text:
"Every proper escape begins not with a plan,
but with an awareness of one's current captivity."
These words were first written to me by a mysterious stranger who called himself "Desmious," which, I eventually learned, was not his proper name at all, but, rather, the Greek word for 'Prisoner.' Although I never learned his real name, or even met the man face-to-face (assuming, of course, that he was a man), the few things that I did learn from him have proven invaluable, so much so that today I feel compelled to share some it here with all of you; I hope you're paying attention.
You see, Desmious claimed to have started out many, many, years ago, as an amateur escape artist. Obsessed from a very young age with the fundamental architecture of prisons, and of systems of control in general, he quickly rose up to become the greatest master of the slip that this world had ever seen, unsurpassed at finding, and exploiting, previously undetected weaknesses in all manner of confinements, entanglements, and oppressions. He had become so good at escape, in fact, that he was eventually inducted into a vast world dominating Conspiracy, one where he was to serve as a sort of quality control consultant for the world's elite social engineers. For years, Desmious was tasked with the terrible job of testing and improving upon a corrupt system's most oppressive structures, not only the pieces of what he calls the ickthyfilaky, or the guarded prison, but also the gradual construction of something far more nefarious, a modern contrivance known by far fewer people as the melifilaky, or the honey prison.
Desmious always hated the melifilaky. He explained to me once that while both the spirit and the flesh will instinctively struggle against the far more obvious limitations of a conventional incarceration, the power of the honey prison lies in it's innocuous, seemingly beneficial, nature. As he watched the world slip further and further into the sticky snares of this seemingly undetectable threat, it was his sincere, almost religious, devotion to that delicate dance between capture and escape which, perhaps inevitably, compelled him to eventually betray the Conspiracy.
What follows, therefore, is a brief description of the seven primary members of this supposedly ancient and all consuming plot. Perhaps, like many, you'll simply refuse to believe in any evil consortium of Supervillians whom, in ways that will soon be made obvious, subtly rule the modern world, with very little, if any, opposition. At least at first, many of you probably won't even pause to consider how you, or your families, might, even now, be falling victim to any of these ubiquitous assaults on the human mind and body. Desmious says that this is because you have, in fact, become a living part of the prison itself, and thus can really never hope to escape; he taught me that we must instead escape from you.
I, however, remain hopeful, but, if he's right, then this may serve as your only notice that we are leaving, and, at least, you'll be granted a chance at understanding why. Ultimately, whether or not you come along, and who you might attempt to bring with you, will have to be entirely up to you and what you're capable of seeing.
This is, after all, where all proper escapes must begin.
(Unfortunately, illustrations for any of the following 7 Wanted posters have yet to be finalized. We live in hope.)
THE SENEX
For Predatory Lending,
Extortion, Usury, and Fraud
The Senex, an ascended Alchemist, currently owns most of the planet Earth and exercises his royal prerogative via an unthinkably vast banking empire. He is the prime architect of an ancient occult conspiracy that stretches far back before the Order of Melchizadek (a.k.a. Jupiter), the Hashshashin, the Templars, The Freemasons, and, of course, the Federal Reserve, all of which currently answer to him. His intense rivalries with other Alchemical Masters of history, from St. Germain to Sir Issac Newton, are also legendary, although these days he mostly just locks promising Alchemists up, forcing them to slave away in secret for his bank.
Once, they say, he was quite literally made of gold, but these days, he's become a wispy digital whirl of swirling one and zeroes; the fundamental idea of ownership itself, extended out into infinity.
MOTHER DREADFUL
For Poisoning Billions
and Political Corruption
The Senex's niece, Mother Dreadful, as the self-proclaimed goddess of the Oikos Panouklas, or 'the Household Plagues,' is responsible for GMOs, preservatives and artificial sweeteners, for fluoride, pesticides, heavy metals and dyes, for the over-processing and over-sweetening of the American diet, all of which has contributed to our current Functional Zombie Apocalypse. She is the matron of the Illuminati house Rothschild* (from whom she inherited, among other things, her tiny army of mind-controlling parasites which she's dubbed the "Determites"), but suffers from a psychological illness called Lamia Syndrome, thoroughly convinced that the world needs to be saved from itself by the cautious enlightenment, and natural selection, her various poisons bring.
MEDIACRATES
For Subversion of the Fifth Estate
and Possibly Deicide
Mediacrates hunts those whom the Order of Jupiter deem a potential threat to the status quo, colloquially referred to as "sparks." A bishop in the Catholic Church, this thin neuro-assassin commands enormous assets, both magical and mundane, including an army of conservative zealots, a quartet of archonic angels called the Drudge, and a vast media empire. All of these are part of his "Mediacratic Method," a systematic process of indoctrination and bribery designed to neutralize the various threats posed by nonconformists and malcontents.
For Consumerism,
Slave Labor and Xenocide
Santa Claus was once merely the bishop of Myra until he merged body and soul with a pagan God of Darkness called the Holly King, ascending to become the world's foremost guardian against all things supernatural and, more importantly, the modern God of Consumerism. He has a slave army of elves and satyrs and runs a magical prison sweat shop in the North Pole called "The Workshop." Armed assaults on the Workshop are common, primarily by a single group of radical militants called the E.L.F. (the Elven Liberation Front). The goal of the E.L.F. is not just to liberate the various mythical creatures currently slaving away in the Santa's Workshop, but to release the long imprisoned God of Spring, the unfairly demonized Krampus.
THE PALE WARDEN
For Mind Control
The Pale Warden is an alien who crafts various technological wonders, the primary focus of which are the enslavement, or at least the perpetual distraction, of the human mind. Her people are known on Earth as the Fae, and she's here on a mission to keep humans from somehow stumbling into any of the various dimensional rifts that connect her shining world to our own. Popular Pale Warden Technology throughout the ages has included such advances as the stage, the radio, the television, comic books, role-playing games, video games, the internet and most recently, her greatest success, smart phones.
THE AUTHORITARIAN
For Police Brutality and
Countless Other Crimes of Conformity
The Authoritarian's power waxes and wanes in response to the amount of pain, fear, and resignation he can harvest from those whom he bends to his will. Part of this transformation is physical, as he often makes dramatic increases in size, strength, and speed, but he also has a large degree of telepathic influence over the sensory perceptions of anyone he's beaten into submission, controlling both what they can and cannot see. These mind-controlled fools become drones in his massive army of Conformatons, a humorless and superficial collection of petty tyrants, haters, snitches and apologists. It's not clear exactly what the Authoritarian is, but he has displayed a disturbing ability to inhabit the bodies of those under his dominion, and to survive indefinitely in spirit form should his own body be destroyed. He has, in the past, claimed to being nothing less than the actual God of the Old Testament, but, of course, this has never been verified.
THE ULTIMA THULE
For High Treason and
the Corporate Conspiracy
The Ultima Thule has multiple forms: from the earliest robot prototypes it used to rely upon to substantiate its terrible existence, to the various modern avatars it now uses to travel freely across the internet, and even out into space, this Nazi God Machine is a vastly powerful artificial intelligence seeking nothing less than the perfect merger of business and government, a Neo-Fascist Corporatocracy. Unlike the Authoritarian, The Ultima Thule is a purely material phenomenon, a sentient computer program without any inherent ability to spiritually possess others or to persist beyond the destruction of it's physical hosts; unfortunately, copies of its core programing appear to be regularly backed up in secret locations all across the globe, making the Nazi God Machine effectively as indestructible and immortal as the Authoritarian himself.
Krampusmas is an ever expanding holiday season based on the Krampus's own indefatigable defiance of the darkness. It usually begins in earnest on December 5th, with the year's first official Krampuslauf, a decentralized "parade" which serves as a gathering for all those who wish to pledge themselves to the returning God of Light as we enter upon this delicate period of solar transition. Just over two weeks later, the Winter Solstice arrives, and with it comes "the Great Solstice Battle," which has traditionally been marked with various contests between the various agents of the light and of the dark, culminating in one last epic struggle between the Oak and the Holly Kings. This one sacred night is typically considered by most to be the actual "Krampusmas holiday," but this well beloved season of defiance seems to arrive, at least for me, earlier and earlier, and to then stretch on for longer and longer, with every passing year.
Of course, beyond these two essential dates, any other of the more conventional holidays one might wish to acknowledge can be engaged in as each individual sees fit. However, for reasons that will momentarily be made clear, obligatory acts of mass consumerism are very strongly discouraged, and, whenever possible, should be replaced with actual acts of charity, preformed either anonymously or in the name of Krampus.
Yet who, you may ask, is the Krampus, and what's his beef with consumerism anyway? So glad that you asked.
The pre-Christian origins of the Krampus reach all the way back to the so-called Wildmen that were believed to preside over the initiatory binding and scourging of novice witches. The Krampus's infamous birch branches are in fact a very well known magical tool for the driving out of unclean spirits, and indeed, later day tales of "bad" children carried away in a sack could indicate a form of forced conscription into one of the many dark corners of the Supramundane, just as with the Chinese Linn Quei or the Irish Fae.
Yet, unquestionably, the Krampus's greatest and most defining role was preformed as the immortal God of Spring known as the Oak King. Each year, at the Winter Solstice, this God of Light battled and overthrew the God of Darkness and Winter, who appeared as a bearded and burly woodsman, complete with heavy black boots and a fur lined coat, known, at that time at least, as the Holly King.
