George Benson & Al Jarreau on Tour

We actually got a good deal from our tickets as they were supposed to be 980rmb (approx 5k peso) but a friend of mine was able to get it for 380rmb (2k peso).

I am more of an RnB, Hip-hop and soul kinda guy so I wasn't really excited that much about this Jazz/Ballad concert. After office, we drove to the Beijing Exhibition Center Theater which took us around an hour because of the rush hour traffic. When we got there, people were already piled up to enter. It's my first time watching a concert in China and I was not surprised to see that the system that have to usher the spectators in was horrendously poor. It was complete mess.

When we successfully found our seats the concert was about to begin. The crowd cheered as the stage lit up ..

(apologies for the pictures, they were not allowed but u know pinoys, makulet ayaw mag paawat .. hehehe)

After a grammatically incorrect commentator finished his poorly executed introduction, the dynamic duo started the concert with "givin it to me", the carrier song of their tour.

I was amazed how goosebumps started running through my arms. They did this Jazz medley mostly instrumentals with George on the guitars, the band doing their thing and Al using his voice like a human drum. It was incredible.

The 2nd part of the concert was a solo act from Jarreau...

"Bip Bop, Badu Dop, Pam Param Pam Boom..."

He was famous for doing voice acrobatics like this and it was nothing I have ever seen before. I cant really name all of the songs that he did cuz i'm not that good at this genre, but I recalled him singing "Mashkinada" and "Spain".

Next came Benson, I was not able to get a snapshot of his solo performance cuz the guards were already on my tail. He played an instrumental medley with his guitar and did a lot of popular ballads as well, like "Nothing's gonna change my love for you, The Greatest Love of All" and my personal favorite "In Your Eyes".

Finally they got together again on stage for a spectacular close as they did some sort of upbeat Jazz number.

If you're one who's not into this sort of music (like me) and has the courage to try it.. go to their concert.. you'll have a taste of what you've been missing.

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Not trusting the drawing power of its co-billed veterans, singer-guitarist George Benson and singer-"vocal percussionist" Al Jarreau, or the eventfulness of their teaming, the producers of Givin' It Up have hedged their commercial bets with a full array of guest stars. But none of the guest singers lifts the proceedings above a sleek professionalism--not Paul McCartney, who participates in a humdrum, album-ending jam on Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me"; not the wonderful Jill Scott, who emulates Billie Holiday on a modest treatment of "God Bless the Child"; and not old pro Patti Austin. Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, Stanley Clarke, and Marcus Miller also turn up, agreeably but unexcitingly enough, among smooth jazzers including Marion Meadows and Patrice Rushen. The material ranges from two songs to which Jarreau adds lyrics--the 1976 Benson hit "Breezin'" and "'Long Come Tutu," based on the Miller-written title track of Miles Davis's "Tutu"--to covers of Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze" and the Daryl Hall-penned Paul Young hit, "Every Time You Go Away." Benson and Jarreau seem a bit hemmed-in by the crowd of name contributors. Even in smooth mode, they have done livelier work than this. --Lloyd Sachs

amazon.com

Dan Brown: Solomon's Key

Update on Solomon's Key:

"Now, the publisher is hinting that a manuscript is close. "Dan Brown has a very specific release date for the publication of his new book, and when the book is published, his readers will see why," says Stephen Rubin, president of Bertelsmann's Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group, whose Doubleday imprint publishes Mr. Brown. Mr. Rubin declined further comment."

Read More ...

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I have always been fascinated with alternative history more relatively to the mystery about the Catholic Origins, Secret Societies and World Wide Government Conspiracies. Dan Brown gave the audience a taste of a more commercial sense on that subject matter when He released The Da Vinci Code. which spanned millions of curious fellows which even made box office success with the movie. I'm gonna be raving about his upcoming new book to be released tentatively December of 2008 entitled, "Solomon Key" ...

Da vinci code

Before I get to the good stuff I'd like to share 2 of the popular clues that the author left for us in his Book to solve, preparing us for his upcoming masterpiece.

Back Leaf Cover

This image from the back dust jacket of The Da Vinci Code includes text printed backward. When held to a mirror, it reads, "Only WW knows," referring to a passage taken from Kryptos indicating that only one person knows what may be buried on the CIA grounds. "WW" refers to former CIA director William Webster, who received an envelope from sculptor Jim Sanborn containing the solution to Kryptos. But Sanborn says that even Webster doesn't know.

