Italian Architects In Bangkok - Monuments To Their Artistry Wednesday, Nov 19 2008 

Italian architects in Bangkok, Annibale Rigotti and MarioTamagno have created magnificent landmarks in the city, a throne hall, two palaces, an old Catholic church of Portuguese origin, a memorial library for a Danish Protestant and the building housing the seat of government, Government House.

The two architects came to work in Bangkok at the turn of the 20th century during the reign of King Rama V, when the king decided to build a new palace complex in Dusit Garden. Their work in Bangkok during the Fifth and Sixth Reigns was to leave an indelible impression for years to come.

Turin is a city known for Fiat, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, fashion design and its School of Architecture. Annibale Rigotti, (1870 - 1968) graduated from this school and was responsible for several buildings in Turin as well as a railway station in Turkey and two theaters in Bulgaria.

When Siam Commercial Bank started business in 1906; Rigotti was commissioned to design the first branch in Talad Noi near the Chao Phraya River. Completed in 1910, this beautiful building was the venue for the centenary celebrations of the oldest bank in Thailand on 30 January 2006.

In 1906, Bang Khun Prom Palace was built for Prince Nakorn Sawan or Prince Paribatra, the 33th son of King Rama V. The palace, near the King Rama VIII Bridge, now houses the Bank of Thailand Museum and displays the old Thai currency. Another Italian architect in Bangkok, Mario Tamagno was responsible for this palace.

The two Italian architects in Bangkok, Rigotti and Tamagno teamed up in 1907 to produce a masterpiece, the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall in the Royal Plaza. This majestic domed structure was completed in 1915 in the reign of King Rama VI.

The second piece of palace architecture by Tamagno was the Suan Kularb Residential Hall and Throne Hall in Dusit Garden, the residence of Prince Asdang Dejavudh, a son of King Rama V.

Tamagno continued with the Hua Lampong Railway Station in 1910, a familiar Bangkok landmark near Chinatown. The station was completed in 1912 and became the rail terminal for trains from all over Thailand.

In 1913 King Rama VI (1910 - 1925) ordered the rebuilding of the Santa Cruz Church. The old Portuguese church was first built in 1770 and again in 1835. The 1913 structure, with its characteristic dome and décor, bears the mark of the talented pair of Rigotti and Tamagno.

When Jennie Neilson Hayes, a Danish Protestant missionary doing charitable work in Thailand, died in 1920 her husband devoted a library in her memory. Opened in 1922, the Neilson Hayes Library in Surawongse Road, next to the British Club, is another of Mario Tamagno’s creations.

Baan Norasingh, the family home of General Chao Phraya Ram Rakhop, is the work of Annibale Rigotti in 1923. Virtually a palace on 11 acres of land, the home was requisitioned by the Thai government after the June 1932 coup.

This grand building became Government House with the offices of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Kings, Presidents and captains of industry have graced the reception halls.

Annibale Rigotti and Mario Tamagno, two Italian architects in Bangkok for almost a quarter of a century, have left behind a rich heritage and splendid monuments to their artistry.

The Italian architects in Bangkok first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok.
The author Eric Lim, a free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok Thailand.

Tara and Phoenicia Tuesday, Nov 18 2008 

Tara:

There are many places named Tara in far-flung regions of the world. Near the city of Bruttium in Italy we have one such town or city during the time of Pythagoras and I think this following piece that addresses this spiritual Keltic place is connected with Pythagoras through the likes of his Dean of Studies named Abaris the Druid.

The Sun god, Mithras, was the most widely worshipped deity in the Roman Empire in the first century when Christianity was first forming. Mithras was called the Son of God, the light of the world, he was a redeemer and savior and his birthday was celebrated on December twenty-fifth. He eventually died and was buried in a cave and was resurrected three days later. Sound familiar? Constantine is said to have converted to Christianity but that is pure ‘Spin’ from the editor of the Bible. He was a Mithras worshipper and they are Heliopolitans or Luciferians just like Hitler and his ‘torch-bearer’ crap. IESA is in Iesoos of the fish symbol and IXOYE as well as many other pre-Christian things they appropriated; which the Father of Biblical Archaeology says shows the Bible is a ‘Phoenician literary legacy’. It is not the first time you have heard about it.

Iesa also can be shown in Zeus and Hijaz or even Giza or Gizeh when you understand the aspirant ‘H’ which still allows people to pronounce Jesus as Hey-soos or Julio as Who-lio. The lack of ‘J’ in most pre-Christian alphabets is important and we can learn a lot about words when we take out the vowels and look for doubling or reversing consonants. I think doubling shows a removal from the original so we see Bible and Babel and Byblos are all from BL or Bel and Ba’al whose city or ‘bek’ is very ancient indeed.

