Stargate SG-1 (Season 4) DVD Review

A sequel to the 1994 movie Stargate, Stargate SG-1 is one of the premiere science-fiction series on television. First airing in July 1997, the show has been nominated for 7 Emmys and 23 Saturn Awards. The brainchild of creator Dean Devlin, producer of such Hollywood blockbusters as Independence Day (1996) and The Patriot (2000), Stargate SG-1 chronicles the further adventures of the Stargate Command (SGC) as Earth and its citizens advance forward into a new era of space exploration in the aftermath of Dr. Daniel Jackson’s discovery of the galaxy’s numerous stargates…

Stargate SG-1 follows the exploits of the SG-1 Unit (i.e. the “explorer” unit) of Stargate Command. When a new code is broken that reveals the location of stargates throughout the galaxy, Earth and its inhabitants are given the ability to travel through time to any point they wish instantaneously. Earth’s military sends out stargate (SG) teams to scour the universe for new technologies, new planets, and methods of defense against the oppressive Goa’uld. Brigadier General Jonathan “Jack” O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) is the commanding officer of SG-1. He’s accompanied by Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), the brilliant professor whose investigations originally helped uncover the existence of the stargates, and fellow teammates Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge). Together, they face numerous obstacles as they attempt to uncover the many mysteries of the universe…

The Stargate SG-1 (Season 4) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere “Small Victories” in which Carter helps the Asgard fight the deadly forces of the replicators several galaxies away. Meanwhile, Teal’c, Daniel, and Jack O’Neill must protect Earth from the veracity of their destruction… Other notable episodes from Season 4 include “Scorched Earth” in which SG-1 aids in the resettlement of a people enslaved by the Goa’uld (but they later discover that the new planet is the target of a terraforming program that threatens to destroy all life on the planet), and “Absolute Power” in which Daniel uses the knowledge he recovers from Apophis’s captured son to take control of the Earth in the name of peace…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Stargate SG-1 (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 67 (Small Victories) Air Date: 06-30-2000
Episode 68 (The Other Side) Air Date: 07-07-2000
Episode 69 (Upgrades) Air Date: 07-14-2000
Episode 70 (Crossroads) Air Date: 07-21-2000
Episode 71 (Divide and Conquer) Air Date: 07-28-2000
Episode 72 (Window of Opportunity) Air Date: 08-04-2000
Episode 73 (Watergate) Air Date: 08-11-2000
Episode 74 (The First Ones) Air Date: 08-18-2000
Episode 75 (Scorched Earth) Air Date: 08-25-2000
Episode 76 (Beneath the Surface) Air Date: 09-01-2000
Episode 77 (Point of No Return) Air Date: 09-08-2000
Episode 78 (Tangent) Air Date: 09-15-2000
Episode 79 (The Curse) Air Date: 09-22-2000
Episode 80 (The Serpent’s Venom) Air Date: 09-29-2000
Episode 81 (Chain Reaction) Air Date: 01-05-2001
Episode 82 (2010) Air Date: 01-12-2001
Episode 83 (Absolute Power) Air Date: 01-19-2001
Episode 84 (The Light) Air Date: 01-26-2001
Episode 85 (Prodigy) Air Date: 02-02-2001
Episode 86 (Entity) Air Date: 02-09-2001
Episode 87 (Double Jeopardy) Air Date: 02-16-2001
Episode 88 (Exodus) Air Date: 02-23-2001

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a

Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Just four weeks until The Players. We’ve got to get through the Zurich Classic this week first. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to be in New Orleans, now more than ever. It’s the golf that’s the problem. David Toms is the highest ranked player in the field (19th in the world ranking). Next is Chris DiMarco (35), then Steve Stricker (46), Lucas Glover (51) … you get the point. In case you don’t, though, Chris Couch is the defending champ.

Couch and Boo Weekley share something in common: they both chew tobacco. Weekley, who won last week with consecutive chip-in pars on the 17th and 18th at Harbourtown, was asked by the Golf Channel about playing in Maui next year. He said he’ll be there and joked, “Y’ain’t gonna see redneck surfin’, I’m sorry.”

Breath of fresh air, this Mr. Weekley, in the otherwise staid world of golf. Half the young guys on Tour seem to think they can wear personality in the form of yellow pants or pink shirts.

