left biblioblography

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Allegories Gone Wild - Hold Onto Your Tinfoil Hats…Project Blue Beam Will Beam Gawd Straight Into Your Brain

Cross Posted @ God Is 4 Suckers!

Just when I think I have a final Top Ten Of The Stupidest Things I’ve Ever Heard, I stumble across something like this that makes me revamp the list:

So I was casting about for a specific video on YouTube on American Dad (the musical number where Stan sings about he doesn’t want a partner, he wants a wife), and I stumbled into the tangled throes of a conspiracy theory based on some pretty wild allusions, delusions, and replete with bibble-driven allegories.

The first embedded video is actually some crazed conspirotard claiming there’s hidden messages in an American Dad episode.

What this fellow specifically talking about is one Project Blue Beam, which is rumored to beam data directly into the human brain.

First up, is the ‘Free Press International’ commentary, which I found here, and then here. (Note: I love the first link, which specifically claims that “The International Free Press network is not a religious group, neither is it a political organization, but an independent worldwide investigation press agency in the field of politics, economics, medical and military.”, and then goes on at length about the advent of the Antichrist and New World Order, ad nauseum).

[Note: Serge Monast and another journalist, both of whom were researching Project Blue Beam, died of "heart attacks" within weeks of each other although neither had a history of heart disease. Serge was in Canada. The other Canadian journalist was visiting Ireland. Prior to his death, the Canadian government abducted Serge's daughter in an attempt to dissuade him from pursuing his research into Project Blue Beam. His daughter was never returned. Pseudo-heart attacks are one of the alleged methods of death induced by Project Blue Beam.]

Really, this is adorable. Not that the man died of a heart attack, but that two ‘journalists’ did so while investigating this. Cue the X-Files whistle music. People do die of heart attacks regardless of a non-history, just as non-smokers die of lung cancer. No name for the second fellow. No citations. Bald assertions streaking across the page.

The infamous NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] Blue Beam Project has four different steps in order to implement the new age religion with the Antichrist at its head. We must remember that the new age religion is the very foundation for the new world government, without which religion the dictatorship of the new world order is completely impossible. I’ll repeat that: Without a universal belief in the new age religion, the success of the new world order will be impossible! That is why the Blue Beam Project is so important to them, but has been so well hidden until now.

“New Age Religion'” is christlation for ‘them damn hippie tree-huggin’ pagan bastards!’ This bozo’s been watching way too many episodes of the Left Behind series, I’d guess.

Then we get this nonsense from a website titled ‘Sweet Liberty’:

Following is the transcript of a taped presentation by Serge Monast, a French-speaking Canadian journalist. Although there was no date on the tape, Monast speaks of 1983 as "eleven years ago", so we will assume this talk took place in 1994. We heard rumors from time to time of harassment against Mr. Monast, and later had heard that he was killed. That is an unconfirmed (by us) report.

Because the tape from which we transcribed was not of high quality, and along with the very heavy French accent, we were unable to make out some of the words. We had to guess at the spelling of some of the names.  If -- as you read -- you find words incorrectly spelled or can fill in any of the gaps, please contact me.

     I've decided to transcribe this tape because the information relates to events occurring today. The projected time-line was off target, because Mr. Monast expected the plan to be fulfilled by the year 2,000... as did many. 

     He also indicated during the presentation that the planners had originally set the date for 1983. That could explain the title of George Orwell's book, 1984.

    The date 1984 ('85)  also jives with information presented to a special Legislative Committee in Illinois in 1978 studying the effects of Regionalism on the State, by a gentleman who testified that:

he was a former secret courier for the National Security Agency;

the 'official position of the U.S. Government is to change this form of government to Socialism... via Regionalism'; and that;

"the logic behind this is that when the new order takes place, which is scheduled around the 1985 period, that the representation for the committee that will sit on the world council will be very equal to the population of the European countries."

(speaking of intended  numbers of populations in each region being limited to about 20 million each so no 'region' could ever effectively gain independence from the World Government).

     Off the subject, yet not. . . Regionalism is being sewed up nice and tightly right in our own back yards. . . local levels of government. Will you just 'let it happen'? 

You will also want to read Betty Mill's Vision and Circles of Power, from 1991. Betty knew of Project Blue Beam, although when she made the tape she did not know or know of Serge Monast. Betty went Home last January, where she is at peace from the awful ability - we never decided whether it was a gift or a curse - to see far beyond the illusion of what has been presented to the terrible intentions lurking behind the unfolding events. I dedicate to her with deep, deep love and gratitude - for her love for all of us, and her precious friendship and mentoring to me - this confirmation of her unearthly insight.  

