I love me my twee creepy little stories, so settle down nicely by the fire while it pours with rain outside, and listen to this. My granny had a prohibition of putting up any pictures on the walls in the house that feature any eyes. From what I remember, she used to say that "things" could inhabit the pictures and watch you, or give you the "evil eye". Not too sure about that myself, but this little gem of a story is right up there with some of my other favorite creepy stories.

Fortean Times has an article about a series of paintings they call the Crying Boy. The paintings (and reprints) all feature a portrait of a boy (not the same boy all the time) with tears running down his cheeks. The paintings are said to be cursed. Allegedly, hanging one of these paintings up is to invite trouble, and a burnt house. The fun part is that in each of the cases where a Crying Boy becursed house went up in flames, the said painting had survived untouched:

Rotherham fire station officer Alan Wilkinson who, it emerged, had personally logged 50 ‘Crying Boy’ fires dating back to 1973, dismissed any connection with the supernatural, having satisfied himself that most of them had been caused by human carelessness. But despite his pragmatism, he could not explain how the prints had survived infernos which generated heat sufficient to strip plaster from walls. His wife had her own theory: “I always say it’s the tears that put the fire out.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the stories had been started—and were being fueled by—The Sun tabloid paper, so a pinch of salt should go with paying attention to this story. So how much credence to the story did the boss of The Sun give it?

When the assistant editor took down a picture of Churchill, which had been hanging on the newsroom wall since the Falklands War, and replaced it with a Crying Boy, the mystery was resolved: “MacKenzie, bustling into the newsroom at his normal half-run, stopped dead in his tracks and went white. ‘Take that down,’ he snapped. ‘I don’t like it. It’s bad luck.’”

And what of the fireman, Alan Wilkinson?

Fireman Alan Wilkinson reacted in a similar fashion when his colleagues presented him with a framed Crying Boy on his retirement from the brigade. Like Kelvin MacKenzie, he denied being superstitious, but nevertheless immediately returned the painting, saying: “No thanks, you can keep it.”

The article then goes on to say:

Wilkinson admitted that he had been presented with another Crying Boy print by a worried woman who turned up at his home one night. He took it to work “as a joke” and mounted it on the office wall of the fire station. Within days, he was ordered by his superiors to take it down. Heaping irony upon comedy, the story continued: “The same day, an oven in the upstairs kitchen overheated and the firemen’s dinners were burned.”

Still, as far as creepy little stories go, it's right up there with the other haunted painting. Does anyone out there have an actual copy of one of these prints? Has anything odd happened to you?

Sleep tight, children!

[Link: Fortean Times, via Boingboing]

Yesterday I read his chapter on The Covenant Lord.  It is there that he talks about the hidden God- who seems to play hide-and-seek with us.  In talking about the cutting of the covenant in Genesis 15 he introduces this concept.

"The darkness may also symbolize God's hiddenness.  As we will see, the promise was not immediately fulfilled.  Abraham, and all of God's people, needed to learn to trust God in the darkness.  As Isaiah was later to say, 'Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God' (Isaiah 50:10)."

This is probably one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life- trusting God when he seems nowhere to be found and life is dark.  This is where I currently am.  I know his promise, and his character.  But I am in the inbetween times: between promise and fulfillment.  I am waiting for him to fulfill his calling in my life, and I am lost in darkness.  It is there that we must learn to walk by faith and not by sight, to rely on God while we wait in the dark.

"It is interesting that when Isaiah describes the return of the people from exile in Babylon in terms of the Exodus, he describes God as 'a God who hides himself' (Isaiah 45:15).  That is exactly what the Israelites must have felt: 'God has hidden himself; He is not going to keep His promise.'"

Fear quickly sets in when things don't go our way and we think God has failed us.  But he does not exist to fulfill our purposes but his.  We feel forsaken, but he is still working.  We are trapped in the short-run and our perspective needs to take in the long-run.  And, we need to know who has promised.

"This was the secret of Moses' life: He held on to the promise of God, not because he immediately recognized how easily it would be fulfilled, but because it was God who had promised."

Ferguson continues to trace the development of God's covenant as it unfolds in the life of David.  He adds new promises to the covenant.  At times in David's life it seemed as though all was lost.

"No human eye could detect whether God was keeping His word, or how He would fulfill it.  But faith does not depend on what can be seen!  ... so David subordinated the current circumstances of his life to the plan he knew God would fulfill.  There is no other way to live in fellowship with the covenant Lord."

  Ferguson ties the reality of 2 Corinthians 1:20, all God's promises being 'Amen' or 'Yes' in Christ, in with the reading of the blessings and curses of the Law in Deuteronomy 27.  God's people receive all the blessings by faith in Christ- they are 'amen'.  Jesus bore all the curses- they too are 'amen'.  God has kept his word, the word of his covenant.  Though he was often working out of our sight, though all often seemed lost, God is not just a covenant making God but a covenant keeping God.  And so we can rely on him in the midst of the darkness.

Someone reminded us of the recent school trip to an old Spanish Prison where we got separated from the group chatting about the most recent episode of Yaiba and mistakenly stepped into an underground tunnel. We only realized that we were lost when we finally noticed our echoing voices, the fact that someone closed the tunnel entrance which dimmed the tunnel. Fortunately, we were equipped with flashlights, hushed to hear for the rest of the class and heard some spooky voices and saw some shadows. The tunnel was known for tortures and mass murder during the Spanish era that we scared ourselves into thinking we were hearing the voices of the long dead. We did eventually find the exit when our teacher opened up the tunnel door to our frantic pounding.