So a Jew includes all those noble arch-tectons (see Septuagint) who built the Pyramid - that means all elites. And elites have been known to use their FLOCK as sword or cannon fodder. Hitler learned about this ancient culture of Wotan, Iesa, the Vaner and the Gaedhils who are the builders of the Pyramid in pre-Hyksos time.

“Conor Newman, an archaeology lecturer at the National University of Ireland at Galway, located the subterranean temple of Tara. Since 1992, Newman has been working on the Hill of Tara preparing a survey of the area for the state-funded Discovery Program. He found the Tara monument using an underground radar device. ‘It fills a very important place in the jigsaw because it allows us to make sense of the distribution of other monuments all around it,’ says Newman.1

The Discovery Program, set up under the auspices of the Heritage Council, carried out a survey of the Hill of Tara between 1992 and 1996 when Mr. Newman was director.

When Mr. Newman moved to Galway he continued to be involved in the project. Using sophisticated technology, he and his team of experts mapped what was underground. Like Theseus, they seek the secrets of the labyrinth-dwelling Mino-Taur, the King of Tara. The work is slow and tedious, because it has yielded such a huge amount of information.

What they uncovered eventually at the crown of the hill was a huge, oval-shaped monument measuring about 170 meters at its widest point. Around it are 300 postholes measuring two meters wide. Evidence indicates this `Crown’ (tiara) of Tara was constructed through an enormous effort. 300 towering oak posts once surrounded the hill.

‘We think it probably dates from 2500 to 2300 BC and still had a big physical presence even after the posts were taken out or rotted,’ Mr. Newman said.2

This is the approximate time of Abraham, the “son of Terah” who became the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (the three religions at the root of the holy War on Terror).

His “Oaks of Mamre” were well known and long revered.3 Credible evidence of them has never been discovered in the Holy Land. However, in Ireland clear evidence is found at Tara.

Legend says Abraham’s oaks existed from the beginning of the world, and used to be green and bear leaves until his descendent Jesus died, when it and all sacred oaks were cut down.

Jesus (called Pan-Tara, `god of Tara’) is known in ancient Irish history as Iessa, a name derived from I.A. or E.A. (pronounced Eye-a), the Sumerian creator god who was portrayed wearing a fish suit. Lord Melchizedek, the Pope-king of Jerusalem (Ire-u-salem) and forerunner of Christ who initiated Abraham and his wife, Sarah,4 is equated with E.A. The Irish called him the sun god Fin (an Irish name for the Sun), a pun on fish. The Irish are called the Children of the Sun, because in Egypt Ra, the Ray or the Ra-Eye is the Sun. Ra’s symbol is an eye. Hence, the term Iris or Irish.

Fin (E.A.) presided over the Tara assembly, as a Druid in strangely flowered garments, and with a double-pointed head-dress and bearing in his hand a book. His two-headed miter of fishy form, his upright rod, spotted or checkered garment and basket in hand, are symbols that align him with E.A. His column (i, eye) or pillar of Tara is remembered as the Tree of Life of numerous traditions.” (1)

My continuing research includes the clandestine associations of John Toland and various English Lords in control of Ireland. They include a Lord Southwell whose family had possession of certain Irish books that the English would not allow the Irish to possess or read. It appears he was able to wend a story about a time when Gaul was more important than Ireland and represent Ireland as a serfdom thereof, in his book The History of the Druids. Toland came to this effort that included various Royal Society and Ashmolean Museum members of the Rosicrucian fraternity with a special expertise in Hebrew and Irish linguistic studies. This in itself is interesting due to the connection of their Phoenician similarities and roots. The fact that he begins his book with reference to the most important personage named Abaris the Druid or Hyperborean is most relevant. I have discovered Abaris can be translated as Rabbi and I believe his sun worship credentials noted by Toland are entirely important to the Luciferian or Ostrogothic people whose nobles have ruled so much of this world for all of recent history. (2)

Alexander’s father defeated Scythia and prepared the plan or was part of that plan that saw Alexander do what he did including have many of his generals or backers marry Persians. Darius is seen on coins in the so-called New World too. I think in a far earlier time these people where both in the same noble family and they knew this and planned to re-kindle their dominion over the whole world.

Are they intent on keeping us in the dark and treating us like mushrooms for some ulterior reason? Mushrooms thrive on manure but humans perform better when provided firsthand information rather than manipulative, trite and false statistics that compare us against others. We must authenticate authority and it must demonstrate a creative and loving purpose before we entitle it to lead us into the vast horizons of creative universe which aren’t (and never were) limited by some Malthusian economic model. They also aren’t limited by the potential to destroy us, when you consider biotechnology, nanotechnology, mind-control, robots with human and other biological components as well as the usual greed and power needs of insecure deviates.