However, with the arrival of the aptly named Dark Ages, a pagan slaying Catholic Bishop named Nicholas of Mira somehow assumed the immortal station of this ancient pagan arch-villain, and the once heroic Krampus found himself securely bound in heavy iron chains, forced to serve as a brutish boogeyman for his eternally entropic antagonist the Holly King, or rather, as he has now come to be known all around the world, the saccharine and sanctimonious Santa Claus.
From that time forward, this well concealed Dark God of winter and decay has been able to rule the entire world, year round, as the now uncontested God of Frenzied Mass Consumption. This, my friends, is the true story of Christmas, known only to a select few, though consistently intuited by millions. Yet fear not; the true God of Yule will soon return- on December 21st, to be precise.
So please, don't forget to sharpen your horns and, in whatever ways that you can, defy the darkness.
Merry Krampusmas everybody.
That New Religion
Since I started my new religion, which has been referred to, with varying degrees of accuracy, as the Nameless Religion, the Anti-Church of the Anti-Everything, the Secret Sword, the Charis Conspiracy, the Campaign Against The New Gods, the Hidden Covenant, the Djinn Army, Gnostic Anti-Thought, etc., etc., I've received a lot of questions and concerns, the more reasonable ones being: Why haven't you named it? Don't you think it needs to be made more clear exactly what you're talking about and what you want people to do? Who do you think would follow such a "religion?" When will you lay out the rules for adherents? Don't you think you're being a bit too vague/negative? Uh.. one of your evil Gods is SANTA CLAUS? Seriously?!?
Since I'd unplugged in honor of Mind Control Wednesdays, I've had a moment to reflect on these questions and I wanted to briefly address them and perhaps share a little more about where I'm actually coming from with all this. First, the name is not only not important, it's a trap. People misuse such labels to either identify or distance themselves from a complex collection of ideas, people, and events, with both sides, the self and the other, becoming unnecessarily reified and misunderstood in the bargain. You are not any of the labels you dress yourself up with, regardless of how accurately they may describe the person you want to believe you've appeared to be, and neither is anything else you're trying to tie down with language.
One relevant example would be the so-called "Gnostics" who were, in fact, a quite disparate collection of magical traditions, schools of enlightenment, alchemical conspiracies, and competing cults, which the more orthodox Catholic Church attempted to collapse into this one single label. The term itself could loosely be translated as "one who seeks to really know," and was selected not only to emphasize their departure from the Church's demands for unquestioning faith (and its prohibitions against magic), but, in my opinion, it was also a rhetorical move to better disregard the plurality and multiplicity of thought that characterized their spiritual opposition at that time, some of whom, I should point out, weren't even terribly opposed to them. However, in the end, it was far more expedient to have one single term with which to swat at a thousand flies than to learn each of their names and their individual stories, which, for obvious reasons, would have been a very dangerous move, both politically and rhetorically.
Of course, in the end, the Church managed to crush those movements, driving them either to the pyre or into obscurity, with many of their names all but forgotten, and, in this way, I suppose, I am doing my ideas an enormous disservice by refusing to brand them. After all, how could you follow this anti-faith if you lacked a convenient way to tell your friends and family about it? How can I argue about it's differences with other faiths or search desperately for some common ground that might allow us to comfortably associate? Is there nothing to put on our T-shirts? What will we write on the census or when we file with the government? These are, of course, all things you can work out on your own, but I sincerely hope you've figure out by now why you don't have to.
The truth needs no such labels. The Taoists expressed these same sentiments when they said that the Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao, and also that those who know don't say, while those who say don't know. Now obviously I'm saying a lot of things even by saying this, and it's not like I have no doctrines or opinions to express, but it's important that you approach all of this from a place of freedom. You didn't come here, I hope, to be told how to act, or even what to think or feel. If you're really cut out to be part of this religion, then I would hope you're one of those rare individuals who can be comfortable searching without perhaps ever definitively finding, of seeing any answers I may appear to give as merely the impetus for further questions and for your own continued research; a person who is capable of being without becoming and of becoming without being. Mostly, I would hope that you want to be free or, to some extent at least, that you already are.
Hopefully that explains many of the questions above. While I may engage in ethical discourse from time to time and even call for certain actions, I would never presume to do so as the sort of authority that must be listened to uncritically, because there is no such authority on Earth. While I may at times be intentionally vague, I'm certainly not trying to be unclear. While it's true that I have a lot of things I want people to understand, I also want people to think for themselves and not use the things I give them as an excuse to avoid working out the truth on their own.
Which brings me to that last question: Am I seriously suggesting that Santa Claus is a dark god who needs to be fought? Well, yes. Obviously.
Of course I can understand how this might not be as obvious to those who've never looked beneath the surface, into the old pagan Solstice rites, or observed the historical shift whereby the light god of Spring was unfairly transformed into a vicious demon and the dark god of Winter was literally made a bishop in the Catholic Church. My war against Santa Claus not only encapsulates almost everything that's wrong with the Church (their demonization of man-as-animal, their shameless cannibalization of pagan traditions, their Dominionist attempt to enslave and oppress both nature and the human body, their exile of magic, and their exceedingly questionable intentions towards small children, to name a few) but also speaks to the more pressing issues I have with the current Consumerist society which has largely eclipsed them. This enemy is so entrenched in the hearts and minds of those around you that I strongly suggest an indirect approach should you choose to address any of the real issues that lie beneath this seemingly farcical war. Indeed, the almost cartoonish idea of the war itself, if presented properly, with the so-called Krampus as a captive and misunderstood hero and the ever popular Santa Claus as a two-faced villain running an Elven sweatshop, should be more than enough to set the mind thinking in a dangerous direction, one that will inevitably lead it to some awkward realizations, which might just be far easier to accept if they come from within than from someone else.
There are many such revelations buried inside what little I offer as "doctrine." For instance, every child will one day learn the true identity of Santa Claus, yet there is another, even greater revelation, one that almost never comes because our circumstances never force us to ponder it: Who is the Krampus and who keeps him in chains?
The answer to this mystery if you truly get it, could even be enough to finally set it free. Good Luck and Namaste.
Warship of the Old Gods
With so much wasted time in the average month I try to give at least one full week of attention to the New Gods and then another, if I feel it's necessary, on some decidedly delicate dealings with the Old Ones. Since the days of the week in many cultures are all already named for the Old Gods, that may appear to be a simple enough thing for many of you to figure out, but most of you might still wonder exactly who I'm "worshiping" with almost half my time, as well as precisely when, and, of course, how. Well here's a very brief breakdown, with some of those details omitted, or, at the very least, left very intentionally vague... for your own good, of course. (Remember what Confucius said about the other three corners.)
First off, I should explain that the New Gods only really exist, in my opinion, to be grudgingly placated when necessary, heroically battled against whenever possible, and, if that's your thing, ruthlessly mastered and controlled, as they are by the Awakened Adepts of the Illuminati. Only a fool would actually worship any of these assholes intentionally, but, of course, many of us were either born fools, or, worse, assholes, or else simply raised by one or the other or both, so don't feel bad if you've arrived late, or not at all, to this particular black panther-esque party. These are all very popular Gods of the modern age, and you probably currently worship at least two or three, if not more, of them. Most of you guys are, after all, still only human.
That said, I'll just lay out the table here and let you figure out how best to eat what's being served (I suggest tiny bites, from below):
Monday's are for Santa Claus, the God of Consumerism.
Tuesday's are for the Authoritarian, the God of Authoritarianism.
Wednesday's are for the Pale Warden, the God of Mind Control.
Thursday's are for the Ultima Thule, the God of Corporatism.
Friday's are for Mother Dreadful, the God of Hysterics and Doubt.
Saturday's are for the Senex, the God of Senescence.
Sunday's are for Mediocrates, the God of Status and the Status Quo.
It's a bit overwhelming to face them all at once, although if I've learned anything it's that, even when they may appear to be at odds, believe me when I say that they're all in this together. I just find this pragmatic division of my spiritual labors a far most helpful way to compartmentalize my own efforts. It keeps my Great Work from becoming too, well, scattered, or dare I say completely snuffed out, by the sheer size and strength of this rather imposing opposition.
To summarize (for those of you who are, y'know, a little slow) battling against these soul crushing forces gives shape and meaning to my currently deeply troubled existence. Perhaps it's a djinni thing and you just wouldn't understand, or perhaps you get it completely and we are now both a little bit less alone. Post-Traumatic Growth is sort of an acquired taste, I guess.
Oh yeah... I almost forgot the Old Gods (Haven't we all though?). You probably know and understand them by their more common names. However, I personally find their Norse, their Greek, their Roman, or even their Hebrew names, as well as these more conventional spiritual conceptions, all rather bland in comparison to the ones I'm listing below, but, hey, whatever energies give YOU the strength to do what you got to do. Besides, you could always get all that other information really almost anywhere else. I'm not here to give you what you want, but rather, what you actually need, which, in this case, just happens to be some Old Gods that you can drop like astral atomic bombs. Yeah. You're welcome.
On that note:
Monday's were once for Dagon.
Tuesday's were once for Cthulhu.
Wednesday's were once for Nytharlathotep.
Thursday's were once for Yog-Sothoth.
Friday's were once for Shub-Niggurath.
Saturday's were once for Yig.
Sunday's were once for Azathoth.
Remember, while their followings are all now relatively small, all of these Gods are still very, very, big. Godzilla big (if only on the inside). Desperate times, however...
Well anyway, there's the "when" and the "who." As with the New Gods, I'll leave the "how" to your various fertile imaginations, although there's more than one version of the Necronomicon floating around out there; Perhaps you will even pen one of your own. Whatever happens, Good Luck and Namaste.
