Pope declares, ‘I am [Peter the] Roman!’ slams Israel, related to Beyonce?

New Pope's Illuminati and familial blood connection to Queen Beyonce?

Pope Leo’s plea: [Bibi,] open Gaza for humanity’s sake| DRM News | AK1B

ROME — [The new Black American (Creole)] Pope Leo XIV declared himself a Roman on Sunday as he completed the final ceremonial steps cementing his role as the bishop of Rome.

He speaks perfect U.S. English like no pope in history

• [Is Pope Leo unaware of the prophecy of Saint Malachy, The Prophecy of the Popes, or is he admitting his identity as an antichrist figure, or is he shoving it in the faces of conspiracy theorists to mock them because he's actually the nicest guy anyone would ever want to meet, particularly at a ballgame in Chi Town or a Peruvian temple in the former Incan Empire?]

• 

  Petro, you are my Rocko; I make you 1st Papa

  COMMENTARY: A "Peter" is a Rock (Petra), which is the foundation of the Church, which is a pope, as the first patriarch (pope) was. Perhaps to be a Peter is simply to be a Pope, so to say, "I am a Roman" is tantamount to teasing the world by saying, "I am Peter the Roman"(Petrus Romanus).
• Who's next Pope? Trump or Peter the Roman?
• VIDEO: What to know about BLACK (Louisiana Creole) Pope Leo XIV's ancestry (CBS)

New Orleans Creole is more than Black. It's color mixed.

.

I would of done a bester job then thiz Black Guy

The first American pope formally took possession of the St. John Lateran Basilica, which is Rome’s cathedral and seat of the diocese, with an evening Mass attended by Roman priests and faithful.

In his homily, Pope Leo said he wanted to listen to them “in order to learn, understand, and decide things together.” One of the many titles that Leo assumed when he was elected May 8, 2025, was "bishop of Rome."

No, Sinead, give this one a chance first!

Given his responsibilities running the 1.4-billion strong universal Catholic Church [or what remains of the Holy Roman Empire], popes [who serve as CEOs of the corporation] delegate the day-to-day governance of running of the diocese of Roman to a vicar.

Sunday’s ceremonies at the St. John Lateran and a stop at St. Mary Major basilicas follow Pope Leo’s visit last week to the St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica.

Together with St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the four papal basilicas are the most important basilicas in the West. [The Vatican is its own country within Italy's Rome, called the Holy See or sometimes Vatican City, a powerful city-state that owes no allegiance to Italy.]

• Related video: Pope Leo's Chicago roots: His grandfather's intriguing immigration tale (WGN-TV Chicago)

Peter, chief of the Church? AI archeology storytelling on Bethsaida

Who rules Rome rules the world.

Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri welcomed Pope Leo first at the steps to City Hall, noting that his May 8th election fell during a Holy Year, an event occurring every 25 years to invite pilgrims to Rome.

The city underwent two years of traffic-clogging public works projects to prepare and expects to welcome upward of 30 million people in 2025. More:

• Pope Leo XIV declares ‘I am Roman!’ as he completes formalities to become bishop of Rome
• Politico, May 25, 2025, via MSN.com; Team Recovering Catholics, Wisdom Quarterly

US right wing hates Pope (Bill Burr)

Willy Organ Billy Corgan has a brother named Bill Burr, critic of Trump

WARNING: Foul language and profanity as Billy Burr gets hypocritical

Burr's unfiltered take on American hypocrisy

(BILL'SlaughFACTORY) April 18, 2025: Billy Burr begins by musing on human hypocrisy and admitting he, too, is a big hypocrite and the absurdity of societal rules, using the example of California's HOV lanes on the traffic-choked freeways. Burr then pivots to a sarcastic comparison between minor traffic violations and the tolerance afforded to hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). He questions why such groups persist in modern times, offering darkly humorous potential reasons and critiquing the societal response compared to reactions against other groups after events like 9/11. The shocking comedian concludes by briefly recommending the TV program "Baby Ranger," showcasing an abrupt shift in topic typical of his stand-up routine. Bill (B) was no fan of his famous musician brother Billy (C) until they were tricked into meeting.

