In the Mysterious Papua walk in aviary, a Nicobar Pigeon or dove was nesting right next to the walkway just out of reach to the human hand. A few of its feathery friends are pecking at plates of what look like fresh salad.

A United States research team has been accused of stealing fragments from a meteor – which its lead scientist believes may even be part of an alien spacecraft – from Papua New Guinea (PNG).[...]

But American scientist' seizure of 50 iron balls from the ocean floor off PNG’s Manus Island has been criticised by authorities in the country, who claim no clearance was given for the research team. According to the Times, the leader of PNG’s opposition demanded the team, led by Harvard University scientist Professor Avi Loeb, return the pieces of the mysterious IM1.

12 Jul 23

This sonar image was captured by the exploration company Deep Sea Vision, which says the brighter orange shape could be Amelia Earhart's long-lost plane, sitting at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Earhart was a record-breaking pilot in her lifetime, having become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932. She went missing during an attempted round-the-world flight in 1937, during a roughly 4,400-kilometre hop from Papua New Guinea to Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean.

hi guys, sorry for dying lmao. anyways... do you guys want some ninjago ethnic and cultural headcanons??? (theyre almost all east/south/southeast asian btw // srry if u wanted more central/western asian rep.. caucasus dont count theyre too european /hj)

Arin: y'know the fact that there's like a ton of different tribes in papua new guinea? yeah, maybe one of those but i don't wanna be disrespectful so i'll do more research first before fully commiting. other thoughts are timorese or other indigenous groups from/near eastern indonesia.

Sora: look at those cat ears and try to tell me that she is NOT japanese. just- cmon man. plus, imperium is like a futuristic imperial japan or a futuristic version of that time the tokugawa family was in charge and locked down the country.

Lloyd (as well as the entire FSM bloodline): either tibetian or bhutanese. FSM just gives some budhist vibes so yeah. this isnt going to be about religion but religion does kind of affect ethnicity and culture so it does have a very minor role in making these headcanons. nepali works too but nepal is kinda nore hindu so yeah..

Kai and Nya: indomalay. mostly the indo part.. like- cmon, fire and water, indonesia is an archipelago with a shit ton of volcanoes (philippines too but we'll get there, sandali lang muna ;) ) i cant get into specifics cuz im not too well-researched but yeah. also, vibes 👌

Zane: siberian or he's from one of the islands extremely north of japan that japan and russia keep on disputing over. purely because of geography and ✨vibes✨

Cole: mixed black latino-filipino. as a filipino myself i wanted to make someone filipino =). since a lotta people were making cole black, i thought that i might as well make him mixed <3. plus, the philippines is also a former spanish colony so it just makes sense. if you want a more specific country, either colombia or the dominican republic are cool. not very well-researched on the different latin american countries so if anyone wants to tell me the most appropriate country for cole pls let me know 🥰.

Jay: umm, i sorta have a dillema over this. im thinking either korean or he's from somewhere in the gobi desert like mongolia or inner mongolia (its a province in china btw). korean bc the entertainment and beauty industry as well as the student and work culture kinda fit him. but somewhere in the gobi desert is nice bc the desert is where he grew up. maybe he's korean but grew up in a mongolian-chinese environment but yeah, im not too sure about him 🤷‍♀️. im leaning more towards korean but yeah, not sure.

Wyldfyre: i um... this was very hard. first of all, she's not gonna be asian since i couldn't find a good enough area in asia and well, im pretty sure she's not from ninjago so she doesn't have to be asian. so, i got maori in northern new zealand but 1. i know nothing about the maori people 2. it might be disrespectful to portray them like that. and 3. er, the geography is kinda off. where she grew up looks very desert-y and volcanic. i think a more suitable reigon is in south america towards the coast like peru or chile but um i know even less about the those reigions than new zealand. plus, it has the same first 2 problems i listed earlier. (yes im ignoring her clothes for these headcanons srry guys my brain loves topography too much) TLDR; idk man shes too hard to sort out lol. it adds more to her mystery and chaotic energy anyway so yeah.

if u know more abt latin american countries, pls give me pointers so that i can have more accurate headcanons for cole and wyldfyre. i can do my own research for kai, nya, and arin but any help with that is also very much appreciated 👍. peace ✌️

(this is what happens when u become a geography nerd... im not at my full potential yet bc my latin american knowledge and all of africa knowledge sucks. but yeah. bye fr this timeee)

Garry Shead (b 1942, Sydney) is one of Australia's most celebrated contemporary figurative painters, with his work steeped in allegory and symbolism, inviting spiritual, philosophical and historical interpretation.

"Garry Shead is regarded as one of Australia’s finest narrative painters and printmakers. Along with Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd, Shead has illuminated the Australian story and its myths to a wide and appreciative audience. His imagery has an ability to transcend the personal and reach into that universal realm of shared meaning. The inspiration behind one of Shead’s enduring narrative series was the novel Kangaroo written by the great English novelist, essayist and poet, D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930). Shead had developed an affinity with the writings of Lawrence during a trip to Papua New Guinea in 1968, and, in Kangaroo, this would trigger a resounding deep-felt response to the distinct Lawrentian narrative that Lawrence himself described as a ‘thought-adventure’.

