The demise of the Knights Templar

If you've read any of my posts thus far, which I doubt, you may have wondered why the site is called "The shroud of Jacques DeMolay". Well, you see, Jacques De Molay was the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, who in the 12th and 13th Century were world players in banking, finance, foreign travel etc. Unfortunately, come Friday 13th October 1307, having lost the Holy Land to the infidels, they had also aroused the jealousy of Phillip the Fair, King of France, who had the Pope (his cousin) denounce them as deviants and worse, heretics. Of course, Phillip just wanted the Templar treasure (not to mention getting rid of his massive debts to the Templars). He never found the treasure, and poor Jacques De Molay spent the next 5 years being tortured until he was finally burned to death in 1312. Part of his torture was being crucified, as one of the charges against the order was denouncing Christ, so his tormentors thought it just revenge. Now, as you might know, tests on the Turin shroud indicate it belonged to that precise period. No-one else was known to have been cruciofied at that time, so it's highly likely that it was the sheet on which Jacques De Molay was lain after he received that form of torture. And Phillip, he never got that treasure, and died 2 years after Jacques. However, for the treasure and the survival of the order, look no further than my own Scotland, where the King Robert the Bruce, who was excommunicat at the time would have accepted both readily.

World In Collision V's Earth Crust Displacement

Perhaps I just come from a strange family, but my father and I hold widely separated views regarding the ending of the last Ice Age, and the global flooding events, volcanic activity etc. which accompanied that era. While my father is a proponent of Immanuel Velikovsky's "Worlds In Collision" theory, aseerting that a large comet impacted the Earth, I myself, am a fervent supporter of Charles Hapgood's "Earth Crust Displacement" theory, which suggests that the massive volume of Ice, which covered North America, pulled the Earth's crust around to displace that mass. Much evidence backs up that theory:

• The rapid freezing of animals in Siberia
• The mystery of Atlantis (could have been Antartica)
• The global mythology of flood events
• Einstein, like me, thought it was a great theory

Of course, it's possible that some combination of both theories actually happened, or neither, but that's the beauty of theories, if no-one can disprove them, then they stand the test of time !

The New Shmoo and Project Pessimism !

I remeber fondly the New Shmoo, from when I was a kid. I have a particuarly vivid recollection of him turning into a ladder, so that the gang could make their way across some pit or other. Apparently he turned into what ever nearby humans wished for, and of course food was a particular favourite. Anyway, I have this web-design project I'm doing at college. It's a team project with a project plan and everything. Today we had our weekly team meeting and one of the team (no names) claimed we were pretty well on target. To which, I had to remind him, we are 4 weeks adrift with 2 weeks remaining. He just refused to share my pessimism and like a good shmoo tried to give me what I wanted. But, it's not real, I can't realistically have 4 weeks in a 2 week period, no more than an animal can morph into a pit-bridging tool.

Saintly Tony dreams of a EU superstate !

So, all ths signs point to the US or Israel launching some sort of nuclear strike on Iran, possibly before the month is out, on the pretext that someday they might be able to make a tiny litle nuke. Where will that leave Blair? who has promised that he will unveil his legacy to us in the next 3 weeks. It looks like his legacy may well be a signature for the EU constitution, which he promised us a referendum on, but we never got it did we, because we would have voted it down big-style. Fortunately for us though, Tony is a man of vision, he has seen the future, and its one where someone else will have to sort out the shit he's left behind. He made a lot of promises didn't he, and he's certainly bowing out on a high: high taxes, high cost of living, high cost of travelling, high cost of fuel, high cost of utilities, high migrant work force, high crime stats, high chance of getting MRSA should you chance going to hospital. Thanks for the memories Tony, you really made this nation great once again.

Paradiso Maldivianus Rex

It's time for a holiday, or at least it feels that way. I'd like to go to Italy this year, but rumour has it I might have to get a job, and then where will that leave me. After 3 years of College, the thought of working is fairly daunting. There is though the even worse prospect of having to deal with Job Centre staff and the usual 99 page application for dole! Then of course they have to make you suffer as much as possible for as long as possible before they give you a penny. I'm still waiting to hear if I've been accepted for teacher training at Aberdeen University, that'll be another year in education, so ideal really, as opposed to working or signing on. Anyway, I have loads of books to read and films to watch that I've foregone in order to complete numerous assessments which I could detail herein, but the subject content of which I hope will never cross my path again, so I won't mention it! I finished reading "The Island of the Day Before". Pretty good read really, must purchase some more of his books.

I think therefore I read !

Have you ever met someone who doesn't like reading? how ridiculous! My brother once worked with a guy who didn't like music (any music). I don't know if I would condemn such people or pity them. Did they choose ignorance? or are they still nursing some childhood trauma?

I think TV is to blame in many ways, people think they can get all they need from the TV, but they can't! Nothing stimulates the mind like a well written book, and I don't think the TV conveys allegory and symbolism very well either. So, if you're reading this and you haven't read a book for a while, just go and find a book you fancy from your local bookshop, there's bound to be something, rediscover the joys of reading, it's not a chore!

Clocks and Doves

The Island of the Day Before is in a large measure about clocks and doves. One chapter alone is entirely about Doves, but merely because the mysterious dove of the island, which is borne of fire, represents the lady he loves in some sort of unobtainable way. Roberto cannot reach the island, he cannot see the dove, he cannot be with his lady. So here I am writing test documentation for my PHP, Javascript, mysql etc. but I chose not to bore you with that, because it is boring and if I ever end up doing it for a living then fate will have played a cruel hand indeed for poor unfortunate me.

I'm terrified I'll end up living vicariously through my kids: my son now plays the guitar quite well and he's a lot younger than I was when I started playing. He also plays golf quite well too, and he's a lot younger than when I started playing. You see a theme evolving there? I'm only 35 for Christ's sake.

The Island of the Day Before

For those unfamiliar with the writings of Umberto Eco, the Italian philosopher and literary master, try not to start with his work "The Island of the Day Before", especially if you're in the last 2 weeks of your degree! I planned to read his books ever since I saw The Name of the Rose with Sean Connery and Christian Slater ie. some time ago, but it was only last Thursday that I finally managed to get around to doing so. I bought it from Borders at Inverness, a marvellous book-shop if I don't say so. Although I have 2 major assessments and a project to complete fro 2 weeks time, followed by 2 exams, I find myself caught up in this literary masterpiece, the story of Roberto della Griva.... wait, I'm not going to explain what the book is about, it's to profound, if you want to know you'll have to read it yourself, anyway I'm only halfway through it !