Kryptos

Kryptos is a sculpture located on the grounds of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Installed in 1990, its thousands of characters contain encrypted messages, of which three have been solved (so far). There is still a fourth section at the bottom consisting of 97 or 98 characters which remains unsolved. This web page contains some information about the sculpture, including some photos collected from around the web, some rubbings of the sculpture taken by your intrepid webmistress, links to other articles and Kryptos discussion groups here and there, and information about other encrypted sculptures which have been created by the sculptor, James Sanborn.

(Read More..)

For those aspiring Cryptology fellows out there, i managed to find the actual transcript of the Kryptos. Lets see if anyone here can break this code :D

- Kryptos Transcript

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Front Leaf Cover

Look closely at the text of The Da Vinci Code's dust jacket and you will find select letters that stand out in very slightly bold type. "You have to look carefully and you may not see it at first. In fact, you may need a magnifying glass. But once you find these slightly bold letters and string them together, they clearly spell out an intriguing question:

"Is there no help for the widow's son?"

It was the title of a now famous talk given before a Mormon audience in 1974 that sought to establish a connection between FREEMASONRY and the founder of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, Joseph Smith. The talk was secretly tape-recorded and has been widely circulated, much to the chagrin of many in the Mormon Church. Many Masonic lodges have 'widow's son' events to this day. Mormon temples are often decorated with Masonic symbology. I believe the sequel to The Da Vinci Code will involve a Mormon-Mason treasure hunt through the U.S., with Robert Langdon back to lead us through the interpretation of all these symbols."

(Read More..)

Presidential Address Delivered At The Mormon History Association Convention April 20, 1974

Who are the Freemasons?

Freemasons are members of the largest and oldest fraternity in the world, MASONS or FREEMASONRY, and even though almost everyone has a father or grandfather or uncle who was a Mason, many people aren't quite certain just who Masons are or what freemasonry is about.

Famous Masons

This secret society has been under our noses ever since our great great grandmother said "da da". Imagine all the possibilities if they we're having a meeting right now discussing whether to kill the internet cuz we're already learning too much. That's a thought .. *ponder ponder*

Free Masons Website

Washington D.C.and Masonic Symbology

The street layout of Washington D.C., the fifth point is the White House, a symbol placement which represents the intention that the spirit and the mind of Lucifer will be permanently residing in the White House. The map I found isn't all that accurate as far as the streets are concerned, but it will have to do.... (Read More)

(Read More..)

This is pretty disturbing .... no words are actually coming out of my brain right now. maybe you guys can shine some light...


The story of Hiram Abiff

THE outstanding figure in modern Freemasonry is undoubtedly the widow's son who is known to members of the Fraternity under the somewhat obscure name of Hiram Abiff. He dominates Craft Masonry. and that in spite of the fact that neither the Entered Apprentice nor the Fellow-Craft knows anything at all about him. It is true that, when the Master Mason recites what is called "the first part of the traditional history." to the Fellow-Craft who is on his way to the secrets of the third degree, he pays the Fellow-Craft the compliment of saying, "As you are doubtless aware," Hiram was the principal architect at the building of King Soloman's Temple..

(Read More..)

Who is Solomon?

If, as modern academics suggest, Solomon was not his name during his life-time, but one attributed to him sometime after his death, then how long after he died was he renamed - a week, a year, a millennium? What's in a name? And does it really matter?

If you are an influential global organization that has invested several hundred years of ceremonial capital creating a kind of hero figure, someone to look up to and be inspired by - it matters.

So what are the implications for Freemasonry? Solomon and his temple have been cornerstones of this ancient institution for centuries. Suddenly, the mystery about what goes on in a Masonic Lodge begins to make sense where previously such understanding may have been missing. But it isn’t as simple as that. If Solomon and the Temple didn’t exist, the entire concept on which Freemasonry has been founded, may need to be redefined – or does it?

Everybody loves a good mystery .. this subject matter just wanna makes me know more.

Solomon Key - The Book

The Solomon Key is the working title of an unreleased novel currently being worked on by Dan Brown.[2] According to current information, The Solomon Key will be the third book involving Robert Langdon, the fictional Harvard University professor, and will likely take place after the events of Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. No publication date has yet been set.

There have been a number of educated guesses regarding the content of The Solomon Key. While Dan Brown has offered some hints in interviews, in large part most ideas to the likely content of the upcoming book come from a marketing strategy used by Brown and his publishers

It is reported that the book will reference controversial subjects such as the deist viewpoints of some of the Founding Fathers and the Skull and Bones secret society.[5] KSL-TV in Salt Lake City ran a story that in 2004, Dan Brown visited Salt Lake and seemed very interested in the Masonic nature of the symbols carved on the outside of the LDS Salt Lake Temple.[6] This relationship, among others, between Freemasonry and Mormonism may play a role in The Solomon Key.

