text:
Did a Wampyr Walk in Highgate?
The Revelancy of Blog Comments
After covering yet another of Dave's wonky replies, I'm going to address want some statements he made about my blog's readership. We'll get the answer to a pertinent question: how important are comments to the "relevancy" of a blog?
It's clear Dave has a very dismissive attitude towards my blog - especially when I criticise his claims. But why? Seems that my readership plays a big part.
In a reply to his associate, Barbara Green, he notes that "[h]ardly anyone" reads my blog. In regards to my commenting on his blog, apparently I realise "that little game is a waste of time here. So all he's got is a one-man platform for his own opinions. For example, how many people have you seen posting there? None!"
He even sees fit to draw a parallel between myself and his feud piggybank, Sean Manchester: "Rather like the tea pot-clad one in that respect – only difference is little Anthony doesn't employ the use of aliases to hide behind." The "tea pot-clad" reference is an allusion to Manchester's biretta. It's a recurring theme in David's online writings.
Anyway, back to the topic. I accept that my readership isn't exactly setting the world alight. I'm cool with that. As I've said before, this blog's a bit of a "sideline hobby" of mine. I don't need to validate its existence with a swathe of commentators. Hell, until recently, I didn't think many people were reading it at all. So, naturally, the comment ratio was gonna be low. Really low. I've even cautioned people about reading it, in the first place. My writings are free; I'm not selling anything. So, what's the significance of infrequent comments on my blog?
Let's contrast, shall we? Since Dave made such a big deal about it, we'll take a look at the comment activity on his blog. I can only focus on the ones that were published, though. You won't be able to see my unmoderated comments, without reading my blog. The key here is accessibility. Now, because July's still under way, I wanted an established timeframe. A season'll do it, for broad representation. I chose the autumnal (or Spring for readers in the northern hemisphere) months of March, April and May. I'll link to the posts in question, tell you how many comments they got (as of this writing) and the names of their posters. Let's begin.
"Ram Inn 2nd Vigil – Pt 2", 1 comment: Barbara Green.
"Blog Time Again", 0 comments.
". . . 'Us Witches' Are Lazy!", 4 comments: Craig (1), Barbara Green (1), David Farrant (2).
"Release", 2 comments: Lady K. (1), David Farrant (1).
"2 Bottles of Wine", 4 comments: Lady K. (1), David Farrant (1), Barbara Green (2).
"Far Too Long", 0 comments.
"So Here It Is!", 0 comments.
Total comments: 11
"Don't Want to Look!", 0 comments.
"Thanks Sam", 0 comments.
"Easter Again!", 0 comments.
"Ley Lines and Highgate Cemetery?", 0 comments.
"Highgate Cemetery and Ley Lines?", 1 comment: Matt.
"Barbara, Laura, Jade and Gareth", 14 comments: rob (7), David Farrant (6), Barbara Green (1).
"Better Get Writing!", 4 comments: Barbara Green (2), David Farrant (2).
"This or That", 4 comments: Barbara Green (2), David Farrant (2).
"Unlikely to Forget", 4 comments: Barbara Green (1), David Farrant (2), Clarmonde (1).
"Here's a Pic!", 0 comments.
"Choosing Dinner", 3 comments: Clarmonde (2), David Farrant (1).
"A Bit of News", 0 comments.
"Dorm 'Fight'!", 21 comments: John Baldry's Cat (2), David Farrant (9), Speenqueen (1), Roger (1), Clarmonde (6), Barbara Green (2).
"Those Were the Days!", 0 comments.
"The Ghost of Blackbird Cottage", 6 comments: David Farrant (4), Barbara Green (1), Clarmonde (1).
"Not Far to Go Now . . .", 2 comments: Clarmonde (1), David Farrant (1).
"It Had to Happen!", 9 comments: Marcos Drake (1), David Farrant (3), Clarmonde (3), Barbara Green (2).
We have a grand total of 79 comments for that three month duration. Pretty impressive, eh? That is, until we start breaking down the amount of "responses" per commenter:
Craig: 1
Matt: 1
Speedqueen: 1
Roger: 1
Marcos Drake: 1
Lady K.: 2
John Baldry's Cat: 2
Rob: 7
Clarmonde: 14
Barbara Green: 15
And the most frequent commenter on David's blog is (drumrolls)...
David Farrant: 34
During that three month period, there were a whopping eleven commentators on his blog (including Dave). Out of that eleven (including Dave), five of them posted more than once. What a massive groundswell of support after more than 40 years in the biz!
But, it gets better. You see, Dave's already been in contact with the remaining 10 outside of his blog. Clarmonde, for example, is someone he "met" on the Arcadia forum. He's also the patron of Barbara's Yorkshire Robin Hood Society. John Baldry's Cat assisted Cecil Lamont-Dwiggins in profiteering off the feud between Farrant and Manchester through his blog, The Cat's Miaow. "Cecil", incidentally, is responsible for a satirical comic published through, yep, you guessed it: David's British Psychic and Occult Society. Guess who its main target is?
You get the drift. So, what does Dave's snide remarks about my blog's readership and the lack of frequent comments, amount to? Bugger-all, obviously. As this survey attested, his verified readership (by virtue of their comments) is restricted to a fairly small group of people. Sympathisers, no less. No real objectivity or criticism on display. Meanwhile, my blog gets readership from both sides of the fence.
Oh, Dave's grossly mistaken in about no one posting on my blog. Check out the comments here, for instance. The difference is, the comments I get are generally of a less savoury nature. But, at least I don't selectively restrict views to associates and "fans". In that regard, I ironically uphold the ethos of his Highgate Vampire Society better than he does:
After all, the case of the so-called Highgate phenomenon is not really a private issue or one that can be affected by personal views or interpretations. It is a matter of public record and should thus be open to continued input and debate, and not one that should not be allowed to become clouded or influenced by any who have no knowledge of events (which they certainly do not 'own') as these actually occurred or happened. There are many such persons around (including sensationalistic authors and members of the Press) but their stories should really be shared in total, and not be allowed to become 'dictorial' in the sense that these necessarily represent the public view of things.
Posted by Anthony Hogg at 3:48 PM No comments:
Labels: Comments, David Farrant, FeudWatch
Awaiting Moderation and Other Escapades
Captain Free Speech is at it again. Two of my comments are "awaiting moderation", yet, they've still managed to elicit one-sided replies.
I responded to Barbara's claims that I'd been "trashing" her and invited her to cite examples. I also extended an offer to her: would she be up for an interview for this blog? Y'know, so she could have her say on the Highgate hijinks and such. My comment is still pending publication, but here's her inadvertent (?) reply:
Firstly, it's nice to know she reads my blog (hi Barbara!). Second, the "reply" she's referring to is probably my "Tunnel Vision" post, in which I questioned her selective reading of my blog's content. That is, focusing on my criticisms of Manchester, while neglecting what I've uncovered about David's dodgy output. As you can see, she's gone and done it again ("manchestermalarky"). Nonetheless, my offer of an interview (if Barbara really feels like she's being misrepresented) still stands.
After Barbara's "social list" rant, Dave offers her comfort to her; suggesting that I should be ignored. It's not the first time he's tried to "silence" his associates.
To be honest, I used to think "[h]ardly anybody" read my blog, too. The lack of feedback made me think I was just pissing in the wind. That is, until I installed Feedjit. Now, it's become very apparent that I do have readers and funnily enough, most of 'em come from the UK. Just like Dave. Sure, they don't post on here. But they don't need to, either. Point is, they're reading the thing and that's what counts.
But wait, how does David know that people rarely comment on here? Why, that could only mean he reads my blog! Hi Dave! Who needs tonnes of readers when I have an "esteemed" (ahem) psychic investigator reading my blog?
And what's this about doing myself "far more harm with [my] false assumptions and conclusions, than [he and Barb] do by not answering"? Surely, making generic, unsubstantiated claims about me without directly addressing what I say, only makes them look dodgy? As Dave points out, I put my name to my blog. That's my accountability. I frequently cite their writings. I link to 'em. If I say so-and-so is up to no good, then I'll give my reasons why. I'll show you. I trust the readers to make up their own minds from the conclusions they draw. Unfortunately, Dave doesn't share this ethic, as we'll see from his response to my other "awaiting moderation" comment.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Not only did Dave quote from an unmoderated comment, but he even deleted the link I posted. In case you're wondering, it was this one.
It's pretty odd that Dave claims I'm introducing my "personal views and arguements [sic]", when I was directly addressing one of his claims. Basically, he told me (via his blog) that the person who sent him "my" home address, was an Arcadia forum member named "George". I asked him for proof. It's true that he never said he received the info by e-mail. But, as Dave and himself were/are both members of the same forum, it's a logical conclusion. I mean, what's the alternative route? They met up in a pub? George sent him a letter? How else would he have passed along the info to him? Dave's noticeably hesitant in revealing just how the stalker acquired "my" info. And why? Simply because I asked him for proof of his claim.
If Dave's that concerned about the stalker's privacy, why would Dave publicly reveal that he had my home address in the first place? Why would he subsequently reveal this mystery chap, to be a member of the Arcadia forum? What's to lose in sending me the e-mail (or other means) by which he received info about myself?
Let's find out, shall we? Here's my follow-up reply. It's presently "awaiting moderation":
Labels: Barbara Green, Censorship, Comments, David Farrant, Stalking
My Reconciliatory Efforts
Despite Barbara's claim that I'm a "rabble rowser" [sic], even she's probably aware of my efforts in trying to get Manchester and Farrant to resolve their differences.
Even though David likes to pretend that the feud between his "side" and Manchester's is a one-sided affair, it's clear that it helps keep their respective careers afloat. At the very least, by "dismantling" their competition. During my usual coverage of the shenanigans these two sides engage in, a shining light emerged during "discussions" on John Baldry Cat's blog, The Cat's Miaow.
It was clear that after forty years, all the claims and counter-claims by both parties were getting pretty circular and not really going anywhere, so why not try another approach: reconciliation. The following is a chronicle of my attempts to get the two to meet up.
Laying Down the Gauntlet
Stumbling Block?
Flies at the Picnic
I'm Not Liking This
Ok, Now We're Getting Somewhere
Postscript to the Previous Post
More Pussyfooting Around
Glimmer of Hope Still Remains
Trying to Restore Some Balance
Popping in to Check-Up on Things
I'm Checking In
They Can't Bloody Help Themselves
So, if I'm a mere "rabble rowser", then I've at least had a crack at building a bridge between the two sides. Can Barbara claim the same thing?
Labels: Barbara Green, FeudWatch
Stalker Source
Just to show that "The Great Reveal" post was no mere hit-and-run affair, I've also posted it on David's blog. I've also followed it up with a query regarding the source of his stalker info.
It would've taken up too much space to reply to David's comment on his blog, so I took a shortcut approach. Here's what I wrote back:
Here's my response to your dodgy reply.
By the way, could you forward the e-mail in which George revealed "my" address to you? Just want to establish the truth of your allegation.
Is it enough to just accept David's word on the matter? After all, the claim's on his head. Still, it'd be nice to get actual proof of his claim. The ball's in David's court, now. Let's see if he can back up what he said.
Labels: Comments, David Farrant, Stalking
Even though I've been referred to as an "obsessed scandal-seeker" by David, it's clear that he harbours such activities on his own blog. The latest example concerns Barbara Green.
It began with a simple request: "I tried the e-mail addy on your Robin Hood site a while ago, but it appears to be defunct. Do you have something more current?" She didn't respond, instead, posting a diatribe about a "mancurian biog–what was it called–oh I remember, Stray Wits."
Barbara often talks in riddles, but it's easy to decipher was this allusion meant. According to the Urban Dictionary, "mancurian" is defined as "someone from Manchester, or something related to Manchester." This is not a geographic reference, in context. It's a cryptic reference to the man she had a falling out with, some time ago: Sean Manchester.
And the "Stray Wits" reference? An obvious dig at Stray Ghosts, Manchester's unpublished memoir. Though, as you can see, it's not a blog as Green infers.
Thus, when David said "Nobody I know seems the least bit interested in yourself but just view you as an 'obsessed scandal-seeker': one you seeks to invent 'scandal' when in fact none really exists", we really have to wonder about the activities taking place on his blog. In fact, shortly after I pointed out the following - "As to seeking scandal, you should see what happened when I tried to ask Barbara Green, one of his associates, for her e-mail addy. Basic query, right? Well, it's not how she responded" - Barbara "coincidentally" posted a follow-up to her diatribe-response!
The "searching questions" I ask of "his holiness" is yet another reference to Manchester, as attested by the "esteemed bishop" reference. She's right in saying that I don't have a "side". I've made this clear, previously:
In fact, at various intervals, I've been accused of being on either side of the party. Neutrality is not something generally appreciated in this Case. It seems you gotta bat for one team or the other.
I think that's a preposterous expectation.
The main parties presenting their claims are clearly as dodgy as the other. My advice to people who express doubt for both sides, but still find themselves siding with one over the other, is that's it's like picking the lesser of two snakeoil salesmen: why would you choose either one?
But if Barbara admires my "searching questions" of Manchester, why does she completely ignore the "searching questions" I've asked of David? Could it have anything to do with him being the Patron of her Yorkshire Robin Hood Society, a post formerly held by Manchester? Is it because he's assisted her with advertorial practices?
Barbara's incorrect in saying that I won't listen to any of her "rational and accurate explanations". Hell, one of the reasons I wanted to contact her, was to request an interview for this blog. Y'know, to give her side of the story. It's an offer that still stands.
Labels: Barbara Green, Comments
