“All, young and old, come to get your palm read by the amazing Madame Fortunado! Only $5, today only! You there, Miss, in the green t-shirt, it looks like you are curious about what your future holds in store for you. Come and get your palm read!”
“No thanks,” I gave a half smile and looked around at moving people, all silhouettes now from the sun descending behind them.
“Trust me miss, this isn’t something you want to miss out on, I’ll even make a deal with you, how ‘bout only $3!” the man said, sweat was trickling down his burnt red face and bald head.
I debated in my head whether to go or not, I really didn’t have anywhere else to be, so I decided to go in. The bald man held the beads out of my way as I walked into the canvas tent. There were fake shrunken skulls on the walls and bottles of colored water with labels of different potions wrapped around them. By the bottles lay an old antique dagger. In the middle of the tent was a round table with a lace table cloth and crystal ball in the middle. An old woman sat at the table with a dark purple scarf tied around her head and a long white gypsy dress covered her old wrinkly skin.
“Come, sit down,” she said in some fake raspy voice, “You come to see Madame Fortunado, you must pay first.”
I reached in my pocket and found $3. As I put out my hand to give her the money she snatched it out of my fingers.
“Good, now we can start, give me your right hand.”
I reached my hand out to her and she grabbed it with her cold rough hands.
“Now, I will start with the life line”
She slowly traced her finger on the line.
“Hmmm, interesting, it shows you have had trouble in your past, you’ve done bad things, but not because you wanted to, you blacked out and couldn’t remember, is Madame Fortunado right?”
The hair on my arms and neck stood up.
“I have black outs, but I never knew anything that had happened when I blacked out. I always just woke up and nothing seemed to be wrong.”
“Well, maybe for five more dollars I can hypnotize you and ask your unconscious self what happens during your black outs.”
Even though I don’t believe in this type of thing, I decided to try it, so I scrounged for five more dollars in my pocket.
“Good, okay now close your eyes and relax.”
I heard her get up in her chair and come in front of me; she laid her fingertips on my eyes.
“Listen to my voice, and go to sleep, go into a deep sleep.

“Now, when did your first black out happen?”
“When I was ten.”
“What happened the first time you blacked out?”
“I don’t remember I was in my room and when I woke up I was in the hospital, in a solitary room, I couldn’t remember what happened.”
“What about a recent black out? Can you remember, you can trust me, now just remember and tell me what you did?”
Suddenly I felt pressure on my wrists and I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t. I started to kick and I heard her fall on the table.
“What are you doing!” she screamed.
I lunged out of the old wooden chair onto the old woman and pinned her down. I felt around the floor and found the dagger. I grasped it in my hand and with all of my strength I stabbed it into her chest. An ear-splitting scream bursted from her throat. Suddenly I felt large hands wrap around my arms and pull me off.

I opened my eyes. There was blurs of white around me. When everything became clear, I could see I was in a room. There were no windows only a door. When I tried to sit up my hands and feet were bound.

Here’s a question kick around:

At the end of the day, if you had to choose a post-WWII Europe governed by the Nazis or dominated by Communism under Stalin, which would you choose?

The ‘gut’ response that we’ve been programmed since childhood to give is ‘well, I’m certainly not choosing Hitler,’ but here are a few things to mull over before you actually answer, some serious, some less so.

1) The total number of people killed by Stalin through his purges, warfare, gulags, POW executions etc. ranges from 3 to 60 million. If you blame Hitler for every death in WWII, then obviously even the 60 million compares favorably to the Nazis. However, if you take a second world war as an inevitable outcome of the Paris Peace Process in 1919 and the Great Depression (which I do), then you have to inevitably argue that the war deaths in WW2 would have occurred WITH OR WITHOUT the Nazis in power. This is, of course, theory-crafting, but, at the end of the day, if we merely hold the Nazis accountable for, say, 4-7 million Holocaust-related deaths (unforgivable to be sure, but not tens of millions of people), then Stalin beats them in terms of brutality by a staggering number.

2) Regardless of all the fighting that went on in WWII, eastern Europe was still controlled by a dictator, just not a fascist one. Poland’s sovereignty, the original pretext for the declarations of war, was rendered forfeit anyway. Whereas the eastern European countries seized under Nazi invasion would have been nominally capitalist, they were reduced to pauper states under socialism, and the stagnation of their economies is still evident today.

