In 1968, the country rock band Poco made their debut at Doug Weston's Troubadour Club in West Hollywood, California under the name "Pogo". After they had performed enough to establish themselves, they were sued by Kelly and subsequently changed the name to "Poco" in order to minimize the damage. Band member Richie Furay said "When the Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company found out we were using their name, they wrote back and said 'Hey, really glad to see the name. Use it, have fun.' It was really neat to have someone encourage us like that. But Walt didn't see things that way."
Awards
* 1951: National Cartoonists Society, Reuben Award, Cartoonist of the Year
* 1972: National Cartoonists Society, Silver T-Square Extraordinary Service Award
On August 25, 1913, Walt Kelly, a clear-eyed youth of honest Scotch-Irish-English-French-Austrian blood found himself in Philadelphia, Pa. He was one day old, and although his ancestors had been rooted along the shores of the Delaware for 150 years, he immediately hatched a plan. Two years later, he was in Bridgeport, Connecticut, complete with father, mother, sister and sixteen teeth, all his own.
Ten years later to the day, he was twelve years and one day old. He had survived fire (fell into the coal scuttle with a jack-o-lantern in 1919), flood (homemade boat struck a swimming duck and splintered, 1923), starvation (lost the lunch on a fishing expedition with father, 1924), savage beasts (rabid rabbit shot to death on other side of town, 1924), disease and pestilence (chicken pox and mumps, 1918), and education (6 years grammar school). Sometime in the next four years he studied French and the French teacher at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport. Thus fully prepared for life, he arrived at a factory that made ladies' underwear around 1930 and got a job sweeping floors. Three weeks of this and he decided money did not count. He abandoned his lucrative position and took a job with a newspaper as a reporter.
His preparation for this full-time job was a little radical for Kelly. He had worked part-time for the same newspaper as a high school reporter and a political cartoonist since the age of 13, and had also been one of the editors of the school paper. Six years later, he was in Hollywood drawing mice (which is not the same thing as attracting mice, though there is some truth in that thought also.)
He worked (a jest, really) for Walt Disney while that worthy and 1,500 other worthies turned out Snow White, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Reluctant Dragon and Baby Weems. At a showing of the last, he quietly disappeared and next turned up on the Mojave Desert trudging east. Back in the USA once more, Kelly went straight. He got a job doing comic books, fooled around with the Foreign Language Unit of the Army during the war, illustrating grunts and groans and made friends in the newspaper and publishing business. Printers ink was in the boy's blood, a condition that so affected his veins that friends called him Zebra Kelly. They called him so loudly in 1948 that he was forced to pay off some debts and took a job with a new newspaper. This paper, The New York Star, declared that it was a paper with a purpose (as opposed to the other papers on God's Earth, all of which were apparently purposeless).
Kelly drew political cartoons for the 1948 campaign, dressing Mr. Dewey up like an adding machine; he was art director, became a senior editor and decided to resurrect a comic character he had invented back in the palmy or "comic book" days. Loaded with Kelly art, the Star rocketed to earth after streaking its purpose across the heavens for six months. In the ensuing crash and confusion Kelly grabbed his comic character, Pogo Possum, and headed for high ground.
Pogo had already had a strange career. He had started out as a spear carrier in a comic book feature about 1943. One trouble then was that he looked just like a possum.
As time went on, this condition was remedied and Pogo took on a lead role. Just when the feature was going great the comic book folded. It had been called Animal Comics and a survey was made to find why it collapsed. Cornering children when their parents were looking the other way, Kelly asked questions. The answers all added up to the same thing: "That comic book didn't have no action in it. Nobody shot nobody. It was full of mice in red and blue pants. It stunk."
At any rate, Pogo was a dead possum for two years, until the Star tried him out as a comic strip actor. The mail for the two months of Pogo's life in the Star encouraged Kelly to try and make a good feature out of the Possum.
After the fold, Kelly took the strip to three or four syndicate offices. One lady editor insisted that she did not want to buy a duck. Kelly pointed out that it was a possum he had by the tail. The lady said you can't even tell one animal from another, let alone draw one. Another editor offered Kelly a job taking care of his comic book division. A third editor laughed, which only encouraged Kelly. Then he said nobody would understand the strip. "Try it out on ordinary people," he roared. "You'll see."
Kelly, who thought of himself as about as ordinary as they come, still had faith in the strip. He borrowed every nickel he could lay his hands on and took a cross-town bus to The Hall Syndicate. He had already had a call from Bob Hall, president of the syndicate, which was lucky because Kelly couldn't afford to call Hall.
Bob said, much to Kelly's surprise, "Fellow, I read your Pogo strip and it's funny. When do you want to start?"
It was as simple as that. Twenty three years after he had started drawing for the Bridgeport Post and dreaming of a comic strip, Kelly had signed with a big-time syndicate. In May 1949 the strip ran, somewhat on a trial basis, in about four newspapers. Within five years, it was in about four hundred papers and sales are still being made.
Pogo books have sold more than a million copies, and over 1,500,000 comic books were sold each year. Mail from enthusiastic readers is a major problem, albeit a flattering one. Two stenographers work at answering mail and clipping drawings and sending off books. Kelly, besides writing and drawing the strip, travels and speaks before fifty or more civic and college groups each year. His theme: The American Press is the last free voice of the world. It offers a rare opportunity to students despite its acknowledged frailties.
Comment in the mail and through the press and other reviews has been less flattering. Carl Sandburg said that many comics were too sad, but, "I GO POGO." Francis Taylor, Director of the Metropolitan Museum, said before the Herald Tribune Forum: "Pogo has not yet supplanted Shakespeare or the King James version of the Bible in our schools."
Feeling that Shakespeare and the Bible will long hold their place, Kelly is of course thankful that such notables see fit to mention his work. But his greatest reward comes from letters from children and mothers, from simple working people, some of them nearly illiterate. Numbers of these end with thanks for the joy Pogo gives them and conclude, "God bless you."
Kelly, a father himself, and still a working man, has one eye on the news of the day and the other on a child's head lighted by the sunlight as he says, "God keep us all."
-- Written by Walt Kelly for the Hall Syndicate, 1954
WALT KELLY
Walt Disney's Comics And Stories Vol. 11 No. 3
Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While he was still a child, his family moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut where his father worked in a munitions plant. After graduating from Warren Harding High School in 1930, Kelly worked a few odd jobs until landing a position as a crime reporter on the Bridgeport Post. There he took up cartooning and illustrated a biography of Bridgeport native P. T. Barnum.
The Disney Studios
Relocating to Southern California, reportedly in pursuit of his future wife, Helen DeLacy, who had moved there, he found a job at Walt Disney Productions as a storyboard artist and gag man on Donald Duck cartoons and other shorts, requesting a switch to the animation department in 1939. Starting over as an animator, Kelly became an assistant to noted Walt Disney animator Fred Moore, and became close friends with Moore and Ward Kimball, one of Disney's Nine Old Men.
Kelly worked for Disney from January 6, 1936 to September 12, 1941, contributing to films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Dumbo, and The Reluctant Dragon. Kelly once stated that his salary at Disney averaged about a hundred dollars a week. During 1935 and 1936, his work also appeared in early comic books for what later became DC Comics.
Kelly's animation can be seen in "Pinocchio" when Gepetto is first seen inside Monstro the whale, fishing; in "Fantasia" when Bacchus is seen drunkenly riding a donkey during the Beethoven/"Pastoral Symphony" sequence; and in "Dumbo" of the ringmaster and during bits of the crows' sequence; and his drawings are especially recognizable in "The Reluctant Dragon" of the little boy, and in the Mickey Mouse short "The Little Whirlwind" when Mickey is running from the larger tornado.
During the 1941 animators strike, Kelly did not picket the studio, as has often been reported, but took a leave of absence — pleading "family illness" — in order to avoid choosing sides. Surviving correspondence between Kelly and his close friend and fellow animator Ward Kimball chronicles his ambivalence towards the highly charged dispute. Ward Kimball stated in an interview years later that Kelly felt creatively constricted in animation, a collective art form, and possibly over-challenged by the technical demands of the form, and had been looking for a way out when the strike occurred.
Kelly never returned to the studio as an animator, but jobs adapting the studio's films "Pinocchio" and "The Three Caballeros" for Dell Comics — apparently the result of a recommendation from Walt Disney himself — led to a new (and ultimately transitional) career.
Dell Comics
Kelly began a series of comic books based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes along with annuals celebrating Christmas and Easter for Dell Comics. Kelly seems to have written or co-written much of the material he drew for the comics; his unique touches are easily discernible. He also produced a series of stories based on the Our Gang film series, provided covers for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, illustrated adaptations of Disney films, drew stories featuring Raggedy Ann and Andy and Uncle Wiggily, wrote and drew a lengthy series of comic books promoting a bread company and featuring a character called "Peter Wheat", and did a series of pantomime (i.e. without dialogue) two-page stories featuring Roald Dahl's Gremlins for Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #34-41. Kelly also wrote, drew, and performed during this period on children's records, children's books, and cereal boxes. He was so prolific in the 1940s that it is assumed that the extent of his work can never be completely documented.
Although his health would not allow him to serve in the military during World War II, Kelly also worked in the Army's Foreign Language Unit illustrating manuals, including several on language — a favorite Kelly subject — and one manual on the use of tools depicting his friend Ward Kimball as a caveman.
This period saw the creation of Kelly's most famous character, Pogo, who first saw print in 1943 in Dell's Animal Comics. The initial stories, probably influenced by Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus stories, pitted a human boy named Bumbazine against wily Albert the Alligator, with Pogo Possum in a supporting role. Albert eventually supplanted Bumbazine for the lead role, and Pogo supplanted Albert, with the sole human character- whom Kelly ultimately considered less believable- disappearing from the series altogether.
Pogo was almost unrecognizable in his initial appearance, resembling a real possum more closely than in his classic form. He gradually assumed a rounder and more appealing shape and construction, much like Mickey Mouse's, including a black nose that he would retain until the eve of his transition to the comics page in 1948.
Kelly's work with Dell continued well into the successful run of the newspaper strip in the early fifties, ending after sixteen issues of "Pogo Possum" (each with all new material) in a dispute over the republication of Kelly's early Pogo and Albert stories in a special comic book called "The Pogo Parade". Having grown tremendously as an artist and writer, Kelly no longer wished to see his earlier work in print.
The New York Star
He returned to journalism as a political cartoonist after the war. In 1948, while art director of the short-lived New York Star, Kelly began to produce a pen-and-ink strip of current-events commentary populated by characters from Okefenokee Swamp. The first Pogo strip appeared on October 4, 1948. After the New York Star folded on Jan. 28, 1949 Kelly arranged for syndication through the Hall Syndicate which relaunched the strip in May of 1949. Kelly eventually arranged to acquire the copyright and ownership of the strip, which was uncommon in that era.
Pogo
Pogo was a landmark strip in many ways and Kelly is arguably one of the greatest and most influential of cartoonists in the history of the craft. Kelly combined masterful line and brush-work (learned at the "mouse factory", Disney) with fluent and highly amusing story-telling acted out by an endearing cast of "nature's screechers". He borrowed from various dialectical sources and his own fertile imagination to invent a unique and charming backwoods-patois, heavy on the nonsense, to fit his cartoon swampland. Although Pogo stands on its own as a superbly-realized cartoon strip for the ages, it was perhaps Kelly's interjection of political and social satire into the work that was its greatest pioneering accomplishment — such commentary was simply not done in the genre of dailies in Kelly's time.
The principal characters were Pogo the Possum; Albert the Alligator; Churchy LaFemme (cf. Cherchez la femme), a turtle; Howland Owl; Beauregard (Houndog); Porkypine and Miss Mamzelle Hepzibah, a French skunk. Kelly used the strip in part as a vehicle for his liberal and humanistic political and social views and satirized, among other things, Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist demagogy (in the form of a shotgun-wielding bobcat named "Simple J. Malarkey") and the sectarian and dogmatic behavior of Communists.
Another interesting facet of the comic strip were the unique speech balloons that several characters were drawn with. One character, Deacon Mushrat, an educated muskrat, spoke in speech balloons with decorated Gothic style lettering. The village mortician, Sarcophagas Macabre, a vulture, had square, black-framed speech balloons with fine script lettering, resembling funeral announcements. P.T. Bridgeport, a bear and showman and promoter of questionable repute, spoke with speech balloons in highly decorated type, resembling 19th century circus posters.
In 1951 Simon and Schuster issued the first paperback book collection of the strip, simply titled Pogo, to excellent sales. The book introduced Kelly's unusual format: rather than simply reproduce strips, Kelly edited them heavily, removing many panels, adding many others, and omitting many strips entirely in order to create many short, humorously titled chapters that read in a comic book (rather than comic strip) style. I Go Pogo quickly followed the first book. Kelly would go on to produce about thirty titles in this format during his lifetime, with several more issued posthumously. All are highly sought by collectors. Still ultra-prolific, Kelly often wrote and illustrated short poems for these books, and eventually began adding elaborate full-length stories that were specially created for the books. Over time, the amount of special material in these books would grow to the point that some contained no daily or Sunday "Pogo" material and were created by Kelly from scratch.
In 1952 and later, a "Pogo for President" campaign, with followers wearing "I Go Pogo" buttons, became an expression of political protest. "Pogo" was also distinguished by exceptional linguistic inventiveness and playfulness, as expressed, for example, in the Pogo version of songs such as "Deck Us All with Boston Charlie" (for "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly") and "Ma Bonny lice soda devotion" (for "My Bonnie lies over the ocean").
Perhaps the most famous quotation to come from this series is, "We have met the enemy and he is us" (a paraphrase of Commodore Perry's famous "We have met the enemy and he is ours" from the War of 1812). The earliest form of this expression appeared in his introduction to The Pogo Papers (1953); it was used much later in the comic strip and as the title of a collection of strips. This is typical of the wry and politically astute commentary to be found in the daily and Sunday strip. It was distributed by King Features Syndicate to hundreds of newspapers for many years. The individual strips were collected into at least twenty books edited by Kelly, reprinted editions of some of these remain available today. He received the Reuben Award for the series in 1951.
Walt Kelly illustrated The Glob, a children's book about the evolution of man written by John O'Reilly and published in 1952. The characters and creatures in the book have a distinctly Pogoian character.
In 1969, a half-hour animated television special, The Pogo Special Birthday Special was produced, and aired on the NBC television network. Kelly himself provided the voices for P.T. Bridgeport, Albert Alligator and Howland Owl. In an interview Ward Kimball, who had worked with Kelly at Disney, quoted Kelly as saying angrily that Chuck Jones had changed the script without Kelly's ok, and altered Miss Mam'selle Hepzibah's face to look more human.
Having previously lampooned McCarthy, Kelly was also censored by some papers in the 1960s for portraying Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev as a pig and Fidel Castro as a cigar-smoking goat spouting pseudo-Marxism like "The shortage will be divided amongst the peasants!" Kelly had spent time in Cold War Berlin, writing newspaper articles about the situation there.
During the 1968 political campaign, Kelly's strip depicted rival Presidential candidates Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon as the Tweedle twins (Tweedledum and Tweedledee) but never established which was which: each twin claimed to be "Dee" while identifying the other as "Dum". In later years, Kelly's strip featured caricatures of Nixon depicted as a spider, J. Edgar Hoover as a bulldog, Spiro T. Agnew as a hyena and George C. Wallace as a bantam cock.
Throughout the run of Pogo, the strip's characters frequently traversed the Okefenokee Swamp aboard a flimsy flat-bottomed boat. Kelly developed the pleasant gimmick of lettering the boat's name on its hull ... the gimmick being that the name changed from one day to the next, and even from panel to panel within the same day's strip, but was always a tribute to some obscure real-life person whom Kelly wished to salute in print.
In contrast to the rigidly straight-edged panels of most other comic strips, the panels of Pogo were always defiantly hand-drawn in Kelly's beautiful ink lines with no attempt at straightness. Frequently a Pogo character would lean against the edge of the panel, or Albert would strike a match (to light his cigar) against the nearest panel edge, invariably distorting the panel even further.
Walt Kelly died in 1973 in Woodland Hills, California from diabetes complications, following a long and debilitating illness that had cost him a leg. During his final illness, work on the strip had fallen to various assistants (and occasionally reprints), and Kelly characteristically joked about returning to work as soon as he re-grew the leg. He is sometimes listed as having been interred in the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn, New York, but there is no grave for him there. He is believed to have been cremated.
Legacy In Print And Other Media
"Pogo" was continued by Kelly's widow, Selby, and various assistants until the summer of 1975. Reprint books continued in a steady stream, including a series reprinting several original books under a single cover according to various themes — romance, elections — that ran into the 1980s. In 1977, a small publisher called the Gregg Press reprinted the first ten "Pogo" books in hardcover editions with dust jackets. In 1995, another small press called Jonas/Winter issued another ten "Pogo" titles in navy blue cloth editions. In the 1980s a series of trade paperbacks- The Best Of Pogo, Pogo Even Better, Outrageously Pogo, Pluperfect Pogo, and Phi Beta Pogo collected material from Kelly fanzine "The Okefenokee Star" and combined examples of Kelly's massive output of non-strip material with new interviews, essays, and in each volume, a complete year of dailies from the strip starting in 1948. These books were unusual in that they were focused on Kelly's entire life and work, rather than just "Pogo" specifically.
In 1980, a clay animation feature film, Pogo For President (aka I Go Pogo) was released, but failed to gain much media attention. Ironically, it was ultimately purchased by The Walt Disney Company and has seen limited release in home formats.
In 1989 the Los Angeles Times attempted to revive the strip with other artists, including Kelly's children Carolyn and Peter, under the title "Walt Kelly's Pogo". The new strip ran through the early nineties. Also in 1989, Eclipse Books began publication of a hardcover series called Walt Kelly's Pogo And Albert collecting the early Dell "Pogo" comic book stories in color and starting with the characters' first appearance in 1943. The series reached four numbered volumes, with volumes 2, 3, and 4 subtitled At The Mercy Of Elephants, Diggin' Fo' Square Roots, and Dreamin' Of A Wide Catfish, respectively.
In 1992, Fantagraphics Books began a series of chronological strip reprints in paperback form, simply titled Pogo. Through 2000, the series reached 11 volumes and reprinted daily strips from the first New York Star strip of October 4, 1948 through February 12, 1954.
In 2002, Dark Horse Comics issued Pogo and Albert figures in limited editions as part of their "Classic Comic Character Series" of statues. Issued in lavishly illustrated tin containers, the figures quickly sold out.
In 2003, Reaction Records reissued Kelly's 1956 album "Songs Of The Pogo" on compact disc. The album features Kelly singing his own comic lyrics and nonsense verse to melodies written by Norman Monath. The disc also features the content of Kelly's later recordings, "No" and "Can't", which were issued as children's book-and-record sets in the late sixties, with booklets written and illustrated by Kelly to go along with his recorded performances.
In February 2007 it was announced that Fantagraphics Books would begin publication of The Complete Pogo, a projected 12-volume series collecting the complete chronological run of daily and Sunday strips, to be overseen by Kelly aficionado and famed comic book creator Jeff Smith. The first volume in the series was scheduled to appear in October 2007, but delays, reportedly resulting from the difficulty in locating early Sunday strips in complete form, have pushed its release until sometime in mid 2009.
Fantagraphics Books has also published two volumes of a series collecting Kelly's "Our Gang" comic book stories from 1943–1945, with cover art by Jeff Smith and introductions by Leonard Maltin and Kelly chronicler Steve Thompson.
Trivia
In 1968, the country rock band Poco made their debut at Doug Weston's Troubadour Club in West Hollywood, California under the name "Pogo". After they had performed enough to establish themselves, they were sued by Kelly and subsequently changed the name to "Poco" in order to minimize the damage. Band member Richie Furay said "When the Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company found out we were using their name, they wrote back and said 'Hey, really glad to see the name. Use it, have fun.' It was really neat to have someone encourage us like that. But Walt didn't see things that way."
Awards
* 1951: National Cartoonists Society, Reuben Award, Cartoonist of the Year
* 1972: National Cartoonists Society, Silver T-Square Extraordinary Service Award
On August 25, 1913, Walt Kelly, a clear-eyed youth of honest Scotch-Irish-English-French-Austrian blood found himself in Philadelphia, Pa. He was one day old, and although his ancestors had been rooted along the shores of the Delaware for 150 years, he immediately hatched a plan. Two years later, he was in Bridgeport, Connecticut, complete with father, mother, sister and sixteen teeth, all his own.
Ten years later to the day, he was twelve years and one day old. He had survived fire (fell into the coal scuttle with a jack-o-lantern in 1919), flood (homemade boat struck a swimming duck and splintered, 1923), starvation (lost the lunch on a fishing expedition with father, 1924), savage beasts (rabid rabbit shot to death on other side of town, 1924), disease and pestilence (chicken pox and mumps, 1918), and education (6 years grammar school). Sometime in the next four years he studied French and the French teacher at Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport. Thus fully prepared for life, he arrived at a factory that made ladies' underwear around 1930 and got a job sweeping floors. Three weeks of this and he decided money did not count. He abandoned his lucrative position and took a job with a newspaper as a reporter.
His preparation for this full-time job was a little radical for Kelly. He had worked part-time for the same newspaper as a high school reporter and a political cartoonist since the age of 13, and had also been one of the editors of the school paper. Six years later, he was in Hollywood drawing mice (which is not the same thing as attracting mice, though there is some truth in that thought also.)
He worked (a jest, really) for Walt Disney while that worthy and 1,500 other worthies turned out Snow White, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Dumbo, The Reluctant Dragon and Baby Weems. At a showing of the last, he quietly disappeared and next turned up on the Mojave Desert trudging east. Back in the USA once more, Kelly went straight. He got a job doing comic books, fooled around with the Foreign Language Unit of the Army during the war, illustrating grunts and groans and made friends in the newspaper and publishing business. Printers ink was in the boy's blood, a condition that so affected his veins that friends called him Zebra Kelly. They called him so loudly in 1948 that he was forced to pay off some debts and took a job with a new newspaper. This paper, The New York Star, declared that it was a paper with a purpose (as opposed to the other papers on God's Earth, all of which were apparently purposeless).
Kelly drew political cartoons for the 1948 campaign, dressing Mr. Dewey up like an adding machine; he was art director, became a senior editor and decided to resurrect a comic character he had invented back in the palmy or "comic book" days. Loaded with Kelly art, the Star rocketed to earth after streaking its purpose across the heavens for six months. In the ensuing crash and confusion Kelly grabbed his comic character, Pogo Possum, and headed for high ground.
Pogo had already had a strange career. He had started out as a spear carrier in a comic book feature about 1943. One trouble then was that he looked just like a possum.
As time went on, this condition was remedied and Pogo took on a lead role. Just when the feature was going great the comic book folded. It had been called Animal Comics and a survey was made to find why it collapsed. Cornering children when their parents were looking the other way, Kelly asked questions. The answers all added up to the same thing: "That comic book didn't have no action in it. Nobody shot nobody. It was full of mice in red and blue pants. It stunk."
At any rate, Pogo was a dead possum for two years, until the Star tried him out as a comic strip actor. The mail for the two months of Pogo's life in the Star encouraged Kelly to try and make a good feature out of the Possum.
After the fold, Kelly took the strip to three or four syndicate offices. One lady editor insisted that she did not want to buy a duck. Kelly pointed out that it was a possum he had by the tail. The lady said you can't even tell one animal from another, let alone draw one. Another editor offered Kelly a job taking care of his comic book division. A third editor laughed, which only encouraged Kelly. Then he said nobody would understand the strip. "Try it out on ordinary people," he roared. "You'll see."
Kelly, who thought of himself as about as ordinary as they come, still had faith in the strip. He borrowed every nickel he could lay his hands on and took a cross-town bus to The Hall Syndicate. He had already had a call from Bob Hall, president of the syndicate, which was lucky because Kelly couldn't afford to call Hall.
Bob said, much to Kelly's surprise, "Fellow, I read your Pogo strip and it's funny. When do you want to start?"
It was as simple as that. Twenty three years after he had started drawing for the Bridgeport Post and dreaming of a comic strip, Kelly had signed with a big-time syndicate. In May 1949 the strip ran, somewhat on a trial basis, in about four newspapers. Within five years, it was in about four hundred papers and sales are still being made.
Pogo books have sold more than a million copies, and over 1,500,000 comic books were sold each year. Mail from enthusiastic readers is a major problem, albeit a flattering one. Two stenographers work at answering mail and clipping drawings and sending off books. Kelly, besides writing and drawing the strip, travels and speaks before fifty or more civic and college groups each year. His theme: The American Press is the last free voice of the world. It offers a rare opportunity to students despite its acknowledged frailties.
Comment in the mail and through the press and other reviews has been less flattering. Carl Sandburg said that many comics were too sad, but, "I GO POGO." Francis Taylor, Director of the Metropolitan Museum, said before the Herald Tribune Forum: "Pogo has not yet supplanted Shakespeare or the King James version of the Bible in our schools."
Feeling that Shakespeare and the Bible will long hold their place, Kelly is of course thankful that such notables see fit to mention his work. But his greatest reward comes from letters from children and mothers, from simple working people, some of them nearly illiterate. Numbers of these end with thanks for the joy Pogo gives them and conclude, "God bless you."
Kelly, a father himself, and still a working man, has one eye on the news of the day and the other on a child's head lighted by the sunlight as he says, "God keep us all."
-- Written by Walt Kelly for the Hall Syndicate, 1954
Contrary to what we are lead to believe by the popular media, science is not the enemy of Christianity.
Genuine science is completely compatible with the belief in the creator God of Christianity.
Most of the world's greatest scientists, who were the pioneers and founders of modern science recognised this.
It is only fairly recently with the rise of militant atheism that science has been portrayed, through propaganda, as being in conflict with Christianity.
So why were so many great scientists convinced that the principles of science were in perfect harmony with belief in the Christian God?
Consider this ....
A creator God (or supernatural first cause) has been made redundant and the final gap (pertaining to the so-called God of the gaps) has now been filled ... who says so?
Atheists, along with the secularist pundits in the popular media.
Why do they say that?
Because they believe that the greatest brain in atheism - Stephen Hawking, has finally discovered the secret of the origin of the universe and a naturalistic replacement for God.
The atheist replacement for God is summed up in a single sentence written by Hawking:
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
That is it .... problem solved - apparently!
The secularists in the popular media loved it, as far as they were concerned the problem certainly was solved. Hawking had finally dealt the fatal blow to all religion, especially Christianity. No need to question it, if a revered scientist of his calibre, is so sure of how the universe came into being, it must be correct.
The new atheists loved it, they wasted no time in proclaiming the ultimate triumph of 'science' over religious mythology and superstition.
So just how credible is the atheist claim that God has been made redundant?
And just how 'scientific' is Hawking's replacement for God?
Shall we analyse it?
"Because there is a law of gravity ....
So,
1) If the law of gravity existed, how is that nothing?
AND -
2) Where did the law of gravity come from?
AND -
3) How can a law of gravity exist before that which gravity relates to ... i.e. matter?
"the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
4) How can something create itself, without pre-existing its own creation?
(A) could possibly create (B), but how could (A) create (A)? Of course it can't.
5) What about the 'nothing' that is not really nothing, as most people understand 'nothing', but a bizarre 'nothing' in which a law of gravity exists. A nothing which is actually a 'something' where a law of gravity is presumably some sort of eternally, existent entity?
AND -
6) Is Hawking implying that the self-creation of the universe is made possible by the pre-existence of the law of gravity?
Of course, natural laws are not creative agents, they simply describe basic properties and operation of material things. They can't create anything, or cause the creation of anything. Something which is a property of something, cannot create that which it is a property of.
So, even if we ignore the law of cause and effect which definitively rules out a natural, first cause of the universe, the atheist notion of the universe arising of its own volition from nothing is still impossible, and can be regarded as illogical and unscientific nonsense. Hawking's naturalistic replacement for God, presented in his single sentence, and so loved by the new, atheist cabal, is obviously just contradictory and confused nonsense.
The truth, which atheists don't want to hear, is that atheism is intellectually and scientifically indefensible. That is why they always duck out of explaining how the concept of an uncaused, inadequate, natural first cause is possible.
The best they ever come up with, is something like "we don't really know what laws existed at the start of the universe".
However, the atheist claim that - we don't really know... is completely spurious.
We certainly do know that the Law of Cause and Effect is universal, there is no way round it.
The only reason atheists don't want to accept it, is ideological.
And ... isn't it strange, that the only laws atheists dispute are precisely those that interfere with their beliefs. For example, atheists seem pretty sure that one law existed .... the law of gravity (even prior to that which gravity is a property of … matter).
Why are they so sure that the law of gravity existed?
Because their naturalistic substitute for God, summed up in the sentence by Stephen Hawking, apparently requires that the law of gravity existed before anything else …..
Here it is again ...
‘Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing’ Stephen Hawking.
So atheists DO KNOW for sure that the law of gravity existed, but they don’t really know what other laws existed at the start of the universe. They especially doubt that the Law of Cause and Effect existed.
AMAZING!
Well, how about this for a refutation of Hawking’s replacement for God, also summed up in a single sentence?
Because there is a Law of Cause and Effect, the universe can’t and won’t create itself from nothing!
That is something Stephen Hawking conveniently forgot.
Apparently, he accepts that the law of gravity existed, because he thinks it suits his argument, but he ignores the existence of other laws that positively destroy his argument.
So now you know the truth about the best substitute for God that atheists have ever come up with.
IMPRESSED? I think not!
Why is it ATHEISTS that try to dispute the universality of natural laws?
According to their claims, atheists are supposed to be the champions of science. Yet we find in practice that it is actually theists who end up defending natural laws and the scientific method against those atheists who try to refute any laws and scientific principles that interfere with their naturalistic beliefs.
Whatever happened to the alleged conflict between science and religion?
That is revealed as purely, atheist propaganda. There is obviously much more conflict between atheism and science.
Why is the law of cause and effect so important?
Because it tells us that all natural entities, events and processes are contingent.
They are all subject to preceding causes. It tells us that natural entities and events are not autonomous, they cannot operate independently of causes.
That is such an important principle, it is actually the basis of the scientific method. Science is about looking for adequate causes of ALL natural events. According to science, a natural event without a cause, is a scientific impossibility.
Once you suggest such a notion, you are abandoning science and you violate the basic principle of the scientific method.
What about the first cause of the universe and everything?
How does that fit in?
Well, the first cause was obviously a unique thing, not only unique, but radically different to all NATURAL entities and occurrences. The first cause HAD to be an autonomous entity, it HAD to be eternally self-existent, self-reliant, NON-CONTINGENT ... i.e. it was completely independent of causes and the limitations that causes impose.
The first cause, by virtue of being the very first, could not have had any preceding cause, and obviously didn't require any cause for its existence. When we talk about the first cause, we mean the very first cause, i.e. FIRST means FIRST, not second or third.
The first cause also had to be capable of creating everything that followed it. It is responsible for every subsequent cause and effect that is, or has ever been. That means that nothing, nor the sum total of everything that followed the first cause, can ever be greater, in any respect, than the first cause.
So the idea that the first cause could be a natural entity or event is just ludicrous.
We know that the first cause is radically different to any natural entity, it is NOT contingent and that is why it is called a SUPERNATURAL entity, the Supernatural, First Cause (or Creator God). All natural events and entities ARE contingent without exception, so the first cause simply CANNOT be a natural thing.
That is the verdict of science, logic and reason. Atheists dispute the verdict of science and insist that the first cause was a 'natural' event which was somehow able to defy natural laws that govern all natural events.
Consequently, atheism can be regarded as anti-science. Which means .... the real enemy of atheism is science, not religion. And the real enemy of science is atheism, not religion.
An idea which seems to be popular with atheists at present, is a continuously, reciprocating universe, one which ends by running out of energy potential and then rewinds itself in an never ending cycle ..... this is an attempt to evade the fact that an uncaused, natural, first cause is impossible. They claim that, in this way a first cause, is not necessary. And that matter/energy is some sort of eternally existent entity.
So is it a valid solution?
Firstly .....
Matter/energy cannot be eternally existent in a cycle with no beginning).
Why?
Because all natural things are contingent, they have to comply with the law of cause and effect, so they cannot exist independently of causes. The nearest you could get to eternally existent matter/energy would be a very, long chain of causes and effects, but a long chain is not eternally existent, it has to have a beginning at some point. At the beginning there would still have to be a non-contingent first cause. So a long chain of causes and effects simply pushes the first cause further back in time, it can't eliminate it.
Secondly ....
It is pretty obvious that the idea of the universe simply rewinding itself in a never ending cycle, which had no beginning, is complete, unscientific nonsense. How such a proposal can be presented as serious science, beggars belief.
It seems atheists will try anything to justify their naturalist ideology. They apparently have no compunction about completely disregarding natural laws.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out such atheist, pie-in-the-sky, origins mythology.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, the idea of a rewinding universe is tantamount to applying the discredited notion of perpetual motion - on a grand scale, to the universe.
Contingent things don't just rewind of their own accord.
The Second Law (not to mention common sense) rules it out.
Where does the renewed power or renewed energy potential come from?
If you wind up a clock, it doesn't rewind itself after it has stopped.
The universe had a beginning and it will have an end. That is what science tells us, it cannot rewind itself.
Such ridiculous, atheist musings are just a desperate attempt to wriggle out of the inevitable conclusion of logic, and the Law of Cause and Effect which are the real enemies of atheist ideology.
Once again atheism is hoisted on its own petard by natural law and science, not by religion.
A variation of the cyclical universe is the argument proposed by some that the universe just is?
Presumably they mean that the universe is some sort of eternally-existent entity with no beginning - and therefore not in need of a cause? Once again an eternally self-existent universe is not possible for the same reason outlined above.
In addition ....
The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us the universe certainly had a beginning and will have an end. The energy potential of the universe is decreasing from an original peak at the beginning of the universe. Even the most rabid atheists seem to accept that. Which is why most of them believe in a beginning event, such as a big bang explosion.
So the question is how did it (the universe) begin to exist, not whether it began to exist?
Which takes us back to the question of the nature of the very first cause.
It can only be one of two options,
an uncaused, natural first cause
OR
an uncaused, supernatural first cause.
An uncaused, NATURAL first cause is impossible.
Thus the only possible option is a supernatural first cause, i.e. God.
Atheists can’t refute the Law of Cause and Effect which is so devastating to their naturalist agenda, so they regularly invent bizarre scenarios which ignore natural laws, and hope people won’t notice. If anyone does they just brush it off with remarks like “we just don’t know ” what laws existed prior to the beginning of the universe.
Sorry, the atheist apologists may not know …. but all sensible people do know, we certainly know what is impossible ….
And we certainly know that you cannot blithely step outside the constraints of natural laws and scientific principles, as atheists do, and remain credible.
We know that natural laws describe the inherent properties of matter/energy. Which means wherever matter/energy exist, the inherent properties of matter/energy also exist - and so do the natural laws that describe those properties. if the universe began, as some propose, with a cosmic egg. or a previous universe, those things are still natural entities with natural properties, and as such would be subject to natural laws. So the idea that there were natural events leading up to the origin of the universe that were not subject to natural laws is ridiculous.
The atheist claim; that we just don't know, is not valid, and should be treated as the silliness it really is.
The existence of the law of cause and effect is essential to the scientific method, but fatal to the atheist ideology.
SO ....
Is the law of cause and effect really universal?
Causation is necessary for the existence of the universe, but ALSO for the existence of any natural entities or events that may have preceded the creation of the universe.
In other words, causation is necessary for all matter/energy and all natural entities and occurrences, whether within the universe or elsewhere.
ALL natural entities are contingent wherever they may be, whether in some sort of cosmic egg, a big bang, a previous universe or whatever.
Contingency is an inherent character of all natural entities, so it is impossible for any natural entity to be non-contingent.
Which means you simply CANNOT have a natural entity which is UNCAUSED, anywhere.
If, for example, matter/energy was not contingent at the start of the universe, or before the universe began, how and why would it be contingent now?
Why would nature have changed its basic character to an inferior one?
If matter/energy once had such awesome, autonomous power - if it was, at some time, self-sufficient, not reliant on causes for its operation and existence, and not restricted by the limitations causes impose, it would effectively mean it was once an infinite, necessary, self-existent entity, similar to God.
Now if matter once had the autonomous, non-contingent powers of a god, why would it change itself to a subordinate character and role, when it became part of the universe?
Why would it change to a role where it is limited by the strictures of natural laws. And where it cannot operate without a preceding, adequate cause?
To claim matter/energy was, at one time, not contingent, not subject to causes (which is what atheists have to claim) – is to actually imbue it with the autonomous power of a god.
That is why atheism is really just a revamped version of pagan naturalism.
By denying the basic, contingent character of matter/nature, atheism effectively deifies nature, and credits it with godlike powers, which science clearly tells us it doesn’t possess.
Thus, if anyone dismisses causality, they effectively deify matter/nature.
Which means they have chosen the first of the 2 following choices …
1. Atheism ... the unscientific, illogical belief in a natural, uncaused god (of matter or nature) which violates natural laws - which science recognises restrict its autonomy?
2. Theism ... the logical belief in an uncaused, supernatural God, which created matter and the laws that govern matter. And therefore does not violate any laws, is not contingent, and thus has completely unrestricted autonomy and infinite powers?
Which one would you choose?
Which one do scientists who respect natural laws and the scientific method choose?
The great, scientific luminaries and founders of modern science, such as Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, Louis Pasteur etc., in fact, nearly all of the really great scientists and founders of modern science, had no doubts or problem understanding that choice, and they readily chose the second (theism), as the only logical option.
So, by choosing the second - a supernatural first cause – rather than meaning you are anti-science or anti-reason or some sort of uneducated, superstitious, religious nut (as atheists frequently claim) actually puts you in the greatest of scientific company.
To put it another way, who would you rather trust in science, such scientific giants as: Newton, Pasteur, Faraday, Von Braun, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Mendel, Marconi, Kelvin, Babbage, Pascal, Herschel, Peacock etc. who believed in a supernatural first cause?
OR,
the likes of: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Lawrence Krauss, Stephen Hawking, Andrew Denton etc. who believe in an uncaused, natural first cause?
No contest!
We can see that atheists are anti-science, because they treat natural law and the whole principle of the scientific method with utter contempt, and all the while, they masquerade as the champions of science to the public.
The question of purpose ....
A further nail in the coffin of bogus, atheist science is the existence of order.
Atheists assume that the universe is purposeless, but they cannot explain the existence of order.
The development of order requires an organizational element.
To do useful work, or to counter the effects of entropy, energy needs to be directed or guided.
Raw energy alone actually tends to increase the effects of entropy, it doesn't increase order.
The organizational principle in living systems is provided by the informational element encoded in DNA.
Atheists have yet to explain how that first, genetic information arose of its own volition in the so-called Primordial Soup?
Natural laws pertinent to all natural entities, they guide the behaviour of energy and matter, but also serve to limit it, because natural laws are based only on the inherent properties of matter and energy.
So ... natural laws describe inherent properties of matter/energy, and natural processes operate only within the confines of natural laws which are based on their own properties. They can never exceed the parameters of those laws.
The much acclaimed, Dawkinsian principle that randomness can develop into order by means of a sieving process, such as shaken pebbles being sorted by falling through a hole of a particular size is erroneous, because it completely ignores the regulatory influence of natural laws on the outcome, which are not at all random.
If we can predict the outcome in advance, as we can with Dawkins' example, it cannot be called random. We CAN predict the outcome because we know that the pebbles will behave according to the regulatory influence of natural laws, such as the law of gravity. If there was no law of gravity, then Dawkins' pebbles, when shaken, would not fall through the hole, they would not be sorted, they would act completely unpredictably, possibly floating about in the air in all directions. In that case, the randomness would not result in any order. That is true randomness.
Dawkins' randomness, allegedly developing into order, is not random at all, the outcome is predictable and controlled by natural laws and the inherent properties of matter. He is starting with 2 organizational principles, natural laws and the inherent, ordered structure and properties of matter, and he calls that randomness!
Bogus science indeed!
This tells us that order is already there at the beginning of the universe, in the form of natural laws and the ordered composition and structure of matter .... it doesn't just develop from random events.
A major problem for atheists is to explain where natural laws came from?
In a purposeless universe there should be no regulatory principles at all.
Firstly, we would not expect anything to exist, we would expect eternal nothingness.