David's finally come clean about the identity of person who forwarded my home address to him. Unfortunately, he also resorts to his usual rhetoric and deceptive tactics.
His response to my previous query evinces more of the same-old, same-old nonsense. Once again, issues I didn't raise are hoisted up from the depths of his own imagination. I'll be dissecting his comment with interspersions of my own:
Anthony, give it a rest.
If I don't choose to discuss the contents of the book here, that remains my privilege – not yours.
I have already told you, this Blog serves as a diary of events, and I do not use it to advertise my books.
That might be believable, if five of his comments on the thread didn't incorporate subtle, ahem, suggestions ("So I suggest you first order that from Amazon or Nielsens (or any good bookshop)", "you'll just have to order it from Amazon", "go out and order the 'Pact' one" and "you'll just have to go out and order the book", "let him go out and order one") to buy the book.
But as I am well known for my books (mostly on the paranormal) and writing books forms a large part of my life, I am quite entitled to mention titles here as or when I may be working on them. But I do not advertise them here (although I would be quite entitled to do that as well if chose to).
Which he obviously has been. On several occasions.
I have already invited you to go right back 3 years ago (this month) and show us where I have given any price details, and any address for any payments to be sent. You would have been unable to do so – simply because there are none. So you really destroy your own argument.
David's obviously unfamiliar with the concept of advertising (or is he?). It's not always as obvious as telling price details. Wikipedia defines advertising as "a form of communication intended to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products, ideals, or services." Thus, telling someone to repeatedly buy a book would kinda fit that mould, don't you think.
I have made it quite clear, that, as an on-going Diary of current events, I do not wish to discuss 40 year-old feuds or arguments here. You are the one who seems obsessed with doing this.
A pretty odd claim, considering that I wasn't raising "40 year-old feuds" on his thread. Keep in mind that I was asking him for info on his latest publication. Even odder, when he alludes to the book's contents: "Enough nonsense has already been spread around about the whole subject of 'vampires', witchcraft and the occult, and my only intention (in writing the book) was to enable people to judge the facts for themselves."
I have already had to remove you from my two Facebook groups, Friends of David Farrant and The Highgate Vampire Society for doing exactly the same sort of thing. I also removed you as a Friend on Facebook for trying to introduce the 'feud issue' there – and this was not without ample requests and warnings.
The "same sort of thing", of course, being "40 year-old feuds". As I've established, that's a load of baloney. What I was actually raising on his Facebook groups, were glaring contradictions in his contemporary accounts, compared to the revised versions he presents to do. Oh, and noting that for a guy who doesn't like public discussions on the Highgate Vampire, he sure can't stop talking about it to the media. You can read about my Facebook contributions here, here and here.
I am also telling you for the last time here . . . now. I will not allow any further of your personal posts which are attempting to introduce the 'feud' issue or people who were – or still are – involved in that. So don't waste your time writing them, as they simply will not be published.
Yes, as we can see, Captain Free Speech is waving around the banhammer again. Funny thing is, he probably would have been better off not publishing my comments at all. I mean, telling people that my comments will be refused for such reasons, even though they can read the bloody thread themselves is either a massive oversight or shows how little respect he actually has for his readers' basic level of comprehension.
As to this:
"And don't forget that you threw that stalker curveball into the mix, too. As if publicly mentioning that you had my home address (yet refusing to divulge who gave it to you) was somehow relevant to asking what your book's about. As usual, you're the pot calling the kettle black".
I am not calling you anything; I have only been trying to answer spurious allegations being 'thrown in' by yourself.
I told you, that just because I have your address, does not mean I have been 'stalking you'.
Let me give you this scenario, dear readers: you're commenting away on a blog, just trying to ask about its author's new book. He dodges basic questions about its content and all of a sudden, he throws a curveball at you. Like this: "And 'no', you are not getting a free copy even though I have your address now!" Apart from "WTF?!", what'd be your first reaction? Yeah, I thought so.
Nobody I know seems the least bit interested in yourself but just view you as an 'obsessed scandal-seeker': one you seeks to invent 'scandal' when in fact none really exists.
Nobody's interested? Funny, that's not what my Feedjit says. Also, I haven't noticed his readers (at least, on his blog), say anything of the sort. As to seeking scandal, you should see what happened when I tried to ask Barbara Green, one of his associates, for her e-mail addy. Basic query, right? Well, it's not how she responded.
It was yourself you brought the 'stalking element' into all this when you publicly admitted on Arcadia that somebody calling themselves "George" had sent your private details together with a photograph of yourself in PM's there.
Now we're warming up to the big reveal. Just to keep you up to scratch, I was being stalked on Arcadia by a member known simply as..."George". He sent a personal address and photo to me in my inbox there. I duly reported him to the mods, who took swift action against him. However, you'll soon see the lighter side of this episode.
But what disturbs me most about Dave's reply is the you-brought-this-on-yourself mentality. No condemnation of the actual stalker, himself. No, it's all my fault. Thus, Dave once again condones Internet stalking by this principle. I deserved it, apparently. Yeah, what does that sound like?
YOU were the person who chose to make this public.
But I would agree, that really does constitute stalking.
Yet it was not myself who did this, and I believe I told you whom I was sure that this was. That is really your problem, but please stop trying to confuse this issue with your references to myself and 'stalking' here.
If he's referring to him telling me who stalked me on Arcadia, sure, maybe he dropped a few allusions. But we need names people! Not innuendo! And besides, what does that have to do with Dave having my address and then publicly announcing that he had it? The onus shifts a lil there, methinks.
This same person also gave you my address Anthony, so it doesn't take too much intelligence to work out who it was.
Now, for the last time . . . BEHAVE YOURSELF!
David Farranr
And there's the great reveal: George. That prick. There's two funny things here, which I should mention. Firstly, it's blatantly obvious that George was a VRS lackey. It just shows how desperate they've gotten to discredit me, and intimidate me away me from my writings, that they've now resorted to sharing my personal info with their archnemesis. How pathetic.
Or is it my info? That personal address and photo I mentioned George sending me? Yeah, I feel sorry for whoever the actual guy is. Cos, guess what? It's not me. They obviously thought it was, though. That means the VRS has been distributing the details of some random dude to, well, who knows who else. Anyone who'll listen to their crap, I guess. Worst. Stalkers. Ever.
It was good to get 'em suspended off Arcadia. There's no excuse for that kind of behaviour. I mean, honestly. Tracking down randoms? They're that insecure with what I write that they gotta try and hunt me down? Maybe if they were a little less dodgy, I'd have a whole lot less material for my blog. How's that for a new strategy?
The Church vs. the Undead, Pt. 4
We've had a peek at the views of Montague Summers and his "link" to Seán Manchester and the Vampire Research Society. Now we'll see what Augustin Calmet, and other notables within the Church, had to say about vampires.
Few authors, apart from Summers himself, are so closely associated with vampire studies than French Benedictine monk, Augustin Calmet (1672-1757). Renown for his Biblical exegesis, highly regarded as a scholar, yet he came under heavy fire from Voltaire and other eighteenth century philosophers for giving serious coverage to vampiristic phenomena.
His work on the subject was a best-seller. It went through three editions: Dissertations sur les apparitions des anges, des démons & des esprits, et sur les revenans et vampires de Hongrie, de Boheme, de Moravie, & de Silesie (1746), Dissertations sur les apparitions des esprits, et sur les vampires ou les revenans de Hongrie, de Moravie, & c. (1749) and Traité sur les apparitions des esprits et sur les vampires, ou les revenans de Hongrie, de Moravie, & c. (1751). What isn't often noted about these updates, is that they were marked by an increasing skepticism towards vampire belief.
Massimo Introvigne (b. 1955), the Italian director of the Transylvanian Society of Dracula and staunch Catholic, is assured that despite the cautious approach Calmet used in his books, he was far from a believer:
Personally, I would argue that Calmet did not really believe in the existence of vampires even in 1746, even if he was still undecided, and his writing style might have easily misled his readers. Many of his chapters include length quotations from other authors, manuscripts, anonymous works, newspapers and journals, without any comment. The work was, more than anything else, an anthology of contradictory statements, which should by no means be regarded as representing Calmet's own opinions ("Father" 606).
Selectively (and deceptively) representing one's source is a tactic the VRS uses in its "Vampirological Testimony", as we saw in Part 2 of this series. They even manage confuse the title of Calmet's first edition with its last (Fig. 1):
Fig. 1 The VRS incorrectly cites Calmet's 1746 book.
So what did Calmet actually have to say on the matter? Fortunately, for those of us who can't read French, Calmet's work has been published in English. The third edition, Traité, was translated by Rev. Henry Christmas and re-titled The Phantom World: or, The Philosophy of Spirits, Apparitions, & c. (London: Richard Bentley, 1850) in two volumes. Thanks to Google Books, you can read and download both of 'em online (See: Vol. I; Vol. II). The second volume's the one concerned with vampires. Calmet's views on the matter don't get any more clearer than this:
That the oupires, or vampires, or revenans of Moravia, Hungary, Poland, &c., of which such extraordinary things are related, so detailed, so circumstantial, invested with all the necessary formalities to make them believed, and to prove them even judicially before judges, and at the most exact and severe tribunals; that all which is said of their return to life; of their apparition, and the confusion which they cause in the towns and country places; of their killing people by sucking their blood, or in making a sign to them to follow them; that all those things are mere illusions, and the consequence of a heated and prejudiced imagination. They cannot cite any witness who is sensible, grave and unprejudiced, who can testify that he has seen, touched, interrogated these ghosts, who can affirm the reality of their return, and of the effects which are attributed to them.
I shall not deny that some persons may have died of fright, imagining that their near relatives called them to the tomb; that others have thought they heard some one rap at their doors, worry them, disturb them, in a word, occasion them mortal maladies; and that these persons judicially interrogated, have replied that they had seen and heard what their panic-struck imagination had represented to them. But I require unprejudiced witnesses, free from terror and disinterested, quite calm, who can affirm upon serious reflection, that they have seen, heard, and interrogated these vampires, and who have been the witnesses of their operations ; and I am persuaded that no such witness will be found (II: 240-1).
Testimony indeed. So how about other Church authorities not listed on the VRS page? Did any uphold belief in vampires? Let's go with Giuseppe Davanzati, another popularly cited eighteenth century Catholic authority. He's best-known for Dissertazione sopra i vampiri (1774; 1789). Here's what Introvigne has to say about his work:
Discussions between Cardinal Schrattembach, Bishop of Olmutz (a believer), and Monsignor Giuseppe Davanzati (1665-1755), Archbishop of Trani and later Cardinal (a skeptic), also led the latter to prepare between 1738-43 a report that, as we shall see, went on to play a crucial role in persuading the Vatican to condemn any, and all, belief in vampires as superstition ("Father" 600).
Yeah, that's right. The Vatican. Just in case it's not clear how significant this condemnation is, let me remind you of the authorial role it has in the Catholic Church:
The Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes) is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic Church. It is also recognized by other subjects of international law as a sovereign entity, headed by the Pope, with which diplomatic relations can be maintained.
And speaking of Popes:
By 1749, Rome had also spoken. In 1740, Prospero Lambertini became Pope and took the namre of Benedict XIV; he was regarded as a specialist of apparitions and other supernatural occurences without parallel in the history of the church. His book on the subject is still quoted and used by the Catholic Church in the 20th century when allegedly supernatural events occur. In the first edition of his book, published in 1734, Lambertini did not deal with vampires. In the second edition, however, published in 1749 in Rome after he had become Pope Benedict XIV, he added two pages on vampires, pronouncing them to be "fallacious fictions of human fantasy". He followed this with an apostolic letter to the Archbishop of Leopolis urging him to vigorously "suppress this superstition [of vampires]". "Tracing the source of it you may easily discover that there are priests promoting these stories in order to persuade the gullible populace to pay good money for exorcisms and Masses" ("Father" 608).
So, despite Manchester's insistence that the "Catholic Church has always accepted the existence of such things and the need to deal with them by way of exorcism", I'm yet to see any convincing proof to back this claim. The VRS's "Vampirological Testimony" is useless in this regard.
As you've seen, major Catholic authorities, even a Pope, have condemned belief in vampires as "superstition". The small circle of believers that Manchester does cite are partial to the VRS, or, in Summers' case, of dubious connection to the Church itself.
What are we to make of Manchester's claim? Without further proof, without further citations indicating the widespread belief he alleges, I think we can borrow Benedict XIV's words and mark Manchester's statement as the "fallacious fictions of human fantasy".