3) The Nazis had better uniforms, spoke a more evil-sounding language (you have to admit that German sounds brutal), and were easily the most interesting and diabolical bad guys in history. The communists, as it turned out, were kind of bungling dopes. I mean, am I the only person who sighed loudly upon hearing that Indiana Jones’ main antagonists in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were Russians? It didn’t exactly pan out well either, did it? Let’s face it, if we’re going to be squaring off in a Cold War with one group of evil guys or another, I’d rather take the ones who do evil in style and don’t come off looking like complete amateurs every time they threaten you.

So, yeah, what do you think? I mean, after World War 2 we ended up in a 45 year cold war regardless. Even if the Nazis had ‘won’ WWII (IE defeated Russia, taken England in a cross channel invasion) there never, ever would have been an invasion on the U.S (you’re talking about the same logistical nightmare that would have prevented the U.S. from invading Europe if England had fallen. No staging ground in England means no D-Day, and the Nazis couldn’t have pulled it off in reverse). Therefore, you probably would have seen a similar cold war develop between the two superpowers after the dust had settled even if the Nazis had been victorious. To a degree, history would have remained largely the same, albeit with different antagonists glaring at each other from across the Atlantic.

As it actually happened, after all the carnage in WWII there were still bad guys in power, and they still held half of Europe. The Russians weren’t really good at what they did though: everywhere they went was ruined by their occupation, and even without a major catalyst like a war, they still couldn’t hold their empire together in 1989.

So, if you were FORCED to choose, who would you take, the Nazis or the Communists? We saw what we got with one… having been there, would you take a different route if given the opportunity to pick your foe?

Subtext: I am NOT a neo-Nazi, or Nazi sympathizer, or anything of the sort. It just struck me tonight that the Nazis made far better opponents than did the Russians, and since we’d have likely been stuck being on the brink of war with one or the other for half a century, it might be interesting to have a choice as to who you’d prefer to be dealing with.

Today, you can look around and see a variety of emerging styles and trends being manifested through a person?s outfit, hair, makeup, and accessories.? These styles do not only serve the purpose of accessorizing and adorning oneself in fashionable items.? They are a way of expressing oneself and one?s personality, reflecting the wearer?s attitude and character.

Quite easily, you can spot a jock, diva, rock star, punk, or goth even without sitting down and talking with them.? This is because they often exhibit their styles and personalities through their clothes and the accessories they wear.? And the latest craze nowadays in accessorizing and setting oneself apart is through the use of belt buckles.

There are many belt buckles in the market today, and they come in an assortment of shapes and sizes.? They often are categorized in themes, such as Western, Goth, Sporty, Music, Character (think: Superman or Batman emblems), Patriotism (flags and state signs) and many more.? There are also those jewel-embellished buckles or customized ones which sport your name or initials.? Amazingly, there are even belt buckles that light-up and display messages like ?HOT?.

Belt buckles originally serve the purpose of clasping the two ends of the belt straps together.? But now, these do more than just keep your jeans up.? Belt buckles can spice up any wardrobe!

One of the most popular themes is the Gothic Fashion belt buckles.? Goth buckles often portray images and messages that are dark and dramatic, which is characteristic of the whole Goth style.? A favorite among many people, whether Goth or not, is the skull buckle.? There are many designs to the skull buckle, ranging from the simple silver skull to the more elaborate ones that are embedded with semi-precious stones and even crystals.?

Most Goth Fashion belt buckles are in sterling silver or pewter, and will come in many designs.? Famous designs include the Egyptian ankh, the magical Pentagram, and other Celtic signs and symbols.? The Gothic cross is also something you can look for when choosing Goth belt buckles.? But whatever you choose, it?s sure to add a gothic touch to your outfit with its elaborate and dramatic dark designs.?

Wearing and collecting Goth belt buckles really has its benefits.? Just by wearing one, you can immediately create your own style and set yourself apart from others.? It adds character to your outfit, especially since Goth colors tend to be black and devoid of any splash of color.? Having a sterling silver or pewter buckle to complement the black will definitely make you stand out.?

And the best part is, you can easily switch from one buckle to another, so it?s better to have a collection of these.? Depending on your mood for the day, you can use another belt buckle and set a whole new persona without investing too much on your outfit.? Accessorizing through the use of Goth belt buckles is definitely something Goths must not live without.?

Regardless of your style and personality, getting these lovely buckles for your belt will definitely complete your whole look.

It’s ok.

Really. You’re not alone. There are thousands more people like you. And me.

You want Indiana Jones’ hat.

