Showing posts with label superstition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label superstition. Show all posts
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Gangnam Style, Call Me Maybe, The Third Eagle of The Apocalypse, and Fun With Numbers
Posted by YouTube user: thirdeaglebooks
Every once in a while the Internets gives us something we just can't help but be thankful for. Sometimes, it's a brief video of one of your favorite astrophysicists dancing to a Michael Jackson song. Other times, it's something so seemingly surreal, you just can't help but ponder how it came to be. The subject of today's entry, most definitely falls into the later category.
In his video "Antichrist Numerology In Gangnam Style", as well as countless other acts of crazy on his YouTube channel (including several more on both songs in question), former furniture engineer (cause apparently, that's a thing you can be) turned self-proclaimed "Co Prophet of The End Times" and "Third Eagle of the Apocalypse" AKA William Tapley, uses the age old pseudoscience of numerology to decipher the deep philosophical meaning behind the videos for "Gangnam Style" and Carly Rae Jepsen's, "Call Me Maybe". Both of which it turns out, are littered with secrete messages from the Antichrist. Which I don't completely disagree with. Well, I do. But I would like to think that the creators of such things are actually THE devil.
Using the convoluted, Sudoku-like number game, that is numerology, numerologists like Tapely (who's also a Catholic, BTW. Which seems conflicting, but, whatever) are able to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and otherwise BS their way into discovering triple fives and sixes or whatever else they might like, wherever they may go looking for them. From there, it's just a simple matter of applying the correct (and always predictable) theological/supernatural associations, with a little bit of confirmation bias, and serving of personal agendas in order to make your case.
In his video breakdown, The Co-prophet wastes little time before offering irrefutable proof of his claims; beginning his dissertation by decoding the scene to the left. A scene which he believes, is obviously meant to be a depiction of the four horseman of the apocalypse, as well as the lesser known two scantily clad dancing girls of the rapture.In fairness, I added the bit about the dancing girls. But, really? THOSE are the four horseman? How disappointing would THAT be?
From there, we move on to the first "REAL" bit of numerology in the video, when Tapley clearly establishes that PSY is meant to rep his man the dark lord, based on the appearance of the number 18 on a column in this next scene. Which, as he clearly explains, can be decoded as: " 8 + 1 = 9, Or, of course, as the Antichrist's number, 6+6+6."
Yes, of course it could. It's like when your math teacher taught you that 11 + 2 = 13. Unless of course it doesn't. In which case, the answer is 4. No? ... Never happened? DAMN YOU PUBLIC SCHOOLING!
There's also another long winded and convoluted bit about the number of numbers a woman in the video has on her shirt, and who/what she's supposed to be. But otherwise, things pretty much deteriorate completely from that point into personal interpretations about god being depicted as cowardly (since his guy wears yellow) and weak (since his guy looses) and a few other pretty standard Antichrist/rapture related apocalypse nonsense about multiculturalism, ETC. but there's nothing particularly entertaining about them. And my absolute favorite of Tapley's mental leaps in this video, actually comes in his much less thorough decoding (in this video anyway) of Carly Rae Jepsen's, Call me maybe. Which, again, he concludes to be a nuanced allegory for the war between god and the antichrist. In this case, with Carly representing Satan/sin, and the gay man in the video representing god, based on the iron-clad logic that his fake phone number begins with the prefix 555. But that's not even the best part.
" I [The Antichrist] just met you, and this is crazy [This, being the tribulation] so here's my number [gives you the mark of the beast] so call me maybe [my name is Mabus]". Yes, THAT, Mabus.
Mabus, if you don't know, being one of MANY interpretations of the name given to the Antichrist by Nostradamus. That's right, he actually managed to find a way to force a Nostradamus reference into all of this. Amazing.