Secondly, even if we overlook that impossible hurdle, and assume by some amazing fluke and contrary to logic, something was able to create itself from nothing ….. we would expect the ‘something’ would have no ordered structure, and no laws based on that ordered structure. We would expect it to behave randomly and chaotically.
This is an absolutely fundamental question to which atheists have no answer. The basic properties of matter/energy, and the universe, scream …. ‘purpose’.
Atheists say the exact opposite.
Furthermore, if we consider the accepted, atheist belief; that matter is inherently predisposed to produce life and the genetic information for life, whenever environmental conditions are conducive (so-called abiogenesis), where does that predisposition for life come from? Once again, atheists are hoisted on their own petard, and the atheist idea of a random, purposeless, universe is left completely in tatters.
It is the atheist ideology that is anti-science, not necessarily individual scientists.
There may be sincere, atheist scientists who respect the scientific method and natural laws, but they are wedded to an ideology that - when push comes to shove, does not respect natural laws.
It is evident that whenever natural laws interfere with atheist naturalist beliefs, the beliefs take precedence over the rigorous, scientific method. It is then that natural laws are disregarded by atheists in favour of unscientific fantasies which are conducive to their ideology.
Of course, in much day-to-day practical science and technology, the question of violating laws doesn't even arise, and we cannot deny that in the course of such work, atheists will respect the scientific method of experiment and observation within the framework of the Law of Cause and Effect and other established laws of science.
Bizarrely, It is a different matter entirely, when it comes to hypotheses about origins. It then becomes an 'anything goes' situation. The main criteria then seems to be that it doesn’t matter whether your hypothesis violates natural laws (all sorts of excuses can be made as to why natural laws need not apply), all that matters is that it is entirely naturalistic, and can be made to sound plausible to the public.
However, the same atheist scientists would not entertain anything in general, day-to-day science, that is not completely in accordance with the scientific method, they make an exception ONLY with anything to do with origins, whether it be the origin of the universe, or the origin of life, or the origin of species.
Atheism is not simply passive non-belief, you can only be a ‘genuine’ atheist if you proactively believe in the following illogical and unscientific propositions:
1. A natural, first cause of the universe that was ‘uncaused’.
2. A natural, first cause of the universe that was patently not adequate for the effect, (a cause which was able to produce an effect far greater than itself and superior to its own abilities).
3. That the universe created ITSELF from nothing.
4. That natural laws simply arose of their own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
5. That energy potential at the start of everything material was able to wind itself up from absolute zero, of its own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
6. That the effect of entropy (Second Law of Thermodynamics) was somehow suspended or didn’t operate to permit the development of order in the universe.
7. That life spontaneously generated itself, of its own volition, from sterile matter, contrary to: the Law of Biogenesis, the laws of probability, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, Information Theory and common sense.
8. That the complete human genome was created by means of a long chain of copying mistakes of the original, genetic information in the first living cell, (mutations of mutations of mutations, etc. etc.).
9. That the complex DNA code was produced by chemical processes.
10. That the very first, genetic information, encoded in the DNA of the first living cell, created itself by some unknown means.
11. That matter is somehow inherently predisposed to develop into living cells, whenever conditions are conducive to life. But such a predisposition for life just arose of its own accord, with no purpose and with no apparent cause.
12. That an ordered structure of atoms, guiding laws of physics, order in the cosmos, order in the living cell and complex information, are what we would expect to occur naturally in a purposeless universe.
The claim of atheists to be the champions of science and reason is clearly bogus.
They think they can get away with it by pretending to have no beliefs.
However, when seriously challenged to justify their dogmatic rejection of a Supernatural First Cause, they indirectly espouse the unscientific beliefs outlined above, in their futile attempts to refute the evidence for a supernatural first cause.
Of course, whenever possible, they avoid declaring those beliefs explicitly, but you don’t need to be very astute to realize that relying on those beliefs is the unavoidable conclusion of their arguments.
That is why atheism is intellectually bankrupt and is doomed to the dustbin of history. And that is why we are seeing such a rise in militant, evangelizing, atheist zealots, such as Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens.
Their crusading, bravado masks their desperation that the public is so hard to convince. What Dawkins et al need to face is that they are in no position to attack what they consider are the bizarre beliefs of others, when their own beliefs (which they fail to publicly acknowledge) are much more bizarre.
What about Christianity and pagan gods?
Atheists frequently try to dismiss and ridicule the idea of a Creator by comparing it to the numerous, pagan gods that people have worshipped throughout history.
Do they have a good point?
Certainly not, this is just a red herring ….
Other gods, cannot be the first cause or Creator.
Idols of wood or stone, or the Sun, Moon, planets, Mother Nature, Mother Earth etc. are all material, contingent things, they cannot be the first cause.
They are rejected as false gods by the Bible and by logic and natural laws.
They are considered gods by people who worship things which are 'created' rather than the Creator, which the Bible condemns.
In fact, they are much more similar to the atheist belief in the powers of a naturalistic entity to create the universe, than they are to the one, Creator God of Christianity.
For example, the pagan belief in the creative powers of Ra (the Sun god) is similar to the atheist belief that raw energy from the Sun acting on sterile chemicals was able to create life.
So atheist mythology credits the Sun (Ra) with the godlike power of creating life on Earth. And thus, atheism is just a revamped version of paganism.
Just like paganism, atheism rejects worship of a Supernatural, First Cause, and rather chooses to worship created, natural entities, imbuing them with the same godlike powers, that theists attribute to the Creator.
There is nothing new under the Sun ... We can see that atheism is just the age old deception of ancient paganism, revisited.
The Creator is a Supernatural, First Cause, which is not a contingent entity, nothing like the pagan gods, but rather a self-existent, necessary entity. As the very first cause of everything in the universe, it cannot be contingent (it cannot rely on anything outside itself for its existence, i.e. it is self-existent) and therefore it cannot be a material entity.
The first cause is necessary because, not being contingent, it necessarily exists.
If anything exists that is not contingent, it has to have within itself everything necessary for its own existence. If it is also responsible for the existence of anything outside itself (which as the first cause of the universe, we know it is) it is also necessary for the existence of those things, and has to be entirely adequate for the purpose of bringing them into being and maintaining their continued existence. It is not subject to natural laws, which only apply to natural events and effects, because, as the first cause, it is the initiator and creator of everything material, including the laws which govern material events, and of time itself.
The atheist view of a natural first cause is not even rational, to propose that all the qualities I have mentioned above could apply to a material entity is clearly ridiculous. But apparently, atheism has no regard for natural laws or logic. Atheists get round it by simply dressing up their irrational beliefs to make them appear ‘scientific’.
This combined with rants and erroneous and derisory slogans about religious myths and superstition makes it all seem perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, those with little knowledge, or who can’t be bothered to think for themselves are taken in by it.
Atheists repeatedly claim that they have refuted the law of cause and effect by asking : So what caused God then?
How true is that?
The ... what caused God? argument is a rather silly argument which atheists regularly trot out. All it demonstrates is that they don't understand basic logic.
The question to always ask them is; what part of FIRST don't you understand?
If something is the very FIRST, it means there is nothing that precedes it. First means first, not second or third.
That means that the first cause cannot be a contingent entity, because a contingent entity depends on something preceding it for its existence. In which case, if something precedes it, it couldn't be FIRST.
All natural entities, events and effects are contingent ... that is why the Law of Cause and Effect states that ... every NATURAL effect requires an adequate cause.
That means that the first cause cannot be a natural entity. An UNCAUSED, NATURAL event or entity is ruled out as not possible by the Law of Cause and Effect.
Therefore the very FIRST CAUSE of the universe, which we know cannot be caused, by virtue of it being FIRST (not second or third) CANNOT be a natural entity or event.
Thus we deduce that the first cause ... cannot be contingent, cannot be a natural entity, and cannot be subject to the Law of Cause and Effect.
So the first cause has to be non-material, i.e. supernatural.
The first cause also has to have the creative potential to create every other cause and effect that follows it.
In other words, the first cause cannot be inferior in any respect to the properties, powers or qualities of anything that exists...
The effect cannot be greater than the cause....
So we can thus deduce that the first cause is: UNCAUSED, SUPERNATURAL, self-existent, and capable of creating everything we see in the existing universe.
If there is life in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create life,
If there is intelligence in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create intelligence.
If there is information in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create information.
If there is consciousness in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create consciousness. And so on and on. If it exists, the first cause is responsible for it, and must have the ability to create it.
That is the Creator God … and His existence is supported by impeccable logic and adherence to the demands of natural law.
Essential characteristics of the first cause.
Consider this short chain of causes and effects:
A causes B, - B causes C, - C causes D, - D causes E.
'A, B, C & D' are all causes and may all look similar, but they are not, there is an enormous and crucial difference between them.
Causes B, C & D are fundamentally different from cause A.
Why?
Because A is the very first cause and thus had no previous cause. It exists without a cause. It doesn’t rely on anything else for its existence, it is completely independent of causes - while B, C & D would not exist without A. They are entirely dependent on A.
Causes; B, C & D are also effects, whereas A is not an effect, only a cause.
So we can say that the first cause ‘A’ is both self-existent and necessary. It is necessary because the rest of the chain of causes and effects could not exist without it. We also have to say that the subsequent causes and effects B, C, D and E are all contingent. That is; they are not self-existent they all depend entirely on other causes to exist.
We can also say that A is eternally self-existent, i.e. it has always existed, it had no beginning. Why? Because if A came into being at some point, there must have been something other than itself that brought it into being … which would mean A was not the first cause (A could not create A) … the something that brought A into being would be the first cause. In which case, A would be contingent and no different from B, C, D & E.
We can also say that A is adequate to produce all the properties of B, C, D & E.
Why?
Well in the case of E we can see that it relies entirely on D for its existence, E can in no way be superior to D because D had to contain within it everything necessary to produce E. The same applies to D it cannot be superior to C, but furthermore neither E or D can be superior to C, because both rely on C for their existence, and C had to contain everything necessary to produce D & E.
Likewise with B, which is responsible for the existence of C, D & E.
As they all depend on A for their existence and all their properties, abilities and potentials, none can be superior to A whether singly or combined. A had to contain everything necessary to produce B, C, D & E including all their properties, abilities and potentials.
Thus we deduce that; nothing in the universe can be superior in any way to the very first cause of the universe, because the whole universe, and all material things that exist, depend entirely on the abilities and properties of the first cause to produce them.
So to sum up … a first cause must be uncaused, must have always existed and cannot be in any way inferior to all subsequent causes and effects. In other words, the first cause of the universe must be eternally, self-existent and omnipotent (greater than everything that exists). No natural entity can have those attributes, that is why a Supernatural, Creator God MUST exist
Atheists often say: you can’t fill gaps in knowledge with a supernatural first cause.
But we are not talking about filling gaps, we are talking about a fundamental issue ... the origin of everything in the material realm.
The first cause is not a gap, it is the beginning - and many of the greatest scientists in the history of science had no problem whatsoever with the logic that - a natural, first cause was impossible, and the only possible option was a supernatural creator.
Why do atheists have such a problem with it?
Atheists also seem to think that to explain the origin of the universe without a God, simply involves explaining what triggered it, as though its formation from that point on, just happens automatically.
This has been compared by some as similar to lighting the blue touch paper of a firework. They think that if they can propose such a naturalistic trigger, then God is made redundant.
That may sound plausible to some members of the public, who take such pronouncements at face value, and are somewhat in awe of anything that is claimed to be 'scientific'.
But it is obvious to anyone who thinks seriously about it, that a mere trigger is not necessarily an adequate cause.
A trigger presupposes that there is some sort of a mechanism/blueprint/plan already existing which is ready to spring into action if it is provided with an appropriate trigger. So a trigger is not a sole cause, or a first cause, it is merely one contributing cause.
Natural things do only what they are programmed to do, i.e. they obey natural laws and the demands of their own pre-ordered composition and structure. Lighting blue touch paper would do absolutely nothing, unless there is a carefully designed and manufactured firework already attached to it.
What about the idea proposed by some atheists that space must have always existed, and therefore the first cause was not the only eternally, uncaused self-existent power?
This implies that the first cause was limited by a self-existent rival (space,) which was also uncaused, and therefore the first cause could not be infinite and could not even be a proper first cause, because there was something it didn’t cause i.e. ‘space’.
There seems to be some confusion here about what ‘space’ actually is.
Space is part of the created universe, it is what lies between and around material objects in the cosmos, if there were no material objects in the cosmos, there would be no space. The confusion lies in the failure to distinguish between empty space and nothing. Nothing is the absence of everything, whereas space is a medium in which cosmic bodies exist. ‘Empty’ space is just the space between objects. So space is not an uncaused, eternally self-existent entity, it is dependent on material objects existing within it, for its own existence.
What about nothing? Is that an uncaused eternally self-existent thing? Firstly, it is not a thing, it is the absence of all things. So has nothing always existed? Well, yes it essentially would have always existed, but only if the first cause didn’t exist. If there is a first cause is that is eternally self-existent, then there is no such thing as absolute nothing, because nothing is the absence of everything. If a first cause exists (which it had to), then any proposed eternal ‘nothing’ has always contained something, and therefore can never have been ‘nothing’.
What about the idea that the first cause created everything material from nothing? Obviously, the ‘nothing’ that is meant here is … nothing material, i.e. the absence of any material entities.
The uncaused, first cause cannot be material, because all material things are contingent, so the first cause brought material things into being, when nothing material had previously existed. That is what is meant by creation from nothing.
So what existed outside of the eternally existent first cause? Obviously no other thing existed outside of the first cause, the first cause was the only thing that existed. So did the first cause exist in a sea of eternally existent nothingness?
No! the first cause was not nothing, it was ‘something’. So to ask what surrounded the something that is the first cause is not a valid question, because if something exists that is not ‘nothing’. This means that such a notion of ‘nothing’ didn’t exist, only something – i.e. the eternally existent first cause. If you have a box with something in it, you wouldn’t say there is both something and nothing in the box. You would say there is something in the box, regardless of whether there was some empty space around the thing in the box.
Atheists invent all sorts of bizarre myths to explain the origin of the universe and matter/energy.
Such as the utterly, ludicrous notion of the universe creating itself from nothing. Obviously for something to create itself, it would need to pre-exist its own creation, in order to do the creating!
They are clutching at straws and anyone with any common sense understands that.
So to sum up .....
The atheist ideology is illogical, unscientific nonsense. Even worse, it has no compunction in treating natural laws and the basic principle of the scientific method with utter distain and contempt whenever they interfere with atheist beliefs.
Science, not religion, is the real enemy of atheism, and atheism, not religion, is the real enemy of science.
The garden path of lies
I read a book by a UK professional photographer. He visited New England and shot the autumn colour in the area. With the help of map and GPS, he visited all the lakes in the 50 km radius around the place he stayed. Finally he found one with perfect colour and reflection. He waited another day for the right light. Then he took the shot with his medium format camera which is published in the book. This is called professional approach.
The amateur approach on the other hand is that I never know what I am going to shoot when I pick up my camera. I shoot whatever is offered to me. That includes the subject, the scene, the light or the mood sometimes even the philosophical concept in it. It is not goal-oriented or so called purposeless. Also I don't care about technical quality and so I shoot with any camera.
But I can see more and more amateurs are actually shooting with professional grade equipment and taking the "professional" approach with careful planning and specific targets to shoot.
The amateur approach I described is close to the "Wu-Wei" 無為 concept mentioned by the book "Tao of Photography". It is translated as inaction or doing nothing or forceless and effortless. It is the approach not aiming to achieve a specific goal but rather to stay open to all creative possibilities.
There is not good fall colour landscape in the city area. The worst thing is that there will always be cars on the street when you see the color in the trees. I had my lunch in the nearby restaurant. I came out and saw the colours. I had only my compact camera with me and I decided to just let the car staying in the scene. Wu-Wei.
Happy Tuesday!
"I never look for a photograph. The photograph finds me and says, I'm here! and I say, Yes I see you. I hear you!"
- Ruth Bernhard
"Throughout my life I've never pursued anything. I just let things pursue me ... they just show up .... This is the way I've led my life, not just in photography, but in life."
- Manuel Alvarez Bravo
The dark red and rocket-ship chrome go well together... Not what I'm particularly looking for but you have to give credit to the owner. I guarantee it didn't look like this when he started!
As retail, durable, objects, US cars of the 1950s and 1960s seem wildly exotic and mysterious to me. Why the huge trunk and modest back seat? Enough space in the back seat to get in all sorts of situations, but as a place to ride on a long journey? Not so good.
And the 8 or 9 inches of dead air for the full length and width of the fenders, fore and aft. Yes, you can imagine a McPherson (aka Chapman) strut needing some height above the top of the tire. But that's not how this car works- its got stamped steel "A" arms. The voids are purposeless.
I always wonder what a modern body over these classic bits and pieces would look like. More rear leg room, add a foot to the wheelbase, trim the overall length 6 inches or a foot. Keep the wrap-around glass fore and aft, but go for the complete Canadian Railway Vista-Dome / italian 2 2 coupe / BMW 2002 greenhouse. I'd trade a real "B" pillar and a vertical (and modest) "C" pillar for this reversed fashion statement "C" pillar in a heartbeat.
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There is a continuing debate among theoretical physicists about how the stuff (matter/energy) of the universe could have originated of its own accord, out of 'nothing' (the elusive, so-called ‘theory of everything’). However, the most important question in this debate: Where did information come from? Has been largely ignored, but this is absolutely CRUCIAL - because the universe, as we know it, could not exist without information. The laws of nature, are indicative of order, they govern and control the whole material universe, and extremely complex information is essential for all life.
Information is rightly called the third fundamental property of the universe.
So we have to wonder why the crucial question of the origin of information is excluded from the 'theory of everything' debate?
Without a credible explanation of the origin of information - any proposed theory of 'everything' would, in fact, be a theory of 'nothing' ... and absolutely useless.
Life requires information from the very outset, even the tiniest, most primitive cell is packed with complex information (coded in DNA), and the means of interpreting it.
Life could not exist without information. The first life on earth (regardless of how you believe it originated) needed complex information right from the very start, this is certain and beyond any dispute.
So how did information arise in the first life? Was the information for life just floating about in the ether waiting to alight on the right mixture of chemicals in some primordial soup? I think not! (but atheists have not yet proposed any better explanation).
However, even if such an incredible thing were possible, the question would still remain as to how this information originated within the universe? Where did it come from, and why? Hence for any atheist, the origin of DNA code itself, and the information it contains, is an impossible dilemma.
The unanswerable question for atheism is, which came first, information or matter?
Information cannot possibly create itself, but neither can matter. To suggest that either of them originated, of their own accord, from nothing, is self-evidently, utter nonsense and completely unscientific.
(Atheists will never be able to answer this question because the only logical option is - - a non-contingent first cause of all the material realm, which is eternally pre-existent, intelligent, non-material and therefore not subject to natural laws which govern all natural entities, i.e. a Supernatural Creator God).
Amazingly, we were told by ‘experts’ in 2004 that the discovery of the simple sugar glycoldehide in a gas cloud (known as Sagittarius B2 allegedly detected light years away in the middle of our galaxy) could explain the origin of DNA & life. (Daily Mirror newspaper, UK, 22/9/2004)
This is comparable to claiming that, if a component for making ink were to be discovered in outer space, it would explain how the complete works of Shakespeare could have originated spontaneously, of their own accord - and some people call that science - - incredible!
Make no mistake, atheism is just another religion.
Atheists are very fond of telling us what they don’t believe, but just what do they believe?
Because they reject an eternal, pre-existent, non-material first cause, every atheist is obliged to believe the preposterous notion that, the potential and information for life, as well as all the laws of nature, must have been an intrinsic property of the first matter/energy, when this matter/energy arose by its own power, and of its own volition, out of absolutely nothing, at the beginning of everything!!!! (albeit contrary to logic, common sense, and the laws of nature that govern all matter).
Surely this must be the ultimate miracle to outdo all other miracles.
Supporters of this bizarre, magical belief are very fond of describing atheism as “the only rational viewpoint,” - - -
They call such a belief rational? - - -
What do you think?
Atheists cannot accept that any information pre-existed the material. Therefore, matter not only had to create itself, but also its own governing laws & information, from nothing, and so the god of the atheist religion of naturalism is credited with even more creative powers than those usually attributed to an eternally pre-existing, Supernatural God.
In other words, ‘matter’ is automatically ascribed by atheist belief as a self-created, intelligent entity.
(This is completely contrary to logic, and to natural laws which describe the inherent properties and behaviour of matter and all natural occurrences, without exception).
“It’s just unbelievable what unbelievers are willing to believe, in order to be unbelievers” (Dr. Duane Gish)
Consider this ...
Long, long, long ago, in an eternal void of nothingness, a tiny cosmic egg arose of its own volition. Then, all of a sudden, the egg accidentally exploded and proceeded to expand until it became the whole universe and everything within it.
(This is the atheistic, ‘Big Bang’, fairy story of creation in a nutshell - - - or should that be eggshell?). But where could this cosmic egg have come from? - - - who knows? - - - perhaps a cosmic chicken laid it? - - - if so - - - where did the cosmic chicken come from? - - - don’t even ask! - - - because the only thing we are absolutely sure of is that we are still waiting for any ‘Big Bang’ supporter to propose a better solution. - - - Please don’t hold your breath!
The best they have come up with so far, is that the 'nothing' in which the cosmic egg emerged, wasn't really nothing, but 'something', i.e. SPACE. But, any fool can see that this is just a device to make a ridiculous belief sound plausible. It is obviously not plausible, because they then have to explain how space (which is not nothing, but just a part of the contingent, material realm) originated, which takes the whole ridiculous idea back to square one.
Since information is not a physical element (and as information is a fundamental constituent of the universe and an essential feature of all life) to assert that the universe is composed solely of matter and energy is clearly wrong.
The speculated ‘Big Bang’ explosion is an accidental, purposeless and destructive event, with no informational component whatsoever. As it is not possible for such a ‘Big Bang’ or any other undirected release of energy to create useful information (or any sort of order) it is patently obvious that this ‘Big Bang’ story of creation is erroneous.
Where has wisdom gone?
For all our modern knowledge and technology, ancient man had a wisdom in these matters which far surpasses modern ideas.
It is now more than 2 thousand years ago that Christ's Apostle John delivered the ultimate ‘theory of everything’. He understood (like many of his predecessors) that the most important factor in the question of origins is information: “In the beginning was the word” [(word: logos) = information]. John 1; 1. (the 'Word' is applied by John to Jesus Christ as true God and true man - meaning the universe was created by the Word (Jesus), by means of God's word - intelligent, constructive information).
All sensible people realise that information just had to come first, nothing constructive or creative can occur without information. Science tells us that, any input of raw energy alone, tends to increase entropy. Only organised or directed energy (energy with an informational component) can temporarily reverse or reduce the effects of entropy.
Without information nothing material could exist.
Information derives only from an intelligent source, so only information from a pre-existing, supernatural, intelligent source could bring everything material into being, organise and control its construction and behaviour, and maintain its continued existence.
So the essential, single, first cause had to be both uncaused and intelligent.
There is no other logical option.
Belief in God did not just evolve (as some atheists keep telling us) as a means for ‘ignorant’, ‘primitive’, ‘superstitious’ humans to explain things they could not understand.
On the contrary, ancient man (from the time of Adam) fully understood (better than many of the so-called experts today) that the material universe does not contain within itself any possible means of creating itself and its essential, regulatory information, out of nothing.
A non-contingent, pre-existing, supernatural (non-material), eternal, infinite and omnipotent force had to be responsible for creating it. An essential element of that force is a supreme intelligence which has to be the original source of all information.
“ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; AND WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANY THING MADE THAT WAS MADE. IN HIM WAS LIFE
AND THE LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN” John 1: 3-4.
In this computer age, people are again beginning to understand the particular relevance of information.
A computer (the hardware) processes and stores information (the software). Without any software programming, the hardware would be useless.
As Chuck Missler points out in his book ‘Cosmic Codes; “software has no mass. (its embodiment may have weight, but the software doesn’t. It simply codes information)”.
A computer disk loaded with a million bytes of software will weigh no more than a blank disk and the information it contains can be sent invisibly through the airwaves from one point to another.
To quote Chuck Missler again “if you and I were meeting face-to-face, I would still not be able to see the real you. I would only see the temporary residence you are occupying. The real you, your personality - - call it soul, spirit, whatever - - is not visible. It is software not hardware. The codes - - your history, your accumulated responses to the events of your life, your attitudes - - are all simply informational, not physical. It is software only and software has no mass”. According to Einstein, time is a physical property - - - “that which has no mass has no time. You are eternal, that is what the Bible has declared all along. You are eternal whether you like it or not” Chuck Missler, Cosmic Codes. 1999. Koinonia house.
The information for life ....
Atheists and evolutionists have no idea how the first, genetic information originated. They claim the spontaneous generation of life (abiogenesis) is an established scientific fact, but this is completely disingenuous. Apart from the fact that abiogenesis violates the Law of Biogenesis, the Law of Cause and Effect and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, it also violates Information Theory.
Atheists and evolutionists have an enormous problem with explaining how the DNA code originated. However that is not the major problem. The impression is given to the public, that evolutionists only have to find an explanation for the origin of DNA by natural processes - and the problem of the origin of genetic information will have been solved. That is a confusion in the minds of many people that evolutionists cynically exploit. It is far from the truth, as they very well know.
Explaining how DNA was formed by chemical processes, explains only how the information storage medium was formed, it tells us nothing about the origin of the information it carries.
To clarify this it helps to compare DNA to other information, storage mediums.
For example, if we compare DNA to the written word, we understand that the alphabet is a tangible medium for storing, recording and expressing information, it is not information in itself. The information is recorded in the sequence of letters, forming meaningful words.
You could say that the alphabet is the 'hardware' created from paper and ink, and the sequential arrangement of the letters is the software. The software is a mental construct, not a physical one.
The same applies to DNA. DNA is not information of itself, just like the alphabet it is the medium for storing and expressing information. It is an amazingly efficient storage medium. However, it is the sequence or arrangement of the amino acids which is the actual information, not the DNA code.
So, if evolutionists are ever able to explain how DNA was formed by chemical processes, it would explain only how the information storage medium was formed. It will tell us nothing about the origin of the information it carries. Therefore, when atheists and evolutionists tell us it is only a matter of time before 'science' will be able to fill the 'gaps' in our knowledge and explain the origin of genetic information, they are not being honest. Explaining the origin of the 'hardware' by natural processes is an entirely different matter to explaining the origin of the software.
Next time you hear atheists skating over the problem of the origin of genetic information with their usual bluff and bluster, and parroting their usual nonsense about science being able to fill such gaps in knowledge in the future, don't be fooled. They cannot explain the origin of genetic information, and never will be able to. The software cannot be created by chemical processes or the interaction of energy and matter, it is not possible. If you don't believe that. then by all means put it to the test, by challenging any atheist or evolutionist to explain how genetic information (not DNA) can originate by natural means?
Why God must exist.
www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/15818838060
Dr James Tour - 'The Origin of Life' - Abiogenesis decisively refuted.
The Atheist Bus Campaign, set out to convince you that a loving creator God does not exist, that you have no prospect of eternal life and that all you can look forward to is eternal oblivion.
Atheists have no evidence to back up that assertion. In fact logic, natural law and the basic principles of the scientific method rule out their naturalistic alternative to a creator as impossible.
They invent all sort of bizarre scenarios to replace a supernatural first cause (God), they even try to present their fantastical, naturalistic replacements for God as 'scientific'. Please don't be taken in by it.
Their naturalistic replacements for God are illogical, they all violate natural laws and the basic principles of science.
Atheism is rightly referred to as the no-hope philosophy.
Their ultimate goal and pinnacle of their short life is - eternal oblivion.
And, quite perversely, they want to convince you that is all you can look forward to.
Please don't be dragged down with them into that depressing pit of hopelessness.
The Good News is that they are entirely wrong, and furthermore, it is not just an opinion. It can be satisfactorily demonstrated by logic, natural law, and the basic principle of the scientific method ......
Read on .... and you will understand, why atheists can never replace God, however much they try.
Their Atheist Bus Campaign is deceitful because atheists have no logical or scientific grounds for claiming "There's Probably No God", in fact, the evidence of applied logic and natural law, is completely the contrary. The atheist claim that there's probably no God is just an unsubstantiated opinion based only on their own ideological beliefs.
You may wonder why they inserted the word 'probably'? Obviously, they knew that if they were challenged to present evidence for the truth of their advertisement and had to defend it in court, they would be unable to do so. Science and logic can be used to prove they have no alternative to a supernatural first cause, and they know it.
For atheists to propose that believing there is no God, is somehow a reason to stop worrying and the recipe for an enjoyable life, is perverse in the extreme.
For most sane people it would be the opposite - a road to depression, hopelessness, and a feeling that this short existence is worthless. It will all end in oblivion, and you might as well never have lived.
Thankfully, atheists are demonstrably wrong, there is every reason for hope - as we will show - a loving Creator definitely does exist. Your life is not a few short, stressful and worthless years leading to eternal oblivion. You are a unique, valuable, person, specially created out of supreme love, every human life is of infinite value right from the moment of conception. Humans really are special and not just intelligent apes, or a mere collection of atoms, as atheists would have you believe You can live forever in eternal bliss - that is the gift of life the loving Creator of the universe offers you, and it is all offered for free.
Please don't be fooled ... people who think for themselves (the REAL freethinkers), are able to see right through the atheist hype and propaganda. Ignore the relentless bombardment of atheist propaganda, such as the atheist bus campaign. Seek out and learn the real truth and the truth will set you free.
Please read on and you will understand ......
Because there is a law of cause and effect, the universe can't and won't create itself from nothing.
Consider this ....
A creator God (or supernatural first cause) has been made redundant and the final gap (pertaining to the so-called God of the gaps) has now been filled ... who says so?
Atheists, along with the secularist pundits in the popular media.
Why do they say that?
Because they believe that the greatest brain in atheism - Stephen Hawking, has finally discovered the secret of the origin of the universe and a naturalistic replacement for God.
The atheist replacement for God is summed up in a single sentence written by Hawking:
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
That is it .... problem solved - apparently!
The secularists in the popular media loved it, as far as they were concerned the problem certainly was solved. Hawking had finally dealt the fatal blow to all religion, especially Christianity. No need to question it, if a revered scientist of his calibre, is so sure of how the universe came into being, it must be correct.
The new atheists loved it, they wasted no time in proclaiming the ultimate triumph of 'science' over religious mythology and superstition.
So just how credible is the atheist claim that God has been made redundant?
And just how 'scientific' is Hawking's replacement for God?
Shall we analyse it?
"Because there is a law of gravity ....
So,
1) If the law of gravity existed, how is that nothing?
AND -
2) Where did the law of gravity come from?
AND -
3) How can a law of gravity exist before that which gravity relates to ... i.e. matter?
"the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
4) How can something create itself, without pre-existing its own creation?
(A) could possibly create (B), but how could (A) create (A)? Of course it can't.
5) What about the 'nothing' that is not really nothing, as most people understand 'nothing', but a bizarre 'nothing' in which a law of gravity exists. A nothing which is actually a 'something' where a law of gravity is presumably some sort of eternally, existent entity?
AND -
6) Is Hawking implying that the self-creation of the universe is made possible by the pre-existence of the law of gravity?
Of course, natural laws are not creative agents, they simply describe basic properties and operation of material things. They can't create anything, or cause the creation of anything. Something which is a property of something, cannot create that which it is a property of.
So, even if we ignore the law of cause and effect which definitively rules out a natural, first cause of the universe, the atheist notion of the universe arising of its own volition from nothing is still impossible, and can be regarded as illogical and unscientific nonsense. Hawking's naturalistic replacement for God, presented in his single sentence, and so loved by the new, atheist cabal, is obviously just contradictory and confused nonsense.
The truth, which atheists don't want to hear, is that atheism is intellectually and scientifically indefensible. That is why they always duck out of explaining how the concept of an uncaused, inadequate, natural first cause is possible.
The best they ever come up with, is something like "we don't really know what laws existed at the start of the universe".
However, the atheist claim that - we don't really know... is completely spurious.
We certainly do know that the Law of Cause and Effect is universal, there is no way round it.
The only reason atheists don't want to accept it, is ideological.
And ... isn't it strange, that the only laws atheists dispute are precisely those that interfere with their beliefs. For example, atheists seem pretty sure that one law existed .... the law of gravity (even prior to that which gravity is a property of … matter).
Why are they so sure that the law of gravity existed?
Because their naturalistic substitute for God, summed up in the sentence by Stephen Hawking, apparently requires that the law of gravity existed before anything else …..
Here it is again ...
‘Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing’ Stephen Hawking.
So atheists DO KNOW for sure that the law of gravity existed, but they don’t really know what other laws existed at the start of the universe. They especially doubt that the Law of Cause and Effect existed.
AMAZING!
Well, how about this for a refutation of Hawking’s replacement for God, also summed up in a single sentence?
Because there is a Law of Cause and Effect, the universe can’t and won’t create itself from nothing!
That is something Stephen Hawking conveniently forgot.
Apparently, he accepts that the law of gravity existed, because he thinks it suits his argument, but he ignores the existence of other laws that positively destroy his argument.
So now you know the truth about the best substitute for God that atheists have ever come up with.
IMPRESSED? I think not!
Why is it ATHEISTS that try to dispute the universality of natural laws?
According to their claims, atheists are supposed to be the champions of science. Yet we find in practice that it is actually theists who end up defending natural laws and the scientific method against those atheists who try to refute any laws and scientific principles that interfere with their naturalistic beliefs.
Whatever happened to the alleged conflict between science and religion?
That is revealed as purely, atheist propaganda. There is obviously much more conflict between atheism and science.
Why is the law of cause and effect so important?
Because it tells us that all natural entities, events and processes are contingent.
They are all subject to preceding causes. It tells us that natural entities and events are not autonomous, they cannot operate independently of causes.
That is such an important principle, it is actually the basis of the scientific method. Science is about looking for adequate causes of ALL natural events. According to science, a natural event without a cause, is a scientific impossibility.
Once you suggest such a notion, you are abandoning science and you violate the basic principle of the scientific method.
What about the first cause of the universe and everything?
How does that fit in?
Well, the first cause was obviously a unique thing, not only unique, but radically different to all NATURAL entities and occurrences. The first cause HAD to be an autonomous entity, it HAD to be eternally self-existent, self-reliant, NON-CONTINGENT ... i.e. it was completely independent of causes and the limitations that causes impose.
The first cause, by virtue of being the very first, could not have had any preceding cause, and obviously didn't require any cause for its existence. When we talk about the first cause, we mean the very first cause, i.e. FIRST means FIRST, not second or third.
The first cause also had to be capable of creating everything that followed it. It is responsible for every subsequent cause and effect that is, or has ever been. That means that nothing, nor the sum total of everything that followed the first cause, can ever be greater, in any respect, than the first cause.
So the idea that the first cause could be a natural entity or event is just ludicrous.
We know that the first cause is radically different to any natural entity, it is NOT contingent and that is why it is called a SUPERNATURAL entity, the Supernatural, First Cause (or Creator God). All natural events and entities ARE contingent without exception, so the first cause simply CANNOT be a natural thing.
That is the verdict of science, logic and reason. Atheists dispute the verdict of science and insist that the first cause was a 'natural' event which was somehow able to defy natural laws that govern all natural events.
Consequently, atheism can be regarded as anti-science. Which means .... the real enemy of atheism is science, not religion. And the real enemy of science is atheism, not religion.
An idea which seems to be popular with atheists at present, is a continuously, reciprocating universe, one which ends by running out of energy potential and then rewinds itself in an never ending cycle ..... this is an attempt to evade the fact that an uncaused, natural, first cause is impossible. They claim that, in this way a first cause, is not necessary. And that matter/energy is some sort of eternally existent entity.
So is it a valid solution?
Firstly .....
Matter/energy cannot be eternally existent in a cycle with no beginning).
Why?
Because all natural things are contingent, they have to comply with the law of cause and effect, so they cannot exist independently of causes. The nearest you could get to eternally existent matter/energy would be a very, long chain of causes and effects, but a long chain is not eternally existent, it has to have a beginning at some point. At the beginning there would still have to be a non-contingent first cause. So a long chain of causes and effects simply pushes the first cause further back in time, it can't eliminate it.
Secondly ....
It is pretty obvious that the idea of the universe simply rewinding itself in a never ending cycle, which had no beginning, is complete, unscientific nonsense. How such a proposal can be presented as serious science, beggars belief.
It seems atheists will try anything to justify their naturalist ideology. They apparently have no compunction about completely disregarding natural laws.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out such atheist, pie-in-the-sky, origins mythology.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, the idea of a rewinding universe is tantamount to applying the discredited notion of perpetual motion - on a grand scale, to the universe.
Contingent things don't just rewind of their own accord.
The Second Law (not to mention common sense) rules it out.
Where does the renewed power or renewed energy potential come from?
If you wind up a clock, it doesn't rewind itself after it has stopped.
The universe had a beginning and it will have an end. That is what science tells us, it cannot rewind itself.
Such ridiculous, atheist musings are just a desperate attempt to wriggle out of the inevitable conclusion of logic, and the Law of Cause and Effect which are the real enemies of atheist ideology.
Once again atheism is hoisted on its own petard by natural law and science, not by religion.
A variation of the cyclical universe is the argument proposed by some that the universe just is?
Presumably they mean that the universe is some sort of eternally-existent entity with no beginning - and therefore not in need of a cause? Once again an eternally self-existent universe is not possible for the same reason outlined above.
In addition ....
The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us the universe certainly had a beginning and will have an end. The energy potential of the universe is decreasing from an original peak at the beginning of the universe. Even the most rabid atheists seem to accept that. Which is why most of them believe in a beginning event, such as a big bang explosion.
So the question is how did it (the universe) begin to exist, not whether it began to exist?
Which takes us back to the question of the nature of the very first cause.
It can only be one of two options,
an uncaused, natural first cause
OR
an uncaused, supernatural first cause.
An uncaused, NATURAL first cause is impossible.
Thus the only possible option is a supernatural first cause, i.e. God.
Atheists can’t refute the Law of Cause and Effect which is so devastating to their naturalist agenda, so they regularly invent bizarre scenarios which ignore natural laws, and hope people won’t notice. If anyone does they just brush it off with remarks like “we just don’t know ” what laws existed prior to the beginning of the universe.
Sorry, the atheist apologists may not know …. but all sensible people do know, we certainly know what is impossible ….
And we certainly know that you cannot blithely step outside the constraints of natural laws and scientific principles, as atheists do, and remain credible.
We know that natural laws describe the inherent properties of matter/energy. Which means wherever matter/energy exist, the inherent properties of matter/energy also exist - and so do the natural laws that describe those properties. if the universe began, as some propose, with a cosmic egg. or a previous universe, those things are still natural entities with natural properties, and as such would be subject to natural laws. So the idea that there were natural events leading up to the origin of the universe that were not subject to natural laws is ridiculous.
The atheist claim; that we just don't know, is not valid, and should be treated as the silliness it really is.
The existence of the law of cause and effect is essential to the scientific method, but fatal to the atheist ideology.
SO ....
Is the law of cause and effect really universal?
Causation is necessary for the existence of the universe, but ALSO for the existence of any natural entities or events that may have preceded the creation of the universe.
In other words, causation is necessary for all matter/energy and all natural entities and occurrences, whether within the universe or elsewhere.
ALL natural entities are contingent wherever they may be, whether in some sort of cosmic egg, a big bang, a previous universe or whatever.
Contingency is an inherent character of all natural entities, so it is impossible for any natural entity to be non-contingent.
Which means you simply CANNOT have a natural entity which is UNCAUSED, anywhere.
If, for example, matter/energy was not contingent at the start of the universe, or before the universe began, how and why would it be contingent now?
Why would nature have changed its basic character to an inferior one?
If matter/energy once had such awesome, autonomous power - if it was, at some time, self-sufficient, not reliant on causes for its operation and existence, and not restricted by the limitations causes impose, it would effectively mean it was once an infinite, necessary, self-existent entity, similar to God.
Now if matter once had the autonomous, non-contingent powers of a god, why would it change itself to a subordinate character and role, when it became part of the universe?
Why would it change to a role where it is limited by the strictures of natural laws. And where it cannot operate without a preceding, adequate cause?
