Eostre easter equinox full moon spring rebirth and chocolate

So here we are again. It is that time of year, Easter. Yet another public holiday based on a religious myth that has nothing to do with it's actual origins. 'Easter' is a laughably movable celebration within the Christian church that is held between 21 March and 25 April. It falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the northern hemisphere spring equinox - how amazingly pagan that all seems to be. Just think about it. Spring equinox, a new growing season, rebirth and the return of the sun (light) to the northern hemisphere, rabbits for reproduction, eggs for fertility, and lots of chocolate because it is tasty and encourages spending - it is all just 'symbollocks'. Even the name 'Easter' is taken from a Germanic Pagan goddess and is related to the fact that sunlight returns ( the dawn ). As humans, we are

Time for a new English National anthem. Here is my suggestion.

Time for a new English National anthem. Here is my suggestion.

"God save our gracious Queen..." - the opening line to the English national anthem. As a non-royalist and an atheist, singing these words at sporting events such as the World Cup or Olympics with passion and pride is next to impossible. I am proud to be English, we have a great country that should represent fairness and equality, providing a beacon to emerging nations around the world, a modern and advanced society. Our national anthem should represent this nation and be uplifting and inspiring, with lyrics that fill people with pride and awe, not divide the nation along religious/royalist/nationalistic lines by banging on about gods, a ruling monarch and an historical warring past.

The idea of singing about national pride at sporting events seems a little silly in the first place but, if we are going to do so, then we should at least be singing something that all involved can feel connected to. There are even other verses to the English national anthem that seem more appropriate than the one we currently use. ( Same Tune ) Check out the lyrics for the 4th verse:

Fairy tales & myths make great films (but rubbish historical fact).

Recently, 'Exodus:Gods and Kings' joined the long list of cinema blockbusters based on mythology that received criticism for not being 'faithful' to the original myth. Myths & fairy tales are just stories that someone once made up. They have no, or little facts to them.  'Clash of the Titans', 'Thor', 'Hercules', 'Battlefield Earth', 'Robin Hood', 'Beowulf' and 'Noah' are all examples of films based on various myths and humans shouldn't be upset by the use of old stories that have no place as fact in a modern world.

For example: Noah, the growth of a myth. By, me.

Once upon a time in an underdeveloped society, far, far away there was a group of humans that had a very basic understanding of the world around them. They didn't understand the world or their place in it and they relied on tribal elders who made up random

Telescope up! #CometLovejoy is rising.

Comet Lovejoy is coming to within  appx 44 MILLION miles of earth and you can see it in clear, dark skies of the Northern Hemisphere with binoculars or a good sized telescope during the early part of January 2015. It will be closest to the earth on the 7th of January and you should be able to identify it with the naked eye. If you scan the skies below and right of ORION, you should be able to locate it. With an orbital path of ~8000years, it could be a while until you next get the chance. Lovejoy will pass to within 120MILLION miles of the SUN by the end of January, continuing its journey for many thousands of years.

Comet Lovejoy is named after an Australian amateur astronomer - Terry Lovejoy, who discovered it in 2014 using a standard 8inch telescope.

The joys of a #WinterSolstice spoilt by consumer greed.

At the risk of being called 'a humbug' or a 'party-pooper,' I choose to do as little 'Xmas' stuff as possible and, instead, focus on something meaningful. The depths of a Northern Hemisphere winter spoilt by overly commercialised, overly religious festivals that nobody thinks about and that should have no place in a modern society. I mean, think about it. Prophecies, virgin births, angels, wise men, magical moving stars, stables, donkeys, trees, turkeys, crackers, reindeer, chimneys and gifts. Really? What a load of absolute hokum. Nothing more than a mixed up, patchwork quilt of Pagan,

Full Circle. Winter Solstice is here.

So here it is. The #WinterSolstice 2014. Happy Birthday to my blog. One year old today.

December 21st. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, today is Winter Solstice. The time of year when daylight is at its shortest. From this point on, the days will start to become longer, a consequence of the sun appearing higher overhead in the sky. It is literally 'the coming of the light'. This is why our ancestors held this time of year as an important marker in their calendar. They had made it to the darkest point in the season and could look forward to increased daylight from now on. It would have meant a new start, a new growing season and the prospect of new food.