It could probably go without saying that this is all ultimately very silly, if for no other reason, then because this man has clearly put more thought and consideration into the content of these two songs and videos in nine minutes, than anyone involved in creating them did in the entire production process. But the real, and ultimately unanswerable question you have to ask when you discover people like William Tapley is; is he for real? And the truth is, Poe's law is a thing for a reason. And with something this seemingly overtly insane, you can never really know for sure. Although I am inclined to think he means it. Because if this IS a character, and not a genuine statement of belief. He has both, persistence (given he's been at this since at least 2008) as well as one dry-ass sense of humor.
And I haven't even mentioned his music yet...
-CAINE-
Yes, that's right kids. The Third Eagle of the apocalypse apparently even managed to make it onto CNN earlier this year, after writing a BEAUTIFUL song for Mitt Romney. Which, sadly, did not become the theme for Mitten's campaign, as Tapley had hoped. But I've chosen a different selection from his catalog, an anti-abortion ditty called, "Love Of Life (Let Our Father Plan Your Family)". Enjoy!
Posted by YouTube user: thirdeaglebooks
*EDIT: After looking around a bit more, it seems Tapley may actually have made it on CNN first, for his video about phallic symbols at the Denver airport; which is God damn hilarious, BTW. But does it really matter?*
Friday, June 24, 2011
Necropants, The Pants Made From Human Flesh
From last week's Compendium: Looking for a quick, easy, path to financial prosperity? Of course you are! That’s why YOU, need NECROPANTS! What are Necropants you say, and where can I buy a pair of these miraculous garments?Necropants, or Nábrókarstafur, are pants made from the skin of a dead man’s lower torso; and you don’t buy them silly, you make them!
Here’s how it works:
First, you’ll need to dig up a body from a church yard, but not just any body. Remember, the lower potion of the torso must be FULLY intact in order for this to work, and those dangling man bits tend to deteriorate quickly after decay sets in, so don’t go waiting too long after the body’s been put in the ground before you go gettin’ yer “Gein” on. More importantly, always remember that you must first obtain permission to wear your new Necropants from their previous owner BEFORE he’s done with them in order for them to work their magic.
Once an agreeable doner has been found, and you’ve managed to successfully dig up the body, you’ll obviously need to remove your new pants from the previous wearer’s legs. While there are no special rites or rituals required for this step in the process, you’ll want to avoid damaging the pants during removal, which is why knowing how to properly skin and dress an animal carcass, is an advisable skill set to have. Once that job is done, your new pants will be nearly ready to wear!
All you need now, is a coin stolen from the man’s poor widow, which must be kept in the scrotum of your new Necropants, along with a piece of paper bearing the special symbol displayed to the right.
BUT REMEMBER KIDS:These items must remain in the scrotum of your Necropants at all times in order for the Magic to work. Forget this step, or use your new scrotum as place to carry your keys or cellphone, and you’ll just be wearing another man’s decaying junk over your own, and that’s a fashion no-no, not to mention a possible threat to your manhood- and no one wants that.
On a personal note, when shopping for Necropants, I recommend choosing a partner who’s reasonably close to your own size. Pick someone to small, and all your work could be for nothing when you discover that your new pants wont fit! Even worse, pick someone too big, and you could wind up looking fat! So always remember to shop around.
Source: The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft VIA: Compendium Of Strange
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Why god might Kill You With a Bear, & when it's OK to Bang Daddy
One of the most common arguments made by both believers, as well as apologists who think anti-theists like myself go too far in our arguments against religion, is the idea that the teachings of the bible have within them some intrinsic moral value. And that even if you choose not to believe in the god around which those teaching are supposedly centered, there are worthwhile lessons to be learned amidst all the idiocy and ignorance that dominate the books of god. But it doesn't take any thinking person more than a quick glance through the new and old testaments (or the quran, or any other deity driven religious text for that matter), to see that the teachings of christianity are filled with, racism, slavery, incest, and sexism, as well as countless acts of violence, murder, and genocide; all of which are of course neatly justified in the name of an invisible monster, who is accountable to no one. Ya, sounds like an outstanding place to turn for morality to me.