Additional Links:

http://www.amazon.ca/Solomon-Key-Dan-Brown/dp/B0006H92F6

http://www.bloodline-themovie.com/

http://www.dailygrail.com/

http://www.thecryptex.com/

Angels and Demons the Movie

Fans of this book will be thrilled to know that the vatican conspiracies are coming to the big screen.

Movie Details

The Book

I personally don't approve of Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, I would prefer Harrison Ford for the role but that's just me, kudos for Gud ol tom for pulling it off though..

Bird's Nest/Water Cube: First Encounter

2008 gave me the privilege to work in a city that totally surprised me. This place is ready to tell everybody that they can take on the world..

"Beijing, China.."

Most of my yuppie years has been spent in a very urban and upbeat Singapore. Clean, classy and sophisticated is how I always describe that island. That's why I psyched myself with this preconceived notion that my standards will have to be lowered..

"Boy, was I wrong .."

Almost everything that I thought about Beijing was slapped to my face. I said almost cuz the language barrier is still very solid. Until now, I am still having trouble getting around because of my poor mandarin.

Last month, the 2008 Olympics was held here and they planned everything to a tea. No expense was spared with the budget totaling to 40bil usd. They constructed gigantic and high end architectural establishments that shocked everybody.

Sadly, I was not able to get into any events during that time due to the obscene pricing of the tickets. So, when the 2008 Paralympics came this week, I grabbed my chance to get a close look at the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube.

A friend of mine got tickets for the athletics event which is gonna be held at the Bird's Nest tonight. The entrance only costs 50rmb (P250).

I quickly ran out of the office around 545pm today and made my way to the stadium. We got there around 7pm..

After grabbing a quick bite at one of the kiosks, evening came .. Here a view seeing both the water cube and the bird's nest from the ground..

Making my way to the entrance of the nest, I got a glimpse of the stunning watercube..

The stadium's elliptical latticework shell, which has earned it the nickname the Bird’s Nest, has an intoxicating beauty that lingers in the imagination. This is what the hallways of the 2nd floor look like ..

Another view of the watercube from the 2nd floor of the nest ..

Upon entering the center of the stadium, the feeling was simply exhilarating..

The flags of the participating countries in the Olympics and Paralympics was hanging all around the mouth of the nest and found the Philippine flag hanging just below the torch. It gave a sense of pride that at our symbol made its mark and participated even though we didn't win any medals..

Here's a close-up of the digital board near the green ..

After the games, we went down to get a closer look at the watercube ..

There were on-going swimming events in the cube but we were not able to get inside because of the scarcity of tickets. Before you get to the cube, they have this water feature on the ground that simultaneously spouts with the sounds and lights. It's just plain beauty..

In conclusion, all I can say is that it's architectural eye candy at its finest ...

Review: Zeitgeist

This particular documentary has predominantly paved its way to expose everything we know about how we "Live" on planet Earth. They used very simple cinematic tricks such as cartoons and illustrations to vividly and concretely create an irrefutable way of depicting the past, the present and the not so distant future.

I have never seen a flick so ambitious, provocative and clever that gave the audience a commercialized taste of all the major conspiracy theories that has been going on since our ancestor's time.

We have heard, read and seen some of the items in their agenda but never really summarized it into context. They have concluded the whole thing into a complete hypothesis on "What has happened, is happening and is gonna happen".

With that introduction being said .. prepare yourself for

"The Zeitgeist".

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What is the Zeitgeist?

"Zeitgeist" refers to the ethos of an identified group of people, that expresses a particular world view which is prevalent at a particular period of socio-cultural progression.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist

This idea is created as a nonprofit expression to inspire people to start looking at the world from a more critical perspective. Its soul purpose is to let you understand that very often things are not what the population at large think they are.

Let your intuition take over.

SPOILER AHEAD: I suggest you watch it first before continuing this thread.

Download The movie Here - 700mb
Watch The Movie Here - Youtube (part 1 of 13)

Duration 2 Hours

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[Part 1] Religion: "The Greatest Story Ever Told"

Here's an uploaded movie transcript of part 1 together with a guide, (Parts 2, 3 is now on their way).

This 49-page ebook contains a scientific investigation of some of the facts from Part 1 of the ZEITGEIST movie, dealing with the comparisons of ancient religions and Christianity.

