News Blasts From The Year Of Our Redemption 1753

I am introducing a new occasional feature on the blog – ‘News Blasts From The Past’ … this will be scans of the news, illustrations and articles from the Periodicals/Magazines and Newspapers of the past two hundred years or so.

Now before copyright legal weasels start rubbing their hands in anticipation of emptying the 'PC Towers widows and orphans Christmas fund', I should point out that I have a small collection of genuine antique newspapers from when I was interested in collecting “Ephemera”, or the objects of everyday life in bygone eras. I stopped collecting this stuff (or rubbish as my then girlfriend would insist on describing it), when it became obvious that an unfocused collection of 'ephemera' (from ration cards, to police whistles, and of course Newspapers), was the surest path to becoming a ‘hoarder’ (always an easy line to cross in even the best of ‘collectors’).

But while the other items largely disappeared over the years in house moves etc - some with much regret when I realised their loss – I always retained the old newspapers. I guess I thought it was a kind of ‘sacred trust’ through the ages. They had survived the centuries, and I wasn’t going to be the one who dropped that baton. However I am at the point where I have to start considering passing on that baton to another (via eBay), to someone else who might look after them for a few decades more, but before they go, I decided to scan a few of the articles and headlines into my PC and republish them for the ages, partly as insurance against their eventual destruction, and partly as nice post subjects (I was going to say ‘easy’ posts, but in fact the scanning, cleaning them as they are quite dirty from handling over the centuries, and recombining the split scan parts for the very large images, is time consuming – so not ‘easy’ posts).

The first of these posts is from a publication entitled as a 'Vox Stellarum' or 'a Loyal ALMANACK' of 1753, by Francis Moore physician – which the more observant amongst you will know later became the well known  'Old Moores Almanac', and is still on sale today.

A Loyal Almanac

So amongst the 'predictions' of the future, and of course the predictions of tides, sun rises, moon phases and seasonal events, that were of great use to a society still based on the land and farming, there were also historical tables and discussion pieces for the farmers and landed gentry who it was aimed at::   

Lists of the Monarchs and a paean of praise for Britannia

But the big piece was a religious tract about the Revelation to come .... in particular the importance of the number '1260' in the events that will mark the end of times ....

The Revelations of St John and the Number of 1260

More of these reports from the NoPC vaults will follow over the next few months .... assuming that its not in the cycle of 1260 that seems to indicate that the end cometh.

Addendum:

As promised, I have revisited and scanned the additional two pages from the 'Almanack'

Astrology and Remarkable Events 1665

 Here are the other two pages of interest ........

Remarkable Events 1665

Made In Britain

There are times when what we produce in our society is just excruciatingly embarrassing .... as anyone who has been abroad, and seen British teens despoiling the seaside resorts of European countries with their drunken behaviour can testify.

However the 'Chav Culture' that has been breeding for the last 50 years on the council estates of the UK, may have reached a new low, when returning from a 'holiday' in Malta (it makes you cringe what he and his fat girlfriend may have got up to on the trip), a 52-year-old man - got drunk on the plane, and started abusing fellow travellers - tried to start a fight, and needed the Captain to warn him before he 'calmed down'.

Made In Britain - A Working Class Hero

However not content with this ruination of everyone's flight, this fat, bald headed, pot bellied, charmer, decided to restart his antics when the plane started to disembark, and started removing his clothes on the runway, before his female companion slapped him across the face. Undaunted, this working class hero stumbled around the airport tarmac in only a pair of black underpants, before he took these off, and urinated against a wall.

He then dressed, and casually entered Manchester Airport, where the police (eventually, if he had been a terrorist he would have had a field day), challenged him, then 'Dry Tasered' (aka "Drive Stun") him, where the Taser is held against the target, but without firing the projectiles, the jolt is intended to cause pain, without fully incapacitating the target, and then arrested him on 'suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place'..... only suspicion of being drunk, or disorderly .... what do they need, a written confession?

