It's over, it ain't goin' any further

Next, Back.

Bad News First: Andrew Nikiforuk   Pandemonium:     Bird Flu, Mad Cow Disease,     and Other Biological Plagues     of the 21st Century Viking / Penguin Globe Review, (Archive). Mercury in the Baltic Sea, (Archive), Technorati Discussion. Oil in Equatorial Guinea, (Archive), Technorati Discussion, Spiegel Forum. Canadian Social Justice (Not!), (Archive),   Michael McKinnon   Vicki Shaw-McKinnon   Albert Hubbard (Retired). United Nations Hokey Pokey:   Dithering on Iran I, (Archive).   Dithering on Iran II, (Archive).   Dithering in Darfur. Good News (Sorta): Schwarzenegger, Terminator IV, (Archive, and from The Independent: (Archive)   California sets global example,   British Conservative pledge,   American cities bypass Bush,   Blazing an environmental trail. Noah Richler   This is My Country, What's Yours?   A Literary Atlas of Canada   McClelland & Stewart   Review, (Archive). Farley Mowat   Bay of Spirits   A Love Story   Review in the Globe   (but not on-line) A-and the Sirens: thinkin' 'bout Graces, Nubiles & Naiads the seven sisterly Pleiades, Sea Nymphs Mermaids, ocean visions, Ceux & Alcyone Terpsichore & Samba, dark ocean fear Medea & Medusa & Melpomene, Sirens, Muses just not showin' up on the scene, raising prayers to Oxum & Iemanjá & Aphrodite and a poem by Shel Silverstein. which has unhappily disappeared in the years since I posted this - it is available here: Great Big Sea.

Leonard Cohen, The Future Gimme me back my broken night my mirrored room, my secret life it's lonely here, there's no one left to torture. Give me absolute control over every living soul and lie beside me, baby that's an order! Give me crack and anal sex take the only tree that's left and stuff it up the hole in your culture. Gimme back the Berlin wall give me Stalin and Saint Paul I've seen the future, brother it is murder. Things are gonna slide slide in all directions won't be nothin', nothin' you can measure anymore. The blizzard the blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it has overturned the order of the soul. When they said, Repent, Repent I wonder what they meant. When they said, Repent, Repent I wonder what they meant. When they said, Repent, Repent I wonder what they meant. You don't know me from the wind you never did, you never will I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the nations rise and fall I've heard their stories heard them all but love's the only engine of survival. Your servant here, he has been told to say it clear, to say it cold. It's over it ain't going any further. And now the wheels of heaven stop you feel the devil's riding crop. Get ready for the future. It is murder. Things are gonna slide slide in all directions won't be nothin', nothin' you can measure anymore. The blizzard the blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it has overturned the order of the soul. There'll be the breaking of the ancient western code. Your private life will suddenly explode. There'll be phantoms there'll be fires on the road and the white man dancin'. You'll see a woman hanging upside down her features covered by her fallen gown and all the lousy little poets coming round and tryin' to sound like Charlie Manson and the white man dancin'. Gimme back the Berlin wall Give me Stalin and Saint Paul Give me Christ or give me Hiroshima. Destroy another fetus now we don't like children anyhow. I've seen the future, baby. It is murder. Things are gonna slide slide in all directions won't be nothin', nothin' you can measure anymore. The blizzard the blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it has overturned the order of the soul. When they said, Repent, Repent I wonder what they meant. When they said, Repent, Repent I wonder what they meant. When they said, Repent, Repent I wonder what they meant.

most of the time these days i don't know what i've said till it's out, oh well, kneeling 'at the delta, at the alpha and the omega' as it were, still the bougeois kid who has to wrap the fundament up in mythology and what not, ok (Wikipedia is good for this kind of stuff);

Graces (Charites): Aglaea (Aglaia), Beauty; Euphrosyne, Mirth; Thalia (Thaleia, Cleta), Good Cheer; also; Auxo, Charis, Hegemone, Phaenna, and Pasithea.

Horae: Thallo (Thalatte), Spring; Auxo (Auxesia), Summer; Carpo (Xarpo), Autumn; Eunomia, Law; Dike, Justice; Eirene (Irene), Peace & Wealth; Pherusa (Pherousa), Substance; Euporie (Euporia), Abundance; Orthosie, Prosperity; Auge, Dawn; Anatole (Anatolia), Sunrise; Mousika (Musica), Morning Study; Gymnastika (Gymnastica, Gymnasia), Morning Exercise; Nymphe, Morning Ablutions; Mesembria, Noon; Sponde, Afternoon Libations; Elete, Afternoon Prayer; Akte (Acte, Cypris), Afternoon Pleasure; Hesperis, Evening; Dysis, Sunset; Arktos, Last Light.

Muses: Calliope, Poetry; Euterpe, Music; Clio, History; Erato, Love; Melpomene, Tragedy; Polyhymnia, Hymns; Terpsichore, Dance; Thalia, Comedy; Urania, Astronomy.

Naiads (Nymphs presiding over Springs): Abarbarea; Aegle; Arethusa; Bateia; Callirrhoe; Castalia; Cleochareia; Corycian; Corycia; Kleodora (Cleodora); Melaina; Creusa; Drosera; Echenais; Harpina; Lara; Lethe; Lilaea; Melite; Nomia; Orseis; Periboea; Pitane; Praxithea; Salmacis; Styx.