After arriving in Fremantle in May 1922, Lawrence and his wife Frieda travelled to Sydney where they soon found themselves in the small coastal village of Thirroul, renting a seaside bungalow named Wyewurk. It was here the adventure began - an adventure that would last less than three months and produce the novel Kangaroo in just over six weeks.

The emotional complexity of the novel radiating from the protagonists, the poet/writer Richard Lovatt Somers and his wife Harriet; the simmering nationalist urges arising from the aftermath of World War I; the socialist ideal for a more equal society, all played out against the implacable backdrop of the bush. While the ocean and beach to the east reflected a feeling of purity and pleasure, the bush to the west remained a dark, impenetrable mystery - a brooding presence.

This contrasting impact is reflected in two fine disparate works by Shead. The Cliff 1992 is in many ways an antipodean seaside idyll with a twist; while The Visitation 1993-94 could be construed as a premonition of a long overdue reckoning. In the former work, the lovers are interrupted in their reverie by the presence of a raucous kookaburra. The scene is inspired by the steep cliff face at Thirroul overlooking the sea. Shead locates the cleansing sea as a place of respite – of atonement. In addition, the menacing posture of the kookaburra implies an unwelcome presence. The lovers could be seen as intruders, ignorant of the deep time that has forged a unique and mysterious landscape and culture. The precarious proximity of the cliff face in relation to the lovers also signals the tenuous hold the European mindset has on this land.

The lovers could be seen as the protagonists of the novel, Richard and Harriet, or perhaps Lawrence himself and Frieda. Yet again, it could be Shead and his then wife, Judit. In any event, there appears to be a pesky kookaburra to contend with, adding a comic note to the clifftop coupling.

In The Visitation, Shead has painted a curiously disturbing composition. The presence of the male Indigenous figure standing on the veranda railing appears real yet strangely dreamlike. Probably from the local Dharawal people of the Illawarra, he is adorned in ceremonial markings signalling the gravity of his ‘visit.’ Curiously, the symbolic image of Kangaroo, leader of the ultra-right movement who once dominated Lawrence’s thoughts, has now receded into the background. The local political intrigue and its concomitant of players falls to the wayside. The writers’ thoughts are now focused on the indigenous presence that has survived theft of lands, atrocities, and systematic marginalisation. In the novel, little detail is revealed about an Aboriginal presence in the landscape. Yet, early in the novel Richard Somers does confront the ‘spirit of the place’1 while walking in the west Australian bush. The anonymous narrator of the novel delves into Somers’ predicament as he confronts his fear of the bush: ‘As a poet, [Somers] felt himself entitled to all kinds of emotions and sensations which an ordinary man would have repudiated. Then he let himself feel all sorts of things about the bush … Waiting, waiting – the bush seemed to be hoarily waiting. And he could not penetrate into its secret. He couldn’t get at it. Nobody could get at it. What was it waiting for?’

To further appreciate Shead’s The Visitation, one needs again to delve into the text of the novel, tracing Somers’ and Lawrence’s apprehension of the place: ‘He felt it was watching and waiting. Following with certainty just behind his back. It might have reached a long black arm and gripped him. But no, it wanted to wait ... It was biding its time with a terrible, ageless watchfulness, waiting for a far-off end, watching the myriad intruding white men.’

Back on the veranda at Wyewurk, one senses the beginning of a dialogue between the invader and the usurped. Thirty years since Shead painted The Visitation, the nation is now finally focused on reconciliation. Perhaps in time, we will witness this ‘far-off end.’

Written by Garry Wilson, an independent curator, landscape architect and author. https://www.menziesartbrands.com/items/cliff

Does the list of countries that voted against the UN ceasefire resolution surprise anyone? Austria, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Isnotrael, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, United States of Isnotrael. 23 cowards, including Ukraine and the UK, abstained.

The IOF has supplied and sold arms and given military aid to many countries over the past several decades. They are the 10th world's largest weapons exporter and the world's largest military drone exporter. It's also hard to track where they sell often because it's done in secrecy, but I think it's important to note -as many have, why the IOF is backed so intensely by the US -a major world military, and also by their 'allies.' There's a reason why Biden said if Isnotreal did not exist they would have to invent one. So I am not surprised why countries are voting against a ceasefire and are abstaining.

