A theory explaining ghostly appearances

 There are many testimonies to seeing ghosts and strange apparitions. There are unexplained accounts of ghosts, hauntings and paranormal phenomena, which have created ghost tours, ghost hunts, books, films and videos about related subjects. There is a fascination with ghosts, tales of mystery and imagination.

Explanations for these accounts of ghosts and apparitions have been put down to imagination, tricks of the light, misunderstanding, wishful thinking, superstition and ignorance. A scientific and rational explanation is said to be necessary or available. However, sometimes the evidence, sometimes photographic, and the testimony of credible witnesses would lead to the conclusion that some things are unexplained and beyond our current understanding. There are fascinating photographs on Google images and YouTube videos showing mysterious figures, faces and shapes. Some would appear to defy rational explanation. They remain unexplained.

There are those who were once sceptical or against any belief in ghosts or the supernatural who have radically changed their minds after an encounter, a siting or an experience of unexplained phenomena.

I have met people who are absolutely convinced about seeing a ghost, or of seeing an angel, and even feeling a touch of someone who disappeared. They would deny it was a trick of the light, or an imagined event. They remain convinced of their experience. No rational explanation satisfies them.

One explanation of ghostly phenomena and apparitions, which I find worthy of consideration, is that some events in the past have in some way recorded or replayed the events as a result of certain conditions and residual energies. Today we can replay events on a video recorder, film projector or photographic device.

Perhaps it is possible, under unusual conditions, for past events to be replayed or reproduced in some way. Certain atmospheric conditions could bring back past images like a video recording or movie film.

Be thankful and be generous, and find blessing

Being thankful and having a generous heart will bring you blessing. It is more blessed to give than to receive, words of Jesus recorded outside the Gospels in Acts 20:35. There is blessing in giving, and not just at Christmas. Being thankful, having a grateful heart full of thanksgiving, praise and appreciation of many blessings will bring joy and spiritual benefit. It is good, very worthwhile to count your blessings. It will help your state of mind, keep you positive and happy. It is an essential part of the Christian life and integral to our happiness. Be joyful always; pray continually; GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

 God loves a generous and cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7. Through giving we can bless others, encourage them, invest in their lives, projects and plans. We can cheer them up and on to greater things. Compared with many people in the world we are rich and greatly blessed. The rich are commanded to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18.

Donald Trump has been defeated and has failed to accept it

Donald Trump is clearly causing trouble and strife. He is making wild accusations and assertions about election fraud without foundations. This puts him in a poor light and is another nail in his political coffin. Like a zombie or vampire this one term US President is among the undead. His days as POTUS are over. Trumps needs to accept reality. His defeat is no lie or fake news. It is the truth that he cannot take. To say, as he has done, that he won the election is a lie. It is time for the lies to stop and now the fireworks are declaring a Biden victory.

Trump looks like a sore and sour loser

Donald Trump will not concede defeat graciously or go quietly from the White House. He will leave with claims of fraud and injustice, and that makes him look like a poor, bad, sad loser who cannot take defeat. His days as POTUS are soon to be over and now he must get ready to pack his bags and leave for new pastures. Trump is another one term president who failed to win a second term; he, however, did run a closely contested election campaign and win millions of votes, more than when he was elected.

Comrade Corbyn shows his poor judgment again

When it was time to accept that anti-semitism had been present in the Labour Party, Corbyn has denied its extent and has failed to appreciate the harm, hurt and grief, particularly in the Jewish community. The Equality and Human Rights Commission report has made the position clear and its findings reveal shameful behaviour and failures, breaches of the law in the Equality Act. Sir Keir Starmer is trying to move on and stamp out the cancer of anti-semitism in the Labour Party. He supports the decision to suspend Corbyn, and not to permit any denial of the problem. It was on Corbyn's watch that these failures took place. Corbyn failed the Jewish community and would not deal adequately with their complaints and concerns. He deserves to be consigned to the political wilderness. Corbynism was a toxic brand. Thankfully Corbyn is no longer leader. He was the worst ever by far, completely out of his depth.

Not another novichok poisoning

The Russian authorities have denied that Alexei Navalny was poisoned by one of their nerve agents, novichok. Well they have got a nerve! Not a surprise to the German scientists. This is Russian poison. It comes from Russia alone; no one else has been successful in its production. It is a military grade bio weapon, the weapon of choice to be used against opponents of the Russian state.

Opposition, political opposition, is clearly dangerous in Russia today. Denial of poisoning is the expected response when there is clear evidence of the deployment of novichok or polonium.

There are two possibilities.  The poisoning was state sponsored and authorized at the highest level.
The other explanation is a rogue, black operation by criminals. Criminals clearly carried out this poisoning. Most people believe it was an act of criminals linked to Vlad the gangster, the Vozhd, who approved it. 