Labels: Sean Manchester, Vampire Research Society, Vampires
I've whittled down the VRS's so-called "vampirological testimony" to two people: Augustin Calmet and Montague Summers. They also bring our initial peek into Catholic views on vampires, full circle.
Let's get Summers out of the way, first. He was an English Catholic clergyman, although some doubt the validity of his orders. He wrote two companion tomes on the undead: The Vampire: His Kith and Kin (1928) and The Vampire in Europe (1929).
Unlike most of the non-VRS-affiliated sources incorporated into the Society's "Vampirological Testimony" page, Summers actually did believe in the existence of vampires. In his second book, he even hints at a conspiracy of sorts:
Of recent years the histories of Vampirism in England are perhaps few, but this not so much because they do not occur as rather that they are carefully hushed up and stifled (115).
By whom, he doesn't elaborate. Nor does he give further proof for his allegation. Nonetheless, he was a highly significant influence on Seán Manchester, who establishes an affinity with the late cleric:
I, like wise, began in the Church of England and converted to Roman Catholicism before entering holy orders in an autocephalous Catholic Church ~ as, of course, did Summers. We were both ordained within the context of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and, as Catholic Bishops, led self-governing and independent jurisdictions which held authority in Great Britain.
As I mentioned, the validity of Summers' orders have been questioned. So have Manchester's. But the Bishop also admits that his primary knowledge on Summers is derived from Summers, himself:
My appreciation of Summers' work is a matter of public record. Yet I have no knowledge of his private life, or his degree of involvement in esotericism about which rumours abound. I do not question his ordinations, as have some commentators, but I am not qualified to access him beyond his published works.
Little is known about Summers' private life, because he gave away so little of it, himself. His posthumously published autobiography, The Galanty Show (1980), left out a lotta detail. This void has left open rumours (?) about his supposed involvement in the occult and possible membership in the Order of Chaeronea, "a secret society for the cultivation of a homosexual moral, ethical, cultural and spiritual ethos." David Hilliard's essay explores this angle a little further:
A fellow member of the Order of Chaeronea and a writer of Uranian verse was Alphonsus Joseph-Mary Augustus Montague Summers. As an Anglo- Catholic he was ordained a deacon in the Church of England before being received into the Roman Catholic church in 1909. Rejected from training for the Catholic priesthood (though it is probable that he subsequently received priest's orders through a schismatical source), he became a school teacher and antiquarian scholar, an author of voluminous works on Restoration drama, the Gothic novel, witchcraft, and demonology, and an active member of the British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology (16).
One of the sources for these charges is Brocard Sewell (1912-2000), one of Summers' biographers. It'd be surprising if Manchester wasn't aware of this stuff. Especially considering that he and Sewell, at one point, shared correspondence:
It has been assumed that Father Brocard Sewell and I were well acquainted. This is not the case, however; though a robust correspondence between us was occasionally entered upon; one might even say erupted. The topic of Montague Summers and, indeed, vampires was never too distant.
Of course, Sewell's coverage of this hidden angle of Summers' life is omitted from VRS coverage of the late biographer. All the same, the Bishop self-appointedly anoints himself as the heir of Summers' legacy: "Bishop Montague Summers died of a heart attack in 1948 and his mantle awaited the arrival of another." And just in case it's not clear who "another" is, the VRS elaborates:
Montague Summers died of a heart attack in 1948 and his mantle awaited the arrival in London of Seán Manchester who would there establish himself as the other celebrated vampirologist of the twentieth century.
The VRS's page on Devendra P. Varma (1923-1994) claims that Manchester had to assumed this "mantle" after the death of their Honorary Vice-President: "His text The Gothic Flame was his way of picking up the torch from Montague Summers, before the flame passed to Seán Manchester in October 1994."
We're presented with yet another spiritual lineage, bordering on reincarnation, at this point, when the VRS's Montague Summers page even claims that Manchester holds a Church position previously occupied by Summers:
Summers entered the Old Catholic priesthood in 1913 and, towards the end of his life, was elevated to the episcopate by Hugh George de Willmott Newman, Archbishop of Glastonbury ~ an office and See currently held by Seán Manchester.
A strange assertion, indeed, in light of Manchester not questioning Summers' "ordinations" and not knowing him "beyond his published works". The Database of Autocephalous Bishops also notes that Summers' ordination has "been disputed". More on autocephaly here.
Lastly, a brief word on Summers' connection to another VRS affiliate. Peter Underwood, (b. 1923) their Life-Member and Associate, recounts an interesting tale in The Vampire's Bedside Companion: The Amazing World of Vampires in Fact and Fiction (London: Leslie Frewin, 1975), pp. 69-74. He claims that Summers bestowed him with an anti-vampire talisman. One Summers used against an actual vampire in Southern Transylvania, 1909. Yet, strangely, there's no mention of this incident in Summers' own vampire books.
Despite Summers' ecclesiastical credentials being up in the air, did his viewpoints reflect widespread Catholic attitudes to vampires? We'll take a look in the final installment when we examine what Calmet, and other prominent Catholic writers on the subject, had to say.
Posted by Anthony Hogg at 11:20 PM No comments:
Labels: Montague Summers, Sean Manchester, Vampire Research Society, Vampires
I looked into the impartiality of so-called "vampirological testimony" courted by Seán Manchester and the Vampire Research Society (VRS). Now we further examine the "testimony" of non-affiliated sources.
The remaining eight of the thirteen sources used within the VRS's "Vampirological Testimony" page are thankfully devoid of association to the organisation. In fact, they're commonly cited in works concerning vampires. Let's begin with the "testimony" of Leo Allaci aka Leo Allatius (c. 1586-1669).
A noted Catholic scholar, he's best known in vampire circles for his 1645 work, De Graecorum hodie quorundam opinationibus, which discussed Greek belief in a type of revenant called the bulcolaca. You might know it better as the vrykolakas. However, I should also point out that this subject only takes up a certain section of the book, namely, chapters 12-17.
Funny thing is, Allatius wasn't actually writing about vampires. At least, not the concept of them propagated by the VRS. After all, the vampire of folklore was a Slavic revenant-type unknown to Greeks of the time. This is notable by the fact that Allatius' account does not mention the bulcolaca, or its variants, drinking blood. Nor are common tropes, like warding them off with garlic, staking the corpse, etc., present. Instead, it's described as a "dead body, possessed by the devil, which rises black and swollen from the dead and roams the streets bringing disease and death." They were destroyed through cremation.
Allatius describes another similar revenant, the tympaniaios, which is a "body prevented from decaying by an excommunication from the church." They were "cured" by a priest absolving them, not staking them through the heart. It's this type of revenant that Allatius professed belief in. Not vampires. Hats off to Karen Hartnup's 'On the Beliefs of the Greeks': Leo Allatios and Popular Orthodoxy (Leiden: Brill Academic, 2004), p. 30 for the info. Oh, and I should also mention that the concept of the excommunicated, undecayed dead is primarily an Orthodox Church doctrine, not something the Catholic Church generally advocates.
Next up, there's Johann Heinrich Zopf (1691-1774), who the VRS page renders as "John Heinrich Zopfius". He's best known for his 1733 work, Dissertatio de vampyris Serviensibus. Admittedly, he did believe in vampires, acknowledging that "the devil could indeed animate the bodies of evil beings." See: Massimo Introvigne, "Antoine Faivre: Father of Contemporary Vampire Studies", Ésotérisme, Gnoses & Imaginaire Symbolique: Mélanges offerts à Antoine Faivre (Leuven: Peeters, 2001), p. 603.
It should be noted, however, that in spite of Manchester's claim that the Catholic Church accepted widespread vampire belief amongst its clergy, Zopf was actually an Evangelical Lutheran. Yep, a Protestant.
Now, back to Catholics. In this case, Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708), who studied at a Jesuit convent, but became a botanist after his father's death. The VRS page draws upon an 1741 edition of his work, Relations d'un Voyage du Levant. The work was first published, posthumously, in 1717, and translated into English the following year.
It's best-known for the author's account of the spectacle surrounding a supposedly restless corpse on the Greek island of Mykonos. Once again, we're dealing with a vrykolakas. The inclusion of de Tournefort's account in the VRS's "vampirological testimony" was a hell of a gamble. It'd only make sense if they were banking on readers not being unfamiliar with the rest of what de Tournefort wrote on the subject.
Time and time again, he refutes the villager's claims of witnessing extraordinary phenomena around the exhumed body. It's hard to get more demonstrative of de Tournefort's dim view than this passage, as quoted in Paul Barber's Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988):
In so general a prepossession, we chose not to say anything. They would have treated us not just as fools but as infidels. How is one to bring an entire population back to its senses? Those who believed in their soul that we doubted the truth of the matter, came to us to reproach us for our incredulity and claimed to prove–by authoritative passages taken from the Shield of Faith of Père Richard, a Jesuit missionary–that there was such a thing as a vrykolakas. He was a Latin [Catholic -ed.], they said, and therefore you should believe him. Nor should we have got anywhere by denying the conclusion (23).
As for the Turks [Greece was under Ottoman rule at the time -ed.], it is certain that, at their first visit, they did not fail to make the community of Mykonos pay for the blood of this poor devil [the alleged vrykolakas -ed.], who became in every way an abomination and horror to his country. And after that, is it not necessary to point out that the Greeks of today are not the great Greeks, and that there is among them only ignorance and superstition! (24)
Hardly a glowing endorsement for the existence of vampires, is it?
And speaking of superstition, that's the same term Emily Gerard (1849-1905) used to describe Romanian belief in the undead. In fact, it was incorporated into the title of a July 1885 article she wrote for The Nineteenth Century. Was was it called? You guessed it: "Transylvanian Superstitions." It was later incorporated into her book, The Land Beyond the Forest (1888). No wonder the VRS chose to cite this relatively innocuous title, instead.
It also makes you wonder why they chose to cite James Frazer (1854-1941). His 1934 book, The Fear of the Dead in Primitive Religions isn't written as a validation of "primitive" beliefs, but, rather, examines them from an anthropological and mythological viewpoint. He even personally believed that "human belief progressed through three stages: primitive magic, replaced by religion, in turn replaced by science." A strange choice of source, indeed, for an organisation presided over by a Bishop.
I admit that I haven't read Jean Marigny's (b. 1939) La Tradition Legendaire du Vampire en Europe (1987), another VRS source. I can't even speak or write in French. Ah well. Fortunately, I have a copy of one of his English-translated works! So, going by the contents of Vampires: The World of the Undead (London: Thames and Hudson, 1994), I think it's a pretty safe bet that Marigny doesn't believe in vampires, either:
The specific attribute of the vampire that sets it apart from other supernatural creatures of the night is that, to exist, it must drink the blood of living beings. The vampire myth was unquestioningly born of fantasies linked to blood, that precious life force whose loss could lead to death. The origins of these fantasies can be found in the most ancient reaches of human history (14).
Now we're down to two more sources on the VRS's "Vampirological Testimony" page: eighteenth century vampire authority, Augustin Calmet (1672-1757) and twentieth century occultist aficionado, Montague Summers (1880-1948). Both of 'em, Catholics. Will they attest to Manchester's claim that vampires are incorporated into Catholic doctrine? Wait and see!
Sidetrackin' Dave
The first cycle of the stalker saga concluded recently. This time 'round, David brings it full circle by referring back to my initial enquiries. That is, the ones that bizarrely lead me to getting stalked by his anonymous informant.
Once again, Dave's usual sidetracking methods are on display. His response concerns issues I raised here, which also reveal the true audacity of his hucksterism. Oh, and I meant to say "That's", not "Thanks". Whoops. Anyway, here's my response:
To justify vampire hunting as part of his exorcistate role, Seán Manchester sometimes claims sanction from the Church. Does the Church actually encourage vampire belief? What have other Church members said about the undead?
During his interview with Andrew Gough, Manchester was asked "What position has the Catholic Church taken, both publicly and privately, with respect to your work?" He replied thusly:
The Catholic Church has always accepted the existence of such things and the need to deal with them by way of exorcism. I would only refer today, however, to the traditional wing of the Catholic Church in this respect and not the modernist, liberal elements who struggle to believe in the supernatural and question the very essence of Holy Scripture.
Oh really? Interesting. More on that, later. Meanwhile, the Vampire Research Society (VRS) website also incorporates a page on "Vampirological Testimony" featuring thirteen quotes from certain notables on the undead. Let's break these down a bit, shall we? Firstly, it's imperative to reveal that five of these quotes are derived from people who've had some sort of affiliation with the VRS.
The first such "testimony" comes from Life-Member and Associate, Peter Underwood. He wrote and edited The Vampire's Bedside Companion: The Amazing World of Vampires in Fact and Fiction (London: Leslie Frewin, 1975). It's the same book in which Manchester contributed his account of the Highgate Vampire, on pp. 81-121.
Next up, we have Elizabeth Wojdyla, an alleged victim of the Highgate Vampire. At the time, she was Keith Maclean's girlfriend. Who's he? Oh, just the VRS's former Regional Area Secretary (Fig. 1). He's since been replaced by Robert Finch (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1 A cached page confirms the identity of the VRS's former Regional Area Secretary.