This has been hijacked, bastardised and used by politically religious power-mongers to spread their

'Thanksgiving' in the USA, another observance of seasonal change.

The fourth Thursday of November in the USA is 'Thanksgiving', their fixed celebration of seasons, harvest and plenty. Based on ancient, pagan, seasonal celebrations, now, high-jacked for religious / political gains, it wasn't always a fixed date. For millennia, early peoples would have been aware that the summer growing season was over and their journey in to winter was beginning and food stores would have to last them through the colder period. This happens worldwide through history.

Early settlers from other lands brought with them the harvest rituals that they observed. In these new lands, the end of the growing season would vary in time and severity depending on location, the more northerly 'states' having an earlier and harsher on set of winter. Canadian harvest rituals are much earlier. This movable feast, however, didn't foster the 'United' feeling that the 'States' were looking for. Abraham Lincoln fixed the date on which all the states would celebrate in order to a give the people a sense of unity (1863). Various tales and unsubstantiated myths

Our twisted relationship with celebrity #DrMattSmith v #gemmacollins.

Everything that is twisted and wrong in our modern obsession with 'celebrity' has been seen in the UK 'news' (#NotNews) in the past few days. On the one hand, we have the brilliant Dr Matt Taylor. A dedicated, hard-working, genius, responsible for helping the ESAs Rosetta probe travel 4 BILLION miles across the solar system to land a module on the surface of a comet. The first time in history that this has been accomplished. A massive human achievement. Over 20 years in the planning and the result of targeted research and investment. That is NEWS. Despite this wonder of modern science, Dr Matt Taylor was not a household name and he became famous and was abused on social media for wearing a shirt, created and given to him by a female friend as a present. Most people had no idea who he is and what he and his wonderful team were doing or have achieved. They have 280,000 twitter followers.

Vaping. Take it outside.

It is simple. Take it outside. The insidious rise of 'vaping' as the acceptable face of smoking is astounding. It should be a regulated stepping stone that helps addicts to give up smoking, not a new industry that creeps its way in to society, becoming seen as 'normal' or 'cutting edge', designed to snare a new, younger market for profit. Insidious. In the UK, vaping should be subject to the same advertising rules as smoking, the same taxation measures and pushed to the same outside areas as smoking.

Instead, we are served loads of  'sexy' adverts on TV, the portrayal of this habitual need to draw noxious chemicals in to your lungs as 'cool' and 'modern'. These 'lifestyle' ads should be banned.

4 BILLION years, 4 Billion miles. Human achievement. Science.

It is mind-blowing. The journey started 10 years ago with the launch of the ESAs 'Rosetta' mission to land a probe on the surface of a comet. A comet that is more than 4 billion years old, known to us as Comet 67P. There has been 25 years of research and planning. Yesterday, 4 BILLION miles (over 6 billion km) later, the probe, named Philae, completed its journey. Landing a probe, the size of a washing machine, on a comet that is travelling at more than 40,000 miles per hour over such unimaginable distances is nothing short of astonishing. A peak in human achievement, a wonderful example of what human beings are capable of when they push the boundaries of science and modern technology. The cutting edge of our understanding of space, the solar system and the universe.

Bonfire Night. Burning Popes, religions, cats and traditions.

Bonfire Night. Burning Popes, religions, cats and traditions.

Another crazed, religiously inspired, leftover celebration. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic man who wanted to over-throw the King. The King was a Protestant who knew the importance of instilling religious fear in his servants . As the King survived an attempt on his life in the 1605 plot, it was thought that the Protestant version of 'god' was good and puritanical ministers in government effectively made it a day of compulsory worship. There is even the possibility that the whole 'plot' was an exercise in spin, designed to inflame anti-Catholic feelings. ( here ) In 1606, to avoid being hung, drawn and publicly disemboweled for his 'crime', Guy Fawkes jumped from

Happy Halloween - celebrating our place in the solar system. Spooky.

So here we are again. Halloween. Treats, costumes, lanterns, spiders, bats, blood, horror, death, ghosts.