So did you get all that? Monast (if he ever existed) expected all this to be implemented by the year 2000 (here it is ought 9, and no sightings), and yet the ‘New World Order’ was scheduled for around 1985, and he mentions this ridiculous tape by one Betty Mill, and the only place this is mentioned is on that website. Basically, it’s a recycle of all the old bullshit – there’s a Satanic secret society plotting in the shadows to overthrow the current world governments, secretive anecdotes (‘I can’t give you a citation, or they’ll come kill you and me!’), a lot of loosely knit unrelated events that add up in the crackpot pit of mind to TOTAL WORLD DOMINION as predicted by Nostradumbass or St. John the Hallucinatory.

Oh, and the Betty Mill is vastly amusing. References to Bush’s (Sr.) 1990 speech to the UN (did he say New World Oder? He did! It’s a code word! He’s in on it! Yeah, guy was talking world peace, so that’s what that qualifies, the title is FREEDOM FROM WAR, for Pete's sake.), Malachi’s The Keys of Blood, just more crazy quilt contextomy.

Here, cue the eerie whistle music again:

PROJECT BLUE BEAM

The infamous NASA Blue Beam Project has four different steps in order to implement the new age religion with the antichrist at its head. We must remember that the new age religion is the very foundation for the new world government, without which religion the dictatorship of the new world order is completely impossible. I'll repeat that: Without a universal belief in the new age religion, the success of the new world order will be impossible! That is why the Blue Beam Project is so important to them, but has been so well hidden until now.

Oh wait, where’d we hear that one before?

The first step concerns the breakdown of all archeological knowledge. It deals with the setup with artificially created earthquakes at certain precise locations on the planet where, supposedly, new discoveries will finally explain to all people the error of all fundamental religious doctrines. The falsification of this information will be used to make all nations believe that their religious doctrines have been misunderstood for centuries and misinterpreted. Psychological preparations for that first step have already been implemented with the film, "2001: A Space Oddessy;" the StarTrek series, and "Star Wars;" all of which deal with invasions from space and the coming together of all nations to repel the invaders. The last films, "Jurrassic Park," deals with the theories of evolution, and claim God's words are lies.

Ah, a larger case of denial I’ve not seen. Are you fucking kidding me? Where have these ‘discoveries’ been unearthed by earthquakes? And I somehow doubt that any ‘earthquake machines’ have been created, let alone possess the required finesse to pinpoint and open a fissure. I’m not saying that earthquakes don’t unearth archeological finds – sure they do. But the ‘error of all fundamental religious doctrines’? They’re ALL in error. Historically, logically, and ironically. But...planting evidence deep underground, and then using seismic technology to unearth it? Do any of these people actually sit down and say this crap out loud, and if they do, do any of them realize, hey, this sounds like a load of horseshit? (Rhetorical question there.)

What is important to understand in the first step is that those earthquakes will hit at different parts of the world where scientific and archeological teachings have indicated that arcane mysteries have been buried. By those types of earthquakes, it will possible for scientists to re-discover those arcane mysteries which will be used to discredit all fundamental religious doctrines. This is the first preparation for the plan for humanity because what they want to do is destroy the beliefs of all Christians and Muslims on the planet. To do that, they need some false "proof" from the far past that will prove to all nations that their religions have all been misinterpreted and misunderstood.

Say whaaa…? Hey, why’d they leave the Jews out? Seriously, that’d be the first attack I’d make in this sci-fi crap. Christianity and Islam are built on the backbone of Judaism. The actuality of the reality is that archeology (sans earthquakes) has pretty much wrecked any of ‘gawd’s truths’ as spouted in those egregiously incorrect texts. Oh, and if you’re wondering where they got the ‘earthquake machine’, it’s actually a pretty common conspiracy patchwork.

The second step involves a gigantic "space show" with three-dimensional optical holograms and sounds, laser projection of multiple holographic images to different parts of the world, each receiving a different image according to predominating regional national religious faith. This new "god's" voice will be speaking in all languages. In order to understand that, we must study various secret services' research done in the last 25 years.