Fig. 2 The current Regional Area Secretary can be viewed on the VRS's homepage.
The next testimony comes from Gothic scholar, Devendra P. Varma. That is, the VRS's Honorary Vice-President, who died in 1994. Interestingly, Jeanne Keyes Youngson, the President and founder of Vampire Empire, alleges that Varma was critical of the VRS, when he visited her Dracula Museum in New York.
The last two of the VRS-affiliated quotes come from the same source. That's right, the VRS's own president President and founder: Sean Manchester himself. In this case, the "testimony" is take from two of his books, that is, The Highgate Vampire (1985, 1991) and The Vampire Hunter's Handbook (1997).
Before we proceed onto the next part of this investigation, let's get a clear definition on exactly what "testimony" is, in this context. Obviously, the quotes used on the VRS's "Vampirological Testimony" page, are intended to indicate a demonstrated belief in vampires of the people cited, thereby justifying their promotion of the reality of the undead. Thus, the quotes serve as "testimonials". So, let's say that testimony is "is evidence provided by a competent witness."
In the next installment, I'll examine the "testimony" of the other eight people featured on the page and we'll soon get to the heart of the Church's views on vampires.
Posted by Anthony Hogg at 11:44 AM No comments:
The Stalker Saga, Vol. 1
At this point, it's fairly obvious that Dave's not gonna come clean with the identity of the person who handed him my home address. So, I've decided to let the matter drop. For now.
But, if any further details come to light, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I've gathered the relevant entries into this handy, bite-sized blog entry for your reading pleasure.
Stalker Dave
David Attributes Stalking Ability to the Supernatural
The Cult of Dave?
The Lighter Side of Being Stalked
Cat's Outta the Bag
Labels: Stalking
David continues his shameless deception and hucksterism. Also, the recent stalking escapades he's condoned, have inspired a new blurb for this blog.
Yes, the great proponent of free speech has been (unsurprisingly) selective in publishing my comments on his blog. My response to one of his latest deceptive tirades is still "awaiting moderation."
Meanwhile, he's allowed comments by regular commentator, "John Baldry's Cat" (JBC) concerning purchasing his latest book. Yes, despite saying "I do not use this Blog to advertise my books". Whatevs! As a result, JBC was left without context for what I actually wrote, instead relying on David's rhetoric.
I followed it up with a comment that David actually allowed, amazingly enough (maybe because of the coverage I've been giving the matter on my blog?), in which I set JBC straight. Yet, he still managed to censor it.
The missing name? Manchester. David frequently alludes to him, but clearly doesn't like using his actual name. So much for "naming names" and backing up his claims. Funnily enough, the Manchester crew likes hiding David's name on occasion, too. Note the reference to "The Devil's Fool" in this thread on The Cross and the Stake message board is actually Farrant. Yet another similarity of the opposing sides.
Now, back to the comments. Next up, Dave tries to dissuade JBC ordering a copy of the book on my behalf, encouraging me to buy my own copy. Yes, yet another sales pitch. He also discusses my lack of awareness of the book's contents:
There's a pretty obvious reason why I don't know what's in the book. It'll become readily apparent. But first up, JBC's response:
Well, I'm gonna take his word on that one. He might be pesky, but I don't think he's that nutty. So it was a longshot. But it still leaves open the mystery of who my stalker was. Notice how conveniently that was brushed aside by Dave? Typical. Anyway, now it's time to reveal why my knowledge of the book is somewhat limited. Strap yourselves in, folks!
Yes, amazingly enough, in all the time Dave's been sales-pitching, he's refused to discuss what the damn thing's about! Do you buy books online without knowing anything about their contents? As I've pointed out before, the damn thing doesn't even have a product description on Amazon. Do authors usually spend this much time dodging questions concerning basic information covered in their book? Worst. Salesman. Ever.
Lastly, I come to this blog's new blurb. In light of all the stalkyness that's been going on, I've been concerned that my readers might find themselves exposed to it, considering the nuttiness of the stalker in question. So, I've composed a new blurb for this blog, which'll hopefully give readers (the sane ones) a heads-up on what they might be getting into:
Felt like I needed something a bit more direct than my "Public Service Announcement". If you're a newbie, or never really paid attention, and you wanna see what the old blurb said, then you'll find it here.
Labels: Censorship, Comments, David Farrant, DAWWIH Designs, John Baldry's Cat, Stalking
Vampires: Demons in the Sack
I briefly discussed the semantics David employs regarding vampires, in the previous post. It's time to explore his unusual, alternative interpretation of vampiric phenomena. You'll see that vampires aren't outside his supernatural worldview.
Time and time again, David will insist that he doesn't believe in vampires, despite his association with the Highgate Vampire Case. However, he's particularly keen on emphasising his dismissal of the bloodsucking variety. Here's what he has to say on the matter in his interview for International Vampire Magazine:
I do not believe in "vampires" in the commercially accepted sense of the word ... i.e. physical figures or entities that go around draining victims of their blood in order to ensure "life everlasting".
There are two problems with his dismissals. Firstly, the "commercially accepted" use of the term, vampire, has historical and folkloric origins. It was introduced into the English language via an article published in the March 11, 1732 edition of The London Journal. The article covered an outbreak of vampirism in Serbia. This case popularised the Western concept of vampires, which is still used today.
However, writers and commentators soon saw the metaphoric applications of vampirism. Thus, the vampire could also be used as a political allegory, a reference to greedy people and a term for sexually voracious women.
The vampire was also given "new life" by occultists eager to distance it from its folkloric and historical status as an undead corpse, while retaining its supernatural element, to give themselves a "rational" edge in a post-Industrial society. Their alternate theories held that vampires were actually living people or discarnate entities that derived their sustenance not from blood, but from our vitality, or lifeforce. It was used to explain a metaphysical dilemma: how could a vampire transport a physical substance (blood), yet materialise in a grave under six feet of soil, without breaking the surface.
And now we arrive at the second problem with David's bloodsucking vampires dismissals. Despite his keenness to avail himself of the vampire tag (except when selling merchandise), it's clear that not only does he use the term himself, but he also believes in a variant of the vampire espoused by occultists, introducing an largely found in Medieval lore.
After yet another dismissal of the "Hammer Horror" style vampire, this time in an interview with Andrew Gough, David was asked "So, what are vampires then?" Here's his reply:
OK, fair point; just thought I'd mention it! So what are vampires?
Good question. Right, so I will tell you how the vampire legend was born. I assume most people have heard of the legend of the incubus and succubus?
Andrew responds with "Why yes, I believe most have." In case you haven't, an incubus is "a demon in male form who, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions, lies upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have sex with them." The succubus is its female equivalent. And now, back to Dave:
Well, what is interesting is that they are said to visit people in their sleep, and the symptoms exhibited by these people – these victims, as it were - are invariably the same as those of vampire victims. People wake up for no apparent reason and are paralysed, and often report a pressure, as if someone is kneeling on their chest. I had a German girl visit me in 2001, and she was in quite a state. She had visitations at night and, like many victims, appeared to lose her appetite and, in this instance, the girl was anaemic and required iron pills from a doctor. Still others develop an aversion to bright lights and start sleepwalking; all characteristics of vampire victims. Furthermore, a lot of these people actually report a sexual element to the visitation. Sexual communication between the visiting entity and the person is very common.
So, Bram Stoker would have been aware of these legends and it is very possible that he could have based the legend of Dracula on the legend of the incubus and succubus.
At this point, you might think David was gearing up for a scientific explanation of this phenomena, especially in light of his harsh attitude towards people who believe in the bloodsucking variant. You'd be wrong.
Andrew continues his line of query with "We are back to the chicken and the egg again. Where do the legends of incubus and succubus come from, then?" David responds thusly:
Yes, but that quotation might be truer than you think you know! You see, I have often answered this point in my writings that 'what came first' was the consciousness or 'life force' that created and then formed both of these. This is perhaps not so irrelevant if you think about it, because psychic energy (like the incubus and succubus that you have mentioned) could operate in a similar way. It is neither 'formed' nor reproduces itself in human terms. In fact, reports of these entities date back for centuries and are world-wide.
The moral of the story is: when investigating this Case, don't take dismissals at face value. Explore the semantics of what's being said. Unravel the attacks. It's clear that the war being fought between Dave and his opponent is one of interpretation: bloodsucking vampires vs. "vampire-like" psychic entities, not science vs. supernatural or superstition vs. reason.
And in case you thought that Dave's take on vampires is simply a personal view, note that he's also applied it to the Highgate Vampire itself. Here's another extract from his interview with International Vampire Magazine:
Why was I inclined to admit or suggest that this particular entity or phenomenon pointed towards being "vampirical"? ... Well, during the course of the investigation it came to light that at least two independent people had been physically attacked by some unknown person or entity whilst they were passing the Cemetery late at night.
Labels: Andrew Gough, David Farrant, Highgate Vampire, Vampires
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Forty-Sixth Anniversary Sullied by Stalkers - Forty-six years ago today the Highgate Vampire case was taken into the public domain for the first time in the form of a front-page news feature article ...
Vampire Research Society
Entities and Non-Entities on the 46th Anniversary - Forty-six years ago today the Highgate Vampire case was taken into the public domain for the first time in the form of a front-page news feature article ...
Ordo † Sancti † Graal
Advent -
The Truth Shall Set You Free
The Faustian Circle
By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them. -
Bishop † Seán † Manchester
Finis Tantum Principium Est - †
Friends of Bishop Seán Manchester
- Statement — Bishop Seán Manchester *Statement issued on 13 December 2013 by Bishop Seán Manchester regarding his status altering from public figu...
Kevin Chesham - Triathlete
Kev's coming back to the UK! - Gotcha at last, me ol' mucker! Hi all, Raggety here. Good news! My good friend and colleague (and the subject of this very blog) Kevin Chesham, will be...
British Occult Society
Isaac Ben Jacob's Statement - Official Statement About David Farrant and "Della Farrant" Official Statement sent by Isaac Ben Jacob to Seán Manchester regarding David Farrant and the pe...
The Last Mass Vampire Hunt in England - The night of Friday 13 March 1970 witnessed in England the largest vampire hunt of the twentieth century by members of the public. It bordered on hysteri...
The Vampire Exhumed!
Elizabeth Siddal – The First 'Vampire' of Highgate? - Some notable literary scholars have theorised that the fictional character of Lucy Westenra; one of Count Dracula's disciples, was largely based on Eliza...
Friends of David Farrant
Welcome Everyone... - *Many people will already be aware that I have my own personal Wordpress Blog at davidfarrant.org called The Human Touch which serves essentially as a 'dia...
Friends of Jamie Farrant
Herr Today Gone Tomorrow - As everybody is no doubt aware, things have gone downhill fast for Sean over the last few weeks. Having been exposed as a nazi he's responding in his usual...
Kevin Chesham - Triathlete - Fascist
Kevin Chesham's Struggle - Click on Kevin Chesham's words and image to access a history of the *"form and direction"* he took.
"The struggle can take many turns and directions." — Kevin Chesham (Dec 2009)
History - Kevin Chesham was born at Enfield Lock on 15 August 1953. I first met him in May 1973 when he came to work as a lifeguard for a summer season at a salubr...
The Adventures of Bishop Bonkers
You May Be Wondering... - *• WHO is on Bishop Bonkers enemies list?* *• WHAT event inspires Hoggy to leave his Billabong?* *• WHY does my hair turn orange?• WHEN does Gareth ea...
Manchester's Evil Cabal
Pure Hate - For someone claiming to be a man of the cloth, that is, a bishop, Manchester sure has some spite to spit at his arch-enemy David Farrant. "Della Vallicrus,...
Why Friends Defend Christian Bishop - It should be pointed out that FoBSM does not speak on behalf of Bishop Seán Manchester – he is more than capable of doing that himself – but nonetheless se...
The Cat's Miaow
Lock Up - Hard hit by the Manchester-Farrant Feud recession, it's inevitable that some blogs have downsized or closed their doors. We shall follow suit. I don't have...
+Seán Manchester
The Vampyre - Lord Byron, parodied as Lord Ruthven by Polidori in *The Vampyre* (1819), fortuitously crystallised an archetypal image that is centuries strong; yet he ...
Saxophonist Seán Manchester
Sarah Manchester
In the Shadow of the Highgate Vampire
Net Curtains Lurkers
Did a Wampyr Walk in Highgate? (Multiply Site)
Path of Reconciliation
The Inhuman Touch
Spamosphere
RV Water Vacuum : You Can Perform This Yourself - Water is the elixir of life- mandatory for lifetime survival, important component of the majority of matters we utilize in life and also the ideal thirst-q...
Anthony Hogg
Formerly a member of Vampire Research Society (VRS) message boards, I was unceremoniously banished for starting my own forum on the Highgate Vampire Case. You can read more background information on my involvement in this whole affair here. I take a neutral stance. I am not affiliated with any organisation representing Sean Manchester or David Farrant. Or the blokes, themselves.