This by far is not all-encompassing (as there are more complexities), but I found this recent article on Al Jazeera (November 2023) important to reference, because they cover a lot of Isnotreal's militarization and being a huge participant in arms selling globally (and have contributed to other mass genocides as well (such as the Rwandan genocide) -as I spoke about in another post I made a while ago):

Dirty secret of Israel’s weapons exports: They’re tested on Palestinians

Here are some excerpts:

In 2018, former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he would ask his military to purchase weapons exclusively from Israel because, unlike the United States or Europe, Israel did not impose restrictions. New government regulations introduced last year will allow Israel to sell more weapons to a greater range of countries without licences – and so, with less oversight. It pays: Israeli weapon export figures have doubled over the past decade, totalling $12.5bn last year. Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, last week said in a press statement that medical teams in the enclave had “observed severe burns on the bodies of Palestinians who were killed and wounded by Israel’s bombs  – whether caused by an unknown weapon or not – is something they have not seen in previous conflicts”. Dr Ahmed el-Mokhallalati from the burn and plastic surgery division at al-Shifa Hospital, in an interview with the Toronto Star, described the wounds as “very deep – third and fourth-degree burns, and the skin tissue is impregnated with black particles and most of the skin thickness and all the layers underneath are burned down to the bone”. The Israeli military has not commented so far on the statement made by Gaza’s Ministry. But the mystery incendiary bombs, the Iron Sting’s debut and the reported use of the new Spark drone in the current war suggest that Israel is once again testing new weapons in conflict. “Israel’s weapons will continue to remain attractive to international buyers based on performance in the occupation,” Loewenstein said. “But Israel is not just selling weapons; they’re selling the ideology to other countries – of getting away with it.”

The IOF is creating and selling weapons of mass destruction and torture, and world leaders and militaries are watching and remaining complicit for a depraved reason. It's about money and their despicable desires of militarization, imperialism, and control. Despite many people around the world demanding a ceasefire an end to the occupation because many of those in positions of political power do not care about Palestinians, and it is utterly disgusting.

Puteri Indonesia Papua Barat 2 Regional Costume: "Bunga Anggrek Hitam Papua"

Papua, a land in the eastern tip of Indonesia that has a tremendous natural wealth ranging from mining, natural beauty, culture, flora, to fauna. One thing that may not be known much, Papua has one unique and rare plant that can only be found in Papua that is Papua Black Orchid. Papuan Black Orchid is an epiphytic plant with black legaments, buds and pink and purple adornments. The Papuan black Orchid is seen as a symbol of mystery, elegance, strength and sophistication.

Music from elsewhere and beyond for you to tune in, turn on, freak out, and go deep into the heart of creation at the center of the universe. Or something. 10pm tonight on WGXC, 90.7-FM in the Hudson Valley and streaming 24/7 at wgxc.org or UPDATE: download the podcast at the link below

Snackpoint Charlie - Transmission 136 - 2024.04.03 https://wavefarm.org/wf/archive/asfrfb [ ^ click for download ^ ]

PLAYLIST

1) Alice Coltrane - “Journey in Satchidananda” from THE CARNEGIE HALL CONCERT https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2024/03/21/alice-coltrane-the-carnegie-hall-concert/

(underbed throughout:) Pinchas Gurevich - “Whataboutism”

2) Gus Vali - “Telly” from CHIMERA - A FANTASY IN JAZZ ROCK MID-EAST SOUNDS https://www.discogs.com/release/2391349-Gus-Vali-Chimera

3) John Sinclair & His Blues Scholars - “I Talk to the Spirits” from FULL CIRCLE https://www.discogs.com/release/4433050-John-Sinclair-His-Blues-Scholars-Featuring-Wayne-Kramer-Full-Circle

4) Jesse Paul Miller - “Ancient Wave Travelers” from DREAM BOXES AND PSYCHIC MICROPHONES • RADIO AND OTHER SOUNDS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA 2008 - 2017 https://jessepaulmiller.bandcamp.com/album/dream-boxes-and-psychic-microphones-radio-and-other-sounds-from-southeast-asia-2008-2017

5) Ron English - “Bees” from JOHN SINCLAIR PRESENTS DETROIT ARTISTS WORKSHOP https://strut.bandcamp.com/album/john-sinclair-presents-detroit-artists-workshop

6) Dimi Mint Abba and Nema Mint Choueikh w/Luleide ould Dendenni, Mohamed ould Deddah ould Choueikh, and Mohamed ould Seymali - excerpt from MOROCCAN SAHRAOUI EVENT (A MYSTERY TAPE FROM MAURITANIA) https://hivemindrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-mystery-tape-from-mauritania

7) Khruangbin - “May Ninth” from A LA SALA https://khruangbin.bandcamp.com/album/a-la-sala

8) Street Musician of Yogyakarta - “Asoi” from STREET MUSICIANS OF YOGYAKARTA https://mississippirecords.bandcamp.com/album/street-musicians-of-yogyakarta

9) Kyle Tierce - “Interlocking Questions” from THE FIVE FINGERS OF A DOG (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK) https://superspectrum.bandcamp.com/album/the-five-fingers-of-a-dog-original-soundtrack

10) Jesse Paul Miller - “Radio Cambodia” from DREAM BOXES AND PSYCHIC MICROPHONES • RADIO AND OTHER SOUNDS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA 2008 - 2017 https://jessepaulmiller.bandcamp.com/album/dream-boxes-and-psychic-microphones-radio-and-other-sounds-from-southeast-asia-2008-2017