To claim matter/energy was, at one time, not contingent, not subject to causes (which is what atheists have to claim) – is to actually imbue it with the autonomous power of a god.
That is why atheism is really just a revamped version of pagan naturalism.
By denying the basic, contingent character of matter/nature, atheism effectively deifies nature, and credits it with godlike powers, which science clearly tells us it doesn’t possess.
Thus, if anyone dismisses causality, they effectively deify matter/nature.
Which means they have chosen the first of the 2 following choices …
1. Atheism ... the unscientific, illogical belief in a natural, uncaused god (of matter or nature) which violates natural laws - which science recognises restrict its autonomy?
2. Theism ... the logical belief in an uncaused, supernatural God, which created matter and the laws that govern matter. And therefore does not violate any laws, is not contingent, and thus has completely unrestricted autonomy and infinite powers?
Which one would you choose?
Which one do scientists who respect natural laws and the scientific method choose?
The great, scientific luminaries and founders of modern science, such as Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, Louis Pasteur etc., in fact, nearly all of the really great scientists and founders of modern science, had no doubts or problem understanding that choice, and they readily chose the second (theism), as the only logical option.
So, by choosing the second - a supernatural first cause – rather than meaning you are anti-science or anti-reason or some sort of uneducated, superstitious, religious nut (as atheists frequently claim) actually puts you in the greatest of scientific company.
To put it another way, who would you rather trust in science, such scientific giants as: Newton, Pasteur, Faraday, Von Braun, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Mendel, Marconi, Kelvin, Babbage, Pascal, Herschel, Peacock etc. who believed in a supernatural first cause?
OR,
the likes of: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Lawrence Krauss, Stephen Hawking, Andrew Denton etc. who believe in an uncaused, natural first cause?
No contest!
We can see that atheists are anti-science, because they treat natural law and the whole principle of the scientific method with utter contempt, and all the while, they masquerade as the champions of science to the public.
The question of purpose ....
A further nail in the coffin of bogus, atheist science is the existence of order.
Atheists assume that the universe is purposeless, but they cannot explain the existence of order.
The development of order requires an organizational element.
To do useful work, or to counter the effects of entropy, energy needs to be directed or guided.
Raw energy alone actually tends to increase the effects of entropy, it doesn't increase order.
The organizational principle in living systems is provided by the informational element encoded in DNA.
Atheists have yet to explain how that first, genetic information arose of its own volition in the so-called Primordial Soup?
Natural laws pertinent to all natural entities, they guide the behaviour of energy and matter, but also serve to limit it, because natural laws are based only on the inherent properties of matter and energy.
So ... natural laws describe inherent properties of matter/energy, and natural processes operate only within the confines of natural laws which are based on their own properties. They can never exceed the parameters of those laws.
The much acclaimed, Dawkinsian principle that randomness can develop into order by means of a sieving process, such as shaken pebbles being sorted by falling through a hole of a particular size is erroneous, because it completely ignores the regulatory influence of natural laws on the outcome, which are not at all random.
If we can predict the outcome in advance, as we can with Dawkins' example, it cannot be called random. We CAN predict the outcome because we know that the pebbles will behave according to the regulatory influence of natural laws, such as the law of gravity. If there was no law of gravity, then Dawkins' pebbles, when shaken, would not fall through the hole, they would not be sorted, they would act completely unpredictably, possibly floating about in the air in all directions. In that case, the randomness would not result in any order. That is true randomness.
Dawkins' randomness, allegedly developing into order, is not random at all, the outcome is predictable and controlled by natural laws and the inherent properties of matter. He is starting with 2 organizational principles, natural laws and the inherent, ordered structure and properties of matter, and he calls that randomness!
Bogus science indeed!
This tells us that order is already there at the beginning of the universe, in the form of natural laws and the ordered composition and structure of matter .... it doesn't just develop from random events.
A major problem for atheists is to explain where natural laws came from?
In a purposeless universe there should be no regulatory principles at all.
Firstly, we would not expect anything to exist, we would expect eternal nothingness.
Secondly, even if we overlook that impossible hurdle, and assume by some amazing fluke and contrary to logic, something was able to create itself from nothing ….. we would expect the ‘something’ would have no ordered structure, and no laws based on that ordered structure. We would expect it to behave randomly and chaotically.
This is an absolutely fundamental question to which atheists have no answer. The basic properties of matter/energy, and the universe, scream …. ‘purpose’.
Atheists say the exact opposite.
Furthermore, if we consider the accepted, atheist belief; that matter is inherently predisposed to produce life and the genetic information for life, whenever environmental conditions are conducive (so-called abiogenesis), where does that predisposition for life come from? Once again, atheists are hoisted on their own petard, and the atheist idea of a random, purposeless, universe is left completely in tatters.
It is the atheist ideology that is anti-science, not necessarily individual scientists.
There may be sincere, atheist scientists who respect the scientific method and natural laws, but they are wedded to an ideology that - when push comes to shove, does not respect natural laws.
It is evident that whenever natural laws interfere with atheist naturalist beliefs, the beliefs take precedence over the rigorous, scientific method. It is then that natural laws are disregarded by atheists in favour of unscientific fantasies which are conducive to their ideology.
Of course, in much day-to-day practical science and technology, the question of violating laws doesn't even arise, and we cannot deny that in the course of such work, atheists will respect the scientific method of experiment and observation within the framework of the Law of Cause and Effect and other established laws of science.
Bizarrely, It is a different matter entirely, when it comes to hypotheses about origins. It then becomes an 'anything goes' situation. The main criteria then seems to be that it doesn’t matter whether your hypothesis violates natural laws (all sorts of excuses can be made as to why natural laws need not apply), all that matters is that it is entirely naturalistic, and can be made to sound plausible to the public.
However, the same atheist scientists would not entertain anything in general, day-to-day science, that is not completely in accordance with the scientific method, they make an exception ONLY with anything to do with origins, whether it be the origin of the universe, or the origin of life, or the origin of species.
Atheism is not simply passive non-belief, you can only be a ‘genuine’ atheist if you proactively believe in the following illogical and unscientific propositions:
1. A natural, first cause of the universe that was ‘uncaused’.
2. A natural, first cause of the universe that was patently not adequate for the effect, (a cause which was able to produce an effect far greater than itself and superior to its own abilities).
3. That the universe created ITSELF from nothing.
4. That natural laws simply arose of their own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
5. That energy potential at the start of everything material was able to wind itself up from absolute zero, of its own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
6. That the effect of entropy (Second Law of Thermodynamics) was somehow suspended or didn’t operate to permit the development of order in the universe.
7. That life spontaneously generated itself, of its own volition, from sterile matter, contrary to: the Law of Biogenesis, the laws of probability, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, Information Theory and common sense.
8. That the complete human genome was created by means of a long chain of copying mistakes of the original, genetic information in the first living cell, (mutations of mutations of mutations, etc. etc.).
9. That the complex DNA code was produced by chemical processes.
10. That the very first, genetic information, encoded in the DNA of the first living cell, created itself by some unknown means.
11. That matter is somehow inherently predisposed to develop into living cells, whenever conditions are conducive to life. But such a predisposition for life just arose of its own accord, with no purpose and with no apparent cause.
12. That an ordered structure of atoms, guiding laws of physics, order in the cosmos, order in the living cell and complex information, are what we would expect to occur naturally in a purposeless universe.
The claim of atheists to be the champions of science and reason is clearly bogus.
They think they can get away with it by pretending to have no beliefs.
However, when seriously challenged to justify their dogmatic rejection of a Supernatural First Cause, they indirectly espouse the unscientific beliefs outlined above, in their futile attempts to refute the evidence for a supernatural first cause.
Of course, whenever possible, they avoid declaring those beliefs explicitly, but you don’t need to be very astute to realize that relying on those beliefs is the unavoidable conclusion of their arguments.
That is why atheism is intellectually bankrupt and is doomed to the dustbin of history. And that is why we are seeing such a rise in militant, evangelizing, atheist zealots, such as Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens.
Their crusading, bravado masks their desperation that the public is so hard to convince. What Dawkins et al need to face is that they are in no position to attack what they consider are the bizarre beliefs of others, when their own beliefs (which they fail to publicly acknowledge) are much more bizarre.
What about Christianity and pagan gods?
Atheists frequently try to dismiss and ridicule the idea of a Creator by comparing it to the numerous, pagan gods that people have worshipped throughout history.
Do they have a good point?
Certainly not, this is just a red herring ….
Other gods, cannot be the first cause or Creator.
Idols of wood or stone, or the Sun, Moon, planets, Mother Nature, Mother Earth etc. are all material, contingent things, they cannot be the first cause.
They are rejected as false gods by the Bible and by logic and natural laws.
They are considered gods by people who worship things which are 'created' rather than the Creator, which the Bible condemns.
In fact, they are much more similar to the atheist belief in the powers of a naturalistic entity to create the universe, than they are to the one, Creator God of Christianity.
For example, the pagan belief in the creative powers of Ra (the Sun god) is similar to the atheist belief that raw energy from the Sun acting on sterile chemicals was able to create life.
So atheist mythology credits the Sun (Ra) with the godlike power of creating life on Earth. And thus, atheism is just a revamped version of paganism.
Just like paganism, atheism rejects worship of a Supernatural, First Cause, and rather chooses to worship created, natural entities, imbuing them with the same godlike powers, that theists attribute to the Creator.
There is nothing new under the Sun ... We can see that atheism is just the age old deception of ancient paganism, revisited.
The Creator is a Supernatural, First Cause, which is not a contingent entity, nothing like the pagan gods, but rather a self-existent, necessary entity. As the very first cause of everything in the universe, it cannot be contingent (it cannot rely on anything outside itself for its existence, i.e. it is self-existent) and therefore it cannot be a material entity.
The first cause is necessary because, not being contingent, it necessarily exists.
If anything exists that is not contingent, it has to have within itself everything necessary for its own existence. If it is also responsible for the existence of anything outside itself (which as the first cause of the universe, we know it is) it is also necessary for the existence of those things, and has to be entirely adequate for the purpose of bringing them into being and maintaining their continued existence. It is not subject to natural laws, which only apply to natural events and effects, because, as the first cause, it is the initiator and creator of everything material, including the laws which govern material events, and of time itself.
The atheist view of a natural first cause is not even rational, to propose that all the qualities I have mentioned above could apply to a material entity is clearly ridiculous. But apparently, atheism has no regard for natural laws or logic. Atheists get round it by simply dressing up their irrational beliefs to make them appear ‘scientific’.
This combined with rants and erroneous and derisory slogans about religious myths and superstition makes it all seem perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, those with little knowledge, or who can’t be bothered to think for themselves are taken in by it.
Atheists repeatedly claim that they have refuted the law of cause and effect by asking : So what caused God then?
How true is that?
The ... what caused God? argument is a rather silly argument which atheists regularly trot out. All it demonstrates is that they don't understand basic logic.
The question to always ask them is; what part of FIRST don't you understand?
If something is the very FIRST, it means there is nothing that precedes it. First means first, not second or third.
That means that the first cause cannot be a contingent entity, because a contingent entity depends on something preceding it for its existence. In which case, if something precedes it, it couldn't be FIRST.
All natural entities, events and effects are contingent ... that is why the Law of Cause and Effect states that ... every NATURAL effect requires an adequate cause.
That means that the first cause cannot be a natural entity. An UNCAUSED, NATURAL event or entity is ruled out as not possible by the Law of Cause and Effect.
Therefore the very FIRST CAUSE of the universe, which we know cannot be caused, by virtue of it being FIRST (not second or third) CANNOT be a natural entity or event.
Thus we deduce that the first cause ... cannot be contingent, cannot be a natural entity, and cannot be subject to the Law of Cause and Effect.
So the first cause has to be non-material, i.e. supernatural.
The first cause also has to have the creative potential to create every other cause and effect that follows it.
In other words, the first cause cannot be inferior in any respect to the properties, powers or qualities of anything that exists...
The effect cannot be greater than the cause....
So we can thus deduce that the first cause is: UNCAUSED, SUPERNATURAL, self-existent, and capable of creating everything we see in the existing universe.
If there is life in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create life,
If there is intelligence in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create intelligence.
If there is information in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create information.
If there is consciousness in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create consciousness. And so on and on. If it exists, the first cause is responsible for it, and must have the ability to create it.
That is the Creator God … and His existence is supported by impeccable logic and adherence to the demands of natural law.
Atheists often say: you can’t fill gaps in knowledge with a supernatural first cause.
But we are not talking about filling gaps, we are talking about a fundamental issue ... the origin of everything in the material realm.
The first cause is not a gap, it is the beginning - and many of the greatest scientists in the history of science had no problem whatsoever with the logic that - a natural, first cause was impossible, and the only possible option was a supernatural creator.
Why do atheists have such a problem with it?
Atheists also seem to think that to explain the origin of the universe without a God, simply involves explaining what triggered it, as though its formation from that point on, just happens automatically.
This has been compared by some as similar to lighting the blue touch paper of a firework. They think that if they can propose such a naturalistic trigger, then God is made redundant.
That may sound plausible to some members of the public, who take such pronouncements at face value, and are somewhat in awe of anything that is claimed to be 'scientific'.
But it is obvious to anyone who thinks seriously about it, that a mere trigger is not necessarily an adequate cause.
A trigger presupposes that there is some sort of a mechanism/blueprint/plan already existing which is ready to spring into action if it is provided with an appropriate trigger. So a trigger is not a sole cause, or a first cause, it is merely one contributing cause.
Natural things do only what they are programmed to do, i.e. they obey natural laws and the demands of their own pre-ordered composition and structure. Lighting blue touch paper would do absolutely nothing, unless there is a carefully designed and manufactured firework already attached to it.
What about the idea proposed by some atheists that space must have always existed, and therefore the first cause was not the only eternally, uncaused self-existent power?
This implies that the first cause was limited by a self-existent rival (space,) which was also uncaused, and therefore the first cause could not be infinite and could not even be a proper first cause, because there was something it didn’t cause i.e. ‘space’.
There seems to be some confusion here about what ‘space’ actually is.
Space is part of the created universe, it is what lies between and around material objects in the cosmos, if there were no material objects in the cosmos, there would be no space. The confusion lies in the failure to distinguish between empty space and nothing. Nothing is the absence of everything, whereas space is a medium in which cosmic bodies exist. ‘Empty’ space is just the space between objects. So space is not an uncaused, eternally self-existent entity, it is dependent on material objects existing within it, for its own existence.
What about nothing? Is that an uncaused eternally self-existent thing? Firstly, it is not a thing, it is the absence of all things. So has nothing always existed? Well, yes it essentially would have always existed, but only if the first cause didn’t exist. If there is a first cause is that is eternally self-existent, then there is no such thing as absolute nothing, because nothing is the absence of everything. If a first cause exists (which it had to), then any proposed eternal ‘nothing’ has always contained something, and therefore can never have been ‘nothing’.
What about the idea that the first cause created everything material from nothing? Obviously, the ‘nothing’ that is meant here is … nothing material, i.e. the absence of any material entities.
The uncaused, first cause cannot be material, because all material things are contingent, so the first cause brought material things into being, when nothing material had previously existed. That is what is meant by creation from nothing.
So what existed outside of the eternally existent first cause? Obviously no other thing existed outside of the first cause, the first cause was the only thing that existed. So did the first cause exist in a sea of eternally existent nothingness?
No! the first cause was not nothing, it was ‘something’. So to ask what surrounded the something that is the first cause is not a valid question, because if something exists that is not ‘nothing’. This means that such a notion of ‘nothing’ didn’t exist, only something – i.e. the eternally existent first cause. If you have a box with something in it, you wouldn’t say there is both something and nothing in the box. You would say there is something in the box, regardless of whether there was some empty space around the thing in the box.
Atheists invent all sorts of bizarre myths to explain the origin of the universe and matter/energy.
Such as the utterly, ludicrous notion of the universe creating itself from nothing. Obviously for something to create itself, it would need to pre-exist its own creation, in order to do the creating!
They are clutching at straws and anyone with any common sense understands that.
So to sum up .....
The atheist ideology is illogical, unscientific nonsense. Even worse, it has no compunction in treating natural laws and the basic principle of the scientific method with utter distain and contempt whenever they interfere with atheist beliefs.
Science is the real enemy of atheism, and atheism is the real enemy of science.
So please ignore the atheist bus slogans, they are not worth the ink the are printed with.
FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE
The Law of Cause and Effect. Dominant Principle of Classical Physics. David L. Bergman and Glen C. Collins
www.thewarfareismental.net/b/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/b...
"The Big Bang's Failed Predictions and Failures to Predict: (Updated Aug 3, 2017.) As documented below, trust in the big bang's predictive ability has been misplaced when compared to the actual astronomical observations that were made, in large part, in hopes of affirming the theory."
It is obvious to everyone that the so-called, 'NEW' atheists and their allies - humanists and secularists are in concerted, proselytising mode.
They are becoming increasingly militant, belligerent and vociferous in their bid to promote their atheist ideology, particularly in Western nations. Their ultimate aim is similar to that attempted by the self-declared, atheist regimes of the last century.... the elimination of all religious belief (especially Christianity). The elimination of all Christian or other religious influence in law-making and government and the establishment of secularist, atheist states, throughout the world.
Why should we fear this?
This is simply history revisited.
Anyone familiar with the history of the 20th century is fully aware of the diabolical failure of the great, atheist experiment which was tried in the Soviet bloc, Red China and other self-declared atheist regimes around the world The only surviving example of the dogmatic, atheist rule from that period is North Korea.
All atheist states had one thing in common. They were the most brutal, murderous, repressive regimes the world has ever experienced. We should be afraid - very afraid, of any resurgence of the atheist agenda.
The so-called 'new' atheists may say they aim to convince people of the merits of the atheist ideology, rather than force it on them, as the 20th century atheists did.
The problem is that atheism is based on illogical and false beliefs. It is deceitful and has no absolute moral or ethical yardstick. Its ethics are ephemeral, they are liable to change according to fashion, trends, consensus opinion or the opinion of the powerful, ruling elite. There are no inalienable, God-given rights. Atheist style, human rights are simply whatever those in power decide they are.
What about the illogicality and false beliefs of atheism?
Atheism is deceitful because atheists often pretend that they have no beliefs concerning origins. That is patently not true. They deny having any beliefs or faith, because they know that the only alternative to a Supernatural First Cause (God), is not credible.
It is ruled out by logic and natural law. They know that there is no defence for atheism, whether moral, logical or scientific.
Remember the Atheist Bus Campaign, which set out to convince you that a loving creator God does not exist, that you have no prospect of eternal life and that all you can look forward to is eternal oblivion.
Atheists had no evidence to back up that assertion. In fact logic, natural law and the basic principles of the scientific method rule out their naturalistic alternative to a creator as impossible.
They invent all sort of bizarre scenarios to replace a supernatural first cause (God), they even try to present their fantastical, naturalistic replacements for God as 'scientific'. Please don't be taken in by it.
Their naturalistic replacements for God are illogical, they all violate natural laws and the basic principles of science.
Atheism is rightly referred to as the no-hope philosophy.
Their ultimate goal and pinnacle of their short life is - eternal oblivion.
And, quite perversely, they want to convince you that is all you can look forward to.
Please don't be dragged down with them into that depressing pit of hopelessness.
The Good News is that they are entirely wrong, and furthermore, it is not just an opinion. It can be satisfactorily demonstrated by logic, natural law, and the basic principle of the scientific method ......
Read on .... and you will understand, why atheists can never replace God, however much they try.
Their Atheist Bus Campaign is deceitful because atheists have no logical or scientific grounds for claiming "There's Probably No God", in fact, the evidence of applied logic and natural law, is completely the contrary. The atheist claim that there's probably no God is just an unsubstantiated opinion based only on their own ideological beliefs.
You may wonder why they inserted the word 'probably'? Obviously, they knew that if they were challenged to present evidence for the truth of their advertisement and had to defend it in court, they would be unable to do so. Science and logic can be used to prove they have no alternative to a supernatural first cause, and they know it.
For atheists to propose that believing there is no God, is somehow a reason to stop worrying and the recipe for an enjoyable life, is perverse in the extreme.
For most sane people it would be the opposite - a road to depression, hopelessness, and a feeling that this short existence is worthless. It will all end in oblivion, and you might as well never have lived.
Thankfully, atheists are demonstrably wrong, there is every reason for hope - as we will show - a loving Creator definitely does exist. Your life is not a few short, stressful and worthless years leading to eternal oblivion. You are a unique, valuable, person, specially created out of supreme love, every human life is of infinite value right from the moment of conception. Humans really are special and not just intelligent apes, or a mere collection of atoms, as atheists would have you believe You can live forever in eternal bliss - that is the gift of life the loving Creator of the universe offers you, and it is all offered for free.
Please don't be fooled ... people who think for themselves (the REAL freethinkers), are able to see right through the atheist hype and propaganda. Ignore the relentless bombardment of atheist propaganda, such as the atheist bus campaign. Seek out and learn the real truth and the truth will set you free.
Please read on and you will understand ......
Because there is a law of cause and effect, the universe can't and won't create itself from nothing.
Consider this ....
A creator God (or supernatural first cause) has been made redundant and the final gap (pertaining to the so-called God of the gaps) has now been filled ... who says so?
Atheists, along with the secularist pundits in the popular media.
Why do they say that?
Because they believe that the greatest brain in atheism - Stephen Hawking, has finally discovered the secret of the origin of the universe and a naturalistic replacement for God.
The atheist replacement for God is summed up in a single sentence written by Hawking:
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
That is it .... problem solved - apparently!
The secularists in the popular media loved it, as far as they were concerned the problem certainly was solved. Hawking had finally dealt the fatal blow to all religion, especially Christianity. No need to question it, if a revered scientist of his calibre, is so sure of how the universe came into being, it must be correct.
The new atheists loved it, they wasted no time in proclaiming the ultimate triumph of 'science' over religious mythology and superstition.
So just how credible is the atheist claim that God has been made redundant?
And just how 'scientific' is Hawking's replacement for God?
Shall we analyse it?
"Because there is a law of gravity ....
So,
1) If the law of gravity existed, how is that nothing?
AND -
2) Where did the law of gravity come from?
AND -
3) How can a law of gravity exist before that which gravity relates to ... i.e. matter?
"the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
4) How can something create itself, without pre-existing its own creation?
(A) could possibly create (B), but how could (A) create (A)? Of course it can't.
5) What about the 'nothing' that is not really nothing, as most people understand 'nothing', but a bizarre 'nothing' in which a law of gravity exists. A nothing which is actually a 'something' where a law of gravity is presumably some sort of eternally, existent entity?
AND -
6) Is Hawking implying that the self-creation of the universe is made possible by the pre-existence of the law of gravity?
Of course, natural laws are not creative agents, they simply describe basic properties and operation of material things. They can't create anything, or cause the creation of anything. Something which is a property of something, cannot create that which it is a property of.
So, even if we ignore the law of cause and effect which definitively rules out a natural, first cause of the universe, the atheist notion of the universe arising of its own volition from nothing is still impossible, and can be regarded as illogical and unscientific nonsense. Hawking's naturalistic replacement for God, presented in his single sentence, and so loved by the new, atheist cabal, is obviously just contradictory and confused nonsense.
The truth, which atheists don't want to hear, is that atheism is intellectually and scientifically indefensible. That is why they always duck out of explaining how the concept of an uncaused, inadequate, natural first cause is possible.
The best they ever come up with, is something like "we don't really know what laws existed at the start of the universe".
However, the atheist claim that - we don't really know... is completely spurious.
We certainly do know that the Law of Cause and Effect is universal, there is no way round it.
The only reason atheists don't want to accept it, is ideological.
And ... isn't it strange, that the only laws atheists dispute are precisely those that interfere with their beliefs. For example, atheists seem pretty sure that one law existed .... the law of gravity (even prior to that which gravity is a property of … matter).
Why are they so sure that the law of gravity existed?
Because their naturalistic substitute for God, summed up in the sentence by Stephen Hawking, apparently requires that the law of gravity existed before anything else …..
Here it is again ...
‘Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing’ Stephen Hawking.
So atheists DO KNOW for sure that the law of gravity existed, but they don’t really know what other laws existed at the start of the universe. They especially doubt that the Law of Cause and Effect existed.
AMAZING!
Well, how about this for a refutation of Hawking’s replacement for God, also summed up in a single sentence?
Because there is a Law of Cause and Effect, the universe can’t and won’t create itself from nothing!
That is something Stephen Hawking conveniently forgot.
Apparently, he accepts that the law of gravity existed, because he thinks it suits his argument, but he ignores the existence of other laws that positively destroy his argument.
So now you know the truth about the best substitute for God that atheists have ever come up with.
IMPRESSED? I think not!
Why is it ATHEISTS that try to dispute the universality of natural laws?
According to their claims, atheists are supposed to be the champions of science. Yet we find in practice that it is actually theists who end up defending natural laws and the scientific method against those atheists who try to refute any laws and scientific principles that interfere with their naturalistic beliefs.
Whatever happened to the alleged conflict between science and religion?
That is revealed as purely, atheist propaganda. There is obviously much more conflict between atheism and science.
Why is the law of cause and effect so important?
Because it tells us that all natural entities, events and processes are contingent.
They are all subject to preceding causes. It tells us that natural entities and events are not autonomous, they cannot operate independently of causes.
That is such an important principle, it is actually the basis of the scientific method. Science is about looking for adequate causes of ALL natural events. According to science, a natural event without a cause, is a scientific impossibility.
Once you suggest such a notion, you are abandoning science and you violate the basic principle of the scientific method.
What about the first cause of the universe and everything?
How does that fit in?
Well, the first cause was obviously a unique thing, not only unique, but radically different to all NATURAL entities and occurrences. The first cause HAD to be an autonomous entity, it HAD to be eternally self-existent, self-reliant, NON-CONTINGENT ... i.e. it was completely independent of causes and the limitations that causes impose.
The first cause, by virtue of being the very first, could not have had any preceding cause, and obviously didn't require any cause for its existence. When we talk about the first cause, we mean the very first cause, i.e. FIRST means FIRST, not second or third.
The first cause also had to be capable of creating everything that followed it. It is responsible for every subsequent cause and effect that is, or has ever been. That means that nothing, nor the sum total of everything that followed the first cause, can ever be greater, in any respect, than the first cause.
So the idea that the first cause could be a natural entity or event is just ludicrous.
We know that the first cause is radically different to any natural entity, it is NOT contingent and that is why it is called a SUPERNATURAL entity, the Supernatural, First Cause (or Creator God). All natural events and entities ARE contingent without exception, so the first cause simply CANNOT be a natural thing.
That is the verdict of science, logic and reason. Atheists dispute the verdict of science and insist that the first cause was a 'natural' event which was somehow able to defy natural laws that govern all natural events.
Consequently, atheism can be regarded as anti-science. Which means .... the real enemy of atheism is science, not religion. And the real enemy of science is atheism, not religion.
An idea which seems to be popular with atheists at present, is a continuously, reciprocating universe, one which ends by running out of energy potential and then rewinds itself in an never ending cycle ..... this is an attempt to evade the fact that an uncaused, natural, first cause is impossible. They claim that, in this way a first cause, is not necessary. And that matter/energy is some sort of eternally existent entity.
So is it a valid solution?
Firstly .....
Matter/energy cannot be eternally existent in a cycle with no beginning).
Why?
Because all natural things are contingent, they have to comply with the law of cause and effect, so they cannot exist independently of causes. The nearest you could get to eternally existent matter/energy would be a very, long chain of causes and effects, but a long chain is not eternally existent, it has to have a beginning at some point. At the beginning there would still have to be a non-contingent first cause. So a long chain of causes and effects simply pushes the first cause further back in time, it can't eliminate it.
Secondly ....
It is pretty obvious that the idea of the universe simply rewinding itself in a never ending cycle, which had no beginning, is complete, unscientific nonsense. How such a proposal can be presented as serious science, beggars belief.
It seems atheists will try anything to justify their naturalist ideology. They apparently have no compunction about completely disregarding natural laws.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out such atheist, pie-in-the-sky, origins mythology.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, the idea of a rewinding universe is tantamount to applying the discredited notion of perpetual motion - on a grand scale, to the universe.
Contingent things don't just rewind of their own accord.
The Second Law (not to mention common sense) rules it out.
Where does the renewed power or renewed energy potential come from?
If you wind up a clock, it doesn't rewind itself after it has stopped.
The universe had a beginning and it will have an end. That is what science tells us, it cannot rewind itself.
Such ridiculous, atheist musings are just a desperate attempt to wriggle out of the inevitable conclusion of logic, and the Law of Cause and Effect which are the real enemies of atheist ideology.
Once again atheism is hoisted on its own petard by natural law and science, not by religion.
A variation of the cyclical universe is the argument proposed by some that the universe just is?
Presumably they mean that the universe is some sort of eternally-existent entity with no beginning - and therefore not in need of a cause? Once again an eternally self-existent universe is not possible for the same reason outlined above.
In addition ....
The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us the universe certainly had a beginning and will have an end. The energy potential of the universe is decreasing from an original peak at the beginning of the universe. Even the most rabid atheists seem to accept that. Which is why most of them believe in a beginning event, such as a big bang explosion.
So the question is how did it (the universe) begin to exist, not whether it began to exist?
Which takes us back to the question of the nature of the very first cause.
It can only be one of two options,
an uncaused, natural first cause
OR
an uncaused, supernatural first cause.
An uncaused, NATURAL first cause is impossible.
Thus the only possible option is a supernatural first cause, i.e. God.
Atheists can’t refute the Law of Cause and Effect which is so devastating to their naturalist agenda, so they regularly invent bizarre scenarios which ignore natural laws, and hope people won’t notice. If anyone does they just brush it off with remarks like “we just don’t know ” what laws existed prior to the beginning of the universe.
Sorry, the atheist apologists may not know …. but all sensible people do know, we certainly know what is impossible ….
And we certainly know that you cannot blithely step outside the constraints of natural laws and scientific principles, as atheists do, and remain credible.
We know that natural laws describe the inherent properties of matter/energy. Which means wherever matter/energy exist, the inherent properties of matter/energy also exist - and so do the natural laws that describe those properties. if the universe began, as some propose, with a cosmic egg. or a previous universe, those things are still natural entities with natural properties, and as such would be subject to natural laws. So the idea that there were natural events leading up to the origin of the universe that were not subject to natural laws is ridiculous.
The atheist claim; that we just don't know, is not valid, and should be treated as the silliness it really is.
The existence of the law of cause and effect is essential to the scientific method, but fatal to the atheist ideology.
SO ....
Is the law of cause and effect really universal?
Causation is necessary for the existence of the universe, but ALSO for the existence of any natural entities or events that may have preceded the creation of the universe.
In other words, causation is necessary for all matter/energy and all natural entities and occurrences, whether within the universe or elsewhere.
ALL natural entities are contingent wherever they may be, whether in some sort of cosmic egg, a big bang, a previous universe or whatever.
Contingency is an inherent character of all natural entities, so it is impossible for any natural entity to be non-contingent.
Which means you simply CANNOT have a natural entity which is UNCAUSED, anywhere.
If, for example, matter/energy was not contingent at the start of the universe, or before the universe began, how and why would it be contingent now?
Why would nature have changed its basic character to an inferior one?
If matter/energy once had such awesome, autonomous power - if it was, at some time, self-sufficient, not reliant on causes for its operation and existence, and not restricted by the limitations causes impose, it would effectively mean it was once an infinite, necessary, self-existent entity, similar to God.
Now if matter once had the autonomous, non-contingent powers of a god, why would it change itself to a subordinate character and role, when it became part of the universe?
Why would it change to a role where it is limited by the strictures of natural laws. And where it cannot operate without a preceding, adequate cause?
To claim matter/energy was, at one time, not contingent, not subject to causes (which is what atheists have to claim) – is to actually imbue it with the autonomous power of a god.
That is why atheism is really just a revamped version of pagan naturalism.
By denying the basic, contingent character of matter/nature, atheism effectively deifies nature, and credits it with godlike powers, which science clearly tells us it doesn’t possess.
Thus, if anyone dismisses causality, they effectively deify matter/nature.
Which means they have chosen the first of the 2 following choices …
1. Atheism ... the unscientific, illogical belief in a natural, uncaused god (of matter or nature) which violates natural laws - which science recognises restrict its autonomy?
2. Theism ... the logical belief in an uncaused, supernatural God, which created matter and the laws that govern matter. And therefore does not violate any laws, is not contingent, and thus has completely unrestricted autonomy and infinite powers?
Which one would you choose?
Which one do scientists who respect natural laws and the scientific method choose?
The great, scientific luminaries and founders of modern science, such as Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, Louis Pasteur etc., in fact, nearly all of the really great scientists and founders of modern science, had no doubts or problem understanding that choice, and they readily chose the second (theism), as the only logical option.
So, by choosing the second - a supernatural first cause – rather than meaning you are anti-science or anti-reason or some sort of uneducated, superstitious, religious nut (as atheists frequently claim) actually puts you in the greatest of scientific company.
To put it another way, who would you rather trust in science, such scientific giants as: Newton, Pasteur, Faraday, Von Braun, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Mendel, Marconi, Kelvin, Babbage, Pascal, Herschel, Peacock etc. who believed in a supernatural first cause?
OR,
the likes of: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Lawrence Krauss, Stephen Hawking, Andrew Denton etc. who believe in an uncaused, natural first cause?
No contest!
We can see that atheists are anti-science, because they treat natural law and the whole principle of the scientific method with utter contempt, and all the while, they masquerade as the champions of science to the public.
The question of purpose ....
A further nail in the coffin of bogus, atheist science is the existence of order.
Atheists assume that the universe is purposeless, but they cannot explain the existence of order.
The development of order requires an organizational element.
To do useful work, or to counter the effects of entropy, energy needs to be directed or guided.
Raw energy alone actually tends to increase the effects of entropy, it doesn't increase order.
The organizational principle in living systems is provided by the informational element encoded in DNA.
Atheists have yet to explain how that first, genetic information arose of its own volition in the so-called Primordial Soup?
Natural laws pertinent to all natural entities, they guide the behaviour of energy and matter, but also serve to limit it, because natural laws are based only on the inherent properties of matter and energy.
So ... natural laws describe inherent properties of matter/energy, and natural processes operate only within the confines of natural laws which are based on their own properties. They can never exceed the parameters of those laws.
The much acclaimed, Dawkinsian principle that randomness can develop into order by means of a sieving process, such as shaken pebbles being sorted by falling through a hole of a particular size is erroneous, because it completely ignores the regulatory influence of natural laws on the outcome, which are not at all random.
If we can predict the outcome in advance, as we can with Dawkins' example, it cannot be called random. We CAN predict the outcome because we know that the pebbles will behave according to the regulatory influence of natural laws, such as the law of gravity. If there was no law of gravity, then Dawkins' pebbles, when shaken, would not fall through the hole, they would not be sorted, they would act completely unpredictably, possibly floating about in the air in all directions. In that case, the randomness would not result in any order. That is true randomness.
Dawkins' randomness, allegedly developing into order, is not random at all, the outcome is predictable and controlled by natural laws and the inherent properties of matter. He is starting with 2 organizational principles, natural laws and the inherent, ordered structure and properties of matter, and he calls that randomness!
Bogus science indeed!
This tells us that order is already there at the beginning of the universe, in the form of natural laws and the ordered composition and structure of matter .... it doesn't just develop from random events.
A major problem for atheists is to explain where natural laws came from?
In a purposeless universe there should be no regulatory principles at all.
Firstly, we would not expect anything to exist, we would expect eternal nothingness.
Secondly, even if we overlook that impossible hurdle, and assume by some amazing fluke and contrary to logic, something was able to create itself from nothing ….. we would expect the ‘something’ would have no ordered structure, and no laws based on that ordered structure. We would expect it to behave randomly and chaotically.
This is an absolutely fundamental question to which atheists have no answer. The basic properties of matter/energy, and the universe, scream …. ‘purpose’.
Atheists say the exact opposite.
Furthermore, if we consider the accepted, atheist belief; that matter is inherently predisposed to produce life and the genetic information for life, whenever environmental conditions are conducive (so-called abiogenesis), where does that predisposition for life come from? Once again, atheists are hoisted on their own petard, and the atheist idea of a random, purposeless, universe is left completely in tatters.
It is the atheist ideology that is anti-science, not necessarily individual scientists.
There may be sincere, atheist scientists who respect the scientific method and natural laws, but they are wedded to an ideology that - when push comes to shove, does not respect natural laws.
It is evident that whenever natural laws interfere with atheist naturalist beliefs, the beliefs take precedence over the rigorous, scientific method. It is then that natural laws are disregarded by atheists in favour of unscientific fantasies which are conducive to their ideology.
Of course, in much day-to-day practical science and technology, the question of violating laws doesn't even arise, and we cannot deny that in the course of such work, atheists will respect the scientific method of experiment and observation within the framework of the Law of Cause and Effect and other established laws of science.
Bizarrely, It is a different matter entirely, when it comes to hypotheses about origins. It then becomes an 'anything goes' situation. The main criteria then seems to be that it doesn’t matter whether your hypothesis violates natural laws (all sorts of excuses can be made as to why natural laws need not apply), all that matters is that it is entirely naturalistic, and can be made to sound plausible to the public.
However, the same atheist scientists would not entertain anything in general, day-to-day science, that is not completely in accordance with the scientific method, they make an exception ONLY with anything to do with origins, whether it be the origin of the universe, or the origin of life, or the origin of species.
Atheism is not simply passive non-belief, you can only be a ‘genuine’ atheist if you proactively believe in the following illogical and unscientific propositions:
1. A natural, first cause of the universe that was ‘uncaused’.
2. A natural, first cause of the universe that was patently not adequate for the effect, (a cause which was able to produce an effect far greater than itself and superior to its own abilities).
3. That the universe created ITSELF from nothing.
4. That natural laws simply arose of their own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
5. That energy potential at the start of everything material was able to wind itself up from absolute zero, of its own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
6. That the effect of entropy (Second Law of Thermodynamics) was somehow suspended or didn’t operate to permit the development of order in the universe.
7. That life spontaneously generated itself, of its own volition, from sterile matter, contrary to: the Law of Biogenesis, the laws of probability, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, Information Theory and common sense.
8. That the complete human genome was created by means of a long chain of copying mistakes of the original, genetic information in the first living cell, (mutations of mutations of mutations, etc. etc.).
9. That the complex DNA code was produced by chemical processes.
10. That the very first, genetic information, encoded in the DNA of the first living cell, created itself by some unknown means.
11. That matter is somehow inherently predisposed to develop into living cells, whenever conditions are conducive to life. But such a predisposition for life just arose of its own accord, with no purpose and with no apparent cause.
12. That an ordered structure of atoms, guiding laws of physics, order in the cosmos, order in the living cell and complex information, are what we would expect to occur naturally in a purposeless universe.
The claim of atheists to be the champions of science and reason is clearly bogus.
They think they can get away with it by pretending to have no beliefs.
However, when seriously challenged to justify their dogmatic rejection of a Supernatural First Cause, they indirectly espouse the unscientific beliefs outlined above, in their futile attempts to refute the evidence for a supernatural first cause.
Of course, whenever possible, they avoid declaring those beliefs explicitly, but you don’t need to be very astute to realize that relying on those beliefs is the unavoidable conclusion of their arguments.
That is why atheism is intellectually bankrupt and is doomed to the dustbin of history. And that is why we are seeing such a rise in militant, evangelizing, atheist zealots, such as Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens.
Their crusading, bravado masks their desperation that the public is so hard to convince. What Dawkins et al need to face is that they are in no position to attack what they consider are the bizarre beliefs of others, when their own beliefs (which they fail to publicly acknowledge) are much more bizarre.
What about Christianity and pagan gods?
Atheists frequently try to dismiss and ridicule the idea of a Creator by comparing it to the numerous, pagan gods that people have worshipped throughout history.
Do they have a good point?
Certainly not, this is just a red herring ….
Other gods, cannot be the first cause or Creator.
Idols of wood or stone, or the Sun, Moon, planets, Mother Nature, Mother Earth etc. are all material, contingent things, they cannot be the first cause.
They are rejected as false gods by the Bible and by logic and natural laws.
They are considered gods by people who worship things which are 'created' rather than the Creator, which the Bible condemns.
In fact, they are much more similar to the atheist belief in the powers of a naturalistic entity to create the universe, than they are to the one, Creator God of Christianity.