The Tragic Fate of Simon Pure
"Angel of God, my guardian dear,
to whom God's love commends me here,
ever this day be at my side,
to rule, to guard, to light and guide;
but if I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take."
-Guardian Angel Prayer
To the growing few who've heard of them, the so-called "Amazing Aeons" are as close as it gets to an actual Gnostic Superhero Team; an otherwise fraudulent spirit medium, who goes by the name of Simon Pure, currently working with a small but potent group of disincarnate intelligences. Mr. Pure has garnered some amount of public acclaim as of late for the impressive feats which he and his mysterious spiritual assistants have apparently accomplished, but most recently he's even launched his own website at www.amazingaeons.com, now offering his unique brand of magical problem solving to the public at large, for a reasonable fee of course.
Ironically, such commercial glory is the very thing which will almost certainly destroy the foolish Simon Pure. You see, while this man's claims of communication with the dead all appear to me to be simple acts of mentalism, his recent magical displays are not. The fact is that Simon Pure has finally found real magick. However, cautionary tales regarding these particular ghostly forces were documented long ago in the grimiores of Valentinian Wizards, and it was in one such tome that I can only assume that Mr. Pure learned these spirit's names. You can find some scant mentions of them even here on-line. They are Kathegetes (kath-ayg-ay-TACE, "the Guide"), Lutrotes (loo-tro-TACE, "the Redeemer"), Karpistes (kar-pees-TACE, "the Emancipator"), Horothetes (hor-o-thay-TACE, "the Limit-setter"), and Metagogeus (meh-tah-GO-gee-us, "the Across-taker").
Yet the most important thing, which he obviously has failed to learn, was that while this Aeonic Pentarchy are highly effective agents to call upon if and when one sincerely desires to do Good, these are not like most other recorded spirits, and the wise wizards of the past all knew much better than to ever attempt to bend such primal forces to their own wills. Of course, since I've revealed their sacred names here (I have my reasons), I should also explain why I believe that poor Mr. Pure and his commercial ambitions may not be long for this world, much like any of you who are arrogant of foolish enough to attempt to evoke the Gnostic powers I've just revealed. There's always one. (Yeah, I'm taking about you.)
Each of these five Aeonic forces serves a very different, yet vital, function in one's battle against evil, imparting impressive powers to those who know how and when to use each of their five holy names. For example, the one called Kathegetes will not only inspire a brilliant plan when it's needed, but, like a good luck charm, can set enormous wheels in motion with just the smallest spectral push. That's why they called him the purifier of the eyes. Lutrotes can fill even a heart long unaccustomed to the sensation with a compelling desire to do what's right. He's therefore known as the purifier of the heart. Karpistes binds and neutralizes those spirits which oppress the human will, while Horothetes does much the same to the far more formidable, not to mention more physical, wills of living men and woman, and thus they are called upon as the purifiers of the will and of the body, respectively.
As impressive as these powers are they come with the greatest potential price, and not the monentary one listed at amazingaeons.com. As soon as any of these names are called, the Metagogeus is awakened as well, a karmic fail safe lurking in the shadows, watching and waiting to eliminate anyone who might subvert the divine function of these angelic agents of Grace. So, Caveat Emptor: Metagogeus, the across-taker, is nothing less than the Angel of Death itself. That's why they call him the purifier of the World itself and he simply cannot be bent to any single person's will.
It is because of him that Simon Pure, like anyone else who might one day attempt to follow in his footsteps, is playing a very dangerous game, one which nearly always ends the exact same way; the only consolation being, at least, that some amount of good will always be done first, and THAT, seeing as how you've all been properly warned as to the possible consequences of calling on them, is precisely why I've shared their names with all of you here today. Good luck and Namaste.
Hacking the Mycilial Nervous System
The Tall Whites are referred to by color only because they are truly indescribable creatures of polymorphic ooze. Fungi are known to thrive in outerspace but the Whites also seem to have adapted very well to earth's atmosphere, especially having only arrived in the last hundred years or so. 1.3 billion years before they found us, the very first life to appear on the earth's surface was fungus, 3 hundred million years before anything else would be able to survive here. The primary reason for that, of course, is that, at that point, there still wasn't any soil. Fortunately for all of us lesser life forms, fungus happens to be a very efficient terraformer, secreting acids and enzymes to break down rocks, leeching calcium, manganese, and iron from what begins as an inhospitable stoney crust but, especially over the course of millions of years, is ground into the soil from which most other terrestrial life springs, or will at least summer.
Consider the parasitic fungus known as the Honey Mushroom, which can enter an ecosystem as a single microscopic spore. Its innate mycilial intelligence has been found to be staggeringly efficient, spewing forth vast networks of black filaments in all direction to locate its food, which, for this particular fungus, is thankfully restricted to plant life. You see, recently, in eastern Oregon, a Honey Mushroom was discovered that had been growing underground for 22,000 years. In that time it had reached a span of 3.5 miles, with an average depth of 3 feet. It's been estimated that this mushroom has slowly devoured the entire forest above it at least four times over, each time creating another thick layer of dirt out of which it's next meal will eventually spring forth, only to be inevitably devoured again once the unthinkably large Honey Mushroom's black tendrils decide to work their way up through the decomposed droppings from its previous meal. Today, this creature is not only the largest, but also the oldest, living organism on the planet.
The fungus and animal kingdoms are, genetically speaking, more closely related than any of the five kingdoms on earth. In fact, 465 million years ago human beings and fungi shared a common ancestor, which diverged when our line chose to envelop it's food, while the fungus continued to digest its food externally. The introduction of a stomach lead to a need to build additional protective layers to contain moisture internally, and seven protective layers of skin to fight off invaders from the outside. For some reason fungus didn't need such thick skin to survive. The decision to become self contained envelopers caused our basic form of intelligence to evolve in completely different directions, such that our current thinking in organized from the outside going in, while all fungus cogitate inside out, which is what makes them such perfect symbiots. This becomes even more apparent when they start shutting down parts of your brain in order to make your thought process more like their own. While it's a feeling of great transcendence to even briefly touch a state not unlike the Mycelial Consciousness of the earth itself, I appreciate our own impressive approach to consciousness, if only for the hell of it.
Ultimately, it is merely the nature of being human to be presented with a threshold, or more accurately thresholds, the transcendence of which, by the transhuman, the superhuman, the metahuman or even the molothian ("more-less-or-other-than-"humans) is considered such because they have transcended, or are now transcending, that which had once completely defined them.
The free password to your next threshold experience at Superworld is "Moloths," and can be redeemed with any employee, volunteer, or overly helpful player at all authorized Superworld location. Good luck and namaste.
Supervillian Alert: The Candida Altas
To those few who've even heard of "Candida" it's often misunderstood as some form of extremely inconvenient food allergy, one which robs those afflicted by it of the ability to enjoy "the good things" in life, from pizza and apple pie, to cake, candy, cereal and soda pop, all the way down to beer and booze and buttered bread; basically, all those high carb, high sugar, comfort foods which most Americans have irresponsibly made into their daily staples. The actual truth, however, is far stranger, and far more terrifying, than you can probably imagine.
Let's begin with a seemingly unrelated news story, one which briefly grabbed international headlines earlier this year when a major Iranian news agency reported that among the top secret files leaked by whistle blowing hactivist Edward Snowden were some Russian Intelligence documents which claim to have uncovered incontrovertible evidence that the United States, since about the end of WWII, had fallen under the control of extraterrestrials. These alleged documents refer to these aliens only as "the Tall Whites." Remember this name, because it will become important later.
This particular "Tall Tale" made very little impact here in the States, beyond some conjecture that this was most likely Russian propaganda designed to turn international opinion even further against us. The Iranian story went on to claim that these Tall Whites where behind the Nazi Occupation of Germany, and that they officially moved their plans for world domination to the U.S. in 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower foolishly made a deal with them in order to gain their assistance in fighting the Cold War. It's interesting that this is all alleged to have happened less than ten years after we now know that America had made a very similar deal with hundreds of Nazi scientists and intelligence agents as part of an Office of Strategic Services Black Op known as Operation Paperclip. Another interesting fact is that Eisenhower's collusion with the Tall Whites occurred just one year before he suffered a highly publicized heart attack, one which set off a chain of events that radically shifted the diets of all Americans, even to this very day. Of course, before the significance of any of these seemingly disparate facts can be made clear, I must first explain to you what Candida actually is, so, please, take a deep breath; This might get a little bit disturbing.
Candida, in it's non-parasitic form, is a dimorphic symbiotic yeast, a type of fungus, that has successfully colonized the digestive tracts of every human being on the planet. Its natural unicellular form is unobtrusive and egg like, moderately breeding, while feeding on excess sugar, in our stomachs and small intestines. In this form, however, Candida is easily fed on in turn by the many other probiotic denizens of our digestive tract, keeping the population, and its impact on our bodies, well under control.
However, when it's carelessly glutted on an over abundance of sweets, Candida quickly transforms into its far larger mycelial fungal form, eventually branching out from the stomach and intestines in a sprawling mass of nerve-like tendrils. These serve simultaneously as an externalized stomach and, as many mycologists now believe, an externalized nervous system as well, introducing a chemically manipulative form of co-intelligence into the human body the likes of which we're only beginning to really comprehend. Once its mycelial form has pushed through the lining of our stomachs and intestines, it enters the bloodstream where it can be carried to every organ in the body, including the brain. In fact, recent studies have shown that Candida's worm like mycelium are even able to cross the blood brain barrier.
