On this Day STANISLAV PETROV was born on September 7, 1939, just days after the outbreak of World War II—a world already teetering on the edge of disaster. Decades later, this modest, unassuming man would make a single, split-second decision, one that is widely acknowledged to have prevented global nuclear catastrophe. (Right) Stanislav Petrov, born …
Introduction: Flags, Fear and the Manipulation of Public Behaviour THROUGHOUT HISTORY, populations have been guided, swayed, and at times manipulated by those in positions of authority. The mechanisms of control are not always overt. More often they take the form of subtle nudges—engineered crises, health scares, product shortages, price hikes, media campaigns, symbolic gestures—that channel …
Nordic Folk Since August, 2023 I've presented on here several pieces of music, compositions which may be best described as 'Nordic Folk.' Ulvetime On August 18 that year I posted 'Ulvetime (Hour of the Wolf)' by Northern European group, 'Songleikr.' The song’s captivating lyrics confront mortality with a mood of dread and restlessness, yet my …
The State-Sanctioned Murder of Derek Bentley ‘By killing, the evil killer rips a jagged hole in the fabric of society. The jagged hole makes everyone edgy. Edgy people respond with panic. What if the fabric rips some more? What if the next rip is closer to home? What if it rips up my street? My …
‘The nation which first learns to plot the paths of air masses accurately and learns to control the time and place of precipitation will dominate the globe.’ General George C. Kenney, Commander of the US Strategic Air Command, in the 1940s. Project Cirrus, the first explicit, military rainmaking effort in the West soon followed. IT'S …
SOME FASCINATIONS begin in childhood and never let go. For me, one such allure was the silent menace of submarines—sleek, powerful vessels gliding unseen beneath the waves. In later years I found something similarly captivating on land: the commanding presence of smartly painted, intelligently-designed heavy lorries—powerful machines that appear as stunning and substantive as any …
TWENTY YEARS AGO, on July 7th, 2005, a series of coordinated bombings struck London’s transport system during the morning rush hour, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700. Within hours, the public was told the attacks were carried out by four British-born Muslim men acting independently, radicalised by extremism and driven to murder. But …
'Upon the headland the Geats erected a broad high tumulus plainly visible to distant seamen ... within the barrow they placed collars, brooches and all the trappings which they had plundered from the treasure hoard. They buried the gold and left that princely treasure to the keeping of the earth, where it yet remains ... …
In mist-wreathed centuries before loathsome Norman banners flew over the island of the mighty, and when the names of kings were writ in runes, there came across the grey, white-capped sea many longships of oaken hull. Carven serpents adorned their prows, winds of fate filled their sails - and they came bearing stern-browed men with …
The sparks of inspiration which prompt musicians to produce pieces of music are as diverse and multi-faceted as music itself. Personal experiences, relationships, social issues and events are all possible stimuli for a songwriter’s muse, having the potential to release the flow of creative juices. Unsurprisingly, many iconic songs have their roots in their creators' …
RAVEN MOON 