Author of many books available at Lulu and World-Mysteries.com

Art in Sacred Places Tuesday, Nov 18 2008 

Charlie Millar is an artist working in Camberwell, London. His recent exhibition was Lifeforms, at Gallery 27, Cork Street. This mainly showed coloured oils paintings, and also some casts. He now has a commission from Canterbury Cathedral, Britain’s most important ecclesiastical building.

With this commission, he has placed an installation of 300 perspex casts, each a hand-made work of art, on the floor of the Eastern Crypt of Canterbury Catherdral, creating a jewel-like carpet of intricate, compound, polished crystal. The work is to be unveiled for the duration of Lent 2006.
This work celebrates the tiniest of objects of creation in Britain’s most important ecclesiastic building. The Dean of Canterbury, the Very Revd Robert Willis said “Works of art help us to reinterpret the spaces of this amazing Cathedral Church. Canterbury has long been associated with pilgrimage and this work shows the imprint of many human lives passing through this place. It is illustrative, not only of the Parable of the Sower, but also of the pilgrim path to Canterbury.”

The perspex casts will be laid out on the paving of the crypt in a 4.18 x 1.35 rectangle. This new pavement will contain 44 perpex bricks long and seven wide, using over 308 casts, each unique, meticulously polished and joined together into one seamless dazzling work of art. Visitors should be able to see each cast in detail and to appreciate the variety of shapes and colours of the individual casts, inspired by forms found in the natural world,

William Blake said that All that Lives is Sacred. Many of the casts contain seeds or beans at varying stages of growth or decay, while other objects, someties classified as waste have been elevated in status and might find themselves adjacent to a cast containing something of more typical “value”; a piece of jewellery, a crucifix, or a fine botanical drawing. Many of the natural elements cast in perspex come from the garden of Lambeth Palace, where the artist keeps bees.

Pictures of the casts, individually and as composites, can be seen at www.charliemillar.com.

Daisy Evans is a writer and editor.

99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall: Francis Scott Key Monday, Nov 17 2008 

In 1814 Francis Scott Key was on board an American ship behind the British fleet as it bombarded Fort McHenry. They viewed the bombardment from about 8 miles away. After the bombardment, the American Flag was still flying. This inspired key to write our National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.

Read about Francis Scott key at http://www.nps.gov/fomc/tguide/Lesson9a.htm. He was born in Maryland to a wealthy family. He was practicing law at the time of the bombardment. The reason he was in the harbor was to gain release from the British Dr. William Beanes, his client and close friend.

A religious man, he once decided to leave the law for the ministry. He was against the war of 1812 but he put aside his concerns and served briefly in the field artillery.

Key had written an earlier poem entitled When the Warrior Returns in 1806. The “Warriors” were those that fought the Barbary Pirates. (See http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anacron2.html) He put this to song by using an old English drinking song called To Anacreon in Heaven. When he wrote The Star Spangled Banner he put it to the same tune.

Anacreon was a Greek lyric poet that lived in the Fifth Century B.C. The Anacreontic Society was a popular gentlemen’s club in London. You can see a copy of the song at http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/anacreon.html.

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My Dentist - A Really Cool Guy! Saturday, Nov 15 2008 

I am very excited that I will be able to conduct my third interview very soon. This time it will be with my dentist, Dr. Rajiv Arya, who, as you will see, is a very interesting, unique and multi-faceted individual.

I have been seeing the same dentist for almost 10 years now and I think he is a really cool guy. He is young, bright, not to mention good-looking, as well as very friendly and helpful. A long time ago, when I did not have dental insurance coverage, he reduced his rates which really helped me out financially a great deal at the time, something that I appreciate to this day.

In my opinion Dr. Rajiv Arya is a very interesting and unique individual. We have had many conversations over the years during my dental visits and I have had a chance to learn a bit more about him. Not only is Dr. Arya an accomplished dental surgeon, he also completed a law degree and today practices corporate and commercial law specializing in the health care industry. This is in addition to practicing as a dental surgeon. Needless to say, he completed his dentistry and law degrees with the highest academic honours and awards.

But we are not just dealing with a distinguished over-achiever here. Dr. Arya is truly a multi-faceted individual with a pronounced humanitarian side. Dr. Arya successfully completed a competitive duathalon in September, 2004 and is currently in training for a trekking expedition traveling to the Himalayas scheduled for March, 2005. The trekking expedition is also to contain a significant study and volunteering component. I will hopefully be able to convince him to file reports from his expedition to the Himalayas in the upcoming weeks.

