notes from underground

I have done plenty of research on the web about Criss Angel in particular and magic in general.  There are several different types of people I have found.  Loyals: caring little about how the tricks are done and simply are in it for entrainment or to be doting groupies.

And more curious and scientific minded people.  Of these curious or scientific minded people, there are two types: one type, 100% convinced that all is an illusion and nothing supernatural whatsoever, and two, someone who still has doubt.

Some of these people claim to be magicians and guarantee that all is a trick without thinking twice about it, although most of these probably are not involved in the upper echelons of the esoteric magic cult and probably can’t say for sure, because surly that can’t know every secret, but from what they know intuit it to be true.

The others have probably seen some tricks revealed here and there and are absolutely adamant that there is nothing supernatural involved.  Some of the most common statements from these people are that Criss Angel for example has said, “he does not believe in the supernatural and does nothing supernatural,” and they alway refer people to this statement as if it had some weight behind it.  I just want to remind these people that they are listening to the biggest trickster in the world and find it funny that they don’t think he is capable of a lie and take this statement as absolute proof that he is only a trickster.  How could someone who makes spends their life deceiving actually be honest?

In addition, these people also point to the Randi prize, in which a skeptic has promised to pay out a large sum of money if someone were to prove they can violate scientific laws or do something supernatural.  And the argument goes,”well since nobody has claimed the prize therefore everything still must be a trick.”  To this I just want to say that “if” these supernatural powers existed the people or entity that holds these powers may not want to subject them to the knife of science.  In addition, the prize seems to have been created due to magic performances and a lack of absolute proof that every single act is a trick is lacking otherwise there would be no prize.

I admit Criss Angel does a lot of bogus camera work and regular stunts that are explainable, but I am still a skeptic and scientific and until every single trick has been adequately explained and demonstrated, which I don’t believe has been done, and as a result I do not rest easy.

Apparently the Vatican is preparing a beatification of a religious figure of the 19th century from Cuba who was responsible for a what the Vatican pronounced as a miracle in which a young girl in 1999, the 20th century, was miraculously saved from certain death due to an inoperable stomach tumor.

This was certainly an isolated incident and did not involve  any routine “miracles” being performed by this religious figure on a regular basis.  In fact, alternative, underground healers really receive no respect from the medical field and no religious person would trust themselves or a loved one with one of these people over a standard hospital in most cases.  If in fact this religious figure had a lifelong resume of healing people of cancer or life threatening diseases and in fact people were being healed routinely then I would say that is something quite remarkable and warrants attention.  But that was not the case.

So by proceeding with this, the Vatican is at bottom endorsing alternative, underground healing which is  seedy and really not well accepted today, and not only that, but making a mountain out a of a molehill of a single, isolated, rather random, chance, occurrence.   And I can’t help to think to myself, how perverse that those kind of declarations are made from the Vatican and equally as perverse that people eat this up without thinking twice.   The pope could declare just about anything a miracle and people would endorse it immediately without a second thought.

The fact that such nonsense is sowed  today still is bothersome and that it is coming from one of the highest authorities.  And perhaps a quote by Einstein is in order, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”  I must also claim myself to be in the company of Goethe due to his declaration that the cross is one of the things he cannot endure or as Hawkeye stated regularly in The Last of the Mohicans, “I am a man without a cross.”

I am not a political person and don’t have national flag in my yard and want now look upon the recent “terrorist” activities in Mumbai more as kind of spectator event like sports.  At the onset of the Civil War in the US when battles occurred around the cities, people would take a carriage and a picnic lunch with them to watch from afar in amusement.

Firstly I would just like to comment on the stupidity factor of this recent event.  Not that the occurrence was unjustifiable, terrorists too have to make their way in the world, but rather the stupidity of the kamikaze nature of temporarily hijacking hotels and train stations and taking hostages.  There is simply no sustainability. Personally, I think drug cartels in Mexico and other Latin American countries have greatly superior strategists.  And despite the well planned operation in Mumbai, the intrigue could have been much grander and made much more of an impact if there was something symbolic done.

For example, when twenty or so people are murdered in Mexico, nobody hears about it until the bodies are discovered, the perpetrators get away, move up in the ranks for a job well done, are available to perform again, and cartel leaders don’t seem to have as much turnover as their gang members don’t kill themselves or in the case of Mumbai face imminent capture.   In addition, these acts are more precise and strategic, a politician knocked off here, a speed bump in the drug business there.

Another advantage that the drug cartels have is that they are quiet about their killings and projects and as result don’t attract international attention.  They also don’t go the extra mile to do aimlessly sensationalistic projects like in Mumbai, have set objectives, and as a result do not have the US military breathing down their necks, which if you head an underground organization is probably nice.

Nevertheless, the organization operating in Mumbai does provide an outlet for reckless, kamikaze types (the US military does as well, as often times becoming a soldier is a decision made coinciding with suicide cloaked by patriotism and discipline).   And if you ever wanted to be an underground star, I would recommend joining a Muslim group, as they receive more press, are more sensationalistic, have a US tank looking to ram its barrel up your as constantly and as a result there is added intrigue value.  The downside, your career is more like a fire cracker than a slow burning, jungle holiday snorting cocaine.