Fenris23 :: Blog

It was a warm, sunny day in Krakow, July this year. I'd been in Krakow's market square, wandering along the stalls with paintings etc, when one of the drawings displayed on sale drew my attention. - It was a picture of an old Rabbi sitting next to big desk on which he spread a sheet with a glyph of the Tree of Life. Behind the Rabbi there is a window with a view of the city. The Rabbi holds a candle in his right hand. The picture emanates power, wisdom and beauty and is so different from the others... I asked the sales woman how much it is and then she told me a story about the picture and the Rabbi... 

-His name was Nathan Nata Spira. He was born around 1584 and died 20 July 1633. He moved to Krakow in his thirties when he was called to the rabbinate of the city. Nathan accepted the call but refused the salary. He was one of very first Rabbis studying practical Cabala in Poland, well known for his studies on Cabala as well as having a great memory and power. Nathan Spira was always studying at night, so the candle was lighting in the window of his office every night. One night people noticed there was no candle in his window, they knew he'd died.

-After his death people used to visit his grave and tell him their worries. The belief was that by telling him their worries in this way their problems would disappear or solve themselves. These day's there's nothing left of his grave. It is only known that he was buried within the grounds of a small Jewish graveyard in 'Kazimierz'- the Jewish district of Krakow.

The most amazing story about him is the one about his nephew.                                                                                                                       -Nathan had a nephew who really hated him. He regular visited Nathan only to argue and vent his bad feelings on the Rabbi. Once he came to rabbi's house, when Nathan was working in his office room. He instructed his wife and children, that he can not be disturbed during the work and studies. Nathan's wife tried to stop the furious nephew and explain her husband's will, but he didn't listen and rushed upstairs, to Nathan's office. He opened the door and fell dead on the floor as he saw Nathan talking to Arch Angel Michael. I think, this story is just lovely! :)

-I was very grateful to that lady for telling me all this. She also mentioned that the drawing I just bought possesses magical powers and it's a great protection against evil spirits, if put in a nice place somewhere in the home. I tried to search for more information about Nathan Spira, but there's very little on him, on the net. I only managed to find short note on http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com . There's a couple of people with this surname, but only one of them matches the date of death:

24. Nathan Nata Spira: Son of Solomon Spira and grandson of Nathan Nata Spira (No. 23); born about 1584; died July 20, 1633. In 1617 he was called to the rabbinate of Cracow, where, being well-to-do, he refused to accept a salary. He was gifted with an extraordinary memory, and devoted much time to the study of the Cabala. He wrote a cabalistic commentary on the prayer of Moses in Deut. iii. 24, and two prayers, under the title "Megalleh 'Amuḳḳot" (Cracow, 1637; Fürth, 1691). He published also novellæ to Alfasi's work which were printed with it (Amsterdam, 1720). Bibliography: Azulai, l.c. i. 148; De Rossi-Hamberger, l.c. p. 301; Steinschneider, l.c. col. 2049; Zunz, Monatstage, p. 41; Zedner, l.c. p. 610; I. M. Zunz, 'Ir ha-Ẓedeḳ, pp. 52, 176 (contains Spira's epitaph).

6 months ago, I was offered a Deutsche Dogge (great dane) pup about six months old at that time. I accepted, however the owner (a german woman) changed her mind. Her son came to me a few weeks ago and offered the dogge, again. I sadly turned him down for my yard is not that big, especially with three other dogs already present, and was not certain I could do right by him. Day afore yesterday, her son came to me, and told me his mother ordered him to get rid of the dogge one way or another. *chuckle* I decided not to fight it; I accepted. He is a splendid critter at a year old now, very dark brindle, long legged, and lanky. I am pleased that they never cut his ears. He needs a bit more weight on him and lots of attention that he did not get at his former home. I will be picking him up next monday. I am temporarily moving Robin Goodpuppy to a neighbor's yard as I wish to have Roam and Buffalo Starpuppy meet him without the very female Robin about to distract them.

It was intriguing to have this dogge be offered, given my great interest (alright, I admit,... obsession with) in the Ile of Dogges. It may be that he will be an inspiration to my research and work on the Ile. 

This final acceptance triggered a memory from long ago when I was in my early teen years. I was walking home from school and a great grey dog came walking up the sidewalk towards me. I waited and the dog came to me and without lifting his paws, placed his head on my shoulder. I was pleased that he was so sweet. I caressed and scritched and spoke with him for a good while, then he left to go his way. I never saw him again, though I had hopes. 