Woodland Trust: more photographs of Crowdhill and Upper Barn Copses

Somehow some of my photographs and comments disappeared into cyberspace. I mentioned that when I entered Crowdhill Copse I was hoping to walk along the path without dodging cyclists. Two cyclists did not respect the no cycling sign. It was good to take the less travelled paths through the
copses.

Beautiful ferns  in Crowdhill Copse

Looking south to Stoke Park Wood from Upper Barn Copse

After the heatwave came heavy rain in Crowdhill Copse

   
I love the abundance of ferns in Crowdhill Copse




 
On the path less travelled in Upper Barn Copse

  

Leaving Upper Barn Copse by a side entrance

Crowdhill Copse and Upper Barn Copse, in the care of Woodland Trust

 Recently I have enjoyed walking in Woodland Trust places near Stoke Park Wood, Bishopstoke, Hampshire. This richly wooded area, near Fisher's Pond, is well worth visiting if you like peaceful and lovely walks among ancient well managed woodland. Stoke Park Wood was once the hunting grounds of the Bishops of Winchester and King John.

Today I photographed my walk in Crowdhill Copse and Upper Barn Copse among the tall trees and along pleasant paths through wonderful woods. I support the Woodland Trust in their commitment to looking after our trees and preventing the loss of trees and wildlife in our woodland. 

The main entrance to Upper Barn Copse

Update 20/08/2020 Some of my photographs vanished into cyberspace but I have put some more in my next blog. I hope you enjoy them.

BORN TO LIVE AND NOT TO DIE

I had heard about serious bribery, corruption, economic malpractice, fraud, mendacity and stifling bureaucracy in Nigerian, but I did not know it was so bad until I read Professor Hippolite Amadi's account of these appalling crimes and manifestly evil deeds. Professor Amadi had to wade through layers of iniquity and incompetence in defence of neonatal life. The situation he describes is woeful and shameful. Medical professionals in Nigeria that caused the avoidable deaths of neonates should be ashamed of their actions and attitudes. The high levels of neonatal fatalities in Nigeria were horrendous. He put his life at risk to save the lives of babies. Through terrible times of adversity and opposition, Professor Amadi managed to save countless neonates, put procedures in place and establish best practice in order that excellent neonatal care would be carried out for years to come. 

 The Nigerian medical service is considerably in his debt, and now he should be rewarded for his ground breaking work, truly an outstanding contribution to neonatal care, which has resulted in  the vastly improved management of well maintained incubators. 

I hope and pray that his book, Born to Live and not to Die, will have the impact that Professor Amadi intended.  It is published by Mereo Books, Cirencester, 2020, an imprint of Memoir Books Ltd. 

www.mereobooks.com

www.memoirspublishing.com

ISBN 978-1-86151-952

Today there are many people still involved in the bribery and corruption in Nigeria. It has sadly even permeated the church and Christian fellowships who have been complicit and active in various forms of malpractice and mercenary money grabbing schemes. Some of these fellowships should look to the enormous mission field in northern Nigeria and in the opportunities among very needy Nigerians who have suffered from the tide of corruption and mismanagement of funds. Professor Amadi once told me that when he travelled in certain areas of Nigeria these prosperous and successful preachers, pastors and prophets are nowhere to be seen. They seem to go where the money is rather than where the need is. 

Saturday on the Solent: many ways to enjoy the seaside

This morning at Stubbington and by Titchfield Nature reserve, it was a popular place of recreation, rest and relaxation.

On Beacon Hill, the nature reserve, Hampshire

Early one July morning I drove to Beacon Hill, where I parked in an empty car park that was full when I returned to my car. 

Covidiocy, a new word on the block

Covidiocy means reckless, stupid, selfish behaviour during the Covid-19, Coronavirus pandemic. We see it manifested in gatherings and mass protests when social distancing is ignored and respect for the safety of others is seriously put at risk. It is common among people who do not care for the welfare of others, believing that their selfish pleasures and good times override all other considerations.

There is a verse in the second epistle of Paul to Timothy that warns of those who are treacherous, reckless, pleasure lovers rather than God lovers, (2 Timothy 3:4).