Weekley’s playing again this week, which gets me thinking about his chances. Remember early in the year when I was curious as to how players manage in a tournament following their first-ever win? And I found out, to my surprise, that (based on 2006 anyway) first-timers did pretty well for themselves the following week, one of them even finishing T2. Well, if you look at all winners from this year alone, and how they did the following week if they played (most did), you see even more striking results: T34, T48, T31, T19, 2, T9, T38, T28, T11, T27. Not a missed cut among them. Some respectable and high finishes in there. I smell me a head-to-head candidate …

But first, last week: Trevor Immelman withdrew late Wednesday. I had him in the outright and also in the head-to-head. That meant my chances for the week rested on Vaughn Taylor and Jim Furyk in the outright. Furyk missed his first cut in forever and Taylor looked good but couldn’t stay out of trouble late in the game Monday. He ended up T4. So, I lost half a unit on the week, bringing the season tally to -4.3 units for the year.

At this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, take Daniel Chopra (40-1), 1/6 unit: He has to win some time. I just can’t see him being a DiMarco type of player—lots of cuts made, T25-ish finishes, lots of yearly money but little or no wins to show for it. I don’t see him that way because he’s much more talented than DiMarco and seems to be better in the temper department. Maybe his DQ last week for an illegal drop will have an inverse Mark Wilson effect and propel Chopra to his first victory.

Take Sean O’Hair (20-1), 1/6 unit: After a rough start to the year in which he missed a lot of cuts, O’Hair has gone T14, T14 and 7 (last week) in his last three. He didn’t play the Zurich Classic last year, but finished T14 in 2005. Still young, still lot of potential, I just wonder about drive.

Take Brent Snedeker (80-1), 1/6 unit: Snedeker’s making a living. He hasn’t slagged off since that 3 at the Buick Invitational, finishing out of T50 just once since. He’s coming off a T16 last week. As we saw at the Buick, it’s his poise more than anything else—he doesn’t think too much out there.

In the head-to-head, take Weekley to finish higher than Stephen Leaney (10-11), 1 unit: It’s true Leaney’s been playing really well lately (T8, T19 and 3 in his last three tournaments), but so has Mr. Weekley. Plus, the average finish of all winners on Tour when they play the following week this year is 24.7, and as I noted above not a one has missed the cut. If Weekley ends up in the top-25 this week, I like my chances in the head-to-head.

(All picks from willhill.com)

Jeremy Church is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at procappers.com/Jeremy_Church.htm procappers.com/Jeremy_Church.htm

If It Smells Like a Skunk

My wife and I were having breakfast one Sunday morning when a ruckus erupted from under the mud room step A hurried investigation ended in the garage with the most God awful stink I had ever experienced. My eyes watered and our noses burned as our ears were treated to a piercing shriek from our daughter’s bedroom. She came running into the kitchen, panic in her eyes and a towel over her nose, looking for the cause of her discomfit.

For weeks we had been hearing faint scratchings coming from the mud room, a small room off the kitchen containing a shoe closet, a back door and the door leading to the garage. A pair of skunks decided that the space under our mudroom step contained all the necessary ingredients for a proper skunk home. Featuring easy access to the outside, the winter temperature never went below freezing, the food source (garbage cans) was near by, and the house insulation provided the ideal nesting material. As long as no one disturbed their new tiny additions, no odors of defense issued from their home. Unwilling to disturb whatever was making the scratchy noises, the winter passed uneventfully. Until the smell could not be ignored,

It was the first warm day of Spring when one of the skunk babies got lost on the way back from the food source and wandered into the garage when the door was open. Finding itself locked in, the baby skunk panicked and, sensing my presence with only a lawn mower between itself and the enemy, let loose a small, but potent stream of stink juice. I saw the tail go up an instant before the release and managed to avoid the main stream. Even after three weeks of scrubbing, tomato juice treatments and daily airings, the garage retained it’s skunky reminder. I finally enticed the little tike out on the driveway with cat food and proceeded to board up the hole under the house while the family was away. They never returned, probably deciding that this neighborhood stinks.

Retired but not tired.