So…are they selling tickets? Note lack of any citations. Which ‘secret services’? KGB? CIA? FBI? Oh wait – let me guess. I’ll need to dose up on way too much coffee and Twinkies, and spend at least 200 hundred hours of ‘reading between the lines’ (or someone else’s mangled versions). ‘The Truth Is Out There’. Yeah, WAY out there.

The Soviet's have perfected an advanced computer, even exported them, and fed them with the minute physio-psycological particulars based on their studies of the anatomy and electro-mechanical composition of the human body, and the studies of the electrical, chemical and biological properties of the human brain.

Yeah, because all the ‘experts’ have such a near seamless command of the human mind. I don’t think so.

These computers were fed, as well, with the languages of all human cultures and their meanings. The dialects of all cultures have been fed into the computers from satellite transmissions. The Soviets began to feed the computers with objective programs like the ones of the new messiah. It also seems that the Soviets - the new world order people - have resorted to suicidal methods with the human society by allocating electronic wavelengths for every person and every society and culture to induce suicidal thoughts if the person doesn't comply with the dictates of the new world order.

Didn’t the USSR collapse? Hmmm… So satellites are pumping suicidal rays into folks who won’t go along, right? How is this NOT a tinfoil hat conspiracy? Is this provable in a lab? Oh wait – because any scientist who’d look too far into the matter will off him/herself. Or have their heads explode like the movie ‘Scanners’.

There are two different aspects of step two. The first is the "space show." Where does the space show come from? The space show, the holographic images will be used in a simulation of the ending during which all nations will be shown scenes which will be the fulfillment of that which they desire to verify the prophecies and adversary events. These will be projected from satellites onto the sodium layer about 60 miles above the earth. We see tests every once in a while, but they are called UFOs and "flying saucers." The result of these deliberately staged events will be to show the world the new "christ," the new messiah, Matreya, for the immediate implementation of the new world religion. Enough truth will be foisted upon an unsuspecting world to hook them into the lie. "Even the most learned will be deceived." The project has perfected the ability for some device to lift up an enormous number of people, as in a rapture, and whisk the entire group into a never-never land. We see tests of this device in the abduction of humans by those mysterious little alien greys. who snatch people out of their beds and through windows into waiting "mother ships."

Yeah, this sounds extremely unlikely. Why? Because the Earth rotates, for one thing. So people getting a ‘vision’ on one side of the planet doesn’t take into account the other half will be in various stages of sleep. And with humanity’s capacity for self-deception, I can accurately predict that 50% of those folks (especially in the US) will refuse to believe it. And alien abduction is pretty much the venue of the mentally disturbed. I also love how these nutjobs tap into the Rapture nonsense as well.

The calculated resistance to the universal religion and the new messiah and the ensuing holy wars will result in the loss of human life on a scale never imagine before in all of human history. The Blue Beam Project will pretend to be the universal fulfillment of the prophecies of old, as major an event as that which occurred 2,000 years ago. In principle, it will make use of the skies as a movie screen (on the sodium layer at about 60 miles) as space-based laser-generating satellites project simultaneous images to the four corners of the planet in every language and dialect according to the region. It deals with the religious aspect of the new world order and is deception and seduction on a massive scale. Computers will coordinate the satellites and software already in place will run the sky show.

So wait a minute. So there’ll be carefully tailored holographic images (plus narration!) that will be displayed on the sky, that will inform these people of some imminent ‘messiah’. And wait…the sodium layer isn’t a solid wall, and between the diffusion of light in the atmosphere and gravitational lensing, that makes this scenario even more far-fetched. Let’s not even factor in the objective speckle pattern, or the near field speckles. What happened to the ‘images beamed directly into the brain’, anyways? These folks are a few clowns shy of a circus.

Holographic images are based on nearly identical signals combining to produce an image or hologram with deep perspective which is equally applicable to acoustic ELF, VLF and LF waves and optical phenomena. Specifically, the show will consist of multiple holographic images to different parts of the world, each receiving a different image according to the specific national, regional religion. Not a single area will be excluded. With computer animation and sounds appearing to emanate from the very depths of space, astonished ardent followers of the various creeds will witness their own returned messaihs in convincing lifelike reality. Then the projections of Jesus, Mohammed, Buddah, Krishna, etc., will merge into one after correct explanations of the mysteries and revelations will have been disclosed. This one god will, in fact, be the antichrist, who will explain that the various scriptures have been misunderstood and misinterpreted, and that the religions of old are responsible for turning brother against brother, and nation against nation, therefore old religions must be abolished to make way for the new age new world religion, representing the one god antichrist they see before them.