For example, the pagan belief in the creative powers of Ra (the Sun god) is similar to the atheist belief that raw energy from the Sun acting on sterile chemicals was able to create life.
So atheist mythology credits the Sun (Ra) with the godlike power of creating life on Earth. And thus, atheism is just a revamped version of paganism.
Just like paganism, atheism rejects worship of a Supernatural, First Cause, and rather chooses to worship created, natural entities, imbuing them with the same godlike powers, that theists attribute to the Creator.
There is nothing new under the Sun ... We can see that atheism is just the age old deception of ancient paganism, revisited.
The Creator is a Supernatural, First Cause, which is not a contingent entity, nothing like the pagan gods, but rather a self-existent, necessary entity. As the very first cause of everything in the universe, it cannot be contingent (it cannot rely on anything outside itself for its existence, i.e. it is self-existent) and therefore it cannot be a material entity.
The first cause is necessary because, not being contingent, it necessarily exists.
If anything exists that is not contingent, it has to have within itself everything necessary for its own existence. If it is also responsible for the existence of anything outside itself (which as the first cause of the universe, we know it is) it is also necessary for the existence of those things, and has to be entirely adequate for the purpose of bringing them into being and maintaining their continued existence. It is not subject to natural laws, which only apply to natural events and effects, because, as the first cause, it is the initiator and creator of everything material, including the laws which govern material events, and of time itself.
The atheist view of a natural first cause is not even rational, to propose that all the qualities I have mentioned above could apply to a material entity is clearly ridiculous. But apparently, atheism has no regard for natural laws or logic. Atheists get round it by simply dressing up their irrational beliefs to make them appear ‘scientific’.
This combined with rants and erroneous and derisory slogans about religious myths and superstition makes it all seem perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, those with little knowledge, or who can’t be bothered to think for themselves are taken in by it.
Atheists repeatedly claim that they have refuted the law of cause and effect by asking : So what caused God then?
How true is that?
The ... what caused God? argument is a rather silly argument which atheists regularly trot out. All it demonstrates is that they don't understand basic logic.
The question to always ask them is; what part of FIRST don't you understand?
If something is the very FIRST, it means there is nothing that precedes it. First means first, not second or third.
That means that the first cause cannot be a contingent entity, because a contingent entity depends on something preceding it for its existence. In which case, if something precedes it, it couldn't be FIRST.
All natural entities, events and effects are contingent ... that is why the Law of Cause and Effect states that ... every NATURAL effect requires an adequate cause.
That means that the first cause cannot be a natural entity. An UNCAUSED, NATURAL event or entity is ruled out as not possible by the Law of Cause and Effect.
Therefore the very FIRST CAUSE of the universe, which we know cannot be caused, by virtue of it being FIRST (not second or third) CANNOT be a natural entity or event.
Thus we deduce that the first cause ... cannot be contingent, cannot be a natural entity, and cannot be subject to the Law of Cause and Effect.
So the first cause has to be non-material, i.e. supernatural.
The first cause also has to have the creative potential to create every other cause and effect that follows it.
In other words, the first cause cannot be inferior in any respect to the properties, powers or qualities of anything that exists...
The effect cannot be greater than the cause....
So we can thus deduce that the first cause is: UNCAUSED, SUPERNATURAL, self-existent, and capable of creating everything we see in the existing universe.
If there is life in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create life,
If there is intelligence in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create intelligence.
If there is information in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create information.
If there is consciousness in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create consciousness. And so on and on. If it exists, the first cause is responsible for it, and must have the ability to create it.
That is the Creator God … and His existence is supported by impeccable logic and adherence to the demands of natural law.
Atheists often say: you can’t fill gaps in knowledge with a supernatural first cause.
But we are not talking about filling gaps, we are talking about a fundamental issue ... the origin of everything in the material realm.
The first cause is not a gap, it is the beginning - and many of the greatest scientists in the history of science had no problem whatsoever with the logic that - a natural, first cause was impossible, and the only possible option was a supernatural creator.
Why do atheists have such a problem with it?
Atheists also seem to think that to explain the origin of the universe without a God, simply involves explaining what triggered it, as though its formation from that point on, just happens automatically.
This has been compared by some as similar to lighting the blue touch paper of a firework. They think that if they can propose such a naturalistic trigger, then God is made redundant.
That may sound plausible to some members of the public, who take such pronouncements at face value, and are somewhat in awe of anything that is claimed to be 'scientific'.
But it is obvious to anyone who thinks seriously about it, that a mere trigger is not necessarily an adequate cause.
A trigger presupposes that there is some sort of a mechanism/blueprint/plan already existing which is ready to spring into action if it is provided with an appropriate trigger. So a trigger is not a sole cause, or a first cause, it is merely one contributing cause.
Natural things do only what they are programmed to do, i.e. they obey natural laws and the demands of their own pre-ordered composition and structure. Lighting blue touch paper would do absolutely nothing, unless there is a carefully designed and manufactured firework already attached to it.
Atheists invent all sorts of bizarre myths to explain the origin of the universe and matter/energy.
Such as the utterly, ludicrous notion of the universe creating itself from nothing. Obviously for something to create itself, it would need to pre-exist its own creation, in order to do the creating!
They are clutching at straws and anyone with any common sense understands that.
So to sum up .....
The atheist ideology is illogical, unscientific nonsense. Even worse, it has no compunction in treating natural laws and the basic principle of the scientific method with utter distain and contempt whenever they interfere with atheist beliefs.
Science is the real enemy of atheism, and atheism is the real enemy of science.
So please ignore the atheist bus slogans, they are not worth the ink they are printed with.
FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE
The Law of Cause and Effect. Dominant Principle of Classical Physics. David L. Bergman and Glen C. Collins
www.thewarfareismental.net/b/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/b...
"The Big Bang's Failed Predictions and Failures to Predict: (Updated Aug 3, 2017.) As documented below, trust in the big bang's predictive ability has been misplaced when compared to the actual astronomical observations that were made, in large part, in hopes of affirming the theory."
you move me to a catatonic stupor.
Patients with catatonia may experience an extreme loss of motor skills or even constant hyperactive motor activity. Catatonic patients will sometimes hold rigid poses for hours and will ignore any external stimuli. Patients with catatonic excitement can die of exhaustion if not treated. Patients may also show stereotyped, repetitive movements. They may show specific types of movement such as waxy flexibility, in which they maintain positions after being placed in them by someone else, or gegenhalten (lit. "counterhold"), in which they resist movement in proportion to the force applied by the examiner. They may repeat meaningless phrases or speak only to repeat what the examiner says.
While catatonia is only identified as a form of schizophrenia in present psychiatric classifications, it is increasingly recognized as a syndrome with many faces. It appears as the Kahlbaum syndrome (retarded catatonia), malignant catatonia (neuroleptic malignant syndrome, toxic serotonin syndrome), and excited forms (delirious mania, catatonic excitement, oneirophrenia). It has also been recognized as grafted on to autistic spectrum disorders.
motor immobility as evidenced by catalepsy (including waxy flexibility) or stupor
excessive motor activity (purposeless, not influenced by external stimuli)
extreme negativism (motiveless resistance to all instructions or maintenance of a rigid posture against attempts to be moved) or mutism
peculiarities of voluntary movement as evidenced by posturing, stereotyped movements, prominent mannerisms, or prominent grimacing
echolalia or echopraxia.
Stupor is a motionless, apathetic state in which one is oblivious or does not react to external stimuli. Motor activity is nearly non-existent. Individuals in this state make little or no eye contact with others and may be mute and rigid. One might remain in one position for a long period of time, and then go directly to another position immediately after the first position.
The following compilation presents four species from Sertrop as well as three species plus one notable individual from its neighbor world Yominasst.
• Mistrawma: A rather large, brutish mammal found in Sertrop's Southern regions and mainly among Merthaldu-populated areas, especially within the Great Sertropical Forest.
Mistrawma are designed with much of the same genetic material as the humanoids they live among, which shows in their pigmentation but not in their decidedly, archetypically-beastly nature. They have burly, hairy bodies and usually walk on all fours while also being capable of standing up on their hind legs and using their forelegs as "arms" if the situation calls for it. The Mistrawma is a ravenous omnivore that leans toward preferring meat but will ultimately eat just about anything to survive, and it requires particularly large quantities of regular food intake to do so. Though Mistrawma do not naturally hunger for Merthaldu, Merthaldu do naturally hunger for Mistrawma, their primary source of dark meat, and as a result the animals have come to attack the humanoids upon their approaching as a learned behavior. Their dangerousness to travelers, however, is limited, due to their shortsighted vision, mediocre running speed and lack of tenaciousness provided one flees rather than actively fights back. That being said, if and when one is stupid enough to let it get close enough to them, a Mistrawma can usually maul an individual to death within seconds.
The average Mistrawma does not travel or explore much during its approximately fifty-year lifespan, instead designating one general area as its permanent "home" and roams around there for most of its life, provided the area proves sufficiently rich in food sources, which most spots within the Great Sertropical Forest are. It never establishes a more specific regular living arrangement within its home area, tending to sleep, etc. in the nearest convenient-seeming spots at any given time it wishes to rest. Though territorial, Mistrawma generally do not fight each other over over the haunts they roam, naturally possessing as much respect for the "property" of their brethren as they expect and demand their own claims on territory to be treated with.
An adult Mistrawma can generally expected to measure at least six feet in standing height, with seven feet also being commonly reached and the upper "limit" falling just around eight feet, and to have a durability value of at least 800 and more often than not closer to 1,000.
• Yopetuute: A massive, (mostly) flightless avian specifically indigenous to the Great Sertropical Forest, the Yopetuute is identifiable by its single large eye, long limbs and neck, strange cranial protrusions housing a large (but no smarter for its size) brain and toothy beak. Its white meat is considered an expensive delicacy among Merthaldu, due in large part to the creature being a very difficult prey to hunt: it can not only amply defend itself by aggressively attacking with its great strength, but is also very swift-moving and tends to know when to retreat, after which it is problematic to catch up with it. The Yopetuute's body is made of relatively light organic material making it weigh rather less than its appearance might suggest, and though still incapable of sustaining true flight, it can use its wings to somewhat glide and/or slow itself while falling, allowing it to make large leaps from considerable heights relatively safely.
Like most beings of their general size class throughout the Prime Galaxy, Yopetuutes usually live alone, and like many birds, they build and live in/around (in their case very large) nests which are also used to house and protect their eggs (also among the largest to be laid by any avian) and young offspring. Though actually being herbivores, they are so constantly wary/paranoid and quick to attack perceived threats that they remain just about as much of a potential threat to travelers as any carnivorous Sertrophian creature.
Yopetuutes can live for upwards of eighty years, with the majority of individuals' lives lasting at least forty. This excellent (for a wild animal) longevity rate can be attributed both to the keen survival skills of the creatures themselves and to the fact that their meat is considered to be at its richest when harvested from specimens in the age range of forty-to-sixty. The amount of time that must be waited for it makes Yopetuute meat in this particular state even more valuable, though unfortunately Merthaldu are the only humanoid race that can eat it, limiting its worth as a tradable good.
Yopetuutes are at least one whole meter tall at hatching, and steadily grow to a full size averaging about ten feet by age twenty-five. The composition of their bodies that makes them quite lightweight for their size also limits their durability value compared to their mass, their species' range for this statistic being 900-1,200.
• Docloxpi: Rather particularly unusual creatures found on the central island upon the large lake North of Nog'Dod as well as on Sertrop's Southwestern continent, both of which are Flufewog-populated regions; and indeed, it seems natural that such silly-looking animals would be found among such silly-looking people. The Docloxpi is considered an uncategorized and hybridized animal, not mammalian nor insectoid nor exclusively falling into any other "family". It has three eyes and the same number of antennae upon its head as well as a thorny "crown" at the top which represents the only presence of spike-like structures on its body. Either of its two primary would-be hands at the ends of its arms branches out into two three-fingered "sub-hands" and also has a seemingly purposeless "sack" drooping from its underside, while the flat-bottomed creature crawls across the ground on six horizontally-extended legs that hold it up just above the floor, similar to several insect varieties. Perhaps most strangely, the Docloxpi has a leathery "zipper" upon its belly that leads directly into its stomach and which it can open and close at will for the purpose of intaking and processing food more rapidly than the mouth and upper digestive system can manage, or even to remove food so that more can be eaten.
Docloxpi are peaceful and herbivorous (though having an exceptionally large appetite for the plants they consume, which may explain the presence of the "zipper" feature), and unlike the humanoid race they are associated with, they are very nearly as innocent and truly "cute" as their appearance lets on, having a simple and easy existence thanks to a lack of natural enemies. This is fortunate and rather necessary, considering that they are very squishy and relatively defenseless beings whose durability values rarely exceed 500. They are, however, short-lived, with the oldest one to have its age kept track of (not that most specimens' are, admittedly) passing away at only twenty seven years old. Notably, Docloxpi carcasses decompose quite quickly and relatively cleanly, and release inordinately high amounts of nutrients and energies back into the environment in the process.
A Docloxpi named "O'Bunkle" appeared on the seventh-through-thirteenth seasons of Peaco and Pals, and another named "Gloogly" was later featured for seasons seventeen-through-twenty-one. Peaco himself was always a "fan" of the Docloxpi for their cuteness which he identified with and wished to express throughout his early life and war years and eventually did express through his show on which the adorable beings were featured. Up until then, they had generally been seen as "useless" creatures by the Flufewogs, but ever since Peaco made their image famous they have been significantly more appreciated, especially with children, and plush versions are now sold on many worlds.
• Gobgraml: A pudgy, carnivorous Sertrophian found chiefly within the large span of desert south of Nog'Dod, the Gobgraml, while a wholly natural creature of the Prime Galaxy, is often erroneously thought to be related to the Nirtrids, which are also commonly found in said desert regions and behave rather similarly. Standing between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half feet fully-grown and while standing, Gobgramls have round-topped heads, gaping, circular maws with numerous sharp teeth in multiple loose rows, and very powerful five-fingered hands which are fully-articulated and can form fists. They also possess long, claw-bearing tails that frequently end up dragging along the ground, not that this causes more than a scratch's damage to them. They travel in packs of around five to ten individuals, tend to be hostile to humanoids, attacking with punches and swipes of their tails, and possess no particular intelligence, doing little more than searching for food and occasionally procreating throughout their thirty-year lifespans. Although Gobgramls live above the surface for their entire waking lives, the seeds/eggs of their babies are laid into the soil where they incubate, resulting in new specimens popping up out of the ground upon birth. This contributes to their confusion and false association with Nirtrids, the Sertrophian versions of which are known to burrow and hide underground and emerge at will. It should also be noted that Gobgramls in fact eat Nirtrids as a major part of their diet, tending to overpower the demonic insects with relatively little effort and being among the only natural mortal beings capable of safely consuming their putrid flesh.
The Gobgraml's relationship with water is a unique one: though indeed requiring it to live just like all mortal creatures, instead of relying on a constant supply of the life-liquid, Gobgramls annually take massive drinks, constituting more water than any other being of their size could take in at once, from the Southern mouth of the great river known as the Delta to which they migrate for this purpose during the Seventh Cycle of each year, and this sustains their bodies for the full duration of the year's time between each of these drinks.
Durability values for Gobgramls range between 400 and 600.
• Purfohlir: Being the common large Yominasstian avian variety, the Purfohlir is a free-flying carnivorous bird that acts as both a scavenger and an active predator. It can be identified by its raggedy, dark-colored wings and feathers, the former of which are mounted upon fully-formed arms. Purfohlirs can be found all across Yominasst, with no particular region(s) having a much greater concentration of them compared to others, and spend most of their waking time up in the sky, which is where they are most commonly sighted. They are rather smart, and crafty enough to make their nests and other home arrangements in high-up areas where no non-flying beings can easily reach and disturb them. Purfohlir specimens can vary significantly in size, shape and appearance, with the facial palette in particular being capable of taking on just about any color, though the wings and feathers are always dark blue, purple or blackish. Various individuals stand between three and five feet tall, with their durability values ranging between 400 and 700.
Purfohlirs are fairly nasty and tactless beasts, and are known for their willingness to eat just about any dead thing they find, their pursuit of this end sometimes even amounting to grave-robbing, as well as for the frequently annoying, screechy vocal cries they habitually emit. However, they generally ignore living humanoids and are not a threat in that regard. The largest animal that a Purfohlir will naturally attack while it is still alive is the Calsemmoth, in which case it is more often than not the predator of the situation, rather than the intended prey, who ends up getting eaten. However, the most severe animosity a Purfohlir is ever likely to exhibit is against its own kind in the event that two of them end up competing over the same intended meal, in which case they will fight to the death even when the food source being fought over would in no way make the difference between sustenance and starvation for either of them. Whenever actively attacking something, a Purfohlir will almost always aim for its intended victim's eyes with its claws and sharp beak, and any creature killed by one will invariably be left with both or otherwise all of their peepers plucked out.
• Dowtmonck: A stout, hard-and-dry-bodied brute found in Yominasst's mountains, caves and deserts situated primarily around the the regions populated by the Zuckocones, who see the creatures as nuisances more than anything else. Dowtmoncks are roundish beasts standing between three and four feet high and with muscular but short arms and even shorter front legs, which are functionally secondary to much longer and more useful claw-toed hind legs that curve around to the front-sides of the animals while they are dormant/standing. Standing out among their facial and head features are single, horizontally-extended eye sockets containing five pupils within singular "eyeball" masses, stony forehead plates branching out into five "horns" near the top, and pointed bucked teeth whose presence the sheer hardness of the surface below the mouth prevents from causing discomfort. The Dowtmonck's hands are also somewhat notably fully-articulated with five fingers, a quality surely put in place to compensate for the short reach of their arms.
Dowtmoncks are among the hardiest and most "stone-like" creatures not native to Etigna, which is reflected in their high durability values for their size which commonly exceed 800. Their central chests in particular are covered with / externally made of a form of cemented organic mineral which resembles a crude stone wall in its placement thereupon. The Dowtmonck is a technical omnivore that heavily favors vegetable matter over meat in practice and does not commonly attack/kill/eat any other significant Yominasstian animal. It is, however, known to steal crops from Yominasstian humanoids, often using its brute strength to tear apart fences, etc. standing between it and the desired meal(s) in this situation, and when caught it is generally dealt with violently, even by the Zuckocones whose sense of pacifism is expressly applied only for beings of humanoid intelligence. When threatened, a Dowtmonck's instinctive first response is to crawl into a ball-like form, and if and when this fails to protect it, it will fight only briefly before starting to flee.
Territorially relaxed, Dowtmoncks tend to make their "homes" among where others of their kind dwell, without actually being affiliated or having strong bonds with any particular specimens besides themselves; each one ventures out, at its own discretion, to collect food for itself alone. They can live for up to sixty years.
• Tabazoull: A mostly underwater-dwelling amphibian found copiously within enclosed (freshwater) bodies of water on Yominasst but not in the world's main oceans (saltwater) as well as in smaller numbers among marshes and swamps. The Tabazoull bears an exterior of green and bluish pigments and a vaguely humanoid-like body shape with a large cranium, long arms with webbed claws and short legs whose feet are designed to provide the ability to alternatively walk onto land in addition to swimming. From the upper back of the Tabazoull protrude large, feather-like fin structures, while attached to and protruding from the pelvis are dual tubular tentacles ending in suctioning maws for both ingestion and manipulating water for propulsion by sucking it in and expelling it with great force. The discretion of what to digest and what to merely store and eventually expel is an automatic process similar to the function of the food pipes and wind pipes found in many creatures. Tabazoulls operate in large family units and are individually short-lived, with a maximum lifespan of a mere twenty years. They are annually and seasonally prone to creating large numbers of offspring starting from an early age (three-to-five years).
Tabazoulls are both voraciously carnivorous and aggressively territorial, making for very hostile overall behavior. Whole nests of them rest at the bottoms of many of the lakes and ponds on Yominasst, and even so much as approaching these water bodies for a drink can present a risk. When bodies of water that are considered essential for resources become overly infested, teams are often sent in to exterminate the Tabazoulls present, and the results generally constitute veritable battles with multiple humanoid casualties. Being amphibian in nature, Tabazoulls can, again, climb up out of the water and walk on solid land, which most do for the purpose of killing or chasing off attackers and intruders and seldom outside of such situations; everything they require to regularly sustain themselves can be found in an underwater environment. The exception to this rule lies in those few living in wetlands instead of underwater, who naturally are fully-emerged most of the time. Though indeed being able to breathe air, Tabazoulls are still particularly reliant on water and moisture, and they cannot thrive in most above-water environments drier than the aforementioned swamps and wetlands.
An average durability value for a healthy Tabazoull is 600.
• INDIVIDUAL: Écuate was a psychopathic yet heroic Kittpo warrior who fought in the Vision Wars, of which he is considered one of the major heroes, and is probably the most famous individual of his entire species. He was known for his sharp wit, just-short-of-offensive level of attitude and penchant for shooting enemies in the face with a version of the Sertrophian Tropic Scepter - an unconventional choice of weapon for a Yominasstian native - that was modified specifically to better suit this combative approach.
Écuate was born in Age 531 as a member of the upper-middle-class in Yominasst's Midwestern region while descending from Southeastern ethnic lineage and bearing correspondingly dark skin. He exhibited violent and delinquent tendencies from childhood and was sent to boot camp at the age of fourteen for his behavior; in this environment, Écuate swiftly proved to be a shoe-in fit for the life of a warrior and joined said caste of the Kittpo race as soon as he was eligible. He was eventually promoted to being part of the elite squadron led by Fardinando, the acting leader among all Kittpo warriors at the time, and served here for several years leading up to the commencement of the Vision Wars. Later in the war and following several smaller battles, Écuate participated in the raid upon the attacking Arcane Dreadnought commandeered by Shriggun Prozis, during which Fardinando was killed and a female member of his squadron named Nimkiya was the one to take primary credit for the Dreadnought's ultimate destruction. Following this battle, Écuate was given a leave of absence from his duties as a full-time Yominasstian planetary defender, and traveled to Sertrop to aid in the war effort there, shortly before the arrival of another Arcane Dreadnought onto the Yominasstian front. Despite this renewed threat to his homeworld, Écuate saw himself as having no choice but to continue fighting the enemy on Sertrop where he now was rather than going back, and he intermittently did precisely this for the next several cycles leading up to the appearance of Connor Thorn. In the wake of the messiah's arrival, Écuate was chosen to be part of Thorn's accompanying party during the final assault on Evil Ninja Emperor Heinrich and his hired Skellen forces, and the Kittpo now only saw this mission through to its end as one of its few personnel to survive the whole ordeal, but was also credited by Thorn himself with saving his life, his efforts to do so as he lay dying triggering the miracle of his infusion with Glanmi blood.
Following the war's end, Écuate was appointed amid immense public pressure for him to be made leader of all warrior Kittpo to a newly-established singular position of secondary leadership that was created specifically to appease this popular demand without actually putting the grossly irresponsible Écuate in command. Later, in Age 571, he aided Connor Thorn again, this time in hunting down the monstrous mutant Calsemmoth known as Mac the Mouth, and in Age 574, Écuate stepped down from his position and retired from all warrior duties. Thereafter, he lived the remainder of his life as a celebrity of sorts, taking advantage of the hero-worship he received mainly for saving Thorn's life at the end of the Vision Wars and being very sexually active with a number of Kittpo women. Twelve would claim to have mothered children of his, two saying that their conception had been a result of rape, but Écuate never publicly acknowledged these claims either way, and all of his probable children and their/his subsequent descendants remain unconfirmed in terms of relation to him, and will likely remain so forever.
Écuate died in a vehicular freak accident in Age 592; foul play was suspected, but investigations never led to anything conclusive. His legacy as a "badass" "anti-hero" remains both popular and controversial to this day.
Because there is a law of cause and effect, the universe can't and won't create itself from nothing.
A creator God (or supernatural first cause) has been made redundant and the final gap (pertaining to the so-called God of the gaps) has now been filled ... who says so?
Atheists, along with the secularist pundits in the popular media.
Why do they say that?
Because they believe that the greatest brain in atheism - Stephen Hawking, has finally discovered the secret of the origin of the universe and a naturalistic replacement for God.
The atheist replacement for God is summed up in a single sentence written by Hawking:
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
That is it .... problem solved - apparently!
The secularists in the popular media loved it, as far as they were concerned the problem certainly was solved. Hawking had finally dealt the fatal blow to all religion, especially Christianity. No need to question it, if a revered scientist of his calibre, is so sure of how the universe came into being, it must be correct.
The new atheists loved it, they wasted no time in proclaiming the ultimate triumph of 'science' over religious mythology and superstition.
So just how credible is the atheist claim that God has been made redundant?
And just how 'scientific' is Hawking's replacement for God?
Shall we analyse it?
"Because there is a law of gravity ....
So, if the law of gravity existed, how is that nothing?
AND - where did the law of gravity come from?
AND - how can a law of gravity exist before that which gravity relates to ... i.e. matter?
"the universe can and will create itself from nothing"
How can something create itself, without pre-existing its own creation?
(A) could possibly create (B), but how could (A) create (A)? Of course it can't.
What about the 'nothing' that is not really nothing, as most people understand 'nothing', but a bizarre 'nothing' in which a law of gravity exists. A nothing which is actually a 'something' where a law of gravity is presumably some sort of eternally, existent entity?
AND - Is Hawking implying that the self-creation of the universe is made possible by the pre-existence of the law of gravity?
Of course, natural laws are not creative agents, they simply describe basic properties and operation of material things. They can't create anything, or cause the creation of anything. Something which is a property of something, cannot create that which it is a property of.
So, even if we ignore the law of cause and effect which definitively rules out a natural, first cause of the universe, the atheist notion of the universe arising of its own volition from nothing is still impossible, and can be regarded as illogical and unscientific nonsense. Hawking's naturalistic replacement for God, presented in his single sentence, and so loved by the new, atheist clique, is obviously just contradictory and confused nonsense.
The truth, which atheists don't want to hear, is that atheism is intellectually and scientifically indefensible. That is why they always duck out of explaining how the concept of an uncaused, inadequate, natural first cause is possible.
The best they ever come up with, is something like "we don't really know what laws existed at the start of the universe".
However, the atheist claim that - we don't really know... is completely spurious.
We certainly do know that the Law of Cause and Effect is universal, there is no way round it.
The only reason atheists don't want to accept it, is ideological.
And ... isn't it strange, that the only laws atheists dispute are precisely those that interfere with their beliefs. For example, atheists seem pretty sure that one law existed .... the law of gravity (even prior to that which gravity is a property of … matter).
Why are they so sure that the law of gravity existed?
Because their naturalistic substitute for God, summed up in the sentence by Stephen Hawking, apparently requires that the law of gravity existed before anything else …..
Here it is again ...
‘Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing’ Stephen Hawking.
So atheists DO KNOW for sure that the law of gravity existed, but they don’t really know what other laws existed at the start of the universe. They especially doubt that the Law of Cause and Effect existed.
AMAZING!
Well, how about this for a refutation of Hawking’s replacement for God, also summed up in a single sentence?
Because there is a Law of Cause and Effect, the universe can’t and won’t create itself from nothing!
That is something Stephen Hawking conveniently forgot.
Apparently, he accepts that the law of gravity existed, because he thinks it suits his argument, but he ignores the existence of other laws that positively destroy his argument.
So why is it atheists that try to dispute the universality of natural laws?
According to their claims, they are supposed to be the champions of science. Yet we find in practice that it is actually theists who end up defending natural laws and the scientific method against those atheists who try to refute any laws and scientific principles that interfere with their naturalistic beliefs.
What happened to the alleged conflict between science and religion? That is revealed as purely, atheist propaganda. There is obviously much more conflict between atheism and science.
Why is the law of cause and effect so important?
Because it tells us that all natural entities, events and processes are contingent.
They are all subject to preceding causes. It tells us that natural entities and events are not autonomous, they cannot operate independently of causes. That is such an important principle, it is the basis of the scientific method. Science is about looking for causes. A natural event without a cause, is a scientific impossibility.
Once you suggest such a notion you are stepping outside the bounds of science and violating the scientific method.
What about the first cause of everything? Well, the first cause was obviously a unique thing, not only unique, but radically different to all natural entities and occurrences. The first cause had to be an autonomous entity, it had to be eternally self-existent, self-reliant, non-contingent ... i.e. completely independent of causes and the limitations that causes impose.
The first cause, by virtue of being the very first, could not have had any preceding cause, and obviously didn't require any cause for its existence.
The first cause also had to be capable of creating everything that followed it. It is responsible for every subsequent cause and effect that is, or has ever been. That means nothing, or the sum total of everything that followed the first cause, can ever be greater in any respect than the first cause.
So the idea that the first cause could be a natural entity or event is just ludicrous.
The first cause is radically different to any natural entity, it is not contingent and that is why it is called a supernatural entity, the supernatural, first cause.
That is the verdict of science, logic and reason. Atheists dispute the verdict of science and insist that the first cause was a 'natural' event which was somehow able to defy natural laws that govern all natural events.
Consequently, atheism can be regarded as anti-science. And the real enemy of atheism is science, not religion.
An idea which seems to be popular with atheists at present, is a continuously, reciprocating universe, one which ends by running out of energy potential and then rewinds itself in an never ending cycle ..... this is an attempt to evade the fact that an uncaused, natural, first cause is impossible.
So is it a valid solution?
It is pretty obvious that the idea of the universe simply rewinding itself in a never ending cycle, which had no beginning, is complete, unscientific nonsense. How such a proposal can be presented as serious science, beggars belief.
It seems atheists will try anything to justify their naturalist ideology. They apparently have no compunction about completely disregarding natural laws.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out such atheist, pie-in-the-sky, origins mythology.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, the idea of a rewinding universe is tantamount to applying the discredited notion of perpetual motion - on a grand scale, to the universe.
Contingent things don't just rewind of their own accord.
The Second Law (not to mention common sense) rules it out.
Where does the renewed power or renewed energy potential come from?
If you wind up a clock, it doesn't rewind itself after it has stopped.
The universe had a beginning and it will have an end. That is what science tells us, it cannot rewind itself.
Such ridiculous atheist musings are just a desperate attempt to wriggle out of the inevitable conclusion of logic, and the Law of Cause and Effect which are the real enemies of atheist ideology.
Atheism is hoisted on its own petard by natural law and science, not by religion.
Atheists can’t refute the Law of Cause and Effect which is so devastating to their naturalist agenda, so they regularly invent bizarre scenarios which ignore natural laws, and hope people won’t notice. If anyone does they just brush it off with remarks like “we just don’t know ”.
Sorry, atheist apologists may not know …. but all sensible people do know, we certainly know what is impossible …. And we certainly know that you cannot blithely step outside the constraints of natural laws and scientific principles, as atheists do, and remain credible.
Atheists are anti-science, because they treat natural law and the whole principle of the scientific method with utter contempt, while they masquerade as the champions of science to the public.
A further nail in the coffin of bogus, atheist science is the existence of order.
Atheists assume that the universe is purposeless, but they cannot explain the existence of order.
The development of order requires an organizational element.
To do useful work, or to counter the effects of entropy, energy needs to be directed or guided.
Raw energy alone actually tends to increase the effects of entropy, it doesn't increase order.
The organizational principle in living systems is provided by the informational element encoded in DNA. Atheists have yet to explain how that first, genetic information arose of its own volition in the so-called Primordial Soup.
Natural laws are a type of information pertinent to all natural entities, they guide the behaviour of energy and matter, but also serve to limit it.
They describe inherent properties of matter/energy, and natural processes operate only within the confines of natural laws based on their own properties. They cannot exceed the parameters of those laws.
The much acclaimed, Dawkinsian principle that randomness can develop into order by means of a sieving process, such as shaken pebbles being sorted by falling through a hole of a particular size is erroneous, because it completely ignores the regulatory influence of natural laws on the outcome, which are not at all random.
If we can predict the outcome in advance, as we can with Dawkins' example, it cannot be called random. We CAN predict the outcome because we know that the pebbles will behave according to the regulatory influence of natural laws, such as the law of gravity. If there was no law of gravity, then Dawkins' pebbles, when shaken, would not fall through the hole, they would not be sorted, they would act completely unpredictably, possibly floating about in the air in all directions. In that case, the randomness would not result in any order. That is true randomness.
Dawkins' randomness, allegedly developing into order, is not random at all, the outcome is predictable and controlled by natural laws and the inherent properties of matter. He is starting with 2 organizational principles, natural laws and the inherent, ordered structure and properties of matter, and he calls that randomness!
Bogus science indeed!
Order is already there at the beginning of the universe, in the form of natural laws and the ordered composition and structure of matter .... it doesn't just develop from random events.
A major problem for atheists is to explain where natural laws came from?
In a purposeless universe there should be no regulatory principles at all.
Firstly, we would not expect anything to exist, we would expect eternal nothingness.
Secondly, even if we overlook that impossible hurdle, and assume by some amazing fluke and contrary to logic, something was able to create itself from nothing ….. we would expect the ‘something’ would have no ordered structure, and we would expect it to behave randomly and chaotically.
This is an absolutely fundamental question to which atheists have no answer. The basic properties of matter/energy, and the universe, scream …. ‘purpose’.
Atheists say the exact opposite.
Furthermore, if we consider the accepted, atheist belief; that matter is inherently predisposed to produce life and the genetic information for life, whenever environmental conditions are conducive (abiogenesis), where does that predisposition for life come from? Atheists are hoisted on their own petard, and the atheist idea of a random, purposeless, universe is left completely in tatters.
It is the atheist ideology that is anti-science, not necessarily individual scientists.
There may be sincere, atheist scientists who respect the scientific method and natural laws, but they are wedded to an ideology that - when push comes to shove, does not respect natural laws.
It is evident that whenever natural laws interfere with atheist naturalist beliefs, the beliefs take precedence over the rigorous, scientific method. It is then that natural laws are disregarded by atheists in favour of unscientific fantasies which are conducive to their ideology.
Of course, in much day-to-day practical science and technology, the question of violating laws doesn't even arise, and we cannot deny that in the course of such work, atheists will respect the scientific method of experiment and observation within the framework of the Law of Cause and Effect and other established laws of science.
Bizarrely, It is a different matter entirely, when it comes to hypotheses about origins. It then becomes an 'anything goes' situation. The main criteria then seems to be that it doesn’t matter whether your hypothesis violates natural laws (all sorts of excuses can be made as to why natural laws need not apply), all that matters is that it is entirely naturalistic, and can be made to sound plausible to the public.
However, the same atheist scientists would not entertain anything in general, day-to-day science, that is not completely in accordance with the scientific method, they make an exception ONLY with anything to do with origins, whether it be the origin of the universe, or the origin of life, or the origin of species.
Atheism is not simply passive non-belief, you can only be a ‘genuine’ atheist if you proactively believe in the following illogical and unscientific notions:
A natural, first cause of the universe that was ‘uncaused’.
A natural, first cause of the universe that was patently not adequate for the effect, (a cause which was able to produce an effect far greater than itself and superior to its own abilities).
That the universe created ITSELF from nothing.
That natural laws simply arose of their own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
That energy potential at the start of everything material was able to wind itself up from absolute zero, of its own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
That the effect of entropy (Second Law of Thermodynamics) was somehow suspended or didn’t operate to permit the development of order in the universe.
That life spontaneously generated itself, of its own volition, from sterile matter, contrary to: the Law of Biogenesis, the laws of probability, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, Information Theory and common sense.
That the complete human genome was created by means of a long chain of copying mistakes of the original, genetic information in the first living cell, (mutations of mutations of mutations, etc. etc.).
That the complex DNA code was produced by chemical processes.
That the very first, genetic information, encoded in the DNA of the first living cell, created itself by some unknown means.
That matter is somehow inherently predisposed to develop into living cells, whenever conditions are conducive to life. But such a predisposition for life just arose of its own accord, with no purpose and with no apparent cause.
That an ordered structure of atoms, guiding laws of physics, order in the cosmos, order in the living cell and complex information, are what we would expect to occur naturally in a purposeless universe.
The claim of Dawkins and other atheists to be the champions of science and reason is clearly bogus.
They think they can get away with it by pretending to have no beliefs.
However, when challenged, they indirectly espouse the unscientific beliefs outlined above, in their futile attempts to refute the evidence for a supernatural first cause.
Whenever possible, they avoid declaring those beliefs explicitly, but you don’t need to be very astute to realize that relying on those beliefs is the unavoidable conclusion of their arguments.
That is why atheism is intellectually bankrupt and is doomed to the dustbin of history. And that is why we are seeing such a rise in militant, evangelizing, atheist zealots, such as Dawkins.
Their crusading, bravado masks their desperation that the public is so hard to convince. What Dawkins needs to face is that he is in no position to attack what he considers are the bizarre beliefs of others, when his own beliefs (which he fails to publicly acknowledge) are much more bizarre.
Christianity and pagan gods?
Atheists frequently try to dismiss the idea of a Creator by comparing it to the numerous, pagan gods that people have worshipped throughout history.
Do they have a good point?
Certainly not, this is just a red herring ….
Other gods, cannot be the first cause or Creator.
An idol of wood or stone, or the Sun, Moon, planets, Mother Nature, Mother Earth etc. are all material, contingent things, they cannot be the first cause.
In fact, they are much more similar to the atheist belief in the powers of a naturalistic entity to create the universe, than they are to the one, Creator God of Christianity.
The Creator is a Supernatural, First Cause, which is not a contingent entity, nothing like the pagan gods, but rather a self-existent, necessary entity. As the very first cause of everything in the universe, it cannot be contingent (it cannot rely on anything outside itself for its existence, i.e. it is self-existent) and therefore it cannot be a material entity. The first cause is necessary because, not being contingent, it necessarily exists. If anything exists that is not contingent, it has to have within itself everything necessary for its own existence. If it is also responsible for the existence of anything outside itself (which as the first cause of the universe, we know it is) it is also necessary for the existence of those things, and has to be entirely adequate for the purpose of bringing them into being and maintaining their continued existence. It is not subject to natural laws, which only apply to natural events and effects, because, as the first cause, it is the initiator and creator of everything material, including the laws which govern material events, and of time itself.
The atheist view of a natural first cause is not even rational, to propose that all the qualities I have mentioned above could apply to a material entity is clearly ridiculous. But atheism has no regard for natural laws or logic. Atheists get round it by simply dressing up their irrational beliefs to make them appear ‘scientific’.
This combined with rants and erroneous and derisory slogans about religious myths and superstition makes it all seem perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, those with little knowledge, or who can’t be bothered to think for themselves are taken in by it.
Atheists repeatedly claim that they have refuted the law of cause and effect by asking : So what caused God then?
How true is that?
The ... what caused God? argument is a rather silly argument which atheists regularly trot out. All it demonstrates is that they don't understand basic logic.
The question to always ask them is; what part of FIRST don't you understand?
If something is the very FIRST, it means there is nothing that precedes it. First means first, not second or third.
That means that the first cause cannot be a contingent entity, because a contingent entity depends on something preceding it for its existence. In which case, if something precedes it, it couldn't be FIRST.
All natural entities, events and effects are contingent ... that is why the Law of Cause and Effect states that ... every NATURAL effect requires an adequate cause.
That means that the first cause cannot be a natural entity. An UNCAUSED, NATURAL event or entity is ruled out as not possible by the Law of Cause and Effect.
Therefore the very FIRST CAUSE of the universe, which we know cannot be caused, by virtue of it being FIRST (not second or third) CANNOT be a natural entity or event.
Thus we deduce that the first cause ... cannot be contingent, cannot be a natural entity, and cannot be subject to the Law of Cause and Effect.
So the first cause has to be non-material, i.e. supernatural.
The first cause also has to have the creative potential to create every other cause and effect that follows it.
In other words, the first cause cannot be inferior in any respect to the properties, powers or qualities of anything that exists...
The effect cannot be greater than the cause....
So we can thus deduce that the first cause is: UNCAUSED, SUPERNATURAL, self-existent, and capable of creating everything we see in the existing universe.
If there is life in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create life,
If there is intelligence in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create intelligence.
If there is information in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create information.
If there is consciousness in the universe, the first cause must have the ability to create consciousness. And so on and on. If it exists, the first cause is responsible for it, and must have the ability to create it.
That is the Creator God … and His existence is supported by impeccable logic and adherence to the demands of natural law.
Atheists often say: you can’t fill gaps in knowledge with a supernatural first cause.