Bill, what's the way to alcoholism? - Obviously, it's drinking

Catholic Kimmel caps on conservatives

Trump sells presidency, spreads fake news to South Africa, rants about Qatar jet

Monks behaving badly: Phuket, Thailand

Monks arrested, drunken Chalong shooting, Phuket beach vendors tossed || Thailand News

(The Phuket News) Premiered May 16, 2025: PHUKET [pronounced POOH-khet, not FOOK-k...] XTRA brought to you by @PVC Phuket Hosted by: JP Mestanza || #Phuket #PhuketNews #Thailand

1. Drunk monk arrested in Patong MORE: Elderly abbot accused of B300 embezzlement (bangkokpost.com)
2. Soi Palai on alert as drunk man fires gun into sky
3. Woman charged over Surin Beach encroachment MORE: Officials reclaim public land at Surin Beach
4. Burglar makes off with B300K in valuables
5. Premchai reports to police over Bangkok tower collapse case (bangkokpost.com) MORE: Arrest warrants issued for Premchai, 16 others over SAO building collapse

• (CNN) Video released of inmates escaping a New Orleans jail
• 9 inmates still at large after escape; NOPD learned from statewide alert

Meanwhile, in honest Amerikkka, 10 escape

(CNN) Video shows moment multiple inmates escape New Orleans jail

Two years ago in Thailand

Embezzlement isn't new in bad Bangkok, half cremated corpse dumped

Thailand News Today: 95 million baht embezzled by monk in Thailand

(The Thaiger) July 1, 2022: A head monk is accused of embezzling 95 million baht (~40 baht to the US dollar) and dumping half-cremated corpses into the river, Thailand’s major banks crash on pay day, and Thai fighter jets respond to MIGs from Burma (Myanmar). Sponsor: 5-star marine: 5starmarinephuket.com. #Thailandnightlife #Bangkok #ThailandNews

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 Monk accused of embezzling 95m
• 02:37 Banking apps crashed
• 04:19 Burmese jet flies in Thailand
• 06:09 Thai PM against drug
• 07:13 Thai COVID update

Subscribe: bit.ly/2Ch3iJp. Check out JP Mestanza’s channel: bit.ly/2XIxRUQ. SPONSOR: PSD Windows and Doors: bit.ly/2O0ngQy

ABOUT: The Phuket News TV is the video arm of The Phuket News, an English-language newspaper in Phuket, part of the Class Act Media family. Phuket Xtra is a daily news show covering Phuket Island and the latest news from Thailand. This show intends to cover the everyday aspects of life in Southern Thailand and the rest of the Theravada Buddhist Kingdom of Thailand. Stay classy! (VIDEO) Phuket News TV: https://www.thephuketnews.com/tv/ (NEWSPAPER) The Phuket News: http://th.thephuketnews.com/ (RADIO) Live 89.5: https://www.thephuketnews.com/radio/

ABOUT: Founded in 2009, Class Act Media is Southern Thailand's most comprehensive media company, incorporating newspapers and magazines (English, Russian, and Thai), radio, TV, numerous websites, and an online ticketing service. Class Act Media prides itself on its ability to deliver high quality media services to residents and tourists in Phuket and all across Southern Thailand. It sincerely believes in accountability towards its clients and ensuring that each member of its team subscribes to its motto: "The client is always right." Read more at ThePhuketNews.com

• Eds. Wisdom Quarterly

American discovers Mayan city in Mexico

(ABC News Australia) A doctoral student has unexpectedly uncovered a lost Mayan city hidden under the jungle canopy in Mexico, examining data from advanced laser light scanning system called LiDAR. Tulane University’s Luke Auld-Thomas says his team found over 6,000 [the BBC and others report 7,000] buildings and structures that resemble pyramids, palaces, reservoirs, sports fields, and causeways in the abandoned metropolis US researchers have dubbed "Valeriana."

Ancient Mayan city discovered in Mexico jungle by accident | BBC News

(BBC News) Oct. 29, 2024: A huge Mayan city has been discovered centuries after it disappeared under jungle canopy in Mexico. Archeologists found pyramids, sports fields, causeways [giant roads] connecting districts, and amphitheaters in the southeastern Mexican state of Campeche. The hidden complex -- which they have called Valeriana -- is believed to be second in density only to Calakmul, thought to be the largest Maya site in ancient Latin America. The team discovered three sites in total, which are the size of Scotland's capital Edinburgh, “by accident” when one archeologist browsed data on the internet.