Taking Good Digital Photos of People’s Faces

Taking a really good digital photo of someone face can be very impressive. Accomplishing such high quality with face photos is hard. There are many things to consider such as shooting angle, lighting conditions, flash usage and background handling. Here are some tips and ideas to help you achieve better face photos.

Following is a list of things to consider when taking such face digital photos. As always it is better to experiment and try out the concepts described here in order to get a better grasp of why they are important and how they can be used to your benefit.

The right background: A face photo is as the name says all about the person face. You would like the digital photo viewer to focus on the face. By choosing the wrong background you might draw the viewer attention to other objects rather than the person face. The right background on the other hand can focus the view attention on the person face and at the same time also emphasize some of the face characteristics. It is best to pick a neutral background that does not attract attention. A soft solid color background for example is much better than a busy street background. It is also good practice to avoid having people or other moving or interesting objects in the background.

Blurring the background: you can use another technique in order to make sure that the person face stands out in the photo. This technique involves blurring the background. By blurring the background you send a message to the viewer that the background is not important and you emphasize the face as the only in-focus object in the photo. Blurring the background can be achieved by taking a photo using a shallow depth of field. Shallow depth of field is accomplished by using a zoom lens and shooting from a short distance or by setting a wide aperture. If your camera does not allow you to blur the photo by setting a shallow depth of field (it is hard to achieve such a depth of field with low-end pocket cameras) you can always blur the background later on using photo processing software on your computer.

The eyes are the center: focusing on the person face is best achieved by actually focusing on the person eyes. The eye are the most important part of the person face in the photo and usually express the most emotions and human touch. Try to play around with the person looking straight to the camera or sideways focusing on some other object. A smile is also recommended unless you are specifically looking for a face that does not smile in order to send some message to the viewer.

Lighting: capturing the face skin color is mostly a matter of using the right lighting. The best lighting is natural lighting. Taking face photos outdoors during the day is good practice in order to capture the skin color and warmth. When using outdoors natural light position the person in a way that the sun light hits it from the side. Do not take face photo with the sun behind the person or right in front as these will result in shadings or overexposure respectively. With lighting coming from the side some shades might appear on the person face, to compensate for these simply use a soft fill-in flash. If you must shoot indoors and use artificial lighting try to use indirect light sources such as bounce flash or lights that illuminate the room instead of directly shining on the person.

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on printrates.com printrates.com – a site dedicated to printrates.com photo printing.

Preseason Week 3

Most players and coaches aren’t that motivated to win in preseason. Their goals are primarily health and personnel, deciding who to cut or what players to move around. One key betting factor to understand is the importance of depth. We’ve all seen how teams use three and four quarterbacks each preseason game. Depth and quality are essential. The dropoff in quality is severe with a team like the Colts, for instance.

Peyton Manning and the first team offense moved the ball well last week, but the dropoff was sharp when Jim Sorgi and Shaun King came in behind center. The money rolled in on the Colts last week, but they were steamrolled by Seattle at home. After taking a 7-0 lead, Sorgi and King couldn’t move the offense much. In fact, Sorgi got hurt and won’t be available this weekend.

Less noticeable is depth in other areas. Take a close look at the Arizona Cardinals. They have talent at the skill positions on offense, but are woefully short of talent and depth in many other areas. They have offensive line problems, as starting RT Oliver Ross (knee) is out two months. The Cardinals traded a late-round draft pick this week to New England for offensive right tackle Brandon Gorin.

On the defensive line, defensive end Bertrand Berry will miss the final two preseason games after suffering a left knee injury. And they are thin at linebacker, with Karlos Dansby hurting and two other starters, Calvin Pace and Darryl Blackstock, playing new positions. The Cardinals’ lack of depth on offense was highlighted during their 30-3 loss to New England. “I guess we’re concerned we don’t have three deep,” Dennis Green said. “Our first offense can move the ball. I just don’t think we have as much talented depth as the people we’re playing against.” As for their still non-existent running game, Green added, “I’m concerned. I’m concerned about every phase of the offense right now.”

The Browns are only averaging 13.5 points in preseason and also have depth problems on the line. The offensive line is thin with the loss of center LeCharles Bentley, their star free agent signing. They just traded for another center this week, which means QB Charlie Frye will have worked with five starting centers! If you watched the Saints get manhandled by the Cowboys Monday, that’s another team with a lack of depth on both lines.

