Taman Sari Water Palace, Yogyakarta: Sultan wants a wife Sultan wants a wife This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about his discoveries. Taman Sari Water Palace, Yogyakarta “The sultans had two hobbies”, the guide is explaining. “They hunt for four-legged…”, he pauses. It’s to investigate this second type of hunting – the one that certainly sounds more salacious – that I’m on my way to the Royal Water Palace (Taman Sari) in Yogyakarta. The Keraton is still in use, as Yogyakarta still has a Sultan who acts automatically as the region’s governor. As I arrive, I can see that it has fallen slightly into disrepair. In the main part of the palace, through the entrance gardens and down the steps beyond a large wall offering privacy, is the pool. It was here the hunted would play, not unwittingly. High in the tower at one end of the pool, the hunter would play. This was a great honour, though.
la toison de jade_(Rabhi) Le monde végétal relève de la même complexité que les autres règnes. Que la vie des végétaux soit intimement liée à celle du sol est une évidence, une banalité pour tout le monde. Pour l’agroécologiste, cette liaison va bien au-delà d’un phénomène élémentaire. Selon les latitudes et les climats, cette toison de jade recouvre une partie très importante des terres émergées. Le drame de la déforestation par le fer et le feu avec lesquels nous dévastons les grandes forêts est d’une tristesse infinie car, outre l’inintelligence et l’aveuglement que traduisent nos actes, nous faisons disparaître un bien extraordinaire dont nous sommes loin d’avoir réalisé l’inventaire. Avec l’ère de la technoscience, de la productivité, de la marchandisation et du profit financier sans limite, la donne change brutalement. Petit à petit, la règle se planétarise, concerne tous les continents.
It's Official: Stonehenge Stones Were Moved 160 Miles Some of the volcanic bluestones in the inner ring of Stonehenge officially match an outcrop in Wales that's 160 miles (257 kilometers) from the world-famous site, geologists announced this week. (See Wales pictures.) The discovery leaves two big ideas standing about how the massive pieces of the monument arrived at Salisbury Plain: entirely by human hand, or partly by glacier. As it looks today, 5,000-year-old Stonehenge has an outer ring of 20- to 30-ton sandstone blocks and an inner ring and horseshoe of 3- to 5-ton volcanic bluestone blocks. (See Stonehenge pictures.) The monument's larger outer blocks, called the Sarsen stones, were likely quarried some 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometers) away in what's now England, where sandstone is a common material. The origin of the bluestones, however, has weighed heavy on the hearts of archaeologists. (Also see "Stonehenge Built With Balls?") Stonehenge Source Near Sheep Farm (Related: "Stonehenge 'Hedge' Found, Shielded Secret Rituals?")
Myth, Legend, Folklore, Ghosts Apollo and the Greek Muses Updated July 2010 COMPREHENSIVE SITES ON MYTHOLOGY ***** The Encyclopedia Mythica - SEARCH - Areas - Image Gallery - Genealogy tables - Mythic Heroes Probert Encyclopaedia - Mythology Gods, Heroes, and MythDictionary of Mythology What is Myth? MESOPOTAMIAN MYTHOLOGYThe Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ Sumerian Mythology FAQ Sumerian Mythology Sumerian Gods and Goddesses Sumerian Myths SUMERIAN RELIGION Mythology's Mythinglinks: the Tigris-Euphrates Region of the Ancient Near East Gods, Goddesses, Demons and Monsters of Mesopotamia The Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ More info on Ancient Mesopotamia can be found on my Ancient River Valley Civilizations page. GREEK MYTHOLOGYOrigins of Greek MythologyGreek Mythology - MythWeb Greek-Gods.info (plus a fun QUIZ)Ancient Greek Religion Family Tree of Greek Mythology Greek Names vs. VARIOUS FAIRIES, ELVES, UNICORNS, MERMAIDS, & OTHER MYTHICAL TOPICS HERE BE DRAGONS!
Tony Newman: The Beginning of the End of the Drug War: Top Stories of 2012 This year will go down in history as the the beginning of the end to America's longest failed war: the war on drugs. Voters in Colorado and Washington made worldwide news by legalizing marijuana, Presidents around Latin America spoke out passionately against the drug war, and award-winning movies documented the horrors of the drug war and gave voice to those seeking change. Below are some of top stories of 2012 that capture the momentum and give us hope that we can and will find an exit strategy to the disastrous war on drugs. Colorado and Washington Make History By Legalizing Marijuana Washington State and Colorado made history on Election Day by becoming the first two states in the country -- and the first political jurisdictions anywhere in the world -- to approve the legal regulation of marijuana. California Votes to Reform Draconian "Three Strikes" Mandatory Minimum Law Latin American Presidents "Break the Taboo" and Call for End to Drug War Caravan of Mexican and U.S.
May 4, 1970: The Kent State University shootings told through pictures (PHOTOS). John Filo/Getty Images On May 4, 1970, four Kent State University students were killed and nine injured when members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire during a demonstration protesting the Vietnam War. In 2010, the site of the Kent State University shootings was placed on the National Register of Historic places by the Department of Interior with support of the Ohio Preservation Office. “It’s a difficult story to tell,” Barbato said. Mary Ann Vecchio was a 14-year-old runaway from Florida. In John Filo’s photo there is a fence post that goes right behind Mary Ann Vecchio that makes it look like it’s coming out of her head. Photo courtesy of Kent State University Kent was the place where bands played, where Joe Walsh played before he was in the Eagles. The ROTC building, that was burned [on the evening of Saturday, May 2]. There is a little flower power on the VW. Students today can’t imagine why the students didn’t just leave. Don’t get me wrong.