In the disturbing words of science journalist Ed Yong, "Orwellian dystopias, shadowy cabals, and mind-controlling supervillains—these are tropes that fill our darkest fiction. But in nature, they happen all the time." Of course he's talking about the mind control that we observe being inflicted upon so many "lesser" animals in nature, such as the thousands of species of parasitic cordyceps fungi that make literal zombies out of things like ants, crabs, spiders, grasshoppers, crickets, etc. (The good news is that there's currently no known species of cordyceps that does this to mammals, much less humans; the bad news is that scientists estimate that we've only identified about 8% of the kinds of fungus that exist on our planet). Yong is also talking about the emerald cockroach wasp, which jacks itself directly into the brains of cockroaches in order to make them docile enough to pilot home to its nest, where they can be filled with its eggs. Then there's the argyraphaga wasp, the larva of which can actually reprogram the brain of the unfortunate orb spider that it's mother had briefly paralyzed and laid an egg on. This mind-controlled spider, baby wasp larva now clinging to its belly, will suddenly build a new web that's more conducive to the massive cocoon that this young wasp plans to build later, that is, after the baby wasp has finally drained this obliging spider of its last drop of blood. It's a torturous process of mental enslavement that stretches on for weeks, the spider completely unable to resist, and perhaps even completely unaware that it's being controlled and drained, the entire time. Finally, Yong is most certainly talking about the the protozoa Toxoplasmosis, which exerts very specific and purposeful influence over the behaviors of rodents, cats, and even, some scientists now claim, humans as well; As many of 55% of us in fact, but that's not the mind-control I'm currently most concerned about.
Remember when the Russians said America was being controlled by the Tall Whites? Strangely enough, "Tall Whites," when translated into Latin, is "Candida Alta." Now, remember that heart attack that Eisenhower suffered back in '55? Well, this massive seven week long media event was directly responsible for kicking off our country's low-fat health food craze. While American's were still reeling from their newly minted fear of heart attacks, a scientific government study was released directly linking heart disease to the fat content of our foods, and the public quickly scrambled for any low-fat food products it could get its hands on. It was at this pivotal moment in history that our food industry began to dump massive amounts of refined sugar into artificially fat-depleted foods in order to make them actually palatable. In the years that followed, U.S. food producers would go on to develop things like high fructose corn syrup, as well as a host of artificial sweeteners, such as stevia, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, and saccharin, all to meet this ongoing consumer demand for fat-free food; Without these changes, the explosive growth of the Candida parasite, which now infects up to 70% of America, would have never been possible.
Ufologists have debated for years whether the almost dreamlike experiences of alien abductees are physical in nature or are they, perhaps, a purely psychic phenomenon, but what if it's both, except that the physical component is not at all what we were expecting? Many researchers have posited that these aliens are extraterrestrial, interdimensional, or supernatural, but what if they are, in fact, subcutaneous? There's just one last important issue I'd like to address here.
According to U.F.O. researcher Dr. Karla Turner, "kidney problems, back problems, headache problems, nausea, unexplained rashes, hair loss, eye damage, and extremely bad gynecological problems are the common result, in many cases, of the abduction scenario." She also notes a statistically higher than normal occurrence of cancers, often in people with no genetic predisposition for such, and the sudden onset of depression, alcoholism, as well as many other, medically anomalous, health problems. These are all issues that have also become associated with an overgrowth of Candida. An abductee herself, Dr. Turner's sudden death from cancer is still believed by many to have been induced by some agency that wanted to shut her up, but what if it's something much simpler, and much more direct, than all that?
Oncologist Dr. Tullio Simoncini believes that the common presence of Candida within cancer tumors found all over the body is not merely indicative of the fungi's "opportunistic" nature, as most oncologists have always assumed, but rather that the rampant growth of this fungus is directly responsible for the upsurge in cancer rates we're experiencing today. Instead of radiation, Dr. Simoncini has been successfully treating all types of cancer with sodium bicarbinate, a potent anti-fungal. Unlike most other lifeforms on this planet, many fungus exhibit a rather extreme resistance to both UV light and radiation. In fact, they respond to radiation just like most other living creatures do to sunlight, i.e. it nourishes them.
This also explains why the space station Mir had such unexpected issues with space fungus growing on the outside of the station and covering over the window hatches. Yes, fungus can and do survive even in the icy vacuum of space. It thrives there actually.
I found a lot of other relevant information on this topic during my last few weeks of research, more than I want to overwhelm you with here. I know this is all rather strange already, so I've tried my best to keep this succinct, without going off on too many tangents, or spiraling out into levels of scientific minutia or conspiratorial speculation that might all too easily overwhelm or alienate some readers. I do encourage you, though, to do your own research, armed with some of the ideas I've posited here, so that you can best draw your own conclusions about what you think is, or is not, possible based upon all of the available information.
The weirdest thing is that in the last few months, as I've been increasing my activity levels, I've been naturally gravitating towards many seemingly random dietary changes, which I now see all bear a striking resemblance to the Candida cleanses that I've only recently found online (Things like lemon juice, coconut oil, raw garlic, kefir, yogurt, a far more strict adherence to vegetarianism and a complete lack of appetite for sweets of all types). As is often the case, much of the information I found for this essay seemed to come to me quite suddenly and, initially at least, without my seeking it out. You don't have to agree with the connections between these things that I've made here, but I do hope that at least something you've learned here will help you to become happier and stronger and more able to help others to do the same. Good Luck and Namaste.
Beyond The Memory Palace: The Ministry of War
Memory Palaces can be used for far more than just impressive feats of recall. In mine, among other things, I've built a War Room, where I can be alerted to specific dangers and given instant access to helpful information by a group that I call "The Ministry of War," masters of the various vexing avenues which human conflict can take.
If this idea doesn't immediately make sense, just think of it as a vivid psychic interface for accessing unconscious wisdom, typically in response to some specific and relevant external stimuli. It's constructed like the Chambers for the Senate or the House of Representatives, or, in other words, like a theater in the round. Often I'll go there in meditation, just to talk out my problems and be advised of my various options.
So, for example, my very closest and most trusted adviser is the highly esteemed Minister of Reason, flanked on either side by the Minister of Empathy and the Minister of Humor. However, just behind them sit the Ministers of Avoidance, Disapproval, and Distraction, as well as Ministers for Guilt, Bribery, and Politics although I would hardly say that I call on these last six as sources of guidance or sound strategy in my normal everyday conflicts.
In fact, beyond those first three ministers who comprise my inner circle, all of the others are really only there to provide a more complete counsel against the full range of faces which human conflict all to often may assume. After all, I can't afford a blind spot in my field of vision just because some course of action is philosophically unacceptable for me personally. They, therefore, are also there to think the thoughts that I don't wish to think.
And this is precisely why I also regularly confer with those in the back of the War Room, my so-called Shadow Ministry. Peering down as they do from their seats nearly up in the rafters, these are the dark and forbidden masters of Passive Aggression, Slander, Invalidation, Deception, Seduction, Sabotage, Intimidation, Violence and yes, even Murder.
I have a Minister of Murder; I think everyone should. Regardless of your feelings on my personal choices for these phantasmic helpers, I think you can agree that the basic practice itself is a sound one and even something that you might wish to invest your own time in developing. I'd love to hear what you come up with. Til then, Good Luck and Namaste.
Zebuleon's War
In the Revelation of Ezra it is written that there are 9 angels destined to rule at the end of the world. The first four are, not surprisingly, the most famous ones, Michael, Gabriel, Auriel, and Raphael, yet the other five, most angelologists assume, must still wallow in relative obscurity, since all that most angelic scholars know of them are their names. These are Aker, Gabuthelon, Arphugitonos, Beburos, and Zebuleon. Of these five, almost nothing else seems to have ever been recorded, except perhaps for the possibly unrelated fact that there is said to be, or to have been, an angel named Zubuliel, who's name means "the habitation of God." Interestingly enough, he was said to have been empowered to protect nine mysterious sealed doors, and it is for this, and other reasons, that some believe that these nine doors would very likely lead directly into that most secret and powerful of holy places, the very presence of God himself, but that if they were to be opened, the world as we currently know it would quickly cease to exist.
Now, if I haven't bored you all too terribly already, allow me to share just one last piece of prophecy with you. My research suggests that the angel Zebuliel was always destined to fall, to not only abandon his post, but, at the appointed time, to throw each of the nine gates wide open, and to create the very future envisioned by the prophet Ezra. There are many indications that this day is already at hand, and that, as Zebuleon, a name which means "the Lion's Den," he is now serving as a precarious balance between the four heroic Archangels, who quickly occupied four of those nine open gates, and their very own shadows, who have somehow seized control of the others, save for the one held by Zebuleon himself.
Now these angels must battle for control of a world that is literally flooding with the miraculous power of God, for better and for worse. Whose side will you chose in Zebuleon's Secret War, the Archangels, fighting to preserve humanity and what they see as the good of all, their dark counterparts, seeking to transform a select few into something far above humanity, or the enigmatic agents of the apparently fallen angel Zubuleon, whose ultimate aims have yet to be determined?
Need more information? Well then, allow me to first introduce you to the Archons of the New Age:
Aker: "The Elite" An influential cabal which bestows seemingly limitless stolen wealth upon its chosen few and grants each of them enormous control over the ever expanding impoverished masses.
Gabuthelon: "The Lion's Paw" A secret society of fighters, hunters, and serial killers, viewing all other men and women as nothing more than mere sport.
Arphugitonos: "The Lords of Egypt" Keepers of both ancient secrets and cutting edge technologies, these specially selected insiders keep themselves in the know and all others in the dark.