This week the Falcons made news trading for WR Ashley Lelie and added free agent defensive tackle Grady Jackson. Both will be interesting stories to watch, as Atlanta had big problems searching for a third wideout and has a defensive line that is getting run over. Perhaps Jackson will help them against the run. Tennessee is another team with injuries all over its defense.

Another more important factor this time of year is motivation, mainly because it’s tough to find. Last week NY Giants coach Tom Coughlin was furious with his team’s defensive performance in Week 1, and asked for a determined effort in Week 2. They got it, shutting out the Chiefs 17-0. Lovie Smith was furious with the way the Bears defense failed to show up in the opener, getting run over at San Francisco. He asked for an intense effort and got it, as Chicago routed San Diego 24-3.

Some things to keep an eye on this weekend: Bill Cowher was upset after the loss to Minnesota, ordering his team to wear their full pads for practice Monday. Normally, they would wear shells in the first practice after a preseason game. “We’re not where we need to be,” said Cowher. “We set too high of standards. We’re much better than we performed the other night.”

The Chiefs have looked awful starting 0-2 SU/ATS. They are finally home this week and coach Herm Edwards said, “This is a game we’ve got to play with much more urgency and emotion. I’m pretty sure guys will do that.” Added QB Trent Green, “Is it time to panic? No. But I think we definitely have to have a sense of urgency going into this week’s game.”

Redskins coach Joe Gibbs was disgusted in a terse three-minute post-game news conference. “I’m concerned about the team,” Gibbs said. “You’ve got to play good as a team, and we’re not. I couldn’t pick out one positive thing.” This is the weekend when starters play the most time, usually, so it can be a fun (and profitable) time for football fans! Good luck, as always…Al McMordie. And don’t miss my Preseason Football Game of the Year going this week.

Al McMordie is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at

From the Catalogue, Christoph Schmidberger Lavender Fields Forever

Born 1974, Eisenerz, Austria
Lives and works in Los Angeles

Education
1998 BFA (Hons) and MFA, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, AUT
1994 Higher Technical College of Graphic Art, Graz, AUT

In 1923, the National Geographic reporter Maynard Owen Williams described the scene during the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen to journalists. Owen reports a brief experience between a journalist and the chief excavator where the basic statements were, “Terrible arts nouveaux.” and “Quite Louis XIV.” Another journalist speculated that, if still intact, the king’s outfit would probably resemble that of an Indian nabob. The king was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter and in fact presented a scene of immense splendor. However the language that was available to describe – to qualify the image of the scene – was of a limited nature and only based on a comparative order. This is something that is also reflected in Christoph Schmidberger’s work. The portrait is very much about generosity and emotion. Painting someone else, finding some other meaning of identity brings about a combination of correspondences. Portraiture more often evokes difference, individuality and otherness. Schmidberger’s work seems slapped onto the surface, even banal. There’s banality, there is certainly artificial prettiness, and this makes it interesting.

But this is perhaps a symptom of a conflicted generation in transition between morals and ethics. A generation that has a profound path of self-discovery ahead. Beyond the stricter interests of art, we are living in a world that rapidly packages realities and truths, from the news to the promotion of everyday personal products, as interchangeable spins for easy, untroubled consumption. In this sense and in an insidious way, the irony underlying Schmidberger’s work comes to the fore. Seen against the background of a
nanosecond, supersaturated global service culture, Schmidberger’s sarcastic images make sense, as does the esthetic of the surface. The fetishistic quality of the image translates objects of want, desire and need and places them in an ambivalent position within relation to the present-day service culture of art. Are they criticizing or endorsing? saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/christoph_schmidberger.htm Christoph Schmidberger

View Christoph Schmidberger paintings, biography, solo exhibitions, group exhibitions and resource of Christoph Schmidberger artist. View art online at The Saatchi Gallery – London contemporary art gallery. saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/christoph_schmidberger.htm Christoph Schmidberger

The Sure Bet

Well it looks like ProSportsBlog has a perfect record so far nailing the predictions on the Atlanta and Denver (whew that was close!) Thanksgiving games.