Subscribe to BBC News: bit.ly/1rbfUog. For more news, analyses, and features, visit: bbc.com/news. #MayanCity #Mexico #BBCNews

Archeology breakthrough as US student discovers huge Mayan city in Mexico by accident

Mexico is an ancient empire

CAMPECHE, Mexico - A student has discovered a huge Mayan city centuries after it disappeared in a Mexican jungle by accident.

American Luke Auld-Thomas, a Ph.D. student at Tulane University in New Orleans, USA, was analyzing publicly available data when he found the buried world, which has since been named “Valeriana.”

The hidden city was discovered using LiDAR, a remote sensing method that is used to examine the surface of the earth [with ground-penetrating radar to see through the foliage]. Archeologists use the technology to try and identify previously unrecorded sites.

As these surveys are normally quite expensive to conduct, researchers need to prioritize areas where Mayan settlements are already known to exist.

However, Auld-Thomas and his team realized they could use data from a 2013 LiDAR survey initially commissioned for monitoring carbon levels in Mexican forests.

“I was on something like Page 16 of Google Search and found a laser survey done by a Mexican organization for environmental monitoring,” Auld-Thomas told the BBC. More

"Lost Maya city Valeriana discovered in Mexico: Ancient pyramids and culture explored"

(Explore Wonders) Premiered Oct. 29, 2024: Discover the lost Maya city Valeriana, recently unearthed in the jungles of Campeche, Mexico. This incredible archeological find features ancient pyramids, sports fields, and complex urban planning that reveals the rich history and culture of the Maya civilization.

This video explores: How the accidental discovery was made by future archeologist Luke Auld-Thomas using advanced LiDAR ("light detecting and ranging") technology. The significance of Valeriana is reshaping our understanding of Maya urban life and its role as a major civilization center.

Impressive architectural features include pyramid temples, plazas, and ancient ball courts, giving us insights into how this discovery changes our view of ancient societies and their responses to climate change and environmental challenges.

Valeriana challenges the idea that tropical regions were inhospitable to ancient civilizations. This discovery highlights the complexity and sophistication of Maya culture.

[This video seems to have been made with AI, judging by the language and voiceover.] #Maya #LostCity #Valeriana #Mexico #AncientCivilization #Pyramids #Lidar #Archaeology #MayaCulture #HistoricalDiscovery #Mesoamerica #AncientHistory

• Lost Maya city discovered next to highway: Farmers were working among ruins for years
• Found dataset reveals lost Maya city full of pyramids and plazas hiding in plain sight beneath a Mexican forest: The study findings contribute to a growing recognition that tropical regions, far from being pristine wildernesses in the past, were home to sophisticated urban societies. Similar patterns of extensive landscape modification have been found at other tropical sites worldwide, including Buddhist Cambodia's Angkor Wat and recently discovered settlements in the Amazon. This research demonstrates that the Maya did more than build isolated cities they created entire urbanized landscapes that supported large populations through complex engineering and agricultural practices. By analyzing LiDAR data originally collected for environmental monitoring, researchers can now survey vast areas quickly and in unprecedented detail, revealing ancient landscapes that have been hidden by centuries of forest growth.
• Huge number of witches' marks found at Tudor house in astonishing discovery
• An amateur archeologist found a 1,000-year-old ring with incredible implications in Scotland
• Archaeologists found the lost remnants of a Maya civilization hiding in the jungle
• Doctoral student discovers lost Maya city with pyramids in Campeche, Mexico jungle
• Zapotec Mexico: Mysterious ancient tunnel dubbed entrance to the underworld found under Catholic church
• Centuries-old Maya beekeeping tools unearthed in Mexico
• Archaeologists discover lost city in the Amazon rainforest
• Mexico: Kaanul dynasty facades unearthed in Quintana Roo
• US student accidentally finds lost Maya city in Mexican jungle
• Lost Maya city discovered in Amazon rainforest
• Lasers reveal Maya city, including thousands of structures hidden in forest in Mexico
• Archeologists explore life after dark in the ancient night
• Intricate paintings hidden since eruption of Mt. Vesuvius discovered in Pompeii
• Ancient Roman tomb discovered beneath hospital parking lot
• Colorado teen fights kidney failure after eating McDonald's burgers, dirty and contaminated with infectious germs: Quarter pounders
• Afghan women banned from hearing each other in bizarre new Muslim Taliban Sharia Law rule
• Mars in 2017: Ancient city ruins discovered on the surface of Mars
• VIDEO: 100-million-year-old discovery: Scientists uncover ancient seafloor hidden deep beneath earth (MSN) A groundbreaking discovery has revealed remnants of an ancient seafloor beneath the Pacific Ocean, potentially rewriting Earth's geological history! Scientists believe this is just the beginning of uncovering hidden structures in Earth's depths, offering new insights into our planet’s complex past. What other secrets lie beneath? Location: London WooGlobe Ref: WGA177390.
• Luke Auld-Thomas on ABC News (Australia); Storyblocks, 10/29/24; BBC News, 10/29/24; Holly Bishop, GB News via MSN.com; Pfc. Sandoval, Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Black Catholic girls innovate math (60 Mins)