But I suppose, if you were to do some major editing on your own and only focus on the "good" parts, or as the VAST majority of modern religious teachers do; insist that certain parts of the bible were obviously not meant to be taken literally, and just wildly reinterpret the bad parts so they fit better with modern day values, it is possible to stumble upon a reasonable moral value or two. They're all rather obvious, common sense, golden rule sorts of moralities, and they certainly don't make up for the rest of the crap in the bible, but they're still there I guess.
But what if you don't pick and choose? What if instead, you taught people, in particular children, ALL the stories of the bible as the literal truths that many believers take them to be, and in complete and graphic detail? That would be okay right? I mean it is the word of god isn't it? Well, that's exactly the idea behind today's video,"The Tutor", in which a pleasant looking young bible tutor explains to her two young students why god might decide to kill them with a bear, and when it's ok to bang Daddy, by sharing with them the tales of Elisha (2 Kings 2:23-24), and Lot (Genesis 19).
Enjoy!
-CAINE-
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Homeopathy and Water's Selective Memory
Born of the imagination of German Doctor Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700's, the practice of homeopathy is based on Hahnemann's set of three "natural laws". The first, "The Law of Similars" is the belief that like cures like. This means that practitioners are meant to treat a patient's ailment using a substance which causes the same symptoms in a healthy person. In other words, if a patient has a headache, then giving them something that causes headaches will naturally cure them. Like all of his laws Hahnemann gave no specific explanation as to why this would be the case and based his belief in this concept on elements of sympathetic magic and a personal experience he had with a common malaria treatment for the time which caused him to develop fever-like symptoms similar to malaria.The second law of Homeopathy, you don't talk about..oh wait..that's Fight Club, sorry, "The Law of Infinitesimals" proposes that diluting the active ingredient in a remedy actually makes them stronger. This dilution process begins with the creation of a "mother tincture".
A mother tincture is created by diluting the prescribed "remedy", which can be derived from either, plant, animal, mineral or even synthetic sources, into either pure alcohol or an alcohol water mixture and then allowing that mixture to sit in a dark place for 30 days or more. This mother tincture is then diluted to various degrees to create either "X" (1:10) or "C"(1:100) dilutions of homeopathic "medicine". In creating C or centesimal dilutions for example, one part of the mother tincture is added to 99 parts of water, creating a "1c" dilution. Take one part of this diluted solution, add it to another 99 parts water and you have a "2c" dose of homeopathic medicine. This process is repeated until the desired "potency" is achieved and the final product is then dripped onto sugar pills or infused into ointments and sold as medicine.
For those you keeping score at home, at a dilution of just 12c (one of the most common doses I found when I made my trip to the local pharmacy to research these products) there is only a 60% chance that you're water has left within it even a single molecule of the prescribed cure. And at any dilution beyond 13c, one can safely assume that not a single molecule of the original solution remains.Yet homeopathic remedies can easily be found in dilutions of 200c and even higher, such as the popular flu and cold remedy Oscillococcinum, available at Wal-mart and Walgreens as well as CVS stores.
The third and final law of homeopathy "The law of Succussion", states that shaking a homeopathic preperation also adds to the potency of the mixture. Modern practitioners have decided that this process, which they have dubbed "potenization", allows water to "remember" the "vibrations" of the active ingredient it once contained. This attempted explanation is obviously problematic for a number reasons, probably the least of which being that if water has a memory, which it doesn't, it seems unlikely that one could randomly shake it into remembering the (also non-existent but presumably unique) vibrations of specific substances which it no longer contains. After all, as many before me have pointed out, if water can remember it once had a single drop of caffeine in it, how does it manage to forget all the other potentially harmful chemical it has no doubt contained over the course of it's existence.
Supporters and practitioners of homeopathy are quick to point out that critics of the practice like myself fail to emphasize that homeopathy is a holistic practice meant to treat "the whole person" not just the body. Therefore, practitioners maintain, in order for the treatment to work it must by tailored to the individual needs of the patient on every level of their being. This is of course little more than a method of muddying the waters when it comes to defending the inability of homeopathy to stand up to scientific testing and does nothing to explain the illogical and physics defying beliefs upon which the practice is based.