11) Nadah El Shazly & Elvin Brandhi - CAIRO ???” from POLLUTION OPERA https://pollutionopera.bandcamp.com/album/pollution-opera

12) Ludwig Berger - “Apparent Heart” from SPECIES LONELINESS https://ludwigberger.bandcamp.com/album/species-loneliness

13) Faust - “Stay or Leave” from MOMENTAUFNAHME IV https://faust.bandcamp.com/album/momentaufnahme-iv-2

14) La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela - “31 VII 69 10:26 - 10:49 PM (a section of Map of 49's Dream the Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Lightyears Tracery)” from 31 VII 69 10:26-10:49 PM / 23 VIII 64 2:50:45-3:11 AM THE VOLGA DELTA (aka THE BLACK ALBUM) https://www.melafoundation.org/lmy.htm https://www.superiorviaduct.com/collections/la-monte-young-marian-zazeela

15) Ragnar Johnson & Jessica Mayer – “Mo-mo” from SPIRIT CRY FLUTES AND BAMBOO JEWS HARPS FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA : EASTERN HIGHLANDS & MADANG https://ideologicorgan.bandcamp.com/album/spirit-cry-flutes-and-bamboo-jews-harps-from-papua-new-guinea-eastern-highlands-and-madang

16) Lea Bertucci - “Of Shadow and Substance (excerpt)” from OF SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE https://leabertucci.bandcamp.com/album/of-shadow-and-substance

17) John Bence - Raphael, Archangel of Tiphareth” from ARCHANGELS https://johnbence.bandcamp.com/album/archangels

18) Jesse Paul Miller - “Radio Wat Thailand I&II” from DREAM BOXES AND PSYCHIC MICROPHONES • RADIO AND OTHER SOUNDS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA 2008 - 2017 https://jessepaulmiller.bandcamp.com/album/dream-boxes-and-psychic-microphones-radio-and-other-sounds-from-southeast-asia-2008-2017

Ep 271: Amelia Earhart – Decoy for a Spy Plane?

"Not much more than a month ago, I was on the other shore of the Pacific, looking westward. This evening, I looked eastward over the Pacific. In those fast-moving days, which have intervened, the whole width of the world has passed behind us, except this broad ocean. I shall be glad when we have the hazards of its navigation behind us."  -- Amelia Earhart, a few days before her final flight

Description:

On July 3, 1975, the Ministry of Justice in Japan responded to an inquiry by Amelia Earhart researcher and investigator Major Joe Gervais. Gervais had sent a letter to the Department of Immigration and Naturalization in Tokyo, operating on the hunch that Earhart had been taken prisoner and held on Saipan during WWII but under an assumed identity. The Ministry of Justice responded, saying the woman in their custody was known to them as Irene Craigmile. This was not a name mentioned by Gervais to the Japanese authorities. So, who is Irene Craigmile? Craigmile and Earhart were acquaintances and pilots who looked similar, but photos show they are two separate people. This begs the question for the “Japanese Capture” theory of Earhart’s disappearance: who then went down with the plane that was apparently ditched near Buka Island in Papua New Guinea? Were these two women connected via some secret mission, and is the plane at Buka a version of Earhart’s Electra 10-E? These questions and evidence are just a few of the puzzle pieces of the enduring mystery of Earhart’s fateful last flight, meticulously stitched together by William “Bill” Pennington Snavely, Jr. in his latest book, Lost in Flight: Amelia Earhart, Giving Cover as a Decoy for a Spy Plane. In 2018, Bill was a guest on our show, where he outlined his research leading to a startling theory of Earhart’s plane possibly having crashed near the coast of Matsungan Island near Buka, eventually sinking to a depth of 109 feet. Two main aspects of Bill’s investigation that remain novel are that, unlike the other researchers, he calculated his flight tracking starting from the last known location and then traced backward and that his team is the only one with an aircraft to investigate whose characteristics match the Electra. Bill’s multiple expeditions to Buka have yielded intriguing evidence supporting his claim, evidence which has previously been kept under wraps due to nondisclosure agreements. However, as his research in the intervening years continued, a new hybrid theory emerged from his discoveries that may solve the disconnect between “Japanese Capture” and the wreckage at Buka. Could it be that a failed reconnaissance mission led to one of the greatest coverups in US history? Bill Snavely is now free to disclose the shocking findings he revealed in his book. Also joining us is longtime friend and fellow podcaster Chris Williamson, whose podcast Chasing Earhart and its companion book, Rabbit Hole: The Vanishing of Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan, is the definitive interview collection. Prepare to suit up as we dive for the truth behind one of the world’s most famous and significant aviation enigmas.