(I can actually see the military ramifications – if you’re fighting full out in the Middle East with a bunch of religious crazies, a holy vision in the skies in the guise of Allah telling them to knock it off would go pretty far. In fact, it’s a  great idea, but possible and probable tend to be two very different animals.)

Wow. I mean, just wow. This is a full 30 gallon tinfoil sombrero. This is a powerful illustration of why religion is an anachronism, and why we shouldn’t respect or heed it. It’s a Dunning-Kruger effect (the superiority arises from gleaning illusory clues to a non-existent condition, I’d say, but that’s a guess) on acid. This Apocalypse culture (or cottage industry – take your pick) is dangerous. Because it’s grounded in superstition, and harms society by gleefully predicting the downfall of every social order. How many people bought into this apocalyptic crap, and ruined their own lives, or the lives of others?

Was there a project Blue Beam? There might’ve been. So was Remote Viewing, but that’s been relegated to the purview of the tinfoilers.

These people’s minds and energies are completely misdirected. The only people who are trying to take over the world are the mega-corporations, and that’s for profit. And those fellas just aren’t that organized. And from a historical viewpoint, (almost) all the folks who have attempted world domination lost their asses. Not to the cowboys in the white hats, but to their own arrogance and ineptitude.

As a fantasy novel, or even a graphic novel, this would be a fun read. But we don’t live in a comic book world. That someone would actually believe this nonsense – well, for scariness, I’d rate that as a 9.7 on the Batshit Crazy-ometer.

Of course, I’ll gladly eat these words if all this comes to pass in…let me hazard a guess…in 2012!

Till the next post, then.

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Friday, April 24, 2009

Protagonist – A Look At Four Men's’ Lives

Protagonist is a very interesting film, inasmuch as:

Academy-award winning filmmaker Jessica Yu offers an unusual look at the simultaneous diversity and commonality of four very different men in this documentary. In Protagonist, Yu recalls the structural format of the ancient Greek playwright Euripides -- whose stories were often marked by human tragedy, the commentary of a chorus of independent observers, and the sudden and unexpected intervention of the divine -- as she chronicles the lives of a thief, a student of martial arts, a preacher who has renounced his past as a homosexual, and a political terrorist. Protagonist was screened in competition as part of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The only problem I have with that blurb, was there was absolutely no ‘intervention of the divine’ (whatever the hell that means anyways), and there wasn’t a ‘chorus of independent observers’ (what constitutes a chorus?) – what film was this clown watching?

Anyways, as intriguing as all four of the gentlemen were (Mark Salzman’s observations about martial arts in Western culture as viewed by a teenager are especially apt), of major interest is Mark Pierpoint, homosexual-turned-preacher-turned-heterosexual-turned-back-to-gay. He recounts how he ‘prayed out the gay’, got married, had a major Christian following in Southeast Asia, and in the middle of a huge revival (25,000 people, is what he says), decides he wants a man. Right there. Preachin’ gospel, singin’ hymns, he decides that indeed he is gay (which is irreconcilable with his religion). Ends up marrying another man. Strangely, he still gabbles in the film about ‘you can’t know gawd until you know yourself’, most of that apologetic nonsense.

I give it a thumb up, I’d watch it again.

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Thursday, April 23, 2009

How To Profit From The Rapture!

I stumbled across this recently doing ‘net research – HOW TO PROFIT FROM THE RAPTURE!

Dear End Times Investor, Entrepreneur, and Saver:
WELCOME! You’re here because, like every canny individual, you know that you can’t spell “financial responsibility” without the A, the P, the O, the C, the A, the L, the Y, the P, the S, and the E of “apocalypse.”
You know not only that the Rapture can take place at any moment, but that when it does you’ll most likely not “make the cut,” and be left behind here with the rest of us.
And you know that, while such a fate might be disappointing to some, to others—like us; like you—it offers a series of amazing opportunities for financial gains.
While some might see the rise of the Antichrist as a harbinger of doom and destruction, we see it as a chance to achieve solid returns by shorting his bonds.
While some might view the War of the Second Seal as a bloody nightmare of rampaging foot-soldiers, we see it as a chance to score big by investing in sword, shield, and spiked club manufacturers.
While some might consider it a catastrophe when a star made of wormwood falls from outer space and pollutes all of the Earth’s fresh water sources, we see it as a chance to rack up “tasty” profits by selling shares in a can of mandarin orange segments.
So take a look around.  Peruse this site.  And be sure to bookmark it for future reference.  We’ll be blogging regularly with timely updates about how you can take cool, calculated advantage of breaking events to improve your portfolio even as those around you are losing their heads, feet, or various other appendages.
And remember (as we say in our Rapture Financial Minutes, playable here on the site), “Just Because It’s the End Times Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Make Money.”
All best,
Steve and Evie Levy