And what was the penalty for this little bit of holiday 'fun'? He was issued with a 'Fixed Penalty Notice'. ..... which is a small fine. I'll bet his neighbours were pleased to see him back ...... and they wonder why so many are fleeing this demi-paradise.

UK's 14 Year Old Sex Offender

This is the face of what was thought to be one of the youngest 'Sex Beasts' in the UK. It was issued by the Manchester Police force who were appealing for anyone who recognised the e-fit of the boy, who they thought was aged about 12 to contact them. Yes aged just 12! As usual they made little or no effort to enhance the picture and so not really maximising the chances of catching the suspect ..... so I have shown below how they could be issued.

And as the descriptions in the news story seemed to not entirely match the photo issued -

• "Described as a young boy, aged about 12, who wore green jeans and glasses".
• "Approached by two young boys and sexually assaulted by one of them. He was described as being of Asian heritage, aged 12 to 13, of slim build and wearing baggy trousers and carrying a rucksack".
  

- I produced some alternative versions - if nothing else but to illustrate, how I would issue these identity pictures (a subject I have addressed occasionally before). I also find the description 'Asian heritage' another piece of PC driven multicultural nonsense - they don't even say the colour - for fear of 'offending' the race nutters out there. Its like when the BBC say "police are looking for a 6ft man of stocky build", and then fail to mention if he's White, or Black or Asian ..... apparently because its considered racist in some quarters to actually describe a criminal in a way which might get them caught.

UK's 14 Year Old Sex Offender?

He was obviously considered a very serious threat to women because the attacks were on busy streets, and in the daylight (normally his apparent age would stop any public mention - so don't expect pictures after he's caught) .... he was getting more brazen, and would probably have committed a rape if not caught, and as he seems to have recruited 'a little friend' in his venture - probably to bolster his courage, and partially share the responsibility, it was imperative he was caught..

Needless to say it was reported that he was rounded up on Monday, and it turned out that he was actually 14 .... not quite as shocking as 12, but still very bad. An 18-year-old man was also bailed in connection with the assaults .... as usual, the teenager cannot be named for legal reasons, so these pictures may be the closest anyone gets to seeing this little 'beast'.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

'Stolen by gypsies' ... A European classic charge against the Roma, and a staple of dark fairy tales seems to have suddenly gained legs.

Maria - Stolen By Gypsies

A blonde girl child known as 'Maria' has been 'rescued' by Greek police, and DNA evidence has led to them charging her Roma 'parents' with kidnap.

 

'Big Tex' Is Back

Regular readers of the blog will know that last year, the original 'Big Tex' was burnt to the ground in a tragic accident at the Texas State Fair ground, and that although the owners pledged to replace the giant mannequin
who had overlooked the state fairgrounds for decades, many of us feared that little bit of pure Americana had gone for ever.

Big Tex Is Back

Well I am happy to be able to report that his replacement is up and standing ... a tribute if nothing else, to Texican 'Sure Can Do' .... and I for one am happy. We are far to quick to abandon little bits of our culture and joint history, especially at a time when so much of our heritage is attacked by those who should know better.

New Big Tex

Old Big Tex

So here's to 'Big Tex' ......

... Icon of another more confident America .....

Time For A Change

Do you sometimes wish you were born in a different time, or if not born back then, could travel back and live for a period in a better, older, time? Maybe when the world was still full of barbarian splendour?

Delhi Durbar - Raj Zenith 1911

Oh I am not daft; I know that there was vast poverty, illiteracy, violence and terrible diseases back in the past. A simple cut or bite from an insect could be fatal, and even Alexander the Great died of blood poisoning (after stabbing himself in an non fatal attempt to kill himself with the spear he had used to kill ‘Cleitus the Black’ – what a name - and which carried germs from which he died about 10 days later).

 

Cash Is King

There used to be a saying “Cash Is King” in economics and that seems to still be a byword with tourists from some cultures ….