But we are not talking about filling gaps, we are talking about a fundamental issue ... the origin of everything in the material realm.
The first cause is not a gap, it is the beginning - and many of the greatest scientists in the history of science had no problem whatsoever with the logic that - a natural, first cause was impossible, and the only possible option was a supernatural creator.
Why do atheists have such a problem with it?
Atheists also seem to think that to explain the origin of the universe without a God, simply involves explaining what triggered it, as though its formation from that point on, just happens automatically.
This has been compared by some as similar to lighting the blue touch paper of a firework. They think that if they can propose such a naturalistic trigger, then God is made redundant.
That may sound plausible to some members of the public, who take such pronouncements at face value, and are somewhat in awe of anything that is claimed to be 'scientific'.
But it is obvious to anyone who thinks seriously about it, that a mere trigger is not necessarily an adequate cause.
A trigger presupposes that there is some sort of a mechanism/blueprint/plan already existing which is ready to spring into action if it is provided with an appropriate trigger. So a trigger is not a sole cause, or a first cause, it is merely one contributing cause.
Natural things do only what they are programmed to do, i.e. they obey natural laws and the demands of their own pre-ordered composition and structure. Lighting blue touch paper would do absolutely nothing, unless there is a carefully designed and manufactured firework already attached to it.
Atheists invent all sorts of bizarre myths to explain the origin of the universe and matter/energy.
Such as the utterly, ludicrous notion of the universe creating itself from nothing. Obviously for something to create itself, it would need to pre-exist its own creation, in order to do the creating!
They are clutching at straws and anyone with any common sense understands that
Science, not religion, is the real enemy of atheism .. and atheism, not religion, is the real enemy of science
FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE
The Law of Cause and Effect. Dominant Principle of Classical Physics. David L. Bergman and Glen C. Collins
www.thewarfareismental.net/b/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/b...
"The Big Bang's Failed Predictions and Failures to Predict: (Updated Aug 3, 2017.) As documented below, trust in the big bang's predictive ability has been misplaced when compared to the actual astronomical observations that were made, in large part, in hopes of affirming the theory."
Best Large-
The Desert Has a Voice (James Watkins)
The desert has a voice that calls
In dry, dirt dreams-
Warm, wind-washed wonders
In wingless, soulless flight.
Cold, moonlit masquerades
Through long level years,
Crying out with countless cares on deafened ears-
Drowned in measured, motor-muffled madness,
And child-chattered, purposeless flight.
Quietly, calmly calling-
Darkened, deepening desert-
Star-filled with stumbling stalkers
And wounded warriors in fevered nights.
Dreams-peaceful, persistent, dreams-
As wheeled sky turns
Eternal turning, evening eyes-
And thoughts of morning colored light.
Millennial seas-
Doomed and dusty years-
Row upon heaping row of years-
Tears-
Caked, covered
And desolate.
The desert has a voice-
That calls and halts
And peers with perfect perspective-
Stopping us in our way.
“I have seen blood-stained battles!
I have seen despot desires!
I have seen prophets come and go,
And ages pass with shallow…glancing blows!
I have seen civilizations crumble…
Tumbling, heavy-handed
Into pagan pasts!”
The desert has a voice-
And every grain of sand has a name-
Every wind-blown grain of sand.
And someone-somewhere-knows the names.
They have perfect place and purpose-
Rocks cry out! Rocks….sing!
Some soaring angelic scribe somewhere
Records the history of rocks, and sands, and deserts.
Drab, dull, drifting desert distances and plans.
Ragged, jagged, craggy-edged
Mountain spine explosions and
Dry, desert sand.
The desert has voice and future-
With lifted hill-high green valley-
And clear bright stream winding
To cool, crystalline sea.
They wait….silently…
Almost… forever waiting-
But I know the secret of deserts-
And –
Dreams.
James Watkins-April 2006
By 12:45 the din has faded and the bodies have moved on, back to their classrooms. The recently crowded tables are folded neatly against the wall. Crypt-like the slightest sound echoes and is mutated, becoming a ghastly version of itself. The lunch ladies are out of sight now, having already picked up any uneaten food to store away for next weeks tacos. The lone inhabitant now being the janitor with his big broom, sweeping the floors for tomorrows mess. With lunch over the room waits, empty and purposeless. A thing is only what it is so long as it is used for what it was made.
Atheism = the belief that NOTHING created EVERYTHING, for NO REASON.
Makes perfect sense ..... NOT!
www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existen...
..If people would only think for themselves - there would be no atheists.
Atheism is anti-logic ......
Atheism is the rejection of one of the only 2 origins options.
The only two options are:
1. An uncaused, supernatural first cause.
2. An uncaused, natural first cause.
Atheists categorically reject option one, therefore they believe in option two - by default.
Option two (an uncaused, natural first cause) is impossible according to logic, natural laws and the scientific method.
Every natural event/effect/entity has to have an adequate cause.
All material/natural entities/events are contingent, they rely on preceding causes.
A natural first cause, cannot be a very FIRST cause because something (which didn't need a cause) must have caused it.
A natural first cause also cannot be the very first cause of the universe because it is woefully inadequate for the effect. An effect cannot be greater than its cause.
So atheism is a set of beliefs which violate the scientific method, ignores logic and defies natural laws.
Atheism is a religion because it credits matter/energy with similar creative powers and attributes as those applied to a creator God, which is really just a more sophisticated version of pagan naturalism, which imbued natural entities such as Mother Nature, The Sun or Moon god etc. with creative and magical powers.
Evolution is on the rocks - some recent evidence:
www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/sets/7215 7635944904973/
Fossil museum:
www.flickr.com/photos/101536517@N06/sets/7215 7641367196613/
The idea that the universe can simply rewind itself in a never ending cycle, which had no beginning, is complete, unscientific nonsense.
It seems atheists will try anything to justify their naturalist ideology. They apparently have no compunction about completely disregarding natural laws. The Second Law of Thermodynamics rules out such atheist, pie-in-the-sky, origins mythology.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, the idea of a rewinding universe is tantamount to applying the discredited notion of perpetual motion - on a grand scale, to the universe.
Contingent things don't just rewind of their own accord. The Second Law (not to mention common sense) rules it out. Where does the renewed power or renewed energy potential come from? If you wind up a clock, it doesn't rewind itself after it has stopped. The universe had a beginning and it will have an end. That is what science tells us, it cannot rewind itself. Such ridiculous atheist musings are just a desperate attempt to wriggle out of the inevitable conclusion of logic, and the Law of Cause and Effect which are the real enemies of atheist ideology.
Atheism is hoisted on its own petard by natural law and science, not by religion.
Atheists can’t refute the Law of Cause and Effect which is so devastating to their naturalist agenda, so they regularly invent bizarre scenarios which ignore natural laws, and hope people won’t notice. If anyone does they just brush it off with remarks like “we just don’t know ”.
Sorry, atheists apologists may not know …. but we do know, we certainly know what is impossible …. And we certainly know that you cannot blithely step outside the constraints of natural laws and scientific principles, as atheists do, and remain credible.
Atheists are anti-science, because they treat natural law and the whole principle of the scientific method with utter contempt, while they masquerade as the champions of science to the public.
A further nail in the coffin of atheist pseudoscience is existence of order.
The development of order requires an organizational element. To do useful work, or to counter the effects of entropy, energy needs to be directed or guided. Raw energy alone actually tends to increase the effects of entropy, it doesn't increase order.
The organizational principle in living systems is provided by the informational element encoded in DNA.
Natural laws are a type of information which guide the behaviour of energy and matter, but also serve to limit it. They are an inherent property of matter/energy, natural processes operate only within the confines of natural laws. They cannot exceed the parameters of those laws.
A major problem for atheists is to explain where natural laws came from? In a purposeless universe there should be no regulatory principle at all.
Firstly, we would not expect anything to exist, we would expect eternal nothingness.
Secondly, even if we overlook that impossible hurdle, and assume by some amazing fluke and contrary to logic, something was able to create itself from nothing ….. we would expect the ‘something’ would have no ordered structure and we would expect it to behave randomly and chaotically.
This is an absolutely fundamental question to which atheists have no answer. The basic properties of matter/energy scream …. ‘purpose’. Atheists say the exact opposite.
Furthermore, if we add the accepted, atheist belief; that matter is inherently predisposed to produce life and the genetic information for life, whenever environmental conditions are conducive. The atheist idea of a random, purposeless, universe is left completely in tatters.
It is the atheist ideology that is anti-science, not necessarily individual scientists.
There may be sincere, atheist scientists who respect the scientific method and natural laws, but they are wedded to an ideology that - when push comes to shove, does not respect natural laws.
It is evident that whenever natural laws interfere with atheist naturalist beliefs, the beliefs take precedence over the rigorous, scientific method. It is then that natural laws are disregarded by atheists in favour of unscientific fantasies which are conducive to their ideology.
Of course, in much day-to-day practical science and technology, the question of violating laws doesn't even arise, and we cannot deny that in the course of such work, atheists will respect the scientific method of experiment and observation within the framework of the Law of Cause and Effect and other established laws of science.
Bizarrely, It is a different matter entirely, when it comes to hypotheses about origins. It then becomes an 'anything goes' situation. The main criteria then seems to be that it doesn’t matter whether your hypothesis violates natural laws (all sorts of excuses can be made as to why natural laws need not apply), all that matters is that it is entirely naturalistic, and can be made to sound plausible to the public.
However, the same atheist scientists would not entertain anything in general, day-to-day science, that is not completely in accordance with the scientific method, they make an exception ONLY with anything to do with origins, whether it be the origin of the universe, or the origin of life, or the origin of species.
Atheism is not simply passive non-belief, you can only be a ‘genuine’ atheist if you proactively believe in the following illogical and unscientific notions:
A natural, first cause of the universe that was ‘uncaused’.
A natural, first cause of the universe that was patently not adequate for the effect, (a cause which was able to produce an effect far greater than itself and superior to its own abilities).
That the universe created ITSELF from nothing.
That natural laws simply arose of their own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
That energy potential at the start of everything material was able to wind itself up from absolute zero, of its own accord, without any reason, purpose or cause.
That the effect of entropy (Second Law of Thermodynamics) was somehow suspended or didn’t operate to permit the development of order in the universe.
That life spontaneously generated itself, of its own volition, from sterile matter, contrary to: the Law of Biogenesis, the laws of probability, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, Information Theory and common sense.
That the complete human genome was created by means of a long chain of copying mistakes of the original, genetic information in the first living cell, (mutations of mutations of mutations, etc. etc.).
That the complex DNA code was produced by chemical processes.
That the very first, genetic information, encoded in the DNA of the first living cell, created itself by some unknown means.
That matter is somehow inherently predisposed to develop into living cells, whenever conditions are conducive to life. But such a predisposition for life just arose of its own accord, with no purpose and with no apparent cause.
That an ordered structure of atoms, guiding laws of physics, order in the cosmos, order in the living cell and complex information, are what we would expect to occur naturally in a purposeless universe.
The claim of Dawkins and other atheists to be the champions of science and reason is clearly bogus. They think they can get away with it by pretending to have no beliefs. However, when challenged, they indirectly espouse the unscientific beliefs outlined above, in their futile attempts to refute the evidence for a supernatural first cause.
Whenever possible, they avoid declaring those beliefs explicitly, but you don’t need to be very astute to realize that relying on those beliefs is the unavoidable conclusion of their arguments. That is why atheism is intellectually bankrupt and is doomed to the dustbin of history.
FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE
The Law of Cause and Effect. Dominant Principle of Classical Physics. David L. Bergman and Glen C. Collins
www.thewarfareismental.net/b/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/b...
"The Big Bang's Failed Predictions and Failures to Predict: (Updated Aug 3, 2017.) As documented below, trust in the big bang's predictive ability has been misplaced when compared to the actual astronomical observations that were made, in large part, in hopes of affirming the theory."
♫♪♬ www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO4JOvninQo
Ruiny Castell del Rei górują nad doliną Ternelles w górach Tramuntana na północnym wybrzeżu Majorki. Fortecę zbudowano wysoko na klifach stromo opadających ku morzu.
Po raz pierwszy zamek pojawia się na kartach historii w roku 902. Od arabskiego kronikarza al-Zuhrīego wiemy, że jeszcze przez jakiś czas po podboju Majorki przez Maurów bronił się w nim chrześcijański garnizon. Po opanowaniu całej Majorki, Maurowie wzmocnili twierdzę, która stała się praktycznie nie do zdobycia. Dobitnie przekonał się o tym w 1229 roku Jakub I Aragoński i jego wojska; muzułmańska załoga twardo trzymała się w Castell del Rei aż do roku 1231 i ostatecznie skapitulowała dopiero po podpisaniu traktatu w Capdeperze, który czynił dalszy opór bezcelowym. Od tego czasu aż do początku XIV wieku twierdza należała do Templariuszy, którzy wybudowali nowe mury i zamkową kaplicę. Po rozwiązaniu Zakonu Świątyni w 1312 roku, zamek powrócił do domeny królewskiej.
W roku 1343 Piotr IV Aragoński najechał Majorkę. Garnizon zamku, lojalny wobec króla Majorki Jakuba III, stawił opór - skapitulował jednak, gdy obrona straciła polityczny sens w skutek inkorporacji Królestwa Majorki do Korony Aragońskiej.
W roku 1423 zamek wzmocniono w obliczu spodziewanej genueńskiej inwazji. Kolejne i ostatnie już w historii Castell del Rei istotne prace modernizacyjne przeprowadzono w roku 1543 na skutek zagrożenia ze strony Imperium Otomańskiego. Ostatecznie forteca została opuszczona w roku 1715 i popadła w ruinę; raz jeszcze tylko pełniła rolę militarną, jako placówka obserwacyjna podczas hiszpańskiej wojny domowej 1936-1939.
* * *
The ruins of the Castell del Rei in Mallorca are located in Serra de Tramuntana, in the Valley of Ternelles. The fortress was built above the sea on high cliffs looking towards the north.
The Castell del Rei first appeared on the pages of history in 902. We know from a Muslim chronicler, al-Zuhrī, then after the Moorish invaders had overrun the island, the Christian defenders still held out for some time in the fortress.
After the conquest of the island, the Moors strenghten the castle which became virtually impossible to capture as James I of Aragón and his troops discovered in 1229 during the reconquista of the island. The Muslim garrison didn't capitulated until 1231 when the Treaty of Capdepera was signed which made further resistance purposeless. From that time until early 14th century the castle belonged to the Knights Templar, who built new walls, and a chapel inside the fortress. After the Order of the Temple was disbanded in 1312, Castell del Rei became a royal demesne of the king of Mallorca.
In the year 1343, Peter IV of Aragón invaded Mallorca. Initially the garisson of Castell del Rei, loyal to the king of Mallorca James III, offered resistance to the Aragonese but eventually surrendered when it became clear that the Kingdom of Mallorca had passed into the pages of history, being incorporated into the Crown of Aragón.
In 1423 the walls of the castle were strengthened as a result of a potential Genovese invasion. The last important restoration of Castell del Rei took place during the time of the Ottoman threat in 1543. The fortress was eventually abandoned in 1715 and fell into ruin; it served once again in a military role as a lookout post during the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939.
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
I am typing this while sitting under our pergola outside. The sun is nestling itself behind the hill that marks West Seattle Proper. I have a Laphroigh Triple Wood, and Nora is asleep upstairs -- a fact I can prove with the fantastic video monitor that accompanies me. Abbot is sitting under me. Cori is fifteen feet away in the downstairs bath tub and will join me when she is finished.
----
Saw a post on Reddit yesterday that having a newborn is like being under house arrest for 3 months. Seems like it, sort of. I keep thinking it would be great to have people over for some low-key beers under the pergola but that's actually really tough to do. In the evenings it's mostly impossible because her bedtime routine starts around 6:30 (eat, bath, stories, then Try To Fall Asleep for about 30-40 minutes). On weekends, we have, you know, Stuff To Do during the daylight hours.
Come 4-5 months, I'm pretty sure we'll jump on some form of the Cry It Out bandwagon. 3-7 days of 30-40 minutes of crying seems like a small price to pay if it means she'll be able to put herself to sleep. Not gonna lie: I enjoy putting her to sleep when she's being cute about it (which, last week, was most of the time), but if she's not it's really just a chore. And the last couple days, she's really needed things Just So in order to fall asleep: White noise, swaddle, pacifier, etc.
During the day, Cori says she's stopped taking her pacifier and the only thing that seems to work is turning on the vacuum cleaner. As a result, our living room is nearly spotless.
She's also at this stage where she is really Not Interested in a baby carrier that restricts her ability to see, but her neck control isn't advanced enough to actually make that work.
The main problem with this is that when she's overtired, she's cranky and can't fall asleep. She gets a little more Aware every day, but if she's cranky and annoyed at the world, we can't really enjoy her increased awareness.
-----
Speaking of baby carriers, the Moby is clearly the worst baby carrier that we've used. Compared to other carriers, it: is harder to put on; is harder to adjust once put on; provides less head and neck support; is less stable once put on (i.e., over time her position changes more than with other carriers); and provides more thermal insulation (this is generally Bad for us -- worse in the summer, no better in the winter). There are some other nitpicks more specific to our situation: It looks more like a blanket, which means it is more tempting for Abbot, and it is harder to hang up in a closet.
----
Last night she woke herself up at 3:00 am or so. This was a new behavior: She desperately wanted something to suck on, so she had (through great physical effort) pulled her hand out of her swaddle and gotten her arm wedged in an odd position. This allowed her to suck her hand but I don't think it was comfortable, so she started crying. I go in, re-swaddle, pacifier, and she's out immediatley. Wash rinse repeat every 3-5 minutes for another hour and a half or so and it's time for her to eat again. She eats, then poops and wakes herself up something fierce, then can't fall asleep again until 6am -- probably because the poor thing made herself so crazily overtired.
It's easy to lose perspective at 4am, but the reality is that she is just magical. I told Tom yesterday, not in jest, that we have not been bored since she was born. I lean a bit toward the Existential side of the world and have long held that life is purposeless unless we give it purpose (this is the Sisyphian philosophy). From a very objective point of view (ignoring all the incredible joy we derive from her, say, smiling), Nora is the ultimate purpose, and being Busy with her all the time is itself incredibly satisfying.
As I have talked about before, it is the Finding not the Find that we like, as a species. This is literally true: It is the process of seeking something out that produces dopamine in our brains, not the actual retrieval of it. Nora is the ultimate journey.
This probably sounds clinical to some of you, and it sounds a bit like that to me. But you do spend time evaluating What Have We Done To Our Lives. This is to say: Having a purpose is good. Nora is an incredible purpose.
-----
Things I would have done differently to prepare.
1. More freezer meals. Even though we have not eaten these a lot for dinners, they have been invaluable for me: They are ready-made lunches. More variety would have probably made it so that we could have eaten them more for dinner meals as well. Additionally, we only had about a month's worth of food in the freezer. That is not enough: 3 months is probably more along the right lines.
2. Plan grocery lists ahead. One thing that has been troublesome for Cori is figuring out what to eat during the day for breakfasts and lunches. It's hard in our sleep-addled state to consider our options when it comes to grocery planning.
3. More variety of cloth diapers. Allison was hugely helpful in supplementing our stash, but in the beginning variety is better than quantity just so you can figure out what works, what level of maintenance you can deal with, etc.
4. Made a list of more slow-cooker options, probably with regard to potential dietary considerations Cori might have had. Spicy food, dairy, and more are on the list of common No No's for nursing mothers.
5. Researched more books for future needs. Sleeping habits has around 6 or 7 major titles and innumerable smaller ones and they only span about the first 6-9 months of life. I have found a few resources for later on -- from around 2 years up until teenagers -- that deal with disciplinary techniques. I have no idea what resources lay in store for other parenting hurdles -- teething, learning to talk, teaching them... you know, EVERYTHING. I'm sure I'll post more on this later: we might have been at least a bit prepared for the first few months (and lol at what "prepared" means here), we I have no idea what to expect later down the road, and damned if there's going to be a lot of time to figure it out.
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
One of the most notable features of Winchelsea is the number of well-built vaulted stone cellars (properly called undercrofts). The number is matched or exceeded only in Southampton, Norwich and Chester (but Chester’s cellars are built on a slope and are not truly subterranean, and many are not vaulted). Some 33 of Winchelsea’s cellars are still accessible and the existence of another 18 medieval vaulted cellars are known. From the amount of wine imported into New Winchelsea in 1300/01, it has been estimated that Winchelsea could have had as many as 70 cellars.
The cellars vary in size from 25 to 125 square metres, although the majority are in the range 30-50 square metres. The average cellar would hold over 120 hogsheads (6,300 gallons) of wine. All are well built and some are quite elaborate, with decorative features such as chamfered ribs and corbelling, probably in Caen stone. Each cellar is entered by a wide flight of stairs from the street, and some also have a rear entrance. Some cellars have windows, opening into stone-lined light wells leading up to street level.
The design of Winchelsea’s cellars and the quality of their construction suggests commercial rather than domestic use. The principal commodity stored in the cellars is thought to be wine from Gascony. The current theory is that the cellars, at least those with windows providing natural light and with decorative features, were used as part retail wine shop and part wholesale wine sales area. Wine bought in bulk was probably kept in warehouses down on the harbourside. The link between the cellars and the wine trade appears to be confirmed by the concentration of known cellars in the northeast corner of the town, close to the port. Only a few unvaulted cellars have been found around the Monday Market, reinforcing the view that the market square was for trading with Winchelsea’s hinterland.
www.winchelsea.net/visiting/winchelsea_history_pt24.htm
In the first decades following its foundation, New Winchelsea flourished. The fishing and trading activities that made Old Winchelsea prosperous were successfully transferred to the new town. Its naval contribution to the Crown also continued to be head and shoulders above other English ports. For example, in the 1297 expedition to Gascony, Winchelsea provided a third of the force and many of the largest ships. One of its leading citizens and the first recorded mayor of Winchelsea, Gervase Alard junior, was appointed Admiral of the Western Fleet --- all the vessels in ship service from southern ports as far west as Cornwall --- in 1300 and is often described as England’s first admiral of the fleet (although, in fact, the title was first held by William Leybourn, previously ‘captain of the King’s sailors’ in 1295).
As in Old Winchelsea, a large measure of the prosperity of the new town was based on the import of wine from Gascony. In 1306/07 alone, 737,000 gallons of wine was shipped into Winchelsea. It also continued as the main port of embarkation for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostella (2,433 pilgrims in 1434 alone) and featured in what Cooper claimed was the earliest English sea song:
For when they [pilgrims] take the see
At Sandwyche, or at Wynchelsee,
At Brystow, or where that it bee,
Theyr herts begin to fayle.
However, New Winchelsea’s most prosperous years were destined to be relatively short-lived.
www.winchelsea.net/visiting/winchelsea_history_pt13.htm
The fortunes of Winchelsea started to decline in the latter half of the 14th century. By 1378, Winchelsea had been supplanted by Chichester as chief port of Sussex. By 1414, its southern and western suburbs had been abandoned.
Winchelsea’s decline has traditionally been attributed to attacks by the French and Castillians. Indeed, it is claimed that the first such raid took place in 1326 and destroyed a quarter of the town. Particularly brutal attack in 1360 by the French, and in 1380 by the French and Castilians (the latter became involved because of English support for one of the claimants of the Castillian throne and, after his death, the claim by John of Gaunt) wrought even more destruction. However, the town’s decline was probably down to a combination of factors. International conflict was certainly one factor. The Hundred Years War disrupted trade, diverted ships away from fishing and commerce into prolonged naval service and exposed Winchelsea’s fleet to the depredations of privateers.
However, the most serious problem for New Winchelsea was the silting up of the harbour due to the infilling of the upper reaches of the River Brede to create new farm land. This reduced the flow of the river and its scouring effect on the harbour. In addition, the eastward migration of shingle along the Channel --- the very force which had created and then destroyed Old Winchelsea --- had started to infill Rye Bay.
Economic forces were also at play in the decline of Winchelsea. The wine trade declined after 1337 and the start of the Hundred Years War. By the middle of the 14th century, the focus of English trade was shifting away from Flanders, Normandy and Gascony to Spain and the Mediterranean. There was also a decline in the North Sea herring fisheries, to which the Cinque Port towns had privileged access, and the opening of the competing deep sea Atlantic cod fisheries. These trends disadvantaged all the Cinque Port towns, which were unable to accommodate larger ocean-going vessels and were poorly situated compared to the western Channel ports and Bristol. The advent of the Black Death in 1348 (it hit Winchelsea in 1349) made the struggle to overcome these problems that much harder.
However, the decline of Winchelsea should not be exaggerated. There is evidence that Winchelsea recovered rapidly from French and Spanish attacks and was able to launch violent counter-attacks. By 1388, the commercial core of Winchelsea had been re-occupied. Civic expenditure increased. Among other things, the town went to the considerable expense of buying itself a civic clock. By 1404, the Pipewell Gate had been repaired. Substantial new houses continued to be built after 1350, although they were timber-framed rather than stone-built and tended to follow rural rather than urban designs. The most spectacular was a three-storeyed L-shaped timber-framed house built in 1500 on the corner of the High Street and Castle Street (now called Periteau House), which had two tiers of jetties overhanging the street.
Between 1419 and 1422, Winchelsea commissioned truly massive engineering works upstream on the River Brede to try to flush out its harbour. This involved cutting a major new channel to the sea which was 7.5km long enclosed by banks 150m apart. It allowed navigation as far as Brede.
Winchelsea’s continued sway as a naval power in the Channel is evidenced by its granting of the Winchelsea Certificate to the town of Poole in 1364, confirming the maritime jurisdiction of the mayor and burgesses of Poole over Poole Harbour. This was possibly some alliance between Winchelsea and Poole against neighbouring ports like Wareham, perhaps inspired by the value of Poole Harbour to Winchelsea ships. The event is still celebrated in Poole every year in the Beating of the Water Bounds of Poole Harbour.
In 1415, Winchelsea, Sandwich and London were named as ports for the assembly of foreign ships hired and seized by Henry V to transport his huge army to France.
As late as 1433, the Camber could still accommodate ships of up to 200 tons and remained the principal port of embarkation for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostella. Foreign merchants were still active in the town in the middle of the century. In 1491, Winchelsea accounted for 65% of the customs revenues collected from southeastern ports by officials based at Chichester. In an agreement of 1394, Winchelsea undertook to contribute 10 of the 20 vessels that Hastings was obliged to provide for ship service, while Hastings and Rye were each to contribute five.
In 1415, Henry V commissioned a royal enquiry into the defences of Winchelsea which proposed a new section of wall and ditch inside the original defensive circuit to make it easier for the town to be defended following the abandonment of the western and southern suburbs. Only 21 of the original 39 quarters were to be within the new defensive circuit.
The proposed wall was to run south down the westernmost vertical street as far as Sixth Street, and then east along Sixth Street to the eastern cliff, cutting across the precinct of the Grey Friars. There was to be a new gate at the western end of Third Street (High Street) and another one in the southern wall to defend the road up from the abandoned New Gate. How much of the new defensive circuit was built is unclear. Peace with France following the Battle of Agincourt halted work.
The final episode in the defence of Winchelsea was the building of Camber Castle, also known as Winchelsea Castle, although strictly-speaking it was intended to defend the harbour of Rye. The Castle was situated at the end of a spit of shingle extending northeast from Winchelsea (called Kevill or Cobble Point). Incorporating an earlier tower, built by Sir Edward Guldeford between 1512 and 1514, it was constructed between 1538 and 1543, one of the chain of coastal forts built by Henry VIII against the French. Over the next century, the relentless eastward migration of shingle filled in large parts of Rye Bay and stranded the Castle. It was decommissioned in 1637.
www.winchelsea.net/visiting/winchelsea_history_pt14.htm
The decline in Winchelsea’s fortunes appears to have accelerated at the start of the 16th century. By 1532, the town accounted for just 5% of the revenues collected from southeastern ports by customs officials based at Chichester. These had dwindled to almost nothing by 1550, by which time most of Winchelsea’s trade and fishing activity had migrated to Rye. In 1524, Winchelsea could provide only four small vessels and 15 men for ship service and in 1544, it managed just six boats. By 1561, there were no ships or boats based at Winchelsea. By 1587, there was one sailor left in Winchelsea, one William Bucston. However, the town contributed the considerable sum of £66 13s 4d towards the cost of the ship provided by Hastings, the Anne Bonaventure, to serve under Lord Seymour against the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1601, Sir Walter Raleigh commented that “there be many havens which have been famous, and now are gone to decay as Winchelsey: Rye is of little receipt”.
Winchelsea’s decline and decay naturally affected its institutions. In 1541, the parishes of St Thomas and St Giles were amalgamated. In 1548, the Corporation sold off the bells of the ‘great cross’ and the ‘great chalice’.
The fabric of Winchelsea also deteriorated. No new houses were built between about 1525 and the mid-18th century. When Queen Elizabeth I visited in 1573 (entering the town up the northern cliff along a steep path called Spring Steps), only 60 houses were inhabited and many derelict buildings were being demolished to provide stone for new buildings in neighbouring villages. The show put on by the Mayor and Corporation prompted her to refer (sarcastically) to the town as “Little London” but, in 1586, she did confirm the right of the Corporation to properties seized by the Crown at the Dissolution and transferred the Crown’s rents, subsequently called the Queen’s Dues, which amounted to about £22. The Corporation still tries to collect these rents today.
The same year as the Queen’s visit, St Thomas’s Church was described as being in a ‘ruinous’ condition and it may have been shortly afterwards that the church was reduced to its current truncated size and the central tower demolished.
The famous diarist John Evelyn confirmed the dilapidated state of Winchelsea during a visit in 1652, when he walked over from Rye. He observed only “a few despicable hovels and cottages” amid piles of rubbish and was astonished to discover that the place still boasted a mayor. He was however fascinated by the ruins of the medieval town which, he said, included “vast caves and vaults, walls and towns, ruins and monasteries and a sumptuous church”.
The Cinque Port Confederation as a whole followed Winchelsea on its downward spiral, and tried desperately to maintain its dignity by seeking to forge a “closer union characterised by an almost officious observance of ceremony” and to develop “an elaborate system of government, for the purpose of maintaining the obsolete privileges of an otherwise purposeless association” (Murray).
Curiously, despite its impoverished state, Winchelsea in the 16th and 17th century had a disproportionate number of gentleman and esquires resident in the town. This was because of the tax exemptions and other ancient privileges that continued to be derived from the town’s status as a member of the Cinque Port Confederation. It would seem that, despite the lamentable state of the town as a whole, the houses of these residents were well-maintained and often improved.
Artomatic For The People, 2017
“Such a totalizing claim to be empowered to “fit reality to their lies” is precisely the capacity that Arendt finds in totalitarian movements before they actually attain the power to do so.
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.”
Only those who fully embrace cynicism are free to give their undying loyalty to a leader who promises to grant importance to the purposelessness of human life.” ―Roger Berkowitz
lareviewofbooks.org/article/arendt-matters-revisiting-ori...
DONALD TRUMP’S FIRING OF JAMES COMEY IS AN ATTACK ON AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/donald-trump-has-atta...
Stanley Kubrick Playboy Interview 1968
Playboy: If life is so purposeless, do you feel it’s worth living?
Kubrick: Yes, for those who manage somehow to cope with our mortality. The very meaninglessness of life forces a man to create his own meaning. Children, of course, begin life with an untarnished sense of wonder, a capacity to experience total joy at something as simple as the greenness of a leaf; but as they grow older, the awareness of death and decay begins to impinge on their consciousness and subtly erode their joie de vivre (a keen enjoyment of living), their idealism - and their assumption of immortality.
As a child matures, he sees death and pain everywhere about him, and begins to lose faith in the ultimate goodness of man. But if he’s reasonably strong - and lucky - he can emerge from this twilight of the soul into a rebirth of life’s élan (enthusiastic and assured vigour and liveliness).
Both because of and in spite of his awareness of the meaninglessness of life, he can forge a fresh sense of purpose and affirmation. He may not recapture the same pure sense of wonder he was born with, but he can shape something far more enduring and sustaining.
The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent; but if we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death - however mutable man may be able to make them - our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfilment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.
[This is an update: previous posting]
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
A candid discussion on the effectiveness and usefulness of facebook (and other social networks) from an engineer’s perspective. Is it a force for good or a purposeless time waster?
The Inner Circuit Road was a pet project of Bristol's burghers over several decades. Before the war it had already caused one planning catastrophe ...the construction of a dual-carriageway road diagonally across Queen Square. Redcliffe Way also dated from this early phase. It had smashed through the small and seemly streets clustered around the north side of St Mary Redcliffe, leaving an ugly roundabout and some car parking. I think perhaps Temple Way is also of pre-war date.
Bond Street took shape as the new Broadmead shopping centre was constructed, but dwindled away into Haberfield Street and Carey's Lane as it approached Old Market. It didn't really come into its own until the late 60s, when the Old Market underpass linked it to Temple Way. By 1970 the "circuit" was almost complete. In that year the last gap was closed when Lewin's Mead and Rupert Street were made one-way and became, in effect, the two sides of a dual carriageway. Lewin's Mead was really a completely new road, obliterating the original street whose course it approximately followed.
The Council's long-term "planning strategy" sought to segregate people from traffic. It was people who would have to accomodate themselves to traffic rather than the other way around. The cars could stay at ground level, but human beings would have to get used to being up in the air, where they belonged. There was to be a network of elevated walkways linking the City Centre with Old Market. This structure in Rupert Street, with its exciting angular lineaments, honestly unadorned surfaces and uncompromising horizontals, is a surviving fragment of the scheme ...whose abandonment at an early stage of construction was such a loss to the city. In a lifetime's acquaintanceship with Bristol I have never used it, or seen anybody else do so. People have obstinately persisted in their habit of using the pavements on either side of the street. The stairs are an obstacle to the icy, grit-laden winds that howl through this ravine of concrete, with the result that airborne litter tends to drop and collect in the sunless little alcove at the bottom. A number of discarded traffic cones ...those sentinels of our highways... may be seen among the fast-food cartons, old TV Guides and decomposing drifts of last summer's leaves. As previously mentioned I have never actually used these stairs, but they look like one of those places which our young people use as an impromptu lavatory, or as a place of seclusion in which to vomit after an evening of indulgence in the city's public houses.
Once the Inner Circuit Road had been completed I suppose life must have been a little flat and purposeless for the boffins in the Council planning department. Working on the Grass Verge and Flowerbed (Specifications and Miscellaneous Provisions) legislation wasn't quite the same. You didn't ...well, dammit... you just didn't feel so important somehow. Then somebody must have had a bright idea: what if we were to have an Outer Circuit Road as well...?
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
weak and purposeless.
Camera: Canon 700D
Location: Trebarwith Strand, Cornwall
Subject: Sam Jones
Photographer: Katie Jones
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May 26, 2023 - We Are the Ones ! An unusual degree of callous disregard is shown as the beloved proud Valley Peoples Queen Annapolisa Pageant is cancelled without consideration or consultation ? A modern generation of newcomer ABF Directors with new ideas have proclaimed themselves to be the generation that will interrupt and then terminate 88 years of traditional multi Valley village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess pageantry ?
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/apple-blossom-festival...
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A quick review of the notorious hostile takeover bid and attempt to extract the 2017 Kentville Grand Street Parade away from its natural home in the town of Kentville ?
February, 2017 - With only 3 months to go and parade planning and preparations well underway as per usual for the upcoming 2017 edition of Kentville Grand Street Parade, parade officials were suddenly caught totally off-guard and absolutely blindsided by the shocking news coming from out of nowhere that current ABF Management who are in charge of the festival made a final decision in private that will take Grand Street Parade away from its historic 85-year old home in Kentville ? They would then relocate it to a new and different location of their choice ? Apparently, they had already taken it away from Kentville and moved it to New Minas without consultation, written or verbal notice, or permission ? And so it seemed that a group of rather uncaring, arrogant, covertly operating, and inconsiderate ABF Officials with radical new ideas had ignored the town of Kentville's vital interests and ignored 87 years of tradition and (incredibly) have taken the 2017 annual Grand Street Parade ( and even future Parades ) away from them without consultation, notice or permission ? Drastic location changes and even the elimination of other longtime events and attractions always held in Kentville such as the Friday night outdoor show and fireworks, the Memorial Park Wednesday and Thursday displays with Valley student participation and numerous attractions, the bringing in of popular outside bands, and even the famous historic Kentville Children's Parade were all targeted by this grouping of ABF directors for cut-back or elimination ? Radical changes in the Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition including gender, contestant rules, location of crowning ceremony, and changes in overall competition format were also discussed ? The ABF Officials defended their secretive, inconsiderate and authoritarian type actions by claiming that as stewards of the festival they are entitled and obliged to uphold the integrity of the festival ? (integrity ? ) They later changed stories saying they were left with no choice due to Kentville's inability to prove they can successfully host such a large Parade event, ( Kentville has hosted this parade for the last 85 years ),and also because the people in charge of Grand Street Parade were unprofessional, indifferent and uncooperative ?
And so it came to be that a newly elected Mayor and Council in its infancy were suddenly confronted with perhaps the most serious challenge ever to be faced by the town of Kentville ever since the tragic loss of their major transportation sources, that being the loss of the railway in 1989, and then the shocking loss of aviation in 2014 when the Town CAO and the Warden and Council conspired to close out Waterville municipal Airport and evict all businesses and tenants ? This serious challenge came in the form of a surprise and pernicious attack and hijacking of Kentville's most beloved local commercial attraction, that being the Grand Street Parade ? The unexpected assault came from an unfamiliar and unfriendly source that seemed inconsiderate, disrespectful, and even a tad opportunistic when considering that Kentville had just finished installing a brand new rookie Mayor and Council ? When newly elected Mayor Snow, was suddenly swarmed by the news of so many extreme actions already taken against her town's best interests, the shocked and disbelieving Mayor said she was overwhelmed, heartbroken and called these actions unprecedented, disrespectful and unacceptable when speaking with local media ? All agreed that any attack on Kentville's most popular and well known outdoor world class event without the courtesy of an invitation, negotiation, inclusion or consultation is unacceptable ? Needless to say, the biggest losers of all were the good citizens of Kentville who have contributed so much over the lase 90 years years going back to the thirties and forties when the CNR train would bring guests to stay at the Cornwallis Inn ? The Town has invested enormous amounts of time, energy and resources into the creation of this world-famous event that draws tens of thousands of visitors.
All Valley towns take great pride and look forward to their individual town festivals and especially to their yearly parade. The citizens of Kentville are no different. Towns like Kingston, Hantsport, Wolfville, Windsor, Berwick, Canning, Greenwood etc. will never have to worry about someone hijacking their yearly community parade or otherwise taking it away ? However, sadly, the citizens of Kentville will now have to live with the troubling prospect of the possible loss of their beloved town parade without notice at any time and the accompanying loss of many years of time, energy, town resources, manpower put forth by residents, and all the other general services and contributions made during the past 88 years to create this world class event ?
The current 2017 ABF board of Directors is led by Angela Pelton and Alxys Chamberlain (Queen Annapolisa 2015), with Barb Madic, Heidi Scotney-Kinsman, John Patterson, Katie Gordon, Krista Morine, Linda Keddy, Logan Morse, Sarah Griffiths, and Steffany Cox-Lingard ?
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news clippings :
Frustration growing in Kentville, N.S. over Apple Blossom parade change CTV Atlantic atlantic.ctvnews.ca/frustration-growing-in-kentville-n-s-...
Kings County Councilor Emma Van Rooyen calls for the de-funding of the Apple Blossom Festival
atlantic.ctvnews.ca/apple-blossom-festival-competition-di...
JULY 14, 2023 - Valley Pride workshops, drag performances, and more events planned for Kentville and Wolfville over the weekend.
globalnews.ca/video/9832465/first-official-pride-festival...
CTV Jan. 23, 2017 " A long-standing N.S. festival opens competition to all gender identities"
www.ctvnews.ca/canada/long-standing-n-s-festival-opens-co...
ABF 2022 - Princess competition and Queen Annapolisa pageant to be postponed this year ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52076239848/in/datepos...
New Minas agrees to host the parade after approached by festival organizers ! Protest Petition is started !
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/apple-blossom-festival...
Kentville will host the Apple Blossom parade after all
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/kentville-gets-apple-b...