Read Transcript Here
Download Book Here

It starts with a comical animated performance voiced over by George Carlin. Probably one of the most unstoppable intellectual comedians of our time. He passed away 2 months ago (RIP May 12, 1937- June 22,2008). I personally like his works. He dealt with sensitive subjects like Politics and Religion.

Watch "Religion is Bullshit - Youtube
Official George Carlin Website

This part discusses the Parallels of Egyptian Mythology and Christianity. Quite amusingly, they really have a long list of items mainly cross referencing the zodiacs and the Christian bible.

It starts with the Sun and ends the part with the final summarization of the Holy book, which is called The Council of Nicea.. It explains key items like:

* The significance of the number "12" and "Age".
* The real meaning of the Cross
* The coherence of the dates used in Christian History (to name a few).

This is not the first time we heard this but I have encountered new things here that the thought of logical coincidences are just absurd. Surprisingly though, they didn't mention anything about the Islam religion which debateably is one of the best cross referencing for these "so called" coincidences.

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[Part 2] 911: "All The World's a Stage"

What they did here is really clever. They started with the release of the final statement issued by almost all the media agencies in the world which they called..

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--The 911 Myth--

"19 Hijackers, directed by Osama B. Laden, took over 4 commercial Jets with box cutters and, while evading the Air Defense System (NORAD), hit 75% of their targets. In turn, W. Trade Towers 1, 2 & 7 collapsed due to structural failure through fire in a "pancake" fashion, while the plane that hit the Pentagon vaporized upon impact, as did the plane that crashed in Shanksville. The 911 Commission found that there were no warnings for this act of Terrorism, while multiple government failures prevented adequate defense."

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The 2nd stage in this documentary is mainly about debunking that statement (which you can notice with my highlighted keywords). Philippine Media is also mentioned here, apparently, there were warning signs in our local newspapers that shows pieces of clues that led to the attack.

We have seen how Director Micheal Moore has bravely stated something about an "Inside Job" in his film, but this documentary exploited every detail of that scary hypothesis.

So much unseen footages are arranged in this film that I really need to go back and forth and see if it's even remotely real. This segment ends with the producer's final opinion on the matter..

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--The 911 Truth--

"Criminal Elements within the US Government staged a "False Flag" Terror Attack on its own citizens, in order to manipulate public perception into supporting its agenda. They have been doing these for years. 911 was an Inside Job."

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[Part 3] The Central Bank: "Don't Mind the Men Behind the Curtain"

This section is more on the western bank conspiracy of the American government dating as far as 1775. A basic equation of this subject is:

Old Historical Debt + Central Bank issue $1 x interest = An exponentially bankrupt citizen

As an icebreaker, they used a very popular script from a 1976 film called "Network"

"I want you to get mad!

I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot. I don’t want you to write to your Congressman, because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write. I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street."

Read Full Script Here
Watch Clip Here


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Ironically, this statement is still very much applicable today. Especially to our country. At the end of August 2004, president Arroyo finally admitted that the Philippines is going through a fiscal and debt crisis, one that threatens to get much worse and lead to an economic collapse.

The Philippine Government debt comprises more than 50% of the Public Sector debt. The outstanding debt of the National Government (NG) has increased from PhP48.94 billion in 1981 to PhP3.35 trillion in 2003. For the fiscal year 2004, the NG outstanding debt reached more than PhP3.8 trillion.

Download Philippine Debt Campain PDF Here


Going back to Zeitgeist, they have also sited numerous accusations that World War1 and World War 2 is mainly a business proposition for them to recover from their obscene debts. I can't help but quote certain fictional medias that are widely available today... "The Sum of All Fears" by Tom Clancy which was eventually made into a movie is like a narration of how they described this predicament. "Prison Break" also has a firm called the Company that is completely manipulated by powerful individuals (to name a few).

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[Ending] The Future: "New World Order"

Noticeably, the producers of The Zeitgeist has driven everything from the past directly to the our future. They have mentioned that the present day children are receiving stupefying mediocre education which makes them incredibly open to the publics saturation of numerous mass media entertainment.

What is the New World Order?

New World Order refers to a purported conspiracy in which a powerful and secretive group is plotting to eventually rule the world via an autonomous world government, which would replace sovereign states and other checks and balances in world power struggles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_(conspiracy)

This description of Wiki is quite idiot free. As the producers said, they will eventually lead us to a single most utterly scary thought which is "The One World Government", but it doesn't stop there .. the Microchip that has been rumored to be surfacing a few years back is now in play.

.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(human)

The word privacy is gonna be completely abolished in the dictionary.

I will close this with a statement I used in the beginning .. Let your intuition take over.