Exposing the Shadow "Elite" Controlling the World So who really controls the world? The Illuminati? Freemasons? The Bilderberg Group? So who really controls the world? by Jimmy Mengel The answer, like most topics worth exploring, is not quite so simple. But it really may not be as secretive as you would think. But don't take my word for it, we have both science and insider testimony to back it up. We are going to break this down into three categories: Financial, Political and Media. Financial Elite Thanks to the science of complex system theory, the answer may actually be right in front of our faces. This scientific process sheds light on the dark corners of bank control and international finance and pulls some of the major players out from the shadows. From a massive database of 37 million companies, Glattfelder pulled out the 43,060 transnational corporations (companies that operate in more than one country) that are all connected by their shareholders. See the globe chart bellow: The size of the dot represents revenue. From New Scientist:
Possible Geoglyphs Spotted in Peru - A researcher used Google maps to spot what she claims are geoglyphs around Titicaca Lake in Peru. - The area was heavily landscaped by Andean communities to improve agriculture. - Some argue the shapes are just agricultural projects, not earthworks. An Italian researcher may have discovered a huge network of earthworks representing birds, snakes and other animals in Peru, according to a study published on the Cornell University physics website arXiv. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, assistant professor at the department of physics of Turin's Polytechnic University, used Google satellite maps and AstroFracTool, an astronomical image-processing program which she developed, to investigate over 463 square miles of land around Peru's Titicaca Lake . She says she has identified shapes that were built by Andean communities centuries ago. Geoglyphs..or just agriculture? "This region is covered by terraced walls and raised fields, which are large elevated planting platforms with canals in between.
What Happens to Your Facebook Account When You Die? In 2005, college student Loren Williams was killed in a motorcycle accident. His grieving mother, yearning to feel closer to her son, wanted to use his Facebook page. More than just seeing the site, she wanted to see his correspondence, to read his messages, in hopes of understanding her son better. A 25-year-old federal law, however, barred her from accessing his account. See also: Digital media has evolved at breakneck speed, giving lawmakers little time to catch up. The 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act prevents disclosing stored communications unless there’s a court order. Facebook refused Williams’ mother, Karen, access to his account and even changed the password when Karen got it from a friend. License Expired When you sign up for a website, you are agreeing to terms of license, so any “assets” under that license fall under licensing rules, says Florida-based estate planning lawyer David Goldman. Attorney David Goldman Digital Death Attorney Wendy S.
The Dönmeh: The Middle East’s Most Whispered Secret (Part I) There is a historical “eight hundred pound gorilla” lurking in the background of almost every serious military and diplomatic incident involving Israel, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Greece, Armenia, the Kurds, the Assyrians, and some other players in the Middle East and southeastern Europe. It is a factor that is generally only whispered about at diplomatic receptions, news conferences, and think tank sessions due to the explosiveness and controversial nature of the subject. And it is the secretiveness attached to the subject that has been the reason for so much misunderstanding about the current breakdown in relations between Israel and Turkey, a growing warming of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and increasing enmity between Saudi Arabia and Iran… The Donmeh sect of Judaism was founded in the 17th century by Rabbi Sabbatai Zevi, a Kabbalist who believed he was the Messiah but was forced to convert to Islam by Sultan Mehmet IV, the Ottoman ruler. (to be continued)
Exposing the Bilderberg Group: Complete List of Members Have you heard about the shadow government that is the real power behind most of the major decisions... Have you heard about the shadow government that is the real power behind most of the major decisions in the world today? This secretive group is rumored to actually make the key decisions that affect all aspects of our lives including the price of gasoline, how the prices of stock and commodity markets will be manipulated, and even which countries will be attacked or invaded. This is the Bilderberg Group, the who's who of political leaders, international bankers, and the power brokers of world commerce. Every year, over 100 of these people meet secretly to discuss and even create global policy. Regulars include names like Rockefeller and Rothschild, although guests have included Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton (even before he became President), Bill and Melinda Gates, and many other names that are immediately recognizable. Beginnings of the Bilderberg Group Campaign of Secrecy
MacroHistory : World History Allegory of the Cave Plato realizes that the general run of humankind can think, and speak, etc., without (so far as they acknowledge) any awareness of his realm of Forms. The allegory of the cave is supposed to explain this. In the allegory, Plato likens people untutored in the Theory of Forms to prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their heads. All they can see is the wall of the cave. Behind them burns a fire. Between the fire and the prisoners there is a parapet, along which puppeteers can walk. From Great Dialogues of Plato (Warmington and Rouse, eds.) Here are some students’ illustrations of Plato’s Cave Go back to lecture on the Phaedo Go back to lecture on the “One Over Many” Argument Go to next lecture on Criticism of Forms Need a quick review of the Theory of Forms? Return to the PHIL 320 Home Page Copyright © 2006, S.