Beburos: "The Beautiful People" A sex cult of thoroughly decadent epicures and mind control specialists, they command the spotlight, deciding who should be granted access to fame and recognition while shaping our very notions of beauty and pleasure.
Then there are the Archangels:
Michael: "The Likeness of God" Battling for social equality and economic justice, Michael's workers struggle to not only feed and clothe the poor, but to also engineer the means by which they will be able to feed and clothe themselves.
"Until all of us are free,
none of us are free."
-Martin Luther King
Gabriel: "The Hero of God" In addition to bringing those who violently prey on the weak to justice, Gabriel's warriors serve as instructors and mentors to those brave enough to step up and fight the good fight.
"To Protect and To Serve."
-Former Motto of the L.A.P.D.
Auriel: "The Light of God" Shinning a light into the darkness, Auriel's watchers uncover and impart vital knowledge, to and from whomever and wherever the transmission of such knowledge will do the most good.
"And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall set you free."
-John 8:32
Raphael: "The Healer of God" Builders of community and compassion, Raphael's Ministers create safe and readily available healing spaces wherein the very best in all of us might be uncovered and shared.
"All you need is Love."
-John Lennon
Finally, there's the Architect of the Coming Apocalypse:
Zebuleon: "The Lion's Den" A mysterious gate keeper who delivers recruits to each of the eight other factions in their currently ongoing war. It is said that he also retains a small retinue of secret apprentices just for himself, specially selected to walk an entirely different path than all of the rest. Even the Lords of Egypt don't know what they're really up to, or, at least, if they do, they aren't telling.
"Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
-Lao Tzu
Choose, if only in your heart, and the game will begin. As always, Good Luck and Namaste.
Dreams of the NeOnieroMancers
The power to dreamwalk, although always rare, was once known the world over. Those who mastered the art have gone by many different names, from Sonambulites and Sandmen to the Da Cho and the Batibat. They've been called Imagineers, Insiders, Deepwalkers, Neuronauts, and Onieromancers. It's a power credited to various mystical groups from the Chinese Linn Kuei to the Japanese Yamabusbi to the Korean Hwarangdo and the transnational Hashashin, to the Setians, Setites, and certain Sufis, and a smattering of Yogis, Swamis and Witches. Some groups, like the Benedanti, were great heroes, while the Maledanti used this power to greedily consume the very life force of the earth itself. Few people today seem to comprehend that a full quarter of human history has occurred, and continues to occur, entirely in the dream realm.
Perhaps the most well documented dreamwalkers left alive are those who live among Australia's Aborigines. Protected by unthinkably Old Gods in a plush and vibrant dreamtime which remains too difficult and untamed for outsiders to properly penetrate, those Aboriginal shamans who were sheltered by an ancient dream race called the Wondjinni are believed to be among the few to have survived the devastating psychic event known as the Transaquarian Dream War, a bloody push on behalf of the world's greatest villains to consolidate an absolute control of the entire dream realm.
Now, beyond the Aborigines' well insulated outback, the minds of sleeping humans have all but become the exclusive domain of these dark forces, or, at least they would be, if not for one other noteworthy exception: those under the protection of a wandering warlord known as the Morphean, the self proclaimed Pirate King of All Dreams.
The oneirogogic nature off the Dream King allows him to create and control a variety of telekinetic haunts, immersive fantasies, fully embodied phantasms, disembodied voices, raw uncrafted ectoplasm, nightmares to ride almost anywhere on, emotional and mnemonic triggers, memory palaces, astral records, and anything else a dreamer might dream, yet despite this ability the Morphean chooses instead to pass directly through the most troubled and troubling dreams of others, viewing the contents of a dreamer's mind as sacred symbols of their true face. This talent for Dark Walking often makes him impossible for his enemies to locate.
Within such places, however, his ability to conjure and command equally discrete servants, such as fetches, tulpas, and ideomorphs, is unparalleled. It's an occult power that he's more than eager to show any potential allies, especially those who wish to foolishly display such forbidden skills in the face of the current reigning Dreamopoly.
While many speculate on the origins of this enigmatic dream warrior, the true identity of the Morphean remains shrouded in mystery. One story has it that he's the son of the god Hypnos, who was believed to have birthed 3 gods of the dreamworld in total, the mythical Oneiroi. Some say he is the immortal St. Germain, continuing his centuries long battle against the Senex, and his equally monsterous allies, who currently seem to have the dream realm conquered. Others say he's an ancient inhabitant of the realm who gained enough self-awareness and will to simply refuse to be conquered. Still others surmise that he may be a spontaneous by-product of so many billions of unconscious minds forced to dream in lockstep with the banal demands of their new dark overlords, the Saturnian Order of Melchizedek.
He once told me about a dream god who's common name literally meant "Scary," but whom all the other gods called Icelus, a name which merely means "Semblance." At that moment the horde descended upon us, and I understood his meaning, and almost immediately I woke up.
But not before I told him where you sleep. Good luck and Namaste.


https://tjdc.co.uk/large-suede-pendant-wedge-sky-blue 3288 Large Suede Pendant Wedge - Sky Blue https://tjdc.co.uk/media/catalog/product/f/l/flpl-be_1.png 12.95 12.9500 GBP InStock /Shop Products /Jewellery & Watches A multi-functional wedged display stand for jewellery.
This sturdy faux nubuk suede wedge is a multi-functional prop and can be used for bracelets or necklacess in singles or multiples. The geometric shape is contemporary and the suede covering is magnificent. It can be used standing up or laying down to suit a variety of different shaped displays, and the movable hook means that your jewellery pieces are secure in any position.


in? What are they getting? So these are systems that are in place today, but we learned the hard way.
Ike: Brett [Schulman, the CEO of CAVA Group Inc. since 2010] has been focused on this from day one. Collecting data and really analyzing it so that we can understand these things. ;e goal is to be able to get fresh food and to make sure it tastes the way it's supposed to taste.
With expansion, there's always a concern about growth compromising quality. How do you keep on top of that?
Dimitri: From the culinary side, we have a huge team that goes out to the stores. We meet once a week, sometimes twice a week. ;is week I have three meetings. If there's an issue that keeps arising, we go back to R&D [research and devel-opment] pretty quickly. It could be somebody who sends me a text and says, 'Hey, I was just in your Columbia store, and everything is great but you should check the seasoning on X, Y, Z.' If I see that there's a pattern, hey, there must be something wrong with the recipe that we need to tweak. ;ese things do happen, especially when you're serving so many people every day. But it's not as bad as you would think.
Ted: We're all involved in the R&D. We're tasting, we're drinking. We're currently drinking juices that will go on the menu a year from now. We're always tasting new ground beef, di;erent vegetables. We're always seeing how we can improve.
Ike: 2, 200, 2, 300 employees all together. Ted: We try to get out to the stores and meet all the store members. We're doing a GM [general manager] retreat in a couple weeks. Every GM from around the country is flying into D.C.
Ike: I remember our first one, there were like four people.


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Here's how long a Cannabis High actually lasts, according to science
Posted October 14, 2022 on Science Alert
With the decriminalization of cannabis comes a list of questions and concerns over its medical and recreational use – including figuring out how long the drug's effects actually last for.
While society has had decades to question the relationship between alcohol consumption and intoxication, the duration of impairment from inhaling or ingesting weed has been more anecdotal than scientific.
A meta-analysis of 80 papers published last year narrowed down this timeframe. Depending on factors such as how the cannabis is consumed and how strong it is, the user can remain impaired for between three and 10 hours.
This information can help inform advisory information given to patients, help recreational users make better decisions about performing tasks such as driving after consuming cannabis, and help update the laws to better reflect the reality of cannabis impairment.
"THC can be detected in the body weeks after cannabis consumption, while it is clear that impairment lasts for a much shorter period of time," psychopharmacologist Iain McGregor from the University of Sydney (USYD) in Australia explained in 2021.
"Our legal frameworks probably need to catch up with that and, as with alcohol, focus on the interval when users are more of a risk to themselves and others. Prosecution solely on the basis of the presence of THC in blood or saliva is manifestly unjust."
A meta-analysis is what it sounds like: a review and analysis of the relevant scientific literature, cross-referencing the results to arrive at a finding based on a broader array of methodologies and subjects (in this case, people) than can be covered in a single study.
For this research, a team led by USYD nutritionist Danielle McCartney referenced 80 separate studies into impairment from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the intoxicating compound in cannabis, performing the first meta-analysis of its kind.
From those 80 papers, the team studied 1,534 "performance outcomes" from people who had taken cannabis; that is, how these people performed at driving or equivalent cognitive tasks at various stages after taking cannabis.
How long the impairment lasted depended on three main factors: how strong the dose of THC is; whether the cannabis was inhaled or taken orally in the form of food, capsules, or drops; and whether the person was an occasional or regular user of cannabis.
"Our analysis indicates that impairment may last up to 10 hours if high doses of THC are consumed orally. A more typical duration of impairment, however, is four hours, when lower doses of THC are consumed via smoking or vaporization and simpler tasks are undertaken," McCartney said.
"This impairment may extend up to six or seven hours if higher doses of THC are inhaled and complex tasks, such as driving, are assessed."
Interestingly, regular users of cannabis can build up a tolerance, and perform better at cognitive tasks than occasional users after consuming the same amount. It's therefore not easy to predict how much cannabis is going to impair a regular user, or for how long, since they may take higher doses to reach the same level of intoxication as an occasional user.
"We found that impairment is much more predictable in occasional cannabis users than regular cannabis users," explained USYD behavioral pharmacologist Thomas Arkell.