The cancer of counterproductive cancel culture

In our universities, college campuses and student union bars there is a dark and deeply depressing threat to free speech and open discussion. No platforming and cancel culture along with woke mentalities are curbing free speech by not allowing certain views, opinions and narratives, which do not accord with the prevailing spirit of the age, which I would call "wokeness". This wokeness does not permit or tolerate contrary opinion or any deviation from the supposed and supported orthodoxy. It embraces anti-racism as a sort of new religion, yet can permit and endorse violence and physical assault of any opponents, any enemies of this new creed. Sometimes it is, in fact, racist in condoning intimidation and assaults on white folks, or any folks, who criticize their methods and means of protest. Sometimes they accuse people of white supremacy and fascism without evidence or just cause. There is verbal and physical violence against the Police, Government officials, probation and social workers, voluntary and church workers and various institutions that they believe to be racist, anti LGBTQ +? and fascist. They have set themselves up as arbiters of social justice, social equality, and politically correct positions. They are intolerant and illiberal in stopping others from speaking out and following a different narrative. They wish to be judge, jury and jailers, providers of punishment without a fair hearing. They do not wish to hear and to listen to anything that departs from their position, and they are prepared to use violence and vandalism to obtain their ends. 

There is even an attempt to rewrite history, to remove facts and realities that do not fit into their narrow world view. Inconvenient truths are ignored and opinions with faulty interpretations override what actually occurred. This cancel culture and no platforming intolerance that opposes fair play and decency must be defeated. We need to wake up to the dangers of wokeness.

John Lewis, Freedom Marcher and Civil Rights Campaigner, R.I.P.

John Lewis, the veteran Freedom Marcher and Civil Rights Campaigner, has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 80.

He was born on 21 February 1940 in Troy, Alabama, where he had little contact with white folks.  He became active in student politics and civil rights. John Lewis was a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee and went on to gain a bachelor's degree in Religion and Philosophy at Fisk University, also in Nashville. Fisk University, formerly the Fisk Free Colored School, was affiliated to the United Church of Christ. It is the oldest higher education institution in Nashville.

In 1960 John Lewis was involved in non-violent protests organized by the civil rights movement against segregation at lunch counters. Martin Luther King, who had inspired JL, spoke at Fisk in May 1960 in support of the civil rights movement (CRM). With Diane Nash, JL managed to lead the protests in desegregating lunch counters and forming the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Nashville sit-in movement. JL always preached and practised non-violence as the best way of protesting and campaigning against injustice, racism and intolerance.

In 1961 JL was one of the 13 original members of the Freedom Riders, black and white men, who went by public transport together, from Washington, DC, to New Orleans, Louisiana, against the segregation policies of transportation systems. JL was badly beaten by white assailants during the freedom rides and was imprisoned for 40 days in the Mississippi State Penitentiary for his activity as a freedom rider.

In April 1967 there were student protests at Fisk and Tennessee State University following Stokely Carmichael's visit to Vanderbilt University and subsequent police brutality. Many protestors and civil rights campaigners marched from Fisk to the Nashville courthouse to complain about  police violence during an alleged "race riot". JL never condoned violence from any quarter.


To be continued.

Monday 20 July 2020

I note that many tributes, eulogies and words of praise have been recorded over the weekend. There have been historic photographs in the newspapers of John Lewis at the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965, when he was at the front with Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta King. It was at a civil rights voting march in Selma, also in 1965, that JL was clubbed by a state trooper when he was on his knees, down of the ground by the roadside! His non-violent protest is in stark contrast to the brutal action of the vicious state trooper.

JL was the youngest speaker at the famous Freedom March in Washington DC in 1963.

In the US House of Representatives  he served for 33 years, representing a district in Georgia, from 1986 and was called "the conscience of the US Congress".

Today there is a campaign to rename the Selma Bridge, where he marched and often visited, after him.

Justice for the victims of the evil Epstein empire

The cause of the victims of the Epstein sex trafficking empire is gaining traction, support and social media activism. Many folk are demanding justice for these women wounded, damaged, hurt and harmed by mendacious and manipulative sexual predators. These victims have been ignored and badly treated for too long. Now the truth of their ordeals is coming to light. They are standing up and shedding light on the dark deeds of influential sex criminals in the face of harsh heat from legal advisers and spin swine.

These victims deserve justice and help. Some journalists, law enforcement officials and government agents should be ashamed of their cowardice and failure to act and aid these women when they asked for an honest and rigorous investigation into their allegations. Now it seems their cause and cries will be heard. May justice for them be seen, served and delivered.

An evening walk in Stoke Park Wood, Bishopstoke

It is a joy to walk in Stoke Park Wood on a warm evening in high summer. This area was once the hunting grounds of King John and the Bishops of Winchester, who were some of the richest men in Christendom. They lived in luxury and enjoyed the highest standard of living at that time. Take a trip to Bishop's Waltham and imagine life in the Great Hall in the Bishop's Palace there.

In Stoke Park Wood deer still roam. Today the Forestry Commission looks after flora, fauna and forest. There are many beautiful tall trees, pleasant paths and tracks. Cycle riders enjoy the challenge of the specially constructed track, which is now being used again after lockdown closure.

I am truly thankful that there is still a clear line of sight from Stoke Park Wood to Winchester, without ribbon development, high rise buildings, houses and industrial enterprise areas spoiling this view.