One way is recovery and the other is OCD. It is awesome to have that choice!
Growing up I used to worry a lot. About everything. I never told anyone though. I'm not sure if this was because I thought 'If I don't say it its not real'. Or maybe I didn't want to seem weak? Or perhaps I didn't want people to worry themselves? Probably all of those. It does not matter too much now. The fact is I had a load of anxiety taking a ride on never ending waltzers in my belly and, despite having a wonderfully supportive family, I never felt comfortable vocalising its existence.
So where does this anxiety go? How is the pressure relieved? Unfortunately the natural mistake any child, teenager or adult can make is to try to work that feeling out. To try to think themselves out of that feeling. It can work briefly. But if that anxiety pot is always on the verge of brimming you have to keep thinking of more ways to reassure yourself that everything is going to be okay. Throw a frightful "intrusive thought" into the mix and its not too much of a jump to see what can happen next. The individual starts to dedicate their whole lives to convincing themselves that thought was not real. But the issue is the anxiety made it FEEL real. And so the cycle continues. OCD is born.
I remember in my early 20s I used to say to myself "I will NOT have that thought today" and manage about 5 minutes at best. That track got stuck more than the NOW 54 CD that I used to use as a tea coaster and frisbee. And was even shitter. I was so desperate to have a 'pure' brain without ugly thoughts. But anything from a pair of scissors to a dark BBC News story would be enough to set me off into dreadful doubt and reflection. Of course all of this reassurance, coping and avoidance made things much worse. I had got to the point of planning how to 'hand myself in' (for crimes against the thinking world I suppose) and researching online to see if I had the same brain as the Moors Murderers. All was not well.
Then, whilst training for a new healthcare role at the age of 24, a little miracle happened. The woman taking the group mentioned "some people with OCD have repeated unwanted thoughts about hurting people". I sat bolt upright. Straight after I raced home and jumped on Wikipedia and started reading about OCD, intrusive thoughts and compulsions. The relief I felt that day is still something I marvel at fondly. That there could be a reason for all this confusion and fear felt something close to being reborn.
In episode 54 of the podcast I interviewed Alison Dotson. Alison is an OCD advocate and author of the book "Being me with OCD: How I learned to obsess less and live my life".
I enjoyed chatting with Alison. She does a lot for the OCD community, and she does it with a smile. Her book was enjoyable to read and if you haven't checked it out, give it a go (links below). In this episode we talk about her OCD story which includes religious and sexual orientation OCD themes. Advice for seeking help, the keys to Alison's recovery, using exposures in your everyday life, how having a support group can help and the 'obsession in a box' technique. Enjoy!
In episode 45 of The OCD Stories podcast I interviewed Dr Jonathan Grayson. Jon with his wife, Cathy founded the LA treatment centre for anxiety and OCD. Jon has been working with people with OCD for 35 years and is the author of Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He founded the support group GOAL and is also known for his idea virtual camping.
I chatted with Jon about the strength you gain from having and recovering from OCD. We discuss certainty as an emotion, learning to cope with the worst, camping and virtual camping. We talk about motivation in recovery, seeing a life after OCD, medication, how ACT can work with ERP, his support group GOAL and how a supportive community can help. Enjoy.
In episode 44 of The OCD Stories podcast I talk about 4 ideas for OCD recovery that have been on my mind.
I talk about why I started the podcast, and its aims, why it can be good to bolt on new ideas to your existing treatment approach, using ERP throughout life not just OCD, changing your focus from the problem to the solution, silver linings and the importance of community. Enjoy.
In episode 26 of The OCD Stories podcast I interviewed Ed Renshaw. Ed first wrote his OCD story for the website in 2015. I've since got to know Ed well, and wanted to get him on the show to share his journey and inspiration with you.


