Month: July 2017
Heavy Metal Magazine covers from the 1980’s
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French science-fantasy magazine Métal Hurlant which had debuted December 1974. The French title translates literally as “Howling Metal.”
Interesting Bridges
All sizes and shapes. And one under construction.
Norway
Central America
San Francisco
Germany
China
Malaysia
New York
Scotland
India
Cool Cats
Cats do have a fascination with sinks and tubs, not to mention taps, faucets and even water coolers. And they say cats are afraid of the water.
Bringing Eye Contact back to the 21st Century with the Texting Hat
Okay, so maybe this isn’t a real thing yet… but, c’mon, you know it’s coming! With the tagline “Bringing eye contact back to the 21st century” the Texting Hat is here to solve all your phone zombie problems. What a great invention. You look like you actually care when in reality who gives a f#@k!
Catholic Church’s Former Top Exorcist Claims He Rid World of 160,000 Demons
The Reverend Gabriele Amorth, SSP (1 May 1925 – 16 September 2016) was an Italian Roman Catholic Priest and an exorcist of the Diocese of Rome who claimed to have performed tens of thousands of exorcisms over his half a dozen plus decades as a Catholic Priest. He never served as “the Vatican’s chief exorcist” or any similar role, despite popular media headlines.
No wonder he had no hair
Amorth, who headed the International Association of Exorcists, told The Sunday Times back in 2013 that he asked Pope Francis to allow all priests the right to do exorcisms without the church’s approval. According to the report, priests currently need special approval from their bishop to perform the rite and it is rarely granted.
“I will ask the pope to give all priests the power to carry out exorcisms, and to ensure priests are properly trained for these starting with the seminary. There’s a huge demand for them,” said Father Amorth.
He explained that he was inspired to make the request after watching Pope Francis perform what he insists was an exorcism on a man “possessed by four demons” in St. Peter’s Square.
“The pope is also the Bishop of Rome, and like any bishop he is also an exorcist,” Amorth reportedly told La Repubblica newspaper. “It was a real exorcism. If the Vatican has denied this, it shows that they understand nothing.”
“There was now, more than ever, a need for exorcists to combat people possessed by ‘sorcerers’ and ‘Satanists,’” he noted in that report.
An 84-page update of exorcism rites compiled in 1614 and drawn up in 1998 stipulates how Catholic priests trained as exorcists should operate. According to the guidelines established by the church, they have to follow a ritual known as “De exorcismis et supplicationibus quibusdam,” or “Of exorcisms and certain supplications.”
Amorth explained that Pope Francis’ exorcism on May 19 helped to balance the growing atheism in the world where people don’t believe in the Devil anymore.
“We live in an age in which God has been forgotten. And wherever God is not present, the Devil rules,” said Amorth.
Amorth claimed to have sent 160,000 demons back to hell, that’s why he wanted Pope Francis to allow all priests to start performing the ritual to deal with a rising demand for exorcisms from the faithful.
Good luck!!
The World’s Most Imposing Statue
You’d expect a God of War statue to look pretty epic. But there’s epic and then there’s EPIC, and this enormous statue of Guan Yu, a famous general in Chinese history who was later deified, is most definitely EPIC.
The statue has just been unveiled in Guan Yu Park in Jingzhou, China. It’s 58 metres (190ft) tall and weighs over 1,320 tonnes, and it contains over 4,000 strips of bronze. It was designed by Han Meilin, who is probably best known for his designs of the 2008 Beijing Olympics mascots, and the monument is so big that there’s even an 8,000sqm museum inside it! Guan Yu lived during China’s turbulent Three Kingdoms period. He carried an axe-like weapon called a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, which has been immortalised with him as part of the statue. The only difference is that the weapon now weighs 136 tonnes! Did we mention this statue was epic?
Chimp is nanny to tiger cub
This two year old chimpanzee called Do Do is showing off a motherly instinct to rival even the most maternal of mankind. They were photographed at Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. The farm doesn’t just contain crocodiles. Monkeys and tigers also live there, alongside elephants, lions, horses and hippopotamuses. These adorable images reveal the close bond that has formed between chimpanzee and a two month old tiger cub called Aorn.
The MarkoZen Blog 