Reference Links:

CLICK HERE to purchase Lost in Flight: Amelia Earhart, Giving Cover as a Decoy for a Spy Plane, by William “Bill” Pennington Snavely, Jr. from The Paragon Agency™ and SpecialBooks.com

CLICK HERE to purchase Bill Snavely’s previous book on Earhart and the Buka discovery, Tracking Amelia Earhart: Her Flight Path to the End

SpecialBooks.com from The Paragon Agency™

CLICK HERE to purchase Chris Williamson’s book Rabbit Hole: The Vanishing of Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan

Irene Craigmile Bolam

1987 Marshall Islands postage stamp showing Earhart’s Electra from the “Amelia Earhart Controversy” website

Astonishing Legends episode 106: Earhart’s Plane Found?

Astonishing Legends Bonus Episode: EARHART'S PLANE? UPDATE WITH BILL SNAVELY

Astonishing Legends episode 90: Chasing Amelia Earhart with Chris Williamson

Astonishing Legends episode 4: Amelia Earhart Vanishes Part 1

Astonishing Legends episode 5: Amelia Earhart Vanishes Part 2

Buka Island

Jaluit Atoll

Imperial Japanese Naval ship the Koshu

“The Ground Loop Monster” from Trent Palmer’s YouTube channel

Ground Loop on Wikipedia

The Hawaiian island of Niʻihau

“Aircraft [Lockheed 10E Electra ZK-BUT painted as ZK-AFD]” entry on the New Zealand Museum of Transport and Technology website

Lockheed Electra stock photo images from the dreamstime.com website

Boxfish Robotics website

The MV Indies Trader surf exploration vessel, which took part in Quiksilver's Crossing from 1999-2005

Martin Daly, Australian Captain, and surfer

Location:

Matsungan Island, part of the Buka Island collection in eastern Papua New Guinea. Matsungan Island is where a young boy claimed to see an airplane ditch into the sea within 100 yards of the shoreline, with its left wing on fire and the occupants trying to use their radio before the plane sank. None of his fellow islanders believed him at the time, but in 1995, a local sponge diver named Teolo and his partner found the wreck of an aircraft resembling an Electra submerged in 109 feet of ocean water and a few hundred yards from the shore.

Related Books:

CLICK HERE to purchase “Lost in Flight: Amelia Earhart, Giving Cover as a Decoy for a Spy Plane” by William Pennington Snavely, Jr. from SpecialBooks.com

CLICK HERE to purchase Bill Snavely’s previous book on Earhart and the Buka discovery, Tracking Amelia Earhart: Her Flight Path to the End

Suggested Listening:

Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch

Comedian Rachel Dratch gets a little bit Woo Woo, discussing stories of the unexplained, the eerie, and other-worldly with her funny friends in her new comedy podcast, Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch. Along with her co-host Irene Bremis, Rachel invites guests to share stories they may only tell a trusted pal who will not judge. Psychics? Spirits? Astral Projection? Check, check, and check! Sure, you may think we live in a world where there’s a logical explanation for anything out of the ordinary, but after you spend some time with Rachel and her pals, you might have your doubts, and find that… you too are WOO WOO! Join Rachel, Irene, and friends in a comedy podcast that turns the mysterious into a lively conversation among kindred spirits. Search for Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch wherever you’re listening now!

Suggested Viewing:

CLICK HERE to watch the documentary Earhart’s Electra: Eyewitness Accounts of What Happened to Amelia Earhart’s Plane by Richard Martini

Find us on YouTube!

Click this text to find all Astonishing Legends episodes and more on our Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Astonishinglegends

Join us on Patreon!

Click HERE or go to patreon.com/astonishinglegends to become one of our Patreon members and receive exclusive offerings, like our bonus Astonishing Junk Drawer episodes (posted every weekend the main show is dark) commercial-free episodes, and more!

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CREDITS:

Episode 271: Amelia Earhart – Decoy for a Spy Plane? Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess; Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2023 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Nonfiction Recommendations: Green Covers for St. Patrick’s Day

Girl in the Woods by Aspen Matis

In this inspiring memoir, Aspen chronicles her journey, a five-month trek that was ambitious, dangerous, and transformative. A nineteen-year-old girl alone and lost, she conquered desolate mountain passes and met rattlesnakes, bears, and fellow desert pilgrims. Exhausted after each thirty-mile day, at times on the verge of starvation, Aspen was forced to confront her numbness, coming to terms with the sexual assault and her parents' disappointing reaction. On the trail and on her own, she found that survival is predicated on persistent self-reliance. She found her strength. After a thousand miles of solitude, she found a man who helped her learn to love and trust again—and heal.

Told with elegance and suspense, Girl in the Woods is a beautifully rendered story of eroding emotional and physical boundaries to reveal the truths that lie beyond the edges of the map.

The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel

In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life--why did he leave? what did he learn?--as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location.

Three quarters of a century later, author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety, single-engine plane carrying the machine that would change everything: lidar, a highly advanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization.

Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn't until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease.