Sirens: Thelxiepia (Thelxiope, Thelxinoe); Molpe; Aglaophonos (Aglaope); Pisinoe (Peisinoë); Parthenope; Ligeia; Leucosia; Raidne; Teles.

Harpies: Aello; Celaeno (Podarge); Ocypete.

Gorgons: Stheno; Euryale, Medusa.

Orixas (Orishas): Eshu (Ellegua, Exu, Esu, Elegba, Papa Legba), Messenger; Obatala (Obatalá, Oxalá, Orixalá, Orisainlá), Father; Ogoun (Ogún, Ogun, Ogou), War; Olorun (Oldumare), Creator Father; Orunmila, Wisdom; Oshun (Oshún, Oxum, Ochun, Osun, Oschun, Erzulie, Erzulie Freda), Rivers & Love & Fertility; Oxossi (Oxósse, Ocshosi, Osoosi, Ochosi), Hunter; Oya (Oyá, Oiá, Iansã, Yansá, Iansan), Wind; Shango (Shangó, Xango, Changó, Chango, Nago Shango), Thunder; Yemaja (Imanja, Imanjá, Jemanja, Yemalla, Yemana, Yemanja, Yemaya, Yemayah, Yemoja, Ymoja, Iemanjá, Nanã, La Sirène, LaSiren, Mami Wata), Mother.

of these i know only Iemanjá and Oxum, in Candomblé there is not so much sexual politics on the God/Goddess distinction (good on them!).

... Odus, spirits aligned with one or several of the Orixas.

the Catholic Saints ... the list goes on, maybe forever, each of us has some spark don't we? a friend of mine follows Allan Kardec, aka Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, and for her the air is full of spirits.

Lenda de Oxum: Havia na África um país muito rico chamado Ijexá, governado por uma linda rainha-deusa chamada Oxum. Ijexá era um país harmonioso. Nele tudo era belo e perfumado; e no ar ouviam-se música que nunca se sabia de onde vinha. Certo dia, as damas de honra da rainha-deusa entraram em seu palácio aos gritos e prantos, dizendo que Ijexá seria atacada pelo temível guerreiro rei de Oyó, que soltava fogo pela boca e pelas narinas. Esse guerreiro era Xangô. Oxum não possuía exércitos, e os poucos guerreiros que possuía lidavam com a caça e a pesca para alimentar o povo de Ijexá. Primeiramente, Oxum tratou de acalmar seu povo. Astuta e grande estrategista que era, tinha um grande poder que somente poucos conheciam; o dom do oráculo. Através do jogo dos caurís (búzios) ela descobriu que Xangô tinha um ponto fraco: uma paixão arrebatadora por mulheres lindas e sensuais. Então, antes que Xangô invadisse Ijexá e a destruísse, Oxum foi encontrá-lo para tentar dissuadi-lo da invasão de seu reino. Vestida em traje amarelo-ouro e azul, enfrentou o poderoso guerreiro usando a arma da sedução. Ao deparar com mulher tão linda e irresistível, tão tranqüila e tão segura de si, Xangô não resistiu aos seus encantos. Louco de paixão, caiu-lhe aos pés implorando por seu amor. Oxum, dona da situação, como prova de amor, pediu a Xangô a acompanhasse ao seu palácio em Ijexá, mas ele teria que entrar na cidade sentado aos seus pés. E assim foi feito. Oxum vitoriosa retorna à Ijexá trazendo o temível guerreiro lançador de fogo, raios e pedras aos seus pés. A estratégia do amor venceu a ira implacável do poderoso guerreiro. E enquanto as águas correrem sobre as pedras e elas estiverem submersas nas plácidas águas do rio, Ijexá estará a salvo, pois Xangô estará prisioneiro do amor de Oxum. E como sabemos não há prisão mais doce e poderosa que o amor, pois entrasse nela e não se que mais sair.

A legend of Oxum: In Africa there was a very rich country called Ijexá, ruled by a beautiful queen/goddess named Oxum. Ijexá was a harmonious country. Everything in it was beautiful and perfumed; and on the air you would hear music without ever knowing whence it came. One day, the ladies of honour of the queen/goddess came into her palace with screams and weeping, saying that Ijexá would be attacked by the fearsome warrior king of Oyó, who breathed fire through his mouth and nostrils. This warrior was Xangô. Oxum did not have armies, and the few warriors that she had were leaders in hunting and fishing to feed the people of Ijexá. First of all, Oxum tried to calm her people. Wise and great strategist that she was, she had a great power that only a few knew about; the gift of foreknowledge. Through a game of shells she discovered that Xangô had a weak point: a ravishing passion for beautiful and sensuous women. So, before Xangô could invade Ijexá and destroy it, Oxum went to meet him to try to dissuade him from invading her kingdom. Dressed in golden-yellow and blue clothing, she opposed the powerful warrior using the weapon of seduction. Coming across a woman so beautiful and irresistable, so calm and so self possessed, Xangô could not resist her charms. Mad with passion, he threw himself at her feet begging for her love. Oxum, mistress of the situation, as proof of his love, asked Xangô to go with her to her palace in Ijexá, but he had to enter the city sitting at her feet. And so it was done. Oxum returned victorious to Ijexá bringing the fearsome warrior and thrower of fire lightning and stones, at her feet. The strategy of love overcame the implacable anger of the powerful warrior. And while water flowed over the stones and they were submerged in the calm waters of the river, Ijexá would be saved, because Xangô would be the prisoner of Oxum's love. And as we know there is no prison more sweet and powerful than love, only enter it and you may never leave.