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Report: Hawaii, ConnecticutT, MA, RI, and AK Households Save Most on Overall Utility Bills due to Appliance Standards
The average American family saved nearly $500 on utility bills in 2015 as a direct result of existing efficiency standards for appliances and lighting, according to a new report issued today by the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The report details average household savings for all 50 states and the nation's capital in four categories: household utility bill savings; electricity savings; natural gas and oil savings; and water savings. The top 10 states for each are ranked. Consumers in Hawaii save the most on overall household utility bills — ,,, $945.
Appliance standards protect consumers and save them money by eliminating energy- and water-wasting products in the market, while preserving the performance and features consumers value and encouraging manufacturers to develop and bring to market products with improved efficiency performance.
https://energy.gov/eere/buildings/appliance-and-equipment-standards-program
Available online at http://www.appliance-standards.org/documents/reports/white-paper-overview, the new ASAP/ACEEE report updates previous estimates of the consumer and business benefits achieved by all existing national standards. In addition to the consumer savings, ASAP/ACEEE show big benefits for businesses too. Total business utility bill savings from standards reached nearly $23 billion in 2015. Business energy bill savings equaled 8% of total business spending on electricity and natural gas.
Average household savings by state ranged from 11-27% of total consumer utility bills, with a national average savings of 16%. The top 10 states for household utility bill savings from existing appliance standards are:
Consumers in states with highest bill savings save the most, because they tend to pay the most for energy. Other factors affecting savings include the types of appliances consumers have (e.g. electric versus gas water heaters), and how much cooling and heating they use and household size. States appearing at the bottom of the overall utility bill savings list include: Washington (50), North Dakota (49), Idaho (48), Montana (47), West Virginia (46), Wyoming (45), Oregon (44), Nebraska (43), Arkansas (42) and Louisiana (41). Savings in 2015 for the bottom ten states were still significant, ranging from $360-$405.
The top 10 states for per household electricity savings span the Southeast plus Texas and Arizona. These tend to be the states with the greatest air conditioner use and where electric water heating is most common. The top 10 states are as follows:
The top 10 states for per-household gas and heating oil savings are those with the largest heating needs (which is where gas and oil heating is most common) and where gas water heating is prevalent. They are as follows:
In addition to the state-by-state data on overall utility bill as well as electricity and gas/heating oil savings, the new ASAP/ACEEE report provides detailed information on water savings at the national level and for all 50 states and Washington, DC. At a national level, water savings in 2015 reached 1.5 trillion gallons, enough to meet the needs of all the households in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Colorado combined. The top 10 states for household water savings from existing appliance standards in order are:
ASAP's deLaski added: "Appliance standards work to boost local economies by putting savings in consumers' and business owners' pockets. Money saved on utility bills gets plowed back into the economy, creating jobs. Energy savings in turn reduce the need to site and pay for new power generation facilities, transmission lines and pipelines, thereby helping to moderate energy prices, which further benefits all consumers and businesses. Less energy and water waste lead to less pollution, helping to protect the air and public health and easing pressure on over-burdened water supplies."
The utility bill savings from standards easily outweigh estimates of the cost to make products more efficient to meet standards. Benefits outweigh estimated costs by 5 to 1 using cost estimates made at the time standards were established.
Accounting for products sold between 1987 and 2035 and for estimated product price increases, total net present value savings from national standards for products sold through 2035 are $2.4 trillion for US consumers and businesses, or roughly enough to purchase 70 million new cars based on 2016 average prices.
About the Groups
ASAP (www.appliance-standards.org) organizes and leads a broad-based coalition effort that works to advance, win and defend new appliance, equipment and lighting standards which deliver large energy and water savings, monetary savings and environmental benefits. Working together, the ASAP coalition supports new and updated standards at the national and state levels through technical and policy advocacy and through outreach and education. ASAP was founded in 1999 by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the Alliance to Save Energy, the Energy Foundation, and Natural Resources Defense Council.
Since 1969, the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center® [www.nclc.org] has used its expertise in consumer law and energy policy to work for economic security for low-income and other disadvantaged people in the United States. NCLC has a strong focus on ensuring that low-income households can afford the energy they need. Advocating for strong appliance standards are a key part of that effort.
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is an interstate agency that was formed in 1981 by the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington under Congressional authorization granted by the Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act of 1980 (Power Act). This federal statute charged the Council with developing a regional power and conservation plan to assure the Pacific Northwest of an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply and to protect, mitigate and enhance the fish and wildlife resources impacted by the development and operation of the federal hydroelectric generating projects on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors.
http://aceee.org/press/2017/02/report-hi-ct-ma-ri-and-ak-households
Press Release dated February 16, 2017
Labels: Energy, Energy Conservation, NonProfit NGO, Policy Analysis, Press Release, Savings, United States, Water
▼ Feb (2)
Consequences of the Clean Water Act and the Demand...
Report: Hawaii, ConnecticutT, MA, RI, and AK House...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A Tech Wrangler will provide systems-integration support to the cluster to ensure the chain-of-technologies is working efficiently and effectively 24/7. Technical Network connectivity is key as this is the connection of the student to their learning from their device through to the internet and its services and back. Keeping that chain problem-free is critical to maximise learning time. Downtime in learning is a common flaw when the maintenance of those layers are not given sufficient attention.
Learner's can also cause considerable downtime in their own learning if they do not have sound routines in the way they interact with their digital devices. In the first and second year of the Outreach programme, schools will structure students around digital use. It is a scaffolded/disciplined beginning to the year. Schools have to attend to the digital routines. If not, they will be constantly fixing a myriad of little problems.
What does the Tech Wrangler do to help?
Being able to describe issues beyond "It's not working"