Child of the Jungle by Sabine Kuegler

Sabine Kuegler was five years old when her family-her German linguist-missionary parents and her siblings-moved to the territory of the recently discovered hunter-and-gatherer Fayu tribe of Papua New Guinea. The Fayu tribe is best known for being a Stone Age community untouched by modern times-they live an existence characterized by fear, violence, and atavistic ritual (including cannibalism in some regions)-but Sabine's family saw another side to them as well. Once the Kueglers were accepted by a clan chief, they found themselves becoming a part of a tightly knit and fiercely loyal community, and living the primal existence of the Fayu-one marked by the natural cycles of day and night, malaria and other diseases, and daily encounters with wildlife, from swims with crocodiles to dinners of worms. As the Kueglers changed, so did the Fayu people, learning from Sabine's family that there was a way out of their cycle of violence and that forgiveness can be sweeter than revenge

At the age of 17, Sabine found her life turned upside down when she left for Switzerland to attend boarding school and entered traditional society head-on. Child of the Jungle is the story of a life lived among the Fayu and the author's attempt to reconcile her feelings about "civilization" with those about a life she knew and loved.

Leave Only Footprints by Conor Knighton

When Conor Knighton decided to spend a year wandering through "America's Best Idea," he was worried the whole thing might end up being his worst idea. But, after a broken engagement and a broken heart, he desperately needed a change of scenery. The ambitious plan he cooked up went a bit overboard in that department; Knighton set out to visit every single one of America's National Parks, from Acadia to Zion.

Leave Only Footprints is the memoir of his year spent traveling across the United States, a journey that yielded his "On the Trail" series, which quickly became one of CBS Sunday Morning's most beloved segments. In this smart, informative, and often hilarious book, he'll share how his journey through these natural wonders, unchanged by man, ended up changing his worldview on everything from God to politics to love and technology. Whether it's waking up early for a naked scrub in an Arkansas bathhouse or staying up late to stargaze along our loneliest highway, Knighton goes behind the scenery to provide an unfiltered look at America. In the tradition of books like A Walk in the Woods or Turn Right at Machu Picchu, this is an irresistible mix of personal narrative and travelogue-some well-placed pop culture references, too-and a must-read for any of the 331 million yearly National Parks visitors.

Behold the Lion of Judah Which Cometh to Rule the World  by Tom Watinga

About the author

Tom Watinga is an Assemblies of God Church, PNG ordained Pastor who has ministered the Gospel of Christ since he was born again in 1985. He has been serving as an associate Pastor at the AOG Cornerstone Gateway Church in Port Moresby, under the leadership of Reverend Anthony Dalaka since 1996. Tom and Gouli, his wife of 32 years have six children and 2 adopted sons and one son-in-law. He has in the recent decade, traveled the world in search of biblical prophecies fulfilments. Some of these places include the Great Wall of China, Poland’s Auschwitz and Treblinka Concentration camps, and the Lake Wansea conference room near Berlin, Germany. Tom also traveled to Turkey to see the seven churches in Asia Minor and passed through Jordan’s Mt. Nebo where Moses died. He has made seven trips to Israel between the years 2009 through 2020 combing almost the entire land of Israel. Tom’s education qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in Science (BSc) from the University of Papua New Guinea, a Master’s in Business Management (MBA) from Southern Cross University, Australia, and a Diploma with Distinction (Dip-AM) from IATA, Geneva, Switzerland.