You don’t have any reason except…well, you want one. If you lived 75 years ago, it wouldn’t even be a question: of course you’d own a hat. And you’d feel naked if you left the house without it.

After all, just look at it! The sharp brim. The distinctive shape. The flavor of class and dignity that comes with that 1930s style.

Ah, the fedora!

But, in an age of superstores, low prices and lower quality, where does one acquire such a thing of beauty?

For me, the answer was obvious: why not contact the man who made Harrison Ford’s hat? Marc Kitter, along with his partner Steve Delk, hand-made all the fedoras used in the latest Indiana Jones film, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”.

Bernie Pollack, costume designer for “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” contacted Kitter. “He’d been told that that Steve and I had specialized ourselves on the Indy fedora and wanted to know if we could answer some questions. After quizzing us on brim widths, crown heights, ribbon width, fur quality and many other details, Pollack asked us for some samples. We sent in several sample hats and could do nothing but wait.”

According to Pollack, Spielberg had been worried. “Ah, I’m so relieved he [Spielberg] said. I lost sleep wondering if you would be able to come up with the perfect hat.”

Kitter said, “But, after a test shooting with Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg, the dream came true and we got the order. My wife went on vacation and we started making hats up to 18 hours a day.”

Eighteen hours a day? If that sounds like a lot, it helps to know what goes into making a real Indiana Jones fedora. The best fedoras are made from fur-felt, never wool. In fact, the highest quality fedora is made from beaver.

It’s a long and difficult process. The fur is manipulated, treated and transformed into actual “felt”, arguably the toughest fabric known to man. (The fibers are interlocked and arranged in every possible direction making it almost impossible to tear.)

“The pure beaver felt used on my hats are specially made to my specs from a traditional manufacturer. This is the highest density felt I’ve ever worked with; and that adds to the durability of the final hat. We even add water-repellant to the felt during the manufacturing process.”

From there, the best fedoras are hand-crafted over a wooden block. “Wooden hat blocks have the advantage of letting the felt “breath” while it dries on them. This is one of the many details that isn’t always visible but prove valuable in the long haul.”

Ironically, one of the most important pieces of a high-quality fedora might be something that you rarely see: the sweatband. Since this is the only part of the hat that actually touches the wearer’s head, having the right material ensures comfort and durability.

Kitter’s hats use exclusive sweatbands made from kangeroo hide; the hides are traditionally tanned by a family-owned company in Australia. From there, they’re cut and turned into the most shrink resistant leather sweatbands available, known and loved by customers all over the world.

The finishing touch is the lining of the hat made from the highest quality bridal satin. “It looks and feels like silk but it’s more resistant to dust and sweat.”

The whole process can take more than 14 hours by hand and it shows.

So…what makes the Indiana Jones hat so unique?

“The Indy Fedora is a classic brown snap brim Fedora with a contrasting dark brown ribbon, but the — as is always the case with quality — the devil is in the details,” said Kitter.

“The blockshape used for the Indy Fedora is very uncommon nowadays. Today most classic hats have a tapered crown and are made from lightweight felt, mainly pure rabbit or rabbit beaver blends.

But, even if you never have to worry about wearing your fedora through the jungles of South America or racing the Russians for an ancient artifact, you still deserve a hat that will survive normal living.

“A high-quality fedora should be able to protect you from the elements, not the other way around. The hat should withstand heavy downpours, hot and humid summer days, snow….but it should do it with style. So, you’ll be able to wear the same hat to the restaurant at night,” Kitter says.

In other words, an authentic Indy fedora will get you positive feedback on a luxury cruise due to its velvet-like silky surface…but it’s just as appropriate with jeans and work-boots.

So, whether you’re looking for that final touch of class to go with a great suit and tie or you’re excavating the garden to make room for the begonias, the classic Indiana Jones fedora is the perfect addition to your wardrobe.

And yes, mine’s on the way.

Chichita was looking for a new caretaker, and the person meant to be her new caretaker will be coming to get her this week. It’s not that easy to say goodbye to her eventhough I wasn’t attached to her to a point when I wouldn’t recognize that she wanted to be taken somewhere else.

What I mean by that? In the last few months it became difficult to hold her in my hands. There was some vibration that I was feeling for the 1st time with her. And while I was looking at her (as she is always on my desk) the thought that I had to release her, and that she wants to be somewhere else, became stonger. It was like Chichita was telling me that she is meant to go and not to stay with me. So I placed the ad and on the 5th day I was contacted by a woman saying she dreamt of Chichita. To make the story short – she will be coming this week and I am cleaning her under the Sun as well as the Moon light and preparing her for a new episode of her travels on Earth.