Now I dont want to tout my own horn for a number of reasons which are detailed below:

- Going 2-2 although nice is no big deal and easily achievable by people with absolutely no prior betting experience or for that matter knowledge of professional football;

- As we will all soon find out, my record although hopefully good, is going to be nowhere near perfect; and finally

- There is no such thing as a sure bet due to all the factors that affect a game’s outcome such as weather, travel and the individual performance of all the players involved.

So therefore, this sports handicapping thing is just a hobby which we all use to tell our friends “I told you so” or “my team rocks” or “your team sucks” or …..well you get the point.

Its nothing more than a hobby because nobody can possibly win on every single bet right? I mean its possible to win on 50% or 60% of your wagers consistently but is this winning percentage enough to base an sustainable business plan or income on? Can people make a living betting on sports?

Believe it or not: Yes you can and many people do every day! When I found out about the simplicity of the Sure Win sports bet, I was amazed at how simple the concept was. It is based on a concept that is very common in financial markets and is implemented everyday by professional currency traders worldwide. It is the concept of Arbitrage.

According to Dictionary.com, Arbitrage is:

ar·bi·trage (ärb-träzh) n.
The purchase of securities on one market for immediate resale on another market in order to profit from a price discrepancy.

In other words, arbitrage is the opportunity to buy an asset at a low price then immediately sell it in a different market for a higher price. One good two markets, immediate profit, no risk.

Given the theory of perfect competiton as defined by our friends in Investopedia, in a perfect market structure all arbitrage opportunites will be adjusted to a point of non existence by their exploitation. In other words, as news of the opportunity spreads and people act upon it, it will disappear.

Keeping this in mind, these opportunites are present everyday but one must be patient and wait for the right opportunity. Once it has been identified, immediate action is necessary to capitalize on this market inefficiency.

So what exactly am I rambling about? Different odds for the same sporting event.

There are a variety of online sports books. Some are large publicly traded operations, others are equally good yet private entities run by companies, individuals and former professional sports bettors. All of them react to changes in the market at different speeds. Sportsbook A might specialize in NFL games and pay extremely close attention to team injury reports and other events that might turn the tables on the odds and on the spread. Sportsbook B might offer the same action but since it is a European company it will specialize in soccer betting. As a result, Sportsbook B is slower to react to the arbitrage creating event. This is when you capitalize and place bets on both Sportsbook A and Sportsbook B for the same event. You are guaranteed to profit with zero risk.

If you are like me you should be saying: “Yeah right! If it where that easy, why arent more people doing it”. My answer to you is this:

- Not everybody places bets. They are risk averse and as such they avoid the stock market as well as casinos and professional sports betting (God bless them!).

- You do need capital to start. This is not a get rich quick scheme and very few people have the time or capital to make a professional living out of it. More importantly it requires time, effort patience and research. These are things people rarely like to invest in.

- Sportsbooks will typically limit your wagering amount per sporting event to minimize their risk per event. Since the return per abr averages between 2% and 5%, your upside potential is limited. People that are not risk averse and do like to bet typically are looking for huge upside and might not have the patience to implement an arbitrage system.

If you think this concept makes sense and would like to obtain more information, I recommend this site (visit prosportsblog.blogspot.com) where you can sign up for a free 15 day trial to receive sports betting arbitrage opportunities directly on your desktop.

I do not claim to be an expert on this subject and invite anyone who has had experience using a sports arbitrage system to comment on this article and provide us with some valuable insight. You may do so at prosportsblog.blogspot.com prosportsblog.blogspot.com.

Noah Rider is lead staff writer for ProSportsBlog ( prosportsblog.blogspot.com prosportsblog.blogspot.com) providing objective sports commentary and sports related articles to the sports betting community.

King Tut’s Tomb was No Better – Found in America

Between 603 and 702 AD. a truly marvelous temple was built by the Mayan people to honour a non-Mayan, non-Indian man. The firsthand account of Alberto Ruz from ‘Eyewitness to Discovery’ follows in part, as it was printed in ‘Illustrated London News’:

Four spells of work–each two and a half months long–were required before we were able to clear the filling from this mysterious staircase. {It has an important serpent figure on the walls all the way down.} After a flight of forty-five steps, we reached a landing with a U-turn. There followed another flight, of twenty-one steps, leading to a corridor, whose level is more or less the same as that on which the pyramid was built–i.e., some 22 metres under the temple flooring. In the vaulting of the landing two narrow galleries open out and allow air and a little light to enter from a near-by courtyard.