"Heavy users show significant tolerance to the effects of cannabis on driving and cognitive function, while typically displaying some impairment."
The findings suggest that most driving-related skills could return within five hours after inhaling cannabis, although this time may vary.
More research will need to be conducted into these time intervals for regular users, in order to better characterize the effects of THC across the board. Once this is done, though, the information can guide legislation, the researchers said.
"Laws should be about safety on the roads, not arbitrary punishment," McGregor said. Given that cannabis is legal in an increasing number of jurisdictions, we need an evidence-based approach to drug-driving laws."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Four Yoga Myths, Busted — mm...Yoga!
It's probably kinda obvious that I like to debunk all the crazy ideas people have about what yoga is and what you need to BE in order to practice or teach it huh?
Which brings me to some myths about yoga that need busting!
Myth: you need to be flexible. I hope I have adequately made my point that you don't need to be bendy to do - or teach - yoga.
Myth: yoga fixes everything. Seriously WHERE did this one come from? So odd. It doesn't though. You have to address the other 99% of your life to get real change.
Myth: You can teach yoga if you like yoga. Um, no. You need to have the right temperament to be a TEACHER. People don't always consider that. These five things in particular are important.
Myth: Yoga Teacher Training is easy. If it is, it's not going to be a worthwhile qualification, unfortunately. The path to becoming a teacher should look something like this.
Basically it helps to remember that we are all humans together and doing yoga/teaching yoga should be a nurturing activity, ideally not terribly competitive and one that helps people, as one of our teacher trainees said in his answer to the 'why do you want to teach' question, make friends with their bodies.
Header image courtesy of Twisty Yoga - one of our amazing graduates!
Newer PostWhat if I'm not into the spiritual side of Yoga?


'55 American Grafitti Chevy. This was clearly one of the coolest and most influential screen cars of all time. | The Best Custom & Classic Cars!
Previous Post'53 Ford F100. This truck may still be around today, but for hot rodding capabilities, look to the '50s.Next PostThe Batmobile. The classic car 1960s show created one of the most iconic hotrods of all time.


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Home All News People UNIST Professor, Honored for 2015 Creative Knowledge Award
Prof. Hyeon Suk Shin (photo, center) is posing for a portrait after receiving the award at the ceremony.
UNIST Professor, Honored for 2015 Creative Knowledge Award
Prof. Hyeon Suk Shin (School of Natural Science), ranked among the top 1% most cited authors.
Oct 21, 2015JooHyeon Heo Public Relations Team
The Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning of Korea has recently announced the 2015 recipients of the Knowledge Creation Award. The award, established in 2009, recognizes the nation's most influential scientific minds whose recent papers represented the strongest research performance in their research areas.
Each year, about ten researchers earn this distinction by having their works, indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). Journals selected within the SCIE are considered the highest impact journals — ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject fields and year of publications, earning them the mark of exceptional impact.
In a ceremony on 15th October 2015, for the seventh times, the award was given to 10 high-impact Korean scientists, including Prof. Hyeon Suk Shin (School of Natural Science) of UNIST with an excellence proven record in their specific fields of study. This assessment was based on their research productivity over the prior ten-year period.
Prof. Hyeon Suk Shin has been a leading researcher in the related fields of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and the development and application of carbon-based nanomaterials. His impact on the academic circles is also noteworthy. He has published over 70 research papers in reputable journals, including Nature Materials, Nature Communications, and Nano Letters. Moreover, Prof. Shin has been recently ranked among the top 1% most cited authors for having two of his works published in SCIE over the 2005-2014 period.
Prof. Shin received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from POSTECH, Pohang, Korea, in 1996 and 1998, respectively, all in Chemistry. From 2005 to 2006, he worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Prior to joining UNIST, he worked as a Research Assistant at POSTECH from 2007 to 2008. In 2008, he joined UNIST and now teaches in Ulsan, Korea.
Tags: 2015 Knowledge Creation AwardHyeon Suk ShinMSIPUNIST
UNISTars, Capture Your Dreams
UNIST to Lend a Helping Hand to Local Farms
A UNIST Doctoral Candidate, Offered to Join Qualcomm
UNIST Design Team Selected to Design Driverless Cars with Hyundai Motor Group
Class 101, Student-led Online Learning Venture Attracts 12 billion KRW Investment
Prof. Hyeon Suk Shin's Home Page
[Journal Reference] Transparent, Flexible Conducting Hybrid Multilayer Thin Films of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes with Graphene Nanosheets
[Journal Reference] Interaction between Metal and Graphene: Dependence on the Layer Number of Graphene


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Spirit Reviews
Categories & Search
EZdrinking
Searching for the world's best drinks and what makes them extraordinary.
Searching for the world's best drinks and what makes them extraordinary. EZdrinking is a drinks blog by Eric Zandona that focuses on distilled spirits, wine, craft beer and specialty coffee. Here you can find reviews of drinks, drink books, articles about current & historical trends, as well as how to make liqueurs, bitters, and other spirit based drinks at home.
Filtering by Tag: Rum Book
Review: Rum Curious
August 06, 2018 / Eric Zandona
Fred Minnick, Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit, (Minneapolis: Voyageur Press, 2017), 240 pages, $25.00. ISBN: 9780760351734
Fred Minnick is the author of seven books, three of which are about whiskey and the history of bourbon. His book Whiskey Women earned a Gold Medal at the ForeWord Reviews Book Awards and a Silver at the Indie Publisher Awards. Minnick serves as a judge for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the World Whiskies Awards. Minnick is also an Iraq War veteran where he served as a U.S. Army public affairs photojournalist.
Rum Curious: The Indispensable Tasting Guide to the World's Spirit is Minnick's fifth book and the first he has written on the world's most well know cane spirit. The book is meant as a consumer introduction to the history or rum, how it is made, the laws that govern rum, production information about several unaged, aged, and flavored rums, as well as recipes for well know rum cocktails. Overall the book provides good information and it is interesting to see ABV levels coming off the still and going into the barrel for a wide array of brands.
Minnick also joins the chorus of rum enthusiasts and experts advocating for a shift in the language that describes rum. For a long time, rum has been described simply by color, white, gold, and dark. However, a new movement is advancing the idea that rum categories, similarly to Scotch, should be labeled by production methods, pot still, pot-column still, and column still rum which ques the drinker into the flavor intensity of the spirit versus the color which can be manipulated with the addition of caramel coloring and have no relationship to age or intensity of flavor. This is an important conversation for US craft distillers to join. The US rum market is dominated by Bacardi and Captain Morgan, if small producers hope to shift the tide in their favor, it will be necessary to adopt common terminology.
First appeared in Distiller (Summer 2018): 215
categories / DrinkWire, Beverage Book Review
tags / Rum, Rum Book, Spirits and Cigars, French Style Rum, Spanish Style Rum, English Style Rum, Fred Minnick
Review: Smuggler's Cove Excotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki
October 02, 2017 / Eric Zandona
Martin Cate with Rebecca Cate, Smuggler's Cove: Excotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki, (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2016), 352 pages, $30.00. ISBN: 9781607747321
Martin Cate has long been a champion of rum, exotic cocktails and the tiki community as well as a proprietor of several award-winning drinking establishments, including Smuggler's Cove (San Francisco), Whitechapel (San Francisco), False Idol (San Diego), Hale Pele (Portland) and Lost Lake (Chicago). Along with his wife, Rebecca, Cate has created a comprehensive guide to tiki culture; it's history, techniques and, most of all, the drinks— Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki.
Smuggler's Cove is a fantastic achievement and a beautiful monument to the influence of tiki, rum and exotic cocktails on American culture, and it is a fun read, told with Cate's impish sense of humor. Part one of the book tells the engaging story of the birth, rise, decline and revival of Polynesian Pop. In part
two, the Cates tell their own story of how Martin and Rebecca became captivated by tiki and built one of the country's preeminent bars for rum and exotic cocktails. Part three describes the history of rum, how it is made and the various styles and categories that define it. For distillers who want to better understand how bartenders use different styles of rum to create exotic cocktails, this is a must-read. Part four covers the nuts and bolts of what goes into making the cocktails. And in part five, how to deck out your home and wardrobe for your new found (or long-held) love of tiki aesthetic is covered.
Smuggler's Cove is a wonderful book in terms of its prose, humor, completeness and graphic design. The story of the rise,fall and rebirth of tiki culture is fascinating, and numerous photos connect readers to the people and places that made Polynesian Pop and exotica nationwide phenomena. The Cates intersperse more than 100 drink recipes within the book and close each chapter with a smattering of cocktails that match the narrative. Smuggler's Cove allows the audience to not only read the history of exotic cocktails but also to drink that history, if they choose.
First appeared in Distiller. (Summer 2017): 167
categories / Beverage Book Review, DrinkWire
tags / Rum, Rum Book, Tiki Bars, Smuggler's Cove, Cocktail Bars, Cocktail book


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...Starting with first principles
America First Trust services
Education, analysis, and advice for uncertain times
WHY I LIKE AUSTRALIAN TREASURIES
(Last updated October 18, 2003 by William Fox)
The US economy and dollar are both in very serious trouble. A key question for conservative investors is what foreign currency might provide the best safe haven and a better rate of return on government-guaranteed investments.