And yes, it’s satire. The ‘Rapture Financial Minutes’ are extraordinarily amusing. So enjoy.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Straight To Hell – That’s What This Movie Feels Like

Just finished watching Straight To Hell, and wow, the money used to finance this fiasco would’ve been better put to use feeding orphans.

The blurb reads:

After muffing a job for their boss, three ham-fisted hit men (Sy Richardson, Dick Rude and Joe Strummer) rob a bank and flee to a dusty desert hamlet with their gal pal (Courtney Love) in tow. But instead of finding refuge, they find a town run by a gang of coffee junkies who don't take kindly to the quartet's arrival. Dennis Hopper and Grace Jones are among the celebrities who turn up in director Alex Cox's bizarre spoof of spaghetti Westerns.

It’s supposed to be a spaghetti Western spoof, but it’s chock full of ham-handed cultural references that fall flat on their asses. From Pulp Fiction (the main honcho/bank robber is a near-Jackson lookalike who always wears a tie, even in a dusty crap town) to Dusk Till Dawn, to a vague reference to Dawn of the Dead. My main question is, was Courtney Love attractive while Cobain was alive? Because as the pregnant gal-pal, she’s just a whiny skank with a bun in the oven. I got maybe two minor chuckles out of an hour and a half, and since I’m the sort of fellow who laughs at EVERYTHING, that’s pretty sad. The Pogues are actually in this, and the accompanying clip makes it look like it’s way cooler than it is.

So my advice is – avoid this at all costs. Better off reading a book. Two middle fingers WAY up.

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Saturday, April 18, 2009

Because In Most Cases, It IS Biological, Not Ideological

Gene-BrainImage chemistry

Cross posted @ God Is 4 Suckers!

Lately, it seems that some folks have been picking fights with me. There was a ridiculous brouhaha here, which led to a severe misdiagnosis of my present mental state. Following this, I actually got into it with an antireductionist asshat at Pharyngula (because despite what my detractors may say about me, I do try to be polite at first, but being accused of something I’m not doing tends to irk me, go figure).

The point of contention (on the second part) is Anthony Powell, the crazed religious youtuber who killed a young woman and then himself. Now I’m just as guilty as any other atheist in pointing out that religion obviously doesn’t improve people like it claims (the common methodology the religious use is the old sharpshooter fallacy, or what I like to call ‘selected highlights), nor is it a ‘force for good in our world’. But as I’ve pointed out elsewhere, for the most part, claiming that religion motivates these people is a specious argument.

Now, I am on record here as citing Grossman’s Law, AKA “Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers.” However, Freud’s famous maxim about cigars also applies.

Because anti-social behavior is predominantly a chemical imbalance.

This is where someone would jump in, and start pointing out differentials between cultures, and how it just can’t be primarily chemical with all the possible equations factored in. I’m going to have to say, yes it is. Because when some mentally ill parent torments a child, there is a biochemical response triggered, it’s a neurological pathway built, a misfire of synapse that sets up an alchemical mix of crazy that usually lasts a lifetime of scar. And if that child as an adult is seeking therapy, usually it’s a combination of verbal communication (this is chemical also) mixed in with (usually) a good dose of medication.

Let’s take another example: the isolated child (foster home or orphan), who has little or no interaction with other human beings through infancy and childhood. Again, this is specifically a chemical response. Again, neurological pathways are built, and in this case the child becomes sullen, withdraw, introverted.

And for a third example, the isolated prisoner. Solitary is the worst possible punishment for a prisoner. Why? Because we are primarily social creatures. Isolation drives most people crazy. The social interactivity is a complex blend, but primarily a heady mix of chemicals. Pheromones, input from the 5 senses, estrogen (or testosterone, contingent on gender)

And from the article from whence I copped the picture:

This neuroimaging research - in normal, non-violent subjects - strengthens the link between low levels of the brain enzyme, known as monoamine oxidase A (MAO A), and aggressive behavior, which has been a topic of research for more than two decades.