Dr. Arya has volunteered his time throughout his career(s) in various countries including Canada, India, Malawi and Zambia. He has participated in racial equity and leadership initiatives in South Africa, Poland and Germany; including the study of the far-reaching effects of apartheid and the holocaust. The topic of racial equity and tolerance has been very dear to my own heart and I look forward to probing these topics more in our interview.

Dr. Arya is also scheduled to be a focus commentator in a documentary, entitled ‘The Gate’, currently in post-production that attempts to analyze the tragedies of the holocaust from a pluralistic perspective. Dr. Arya is also on the board of Directors of Health Outreach - a registered Canadian charity (http://www.healthoutreach.ca/) that focuses on providing free health care to children in developing countries using innovative delivery models.

So, stay tuned, for a very interesting interview with a great guy - my dentist!

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons”.

The article is published at Travel and Transitions - Interviews

Taking Voice Lessons Friday, Jun 27 2008 

You can often see people cherishing a secret desire to become a singer one day. It is said that to be a singer you need to possess a sweet voice with a sense for music. But that is not all. You have seen in television programs, how the amateur people join the show and sing their heart out to become a professionally recognized singer. Practice makes a man perfect. Definitely you should have some kind of musical sense. But that alone will not do to make your dream come true. You should follow vocal lessons with full dedication. Together they all can help you to achieve your dream.

You may wish to be a rock star or a pop star or you can dedicate yourself for classical music. You cannot do it alone. You need a teacher - a teacher who knows how to guide you to your dream. A famous singer may not always be that much good teacher. A teacher is a person who has the knowledge to guide you through the proper channel. In Minnesota there are several musical schools to offer you vocal lessons. If you search online you will find some professional singers who give lessons.

If you want your singing habit to be your profession, some schools offer you placement as well. You can go to the schools or can request the schools to send a teacher at your place for vocal lessons. They will arrange accordingly. As a teacher is the only one responsible to mould your singing future, always find the best teacher who can understand you and your desire. Start your run to reach your dream. There are professionals to be the force under your wings. So, let your vocal chords express your emotions and the world know about the singing prowess.

Diesel Technician: some training on the web Tuesday, May 20 2008 

A moderately high income is expected for a diesel mechanic or diesel service technician. People in this field are able to find employment throughout the United States, but success peaks in the larger cities that are dense with trucking companies, bus lines, and other fleet owners have large operations. Trade schools combine efforts with companies to provide work for recent graduates.

Even while working another job, Diesel Mechanic students are still able to attend classes at home by using the Internet.

By earning the proper certification by an online Diesel Mechanic School, you can expect excitement and high pay in your career where you will be responsible for the repair of heavy equipment vehicles, diesel truck engines, and buses. Skills in the areas of diesel fuel and ignition system repair as well as automotive engine repair are taught via distance learning modules. Diesel Mechanics understand hydromechanical diesel fuel injection, computerized truck and bus systems, emissions, diesel powertrains, truck steering, suspension, brake and transmission systems, electronic technology fundamentals, and advanced diagnostic systems.

Online training courses take from 6 months to two years to complete, which will be decided upon by the school you attend. Upon completion, graduates are rewarded with certificates, diplomas or degrees as Diesel Mechanics, Diesel Service Technicians, Diesel Truck Service Technicians or Auto-Diesel Mechanic. Upon receiving your degree as a Certified Diesel Mechanic, you may begin to apply to work in automotive repair shops. Diesel Mechanics can even go on to start the own business if they so desire.

Choosing a Paralegal Program Saturday, Apr 26 2008 

To accomplish your dream to become a paralegal is to complete a paralegal program. These are different at each school so choose wisely and try not to worry yourself.
Paralegal: A Growing Profession

There are more paralegals today than anyone could have imagined back when they first came about more than forty years ago. To date, there are more than 120,000 paralegals working in the United States, and others worldwide. The professionals serve our law offices, and work for our government as well as in corporate and public areas. Because there has been such a grand expansion, the paralegals are highly respected in their communities.

If you would like to join the growing numbers of paralegals, then you will need to prepare yourself by earning an education, now more so than ever before. You can choose from more than 600 programs here in the U.S. so don’t just settle for a local institution. Your choice will determine your success. You can choose from different programs, all of which are different in length and content:

• Associate degree
• Baccalaureate Degree
Paralegal Certificate Program
• Master’s Degree

Remember that your school of choice is vital to your earned education so don’t take this decision lightly. Prepare yourself for success!