A good bit embarrasing for a carpenter*chuckle*

 

A few items, first, to give context; My time at home is spent in the 'yard'. I go indoors, if needful or feel like doing so. It is a shelter, useful in heavy rain, or to sleep, though I am often to be found sleeping in the yard (oftimes in the roomy tent), with one or all of three dogs aside me, (and me covered in misquito repellent, if not in the tent, lol). I have a small camper trailor, and rent the property and a larger trailor. This larger trailor and the source of my current injury, became over the years a storage area. (for awhuile I did not live here, but kept the place.) In the hallway of this place was a hole in the floor that I ignored; I walked over it. I did not fix it. (deliberate not so blind spot?)

 

Yesterday afternoon, this bit of 'reality' and I met closely, intimately. LOL  Me left leg all the way to me arse did go thru the floor and the leg through the piping underneath. After everything stopped moving, and I ascertained that nothing was broken, merely bruised and torqued,   I laughed at meself, here I am , a carpenter stuck up to hir arse in the floor of an area of hir own lair!

 Needless to say, a bit sore, and lesson learned *chuckle*

 

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Hmm, what will the Japanese come up with next?

When I first heard about Realdolls a few years back, I figured it would only be a matter of time before they started putting robotics in them.  Well, as far as I know they still haven't, but I have just heard about AI Robotics, a Japanese company that has started to make androids.

They are currently taking pre-orders for Perfect Woman, (I wonder how much feminist backlash they will face?) a female android that can apparently be taught to clean and cook (would you trust it?)  Can they be taught to kill? (Scary prospect).  I don't know if Perfect Woman has the same kind of sex enabled technology as Realdoll, but if it doesn't, its only going to be a matter of time before the two technologies meet...

Aside from the films Stepford Wives, Bladerunner and AI coming up in my head as I think where this is heading, I'm also thinking of the magical possibilities of these things.  If they really can clean and cook and perform other household chores, then I can see it won't be long before every household has one, or two.  Thoughts of the Matrix and Terminator also come to mind at this point.

But by the time they are in mass production, using them as a physical basis to house servitor spirits may become and attractive prospect.  After all, the ability to build slave lifeforms that did the sorcerors bidding was largely what the creation of homunculi was all about.

One last thing, for the heterosexual woman and gay men of you, apparently a male version of the android will also be available soon.  I wonder if they'll make it look like Data.  I dare say some will dress them up that way if they can...

I have just agreed to become a staff writer for key64.net and to celebrate I've just written my first article there as staff.  Of course I once used to be a regular contributor of the old site, key23, and I had one article published by key64 already, but it still feels special to me, so I'm mentioning it anyway...

So this first article is Know Thyself, and it is somewhat of a expansion upon a central theme to my blog Sorcery and Comfort.

I have written a new blog entry on my serpent website.  A sort of write up of Liber Malorum: Children of the Apple 

http://serpent.antonchanning.com/blog/liber-malorum-children-of-the-apple/

Want to pimp your KIA Profile page with custom backgrounds and your own choice of colours?  Well now you can.  I've just finished writing a post on the forum about how to do just that.  As you can see, I've already included a custom background on my own profile.  Feel free to ask questions if you get stuck... :)

Read the post here: http://network.kiamagic.com/mod/vanillaforum/vanilla/comments.php?D 

I just thought I'd test the ability to add video content, in this case imported from YouTube.  Looking through my YouTube favourites, this one seemed somewhat appropriate... 

 

There are still a couple of things I need to iron out in this software.  For example, during registration I noticed it asked me to confirm I was over 13.  What is the point of that?  You can be over 13 and still a minor.  I need to change this to say 'over 18'.

Secondly, when posting a profile pic, it asks you to confirm 'it is a picture of yourself and is not obscene' or some such.  Well, firstly, I do not care if peoples profile pictures are 'of themselves' or not, and nor do I care if they are 'obscene' (so long as they are legal in US and UK law and won't get my website closed down or me arrested).  We are all sexually enlightened adults here (or should be), so I'm not going to get overly censorious.

Also, I'm going to be adding some background colours in to liven the look and feel up a little.  I realise its a bit on the dull side at the moment.  This will change!