It has its origins in the ancient, pagan, pre-Christian, Celtic festival known as Samhain ("sah-win"). The Feast of the Dead. A time when humans had much less knowledge of the world around them. Later, hijacked and assimilated by the religious ceremony of All Hallows Eve & All Saints Day. A day for the dead. Look it up. It is a celebration of the end of the harvest season, a recognition of the lengthening nights, worsening weather and the harsh winter season running up to the winter solstice ( Dec 21st aka Christmas. Here ). It represents the point in the calendar when livestock were moved to lower level farmland from the higher, summer feeding grounds and when animals were slaughtered for the winter larders.  In the northern hemisphere, the reduced daylight, winter temperatures and sparse food supply meant that our ancient, pagan ancestors felt the icy grip of winter tightening and closer to their (made up) spirit world, disease and death. The coming of the Light. Humans have always feared the things that they hadn't worked out.

Mars or London faster?

India has managed to successfully put a satellite into orbit around Mars. They have spent the equivalent of £45million in order to do so. The unmanned probe will now start gathering data about the atmosphere of Mars. That is an incredible feet. £45million.

In the UK, we are spending at least £40BILLION on making the journey between Manchester, Birmingham and London slightly faster. That is the cost so far for the controversial HS2. It has already gone up massively from the original budget.  Is it only me,  or is that a massive rip off? Discuss. #Disgust

September 23rd - Autumn Equinox

September 23rd 2014 is the Autumn Equinox for those of us in the Northern hemisphere. It means shorter hours of daylight as we head towards the winter solstice in December. For the next few weeks of the year, we will lose appx 4mins of daylight per day (in UK). Our ancestors would have been acutely aware of exactly what this event meant to their everyday lives. Prepare for longer, colder nights and look out for celebrations such as Diwali, Halloween, American 'Thanksgiving' and Samhain, all of which are connected to the seasonal changes, harvest and winter moons. All leading up to the Winter solstice, wrapped up in the commercially obese spending fest that is Christmas.

Religion. Mental Illness or Disease?

Organised Religion is a disease within society. One that affects clarity of thought. It prevents freethinking and forces the brain to ignore evidence, instead instilling a belief in ancient myths. It holds back the potential of human beings by dulling their perception of the world. A weakness, an illness that is forced on to children and vulnerable, uninformed adults before they have the mental capacity to resist and is perpetuated by cultural relics dressed up as traditions from an age gone by. The cure is rational thought. A diet of science, study, intelligent conversation and a willingness to accept that traditions based on ancient myths have been proved to have no basis in reality. Responsible education of the next generation, teaching facts not fiction and encouraging scepticism. Once cured, the modern world can progress towards a better future.

Radical, fundamental and extreme religions are a cancer. They preach division, hatred, regressive lies and stone age morals. They are dangerous and destroy all before them with no thought or consideration. They have to be cut out, removed from modern societies as their very existence is counter to the advancement of a moral and just community. They aggressively resist and destroy all

For Dog's sake! Leading the way in to modernity.

In Malaysia, a small group of publicity seeking, religious crackpots have been calling for an apology from the organisers of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after they became offended by the use of 'Scottie Dogs' at the opening ceremony. ( Here ) Any religion or faction that calls for its brainwashed followers to be offended by animals, touching animals, parts of animals or being led out at a sporting event by a tartan-wearing puppy, deserves to be exposed, ridiculed and then thoroughly ignored, especially by everyone with a rational and sensible POV. We should neither value nor respect the opinions of an individual that would choose to feel this way. Their opinions are regressive, small-minded and demonstrate a stunning lack of thoughtfulness. An embarrassment . Feeling offended because an extreme version of your religion tells you that you should be, is OFFENSIVE to me and all the progressive, right-minded and modern humans in the world.  What's next? Tunnock's Tea cakes and Irn Bru offensive to Jedi? Grow up.#moveforward

England fail & fall to 20th in the FIFA rankings. Get used to it.

England have fallen to the dizzy depths of 20th in the latest FIFA world rankings after a pathetic and entirely predictable performance at the Brazil World Cup. This is the lowest ranking since 1996 which happened after failing to reach the finals of the 1994 tournament.