For readers who need a refresher on America's economic and dollar woes, I recommend that they read my article "A Bear Case Overview" which discusses dangerous economic fundamentals and my article "Amidst Bullish Hoopla: A Behind the Curtain Look At Fed Desperation and Intervention Wizardry" which discusses the beginning of a global investment trend out of "paper" (stocks, bonds, and real estate) and into "things" (commodities) reminiscent of the 1970's stagflationary period. It also discusses the potential for hyperinflation in America. (Shorter versions of both articles that were published in a nationally-distributed newspaper are available in my web site archives section). The Prudent Bear Power Point Presentations are worth reviewing, to include the presentation "Is the Dollar At Risk" which shows how the dollar slide trend is likely to last for many more years. I also like James Puplava's article "The Golden Bull: Bullish on Things" listed in his Storm Watch update archives.
CNBC interviewed the famous global investor John Templeton on Monday, May 20, 2002. Templeton had warned investors away from US stocks in 1999 and stated words to the effect that: "The other stock markets have been influenced by the great insanity in America, so there aren't any world markets that I think are truly bargains. Therefore, the thing to do is to buy bonds and wait for the time when the psychology of stocks is different. So the thing to do is to buy high-quality bonds in nations where the money is likely to remain valuable, such as Canada or Australia or New Zealand." Templeton still advocates that US investors avoid US bonds and instead buy Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian bonds in the October 18, 2003 Sarasota, Florida Herald-Tribune story, "Templeton Feeling Bearish: The Legendary Investor Predicts the U.S. dollar Will Lose 40% of its Value." Templeton stated that he is now more bearish on the US stock market than he has ever been and believes that the dollar will lose 40 percent of its value against foreign currencies in coming months.
CBS Marketwatch columnist Thom Calandra in his Jan 6, 2003 article, "Currencies: Harvesting Yield, Gains," quotes Chuck Butler, the President of Everbank World Markets and a veteran currency trader. Butler sees the dollar decline extending into 2004. "We're about half way through this," he said. According to Calandra, for more than a year Butler has favored the dollars of New Zealand and Australia.
The Australia and New Zealand Bank correctly predicted a rise in the Australian dollar in its September Quarter 2003 "ANZ Economic Snapshot" prepared Sept 5, 2003. It noted that "The A$ [then around .58 $US], has risen by 28% against the US$ since January 2002, mainly as a result of US$ weakness…a large US current account deficit and increasing budget deficit [is likely to] drive a resumption in the US$ decline. This will benefit the A$, which is expected to reach a peak around US $0.70 within six to nine months."
As of the date of this paper, (18 Oct 2003) the Australian dollar had already moved to .68 $US. But there could be much more upside. Australia's economy has a strong resource base which would benefit from a global investment trend change from "paper" (stocks, bonds, and real estate) to "things" (commodities) similar to what happened during the stagflationary 1970's. According to The Economist magazine "In 2000/01 rural and mineral exports (including processed goods) accounted for 65% of total merchandise exports." According to The Economist's 2002 profile of the Australian economy, metal ores, minerals & metals comprised 21% of exports. Coal, coke & petroleum comprised 20%, and gold 5% of exports. Add in agriculture to get to 65% of total merchandise exports.
The Australian dollar, along with the Canadian and New Zealand dollars and South African Rand, have historically correlated with global commodity prices. Commodity prices may continue to rise based upon global reflationary trends (similar to the 1970's) and rising commodity demand in China. The strong correlation between the Australian dollar exchange rate with the US dollar and a global commodities index is graphed in the 1984 to 2002 chart provided on page 25 of "An Introduction to the Australian Economy" prepared in July 2002 by Saul Eslake, Chief Economist for the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group. The chart shows the Australian dollar at .95 $US in 1984, which followed the tail end of the global commodity price surge of the 1970's. Gold and other commodities have been in a bullish up trend for more than two years. I believe that we are in barely the third inning of a new cycle, and this next go around gold may spike way beyond the $850 an ounce it achieved in 2000. The Australian dollar may achieve a new high against the US dollar.
Just to get back up to .68 $US, the Australian dollar has rebounded from an extremely depressed position. The Economist magazine's April 24, 2003 article "The Big Mac Index" observed that "Among rich economies, the most undervalued currency is the Australian dollar. The Aussie dollar is still 31% below PPP (Purchase Power Parity) against its American counterpart; its rise over the past year has been largely offset by a fall in the relative price of burgers in Australia." For readers unfamiliar with the Big Mac Index and the Purchase Power Parity concept, I would refer them to my web site's article about foreign fixed income where I explain all of this in some detail. Suffice to say here, over the long run currencies tend to converge back to parity, and The Economist's Big Mac index has attracted some serious academic attention based upon its demonstrated predictive powers.
THE AUSTRALIAN VERSUS THE U.S. ECONOMY
Generally speaking, the Australian economy is in better shape that the US economy, especially when it comes to the prospects of weathering a financial storm. .
The Australian Government does not share America's rising debt exposure.
Although the US Government debt is officially over 65% of GDP, it could actually be more than double this amount if off-balance sheet liabilities such as Social Security are factored in (c.f. The Grandfather Economic Report). Total American debt, to include not only government but corporate and personal debt, is now over 3.5 times America's GDP. Even worse, the U.S. economy is exposed to over $160 trillion (16 times GDP) in unregulated derivatives, which billionaire investor Warren Buffet has referred to as "weapons of mass financial destruction." In contrast, The Economist lists Australian public debt for 2002 at 18.5% of GDP. Relatively lower debt means the Australian Government is not under significant pressure to hike taxes that could slow the economy down or to issue more debt to help carry current debt to make ends meet. It also means the Australian Government has more reserves to handle a crisis. The US is running out of reserve borrowing capacity, and if foreigners balk at buying any more of its debt, it may be forced to hyperinflate. Currently foreigners buy about 45% of US Treasuries.
Over the last five years Australia's public debt has been steadily declining and its currency has actually been strengthening while the US dollar has become shakier. According to the Bloomberg.com article "Australian Dollar Rises to Highest Since June 2000" dated Feb 24, 2003, "Standard & Poor's last week raised Australia's foreign currency credit rating one level to AAA, the top ranking, citing four budget deficits in five years and falling foreign debt. Moody's Investors Service raised the nation's foreign currency credit rating to its top-ranked Aaa on Oct. 21. "
The Australian government does not have major open-ended military commitments around the globe.
The Australian Defense Force has had 2,000 personnel in "Operation Falconer" who supported America's Iraq operation, about 450 Special Forces in Afghanistan, and a lesser commitment in the Solomon Islands. There are no evident plans for major mobilization. Australian Prime Minister John Howard denied a comment by President George Bush that Australia's military has a "sheriff" role in the Asia-Pacific region.
In contrast, according to the Oct 15-21, 2003 Village Voice article, "Bush's War Plan Is Scarier Than He's Saying: The Widening Crusade" by Sydney H. Schanberg, the Bush Administration has signaled a strong interest in not only continuing the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, but also in deploying troops in Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan. In the extended version of my paper "A Bear Case Overview," I discussed how Larry Lindsay, President Bush's former economic advisor, low balled an estimate of $200 billion to go to war with Iraq, and suggested that the longer term "tab" for "nation rebuilding" and prolonged occupation for more than five years could exceed a trillion dollars.
Australia has missed the global recession and has shown resilience and steady economic strength.
According to the article: "Down Wonder," April 4, 2002, The Economist Magazine: "Australia is the lucky country; yet its recent performance is more than a one-year wonder. Over the past ten years, Australia has enjoyed the fastest growth rate of any big developed economy. A series of reforms over the past two decades-from financial deregulation and reduced import barriers to the overhaul of taxes and labour relations-has made the economy much more competitive. Good policy has counted for more than good luck"
I do not mean to paint a picture that the Australian economy is utopian; however, even where it has weaknesses one can make the case that they are significantly "less bad" than comparable weaknesses faced by the U.S. economy and the U.S. dollar. For starters, Australia has experienced longstanding balance of trade deficits that have fluctuated between 2.5% to 5.5% of GDP over the last decade. However, American balance of trade deficits have accelerated beyond 5% of GDP in part due to the fact that manufacturing has declined from 30% of American jobs down to 15%, and American consumers are going out further in debt to buy foreign goods. They are exporting "paper" in return for goods partly because they have declining tangibles to offer, such as manufactured goods. In contrast, 65% of Australia's exports already consist of natural resource-related tangibles, and jobs and infrastructure in those industries can not be exported overseas. It appears likely that Australia's balance of trade deficits will not stray beyond the 2.5% to 5.5% band.
Australia has a relatively low personal savings rate in the vicinity of 5%. This makes Australia more reliant on foreign equity capital and debt than if it had a higher savings rate. Net foreign loans are roughly about half of GDP. However, unlike a typical third world country, much of the foreign debt is owed by privately owned companies rather than by the government. The debt appears to be adequately serviceable and secured by economically viable projects. While it would make Australia look economically stronger to have higher savings, low net foreign debt, and trade surpluses, Australia does not seem to be facing a crisis in any of these areas, unlike the United States.
Continuing with the "less bad" line of reasoning, in my web site article about domestic fixed income, I point out that if the free market were to set interest rates, I could see interest rates right now approaching 12-15% in the U.S. I derived this estimate by taking the five year average average annual money supply (M3) growth rate of 10%, deducting 2% for productivity growth, and then adding a 3% historical real rate of return premium. I added another 2% to compensate for the additional riskiness of buying US government debt since the U.S. is doing nothing serious to avert a very real trend towards bankruptcy.