Jesus was from Africa. So how could he be Black? His mother was Black in Europe for years.

Hidden Figures (Black math)

Black Madonna would be proud like we all are. Who knew girls could do math? Everyone. Who knew girls could teach old white mean a thing or two? No one.

What have we lost because of sexism and racism? They deprive us of so much human greatness that they have to be stopped.

A world of parity and equal opportunity would be a much more amazing place. The way we've lived has advanced us but brought us to the edge of ruin. And the problem cannot be solved at the same level of the problem.

We need breakthroughs -- insight, ingenuity, innovation, and some follow through. Could the Hollywood movie Hidden Figures really be a true story that no one had ever heard of? We doubt it, but that's what Hollywood would have us believe is pure history.

Teens surprise math world with Pythagorean Theorem trigonometry proof

(60 Minutes) May 6, 2024: A high school teacher didn’t expect a solution when she set a 2,000-year-old Pythagorean Theorem problem in front of her students. Then Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson stepped up to the challenge.

60 Minutes is the most successful television broadcast in history. Offering hard-hitting investigative reports, interviews, feature segments, and profiles of people in the news, the broadcast began in 1968 and is still a hit, over 50 seasons later, regularly making Nielsen's Top 10.

• 60 Minutes, May 6, 2024; Hidden Figures (2016); Crystal Quintero, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Short Attention Span Theater (viral)

Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Why women flash breasts at Mardi Gras

Larissa Rzemienski (YourTango, 2/20/17); Ananda, Jen B., Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

.

The truth about why women show their boobs at Mardi Gras

Throw beads, or don't look!

What comes to mind when thinking of Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday")? For some, it’s the traditional fare -- extravagant parade floats, exquisite masks, shiny beads. For most, it's women flashing their boobs, wild parties, and the craziness that is Bourbon Street.

Mardi Gras is a historical celebration that dates back thousands of years and was intended to be a Holy Week hedonistic celebration living it up on the day before 40 days of Lent (abstaining, sacrificing, giving up, letting go, and breaking bad habits).

Come, all ye sinners. Feel shame! Offend not the Lord. Pyre ashes, get your pyre ashes.

The male of the species, living in big cities, has no shame. Monkey see, money do (Seinfeld).

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It's a time to fatten up before the now largely symbolic fasting. But the hedonism portrayed by the media is completely separate from the real purpose of the celebration.

Breast flashing is not considered to be a “real” tradition of Mardi Gras, except for mammals with cameras, but rather a phenomenon that surrounds the spring break mentality of the young people that hang out on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

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The festive parades throughout New Orleans and the South remain a more sacred old school religious celebration frequented by locals, while the wild celebrations occur only on Bourbon Street with thousands of tourists.

Why?

"Why?" is an interesting question. Have you considered the opposite question: "Why not?"?

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So why exchange beads for exposing body parts intended only for infants? Why DO women flash their breasts at Mardi Gras?

The act of bearing one’s breasts at Mardi Gras dates back to the 1970s, but it drastically increased from 1987 to 1991. Many women attribute the flashing of their breasts to the mass consumption of alcohol [and other intoxicants].

They also report pleasure from violating the expected norms of society as a whole. One study found that 68 percent of men and 63 percent of women had at least 5 or 6 drinks per sitting while at Mardi Gras festivities.

About one-quarter of the men reported having at least 16 drinks per sitting. Whoa.

• Men love THESE kinds of boobs the most, says science
• The Southern Baptist Convention ousting female pastors shows the Christian right's radicalization
• Are they "attention wh**es"?
• Is it "monkey see, monkey do"?
• Is it low self-esteem needing a quick boost?
• Might it be that "we got caught up in the excitement"?
• "You and me, Baby, ain't nothing but mammals, so let's..." ("The Bad Touch" by Bloodhound Gang)

Casual sex

I'm cutting loose because it's Spring Break!!