Above one of the first steps we reached we found a box-shaped construction of masonry containing a modest offering: two ear-plugs of jade placed on a river stone painted red {The colour of ochre and cinnabar that we have seen denotes spiritual things in the beginning of processes that adepthoods of the world are seen involved with.} On reaching the end of the flight of stairs we found another box of offerings, backing on to a wall which blocked the passage. This time it was a richer offering: three pottery dishes, two shells full of cinnabar, seven jade beads, a pair of circular ear-plugs also of jade, the plugs of which were shaped like a flower, and a beautiful tear-shaped pearl, with its ‘lustre’ pretty well preserved. An offering of this kind, at such a depth, told us without any doubt that we were approaching the object of our search.

And, in fact, on July 13, 1952, after demolishing a solid obstruction some metres thick, made of stone and lime–this was very hard and the wet lime burnt the hands of the workmen–there appeared on one side of the corridor a triangular slab, 2 metres high, set vertically to block an entrance. At the foot of this slab, in a rudimentary stone cut, there lay, mixed together, the largely destroyed skeletons of six young persons, of whom one at least was a female.

At noon on the 15th of the same month we opened the entrance, displacing the stone enough for a man to pass through sideways. It was a moment of indescribable emotion for me when I slipped behind the stone and found myself in an enormous crypt which seemed to have been cut out of the rock–or rather, out of the ice, thanks to the curtain of stalactites and the chalcite veiling deposited on the walls by the infiltration of rain-water during the centuries. This increased the marvellous quality of the spectacle and gave it a fairy-tale aspect. Great figures of priests modelled in stucco a little larger than life-size perhaps just ‘giants’. formed an impressive procession round the walls. The high vaulting was reinforced by great stone transoms, of dark colour with yellowish veins, giving an impression of polished wood.

Almost the whole crypt was occupied by a colossal monument, which we then supposed to be a ceremonial altar, composed of a stone of more than 8 square metres, resting on an enormous monolith of 6 cubic metres, supported in its turn by six great blocks of chiselled stone. All these elements carried beautiful reliefs.

Finest of all for its unsurpassable execution and perfect state of preservation was the great stone covering the whole and bearing on its four sides some hieroglyphic inscriptions with thirteen abbreviated dates corresponding to the beginning of the seventh century A.D., while its upper face shows a symbolic scene surrounded by astronomical signs.

I believed that I had found a ceremonial crypt, but I did not wish to make any definite assertions before I had finished exploring the chamber and, above all, before I had found out whether the base of the supposed altar was solid or not. On account of the rains and the exhausting of the funds available for this phase of the exploration, we had to wait until November before returning to Palenque… I then had the base bored horizontally at two of the corners, and it was not long before one of the drills reached a hollow space. I introduced a wire through the narrow aperture and, on withdrawing it, I saw that that some particles of red paint were adhering to it… This colour was associated in the Mayan and Aztec cosmogony with the East…

{This is true of the gateway arch at Tiahuanaco where they talk of the red lands to the east that went under the water. It likely relates to what is now found off the coast of Cuba at the 2200 foot depth.}

Once the stone left its seating and began to rise it could be seen that a cavity had been cut out of the enormous block which served it as a base. This cavity was of an unexpected shape, oblong and curvilinear, rather like the silhouette in schematised form of a fish or of the capital letter omega {Which we have seen regarding Teilhardism. Could this have been a man like Count Vlad of the Christian Dragon crusaders? Could it be the forerunner of the Jesuit/Illuminati knowledge including Teilhard?}, closed in its lower part. {My Stele details how at Chichen Itza I was able to see the Greek alphabet and what I believe was the Cara-Maya alphabet as well as mathematical, astrological and other symbols. I was threatened with being thrown in a Mexican jail and coerced to sign away my legal protection as a U.S. resident and Canadian citizen. This stele is not on the tour and was painted over the second time I was there. It was painted over more than once and difficult to photograph. The work of Churchward says the Greek alphabet [this was an early alphabet] tells the story of the destruction of Mu. The Mayan people know that is their origin. But the Greek and Mu tie-in may have something to do with Troy III which was named Aa-Mu. This kind of information would be sensitive to a lot of people. The Mexicans were negotiating [roadblocks and army goons with guns all over] with the Mayans in Chiapas at the time.} The cavity was sealed by a highly polished slab fitting exactly and provided with four perforations, each with a stone plug. On raising the slab which closed it we discovered the mortuary receptacle…