-CAINE-
When attempting to explain a belief system like homeopathy, it's important to go directly to the source to ensure you are examining what it's followers actually believe and the practices they truly follow. So some of the pages sighted in today's source links lead to new age, alt-med, and pro homeopathy websites, this is NOT an endorsement of views included on those pages.
Source: The Skeptics Dictionary, UK Skeptics, ten23.com, Wikipedia, Herbs 2000, Healthy New Age.com
For an entertaining example of a homeopathic preparation, Michael Marshall and Mike Hall from 10:23 and The Merseyside Skeptics create their own homeopathic vodka.
Friday, February 11, 2011
The 10:23 Campaign, Raising Awareness About Homeopathy
I would have greatly preferred to have mentioned the 10:23 event as well as the QED conference long before they had taken place, rather than after the fact as I am now. But since I've barley even logged on to the net over the past few months ( I realize that sounds terrifying to many of you, it's been strange for me as well), I missed the opportunity to do so. But regardless of my timing, both events were well worth your time and attention and certainly worth talking about here. So while I wait for more info about the events at QED to make it's way to the web, let's talk about homeopathy and the 10:23 challenge.The Merseyside Skeptics Society's 10:23 challenge began last year in the UK on January 10th, at 10:23 am (a time chosen in reference to Avogadro's constant), with hundreds of the campaigns supporters taking to the streets to participate in a mass overdose of homeopathic "medication". The demonstration was designed to raise public awareness of homeopathy's ineffectiveness and to bring more attention to the issue of UK pharmacies selling homeopathic remedies along side legitimate medicines, as well as the NHS's (National Health Service) continued funding of Homeopathy. This past weekend, February 5th and 6th, the second set of 10:23 "overdoses" took place Saturday in cities around the world, as well as Sunday at the first ever QED (Question Explore and Discover ) conference in Manchester.
Supporters of homeopathy and critics of the campaign argue that homeopathy is a viable alternative to "traditional" medicines, and maintain that calls by groups like 10:23 for the NHS to withdraw public funding for the practice and for UK pharmacies to stop selling homeopathic products, is a violation of their right to choose.
But the 10:23 campaign and other demonstrations like it, are not about denying anyone the right to choose anything. They are in truth about educating people about the true nature of homeopathy as most people generally believe the term to be just another name for herbal or "natural" medicine. In reality however, homeopathy is it's very own special brand of pseudoscience and superstition, one utterly devoid of any reliable scientific evidence with which to support even it's most basic beliefs.
At this point you may be thinking, this all seems very interesting but given that I don't live in the UK, why should I care? At a glance it does seem that the practice of homeopathy is far less prevalent here in the us, it certainly isn't being openly funded by any government agencies that I'm personally aware of. But a quick search of the Walgreens, CVS, and Wal-mart websites for the word homeopathic yields results for everything from homeopathic arthritis remedies, to children's cough medicine, muscle relaxing ointments, acne treatments and more, all of which are also of course readily available in store. And with many homeopathic practitioners claiming the ability to treat cancer, malaria, and even AIDS, homeopathy is a potentially dangerous pseudo-science well worth educating yourself and others about regardless of it's prevalence in your particular corner of the world.
As always, be sure to follow the links throughout this entry and in the notes below for more information about homeopathy, 10:23, The Merseyside Skeptics, and the rest of the organizations and information contained in today's post. As for those of you completely unfamiliar with the practices and beliefs assosiated with homeopathy, I have already written most of my own entry on the subject which I will be posting later this weekend. But for now, check out the video below from James Randi and the JREF, which includes a nice summation of what homeopathy really is, along with inviting manufacturers and practitioners of homeopathy to participate in the JREF's million dollar challenge.
-CAINE-
Source: 1023.org.uk, merseysideskeptics.org.uk, randi.org
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