No Smoking in KVille, but we encourage you to drink, gamble and smoke pot all you want ? Maders tobacconist in downtown Kentville is celebrating 50 years in business,,
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/9344935900
may 2023 = Kids welcome at an all-age Drag show to be held at the Kings Arms in Kentville,,
www.nsbuzz.ca/life/kentville-all-ages-drag-show-draws-pro...
A protest against an all-age drag show at the Kings Arms ends peacefully in Kentville,
www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/communities/a-celebration-of...
Lunenburg - Now even Queen is a bad name ? Lunenburg recently changed the name of Cornwallis Street to Queen Street. Queen was first choice of all those in a survey taken to select a new street name. But the town received another complaint from the local anti-racism committee saying they are upset by a democratic decision that would replace one colonial street name (Cornwallis) with another, (Queen ) ?
www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/ns-town-that-changed-cornwa...
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2022 :
* Update 2022 Update * This year's ABF won't be the same as the others ? For the first time ever in a long illustrious history, this ABF will be missing the better half of the Festival, that being, the coveted Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition and the coronation and crowning ceremony in Wolfville ? All have been postponed ? Bad news indeed for aspiring young participants, for our local communities, for the Festival itself, and for all patrons and sponsors. Perhaps the current board of Directors should focus more attention on their job of actually holding the event rather than arguing about inclusion and entrance ? We look forward to next years pageant ? It also looks like the Directors this year are not prepared to make the necessary expenditures needed to bring in outside guest performers for the Friday night concert (or for a big-name Saturday night concert ) as was always the case in previous years when bands like Eddy's Basement, or various guest Tribute Bands, or the Barra McNiels, K D Lang, Michelle Wright, and many others were brought in to entertain Wednesday Thursday or Friday night Memorial Park audiences ?
It seems that ABF Officials are emphasizing the word 'free' in advertisements this year ? The ABF events they advertise as free have always been free ? Is this promotion or the pointing out of the 'free' idea mean there are plans in the future to begin charging Kentville citizens for events that have always been free in the past, such as Grand Street Parade or the Friday night Memorial Park entertainment and Fireworks ? It seems more likely that if they were ever to repeat this year's lackluster bare minimum effort of our World famous festival that they may have to start paying patrons to attend ?
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Following a 2 year absence due to Covi,, the 2022 Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival. (and Parade) will be held as per usual this year.. Unfortunately the Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition has had to be postponed until next year due to time constraints.
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Shocking news from ABF,
* There's been a stunning development at ABF. *
Apparently in a new younger generation there are those who harbor resentment towards our nations history, for English colonialism, and even for the Monarchy ? Other minority groups have voiced discontent over the diversity and inclusion issue ? And so it seems that the current ABF Board of Directors has listened to the concerns and complaints of a few small minority groups while apparently ignoring and excluding the overwhelming majority of Valley residents ? And it appears that this current Board of Directors chose to resolve such discontent by simply moving to implement and execute the nuclear option and the final solution ? And therefore after a highly successful lengthy run of 87 consecutive years in a row, the extremely anticipated, very popular, family oriented, inclusive and diverse, multi village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant along with the prestigious Royal Coronation crowning ceremonies held in Wolfville have all been terminated forever by this current board of Directors ?
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-----------------------It's The End of an Era-----------------------------
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."
Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival 2023 - ABF Board of Directors has announced drastic new changes in format and even deeper cut-backs to the annual People's Festival ? Concerns over ceremony, symbolism, the monarchy and colonialism, along with some complaints over inclusion and diversity may have had an influence on the current ABF board of Directors and they have seen a need to update the long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess pageant in order to bring it up to a standard they view as being more relevant to the current times ? And so the Directors must have held an extremely private 'think tank' last Winter, and without notifying, caring, considering or consulting with any of the long time participating Valley communities, they had decided that rather than trouble themselves any further with this pesky issue, why not just take the easy way out and simply get rid of it ? And so it seems they made a final decision in private last Winter and moved to execute the final and fatal solution to their problem by ordering that the iconic 87 year old Pageant competition be immediately shut down and terminated forever ? And therefore, as a result of an uninclusive and uncontested decision made in private, one of the longest running, popular, identifiable, well known, highly anticipated, most inclusive and diverse, proud all family events that has ever benefited Valley residents of every age, has just been taken away ?
This unconditional act of finality will now end the long running 88 year reign of her royal Heinous Queen Annapolisa and will terminate all participation of the 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princess contestants and their child attendants that represent 7 to 10 local Valley communities ? It will also mean the end of the many beautiful hand crafted award winning Princess floats that always highlight Grand Street Parade, and it will also signal the end of the ultra glamorous Queen and Ladies-in-waiting Crowning ceremonies held annually and televised each year from Acadia University in Wolfville ? This also puts an end to the many popular community Princess Tea events, and also ends all Royal Party visitations to local Schools, hospitals and old folks homes that are so welcome and appreciated by Students, Seniors and shut-ins ? This also signals the end of Royal Party appearances at Kentville Children's Parade, at the Memorial Park Friday night open air concert and fireworks, and all Royal attendances at many other events held annually throughout the Valley and the Province ?
It appears now that current ABF Officials led by President Logan Morse along with Kentville town rep Lindsey Young have not only interrupted the Pageant in 2022 when they temporarily postponed it, but have now in 2023 moved to terminate this prestigious event forever explaining that their radical decision has been made to improve, include, modernize and evolve the famed beauty pageant ? This final act of termination ends almost 90 years of royal pageantry and also leaves a huge gap in the Festival itself ? It will also negatively affect so many of the nearby Valley communities who always participate and enter contestants in the Pageant ? The ending of such an important multiple community event and the taking away of the better half and Star of the Apple Blossom Festival brings forth the question of what replacement is planned, and what are local towns and villages that always play major roles in both the Queen and Princess competition suppose to do now ? And what about Valley youth and the childhood dreams of one day becoming a child attendant or an Apple Blossom Princess or even a Queen ?
You have to marvel at the level of ego and disrespect shown by this latest Board of Directors who have dared appoint themselves as the ones that will end the Pageant and then to think that Valley residents are stupid enough to believe that by cancelling and taking away a cherished and long running event, that they have in some perverted way of thinking moved the Valley forward or improved and modernized anything ? It seems far more likely that they have taken the Valley on a giant step backwards and they have robbed the people of a much beloved, long running, multi community, all inclusive, local production that has always been a highly anticipated all Valley highlight for the past almost 90 consecutive years ?
Why current ABF Management who have applied themselves to be the stewards who are in charge and responsible for the promotion and presentation of this event, appear as unable to perform their duties and do the job they are compensated to do and do what their predecessors have always done so well before them each and every year for the past 87 years often in far more trying circumstances and in far less prosperous times, is hard to understand ? And you have to wonder, Whatever happened to the # 1 rule in business that says that if you can't do the job because of inexperience, immaturity, inability, incompetency, bias, or just plain stupidity, then,, You're all FIRED ! (and a Class action recovery suit may be forthcoming ?)
ABF news updates :
Logan Morse and a newcomer ABF Board of Directors break the hearts of Valley families especially the Children when moving to terminate the historic and long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant after 88 years ? Directors show no remorse, only saying that bold action was needed to improve, evolve and bring the pageant up to their modern standards ? www.pressreader.com/canada/annapolis-valley-register/2023...
May 26, 2023 - We Are the Ones. An unusual degree of disrespect shown when the long running all Valley Peoples Pageant is cancelled without either of consideration or consultation ? A modern generation of newcomer ABF Directors with bold new ideas have apparently proclaimed themselves to be the generation that will interrupt and then permanently end 88 years of wonderful multi Valley village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess enjoyment ?
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/apple-blossom-festival...
Annapolis Valley families are in shock and children cry upon learning their beloved Queen Annapolisa Pageant has been cancelled without notice, consultation, consideration or compassion ? Newcomer Directors say they are taking this bold action to improve, evolve and modernize the historic Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival ? www.saltwire.com/atlantic-
Valley residents lose a long time major public yearly entertainment event after the ever popular ABF Greenwood Airshow is terminated and will be no more. Fast forward to Aug 24, 2024, and corporate greed ? Air Show Atlantic Inc. now charges big bucks to see taxpayer owned aircraft at a taxpayer owned airport in a far inferior airshow ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52345513615
Kentville IS the Cornwallis Inn and the Cornwallis Inn IS Kentville ! If you were to google the 2 words Cornwallis Inn you will get over 600,000 entries with almost all of them married to the word Kentville.. (what a great promotional tool) . The world famous Cornwallis Inn is the source of many fond memories for all local and Valley residents.. "It was the centre of everything’: The past and present of Kentville’s iconic Cornwallis Inn"
www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/lifestyles/it-was-the-centre...
Kentville, an identity crisis. Help, Is there a Superhero out there to save Kentville from the newconers ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/51811175986/in/album-7...
The controversial 2017 Grand Street Parade - Has Kentville once again been the target of exploitation ? After Warden Brothers, (Greenwood ) and Liberal MP L Glavine (Kingston) had all but hijacked Waterville Airport and then relocated it to their own home riding in the Kingston/Greenwood area, it seems that the town of Kentville must face yet another attack from the Kingston area when Alxys Chamberlain, the Kingston Apple Blossom Princess, and ABF Directors attempt to take yet another major source of revenue and major attraction away from the town of Kentville ?
Et tu, Madama Chamberlain ? The unconscionable attempted hijacking and subsequent recovery of Kentvilles's most beloved yearly event ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/18506181065
2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade - Disregard for safety shown as unrestrained Senior citizens are precariously perched atop an unshaded, no sided, stop and go, large unstable jerking motion moving platform ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53900780519/in/album-7...
Exploiting a Queen for a photo op ? Politicians at the official opening of the 2023 Apple Blossom Festival pretend that there's still a Pageant while knowing full well that Queen Annapolisa has been terminated forever and will no longer be a part of this Festival ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53755100811/in/album-7...
2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade ABF stewards defy Trudeau's call for diversity and inclusion ? Many nearby local Valley towns and villages that always normally attend are now excluded from the parade ? This exclusion also means an absence of the diversity provided from the attendance of these many local communities ? Where is Canning, Digby, Annapolis Royal, Hantsport Greenwood, Windsor ? Where's Queen Annapolisa ? Where's the Apple Blossom Princesses and all of the individual Town floats including Princess Kentville ? To view the complete 2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade press here, www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie
89th Kentville Grand Street Parade May 27th 2023,, It's the sad ending of an Era ? ABF Organizers take away tremendous diversity when all Royal proceedings have been excluded from this years festival, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52934419451
Facebook, Friends of Kentville - The site Administrator, a new arrival from PEI, says she wants to see Kentville as the queerest town in all of Nova Scotia ? www.facebook.com/groups/2588266877982288
Will a drag Queen replace an apple blossom Queen in Kentville ? www.nsbuzz.ca/life/kentville-all-ages-drag-show-draws-pro...
Nov 16 2023 - Apple Blossom Princesses call for a return of Queen Annapolisa,
www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/former-apple...
The Town of Kentville has moved to cut back and eliminate many hours of public outdoor entertainment that were held as a part of the Apple Blossom Festival ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52094784785
A medley of the guest Tribute bands that have performed at Memorial Park Kentville - Always free of charge in the past at the Apple Blossom Festival : Petty Larceny, Fleetwod Mix, Keep the Faith, Stones Tribute, Green River Revival, Viscious, Eddy's Basement, Matt Minglewood,
www.dailymotion.com/video/x5hqti9
Mean corporate greed is shown by the newcomer ABF directors in this years Apple Blossom Festival ? Instead of providing a free guest Tribute band at the free Memorial Park Friday night concert, it will now cost 50.00 pp to see the 'Queen tribute band' performance. that's 50.00 per ticket in 2025 ? acadiau.universitytickets.com/
A Scrooge-like cheap Town of Kentville rips off its own citizens (and right at Apple Blossom Festival time) ? Cold capitalism shown by Town of Kentville and by the newcomer ABF management ? Citizens burdened with an out of pocket expense of TWENTY DOLLARS each just to attend an outdoor street dance held downtown on taxpayer owned property during Apple Blossom Festival ? Is there no sense of shame ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54546051832/in/photost...
She's Ruined It ! Our great Festival is no longer even recognizable ? How could anyone take a world class event and turn it into something that can only be described as stupid ? President Erica Gillis has to be the worst ever ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54493011308/in/dateposted
2025 Kentville Grand Street Parade - A brief 45-minute and a very limited and compacted Kentville Grand Street Parade this year ? Zero large marching street bands and majorettes invited other than 1 mini version of the standard RCMP entrée, No Sottish pipers or pipe bands, zero in Royalty or their famous royal floats, Most of the regular nearby Valley village participants weren't here, Zero horses or wagons, No armaments, soldiers, bands or displays from the Aldershot military or Greenwood, etc etc, ? And yet the Guest parade announcer proclaims in quote @ 29:17, " this parade is the largest in Canada, incl Toronto - it's the longest with the largest route and has the most entries. " Wha-a-a-t, where did she come from and what is she talkin about ?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQuaIdrQi00
Mayor in Kentville Grand Street Parade - A new Royal rider rolls down Main Street aboard the Kentville Apple Blossom Princess float ? This year the newcomer Mayor graces the royal throne. 'Somebody get that king a crown and scepter '
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54557663677/in/dateposted
they've ruined it part 2 ? May 31st, 2025 Grand Street Parade - From 100,000 down to 10,000, Parade attendance shrinks to all time low, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54568017261/in/photost.... Also see, They've ruined the Festival and the Parade too ?
ABF Directors may disapprove and may have terminated the beloved Queen Annapolisa pageant and the multiple village Apple Blossom Princess competition but Valley residents will always admire, support, respect and remain fond of the British Monarchy. The majority of Valley citizens are delighted to hear that his Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla are invited and will be coming for a royal visit to Canada on May 26 and 27, 2025. This year's incomplete and now Royalty-less ABF starts on the 28th, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/king-charles-canada-visit-1.7524946
The long proud history of past Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess winners has been removed from sight and erased from the official Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival website ? A special honorary history page dedicated to previous Queen Annapolisa winners from 1933 thru 2019 has been taken down and apparently replaced with jumbo size portraits of the newcomer President and other ABF directors who have taken over and ruined the world famous Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival ? www.appleblossom.com/history/past-queens
Meet the directors,
May 30th, 2025 - a 20 dollar hamburger and a ride on the bouncycastle ? High level security enforcement brought in for this years ABF Memorial Park Friday night rock concert ? ( must have taken up most of the budget ) ? Town of Kentville brings in outside police, closes roads, and sets up security perimiter with manned guard posts to provide tightened security for their Friday night Memorial Park Apple Blossom outdoor concert that in the past had always featured guest rock bands, interesting displays, and a Royal visit following the glamorous coronation ceremony in Wolfville, but has now been cut down to some kind of an outdoor romper room type family show featuring food trucks, fireworks, air blown bouncy jumpers and minimal live local entertainment on the main stage ? It has been reported that a parking violator was successfully apprehended thanks to the upgraded crowd control security and strict traffic control hired by the Board for this occasion ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54558198569
May 30th, 2025 Memorial Park Kentville - Seniors and those with disabilities are made to walk long distances in order to reach this year's disappointing ABF Friday night outdoor rock Concert that didn't bring in a rock band, (nor much of anything else) ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54558198569/in/photost...
Oct 4th, 2025 - Kentville Harvest Festival Centre Square, A disappointing harvest festival this year that forgot about hayrides, pumpkin people making, the harvest and the farmer ?https://www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54835089011/in/photostream/
Upgrade 2025 ? taken from the front of Phinneys dept store - a massive expenditure is budgeted for a major upgrade to the Mayor's business backyard - Downtown Kentville Webster Street gets a complete and total beautification makeover with new installations of street paving, paint, new sidewalks both sides, driveway entrances, and new curb and gutter both sides ? All the other streets that surround the Phinneys' downtown business block have also been upgraded including Aberdeen Street, Cornwallis Street, and Main Street ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54835340734/in/photost...
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An Identity Crisis ;
Can an identity crisis be looming in the town of Kentville ?
A proud, neighborly salt of the earth working class community with generous hard working friendly citizens and a rich historic Railroad, agriculture and farming background is losing many of its longtime local traditions, themes and trademarks while elected Town officials, many of them new arrivals, just stand still, watch, and even enable ? Having always been identified as a main Provincial railroad center ever since the old Dominion Rail days dating back to 1869, the town has since lost all of its passenger and freight train rail service in and out including a modern passenger Dayliner service that traveled back and forth to Halifax every day ? And after the railway had been shut down it seemed they couldn't clear out the now useless brand new station, dig up the tracks and demolish the old roundhouse fast enough ? And so now, in what seems to be cruel mockery, the only railroading in Kentville left over from past glory days and from what was once the largest and most important and active railroad center west of Halifax, is just an old and faded hand painted train mural etched onto the weather beaten side of one of the downtown business establishments ?
Unfortunately the loss of the railway wasn't the last humiliating major transportation loss forced on the people of a small rural town as Kentville was soon to become even more isolated from the outside World when for no apparent logical, rational or reasonable reason the aviation community at Waterville municipal Airport CCW3 were told to get out when they had done nothing wrong and had no where else to go ? This long time invaluable contributor to the local area economy was lost when an established municipal airport, a well known Canadian sky diving facility, and an internationally known pilot training and licensing academy, and many privately owned aircraft with local owners, and many other established aviation businesses were told to get out ? The cold hearted eviction also left our young Air Cadets over at Camp Aldershot without a base to train on and so now the next generation has to grow up without their nearby aviation training and education facility ?
And so, a group of out-of-towners that mostly don't even live in this community had transformed an active thriving local Aviation business center that had taken decades to build and establish, into a barren and useless place where unsupervised Michelin children now ride bikes and dodge weeds poking their heads thru a deteriorating asphalt runway that was once a platform for private and commercial aircraft to fly in and out of the local area on a daily basis ? To add salt to the wound, this unwarranted calculated forced closure and loss of a vital member of the local economy was to be hailed by the executioners at Kings Council, ( and also by the prestigious Ivany Report Committee ) as being a bold and brilliant business decision that will greatly improve and benefit the local area ?
After months of homelessness and uncertainty over the future, a few evicted tenants found new sites elsewhere and relocated at their own expense to start all over again, while others just quit, while others were finally redirected to a new location in Greenwood which just happened by chance to be the Kings Council County Warden's home riding ? And so, in the end this devastating loss for Kentville and local area became a windfall for the Kingston Greenwood area, and, Kentville was left to carry on without either a Railway or an Airport ?
When the original KCA town School closed down, existing high school students were separated from their home school and had to be bused to the nearby town of Canning ? This would leave only the Grade 1 to 8 age groups to now identify Kentville as their home school, an education reality that still exists in Kentville ? There is no longer a movie theater in Kentville as the downtown movie theater has been closed forever, and the popular Edge sports bar, eatery and pool hall also closed down and never replaced ? Harvey's Hamburgers drive thru closed down and it never was replaced ? The longtime bowling alley in New Minas was bought out by developers, torn down, and replaced with a business office complex ? We lost the local salvage, reclamation and disposal site in South Alton when ordered shut down by the Provincial Government, but these same people who shut it down never ever offered to replace it with another leaving the community without this vital facility ? One day a portion of roof blew off the long time town funeral home and it never re-opened leaving only one such establishment left in town ? And, just as the citizens of Kentville were learning that both the Apple Blossom Princess and the Queen Annapolisa pageants were to be cancelled after 87 consecutive years, at the same time there was an all age Drag Queen show getting ready to entertain at the Kings Arms Pub in a total flip flop from the popular Irish Rovers or Scottish pipers that most Kentville citizens identify with at this time of year ? Numerous local restaurants and small businesses have all come and gone - mostly gone - and the main town supermarket Jasons IGA had a fire and was forced to close down for over a year so there was no supermarket to provide groceries for the local citizens ? The ever popular multi venue Wandlyn Inn burned down with all venues now lost to the community ? It wasn't replaced after the fire and now there's just a fast food MacDonald's take out to replace all of Wandlyn's many facilities including hotel rooms, indoor swimming pool, whirlpool and sauna, nightclub, dual convention centers and dual restaurants ? Not a very good exchange for the community ?
The traditional July 1st Canada Day town sponsored party event of fun, food,speeches and local entertainment held each year at the wading Pool was curtailed by the Town due to budget considerations ? And so now, if you want to enjoy July 1st entertainment or fireworks you have to go to New Minas, Hantsport or Berwick ? Access to clean drinking water is well known as one of the most identifiable entitlements provided by a town ? Billions are currently being spent by the Canadian taxpayer to provide First Nations people with free safe drinking water ? Yet the Kentville water commission charges the customer 10,000 dollars just to turn their town water on at roadside ? And then after this rather large up front financial layout paid for by the brand new customer, he will still have to pay for all of his yard trenching and household plumbing work ? And in return for this large initial forced surcharge, the valued new customer will be rewarded with a water bill courtesy of the town of Kentville each month hereafter ?
They even managed to take away Kentville's most famous of all and most instantly identifiable town landmark in the hotel name Cornwallis Inn ? Cornwallis Inn is a well known trademark hotel name that is synonymous World wide with the name of Kentville, and this name represents a multitude of fond memories for the local area residents and for other residents living all over the Valley ? It was hard to understand why the Town would ever allow this historic name to change,, and also hard to understand why a previous Town of Kentville planning dept would ever allow subsidized apartment units to be built onto the side of such a respected Town centerpiece and also block the access lane to the rear parking lot while doing it ? The Cornwallis Inn will always be an important Valley landmark and a future protected Canadian heritage site ?
They have even changed well known identifiable names of some Streets and even the local traffic bridge traversing the Cornwallis River ? And so now many local residents and delivery drivers don't know what they're talking about when these stupid new names are used ? This name change is especially hard on Kentville's Seniors who can become confused with such absurd name changes and has in some cases, created safety hazards ?
In 2017 ABF Directors tried to move Kentville's 87 year old yearly Grand Street Parade to different location in the Valley, and the town was forced to claw and battle its way just to get its own local yearly parade returned back home to them after hosting it for the last 90 years ? And in yet another major step backwards that same year, ABF and the Town decided to cease and desist all public ABF Wednesday, Thursday and weekends of fun, food, music, displays, amusements, local student performances, etc. etc. held at Memorial Park during the Apple Blossom festival week ? No explanation was given and no replacement or apology was ever offered by the Town for such a devastating loss to be absorbed by the citizens of Kentville ? Kentville has now lost its most identifiable of all citizens, that being their beloved Apple Blossom Princess Kentville, when newcomer ABF Directors had shown an uncommon degree of disrespect, as well as their disregard and insensitivity when presuming to appoint themselves as the ones entitled to end the long running iconic 88 year old iconic Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition ? This termination means all public Royal party appearances including the Princess Teas, Kentville Children's Parade, all Royal visitations to schools, shut-ins, Seniors, and hospital attendances that are normally made by Queen Annapolisa and the Royal Princesses are now cancelled and no longer take place ?
In 2022 the Kentville Grand Street Parade was quite understandably very limited and downsized following the 2 previous Covi year cancellations, but this year's 2023 effort wasn't much better ? The immense contribution and the wonderful diversity supplied by nearby Valley communities from Windsor to Digby was no longer included in the Parade ? Apple Blossom royalty and all Princess floats were no longer included in the Parade ? And many local residents expressed disappointment when Apple Blossom Princess Kentville and her child attendant were no longer seen or to be included in the Town Parade ? It seemed that Kentville had lost yet another identifiable citizen and wonderful Ambassador that always performed her official duties including advertising, promoting the town and representing Kentville with charm, grace, dignity, talent and beauty wherever she went ?
After the long running 3 consecutive Apple Blossom weekdays of afternoon and evening mid week entertainment at the Park were all cancelled and Apple Blossom Week entertainment was cut down to a bare bone single Friday night affair, ( which btw will no longer include the highlight of the evening Royal Party visitation and rock music by Eddy's Basement ), it seems Officials were still unsatisfied and found yet another way to take away even more ? And this year they want to charge inflation stressed locals a fee to see entertainers like Matt Minglewood and Kevin Davison at private shows when in the past these entertainers appeared on a public stage free of charge ? Cut backs were also apparent in fireworks, (which btw will no longer be started by Queen Annapolisa at her official Royal Party visitation to the Park following Coronation ceremonies in Wolfville) ?
And so, in summing up, the citizens of Kentville are frustrated with cutbacks, the many steps backwards, and the cancellations and closures that never seem to be replaced once gone ? Both the Provincial Railway and municipal Airport are now permanently closed down and even Acadia Van lines inter provincial bus transit no longer stops ? The Wandlyn Inn complex and all of its popular hotel and restaurant services were lost by fire and never replaced ? Extreme cut backs were made to the historic Apple Blossom Festival that saw a week long fun filled period of public entertainment at Memorial Park reduced to one minimal Friday night affair followed the next day by a shortened mundane parade of less than an hour ? Concerns also remain about the absence of an in-Town High School for Teens, the loss of a key funeral home, the loss of the Pool Hall, the absence of a movie theater, the loss of Harveys drive thru burgers, the loss of one of the 2 dt Tim Hortons, the loss of the dt pizza parlor, the loss of Chinese food take out, the loss of the local fruit and vegetable market, the absence of a 7/24 convenience store, the closure of the bakery, and also the loss of the local disposal site when no replacement was ever offered by the Government that shut it down ? There was also the shocking cancellation and heartbreaking termination of her royal heinous the Apple Blossom Princess Kentville and the end of the pretigious Acadia U Coronation ceremonies in Wolfville ? There was also the erasing of, and then the changing of the name of Kentville's biggest most identifiable internationally known Cornwallis Inn name logo that is instantly recognizable world wide and symbolically married for decades to the Town name of Kentville ? There remains the problem of a serious local shortage of rental rooms and local dining spots for tourists created when the Wandlyn hotel complex burned down and when not one of these many hospitality, business, tourist, restaurant, hotel, night club, and recreational venues were ever replaced ?
And now, in a more recent issue, we are seeing more and more small businesses located all over the Valley that have not only provided local employment but also served as popular meet and greet gathering spots for friends and neighbors for years and years now, changing hands after being bought out and turned over to total strangers that are not from Halifax or from N.S. nor even Canada but have come here from another Continent ? A strange new phenomenon of foreign take-overs has arrived in the Valley that includes replacing the management, assuming full control of the business and taking over the labor force of many traditional Valley fast food, gas, and coffee businesses ? Some of these now include : the Petrocan in New Minas, many Valley Tim Hortons, the Subway, KFC, DQ, Burger King, and the Mary Brown's in New Minas to name a few ? And in another concern, because many newcomer employees are unfamiliar with the currency it is advisable to count your change carefully if paying by cash ? There are also some indications that nepotism is now being shown in the hiring of employees once these establishments are taken over by new foreign management, and that our local students can't get Summer jobs any more ? Another major local employer, Eassons Trucking, also seems affected by the current influx of new foreign workers with some reports of untrained, unlicensed, unqualified, (and Government subsidized) drivers behind the wheel, and rumors of some units with multiple drivers on board having a hole drilled in the floor of the sleeper cabin to accommodate a long piece of ABS plumbing pipe used to transfer raw shidzen sewage directly from the interior of the truck down onto the open highway below to avoid pit stops at the Big Stop ?
And, from the looks of a recent Town municipal election, most candidates that ran are relatively new to this area and as such might be unfamiliar with the Town's long time traditions, customs, character, and past history ? Some candidates had even naively described the town as a kind of happy go lucky, blissful, Hallmark or Who-ville movie set place that is teaming with busy villagers and joyful munchkins frolicking up and down picturesque cobblestone streets lined by colorful quaint shops and internationally known boutiques and eateries which does not present an accurate description of the Town ?
And apparently the new Mayor who is also a new local business owner, appears to have befriended ex- Kings County Warden Brothers who doesn't live in Kentville but resides in the Kingston/Greenwood area and who had previously sold out Kentville when leading the charge to shut down and evict the local municipal Airport, the well known skydiving academy, the international flight training academy and many other prosperous Waterville airport aviation businesses ? And then there's the Mayors' recent New Year's message of congratulating himself on enlarging the size of his downtown retail store and expressing his own personal happiness over a new (taxpayer funded) installation of a brand new sidewalk in front of it, but failing to mention town issues like the terrible poverty and youth unemployment, the drug problems, the cost of living crisis, the homeless problem, the devastating cancellation of the historic Princess Kentville competition, the vacationers concerns about no place to stay, and the much needed indoor town recreation facility, (no one wants to get their daily exercise by hiking down crude outdoor trails while attacked by mosquitos or witnessing a homeless user shoot up in the privacy of the forest) ? There was also the recent eradication of the Apple Blossom Festival and decimation of the world famous Grande Street Parade ? And there's also the current Town housing crisis, the high increases in rent, and the alarming rate of downtown business failures, and also the need to honor Kentvilles glorious past railroading history with a museum and outdoor display of some sort ? Adding to this there appears to be a newly elected Town Council that has immediately started to cancel and cut back on important traditional town public events when, ( due to a drop of rain ) they cancelled this year's Military march-on and (best in the area) outdoors Remembrance Day ceremonies traditionally held at the Memorial Cenotaph on Park Street ? There was also this years' poor presentation of a Grande Street Parade and one unsafe situation in the newcomer Parade where normal residents (incl Seniors) were seen perched precariously aboard a stop and go, open air, jerking motion, no sided vehicle without restraining devices, water or protection from the sun ? There was also the ridiculous changing of many of the long time well known town names including the most famous of them all the Cornwallis Inn ? There's also the local residents plea to 'bring our high school students back home again' , and some complaints about the Town failure to provide public outdoor entertainment events exceeding the grade school level ? There was also the controversy over the hanging up of the biggest pride flag money can buy above the main entrance to the honored heritage site Cornwallis Inn, and of course, there was also the recent down town flood crisis ? The mayor did not address the question of why a Provincial Government would force the local reclamation and disposal site to permanently close down its operation and then those who caused this major loss, did not offer to replace it but just left the area without such a facility ? And, there was no mention of the need for an inquiry into the exorbitant five figure fee charged to the customer by Kentville water commission just to turn water on at the road ? And there are also concerns over the recent rash of sudden and unopposed takeovers of small businesses by newly arrived foreigners from Asia when locals here can't find work ? And what about growing concerns over the recent issue of the formation of an exclusive Ontarioville newcomer type town growing within an already established town ? There were also many concerns over the Spring pothole epidemic that had made some of the streets unfit to drive on, at a time when a brand new double lane sidewalk was being installed in front of Phinneys that was smooth as a baby's bum ?? And then there was the refusal by the Town to help citizens with expensive auto repairs caused by their dangerous unattended potholes ? And there was also the inadequate street lighting and residential streets and sidewalks still in need of attention ? There was also the inconvenience felt by local residents when ultra slow motion repairs on Canaan Ave moved at a three legged turtle racing speed causing this vital access route to remain closed to traffic, incl emergency vehicles, for many many Months, (very much unlike the speedy workmanship and high priority given to the new downtown sidewalk installation in the front of Phinneys) ?
And so, can it be time to stop newcomer mentality, and to make it mandatory for all candidates bidding on these important Town governing positions to be born and raised and reside in Kentville in an effort to respect, protect and retain the Town's unique character, history, diversity, identity, and many longtime local traditions ?
OUCH ? ( could someone please remove the daggers from our back ), Et tu, Warden Brothers and u tu Leo ? March 10th 2014 - A Date That Will Live on in Infamy - Warden Brothers, (Greenwood riding) and the Kings County Council use a calculated forced eviction to shut down the Waterville Airport aviation complex and then relocate some components to the Kingston/Greenwood area ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/28588465413/in/album-7...
Newcomer ABF directors trying to erase history ? The page showing all past Queens and Apple Blossom Princesses has been removed from the official Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival site ? The popular history page honoring all past Queen Annapolisa winners 1933-2018 with photos and bios has been taken down and apparently replaced with huge portraits of the newcomer directors ?
Meet the newcomer directors,
Kentville IS the Cornwallis Inn and the Cornwallis Inn IS Kentville ! If you were to google the 2 words Cornwallis Inn you will get over 600,000 entries with almost all of them married to the word Kentville.. (what a great promotional tool) . The world famous Cornwallis Inn is the source of many fond memories for local and Valley residents.. "It was the centre of everything’: The past and present of Kentville’s iconic Cornwallis Inn"
www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/lifestyles/it-was-the-centre...
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On the recent 2023 edition of the Grand Street Parade :
"it looked as if some spectators along the route just joined in and began to walk along and make themselves a part of the parade ? "
May 27th, 2023 - Dismay, disillusion and some extreme disappointment prevail in Kentville over shocking changes and many missing regular entrees in this years 2023 Grand Street Parade ? Where is our famous Queen Annapolisa and where are the many Apple Blossom Princesses and their child attendants riding in their beautiful hand crafted decorated floats ? Where's the town criers ? And what about the dazzling majorette groups, the Scottish pipers and large multi instrumental marching bands that always attend ? And where are the Hantsport and Windsor floats and their large delegations ? And where are Digby, Aylesford, Annapolis Royal, Canning, Middleton, Wolfville, and more ? Why are so many of the Valley towns and villages that normally participate not included in the parade this year ? It was also a major disappointment for many when for the first time ever, Kentville Apple Blossom Princess (aka Miss Kentville) was no longer included as there are many town residents young and old who identify with the Apple Blossom Princess at this time of year ? However, the now purposeless Apple Blossom Princess float was used this year to transport a grouping of everyday town residents as they sat around together in a social scene meant to identity Kentville with diversity and inclusion ? The New Minas float also did not include an Apple Blossom Princess for this year, however her float was transformed into an advertisement for the famous New Minas UFO incident which all New Minions identify with. The Berwick float didn't include a Princess Berwick this year either. but was altered to proudly identify with the town's upcoming Centennial celebrations. And the Kingston float was also missing an Apple Blossom Princess this year but was instead promoting their long running Kingston Steer Barbecue that all Kingstonians readily identify with. It was good to see an RCMP contingent again although they sent far less officers this year than usual ? And it was notable that only 1 other large marching band appeared in the parade when usually 4 or more big bands, many with many pipers usually attend after traveling up from places like Cape Breton, Bridgewater, Dartmouth etc ? And where have all the pets and animals gone ? There's no horse teams, wooden wagons, riders or livestock this year ? Even the usual greyhound dogs weren't there ? Also noticed that some spectators must have just joined in and began walking along within the parade, and others must have come over from the Children's parade with their strollers to join in ? There was a variety of advertisers, most from out of town but some local ? There were various Political parties represented, with the largest delegation coming from the Kody Blois Liberals ? All in all, this Year's parade seemed a bare minimum and a weak effort that really missed the inclusion of royal pageantry and the 7 to 10 spectacular Princess floats, and also missed the large marching bands and majorette groups that usually enter, the usual agriculture horticulture and livestock component, the popular Scottish pipers bands that always attend, and also the many large out of town contingents that always normally participate ? This was not the famous grand street parade that patrons are accustomed to seeing, and did not represent the high standards and degree of professionalism set by all previous Grand Street Parades ? It became obvious that what was being advertised as a newer, bolder, more inclusive and more diverse parade was instead the exact opposite because this new version of our Grand Street Parade had lost the inclusion, diversity and the major contribution put forth by the absent Valley communities along with their individual Princess contestants and Child attendants that always come to Kentville to participate in the Queen Annapolisa competition, the Friday evening coronation gala at Acadia University in Wolfville, the many Princess Teas, and the Royal attendances at schools, hospitals, senior citizen homes and shut-ins, as well as appearances at the Friday night Memorial Park outdoor concert and fireworks, Royal attendances highlighting the Saturday morning Children's Parade, and a Royal trip down Main street Kentville aboard a beautiful hand crafted royal float in the famous Grand Street parade ?
And so, to quickly sum up, can a strange looking, incomplete, shortened, now Royal-less, newcomer mentality amateur version of our elite world-famous Kentville Grand Street Parade that was now missing her heinous Queen Annapolisa and also missing 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princesses and their individual 7 to 10 beautifully handcrafted Town Princess floats, and also missing much of the unique character and diversity usually provided by the numerous Valley villages and communities who were no longer included, and that also failed to include many of the large out of town marching bands and pipers and majorettes who usually attend, and that also lacked representation from local area farming, agriculture and livestock,, now signal the end of the once glorious Grand Street Parade era ?
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Some previous parades :
2011 Grand Street Parade Kentville 79th ABF
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVgh3Dh2xn8&t=208s
2012 Grand Street Parade Kentville www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB1VBx50b18
2014 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEo14IZKxp8&t=11s
2015 Kentville Grand Street Parade
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBifeG2SdPY&t=47s
2016 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2wedvN5_Iw&t=8s
2017 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=JozwyGpvfSY&t=1978s
2018 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOK1GmiLmNk&t=986s
2019 Kentville Grand Street Parade www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMdEx8Zf-q0&t=1492s
2023 Grand Street Parade - The exclusion of many of the usual participants and denial of their valued diversity have marred the 2023 Grand Street Parade ? Many nearby Valley communities were missing in the Parade when longtime participants were no longer included ? Where is Canning, Digby, Annapolis Royal, Hantsport Greenwood, Windsor ? Where's Queen Annapolisa ? Where's the Apple Blossom Princesses and all of the individual Town floats including Princess Kentville ? To view a complete (newcomer version) of the world famous Kentville Grand Street Parade press here www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie
A concerned Kentvillian must finally speak out, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/44424045874
Kentville is an incorporated town in Nova Scotia. It is the most populous town in the Annapolis Valley. As of 2021, the town's population was 6,630.
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(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
Mendigo, mendicante, morador de rua ou sem-abrigo é o indivíduo que vive em extrema carência material, não podendo garantir a sua sobrevivência com meios próprios. Tal situação de indigência material força o indivíduo a viver na rua, perambulando de um local a outro, recebendo o adjetivo de vagabundo, ou seja, aquele que vaga, que tem uma vida errante.
O estado de indigência ou mendicância é o mais grave dentre as diversas gradações da pobreza material.
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A vagabond is an itinerant person. Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterised by almost continuous travelling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for travelling, preferring to stay in one location
Historically, "vagabond" was a British legal term similar to vagrant, deriving from the Latin for 'purposeless wandering'.[2] Following the Peasants' Revolt, British constables were authorised under a 1383 statute to collar vagabonds and force them to show their means of support; if they could not, they were jailed.[2] Under a 1495 statute, vagabonds could be sentenced to the stocks for three days and nights; in 1530, whipping was added. The assumption was that vagabonds were unlicensed beggars.
By the 19th century the vagabond was associated more closely with Bohemianism. The critic Arthur Compton-Rickett compiled a review of the type, in which he defined it as men "with a vagrant strain in the blood, a natural inquisitiveness about the world beyond their doors." Examples included Henry David Thoreau, Michael John Arthur Bujold, Walt Whitman, Leo Tolstoy, William Hazlitt, and Thomas de Quincey.[3] A notable 20th century vagabond was the Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős.
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Le vagabondage désigne communément le style de vie de celui qui vit de manière permanente sans adresse et sans emploi fixe, volontairement ou non, le « sans feu, ni lieu ». Juridiquement, le vagabond était souvent celui qui était inconnu dans l'endroit où il se trouvait, qui ne possédait aucun passeport ou autre certificat d'identité ou de bonnes mœurs, et ne pouvait se faire « avouer » (reconnaître) par quelqu'un (curé d'une autre paroisse, etc.). Le vagabondage était alors lourdement réprimé; le délit de vagabondage n'a disparu du droit français que dans les années 1990.
Le terme « vagabond » peut être utilisé, au sens péjoratif, pour représenter un sans-abri. Il peut aussi désigner celui qui part à l'aventure pour vivre une expérience de vie différente du mode de vie sédentaire; c'est pourquoi on dit qu'ils vivent de manière désordonnée, du moins en apparence. Des vagabonds célèbres ont existé, par exemple Jésus, Gandhi, Lanza Del Vasto, et d'innombrables philosophes-vagabonds. Le vagabond est celui qui décide de vivre pour une durée indéfinie sans attache, dans un but spirituel (voir Les Clochards célestes de Kérouac), social ou sous une contrainte matérielle. Au sortir de leur période vagabonde, certains d'entre eux ont produit telle ou telle œuvre, résultant de l'inspiration littéraire ou artistique découlant cette phase de vagabondage.
La fable de Jean de la Fontaine, Le Loup et Le Chien, illustre bien une situation où un vagabond l'est par choix.