Australian mining billionaire Clive Palmer plans to build a 21st-century replica of the Titanic and sail it from England to New York accompanied by the Chinese navy by the end of 2016.
Almost a million tons of bio-diesel which was exported to Spain will now have to be absorbed by Argentina's domestic market following on Madrid's decision to cut all imports because of the seizure of oil corporation YPF from Repsol by the administration of President Cristina Fernandez.
Representatives from the Falkland Islands' fishing industry travelled to Belgium last week to attend the Brussels Seafood Show.
Argentina fish and seafood industry exports have been paralyzed following industrial action from the maritime workers union which is demanding a round of salary and other benefits' negotiations with the fishing companies located in Mar del Plata and Patagonian ports.


A creative lamp that brings an architectural element to minimalist lighting design.
Copenhagen-based brand Frama has made its mark in the world of high-end lighting design with minimalist products that combine simple geometry and function. Created in a collaboration with Danish designers Included Middle, Ventus joins the brand's collection of contemporary lighting, bringing a sculptural accent to the understated Frama line. The Ventus modern brass ceiling lamp re-invents the traditional flexible cord as an architectural component that becomes a crucial part of the design instead of fading away into the background.
Made from solid brass, the tube features parts of various lengths. This allows the user to install the pendant light at two different heights. While gorgeous on its own, Ventus shines when installed in a pair of pendants at different levels. That way, the design's sculptural concept has even more visual impact. The Ventus modern brass ceiling lamp features a brass tube as well as a matching bronze silicone cord. Thanks to the opal white glass shade, the LED bulb glows with a soft light. Frama will present Ventus at this year's Milan Design Week, which takes place from April 8 to April 14, 2019. Photographs© Frama.