Cash Is King In Some Cultures

And while I might agree that the idea of ‘paying by cash’ (i.e. saving up and buying with no debt), is a better idea than bashing the credit cards, sometimes it can backfire as two gentlemen from China discovered. 

 

Where The One Eyed Man Is King

Gotta love this latest lunacy from the land of backwardness.

First we had the Islamic cleric who said only one eyed veils would stop men from raping women, then the Australian Islamic cleric who described women who do not wear the veil are like 'uncovered meat’... who attract sexual predators,  and now we have the Islamic cleric, Sheikh Saleh al-Lohaidan, who states that women who drive risk damaging their ovaries and producing children with clinical problems ….

"If a woman drives a car, not out of pure necessity, that could have negative physiological impacts as functional and physiological medical studies show that it automatically affects the ovaries and pushes the pelvis upwards. That is why we find those who regularly drive have children with clinical problems of varying degrees."

If They Are Covered Up, How Do Clerics Know Its A Woman Driving?

Really, these cretins are the leaders of the Sunni Muslim world. They often promote this nonsense around the world (often in place of real food aid, when disasters strike in places like Pakistan), and they expect the rest of us to take them seriously. I do have one obvious question, if they are covered up, to 'de-sex them' how do clerics know its a woman driving? .... it could be a man who likes to cross dress.

Ah well, that aside these are the beliefs of madmen ….. and the self proposed lords and masters in the next 'Caliphate', when it finally encompasses the non Muslim world. So all I can say is  'God', or should I say 'Allah', help us all, if that ever comes about, because we will see little mercy from these nutters.

Winter's Boney Grip

This week Winter arrived …. well proper Autumn at least. I can tell you the time, it was 16:37 pm on Wednesday, and as I walked down the street, in the mild air temperatures that we have gotten used to over the last few months, there was this sudden cold gust in my face.

Winter Can Strike Suddenly In Britain

I looked up from the reverie that usually accompanies my walks, and sure enough, scudding across the evening skies, driven by the zephyr that had broken my trance like thoughts, were dark clouds from the North East. They obviously bode nothing good, and sure enough there was no pity sitting in those dark clouds.  

Echoes Of The Past

Recently, on my way home, I heard a sound that sent the hairs on the back of my neck standing. Like something out of the dawn of history, and maybe not heard in Manchester since Caractacus fought the Romans .... Well alright, slight exaggeration, since the last time a German team came for a football match.

It was the massed ranks of the Bayern Munich football fans marching through the city centre, and chanting a battle cry!

Bayern Fans Chants Like A Primeval Echo

I say battle cry because it was unified singing, and without a doubt was a song of conquest or victory.

A loud repetition, of the same anthem .... it echoed off the walls of the high buildings and could be heard on and off throughout the city, long before they hove into my view. It reminded me of the Zulu chants in the movie of the same name, when they could only be heard through gaps in the hills. Or in this case, the gaps in the cities urban canyon walls .... Until suddenly they emerged in their thousands.

Maybe, the General Varus and Roman soldiers in the Teutoberg forest, would have heard the same sounds as they fought a final last stand, in any event it was something else.

Sadly I didn't record it on audio or video, or I would have posted my version of it, but I hope I have given you a pen portrait of a small, but dramatic moment .... and someone has at least posted a version of the chanting from their march on YouTube, so although not as I heard it, its something of the effect.



Oh yes, in case your wondering, it was a prophetic chant, as their team won 1 - 4 against Manchester City

The Lefts Greatest Trick?

The recent row with Ed Milliband, and the UK daily newspaper 'The Daily Mail' raised one interesting point for me (well apart from the fact that Socialists are a very thin skinned crowd, but happy to dish it out) .....

Simone de Beauvoir - Jean-Paul Sartre -
Ernesto Che Guevara. Cuba 1960 - All Marxist 'Theorists'.