We have to resign ourselves to the fact that, in a world game, we are going to struggle to be a top 20 team. The EPL is a demonstration league, great for showcasing the talents of some of the highest paid players from around the world. This often happens at the expense of English players, tactics and the national team. Surely, it is time for a mandatory number of eligible English players in every starting lineup within the PL and, maybe, the football league in general? This, however, is not the only problem. The Colombian national team is made up of players that, almost all, play overseas in other leagues - they have risen to 4th in the latest rankings.

Population also plays a part. The USA have a potential pool of 315 million people from which to find a national team. England have 55million. As the participation in football increases across the USA, so does their ability to maintain a top 20 ranking (currently 15th). However, Belgium have a population of only 11million and they are 5th in the latest rankings.

As countries around the world aim for World Cup glory, we have to be realistic that many will overtake us and the England team will find it more and more difficult to maintain a top 20 ranking. There could be an answer to staying higher up the table. It may involve 'B-team' leagues made up entirely of English players. It may involve player quotas for PL teams. It may involve a dedicated national team that only play international matches. It may be that we need to completely overhaul the youth and professional game structure. However, the FA are not likely to adopt any of these possibilities and, therefore, I can only see a long term falling of our place in the global game. A top 10 place for England? No, not from a rational and realistic POV. Discuss.

The Summer Solstice.

In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st is the #SummerSolstice. It is the point in our celestial year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, it represents the winter solstice when the path of the sun in the sky is at its lowest. For many thousands of years our ancestors would have celebrated this time of year and celebrations of fertility and harvest exist around the northern hemisphere. Although many festivals have been bastardised and assimilated in to recent religious calendars, there are many secular and ancient traditions associated with the Solstice. We should celebrate it with a public holiday and marvel at our place in the solar system. Linked to my articles on Xmas & Oestre/Easter, Halloween and American 'Thanksgiving' found here and here .

Time for a new English National anthem. Here is my suggestion.

"God save our gracious Queen..." - the opening line to the English national anthem. As a non-royalist and an atheist, singing these words at sporting events such as the World Cup or Olympics with passion and pride is next to impossible. I am proud to be English, we have a great country that should represent fairness and equality, providing a beacon to emerging nations around the world, a modern and advanced society. Our national anthem should represent this nation and be uplifting and inspiring, with lyrics that fill people with pride and awe, not divide the nation along religious/royalist/nationalistic lines by banging on about gods, a ruling monarch and an historical warring past.

The idea of singing about national pride at sporting events seems a little silly in the first place but, if we are going to do so, then we should at least be singing something that all involved can feel connected to. There are even other verses to the English national anthem that seem more appropriate than the one we currently use. ( Same Tune ) Check out the lyrics for the 4th verse:

 

"May just and righteous laws

Uphold the public cause,

And bless our isle.

Home of the brave and free,

Fair land and liberty,

Breaking News - Human man quits privileged position.

Can a #Humanist/#Rationalist be a Royalist? After all, we are talking about a fellow human who is considered to be better and more worthy than those beneath them. Living in a privileged position of generational wealth and power, handed to them by war and tyranny throughout history. I'm not sure that it is something that belongs in a modern world of equality and rationality.

King Juan Carlos of Spain has recently (2ndJune2014) abdicated the throne, handing the 'job' to his son, Felipe in what could be seen as a PR stunt designed to halt a slide in Royal popularity. Is that cynical or does it have some truth - Juan Carlos Human has had a hard time publicly in the last few years. He went Elephant hunting in Botswana, splashing his inherited wealth whilst the vast majority of the Spanish people struggled through a large financial crisis. Is that not a bit anachronistic?

Is the idea of a British monarchy ruling over the lower orders relevant in a modern society? Does it have a place other than as a figurehead for a 'Disney-style dream castle theme park' with a large team of PR bots designed to boost tourism? Should a royal family have any power to rule or hold any opinions? When they do, they find themselves in hot royal water for expressing an interest. ( see Prince Charles discussing Ukraine/Russia ) Are there really some humans that are genetically better suited to rule over others? When you say it like that, it makes you wonder how relevant it really is. Or is that just cynical me? Discuss.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27662301