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La Cadena de Emisoras Sindicales (CES) fue una de las cadenas de radiodifusión española, de titularidad pública, que existió durante la dictadura franquista. Aunque asociada con el Sindicato Vertical, las emisoras dependían de la Secretaría General del Movimiento.

Historia
A lo largo de la década de los cuarenta, surgieron en todo tipo de poblaciones, diferentes emisoras de radio, que emitían en onda corta y onda media, de orígenes diversos: parroquiales, sindicales, juveniles o del Movimiento, generalmente de pequeña potencia, que con el tiempo complicaron de tal manera el panorama radiofónico que hubo que establecer una serie de reglamentos tendentes a organizar las ondas.

Ya el Plan de Copenhague de 1948, se asignó para España 11 frecuencias de Onda Media (OM), del todo punto insuficientes para la gran cantidad de emisoras que existían.

La primera emisora fue oficialmente inaugurada en Teruel en 1949.

Más tarde la Conferencia de Estocolmo de 1952, concedió 83 frecuencias de Frecuencia Modulada (FM).

Ante las presiones de los gobiernos europeos, hubo que poner orden en esa maraña, y en el caso de las emisoras sindicales, el Decreto de 11 de agosto de 1953, creó la Cadena de Emisoras Sindicales (CES), agrupando todas las nacidas con ese origen.

Pero no es hasta el Plan Transitorio de Ondas Medias, de 23 de diciembre de 1964, cuando se pone en orden definitivamente el panorama radiofónico español. Así con respecto a las cadenas del Movimiento (REM, CAR y CES), se establece que al menos habrá una emisora de onda media en cada provincia. Desaparecen las emisoras locales de baja audiencia y se trasladan a F.M. las emisoras locales de radio, de audiencia media.

En el caso de la C.E.S. se le asigna 19 emisoras de Onda Media, y una serie de emisoras de Frecuencia Modulada, que son las que figuran en la relación que siguen.

En 1974 se integró en la Delegación Nacional de Prensa y Radio del Movimiento, junto con la Radiocadena Española REM-CAR, resultada de la fusión de las emisoras de la Red de Emisoras del Movimiento 'La Voz' y la Cadena Azul de Radiodifusión 'Radio Juventud'. El 4 de diciembre de 1978 se publicó un Real Decreto del Ministerio de Cultura por el que Radiocadena Española se incorporaba al Ente Público RTVE, quedando estructurado en tres sociedades estatales: Televisión Española (TVE), Radio Nacional de España (RNE) y Radiocadena Española (RCE); la Radiocadena Española REM-CAR y la Cadena de Emisoras Sindicales se fusionaba, y todas las emisoras adoptaban el nombre de Radiocadena Española.

Relación de emisoras

Emisoras que emitían en OM y FM
 ECS01- Radio Teruel
 ECS02- Radio Badajoz
 ECS03- Radio Gredos/Avila
 ECS04- Radio Atlántico/Las Palmas
 ECS05- La Voz de Granada
 ECS06- Radio Tortosa
 ECS07- La Voz de Lérida/Tárrega
 ECS08- La Voz del Guadalquivir/Sevilla
 ECS09- La Voz de Jaén
 ECS10- La Voz de la Mancha/Socuéllamos
 ECS11- Radio Centro/Madrid
 ECS12- La Voz de Córdoba/Cabra
 ECS13- La Voz de Ciudad Real
 ECS14- La Voz de Gerona
 ECS15- Radio Costa del Sol/Marbella
 ECS16- La Voz de la Isla de la Palma
 ECS17- La Voz de Lugo/Monforte
 ECS18- La Voz del Miño/Orense
 ECS19- La Voz de Zamora/Benavente

Emisorias que emitían exclusivamente en FM
 La Voz de Avilés (Asturias)
 La Voz de Valencia/Utiel (Valencia)
 La Voz del Bajo Aragón/Caspe (Zaragoza)
 La Voz del Cinca/ Fraga (Huesca)
 La Voz del Maestrazgo/Morella (Castellón)
 La Voz del Mino/Orense
 La Voz del Valle/La Orotava (Tenerife)
 Radio Benidorm/Benidorm (Alicante)
 Radio Coral/Crevillente (Alicante)
 Radio Costa Dorada/Ulldecona (Tarragona)
 Radio Jumilla/Jumilla (Murcia)
 Radio Olot/Olot (Gerona)
 Radio Peñarroya/Peñarroya (Córdoba)
 Radio Ronda/Ronda (Málaga)
 Radio Sur/Coin (Málaga)
 Radio Tudela/Tudela (Navarra)
 Radio Torrelavega/Torrelavega (Cantabria)

Referencias

Radio Cadena Española
Emisoras de radio desaparecidas de España
Prensa y radio del Movimiento
Organización Sindical Española

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Australia's Woolworths admits underpaying staff up to Aus$300 million
Woolworths estimates that about 5,700 staff had been underpaid between Aus$200 million and Aus$300 million dating back to 2010
SYDNEY, Australia – Australian retail giant Woolworths on Wednesday, October 30, admitted underpaying workers up to Aus$300million ($206 million), the latest in a string of big businesses that have failed to properly pay staff.
The payment shortfall by one of the country's largest grocery chains is the largest in Australian history and follows a series of wage scandals that have affected some of the country's biggest names.
Woolworths estimated that about 5,700 staff had been underpaid between Aus$200 million and Aus$300 million dating back to 2010.
"We unreservedly apologize," chief executive officer Brad Banducci said in a statement.
"The highest priority for Woolworths Group right now is to address this issue, and to ensure that it doesn't happen again."
The retailer said it would begin making back payments, including interest and retirement contributions, before Christmas.
Sydney-listed shares in Woolworths fell more than 1% in afternoon trade.
Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker described the underpayment as a breach of Australia's workplace laws on a "massive scale."
She added: "Lately, we are seeing a disturbing number of large corporates publicly admitting that they have underpaid their staff," she said.
"Some of these matters go back many years and several comprise millions of dollars owed to workers. This is simply not good enough."
The government last month announced it was preparing to introduce criminal penalties for employers who deliberately underpay staff.
Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter, who is also the attorney-general, suggested those found guilty could face up to 10 years imprisonment under the proposed laws.
Big Australian brands such as the Commonwealth Bank, public broadcaster ABC, and retail conglomerate Wesfarmers have all owned up this year to underpaying staff millions of dollars.
National airline Qantas also said it had over- and under-paid thousands of dollars to more than 200 workers after employing them on the wrong contracts.
Wage scandals have also swept through the hospitality industry in recent months, with several celebrity chefs admitting they had failed to adequately compensate staff.
Global star Heston Blumenthal's Dinner outlet in Melbourne was accused in a 2018 probe by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age of underpaying staff by up to Aus$30,000 per year by not stumping up for overtime work. The case is being looked into by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Neil Perry's famed Rockpool Dining Group has been accused of destroying and doctoring timesheets to cover up underpayments, while former MasterChef Australia judge George Calombaris was fined after admitting his restaurants had underpaid staff Aus$8 million.
The revelations mean thousands of workers have missed out on salaries and entitlements across a range of industries, with firms now scrambling to repay current and former employees.
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven has returned more than Aus$160 million to staff and paid fines upwards of Aus$1.8 million after its franchises were found to have systematically underpaid workers.
Unions have warned that so-called "wage theft" is becoming an entrenched business practice in Australia, and are calling for harsher penalties for companies that flout workplace laws. – Rappler.com


After seven years of uncertainty and delay, a long-awaited decision on the future of the hotly disputed Vaux Brewery site in Sunderland finally looks to be on the cards.
Communities Minister Ruth Kelly has officially told regeneration company Sunderland Arc she will make a decision on its proposed compulsory purchase of the former brewery by the end of March.
The move will effectively settle a clash between Piers Gough and Michael Aukett, who have drawn up rival schemes for the plot.
Sunderland Arc wants to build a massive mixed-use scheme on the riverside site designed by Gough's practice CZWG (pictured).
However, although the company has already won planning permission for its proposals, Sunderland Arc still needs to secure a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to prise the land from current owner Tesco.
The supermarket giant, on the other hand, wants to move forward with its own retail-led development, drawn up by Aukett.
Back in October 2005, a spat broke out between the two architects, with Gough claiming the Aukett's speculative designs were 'unimaginably bad'. Aukett responded by saying the Sunderland Arc development was not 'commercially viable' (Aukett and Gough in Sunderland face-off).
A decision on the public inquiry into the CPO had been expected by the end of January, however early this week Kelly said she needed more information about the Gough masterplan before making up her mind.