I would be making a video with her and when ready – it will be posted here too.

I haven’t disappeared as yet from the Earth plane, in case you wondered – how come no posts in the last two months. Meet the new turquoise crystal skull of a dear friend of mine. She left her for a few weeks to enjoy the company of my skulls, while receiving from the wisdom they all share from Synergy, the ancient skull with caretaker Sherry Withfield.

Turquoise is known as The Stone of the Gods since ancient times. The properties of the turquoise include wisdom, honesty, friendship and serenity. And I must add that I was feeling so good while holding it in my hands, and so light as a feather.

You’ll hear from me soon enough, and stay healthy and happy untill than

Please note that non of my photos may be used without my explicit permission, and every work of mine is copyrighted. Contact me if you wish to use any of my photos and do not download any without having received my written permission. Thank you.

Most probably most of the readers of this blog have read the news about the gigantic UFO that was supposed to be seen everywhere on Earth between the 14th and the 17th of October 2008. The info came from Blossom Goodchild, a spiritual channel in Australia. But somehow the expectations were invain and it did not happen. No one anywhere saw a UFO, and this was disappointing to say the least.

Big shifts in energy are happnening on Earth in the last few weeks and something tells me that changes are upon us – be it huge UFO’s showing finally, or more and more people on Earth becoming psychics all of a sudden. Some of us have had a big deep on energy level, and feeling ill is one of these types of deeps. Tonight while behind my desk something between JollyZee – the clear crystal skull, and Elie – the labradorite skull caught my attention. So I took a few shots and here is one of these for you to see. No trickery, or Photo Shop post processing, no treatments, and no cropping were used here. The only thing added is the copyright signature – to prevent the stealing of my photos

Before the closing this post I wanted to mention the release of the DVD of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. I did watch it when the movie came out, and found it entertaining. In a previous post I wrote more in depth about what I thought of it. The trashy reviews that I am seeing about the DVD, and the movie are way out of line, but than again – Free speech rules…

This photo with Jolly Zee is an experiment with her reflecting in a crystal sphere. She looks like floating in it and I liked it so much that I am sharing it here on the skull blog.
The big skulls from eBay that I talked about in my previous post haven’t been sold as yet, and there is another one starting at $75.000 and with a BuyItNow of $250.000. I did not safe the link to this one and cannot share it with you. Wishing you a great week ahead and be well.

Please note that non of my photos may be used without my explicit permission, and every work of mine is copyrighted. Contact me if you wish to use any of my photos and do not download any without having received my written permission. Thank you.

Tonight, while checking the usual for me collector items on eBay I came across a few adverts of crystal skulls that made me gasp. Not the price alone, but also the description made me smile and shake my head… Of course, clearly – if I had plenty of money I would have bought the 9 pound one, as the other once are way of my lead – $50.000! As this one is only $10.000…

Here is a screen shot of it, but to see it better and read it’s description click the link above and go directly to the advert on eBay.

But than, imagine that this one is indeed an ancient skull, and one of those missing 13?
The second one is 29 pound crystal quartz skull, that looks really awesome. I took a screenshot of the last part of it’s description, and the first two photos of it.

In order to read the entire advert, and see all the photos – go directly and see it on eBay.

Than there is a third one with a price tag between the two already described above. This one has the starting bid on $17.999 and a Buy It Now price of 29.999 and is made out of Aquamarine (beryl), not from quartz. It’s weight is 3.5 pounds and it looks really, absolutely awesome. It’s a beauty. And here is a screenshot that I took, but check the real advert on eBay for the description and bigger photos.

If you had plenty of money – would you have purchased one of these at the Buy It Now price? As I said earlier I would have for sure. But than I am a crystal skull-holic…
Talk to you soon and have a nice weekend.

While away I am still checking for news about the crystal skulls and read yesterday in the Joshua Shapiro’s blog about the Mexican probably ancient rose quartz skull. Click on the name above to go directly to this post of Joshua.

The above photo is from the skull carved within the Russian clear quartz skull that I am the caretaker of. Best to: View Large and On Black

Please note that non of my photos may be used without my explicit permission, and every work of mine is copyrighted. Contact me if you wish to use any of my photos and do not download any without having received my written permission. Thank you.