In the vermillion-coloured walls and base of the cavity which served as a coffin, the sight of the human remains–complete, although the bones were damaged–covered with jade jewels for the most part, was most impressive. It was possible to judge the form of the body which had been laid in this ‘tailored’ sarcophagus; and the jewels added a certain amount of life {There were probably metal knives and a staff which came from something other than the meteorites the Mayans made knives from. The Mayans weren’t encouraged by the Mexicans to take pride in their heritage. There was a time when they were even saying there were no Mayans left, as they tried to make it become the truth}, both from the sparkle of the jade and because they were so well ‘placed’ and because their form suggested the volume and contour of the flesh which originally covered the skeleton. It was easy also to imagine the high rank of the personage who could aspire to a mausoleum of such impressive richness.

We were struck by his stature, greater than that of the average Mayan of today; and by the fact that his teeth were not filed or provided with incrustations of pyrites or jade, since that practice (like that of artificially deforming the cranium) was usual in individuals of higher social ranks. The state of destruction of the skull did not allow us to establish precisely whether or not it had been deformed. In the end, we decided that the personage might have been of non-Mayan origin {N.B.}, though it is clear that he ended in being one of the kings of Palenque. The reliefs, which we have still to uncover on the sides of the sarcophagus and which are now hidden under lateral buttresses, may tell us before long something of the personality and identity of the glorious dead.

Even if he had not been buried in the most extraordinary tomb so far discovered in this continent of America, it would still be perfectly possible to assess the importance of this personage from the jewels which he wore–many of them already familiar in Mayan bas-reliefs {Therefore some not?} As shown in some reliefs, he was wearing a diadem made from tiny disks of jade and his hair was divided into separate strands by means of small jade tubes of appropriate shape; and we discovered a small jade plate of extraordinary quality cut in the shape of the head of Zotz, the vampire god of the underworld, and this may have been a final part of the diadem {Elsewhere reported as part of a necklace, by others.}. Around the neck were visible various threads of a collar composed of jade beads in many forms–spheres, cylinders, tri-lobed beads, floral buds, open flowers, pumpkins, melons, and a snake’s head (Chanes and Dragons}. The ear-plugs were composed of various elements, which together made up a curious flower.

The amount of jade and the meaning of each thing on the necklace or the crouched man on the ring of jade are all packed with meaning. You could say that each of the insignia represented a spirit that one of the tribes honoured or worked with, you could imagine they are like Boy Scout badges, and you could say they are just decoration. The jade and green vitreole is an interesting connection that might make me think of geopolymerization, but I doubt it was tested for that possibility. The crouched man is a position of many honored Kelts when buried.

The ear plugs of special flower design reminds me of the lotus chakra and the place where the ‘Third Eye’ rests inside the brain. Perhaps the energy of the crystals and stone were created to accentuate certain energy or direct it into specific forms. Maybe I am just guessing too much; but symbols always mean something. At his feet were jade beads so large as to be hollowed and they had a flower plug. Kukulcan/Quetzacoatl directed the natives to sacrifice flowers rather than people in the centuries that followed. It would surprise me if this person was not one of the heritage of those mythic heroes who came and went throughout the Americas. I think they acted like Ovates of the Druidic or Bardic Tradition from the writings I’ve seen.

It is entirely likely that they and their families were to become the Toltecs. They were most sought after as mates among the various people. Ruz draws a lot of inferential connections to the Egyptian symbology and practices. I agree with some but also repeat imitations of pyramids that house tombs in America does not make Giza Pyramids into funerary tombs. Here also is a ‘Tree of Life’ and a Cross that is part of many belief systems throughout the world. It amazes me to hear the scholars say things like there is no cultural impact from other continents on the Americas when I read things like this; perhaps I use too much intuition or common sense and would have learned the error of my ways if I had become an archaeologist.