About the book 

BEHOLD THE LION OF JUDAH WHICH COMETH TO REULE THE WORLD (He first came as the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world)CHRIST SOON RETURNING - JESUS CHRIST IS RETURNING SOON TO DEAL WITH THE NEW WORLD ORDER GOVERNMENT, ANTI-CHRIST WORLD LEADER AND FALSE PROPHET, ARE AMONG THE FINAL PROPHECIES TO BE FULFILLED. THE COVID-19 DECEPTION - MYSTERIES OF COVID-19 DELIBERATELY CREATED TO LAUNCH THE GREAT RESET PLAN FOR A NEW WORLD ORDER GOVERNMENT (NWOG) WHICH WILL FUSION OUR PHYSICAL, DIGITAL, AND BIOLOGICAL (DNA)COMPUTER IDENTITY - THE MARK OF THE BEAST, THE NUMBER 666 WITHOUT WHICH NO ONE WILL BUY AND SELL. FINAL BIBLE PROPHECIES - MAJOR BIBLE PROPHECIES ARE BEING FULFILLED. THE ANCIENT ROMAN EMPIRE HAS EVOLVED TO BE ALIVE THROUGH THE WESTERN EUROPEAN NATIONS NOW COMING TOGETHER THROUGH G7, G10, EU, NATO, AND THE UN TO FORM THE FINAL GOVERNMENT OF THE ANTI-CHRIST ORCHESTRATED DRIVEN BY THE SATANIC GROUPS; THE ILLUMINATI AND FREEMASONS WHO HAVE FORCEFULLY TAKEN OVER THE MIGHTY USA AND ENDTIME BIBLE PROPHECY OF THE NWOG OF THE ANTI-CHRIST BEING FULFILLED BEFORE OUR EYES. JEWS WAKING UP - THE JEWS ARE STILL LOST WAITING FOR THEIR PROMISED MESSIAH WHICH WILL SURELY TURN OUT TO BE THE ‘ONE WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED’ AND SOON WILL MAKE SENSE OF WHAT CHRIST HAS ACCOMPLISHED WHEN HE WAS ON EARTH. CHRIST CLOSED THE OLD COVENANT WHERE SALVATION FOR ONLY JEWS WAS PROVIDED AND INTRODUCED THE NEW COVENANT WHICH CATERS FOR ALL MEN INCLUDING GENTILES. ISRAEL REMAINS GOD’S CHOSEN NATION TO CARRY OUT SPECIFIC TASKS STILL VALID TODAY. GATES OF HELL AGAINST CHURCH - HOW THE ROMAN GATES OF HELL PREVAILED AGAINST THE PENTECOST CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF POWER, WHICH THE GLOBAL CHURCH NEEDS TO BE REFORMED TO BRING BACK THE PENTECOST HOLY GHOST EMPOWERED CHURCH OF POWER. CHURCH REFORMATION IS NEEDED URGENTLY TO BRING BACK THE BLUEPRINT DOCTRINES, JESUS CHRIST AND APOSTLES TAUGHT IN ORDER TO BRING DOWN THE SAME PENTECOST HOLY GHOST POWER RESULTING IN THE GREATEST GLOBAL REVIVAL EVER TO SEE THE GREATEST HARVEST OF SOULS EVER SEEN IN HUMAN HISTORY BEFORE CHRIST RETURNS. WHEN THE PATTERN IS RIGHT, HIS GLORY WILL FALL. RAPTURE AND SECOND COMING - WHEN WILL CHRIST APPEAR IN THE SKY TO TAKE THE CHURCH IN THE RAPTURE? WHEN CHRIST WILL RETURN WITH ALL THE SAINTS IN HIS SECOND COMING TO RULE THE WHOLE EARTH FOR 1000 YEARS? HOW EVERY MAN WILL APPEAR BEFORE CHRIST ON JUDGEMENT DAY? WHEN WILL THE OLD HEAVEN AND EARTH FLEE BEFORE CHRIST, AND WHEN AND HOW THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL APPEAR WITH NEW JERUSALEM? WHAT TO DO - THESE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO WHAT ANY PERSON MUST DO TO BE SAVED AND PREPARE FOR THE INEVITABLE RETURN OF THE JEWISH KING 

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Sauvage (eau de parfum) Sauvage Dior

Aromatic Fougère

Inspiration for the creation of Sauvage Eau de Parfum was taken from the desert in the magical hour of twilight: mixed with the coolness of the night, the burning desert air exudes profound scents. Sauvage Eau de Parfum is thus the olfactory interpretation of a moment tinted with a thick blue that unleashes the wildest instincts. In the hour when the wolves come out and the sky is set ablaze, a new magic unfolds. Sauvage Eau de Parfum teams the freshness of a juicy, spicy Calabrian bergamot note with the sensuality of a mysterious and enveloping Papua New Guinean vanilla extract accord to unfurl a powerful and noble trail.

Key notes: Calabria bergamot, Vanilla

Extraordinary row breaks out between Harvard, Johns Hopkins scientists over origin of mystery object that came from outer space

Daily Mail News – SCience By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM PUBLISHED: 07:48 EDT, 16 March 2024 | UPDATED: 07:52 EDT, 16 March 2024 A war of words has erupted between scientists at Harvard, Johns Hopkins and elsewhere, over a mystery object some argue came from outside our solar system. Last June, a research expedition off the coast of Papua New Guinea led by Harvard…

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On Kratom

Originating from the Mitragyna speciosa tree in Southeast Asia, Kratom has been a staple in herbal medicine since the 19th century, offering opiate-like and stimulant effects. It can be chewed, smoked or consumed as a tea; and it is available in various forms such as dried powdered leaves, enriched extracts, resins, tinctures, capsules and edibles.

With diverse strains like the pain-relieving Red Vein, stimulating White Vein, and balanced Green Vein, kratom holds cultural significance in its regions of origin and sparks contemporary debates on legality and public health. In this article, we delve into gratom's history, uses, strains, and the nuanced discussions surrounding its regulation, unraveling the complex narrative of this botanical substance.

Indigenous to Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea, kratom has been utilized in herbal medicine since the 19th century. Traditionally consumed for pain relief and mild stimulation in Southeast Asia, millions of Americans use kratom, citing its efficacy in alleviating chronic pain and addiction symptoms - a critical tool, amid rising drug overdose deaths.