Elvis Presley: universal Rock Icon.
THE KING IS DEAD. Elvis Presley died, at age 42, in 1977 in Memphis. It was an ignominious tumble, off a toilet and into a pool of vomit, but it heralded perhaps the most glorious resurrection in pop culture history.
Of all of popular culture’s enduring icons—James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, the Fab Four, John Wayne, whatever—see if you know as much about their personal proclivities as you most likely know about Elvis Presley. That he fancied deep fried peanut butter and mashed banana sandwiches. That he had a penchant for firing guns at television sets if the show displeased him. That he and his mother had a secret baby-talk language that included morsels like “iddy-tream” for ice cream and “belly wash” for Pepsi. The point is only that so immense is his fame that so many of us are aware of at least some of the things even if we’re not otherwise interested in him.
Not since the days of Charlie Chaplin has any entertainer realized such worldwide fame. As an American icon—a king—Elvis saw during his life time his empire extend around the globe, until it encompassed even the most remotest regions, the most deepest and darkest continents, the most exotic peoples. At the time of his death, Elvis was the second most frequently reproduced image in the world. The first was Mickey Mouse. A survey asked Americans whose face they thought should be added to the four presidents on Mount Rushmore. John F. Kennedy came first. Elvis was second. There’s also a classroom for the budding study of Academic Elvis.
During the 1950s, America’s postwar cluster of young people was a massive force waiting to be mobilized. Seldom does an entertainer galvanize the unstated yen of an age and serve as the harbinger of the decade to come—the 1960s—as did Elvis Presley. And it is no less a testament to Elvis’ power as pop icon that in death he had a No. 1 single (a techno remixed version of 1968’s “A Little Less Conversation”) that raised the Nation’s consciousness of its most celebrated star. With the release of the song, this 1950s rock god ascended above the image of the velvet wall hanging that threatened to tarnish his image, saving him from being a fleshy emblem to aging beehives and leisure suits of a bygone age. Still, no matter how many remixed songs are churned out, Elvis remains what he was: the very first rock star. He was the very first superstar of the baby boomer era.
In a 1950s America so squire, so uptight, so repressed and so easily shocked, it was virtually inevitable—necessary one might say—that someone such as Elvis Presley would rock the boat. Elvis didn’t “invent” rock and roll, but he gave it teenage legitimacy creating the generation gap. He changed the course of popular music forever.
The writing was on the wall that change was coming when Elvis appeared on the Milton Berle show in 1956. This former truck driver sported long sideburns and an oversized zoot suit singing Hound Dog---thrusting not his pelvis, but his groin! “You-ain’-tah (groin thrust) nuth-in but a hound dog (groin thrust) crying’ all the time.” Elvis at first rocked the number, but suddenly he broke it off for a slow-downed bluesy “take this and suck it” raunchy rendition. And this is being done on National television in 1956!
The schism between parents and teenagers is now on the way. Middle aged drones are now calling him “Elvis the Pelvis.” In reply to critics who think he’s obscene, he makes a remark that will fill the fans with glee: “They’re all frustrated old types, anyway. I’m just natural.”
In a popular iconographic fashion, Elvis’ life divides into three acts, roughly divided by decades: live and swivel-hipped in the 1950s, on screen in the 1960s, sporting a rhinestone jumpsuit in Vegas in the 1970s. His truck driver to superstar to drug casualty life path adheres to the cautionary myth of the American dream. His death is what gave his myth its shape, its arc and trajectory. By the end of his days, when Elvis had withdrawn into Graceland in a suicidal pharmaceutical funk, that life had become shapeless and purposeless. But death reinstated it to a proper form, gave it a texture to be molded into iconic myth, the biggest the world as ever known. The King is dead—long live the King.
Mendigo, mendicante, morador de rua ou sem-abrigo é o indivíduo que vive em extrema carência material, não podendo garantir a sua sobrevivência com meios próprios. Tal situação de indigência material força o indivíduo a viver na rua, perambulando de um local a outro, recebendo o adjetivo de vagabundo, ou seja, aquele que vaga, que tem uma vida errante.
O estado de indigência ou mendicância é o mais grave dentre as diversas gradações da pobreza material.
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A vagabond is an itinerant person. Such people may be called drifters, tramps, rogues, or hobos. A vagabond is characterised by almost continuous travelling, lacking a fixed home, temporary abode, or permanent residence. Vagabonds are not bums, as bums are not known for travelling, preferring to stay in one location
Historically, "vagabond" was a British legal term similar to vagrant, deriving from the Latin for 'purposeless wandering'.[2] Following the Peasants' Revolt, British constables were authorised under a 1383 statute to collar vagabonds and force them to show their means of support; if they could not, they were jailed.[2] Under a 1495 statute, vagabonds could be sentenced to the stocks for three days and nights; in 1530, whipping was added. The assumption was that vagabonds were unlicensed beggars.
By the 19th century the vagabond was associated more closely with Bohemianism. The critic Arthur Compton-Rickett compiled a review of the type, in which he defined it as men "with a vagrant strain in the blood, a natural inquisitiveness about the world beyond their doors." Examples included Henry David Thoreau, Michael John Arthur Bujold, Walt Whitman, Leo Tolstoy, William Hazlitt, and Thomas de Quincey.[3] A notable 20th century vagabond was the Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdős.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Le vagabondage désigne communément le style de vie de celui qui vit de manière permanente sans adresse et sans emploi fixe, volontairement ou non, le « sans feu, ni lieu ». Juridiquement, le vagabond était souvent celui qui était inconnu dans l'endroit où il se trouvait, qui ne possédait aucun passeport ou autre certificat d'identité ou de bonnes mœurs, et ne pouvait se faire « avouer » (reconnaître) par quelqu'un (curé d'une autre paroisse, etc.). Le vagabondage était alors lourdement réprimé; le délit de vagabondage n'a disparu du droit français que dans les années 1990.
Le terme « vagabond » peut être utilisé, au sens péjoratif, pour représenter un sans-abri. Il peut aussi désigner celui qui part à l'aventure pour vivre une expérience de vie différente du mode de vie sédentaire; c'est pourquoi on dit qu'ils vivent de manière désordonnée, du moins en apparence. Des vagabonds célèbres ont existé, par exemple Jésus, Gandhi, Lanza Del Vasto, et d'innombrables philosophes-vagabonds. Le vagabond est celui qui décide de vivre pour une durée indéfinie sans attache, dans un but spirituel (voir Les Clochards célestes de Kérouac), social ou sous une contrainte matérielle. Au sortir de leur période vagabonde, certains d'entre eux ont produit telle ou telle œuvre, résultant de l'inspiration littéraire ou artistique découlant cette phase de vagabondage.
La fable de Jean de la Fontaine, Le Loup et Le Chien, illustre bien une situation où un vagabond l'est par choix.
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
Quotes About Shiva
Quotes tagged as "shiva" (showing 1-19 of 19)
Amish Tripathi
“Don't turn blue all over now.”
― Amish Tripathi, The Immortals of Meluha
“Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner self of all beings.”
― Anonymous,
“The faithful of Shiva or Dionysus seek contact with those forces which...lead to a refusal of the politics, ambitions and limitations of ordinary social life. This does not involve simply a recognition of world harmony, but also an active participation in an experience which surpasses and upsets the order of material life.”
― Alain Daniélou,
Renee Ahdieh
“The moment I saw him running toward you that morning, I knew you were going to save him, just as he saved you.”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Rose & the Dagger
“Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers,
things standing shall fall,
but the moving ever shall stay.”
― Basava, The Lord of the Meeting Rivers: Devotional Poems of Basavanna
Robin Rumi
“I am Shakti, as well as Shiva. I am everything male and female, light and dark, flesh and spirit. Perfectly balanced in one single moment lasting an eternity...”
― Robin Rumi, Naked Morsels: Short Stories of Spiritual Erotica
“The rich will make temples for Siva. What shall I, a poor man, do? My legs are pillars, the body the shrine, the head the cupola of gold.”
― Basava
“Lord Shiva, you my sunshine, my soul, Sivoham.”
― Usha Cosmico
Aporva Kala
“Jai Shiv shambu, shiv shankar, Jai Bhole..”
― Aporva Kala, Life... Love... Kumbh...
“When Shiva beats his DAMRU- Evil Shakes !! while the Wise Awakes!”
― True Krishna Priya, End of Humanity-3rd World War- The Great Revolution- Mass Dna Upgrade- Nwo of Yogic Elite
Sushil Singh
“i am here and now in all this Omnipresent , i am the universe.”
― Sushil Singh
Satyen Nabar
“I screwed up guys, real big time; holy great grandmother of all screw-ups!”
― Satyen Nabar, A Bolt of Lightning
Balajinnatha Pandita
“Starting from the source of vibrant Consciousness, the first two tattvas of Shaivism are (1) Shiva tattva and (2) Shakti tattva. It is important to understand at the beginning that these two tattvas are only linguistic conventions and are not actually part of creation. According to the deep yogic experience of the sages of this philosophy, there is no difference between Shiva tattva and Shakti tattva. They are both actually one with Paramasiva. They are considered to be two tattvas only for the convenience of philosophical thinking and as a way of clarifying the two aspects of the one absolute reality, Paramasiva. These two aspects are Shiva, the transcendental unity, and Shakti, the universal diversity. The changeless, absolute and pure consciousness is Shiva, while the natural tendency of Shiva towards the outward manifestation of the five divine activities is Shakti. So, even though Shiva is Shakti, and Shakti is Shiva, and even though both are merely aspects of the same reality called Paramasiva, still, these concepts of Shiva-hood and Shakti-hood are counted as the first two tattvas. These two tattvas are at the plane of absolute purity and perfect unity.
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 73.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
Balajinnatha Pandita
“The essential nature of samvit is the subtle stir of spanda. The introverted and extroverted movements of spanda cause samvit to manifest itself in both the noumenal and phenomenal aspects of creation. These two aspects of samvit are known in Shaivism as Shiva (transcendent) and Shakti (universal). Shiva and Shakti are the two names given to the monistic Absolute (Paramasiva) when it is being considered in its dual aspects of eternal and transcendent changelessness (Shiva), and the ever-changing and immanent manifestation of universal appearances (Shakti).
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 17–18.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
tags: kashmir-shaivism, paramashiva, samvit, shakti, shiva, spanda 3 likes Like
Balajinnatha Pandita
“It is important to understand that, according to Kashmir Shaivism, this analysis of all phenomena into thirty six tattvas is not an absolute truth. It has been worked out by the authors of the philosophy as a tool of understanding for the ever-active and inquiring mind and as a form for contemplative meditation. Through further analysis, the number of tattvas can be increased to any level. Similarly, through synthesis, they can be decreased down to one tattva alone. In fact this has been done in the Tantraloka, where one can find doctrines of contemplation on fifteen, thirteen, eleven, nine, seven, five, and as few as three tattvas as well. The practitioners of the Trika system use only three tattvas in the process of a quick sadhana: Shiva representing the absolute unity, Shakti representing the link between duality and unity, and Nara representing the extreme duality. [Shakti is the path through which Shiva descends to the position of Nara and the latter ascends to the position of Shiva.] Finally, a highly advanced Shiva yogin sees only the Shiva tattva in the whole of creation. However, since the contemplative practice of tattvadhvadharana used in anava upaya includes meditation on all thirty sex tattvas, that is the number commonly accepted by the Shaivas of both northern and southern India.
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 79.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
“Sivtatva’ and ‘Saktitatva’ (Lord Shiva and Holy Mother Kali) – Father’s semen in mother’s womb, both combined. Next I am born – ‘Sadasiva’ which means a continuous hilarity within my body. Next comes ‘Iswartatwa’ – Man becomes God and he is so made (One is All); ‘Sadvidyatatva’ – All these I am – All is One – I am all these, which is in action. What is that? Suppose in the spiritual world whatever will reveal within the brain will be flashed among the human race and by such phenomenon the world will get real benefit.”
― Sri Jibankrishna or Diamond
Sushil Singh
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
prayer of Five Element which i(universe) Exist.”
― Sushil Singh
“Only when you go beyond Mind, will you be able to respect the energy that inhabits us; until then you will either exploit others with your energy or will deplete your energy, leading a purposeless life!”
― Ramana Pemmaraju
Sushil Singh
“On the Sivaratri day after performing the routine, the devotee shall go to the temple of Siva and perform worship.”
― Sushil Singh
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
St Mary, East Walton, Norfolk
It was the long summer of 2016. I was out cycling fairly purposelessly in the backwaters of west Norfolk, following the narrowest, quietest lanes and occasionally remembering them from a decade before. I came to East Walton, which is well off the beaten track, a quiet village down a cul-de-sac off of the Gayton to Narborough road. We are miles away from West Walton here, and the names probably result from an early 19th Century attempt by the Post Office to tell the difference between them. St Mary is beautiful, a round tower with a pleasing, comfortable 14th century church attached. Beside it sits the ruin of the chapel of St Andrew, a couple of farmhouses, and the massive and lovely former rectory.
How idyllic the life of a minister of the Church of England must have been during the early years of the 20th century! Back in 2005, I met an old lady in the graveyard here who recalled the Rector when she was a child in the 1920s. He had just two churches in his care, this one and the similarly remote and lovely Gayton Thorpe. On a Sunday morning he'd cycle to his other church to celebrate an early communion, and then back to East Walton for Matins. Even in those days the villages weren't huge, but today there are barely a dozen people on the electoral roll here, and the Minister responsible for it has charge of five other churches.
The great round tower has a visible lean to the west, and has been bolstered and restored in the early years of the current century. The architect's drawings are on display inside. The windows are filled with lovely irregular panes of 18th century glass. And indeed, stepping into St Mary is to step into a different century, and not a medieval one, for here we have an interior which is almost entirely of the early 18th century, a time when the Church of England itself was a bit of a sleepy backwater. The brick floors are a setting for good quality box pews, which lead the eye to a three-decker pulpit in the south-east corner. It must have all looked very fine when it was first installed.
Perhaps less happily, the chancel arch, which must have been a beautiful one judging by the quality of the Decorated foliage in the bits that are visible, was filled in. A wooden archway was put in its place, and low, flat ceilings were installed. It may be that these ceilings were partly practical, to keep the heat in; but the open porch was also given one, and so it seems more likely that someone here didn't like medieval roofs.
As you may imagine, this all gives St Mary a character of its own, and I like it a lot. A sprinkling of medieval survivals - wild, grinning corbel heads, the quatrefoiled font, the flowered tympanum above the priest door in the chancel, a brass which asks us to pray for the souls of William Bacar and Margaret his wife - are adornments to this simple, lovely space. It was good to come back.
138,746 items / 1,074,415 views
Most of my pictures are moving pictures shot from cabs and auto rickshahs ,,
bald headed
barefeet
with lots of guts
live on a street
in shanty of huts
one stammers
one stutters
one bad words
loves to splurt
word to word
three against
the might
of a herd
three flock
together
like warbling
birds
now going for
hafta wasuli
from roadside
shop keepers
selling iftar fare
fruits jelly falooda
samosas bhajias
dates and custards
their body language
created this poem
three street smart
idiots
I shot these kids from a moving cab, these are kids you will find in any Muslim ghetto or locality,and Ramzan does a lot of good in controlling their bad upbringing in many cases.
I live close to a slum, and the kids almost the same age talk in a lingo laced with abusive words piciked up from the gutters of life or words that the adults use as normal bill of conversational fare , without realizing it is being picked up by the kids,
One of the most common word that begins all conversations in the slums extensively used by kids and I am not making it up, is Aye Loudey which is a dirty slang for the male member ..it is something more abusive in sound and content than dickhead,
And a few days back a person was telling me at least for a month he wont be hearing all this but he was wrong this word and others too reverberate in Muslim pockets and maybe in ghettos were other communities live too,
This was one of the reasons I stopped taking Marziya through the slums to my workplace, but I showed her how kids live for the few months we walked through this gutter of human despair.
Some words like chutiya teri bahen ka , teri ma ka are words that are part of the lexicon of life in every corner or nukkad of slum dwellings ..
You might wonder how I am writing all this, today is my 10 fast I dont keep track, I just fast, this was a subject I had kept in abeyance and the kids pictures without text I posted last night bought out all this ..
There is a marked change in the manner of kids during Ramzan whose parents have bought them up well, you see them rushing for namaz for tarabi and other religious related events.
So in a way it is ones surroundings parentage that makes the kids what they are.
Recently there was an incident that occurred at JJ Colony I did not want to give it much importance but I shall tell you in brief I had come from shooting the Bandra Station Iftar time pictures and cut across the sky walk to enter the Anjuman e Islam lane most of the people know me as thy have seen me shoot pictures and they know I am trying to popularize this lane as a Ramzan food stop.
I was taking a picture of a guy selling nan Muslim flat bread and a guy in his 40s pushed me roughly shouting at me why I was taking the bread sellers picture without permission , I had shot the same bread seller a few days back too, I was about to talk to him when he raised his hand at me, in the meantime a crowd gathered in my support and this local don just slipped away.
In normal situation I would have unleashed my fury too, but Ramzan makes us cool headed and tolerant, tolerance is the Mantra of Peace , we dont hit back fight argue our fast our meditation I am always carrying my prayer beads along with my camera.'
So when I read 60 soldiers killed or some more persons or child killed in Kashmir it breaks my hearts and I know it breaks your heart too, why not show restrain in this cherished noble month that is attributed as Gods own month beats me.
And three kids can in one image unfold so many emotions locked up in silence when I first shot them and now a perpetual text and way of life through a stray thought,
This is a blog it needs no agenda , it maybe purposeless to those who dont understand the street imagery and young urchins on the roads,
So it is not a just picture I shot the criteria of a photographer but I shot an emotional process the only forked path where a blog and photo journalism part ways.
Bloggers are known as failed writers burnt out writers I have no pretensions of becoming a writer and my audience is the man a little more fairer than me I write for him , this is my mind set from the time I became a blogger I wrote for my Buzznet friends Benn Bell and the rest of them , I still write for them but I am lucky some more read me at Facebook and Twitter where I pimp my blogs .
And now it includes the brilliant and witty bloggers from Indi Bloggers too.. and I am mature content in my use of cuss words so use your discretion ,,,
I think we are all grown ups and if you have not grown up wake up and read the Times of India where a child slits his step fathers throat or a ten year old buy rapes a five year old girl..or a twelve year old girl implicates her teacher of rape and molestation for failing her in class and I can go on but I wont..
And I dont know call me a monolithic moron but trusting your pre pubescent daughter or ward with a male tutor without a responsible person in the house is asking for trouble , even tutors carry their libido in gonads that are bigger than a childs school bag that hangs on their back.
You get the gist..
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
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Logan Morse and a newcomer ABF Board of Directors break the hearts of Valley families especially the Children when they move to terminate the historic and long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant after 88 years ? Directors show no remorse, only saying that bold action was needed to improve, evolve and bring the pageant up to their modern standards ? www.pressreader.com/canada/annapolis-valley-register/2023...
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A quick review of the notorious hostile takeover bid and attempt to extract the 2017 Kentville Grand Street Parade away from its natural home in the town of Kentville ?
February, 2017 - With only 3 months to go and parade planning and preparations well underway as per usual for the upcoming 2017 edition of Kentville Grand Street Parade, parade officials were suddenly caught totally off-guard and absolutely blindsided by the shocking news coming from out of nowhere that current ABF Management who are in charge of the festival have made a final decision in private that will take Grand Street Parade away from its historic 85-year old home in Kentville ? They would then relocate it to a new and different location of their choice ? Apparently, they had already taken it away from Kentville and moved it to New Minas without consultation, written or verbal notice, or permission ? And so it seemed that a group of rather uncaring, arrogant, covertly operating, and inconsiderate ABF Officials with radical new ideas had ignored the town of Kentville's interests and ignored 87 years of tradition and (incredibly) taken the 2017 annual Grand Street Parade ( and even future Parades ) away without consultation, notice or permission ? Drastic location changes and even the elimination of other longtime events and attractions that are always held in Kentville such as the Friday night outdoor show and fireworks, the Memorial Park Wednesday and Thursday displays with Valley student participation and numerous attractions, the bringing in of popular outside bands, and even the famous historic Kentville Children's Parade were all targeted by this group for cut-back or even elimination ? Radical changes in the Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition including gender, contestant rules, location of crowning ceremony, and changes in overall competition format were also discussed ? These ABF Officials defended secretive, inconsiderate and authoritarian type actions by claiming that as stewards of the festival they are entitled and obliged to uphold the integrity of the festival ? (integrity ? ) They later changed stories saying they were left with no choice due to Kentville's inability to prove they can successfully host such a large Parade event, ( Kentville has hosted this parade for the last 85 years ),and also because the people in charge of Grand Street Parade were unprofessional, indifferent and uncooperative ?
And so it came to be that a newly elected Mayor and Council in its infancy were suddenly confronted with perhaps the most serious challenge ever to be faced by the town of Kentville ever since the tragic loss of their major transportation sources, that being the loss of the railway in 1989, and then the shocking loss of aviation in 2014 when the Town CAO and the Warden and Council conspired to close out Waterville municipal Airport and evict all businesses and tenants ? This new challenge came in the form of a surprise and pernicious attack on Kentville's most beloved local commercial attraction, that being the Grand Street Parade ? The surprise attack came from an unfamiliar and unfriendly source that seemed inconsiderate, disrespectful and even a tad opportunistic when considering that Kentville had just finished installing a brand new Mayor and rookie Council ? When the newly elected Mayor Snow, was suddenly swarmed by so much news of so many harsh and deceitful actions that had already taken against her town's best interests, the shocked and disbelieving Mayor said she was overwhelmed, heartbroken and called these actions unprecedented, disrespectful and unacceptable when she commented to the local media ? All citizens agreed that any attack on Kentville's most popular and well known outdoor world class event without the courtesy of an invitation, negotiation, inclusion or consultation is unacceptable ? Needless to say, the biggest losers of all were the good citizens of Kentville who have contributed so much over the last 90 years years going back to the thirties and forties when the CNR train would bring guests to stay at the Cornwallis Inn ? The Town has invested enormous amounts of time, energy and resources into the creation of this world-famous event that continually draws a hundred or more thousand visitors.
All of our Valley towns take great pride and look forward to their individual town festivals with an emphasis placed on their yearly local parade. The citizens of Kentville are no different. And so now it appears that although Towns like Kingston, Hantsport, Wolfville, Windsor, Berwick, Canning, Greenwood etc. never have to worry about someone coming along and hijacking their yearly community parade or otherwise taking it away, the citizens of Kentville have to face the troubling prospect of losing their annual town parade without notice to an outside party and a loss of many years of time, energy, town resources, manpower, and all the other general services and contributions put forth by residents over the past years in order to create this world class event ?
The current 2017 ABF board of Directors is led by Angela Pelton and Alxys Chamberlain (Queen Annapolisa 2015), with Barb Madic, Heidi Scotney-Kinsman, John Patterson, Katie Gordon, Krista Morine, Linda Keddy, Logan Morse, Sarah Griffiths, and Steffany Cox-Lingard ?
news clippings :
Frustration growing in Kentville, N.S. over Apple Blossom parade change CTV Atlantic atlantic.ctvnews.ca/frustration-growing-in-kentville-n-s-...
Kings County Councilor Emma Van Rooyen calls for the de-funding of the Apple Blossom Festival
atlantic.ctvnews.ca/apple-blossom-festival-competition-di...
JULY 14, 2023 - Valley Pride workshops, drag performances, and more events planned for Kentville and Wolfville over the weekend.
globalnews.ca/video/9832465/first-official-pride-festival...
CTV Jan. 23, 2017 " A long-standing N.S. festival opens competition to all gender identities"
www.ctvnews.ca/canada/long-standing-n-s-festival-opens-co...
ABF 2022 - Princess competition and Queen Annapolisa pageant to be postponed this year ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52076239848/in/datepos...
New Minas agrees to host the parade after approached by festival organizers ! Protest Petition is started !
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/apple-blossom-festival...
Kentville will host the Apple Blossom parade after all
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/kentville-gets-apple-b...
No Smoking allowed in KVille, but drinking, gambling and smoking pot are encouraged ? Maders tobacconist in downtown Kentville is celebrating 50 years in business,,
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/9344935900
may 2023 = Kids welcome at an all-age Drag show to be held at the Kings Arms in Kentville,,
www.nsbuzz.ca/life/kentville-all-ages-drag-show-draws-pro...
A protest against an all-age drag show at the Kings Arms ends peacefully in Kentville,
www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/communities/a-celebration-of...
Lunenburg - Now Queen is a bad name ? Lunenburg recently changed the name of Cornwallis Street to Queen Street. Queen was first choice of all those in a survey taken to select a new street name. But the town received another complaint from the local anti-racism committee saying they are upset by a democratic decision that would replace one colonial street name (Cornwallis) with another, (Queen ) ?
www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/ns-town-that-changed-cornwa...
Nov 16 2023 - Apple Blossom Princesses call for a return of Queen Annapolisa,
www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/former-apple...
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2022 :
* Update 2022 Update * This year's ABF won't be the same as the others ? For the first time ever in a long illustrious history, this ABF will be missing the better half of the Festival, that being, the coveted Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition and the coronation and crowning ceremony in Wolfville ? All have been postponed ? Bad news indeed for aspiring young participants, for our local communities, for the Festival itself, and for all patrons and sponsors. Perhaps the current board of Directors should focus more attention on their job of actually holding the event rather than arguing about inclusion and entrance ? We look forward to next years pageant ? It also looks like the Directors this year are not prepared to make the necessary expenditures needed to bring in outside guest performers for the Friday night concert (or for a big-name Saturday night concert ) as was always the case in previous years when bands like Eddy's Basement, or various guest Tribute Bands, or the Barra McNiels, K D Lang, Michelle Wright, and many others were brought in to entertain Wednesday Thursday or Friday night Memorial Park audiences ?
It seems that ABF Officials are emphasizing the word 'free' in advertisements this year ? The ABF events they advertise as free have always been free ? Is this promotion or the pointing out of the 'free' idea mean there are plans in the future to begin charging Kentville citizens for events that have always been free in the past, such as Grand Street Parade or the Friday night Memorial Park entertainment and Fireworks ? It seems more likely that if they were ever to repeat this year's lackluster bare minimum effort of our World famous festival that they may have to start paying patrons to attend ?
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Following a 2 year absence due to Covi,, the 2022 Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival. (and Parade) will be held as per usual this year.. Unfortunately the Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition has had to be postponed until next year due to time constraints.
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Shocking news from ABF,
* There's been a stunning development at ABF. *
Apparently in a new younger generation there are those who harbor resentment towards our nations history, for English colonialism, and even for the Monarchy ? Other minority groups have voiced discontent over the diversity and inclusion issue ? And so it seems that the current ABF Board of Directors has listened to the concerns and complaints of a few small minority groups while apparently ignoring and excluding the overwhelming majority of Valley residents ? And it appears that this current Board of Directors chose to resolve such discontent by simply moving to implement and execute the nuclear option and the final solution ? And therefore after a highly successful lengthy run of 87 consecutive years in a row, the extremely anticipated, very popular, family oriented, inclusive and diverse, multi village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant along with the prestigious Royal Coronation crowning ceremonies held in Wolfville have all been terminated forever by this current board of Directors ?
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-----------------------It's The End of an Era-----------------------------
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."
Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival 2023 - ABF Board of Directors has announced drastic new changes in format and even deeper cut-backs to the annual People's Festival ? Concerns over ceremony, symbolism, the monarchy and colonialism, along with some complaints over inclusion and diversity may have had an influence on the current ABF board of Directors and they have seen a need to update the long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess pageant in order to bring it up to a standard they view as being more relevant to the current times ? And so the Directors must have held an extremely private 'think tank' last Winter, and without notifying, caring, considering or consulting with any of the long time participating Valley communities, they had decided that rather than trouble themselves any further with this pesky issue, why not just take the easy way out and simply get rid of it ? And so it seems they made a final decision in private last Winter and moved to execute the final and fatal solution to their problem by ordering that the iconic 87 year old Pageant competition be immediately shut down and terminated forever ? And therefore, as a result of an uninclusive and uncontested decision made in private, one of the longest running, popular, identifiable, well known, highly anticipated, most inclusive and diverse, proud all family events that has ever benefited Valley residents of every age, has just been taken away ?
This unconditional act of finality will now end the long running 88 year reign of her royal Heinous Queen Annapolisa and will terminate all participation of the 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princess contestants and their child attendants that represent 7 to 10 local Valley communities ? It will also mean the end of the many beautiful hand crafted award winning Princess floats that always highlight Grand Street Parade, and it will also signal the end of the ultra glamorous Queen and Ladies-in-waiting Crowning ceremonies held annually and televised each year from Acadia University in Wolfville ? This also puts an end to the many popular community Princess Tea events, and also ends all Royal Party visitations to local Schools, hospitals and old folks homes that are so welcome and appreciated by Students, Seniors and shut-ins ? This also signals the end of Royal Party appearances at Kentville Children's Parade, at the Memorial Park Friday night open air concert and fireworks, and all Royal attendances at many other events held annually throughout the Valley and the Province ?
It appears now that current ABF Officials led by President Logan Morse along with Kentville town rep Lindsey Young have not only interrupted the Pageant in 2022 when they temporarily postponed it, but have now in 2023 moved to terminate this prestigious event forever explaining that their radical decision has been made to improve, include, modernize and evolve the famed beauty pageant ? This final act of termination ends almost 90 years of royal pageantry and also leaves a huge gap in the Festival itself ? It will also negatively affect so many of the nearby Valley communities who always participate and enter contestants in the Pageant ? The ending of such an important multiple community event and the taking away of the better half and Star of the Apple Blossom Festival brings forth the question of what replacement is planned, and what are local towns and villages that always play major roles in both the Queen and Princess competition suppose to do now ? And what about Valley youth and the childhood dreams of one day becoming a child attendant or an Apple Blossom Princess or even a Queen ?
You have to marvel at the level of ego and disrespect shown by this latest Board of Directors who have dared appoint themselves as the ones that will end the Pageant and then to think that Valley residents are stupid enough to believe that by cancelling and taking away a cherished and long running event, that they have in some perverted way of thinking moved the Valley forward or improved and modernized anything ? It seems far more likely that they have taken the Valley on a giant step backwards and they have robbed the people of a much beloved, long running, multi community, all inclusive, local production that has always been a highly anticipated all Valley highlight for the past almost 90 consecutive years ?
Why current ABF Management who have applied themselves to be the stewards who are in charge and responsible for the promotion and presentation of this event, appear as unable to perform their duties and do the job they are compensated to do and do what their predecessors have always done so well before them each and every year for the past 87 years often in far more trying circumstances and in far less prosperous times, is hard to understand ? And you have to wonder, Whatever happened to the # 1 rule in business that says that if you can't do the job because of inexperience, immaturity, inability, incompetency, bias, or just plain stupidity, then,, You're all FIRED ! (and a Class action recovery suit may be forthcoming ?)
ABF news updates :
ABF news updates :
Logan Morse and a newcomer ABF Board of Directors break the hearts of Valley families especially the Children when moving to terminate the historic and long running Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess Pageant after 88 years ? Directors show no remorse, only saying that bold action was needed to improve, evolve and bring the pageant up to their modern standards ? www.pressreader.com/canada/annapolis-valley-register/2023...
May 26, 2023 - We Are the Ones. An unusual degree of disrespect shown when the long running all Valley Peoples Pageant is cancelled without either of consideration or consultation ? A modern generation of newcomer ABF Directors with bold new ideas have apparently proclaimed themselves to be the generation that will interrupt and then permanently end 88 years of wonderful multi Valley village Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess enjoyment ?
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/apple-blossom-festival...
Annapolis Valley families are in shock and children cry upon learning their beloved Queen Annapolisa Pageant has been cancelled without notice, consultation, consideration or compassion ? Newcomer Directors say they are taking this bold action to improve, evolve and modernize the historic Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival ? www.saltwire.com/atlantic-
Valley residents lose a long time major public yearly entertainment event after the ever popular ABF Greenwood Airshow is terminated and will be no more. Fast forward to Aug 24, 2024, and corporate greed ? Air Show Atlantic Inc. now charges big bucks to see taxpayer owned aircraft at a taxpayer owned airport in a far inferior airshow ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52345513615
Kentville IS the Cornwallis Inn and the Cornwallis Inn IS Kentville ! If you were to google the 2 words Cornwallis Inn you will get over 600,000 entries with almost all of them married to the word Kentville.. (what a great promotional tool) . The world famous Cornwallis Inn is the source of many fond memories for all local and Valley residents.. "It was the centre of everything’: The past and present of Kentville’s iconic Cornwallis Inn"
www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/lifestyles/it-was-the-centre...
Kentville, an identity crisis. Help, Is there a Superhero out there to save Kentville from the newconers ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/51811175986/in/album-7...
The controversial 2017 Grand Street Parade - Has Kentville once again been the target of exploitation ? After Warden Brothers, (Greenwood ) and Liberal MP L Glavine (Kingston) had all but hijacked Waterville Airport and then relocated it to their own home riding in the Kingston/Greenwood area, it seems that the town of Kentville must face yet another attack from the Kingston area when Alxys Chamberlain, the Kingston Apple Blossom Princess, and ABF Directors attempt to take yet another major source of revenue and major attraction away from the town of Kentville ?
Et tu, Madama Chamberlain ? The unconscionable attempted hijacking and subsequent recovery of Kentvilles's most beloved yearly event ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/18506181065
2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade - Disregard for safety shown as unrestrained Senior citizens are precariously perched atop an unshaded, no sided, stop and go, large unstable jerking motion moving platform ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53900780519/in/album-7...
Exploiting a Queen for a photo op ? Politicians at the official opening of the 2023 Apple Blossom Festival pretend that there's still a Pageant while knowing full well that Queen Annapolisa has been terminated forever and will no longer be a part of this Festival ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/53755100811/in/album-7...
2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade ABF stewards defy Trudeau's call for diversity and inclusion ? Many nearby local Valley towns and villages that always normally attend are now excluded from the parade ? This exclusion also means an absence of the diversity provided from the attendance of these many local communities ? Where is Canning, Digby, Annapolis Royal, Hantsport Greenwood, Windsor ? Where's Queen Annapolisa ? Where's the Apple Blossom Princesses and all of the individual Town floats including Princess Kentville ? To view the complete 2023 Kentville Grand Street Parade press here, www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie www.dailymotion.com/video/x8lchie
89th Kentville Grand Street Parade May 27th 2023,, It's the sad ending of an Era ? ABF Organizers take away tremendous diversity when all Royal proceedings have been excluded from this years festival, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52934419451
Facebook, Friends of Kentville - The site Administrator, a new arrival from PEI, says she wants to see Kentville as the queerest town in all of Nova Scotia ? www.facebook.com/groups/2588266877982288
Will a drag Queen replace an apple blossom Queen in Kentville ? www.nsbuzz.ca/life/kentville-all-ages-drag-show-draws-pro...
Nov 16 2023 - Apple Blossom Princesses call for a return of Queen Annapolisa,
www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/communities/former-apple...
The Town of Kentville has moved to cut back and eliminate many hours of public outdoor entertainment that were held as a part of the Apple Blossom Festival ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/52094784785
A medley of the guest Tribute bands that have performed at Memorial Park Kentville - Always free of charge in the past at the Apple Blossom Festival : Petty Larceny, Fleetwod Mix, Keep the Faith, Stones Tribute, Green River Revival, Viscious, Eddy's Basement, Matt Minglewood,
www.dailymotion.com/video/x5hqti9
Mean corporate greed is shown by the newcomer ABF directors in this years Apple Blossom Festival ? Instead of providing a free guest Tribute band at the free Memorial Park Friday night concert, it will now cost 50.00 pp to see the 'Queen tribute band' performance. that's 50.00 per ticket in 2025 ? acadiau.universitytickets.com/
A Scrooge-like cheap Town of Kentville rips off its own citizens (and right at Apple Blossom Festival time) ? Cold capitalism shown by Town of Kentville and by the newcomer ABF management ? Citizens burdened with an out of pocket expense of TWENTY DOLLARS each just to attend an outdoor street dance held downtown on taxpayer owned property during Apple Blossom Festival ? Is there no sense of shame ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54546051832/in/photost...
She's Ruined It ! Our great Festival is no longer even recognizable ? How could anyone take a world class event and turn it into something that can only be described as stupid ? President Erica Gillis has to be the worst ever ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54493011308/in/dateposted
2025 Kentville Grand Street Parade - A brief 45-minute and a very limited and compacted Kentville Grand Street Parade this year ? Zero large marching street bands and majorettes invited other than 1 mini version of the standard RCMP entrée, No Sottish pipers or pipe bands, zero in Royalty or their famous royal floats, Most of the regular nearby Valley village participants weren't here, Zero horses or wagons, No armaments, soldiers, bands or displays from the Aldershot military or Greenwood, etc etc, ? And yet the Guest parade announcer proclaims in quote @ 29:17, " this parade is the largest in Canada, incl Toronto - it's the longest with the largest route and has the most entries. " Wha-a-a-t, where did she come from and what is she talkin about ?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQuaIdrQi00
Mayor in Kentville Grand Street Parade - A new Royal rider rolls down Main Street aboard the Kentville Apple Blossom Princess float ? This year the newcomer Mayor graces the royal throne. 'Somebody get that king a crown and scepter '
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54557663677/in/dateposted
they've ruined it part 2 ? May 31st, 2025 Grand Street Parade - From 100,000 down to 10,000, Parade attendance shrinks to all time low, www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54568017261/in/photost.... Also see, They've ruined the Festival and the Parade too ?
ABF Directors may disapprove and may have terminated the beloved Queen Annapolisa pageant and the multiple village Apple Blossom Princess competition but Valley residents will always admire, support, respect and remain fond of the British Monarchy. The majority of Valley citizens are delighted to hear that his Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla are invited and will be coming for a royal visit to Canada on May 26 and 27, 2025. This year's incomplete and now Royalty-less ABF starts on the 28th, www.cbc.ca/news/politics/king-charles-canada-visit-1.7524946
The long proud history of past Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess winners has been removed from sight and erased from the official Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival website ? A special honorary history page dedicated to previous Queen Annapolisa winners from 1933 thru 2019 has been taken down and apparently replaced with jumbo size portraits of the newcomer President and other ABF directors who have taken over and ruined the world famous Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival ? www.appleblossom.com/history/past-queens
Meet the directors,
May 30th, 2025 - a 20 dollar hamburger and a ride on the bouncycastle ? High level security enforcement brought in for this years ABF Memorial Park Friday night rock concert ? ( must have taken up most of the budget ) ? Town of Kentville brings in outside police, closes roads, and sets up security perimiter with manned guard posts to provide tightened security for their Friday night Memorial Park Apple Blossom outdoor concert that in the past had always featured guest rock bands, interesting displays, and a Royal visit following the glamorous coronation ceremony in Wolfville, but has now been cut down to some kind of an outdoor romper room type family show featuring food trucks, fireworks, air blown bouncy jumpers and minimal live local entertainment on the main stage ? It has been reported that a parking violator was successfully apprehended thanks to the upgraded crowd control security and strict traffic control hired by the Board for this occasion ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54558198569
May 30th, 2025 Memorial Park Kentville - Seniors and those with disabilities are made to walk long distances in order to reach this year's disappointing ABF Friday night outdoor rock Concert that didn't bring in a rock band, (nor much of anything else) ? www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54558198569/in/photost...
Oct 4th, 2025 - Kentville Harvest Festival Centre Square, A disappointing harvest festival this year that forgot about hayrides, pumpkin people making, the harvest and the farmer ?https://www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54835089011/in/photostream/
Upgrade 2025 ? taken from the front of Phinneys dept store - a massive expenditure is budgeted for a major upgrade to the Mayor's business backyard - Downtown Kentville Webster Street gets a complete and total beautification makeover with new installations of street paving, paint, new sidewalks both sides, driveway entrances, and new curb and gutter both sides ? All the other streets that surround the Phinneys' downtown business block have also been upgraded including Aberdeen Street, Cornwallis Street, and Main Street ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/54835340734/in/photost...
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An Identity Crisis ;
Can an identity crisis be looming in the town of Kentville ?
