i just love fire engines!

the father of paranormal studies

The "Wild Talents" thesis

In recounting a wide variety of odd phenomena, Fort largely disregards his previous teleportation theory, or at least incorporates him into his new thesis. Rather than a vague "Cosmic joker", as he postulated in his earlier books, the responsibility for these occurrences are freak powers that occur in the human mind, that cannot be naturally developed, but are there, Fort feels, as a sort of throwback to primeval times.

Fort discusses many topics he had touched on before, though generally in more detail than in his other works - poltergeists, spontaneous human combustion, animal mutilations, vampires, and ghosts - along with many supposed cases of psychokinesis and ability to control one's surroundings. His thesis is that in primeval times, man needed such extraordinary powers in order to survive in the wilderness, and that all people can potentially develop these powers if they literally put their mind to it. He also explores alleged cases of witchcraft and murder by mental suggestion, compiling an impressive list of "occult criminology" (people apparently being murdered under peculiar or unexplainable circumstances) in support. He also attacks the general sense of taboo which he feels prevents wild talents from being accepted, and suggests that such "talents" would become acceptable if science would deem them as such.

Fort also plays around with the idea that humans are able to transform into animals at will, citing a number of cases of werewolves and other similar creatures such as gorillas and hyenas. He also casually (and quite humorously) dismisses, in one chapter, reports of a talking dog that "disappeared in a thin, greenish vapor", because, in his view, it is an extraordinary event, and he only deals with quite ordinary ones.

Fort also briefly mentions a purported psychic occurrence that happened to him and his family, where he imagined a picture frame in his house falling from the wall, and of course it happened. He regards this with his usual tongue-in-cheek manner, and it is doubtful (as usual) that he seriously believes what he is saying.

This book is available as part of Dover Publications' collection of The Complete Works of Charles Fort.

the parable of wild talents!

This is Wild Talents! Matt, Alicat, Tara and Eliza (pics of Eliza are coming!!)
We play in my basement right now, but these photos are in Matt's basement. Our producer, Shamus, is a boxer. Not a fighter, but a dog. I'll try to figure out how to post songs later. I don't feel up to the challenge right now!

apple cookies!

NGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 2 cups rolled oats
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
* 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 tablespoon milk

I made these apple cookies yesterday! They are simple and soooo good! today, i will make them and substitute bananas for the eggs and cut the sugar down some. I also omitted the walnuts. I would also like to try them with golden raisins, mostly because we have boxes of them that the kids won't eat.
Yesterday, I started the paper clay portions of my pumpkins. I guess I haven't posted about this project yet, but I have pictures I will put up later today. I LOVE paper pulp clay!!!

your song

Claudia

Couldn't even tell her own husband about her faith in Jesus...she waited until he was going to be crucified until she spoke up! Even then, her message seems elusive and had I been her husband, I don't know that it would have spoken to me, either. Am I afraid to tell my husband of my faith in Jesus? not all the time, but not all the time, either. Now, the world...is it a different story? Sometimes...I feel safe to write about him on my blog or to tell my friends who also Believe, but what about when it is uncomfortable? what about when it isn't taken well? what about to strangers? then do I clam up and speak out of the side of my mouth? of course I do! I do not like it when I feel uncomfortable! I would tell you about the UFO I saw when I was 8 or about how I believe there are people blessed with "unnatural" gifts, I will tell you about the few cases of documented spontaneous combustion, but tell you about how Jesus saved my life and died for me? probably won't go there..you may feel uncomfortable, too! Today, can I change my ways and speak the truth everywhere I go? Can I talk about music and love and art and not say Jesus name? How can I when my gifts came from God! How can I pick up a brush and spread beauty when I am not willing to say how it came about?! I cannot. So I must change my ways, I must talk about it, about Jesus, about God, about how he changed me from a wicked junkie into a loving woman of God. Here we go....

the knife

I am so in love with this! visually and audiolly!!!