There are several types of kratom strains, each touted for their efficacy in different areas. Red vein kratom is known for pain relief, sedation, stress relief, and relaxation, this strain offers temporary relief for chronic pain or anxiety. White vein kratom is renowned for its stimulating effects; this strain supports focus, alertness, concentration, and productivity without the jitters commonly associated with stimulant use, often leading to feelings of euphoria. Green vein kratom is the most popular strain; combining stimulation and soothing benefits, offering mental clarity, focus, and calmness for everyday use, ideal for managing daily stress. Gold kratom is a blend of different kratom strains, providing a broad spectrum of positive effects without specifying vein coloration. Most commercially available Gold kratom is a blend of white and green vein kratom. Black Kratom remains a bit of a mystery - subject to varying definitions, it usually refers to red vein kratom that has been fermented multiple times and/or roasted, resulting in a darker color and strong sedative effects reminiscent of a powerful red vein strain.

Amid record opioid-related overdose deaths, kratom has gained attention as an alternative for chronic pain, with millions relying on it. However, federal agencies, particularly the FDA, have attempted to ban kratom, threatening potential consequences such as criminalizing users and hindering research on its effects. Critics argue that the FDA's stance lacks nuance and overstates risks, citing low poison control calls related to kratom compared to common household products. While some deaths have been reported while kratom is present in the system, a clear causal link is absent. Advocates stress the need for regulation to ensure safe production rather than outright prohibition. Research into kratom has been inhibited by the attempts of powerful entities to ban its production and use, but the anecdotal evidence to support its usefulness is overwhelming. In addition, despite some evidence to suggest that kratom use comes with the risk of addiction, any dose under 2 grams is considered a microdose when using kratom, and most commercially produced capsules weigh in at only 750 mg, well below the microdose line.

The FDA's arguments against kratom face scrutiny, with experts highlighting weaknesses in methodologies like the PHASE model. Some speculate that the FDA's resistance to kratom may be influenced by pharmaceutical interests commercializing synthetic versions, as there are many officials involved who would potentially benefit financially from kratom prohibition. Recall that cannabis was legal in the United States prior to 1952, and the motivating factors behind its prohibition were rooted in racism and capitalist interests, not medical or scientific fact. 

When purchasing kratom, it is important to visit a retailer who sources their products from safe and reliable manufacturers. It is also beneficial to purchase from a retailer that employs staff who are experienced and knowledgeable about the products they’re selling. Here at beyond smoke, our staff have experience using kratom recreationally or to treat common ailments. For more information on kratom and to learn if kratom is right for you, stop by and visit us.

Events 2.2 (after 1920)

1920 – The Tartu Peace Treaty is signed between Estonia and Russia. 1922 – Ulysses by James Joyce is published. 1922 – The uprising called the "pork mutiny" starts in the region between Kuolajärvi and Savukoski in Finland. 1925 – Serum run to Nome: Dog sleds reach Nome, Alaska with diphtheria serum, inspiring the Iditarod race. 1934 – The Export-Import Bank of the United States is incorporated. 1935 – Leonarde Keeler administers polygraph tests to two murder suspects, the first time polygraph evidence was admitted in U.S. courts. 1942 – The Osvald Group is responsible for the first, active event of anti-Nazi resistance in Norway, to protest the inauguration of Vidkun Quisling. 1943 – World War II: The Battle of Stalingrad comes to an end when Soviet troops accept the surrender of the last organized German troops in the city. 1954 – The Detroit Red Wings played in the first outdoor hockey game by any NHL team in an exhibition against the Marquette Branch Prison Pirates in Marquette, Michigan. 1959 – Nine experienced ski hikers in the northern Ural Mountains in the Soviet Union die under mysterious circumstances. 1966 – Pakistan suggests a six-point agenda with Kashmir after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. 1971 – Idi Amin replaces President Milton Obote as leader of Uganda. 1971 – The international Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands is signed in Ramsar, Mazandaran, Iran. 1980 – Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation. 1982 – Hama massacre: The government of Syria attacks the town of Hama. 1987 – After the 1986 People Power Revolution, the Philippines enacts a new constitution. 1989 – Soviet–Afghan War: The last Soviet armoured column leaves Kabul. 1990 – Apartheid: F. W. de Klerk announces the unbanning of the African National Congress and promises to release Nelson Mandela. 1998 – Cebu Pacific Flight 387 crashes into Mount Sumagaya in the Philippines, killing all 104 people on board. 2000 – First digital cinema projection in Europe (Paris) realized by Philippe Binant with the DLP CINEMA technology developed by Texas Instruments. 2004 – Swiss tennis player Roger Federer becomes the No. 1 ranked men's singles player, a position he will hold for a record 237 weeks. 2005 – The Government of Canada introduces the Civil Marriage Act. This legislation would become law on July 20, 2005, legalizing same-sex marriage. 2007 – Police officer Filippo Raciti is killed when a clash breaks out in the Sicily derby between Catania and Palermo, in the Serie A, the top flight of Italian football. This event led to major changes in stadium regulations in Italy. 2012 – The ferry MV Rabaul Queen sinks off the coast of Papua New Guinea near the Finschhafen District, with an estimated 146–165 dead. 2021 – The Burmese military establishes the State Administration Council, the military junta, after deposing the democratically elected government in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état.