A proud, neighborly salt of the earth working class community with generous hard working friendly citizens and a rich historic Railroad, agriculture and farming background is losing many of its longtime local traditions, themes and trademarks while elected Town officials, many of them new arrivals, just stand still, watch, and even enable ? Having always been identified as a main Provincial railroad center ever since the old Dominion Rail days dating back to 1869, the town has since lost all of its passenger and freight train rail service in and out including a modern passenger Dayliner service that traveled back and forth to Halifax every day ? And after the railway had been shut down it seemed they couldn't clear out the now useless brand new station, dig up the tracks and demolish the old roundhouse fast enough ? And so now, in what seems to be cruel mockery, the only railroading in Kentville left over from past glory days and from what was once the largest and most important and active railroad center west of Halifax, is just an old and faded hand painted train mural etched onto the weather beaten side of one of the downtown business establishments ?
Unfortunately the loss of the railway wasn't the last humiliating major transportation loss forced on the people of a small rural town as Kentville was soon to become even more isolated from the outside World when for no apparent logical, rational or reasonable reason the aviation community at Waterville municipal Airport CCW3 were told to get out when they had done nothing wrong and had no where else to go ? This long time invaluable contributor to the local area economy was lost when an established municipal airport, a well known Canadian sky diving facility, and an internationally known pilot training and licensing academy, and many privately owned aircraft with local owners, and many other established aviation businesses were told to get out ? The cold hearted eviction also left our young Air Cadets over at Camp Aldershot without a base to train on and so now the next generation has to grow up without their nearby aviation training and education facility ?
And so, a group of out-of-towners that mostly don't even live in this community had transformed an active thriving local Aviation business center that had taken decades to build and establish, into a barren and useless place where unsupervised Michelin children now ride bikes and dodge weeds poking their heads thru a deteriorating asphalt runway that was once a platform for private and commercial aircraft to fly in and out of the local area on a daily basis ? To add salt to the wound, this unwarranted calculated forced closure and loss of a vital member of the local economy was to be hailed by the executioners at Kings Council, ( and also by the prestigious Ivany Report Committee ) as being a bold and brilliant business decision that will greatly improve and benefit the local area ?
After months of homelessness and uncertainty over the future, a few evicted tenants found new sites elsewhere and relocated at their own expense to start all over again, while others just quit, while others were finally redirected to a new location in Greenwood which just happened by chance to be the Kings Council County Warden's home riding ? And so, in the end this devastating loss for Kentville and local area became a windfall for the Kingston Greenwood area, and, Kentville was left to carry on without either a Railway or an Airport ?
When the original KCA town School closed down, existing high school students were separated from their home school and had to be bused to the nearby town of Canning ? This would leave only the Grade 1 to 8 age groups to now identify Kentville as their home school, an education reality that still exists in Kentville ? There is no longer a movie theater in Kentville as the downtown movie theater has been closed forever, and the popular Edge sports bar, eatery and pool hall also closed down and never replaced ? Harvey's Hamburgers drive thru closed down and it never was replaced ? The longtime bowling alley in New Minas was bought out by developers, torn down, and replaced with a business office complex ? We lost the local salvage, reclamation and disposal site in South Alton when ordered shut down by the Provincial Government, but these same people who shut it down never ever offered to replace it with another leaving the community without this vital facility ? One day a portion of roof blew off the long time town funeral home and it never re-opened leaving only one such establishment left in town ? And, just as the citizens of Kentville were learning that both the Apple Blossom Princess and the Queen Annapolisa pageants were to be cancelled after 87 consecutive years, at the same time there was an all age Drag Queen show getting ready to entertain at the Kings Arms Pub in a total flip flop from the popular Irish Rovers or Scottish pipers that most Kentville citizens identify with at this time of year ? Numerous local restaurants and small businesses have all come and gone - mostly gone - and the main town supermarket Jasons IGA had a fire and was forced to close down for over a year so there was no supermarket to provide groceries for the local citizens ? The ever popular multi venue Wandlyn Inn burned down with all venues now lost to the community ? It wasn't replaced after the fire and now there's just a fast food MacDonald's take out to replace all of Wandlyn's many facilities including hotel rooms, indoor swimming pool, whirlpool and sauna, nightclub, dual convention centers and dual restaurants ? Not a very good exchange for the community ?
The traditional July 1st Canada Day town sponsored party event of fun, food,speeches and local entertainment held each year at the wading Pool was curtailed by the Town due to budget considerations ? And so now, if you want to enjoy July 1st entertainment or fireworks you have to go to New Minas, Hantsport or Berwick ? Access to clean drinking water is well known as one of the most identifiable entitlements provided by a town ? Billions are currently being spent by the Canadian taxpayer to provide First Nations people with free safe drinking water ? Yet the Kentville water commission charges the customer 10,000 dollars just to turn their town water on at roadside ? And then after this rather large up front financial layout paid for by the brand new customer, he will still have to pay for all of his yard trenching and household plumbing work ? And in return for this large initial forced surcharge, the valued new customer will be rewarded with a water bill courtesy of the town of Kentville each month hereafter ?
They even managed to take away Kentville's most famous of all and most instantly identifiable town landmark in the hotel name Cornwallis Inn ? Cornwallis Inn is a well known trademark hotel name that is synonymous World wide with the name of Kentville, and this name represents a multitude of fond memories for the local area residents and for other residents living all over the Valley ? It was hard to understand why the Town would ever allow this historic name to change,, and also hard to understand why a previous Town of Kentville planning dept would ever allow subsidized apartment units to be built onto the side of such a respected Town centerpiece and also block the access lane to the rear parking lot while doing it ? The Cornwallis Inn will always be an important Valley landmark and a future protected Canadian heritage site ?
They have even changed well known identifiable names of some Streets and even the local traffic bridge traversing the Cornwallis River ? And so now many local residents and delivery drivers don't know what they're talking about when these stupid new names are used ? This name change is especially hard on Kentville's Seniors who can become confused with such absurd name changes and has in some cases, created safety hazards ?
In 2017 ABF Directors tried to move Kentville's 87 year old yearly Grand Street Parade to different location in the Valley, and the town was forced to claw and battle its way just to get its own local yearly parade returned back home to them after hosting it for the last 90 years ? And in yet another major step backwards that same year, ABF and the Town decided to cease and desist all public ABF Wednesday, Thursday and weekends of fun, food, music, displays, amusements, local student performances, etc. etc. held at Memorial Park during the Apple Blossom festival week ? No explanation was given and no replacement or apology was ever offered by the Town for such a devastating loss to be absorbed by the citizens of Kentville ? Kentville has now lost its most identifiable of all citizens, that being their beloved Apple Blossom Princess Kentville, when newcomer ABF Directors had shown an uncommon degree of disrespect, as well as their disregard and insensitivity when presuming to appoint themselves as the ones entitled to end the long running iconic 88 year old iconic Queen Annapolisa and Apple Blossom Princess competition ? This termination means all public Royal party appearances including the Princess Teas, Kentville Children's Parade, all Royal visitations to schools, shut-ins, Seniors, and hospital attendances that are normally made by Queen Annapolisa and the Royal Princesses are now cancelled and no longer take place ?
In 2022 the Kentville Grand Street Parade was quite understandably very limited and downsized following the 2 previous Covi year cancellations, but this year's 2023 effort wasn't much better ? The immense contribution and the wonderful diversity supplied by nearby Valley communities from Windsor to Digby was no longer included in the Parade ? Apple Blossom royalty and all Princess floats were no longer included in the Parade ? And many local residents expressed disappointment when Apple Blossom Princess Kentville and her child attendant were no longer seen or to be included in the Town Parade ? It seemed that Kentville had lost yet another identifiable citizen and wonderful Ambassador that always performed her official duties including advertising, promoting the town and representing Kentville with charm, grace, dignity, talent and beauty wherever she went ?
After the long running 3 consecutive Apple Blossom weekdays of afternoon and evening mid week entertainment at the Park were all cancelled and Apple Blossom Week entertainment was cut down to a bare bone single Friday night affair, ( which btw will no longer include the highlight of the evening Royal Party visitation and rock music by Eddy's Basement ), it seems Officials were still unsatisfied and found yet another way to take away even more ? And this year they want to charge inflation stressed locals a fee to see entertainers like Matt Minglewood and Kevin Davison at private shows when in the past these entertainers appeared on a public stage free of charge ? Cut backs were also apparent in fireworks, (which btw will no longer be started by Queen Annapolisa at her official Royal Party visitation to the Park following Coronation ceremonies in Wolfville) ?
And so, in summing up, the citizens of Kentville are frustrated with cutbacks, the many steps backwards, and the cancellations and closures that never seem to be replaced once gone ? Both the Provincial Railway and municipal Airport are now permanently closed down and even Acadia Van lines inter provincial bus transit no longer stops ? The Wandlyn Inn complex and all of its popular hotel and restaurant services were lost by fire and never replaced ? Extreme cut backs were made to the historic Apple Blossom Festival that saw a week long fun filled period of public entertainment at Memorial Park reduced to one minimal Friday night affair followed the next day by a shortened mundane parade of less than an hour ? Concerns also remain about the absence of an in-Town High School for Teens, the loss of a key funeral home, the loss of the Pool Hall, the absence of a movie theater, the loss of Harveys drive thru burgers, the loss of one of the 2 dt Tim Hortons, the loss of the dt pizza parlor, the loss of Chinese food take out, the loss of the local fruit and vegetable market, the absence of a 7/24 convenience store, the closure of the bakery, and also the loss of the local disposal site when no replacement was ever offered by the Government that shut it down ? There was also the shocking cancellation and heartbreaking termination of her royal heinous the Apple Blossom Princess Kentville and the end of the pretigious Acadia U Coronation ceremonies in Wolfville ? There was also the erasing of, and then the changing of the name of Kentville's biggest most identifiable internationally known Cornwallis Inn name logo that is instantly recognizable world wide and symbolically married for decades to the Town name of Kentville ? There remains the problem of a serious local shortage of rental rooms and local dining spots for tourists created when the Wandlyn hotel complex burned down and when not one of these many hospitality, business, tourist, restaurant, hotel, night club, and recreational venues were ever replaced ?
And now, in a more recent issue, we are seeing more and more small businesses located all over the Valley that have not only provided local employment but also served as popular meet and greet gathering spots for friends and neighbors for years and years now, changing hands after being bought out and turned over to total strangers that are not from Halifax or from N.S. nor even Canada but have come here from another Continent ? A strange new phenomenon of foreign take-overs has arrived in the Valley that includes replacing the management, assuming full control of the business and taking over the labor force of many traditional Valley fast food, gas, and coffee businesses ? Some of these now include : the Petrocan in New Minas, many Valley Tim Hortons, the Subway, KFC, DQ, Burger King, and the Mary Brown's in New Minas to name a few ? And in another concern, because many newcomer employees are unfamiliar with the currency it is advisable to count your change carefully if paying by cash ? There are also some indications that nepotism is now being shown in the hiring of employees once these establishments are taken over by new foreign management, and that our local students can't get Summer jobs any more ? Another major local employer, Eassons Trucking, also seems affected by the current influx of new foreign workers with some reports of untrained, unlicensed, unqualified, (and Government subsidized) drivers behind the wheel, and rumors of some units with multiple drivers on board having a hole drilled in the floor of the sleeper cabin to accommodate a long piece of ABS plumbing pipe used to transfer raw shidzen sewage directly from the interior of the truck down onto the open highway below to avoid pit stops at the Big Stop ?
And, from the looks of a recent Town municipal election, most candidates that ran are relatively new to this area and as such might be unfamiliar with the Town's long time traditions, customs, character, and past history ? Some candidates had even naively described the town as a kind of happy go lucky, blissful, Hallmark or Who-ville movie set place that is teaming with busy villagers and joyful munchkins frolicking up and down picturesque cobblestone streets lined by colorful quaint shops and internationally known boutiques and eateries which does not present an accurate description of the Town ?
And apparently the new Mayor who is also a new local business owner, appears to have befriended ex- Kings County Warden Brothers who doesn't live in Kentville but resides in the Kingston/Greenwood area and who had previously sold out Kentville when leading the charge to shut down and evict the local municipal Airport, the well known skydiving academy, the international flight training academy and many other prosperous Waterville airport aviation businesses ? And then there's the Mayors' recent New Year's message of congratulating himself on enlarging the size of his downtown retail store and expressing his own personal happiness over a new (taxpayer funded) installation of a brand new sidewalk in front of it, but failing to mention town issues like the terrible poverty and youth unemployment, the drug problems, the cost of living crisis, the homeless problem, the devastating cancellation of the historic Princess Kentville competition, the vacationers concerns about no place to stay, and the much needed indoor town recreation facility, (no one wants to get their daily exercise by hiking down crude outdoor trails while attacked by mosquitos or witnessing a homeless user shoot up in the privacy of the forest) ? There was also the recent eradication of the Apple Blossom Festival and decimation of the world famous Grande Street Parade ? And there's also the current Town housing crisis, the high increases in rent, and the alarming rate of downtown business failures, and also the need to honor Kentvilles glorious past railroading history with a museum and outdoor display of some sort ? Adding to this there appears to be a newly elected Town Council that has immediately started to cancel and cut back on important traditional town public events when, ( due to a drop of rain ) they cancelled this year's Military march-on and (best in the area) outdoors Remembrance Day ceremonies traditionally held at the Memorial Cenotaph on Park Street ? There was also this years' poor presentation of a Grande Street Parade and one unsafe situation in the newcomer Parade where normal residents (incl Seniors) were seen perched precariously aboard a stop and go, open air, jerking motion, no sided vehicle without restraining devices, water or protection from the sun ? There was also the ridiculous changing of many of the long time well known town names including the most famous of them all the Cornwallis Inn ? There's also the local residents plea to 'bring our high school students back home again' , and some complaints about the Town failure to provide public outdoor entertainment events exceeding the grade school level ? There was also the controversy over the hanging up of the biggest pride flag money can buy above the main entrance to the honored heritage site Cornwallis Inn, and of course, there was also the recent down town flood crisis ? The mayor did not address the question of why a Provincial Government would force the local reclamation and disposal site to permanently close down its operation and then those who caused this major loss, did not offer to replace it but just left the area without such a facility ? And, there was no mention of the need for an inquiry into the exorbitant five figure fee charged to the customer by Kentville water commission just to turn water on at the road ? And there are also concerns over the recent rash of sudden and unopposed takeovers of small businesses by newly arrived foreigners from Asia when locals here can't find work ? And what about growing concerns over the recent issue of the formation of an exclusive Ontarioville newcomer type town growing within an already established town ? There were also many concerns over the Spring pothole epidemic that had made some of the streets unfit to drive on, at a time when a brand new double lane sidewalk was being installed in front of Phinneys that was smooth as a baby's bum ?? And then there was the refusal by the Town to help citizens with expensive auto repairs caused by their dangerous unattended potholes ? And there was also the inadequate street lighting and residential streets and sidewalks still in need of attention ? There was also the inconvenience felt by local residents when ultra slow motion repairs on Canaan Ave moved at a three legged turtle racing speed causing this vital access route to remain closed to traffic, incl emergency vehicles, for many many Months, (very much unlike the speedy workmanship and high priority given to the new downtown sidewalk installation in the front of Phinneys) ?
And so, can it be time to stop newcomer mentality, and to make it mandatory for all candidates bidding on these important Town governing positions to be born and raised and reside in Kentville in an effort to respect, protect and retain the Town's unique character, history, diversity, identity, and many longtime local traditions ?
OUCH ? ( could someone please remove the daggers from our back ), Et tu, Warden Brothers and u tu Leo ? March 10th 2014 - A Date That Will Live on in Infamy - Warden Brothers, (Greenwood riding) and the Kings County Council use a calculated forced eviction to shut down the Waterville Airport aviation complex and then relocate some components to the Kingston/Greenwood area ?
www.flickr.com/photos/74039487@N02/28588465413/in/album-7...
Newcomer ABF directors trying to erase history ? The page showing all past Queens and Apple Blossom Princesses has been removed from the official Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival site ? The popular history page honoring all past Queen Annapolisa winners 1933-2018 with photos and bios has been taken down and apparently replaced with huge portraits of the newcomer directors ?
Meet the newcomer directors,
Kentville IS the Cornwallis Inn and the Cornwallis Inn IS Kentville ! If you were to google the 2 words Cornwallis Inn you will get over 600,000 entries with almost all of them married to the word Kentville.. (what a great promotional tool) . The world famous Cornwallis Inn is the source of many fond memories for local and Valley residents.. "It was the centre of everything’: The past and present of Kentville’s iconic Cornwallis Inn"
www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/lifestyles/it-was-the-centre...
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Critiquing the recent 2023 edition of the newcomer Grand Street Parade ;l :
"it looked as if some spectators along the route just joined in and began to walk along and make themselves a part of the parade ? "
May 27th, 2023 - Dismay, disillusion and some extreme disappointment prevail in Kentville over shocking changes and many missing regular entrees in this years 2023 Grand Street Parade ? Where is our famous Queen Annapolisa and where are the many Apple Blossom Princesses and their child attendants riding in their beautiful hand crafted decorated floats ? Where's the town criers ? And what about the dazzling majorette groups, the Scottish pipers and large multi instrumental marching bands that always attend ? And where are the Hantsport and Windsor floats and their large delegations ? And where are Digby, Aylesford, Annapolis Royal, Canning, Middleton, Wolfville, and more ? Why are so many of the Valley towns and villages that normally participate not included in the parade this year ? It was also a major disappointment for many when for the first time ever, Kentville Apple Blossom Princess (aka Miss Kentville) was no longer included as there are many town residents young and old who identify with the Apple Blossom Princess at this time of year ? However, the now purposeless Apple Blossom Princess float was used this year to transport a grouping of everyday town residents as they sat around together in a social scene meant to identity Kentville with diversity and inclusion ? The New Minas float also did not include an Apple Blossom Princess for this year, however her float was transformed into an advertisement for the famous New Minas UFO incident which all New Minions identify with. The Berwick float didn't include a Princess Berwick this year either. but was altered to proudly identify with the town's upcoming Centennial celebrations. And the Kingston float was also missing an Apple Blossom Princess this year but was instead promoting their long running Kingston Steer Barbecue that all Kingstonians readily identify with. It was good to see an RCMP contingent again although they sent far less officers this year than usual ? And it was notable that only 1 other large marching band appeared in the parade when usually 4 or more big bands, many with many pipers usually attend after traveling up from places like Cape Breton, Bridgewater, Dartmouth etc ? And where have all the pets and animals gone ? There's no horse teams, wooden wagons, riders or livestock this year ? Even the usual greyhound dogs weren't there ? Also noticed that some spectators must have just joined in and began walking along within the parade, and others must have come over from the Children's parade with their strollers to join in ? There was a variety of advertisers, most from out of town but some local ? There were various Political parties represented, with the largest delegation coming from the Kody Blois Liberals ? All in all, this Year's parade seemed a bare minimum and a weak effort that really missed the inclusion of royal pageantry and the 7 to 10 spectacular Princess floats, and also missed the large marching bands and majorette groups that usually enter, the usual agriculture horticulture and livestock component, the popular Scottish pipers bands that always attend, and also the many large out of town contingents that always normally participate ? This was not the famous grand street parade that patrons are accustomed to seeing, and did not represent the high standards and degree of professionalism set by all previous Grand Street Parades ? It became obvious that what was being advertised as a newer, bolder, more inclusive and more diverse parade was instead the exact opposite because this new version of our Grand Street Parade had lost the inclusion, diversity and the major contribution put forth by the absent Valley communities along with their individual Princess contestants and Child attendants that always come to Kentville to participate in the Queen Annapolisa competition, the Friday evening coronation gala at Acadia University in Wolfville, the many Princess Teas, and the Royal attendances at schools, hospitals, senior citizen homes and shut-ins, as well as appearances at the Friday night Memorial Park outdoor concert and fireworks, Royal attendances highlighting the Saturday morning Children's Parade, and a Royal trip down Main street Kentville aboard a beautiful hand crafted royal float in the famous Grand Street parade ?
And so, to quickly sum up, can a strange looking, incomplete, shortened, now Royal-less, newcomer mentality amateur version of our elite world-famous Kentville Grand Street Parade that was now missing her heinous Queen Annapolisa and also missing 7 to 10 Apple Blossom Princesses and their individual 7 to 10 beautifully handcrafted Town Princess floats, and also missing much of the unique character and diversity usually provided by the numerous Valley villages and communities who were no longer included, and that also failed to include many of the large out of town marching bands and pipers and majorettes who usually attend, and that also lacked representation from local area farming, agriculture and livestock,, now signal the end of the once glorious Grand Street Parade era ?
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Kentville is an incorporated town in Nova Scotia. It is the most populous town in the Annapolis Valley. As of 2021, the town's population was 6,630.
Quotes About Shiva
Quotes tagged as "shiva" (showing 1-19 of 19)
Amish Tripathi
“Don't turn blue all over now.”
― Amish Tripathi, The Immortals of Meluha
“Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner self of all beings.”
― Anonymous,
“The faithful of Shiva or Dionysus seek contact with those forces which...lead to a refusal of the politics, ambitions and limitations of ordinary social life. This does not involve simply a recognition of world harmony, but also an active participation in an experience which surpasses and upsets the order of material life.”
― Alain Daniélou,
Renee Ahdieh
“The moment I saw him running toward you that morning, I knew you were going to save him, just as he saved you.”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Rose & the Dagger
“Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers,
things standing shall fall,
but the moving ever shall stay.”
― Basava, The Lord of the Meeting Rivers: Devotional Poems of Basavanna
Robin Rumi
“I am Shakti, as well as Shiva. I am everything male and female, light and dark, flesh and spirit. Perfectly balanced in one single moment lasting an eternity...”
― Robin Rumi, Naked Morsels: Short Stories of Spiritual Erotica
“The rich will make temples for Siva. What shall I, a poor man, do? My legs are pillars, the body the shrine, the head the cupola of gold.”
― Basava
“Lord Shiva, you my sunshine, my soul, Sivoham.”
― Usha Cosmico
Aporva Kala
“Jai Shiv shambu, shiv shankar, Jai Bhole..”
― Aporva Kala, Life... Love... Kumbh...
“When Shiva beats his DAMRU- Evil Shakes !! while the Wise Awakes!”
― True Krishna Priya, End of Humanity-3rd World War- The Great Revolution- Mass Dna Upgrade- Nwo of Yogic Elite
Sushil Singh
“i am here and now in all this Omnipresent , i am the universe.”
― Sushil Singh
Satyen Nabar
“I screwed up guys, real big time; holy great grandmother of all screw-ups!”
― Satyen Nabar, A Bolt of Lightning
Balajinnatha Pandita
“Starting from the source of vibrant Consciousness, the first two tattvas of Shaivism are (1) Shiva tattva and (2) Shakti tattva. It is important to understand at the beginning that these two tattvas are only linguistic conventions and are not actually part of creation. According to the deep yogic experience of the sages of this philosophy, there is no difference between Shiva tattva and Shakti tattva. They are both actually one with Paramasiva. They are considered to be two tattvas only for the convenience of philosophical thinking and as a way of clarifying the two aspects of the one absolute reality, Paramasiva. These two aspects are Shiva, the transcendental unity, and Shakti, the universal diversity. The changeless, absolute and pure consciousness is Shiva, while the natural tendency of Shiva towards the outward manifestation of the five divine activities is Shakti. So, even though Shiva is Shakti, and Shakti is Shiva, and even though both are merely aspects of the same reality called Paramasiva, still, these concepts of Shiva-hood and Shakti-hood are counted as the first two tattvas. These two tattvas are at the plane of absolute purity and perfect unity.
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 73.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
Balajinnatha Pandita
“The essential nature of samvit is the subtle stir of spanda. The introverted and extroverted movements of spanda cause samvit to manifest itself in both the noumenal and phenomenal aspects of creation. These two aspects of samvit are known in Shaivism as Shiva (transcendent) and Shakti (universal). Shiva and Shakti are the two names given to the monistic Absolute (Paramasiva) when it is being considered in its dual aspects of eternal and transcendent changelessness (Shiva), and the ever-changing and immanent manifestation of universal appearances (Shakti).
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 17–18.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
tags: kashmir-shaivism, paramashiva, samvit, shakti, shiva, spanda 3 likes Like
Balajinnatha Pandita
“It is important to understand that, according to Kashmir Shaivism, this analysis of all phenomena into thirty six tattvas is not an absolute truth. It has been worked out by the authors of the philosophy as a tool of understanding for the ever-active and inquiring mind and as a form for contemplative meditation. Through further analysis, the number of tattvas can be increased to any level. Similarly, through synthesis, they can be decreased down to one tattva alone. In fact this has been done in the Tantraloka, where one can find doctrines of contemplation on fifteen, thirteen, eleven, nine, seven, five, and as few as three tattvas as well. The practitioners of the Trika system use only three tattvas in the process of a quick sadhana: Shiva representing the absolute unity, Shakti representing the link between duality and unity, and Nara representing the extreme duality. [Shakti is the path through which Shiva descends to the position of Nara and the latter ascends to the position of Shiva.] Finally, a highly advanced Shiva yogin sees only the Shiva tattva in the whole of creation. However, since the contemplative practice of tattvadhvadharana used in anava upaya includes meditation on all thirty sex tattvas, that is the number commonly accepted by the Shaivas of both northern and southern India.
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 79.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
“Sivtatva’ and ‘Saktitatva’ (Lord Shiva and Holy Mother Kali) – Father’s semen in mother’s womb, both combined. Next I am born – ‘Sadasiva’ which means a continuous hilarity within my body. Next comes ‘Iswartatwa’ – Man becomes God and he is so made (One is All); ‘Sadvidyatatva’ – All these I am – All is One – I am all these, which is in action. What is that? Suppose in the spiritual world whatever will reveal within the brain will be flashed among the human race and by such phenomenon the world will get real benefit.”
― Sri Jibankrishna or Diamond
Sushil Singh
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
prayer of Five Element which i(universe) Exist.”
― Sushil Singh
“Only when you go beyond Mind, will you be able to respect the energy that inhabits us; until then you will either exploit others with your energy or will deplete your energy, leading a purposeless life!”
― Ramana Pemmaraju
Sushil Singh
“On the Sivaratri day after performing the routine, the devotee shall go to the temple of Siva and perform worship.”
― Sushil Singh
Quotes About Shiva
Quotes tagged as "shiva" (showing 1-19 of 19)
Amish Tripathi
“Don't turn blue all over now.”
― Amish Tripathi, The Immortals of Meluha
“Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner self of all beings.”
― Anonymous,
“The faithful of Shiva or Dionysus seek contact with those forces which...lead to a refusal of the politics, ambitions and limitations of ordinary social life. This does not involve simply a recognition of world harmony, but also an active participation in an experience which surpasses and upsets the order of material life.”
― Alain Daniélou,
Renee Ahdieh
“The moment I saw him running toward you that morning, I knew you were going to save him, just as he saved you.”
― Renee Ahdieh, The Rose & the Dagger
“Listen, O lord of the meeting rivers,
things standing shall fall,
but the moving ever shall stay.”
― Basava, The Lord of the Meeting Rivers: Devotional Poems of Basavanna
Robin Rumi
“I am Shakti, as well as Shiva. I am everything male and female, light and dark, flesh and spirit. Perfectly balanced in one single moment lasting an eternity...”
― Robin Rumi, Naked Morsels: Short Stories of Spiritual Erotica
“The rich will make temples for Siva. What shall I, a poor man, do? My legs are pillars, the body the shrine, the head the cupola of gold.”
― Basava
“Lord Shiva, you my sunshine, my soul, Sivoham.”
― Usha Cosmico
Aporva Kala
“Jai Shiv shambu, shiv shankar, Jai Bhole..”
― Aporva Kala, Life... Love... Kumbh...
“When Shiva beats his DAMRU- Evil Shakes !! while the Wise Awakes!”
― True Krishna Priya, End of Humanity-3rd World War- The Great Revolution- Mass Dna Upgrade- Nwo of Yogic Elite
Sushil Singh
“i am here and now in all this Omnipresent , i am the universe.”
― Sushil Singh
Satyen Nabar
“I screwed up guys, real big time; holy great grandmother of all screw-ups!”
― Satyen Nabar, A Bolt of Lightning
Balajinnatha Pandita
“Starting from the source of vibrant Consciousness, the first two tattvas of Shaivism are (1) Shiva tattva and (2) Shakti tattva. It is important to understand at the beginning that these two tattvas are only linguistic conventions and are not actually part of creation. According to the deep yogic experience of the sages of this philosophy, there is no difference between Shiva tattva and Shakti tattva. They are both actually one with Paramasiva. They are considered to be two tattvas only for the convenience of philosophical thinking and as a way of clarifying the two aspects of the one absolute reality, Paramasiva. These two aspects are Shiva, the transcendental unity, and Shakti, the universal diversity. The changeless, absolute and pure consciousness is Shiva, while the natural tendency of Shiva towards the outward manifestation of the five divine activities is Shakti. So, even though Shiva is Shakti, and Shakti is Shiva, and even though both are merely aspects of the same reality called Paramasiva, still, these concepts of Shiva-hood and Shakti-hood are counted as the first two tattvas. These two tattvas are at the plane of absolute purity and perfect unity.
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 73.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
Balajinnatha Pandita
“The essential nature of samvit is the subtle stir of spanda. The introverted and extroverted movements of spanda cause samvit to manifest itself in both the noumenal and phenomenal aspects of creation. These two aspects of samvit are known in Shaivism as Shiva (transcendent) and Shakti (universal). Shiva and Shakti are the two names given to the monistic Absolute (Paramasiva) when it is being considered in its dual aspects of eternal and transcendent changelessness (Shiva), and the ever-changing and immanent manifestation of universal appearances (Shakti).
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 17–18.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
tags: kashmir-shaivism, paramashiva, samvit, shakti, shiva, spanda 3 likes Like
Balajinnatha Pandita
“It is important to understand that, according to Kashmir Shaivism, this analysis of all phenomena into thirty six tattvas is not an absolute truth. It has been worked out by the authors of the philosophy as a tool of understanding for the ever-active and inquiring mind and as a form for contemplative meditation. Through further analysis, the number of tattvas can be increased to any level. Similarly, through synthesis, they can be decreased down to one tattva alone. In fact this has been done in the Tantraloka, where one can find doctrines of contemplation on fifteen, thirteen, eleven, nine, seven, five, and as few as three tattvas as well. The practitioners of the Trika system use only three tattvas in the process of a quick sadhana: Shiva representing the absolute unity, Shakti representing the link between duality and unity, and Nara representing the extreme duality. [Shakti is the path through which Shiva descends to the position of Nara and the latter ascends to the position of Shiva.] Finally, a highly advanced Shiva yogin sees only the Shiva tattva in the whole of creation. However, since the contemplative practice of tattvadhvadharana used in anava upaya includes meditation on all thirty sex tattvas, that is the number commonly accepted by the Shaivas of both northern and southern India.
— B. N. Pandit, Specific Principles of Kashmir Shaivism (3rd ed., 2008), p. 79.”
― Balajinnatha Pandita, Specific Principles of Kashmir Saivism
“Sivtatva’ and ‘Saktitatva’ (Lord Shiva and Holy Mother Kali) – Father’s semen in mother’s womb, both combined. Next I am born – ‘Sadasiva’ which means a continuous hilarity within my body. Next comes ‘Iswartatwa’ – Man becomes God and he is so made (One is All); ‘Sadvidyatatva’ – All these I am – All is One – I am all these, which is in action. What is that? Suppose in the spiritual world whatever will reveal within the brain will be flashed among the human race and by such phenomenon the world will get real benefit.”
― Sri Jibankrishna or Diamond
Sushil Singh
“OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
prayer of Five Element which i(universe) Exist.”
― Sushil Singh
“Only when you go beyond Mind, will you be able to respect the energy that inhabits us; until then you will either exploit others with your energy or will deplete your energy, leading a purposeless life!”
― Ramana Pemmaraju
Sushil Singh
“On the Sivaratri day after performing the routine, the devotee shall go to the temple of Siva and perform worship.”
― Sushil Singh
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien
The Receiver
A quarter and a dime
Last time only cost a quarter
But I am calling again
Calling again
Calling you again
I am sounding out each l e t t e r
each
syl la ble
of your name
I am whispering your name
I am screaming your name
And, I don’t even know
who you are anymore
But my fingers are moving from memory
A waltz across the key pad
Three over, one down
Repeat
Three over, one down
Repeat
Three over, one down
Repeat
I must keep dialing
I must keep dialing
I must keep from dying
I have to hear something
Dial tone…ringing
I am trying to hear your name
come out of my throat
but it is foreign to me
and suddenly I become mute
when confronted by silence
My finger has clicked the receiver
and my coins fall
purposelessly
Purposefully
keeping me from going backwards
************************************************
To New York
July 14, 2006
To Whom It May Concern:
I have given up
on the dry professional cover
letter that has got me
nowhere in my post-graduate job search
I have decided to tell you the truth
I need a job
More specifically, I need you to hire me
I need you call me back
I will provide you numerous phone numbers and
Email addresses
(even the one I only give to friends who will not email me chain letters)
I will give you references who will tell you I am wonderful
and I will be at work everyday
So hire me
Hire me because I have 9 years education
Hire me because I have 5 years experience
Hire me because I know about art
the way doctors know about all 72 bones in the human foot
Hire me because I know the way paint feels caked and dried under fingernails
Hire me for all the times I sneezed black charcoal dust into white Kleenex
while smoking too many cigarettes
trying to finish a self-portrait of myself smoking a cigarette using the hand I draw with
Hire me because I know the founding fathers of the International Style of architecture
Hire me because I know how to open a bottle of Shiraz and serve it to people at art openings who are just there for the free wine as if I was born to
Hire me because I don’t draw anymore
Because I can’t afford oils
and ventilation in small apartments is not conducive to paint thinner
Hire me because Virginia is so in debt
it has forgotten about art
Hire me so I can leave Norfolk before the Ford Plant closes and
they take away more of my boys to float on gray ships in red seas
Hire me because I am willing to go where the art is
Hire me because I am willing to give up everything I know
move to the big city
endure culture shock
the amputation of my Volkswagen
expensive rent
cockroaches
snowy winters
people who will joke my southern accent
and the possible alienation
of all my family members
just to be able to use my degrees in a capacity other
than teaching unappreciative
high school students
how to airbrush at my alma mater
Hire me because I don’t want to answer the phone for an escort service anymore
Hire me because I am sick of seeing women as objects I can sell
Hire me because I can, if required, plan you a killer bachelor party
Hire me because I never want to work a cash register again
or clean up after people I don’t live with, in place I don’t live at
Hire me because I have been an assistant to people would made me work
Sometimes because they were difficult
but mostly because they knew I could do it
and damn if it ain’t time for me
to flaunt it to the world
Hire me because I have dreams about where art is going
and I want to come along for the ride
Hell I will even get out and push
Hire me so I can assist you
plan you meetings
book your flights
lie to people about where you are
because sometimes are not
good times
to talk to certain people
Pick up your dry cleaning
address you Christmas cards
walk your dog
Be there to chauffer artists around
help communicate with foreign artists
whose language we don’t speak
through charades resembling Parkinson’s patients attempt Tai Chi
Hire me to be the person you call when you misplace anything
or any thought
Hire me so I can be a staple in your Museum and
schedule oil changes for your car
Don’t get me wrong
I am willing to start anywhere but I want somewhere to grow
Art is the love of my life
It is what is going to sustain me
I have been married and divorced
I don’t want kids
and I don’t have pets
Art is it
And this,
this is my marriage proposal
So hire me
Take me as your assistant
Mold me
scold me
train me to be your bitch
Just hire me
and I swear
I will not let you down
(further informations you can get by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
New AKH
Model of the AKH
General Hospital main entrance
Over time, the Josephinischen buildings of General Hospital became unzweckgemäß (purposeless), so that has been decided in 1957 to build a new large central clinic.
(Josephinian style, the Josephinian style, also Josephinian Baroque or Josephinian Classicism denominated, is a stylistic direction of the Austrian art, of arts and crafts, interior design and architecture of the Josephinism in the Habsburg Empire under Emperor Joseph II in the 18th Century.)
Construction of the new AKH in Alsergrund was began in the summer of 1964 with the nursing school, including boarding and personnel dormitories (3 "sister towers") at Lazarettgasse 14. From the year 1968 followed the second phase of construction with the university hospitals for Pediatrics, Psychiatry, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy, and a day care center for children at the Gürtel ("clinics at South Garden"). These were opened in 1974 and 1975. The planning behoved an architectural partnership, which included Wolfgang Bauer, Georg Köhler, Felix Kässens, Hannes Lintl, Georg Lippert, Alexander Marchart, Roland Moebius, Otto Mayr and Otto Nobis. 1970 was started at the Gürtel (belt) with the underground garage and 1974 with the located behind main house. This consists of the ambulance and surgical area (51 ORs) and two large, a total of 22 floors high bed towers, which accommodate 2,199 beds.
The AKH is connected with its own metro station Michelbeuern/AKH to the public transport network. The central building with the bed towers was officially opened in 1994, but already (partially) used since 1991. Total construction costs were at about 45 billion shillings (now approximately 3.3 billion euros) estimated in 2004 - originally projected were 1 billion shillings (around 73 million euros). The construction costs were funded jointly by the City of Vienna and the federal government. The cost explosion and an associated bribery scandal in the construction of the new AKH General Hospital led to the AKH-scandal, the up to the present biggest Austrian building scandal. Did one speak earlier of "the General", so with the construction slowly began the term "General Hospital" to spread, primarily for new buildings, and became mainly from the AKH scandal in 1980 more and more the dominant term.
At present (2011) are approximately 9,300 persons employed at the General Hospital, of which about 1,600 physicians and more than 4,500 health and nursing staff. Annually, almost 99,000 patients are inpatients and half a million patients are treated in the 397 clinics. About 7,500 students are enrolled at the Medical University of Vienna.
On 19 July 2003 was transplanted from a team of doctors of the hospital world-wide for the first time a human tongue.
School
To prevent stationary admitted children of school age with prolonged hospital stay miss too much class time, there is a branch of the AKH Vienna sanatorium school.
Pastoral Care
For the religious and spiritual needs of our patients a variety of facilities are available. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant (AB and HB) Christians get together with Muslims and Jews spiritual care.
As the old AKH is no longer used as a hospital, there is for the sick ones of Jewish faith a prayer room in level 5 between the two towers of the new building, in charge of this is the Chief Rabbinate of the Jewish Community Vienna.
Orientation
The main entrance to the General Hospital leads through the entrance and administration building and is located on Level 5. Basis of the orientations is a color system the main corridor system being highlighted in blue. The main corridors thereby run here in east-west direction and are arranged as a so-called H-corridor system. The destinations (medical departments) are highlighted in orange and yellow doors mark the way to the escape stairs. In addition exist for the two bed-houses own colors. The easterly situated bed house including the elevator doors of the corresponding lifts is red, the westerly bed house marked green. The individual floors are referred to as "plane".
Facts and Figures
As of 2008
Buildings and facilities
Land area: 240,000 m²
Usable area 337 696 m²
Value of land and buildings: 1.825 billion Euro
Value of technical equipment: 43 million euros
Amount of operating and office equipment: 32 million euros
Departments and wards
27 clinics
10 university institutes
62 ambulances
330 specialist outpatient clinics
82 nursing stations
21 ICUs
51 operating theaters
Rooms and Beds
As of 2011
2,116 beds in total, of it
1,713 single beds
137 intensive care beds
137 intermediate care beds
129 day-care treatment beds
(maximum of 30 beds per ward and a maximum of 3 beds per room)
Personnel
Total staff about 9,300 people, of which
approximately 1,600 physicians
approximately 2,900 nurses
Costs and service revenues
As of 2005
Service revenues (social insurance): 365 million euros
Grants from the City of Vienna: 124 million euros
Grants from the Federal government: 47 million euros
Material costs: 164 million euros
Staff costs: 266 million euros
Loss for the year: 11 million euros
Net loss: 31 million euros
Statistics
As of 2005
494 758 outpatient cases
94 403 Stationary admissions
Average length of stay: 5.9 days
46 466 operations
2,393 births
1,403 deceased patients
1,521 autopsies
Teaching and Research
1 Big auditorium with 507 seats
2 Großhörsäle (big auditoriums), each with 287 seats
2 lecture halls, each with 147 seats
40 individual workstations
26 group study rooms
14 practice rooms
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allgemeines_Krankenhaus_der_Stadt_Wien