The study also reported that 42 percent of men expect to have sex with somebody they meet at Mardi Gras. A third (33%) of all attendees surveyed did, in fact, have sex with someone that they had met at the festivities, and about 50% said at least a few of their friends did, too.

Perhaps we could compare the wild times at Mardi Gras to the activities that take place in Las Vegas. Clearly, there are some similarities between the two.

What happens on Bourbon St. does not necessarily stay on Bourbon St.

Max, we found them, we found them!

In actuality, the craziness is often photographed and videotaped. This can come back to haunt people. It’s widely known that media outlets reserve Bourbon Street balconies at least five years in advance to get the best shots.

One female flasher found out that video footage of her flashing her breasts showed up on a capitalist Girls Gone Wild video. No one asked her to sign a release.

She filed a court case after discovering that her images were on the cover of the DVD and X-rated footage of her within the video.

I love kids, not women's breasts.

Breast flashing and wild behaviors could also be attributed to the concept of mob mentality. With so little inhibition and such large crowds, a single person -- egged on by friends, bead throwers, and alcohol -- could feel her behavior is normal, that she won't necessarily be picked out of a crowd.

One can feel anonymous among a large half-naked crowd of strangers and, thus, be more prone to show the goods.

Some fall into the tourist trap

Another interesting fact is that many of the revelers are out of towners. Many of the partygoers tell interviewers that they are attending Mardi Gras to “escape” their daily lives.

They have the daily stresses of work or school and feel like they need to let off some steam by going to Mardi Gras and completely letting go of their inhibitions. It's a dopamine boost. More

Mardi Gras 2020 live in New Orleans (video)

4WWLTV streamed live Monday, Feb. 25, 2020; Washington Post; Editors, Wisdom Quarterly

Mardi Gras 2020 in New Orleans: Parades, WWLTV live coverage

I don't eat meat during Lent. Flesh is bad.

Revelers dressed in costumes, exposing their breasts, and reaching for beads thrown from floats to entice them take to the streets on "Fat Tuesday" (mardi gras) in the New Orleans area when Carnival (Brazilian Carnaval, or "flesh festival," the Christian/Catholic carnal lust celebration of popular hedonism Roman-style) season reaches its climax.

Who was the historical Jesus of Nazareth?

Carnival season begins on Jan. 6 and ends on Fat Tuesday after weeks of balls, parades, and merriment. That solemn end is known as Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of imperial Roman Lent, a time of fasting. This does not mean no eating but no meat-eating: vegetarianism (now most weakly defined as non-red-meat-eating just on Fridays) used to mean a time of total vegetarianism and abstention from all other sin (or at least one sin) for 40 days in commemoration of the role model of the Christian world religion.

Going without flesh

Acceptable lust? No meat but sexual food images

Universal vegetarianism: The absence of "meat" (carne) is actually key to this Christian festival. The Carnival of Brazil (Portuguese Carnaval do Brasil) is an annual Brazilian festival held between the Friday afternoon before Ash Wednesday and Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period before Easter.

During Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove (literally, raise) meat."

Satirical to silly, US celebrates Mardi Gras

Associated Press, March 1, 2019; Crystal Q., Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

From satirical to silly, walking clubs spice up Mardi Gras

For Lent this year I'm giving up Mardi Gras.

NEW ORLEANS Mississippi - A floppy-eared pooch wearing a red crustacean costume rides in a wagon decorated like a shrimp boat, followed by another "boat" wagon occupied by a pug in a sailor hat.

Behind them, on a leash, strolls a white Maltese in a Wonder Woman costume alongside canines in fluffy purple, green, and gold tutus.

Made from video, a woman dressed as a mermaid pulls a wagon containing an inflatable seashell full of beads in the Krewe of Cork parade in New Orleans.

New Orleans now boasts some 50 walking Carnival clubs that parade throughout the Mardi Gras season. That's the most ever in the city's long Carnival history, making Mardi Gras more colorful and diverse than ever before.

American Hardcore: A Tribal History

The dog-centered Krewe of Barkus is one of 50 walking Carnival clubs in New Orleans that parade throughout the Mardi Gras season, ranging from satirical and political to the cute and risqué.