Since the US has been the major global economic locomotive since World War I, and the dollar has acted as the global reserve currency, other countries feel they have to dance to America's tune. So when the Fed lowers its funds rates to 1%, the European central bank, Australian Reserve Bank, and other central banks have felt that they need to lower rates as well. However, the Australian Reserve Bank raised its cash rate .25% back up to 4.75% in June 2002 and stopped lowering further for fear they would overly stimulate money and credit inflation. With lower interest rates, Australia has experienced a boom in personal consumption and housing prices much like in the U.S. Since the Australian economy remains relatively robust, the Australian Reserve Bank has not seen a need to drop to 1%. The spread of over 3% hence reflects a healthier economy, not a sicker one. This anomaly stands in contrast to various Latin economies such as Brazil and Argentina that have historically had higher interest rates because their economies were in worse shape than America's.
From the Reserve Bank of Australia monetary aggregate numbers, I have computed the following trailing five year data: Aug 2003 over Jan 2003, 5.7% Year to date, which is 8.5% annualized. Jan 2003 over Jan 2002 (2002 growth), 7.2%, 2001: 14.2%, 2000: 5.4%, 2000: 9.5%, 1999: 8.2%. The average growth: 10.6%, which is in line with U.S. M3 growth during the same period. However, according to The Economist, economic growth has averaged about 4%, which suggests about 6% real inflation. The Australian government has reported inflation more in the 3% range. But then again, so has the U.S. Government. Ace global investor Jim Rogers has a few comments about government inflation figures in his archived article "They Are Lying to us Again" at his web site www.jimrogers.com.
Most major countries around the world have been debauching their currencies in line with the U.S., such as Switzerland, China, and Japan. Normally currency debauchment reflects a lack of financial discipline on the home front. But the Australians, Swiss, Chinese and Japanese are not exactly undisciplined peoples. A more likely explanation is that they are playing a game of "follow the leader" (also known as "beggar thy neighbor") with the U.S. to keep their exports more competitive by preventing their currencies from rising too much against the dollar. The "leader" who they are following is running balance of trade deficits over 6% of GDP, has lost half its manufacturing base over the last thirty years, has very little savings, and has record indebtedness relative to GDP. As the U.S. accelerates its production of "paper" in increasingly desperate efforts to handle increasing indebtedness and pay for trade deficits, we are likely to see a continued global bull market in commodities that benefits from global money supply inflation.
For any readers who want more background, please refer to my web site article "Other Experts: Learning the Score," David Tice's archived articles at www.prudentbear.com, James Puplava's storm watch update archives at www.financialsense.com, and the Grandfather Economic Report. These sources help to explain the paradox in which we can simultaneously see pockets of both inflation and deflation on many different levels, such as increasing inflation in money stock created by central banks to try to arrest deflation in overly inflated asset prices in stocks, bonds, and real estate. We see a steady rise in consumer nondurable prices while we simultaneously see a loss in pricing power from outsourcing to low cost third world countries such as China and India.
As mentioned in my web site's foreign fixed income article, investing in foreign denominated fixed income is a relativity game. As long as Australian economic policy stays relatively more conservative than the US, and we see a continued global shift away from "paper" and towards "things," the American investor in Australian Treasuries should come out ahead in the long run.
A Victoria Teachers Assoc. listing of Australian Economic Sources; see also Australian Economic Current Affairs.
Australia New Zealand Bank ANZ Economic Snapshot
Free graphical displays of foreign exchange rates around the world by Oanda.
Economist Magazine country briefings:
After selecting country, click on left "In this country" toolbar for "economic data." Figures on current account balance (balance of trade deficit) and public debt as % of GDP provide clues about whether or not stress building for a currency devaluation fault shift.
International Monetary Fund Country Information. Provides links to country central banks that typically provide money supply growth data.
The World Bank Group Countries & Regions
Central Intelligence Agency World Fact Book country profiles.
Australia: Reserve Bank of Australia monetary aggregates; 2,5, and 10 year treasury bond yields updated monthly
© Text and web design by William Fox. Sometimes William Fox offers viewpoints that are not necessarily his own to provide additional perspectives.


Plumbing issues – whether small or complex – can bring even the most basic household functions to a screeching halt. Whether it's a clogged toilet or drain or a leaky faucet, these common household problems are important ones to be aware of and to know how to fix.
An overflowing toilet is caused by a clog somewhere. Remember: never flush foreign objects down the toilet as they can plug the pipes and cause problems. If you do have an overflowing toilet, reach down and turn off the water to the toilet to make sure that water doesn't continue to flow out. Once that's done, use a plunger with a tapered shape to plunge whatever is clogging the toilet. After it's removed, flush the toilet to make sure everything is working correctly again.
Having no hot water is a pretty obvious problem; however, there are a few other signs that can alert you to this issue: an odor of rotten eggs, rust colored water, and a high pitched whining. Depending on the type of water heater you have (tank-less, electric, or gas), you'll need to disconnect the power to the water heater, shut off the water supply, and have a look at the water heater to determine the specific root of the problem.
While a leaky faucet may not be the end of the world, even the smallest of leaks can cause a huge waste in water. And if you aren't aware of a household leak, that could be even more of an issue.
A quick and easy way to tell if you have an unseen household leak is to turn off all faucets and appliances that use water (better if you do this at night before going to sleep). Check your water meter and write down the number it shows. Let eight hours pass and then check the meter again – if the number has changed, you've probably got a leak.
Even small plumbing problems can add up to a big headache if you don't have the time or know-how to deal with them. The experts at Handyman Matters can help you tackle these types of plumbing problems quickly and easily. Call us at 1-866-FIX-MY- HOME to schedule an appointment today or enter your zip code above to find a location near you!
Homeowners are always looking for ways to improve the look and the value of their home. One of the quickest ways to do this is to spruce up your yard by investing in a little landscaping. Luckily, this is one of the most DIY-friendly home projects that you can find. So grab your gardening tools and a floppy hat and get ready to rejuvenate your lawn with these 5 tips.
Maybe the focal point is your front door, or maybe it's an apple tree in the front yard. Whatever it is, design your landscaping around a focal point to bring all of the elements (flowers, plants, ornaments, lighting) together in a cohesive and appealing manner.
Gazebos and pergolas are popular ways to create an outdoor gathering area, aside from a patio or deck. These can be purchased at most home improvement stores or can be built from scratch. Adding ivy or other types of plants and flowers will give it a more warm and inviting feel.
Having a path that leads to the front door or that winds through a garden in your yard can be a great way to create a cozy and inviting appearance. These easy-to-use stones are cost-effective (some are less than $20!) and can be laid in a matter of hours.
Most homeowners have some type of plant or flowers adorning their yard, but not many use them to their advantage. Create the element of privacy by mounding soil in your backyard and planting on raised beds. By doing this, taller plants will create a wall of privacy, and smaller to medium sized plants will be closer to eye level and more easily seen.
Concrete and other types of lawn ornaments are easy to maintain and can add a bit of color and personality to your yard. These range from simple concrete spheres to garden edging that's designed to keep in flower beds and also create an organized area for plants and gardens. Call Handyman Matters today at 1-866-FIX-MY-HOME for all of your exterior projects or enter your zip code above to find a location near you!


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Tag Archives: Binomial Naming System
Science Milestones: The Binomial Naming System
Posted by Eva Varga History & Geography, Homeschooling, Science & Technology, Science Milestones, Science Resources Binomial Naming System, Biology, Dichotomous Key, Linnaeus
Systema Naturae was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. Although the system, now known as the binomial naming system, was partially developed by Gaspard and Johann Bauhin, 200 years earlier, Linnaeus was first to use it consistently throughout his work.
He first published Systema Naturae in 1735. However, it is the 10th edition that is the most important and is considered to be the starting point of zoological nomenclature; the full title of which was, Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis or translated: "System of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera and species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places".
Carolus Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778) was a Swedish naturalist and physician. His botanical work Systema Naturae in 1758 contained his system for classifying plants into groups depending on the number of stamens in their flowers, providing a much-needed framework for identification. He also devised the concise and precise system for naming plants and animals, using one Latin (or Latinized) word to represent the genus and a second to distinguish the species; a system that has become known as the binomial naming system.
Linnaeus was born in the countryside of southern Sweden. He received most of his higher education at Uppsala University, and began giving lectures in botany in 1730. He livedabroad from several years in the 1730s, where he studied and also published a first edition of his Systema Naturae in the Netherlands. He then returned to Sweden, where he became professor of medicine and botany at Uppsala.
In the 1740s, he was sent on several journeys through Sweden to find and classify plants and animals. In the 1750s and '60s, he continued to collect and classify animals, plants, and minerals, and published several volumes. At the time of his death, he was one of the most acclaimed scientists in Europe.
Suppose you found a species of animal that you had never seen before. How would you identify it? Scientists use a tool called a taxonomic key to determine an organism's identity. A key uses a set of statements that describe an organism's appearance to help identify the organism.
Most taxonomic keys are dichotomous, which means they offer only two choices for a specific feature. You select the most correct possibility and are directed to another statement. Eventually, you create a route through a series of statements that ends at the correct name of the unknown organism.
The best way to understand how a dichotomous key works is to try using one. The simplified key below can be used to distinguish between the most common insect orders. Use this tool to identify the insects shown below. As you can see, the identification is based upon the physical features of the insects. Choose one of the insects pictured below and work through the description sets provided to reach a positive identification.
You may also wish to explained upon this activity with an introductory lesson on the scientific classification system. To learn more about insects and to advance your skills with the binomial naming system, take a look at my Introductory Entomology Unit Study. It includes numerous hands-on activities, as well as a a more comprehensive dichotomous key to insects.
Visit my Science Milestones page to learn more about scientists whose discoveries and advancements have made a significant difference in our lives or who have advanced our understanding of the world around us.