"Our study provides evidence of an association between brain MAO A level and aggressive personality traits in normal individuals," said Nelly Alia-Klein, an assistant scientist at Brookhaven Lab's Center for Translational Neuroimaging, who presented her work at the society's 54th annual meeting in Washington, D.C. "If this model of understanding is tested with individuals who actually engage in aggressive or antisocial behavior, such as domestic violence, it could show promise in the future for pharmacological intervention against abnormal aggression," she added.

The researchers assessed brain MAO A activity in 27 healthy, non-violent male volunteers using positron emission tomography (PET) scanning. This technique uses a radiotracer-tagged molecule that binds to brain MAO A and can be measured quantitatively by PET. The subjects also completed a standard, 240-question personality questionnaire, which gave the researchers a complete profile of the men's personalities, not merely their tendency toward aggression.

The main finding: The lower the subjects' brain MAO A activity levels, the more they answered "yes" to statements about taking advantage of others, causing them discomfort, having a short temper, vindictiveness, and enjoying violent movies. "Only aggressive personality was related to brain MAO A activity - not other personality dimensions," Alia-Klein emphasized.

It is important to note that MAO-inhibitor drugs are effective in treating depression and are not associated with aggressive behavior, she added.

And while it’s a complex topic, there are certain indicators. The human body/mind has a specific internal balance. As these balances become out of whack, your doctor prescribes chemicals (sure, sure, for the most part they’re not sure just exactly WHAT causes depression, but there seems to be a specific chemical for alleviation of this particular illness).

So, no, on the larger scale, religion isn’t a cause, what it is is an excuse, or as is more often these days, an umbrella for the deranged to hide under. As for all those folks in the past who committed atrocities in the name of it, well, for the most part people are sheeple (as has been observed before), and are easily led to slaughter or engage in slaughter. So yes, the crazies were in charge, and fear is (unfortunately) a prime motivator to get folks to carry out horrendous deeds. There were perhaps in those days full scale dementia whipped up into a lather by the high shaman (and again, if you’ve ever been to a concert, been in a mob, or been in a revival tent think: all that rhythmic chanting/music/hollering, yep, that was all a chemical response, because there were chemicals being released into the air along with all those other mitigating factors).

Because Man is the animal who deludes himself. We are the species that hallucinates regularly, we are the creatures who hear voices from nowhere and see visions that don’t exist, whose brains can be tricked into imagining that we’re experiencing an OBE.

Till the next post then.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Religulous - Two Fists In The Air


Well, I enjoyed the ever livin' hell out of this movie. It was a little like Root Of All Evil, only with more stand-up comedy, and a lot less intellectual meat.
The long silences that Maher received when he joked around about religion were...interesting. As well as being escorted out of the Utah temple grounds and being evicted from the Vatican.
It's a fun watch, but I expect the Scientologists to be filing a lawsuit any day now.

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Because Gawd Wuvs You THIS Much….

If you can’t read the ‘writing on the wall’ after this, then I’ll have to say, you’re very much blind:

Owners call on faith after Christian center fire

ALTON BAY, N.H. – Owners of summer cottages in a tight-knit Christian community gathered to console each other Monday after a massive fire roared through the property on Easter Sunday, destroying dozens of buildings that brought families together for generations.

"It's dust. You don't see timber. You see dust," said Patrick Knittel of Concord. All that remained of his family's cottage was a chimney and a stone stairway leading to a mound of ashes.

Knittel and others who owned the 40 cottages that were destroyed or heavily damaged at the 146-year-old Alton Bay Christian Conference Center gathered as fire investigators tried to figure out what sparked the flames that raced through the community, claiming building after building.

"It was like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom," said Cynthia Bohy, 70, who lives nearby and watched the flames after attending church at the center earlier in the day. Some of the blasts were from propane tanks. Others, she said, seemed to be cottages just exploding into flames. "It was like explosions every two minutes."

Completely natural event. But get this little caveat:

Russ Sample, 55, of Alton, who has spent every summer of his life at the center, said individual families own the cottages, but the center owns the land.

"They are all born-again Christian families," he said.

The center's Web site says its purpose is to change lives in part by "encouraging commitment to Jesus."

Yes, because we know that parents who go around setting fire to their children's homes are quite normal in the head, don’t we? (Oh, wait, there’s that special pleading thing again: the supernatural doesn’t count, somehow the standards are different.)

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