It's the most walking clubs in the city's long Carnival history, making the weekslong celebration more colorful and diverse than ever, says Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy, who publishes an annual guide with historical facts about Carnival, as well as parade schedules and route maps.

"It's just amazing how many different ways there are to express yourself at Mardi Gras," Hardy said. And the walking clubs have added "a new level of inclusion and diversity and participation that we have not seen before."

Among the favorite walking parades drawing thousands of spectators yearly are the Star Wars-themed Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, the satirical and sometimes downright raunchy adult-themed Krewe du Vieux, and Barkus. More

Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday") Meditation, Time...

Editors, Wisdom Quarterly; Dan Harris, Geoffrey Jowett (coasttocoastam.com); AP.org; Wiki

(NPR) Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics offers practical advice for stressed-out cynics Trying to reduce anxiety and stress in 2018? If meditation makes you want to throw something, ABC News Anchor Dan Harris offers some advice in his new book.

(Terry Gross/NPR) Can Buddhist practices help us overcome the biological pull of dissatisfaction? Science journalist and author Robert Wright says that Buddhist enlightenment might help counteract our natural tendency towards unhappiness. His new book is Why Buddhism is True.

 

Dan Harris is a correspondent for ABC News and the co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America. He is on Coast to Coast tonight (Feb. 13, 2018) to talk about what he learned on his cross-country trip on a rock-star tour bus: He was helping average people maximize their potential using what science is finding:

Dashama Konah sits on the beach in Hawaii.

MEDITATION can lower blood pressure, relieve depression and anxiety, and rewire key parts of the brain.

Intuitive Geoffrey Jowett is also on the show helping others on their journey to enlightenment by recognizing that each of us is part of "GOD" -- unlike what the Buddha taught -- and that our sole purpose in life is not to become enlightened and free ourselves and others from suffering but to perpetuate "divine love." Jowett teaches how to develop the ability to communicate with departed loved ones and spirit guides. More + AUDIO

• BOOKS: 10% Happier
• Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics
• Lasting Impressions: A Medium’s Messages from Spirit
• Hope for Parents Who Have Lost Children
• The Power of I Am: Aligning the Chakras of Consciousness

A real TIME TRAVELER?

 

Happy Black History Month - love, God

A self-proclaimed time traveler hailing from the year 2030 purportedly took a lie detector test to prove to skeptics that he is telling the truth.

 

Dubbed "Noah," the young man made headlines late last year when he "emerged from hiding" to share his fantastic story of journeying from the not-too-distant future back to our present day.

Angelic (deva) black babies of God

As one can imagine, his tale was met with considerable skepticism, leading to Noah making yet another video where he allegedly submits to a polygraph test.

 

However, much like his account of traveling through time, the update is also rather dubious since the video conveniently does not show the device which is supposedly testing him....is it confirmation that the young man really is from the future or a not-so-clever hoax?

• Source: The Mirror
• Good Christians are vegetarian (at least for Lent)
  

Today is Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday

If one is Catholic (or many types of Western Christian), particularly French or French-colonial Catholic, today (Mardi Gras) and tomorrow (Ash Wednesday/Valentine's Day) are a big deal. South America (think Brazil) and the U.S. state of Louisiana really know how to party...and how to experience penitent guilt afterward.*

Costumes, beads, and music: Mardi Gras

Ash Wednesday? Ash everyday, tilaka (forehead mark) applied at Anu's wedding (A. Nijda)

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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Families camped out from early morning to catch beads and stuffed animals thrown from float riders. Revelers took to the streets in elaborate or funny costumes evoking Marie Antoinette, Pres. Donny Trump and other glamorized "vampires" [parasitic demons]. Amused bystanders took in the chaotic scene and annual American ritual from lawn chairs. More

Hindu custom appropriated by Catholicism

*ASH WEDNESDAY
This is a fasting (Christian vegetarian) day, the first day of Lent in Western Christianity.

It occurs 46 days (40 fasting days with six non-fasting Sundays) before Easter (the Dionysian worship of the fertility Goddess Ēostre and  searching for mushrooms/rabbit "eggs" all over the ground).

It falls as early as Feb. 4 and as late as March 10. Ash Wednesday is observed by many Western Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, and some Baptists.
 

Why? According to the canonical Christian gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus Christ (the Bodhisattva Issa) spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by his enemy Satan/Mara. Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter. More

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