“The presence here, in a sepulchre slab, of motives which are repeated in other representations gives perhaps the key to interpret the famous panels of the Cross and the foliated Cross (in Palenque) and also some of the paintings in the codices. On the stone in question we see a man surrounded by astronomical signs symbolizing heaven–the spatial limit of man’s earth… But above the man rises the well-known cruciform motif, which in some representations is a tree, in others the stylised maize {Like in Rosslyn Castle of the Templar Stewarts.} plant, but it is always the symbol of life resurgent from the earth, life triumphing over death.” (2)

‘Astronomical’ should be astrological, in my mind. The Mayan (and Peruvian) ability to prophesize is legendary. They correctly knew the many key disasters of their history well in advance. The planet Venus plays a key role in their calendrical sky watching. There are many ways to report on these things, but I ask again; why not include other theories and related facts. When he wrote this he might have known about the Hopewell/Adena mound builders that many archaeologists see a relationship with. The serpent that rises up the stairs at a specific day each year through the shadows of a construction and placement so exact, might be of interest. The placement of all Mayan temples on a center point theory tied in to the earth energy grid could have been connected to the crystal ear plug receivers.

There, I go again! Just a lot of ‘possibilities’, but where are the facts? It was good that he drew connections to Egypt and omega could have a great deal of meaning as we said to make a connection with Greece. In Chichen Itza at the Villas Archaeologique I saw many Greek or Etruscan statues dated to the appropriate era. The more recent sculpted faces were totally Mayan/Aztec with the tongue and grotesque exaggerated features. It is hard to imagine that he would not have been there. It is the place where all the archaeologists stayed while uncovering the Mayan culture at the end of the 19th century. The editor of the book could have made notations about the breaking of the Mayan code that shows it has a phonetic as well as pictographic language, which wasn’t known to Ruz.

Author of Diverse Druids, COlumnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest ‘expert’ at /www.World-Mysteries.com World-Mysteries.com

Earn Extra Money-Play Poker FAQ

Are you looking for a way to add a few dollars to your monthly budget? Would you like to do it from the comfort of your own home? Why not earn extra money playing poker? Here are the answers to some of those questions that have no doubt, been plaguing you, the burgeoning online poker player.

How much poker knowledge do I need?
This is a great question. When I first started I had no idea how to play online poker. I couldn’t remember whether a straight beat a flush or vice versa. And I certainly didn’t understand all of the lingo that went with it; flop, gut shot, turn, river? And what the heck is big slick? Or a full boat? When I started to play, I joined the free tables, where people play for the experience, not for the money. I learned the basic rules of Texas Holdem, and how to play a basic poker game. So it is easy to build up your poker knowledge without spending a lot of money to do so. Do you need a lot of basic knowledge? Not to start, but you need to be actively building up your knowledge as you go along.

How Should I Choose a Poker Site?
Again an important decision. You don’t want to go into this decision quickly and without thought. The reason is, poker sites want your business, and some of them will pay you for it. This payment comes in the form of sign up bonus money. Sites will give you a percentage of your initial deposit in bonus money that is added to your account. In some cases this will be 25%, but some sites will give you up to 200% deposit bonus. The catch is, you have to play a certain number of hands, or wager a certain amount of money before this bonus is released. But, a learning poker player can benefit greatly from these deposit bonuses as it will increase their bankroll while they’re learning the ropes. The other thing you should research is poker information websites. They will often have special offers in order to have you “click through” from their site to the poker website of your choice. They will also often have negotiated special offers with the poker sites in order to provide you with the best possible deposit bonus. So don’t sell yourself short when beginning your online poker journey.

Okay, I’m ready to put some money into poker online. How do I do this?
The poker sites want you to bring money to their tables, so they try to make this as easy as possible for you to do. Probably the most reliable and well established means to do so is to use Neteller. Think of Neteller being to online poker what Paypal is to Ebay. It will allow you to transfer money to and from your bank account into and out of the poker sites with the greatest of ease. Just go to neteller.com and follow the instructions there.

That will give you a good start in the world of online poker. It really isn’t as daunting as you may think, and you never know, you may end up making a tidy income from it as well!

Good luck!

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