..... which is that extremists on the Far Left are invariably described as 'Marxist Intellectuals' or 'Marxist Theorists,' and hold good jobs at universities. If they don't hold a publicly funded job, then they merely become 'Marxist Activists' .... there's a class system even amongst the lefties.

Seven Stans - Cockpit Of Terrorism

And now the world prepares to go to hell in a set of basket cases ...... as the largely failed US led NATO mission leaves Afghanistan at the end of the year, the Jihadist forces are already setting up bases inside Afghanistan in order to attack one or all of the seven 'stans'. Afghanistan, Krgyzstan, Kazakhstan,Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. Most of them are weak, economically poor, and already embroiled at a high level in the corruption brought about by the drug monies flowing out of Afghanistan.

There is no avoiding the fact that the US never really understood the region, and far from leaving it a better place, has by its mighty presence, largely destabilised the whole socio economic arena of the region to such an extent, that its possible that as well as Afghanistan; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan could also become destabilised over the coming decade, with at least two of these becoming Jihadist / Taliban strongholds.

The Seven 'Stans' The New Cockpit Of Terrorism?

The most vulnerable countries are Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, which share over 1,200 miles (1,900km) of borders with northern Afghanistan .... with Tajikistan in particular already propped up by 6,000 Russian troops. In the Badakhshan province on Afghanistan's north-west border, up to 500 Taliban militants have already ousted the Afghan forces from several districts in the province, and are now trying to take control of Iskashim, a key district and town, that also lies along the Afghan border. It is only separated from Tajikistan by the narrow Panj river which freezes over in winter, making forays into Tajikistan much easier.

So far from eradicating the problems of a terrorist state in Afghanistan, the West has merely spread the troubles over a wider area, and like the cork on a Djinn bottle, it can no longer be put back after being pulled. The fact that the 'stans' cannot agree on a common plan to protect their region after 2014 just makes the likelihood of a failure by one or more of them all the more likely ... a domino effect if you will, only this time its not the Communists, but an infinitely more frightening enemy.

American Cougar Strikes

Following on from my ‘Man Kills Bear with bare hands’ story  ….. one which I may add was scoffed at in some quarters .....

Big Cat Warnings Aren't For Nothing

... here’s a tale of a man killing a wild cougar with a spear in North America.

 

Yarnbombing And Other Pastimes

I have been looking increasingly at the bizarre side of life recently, probably because the normal world is so depressingly violent, petty and lacking in any sort of vision. I mean really, if the best we can get is David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ (which won’t last a minute after his premiership ends), or President Obama’s wordy flights of rhetoric (on everything from race, genocide and gun control), but which often, doesn’t amount to a hill of beans (he too will be soon forgotten – apart from as a footnote in history as the first black US President), then we live in a shabby age.

So if we want some excitement, or just some plain old weirdness, we have to look outside of the public arena, and to the private one … the things people do when they think no one is looking, or that they consider normal at some level.  So how about these strange past times ....

Yarnbombing - Can Have Funny Results

Yarnbombing (aka guerrilla knitting): the practice of knitting clothing for otherwise unclothed statues, then secretly clothing said statues with the clothing.  Strange results ensue, but apart from the cost of council workers removing it, no harm is done. Particularly popular in the US, but not seen in the UK much (Traffic Bollards for hats seems to be our limits).

 

Keeping A Cultural Identity

I have been watching "The Story Of The Jews" by the historian Simon Schama, and its been very interesting.

 

Jewish Wedding

Of course the story has one underlying narrative thread, one of the continual persecution of the Jews through out the ages, from the Babylonian sacking of Jerusalem in 586 BC, and then repeatedly thereafter.

Let Them Eat Cakes

As has been mentioned before, the control of the national wealth in the hands of the Royal Families in the Oil rich Arab countries, has increasingly led to abuses. 

 

Man City FC - Bought By State Wealth

 

One example is the purchasing and financing of football teams around the world, using what should be 'public money'.