A girl followed insisting that she was friends with White dwendes. They only appeared to “good” children or whomever they wanted to be visible to. She said that you could spot their tiny feet below the gate excitedly waiting for her when she came home from school. They protected her from the black dwendes who always wanted to get to her because that was the best way of irritating the white dwendes. Since we both used the same school bus, I actually looked under their  gate watching out for the tiny booted feet. Despite squinting hard and fighting the jolt of the vehicle's movement, I failed to spot any.

It was exam week despite having just come back from the holidays and remembering the stories did not help studying easy. The television was on and news came up about a weeping statue of Mary. Her face was streaked in blood, images of rosaries and frantically praying multitudes flashed by. The statue looked similar to the one we owned so I decided to try and... ask. I stared at the ancient statue, looking for some subtle change in her face preferring it to be a smile or a wink instead of tears. The statue was several generations old that my mother can't even tell the age as her mother had had it passed on to her. I thought that the age of this statue made it even more sacred. I stared hard.

After an hour or so, my younger brother waved his hand in front of my face and asked what I was trying to do. Feeling restless, I went outside to play with my dogs. As usual, they crowded over me until I noticed a very strange, huge creature hanging at the edge of the roof. It looked like what a mananangal could be but at  closer inspection, it was about a foot long and had soft tufts of fur sticking out of its leathery body. Staring at it further, I realized that I was looking at a bat. It headed for the door when I noticed that it did not go after me and it didn't seem to mind me at all.  It was the biggest bat I've ever seen and I thought it to be cute after a while. One of my dogs eventually noticed it and started barking and reaching up for it. The bat sensed the danger, climbed a ways away and flew leaving a giant shadow behind.

The shadow exaggerated the bat's real size when it took flight. I wondered if they were ever mistaken to be mananangals. My eyes were naturally drawn to the tall coconut trees that sprouted from random corners of the neighborhood and noted how parts in shadow looked almost like wings and a woman's head bobbing in the breeze, perhaps even eating her latest prey. I looked at my dogs, a few of them still snarling after the bat had already gone. They weren't afraid of it and they could have pretty much ripped it to pieces if they actually caught it. I've known them to toss rats by the tail as if it were a game, spinning the rats around as if they were toys. I wondered what my dogs would do if they ever spotted dwendes.

During this time big shot gangsters where making a lot of money by having control and a monopoly over the vices people had and the law had prohibited.  They where tough days but people still got their share of hoochie and coochie for that matter.

Enter twist number one.  Eddie works for one mafia boss who had him killed and three days later decided to get him back.  From where you ask? Well from an abandoned warehouse front yard where he laid with a second smile around his neck.  Apparently Eddie is the victim of a curse where if somebody touches him when his dead that person takes his place in death.  So his boss makes him work for him again on a special job with a very important dateline since it will mean the peace between the mafia brethrens.  Why use that term to describe a gang? Well there's a good reason for that.

Enter twist number two.  The mafia is controlled by demons.  Yup, just like you are reading.  There are two main families the Aligheri's (Eddies boss) and the Roarkes, that control everything that human enjoy yet they are keeping secrets from everybody but that's not the only thing they control.  There is a third family of demons, the Verlochins, which use to be all about punishment and damnation but got driven out of town by these two families although they still keep involved in the whereabouts of the damned and their property.

The plot of this first book, that compiles six individual comics, lies in that job Eddie is sent to investigate.  That job includes tracking down a demon bookkeeper and an important list.  During the process he not only encounters betrayal, lying, weird half-breeds, fine looking dames and evil and wicked spirits, but encounters a reason to go further.  That reason being that what's a stake is not control of town but control over the souls of the people in town and one in particular he would like to see released.  So it turns into his own personal mission not only to investigate like your stereotypical gumshoe, but solve this confusing situation that's creating havoc in a temporarily pacified town (that if you don't count his own murder).   Of course in the process he manages to get killed a few times, but I guess that's when his curse comes in handy.  I'm not sure if he would see it the same way.

I have to say that for a one hundred plus pages book, I went thru it quite fast.  I read the whole thing in one night.  It was easy to follow and the story was interesting.  I enjoy a good zombie story and had not read one based in the forties.  The way the big bosses where portrayed as demons and how people behaved towards them, not only was amusing but you would think that's how it really was, considering how fearful people where around the real bosses of the time.  The good thing about the story is that you can sort of relate with Eddie, and you get to like him as you read, that's the first key right there for a good storyline.  I'm guessing the character still has a lot of growing to do considering this is just the first book, but so far so good.  I can't say the mystery remained that way all the way to the end.  I mean, because of the nature of the story with the two sides fighting and how third parties reacted, I did had a clue where the story was headed, but even so I think it was written very nicely.  I guess it doesn't help the cause that I've read my share of mystery novels.

The book was written by Cullen Bunn, original from North Carolina who has some history writing fiction and non fiction.  He founded the Undaunted Press and also edited a small press magazine called "Whispers From the Shattered Forum".  His first issue of this book was published in 2006 under Oni Press and he's still keeping at it, working on the new single issues that will make up Vol.2.  For a list of his work you can go check his website.

His partner in crime in this book, Brian Hurtt, got started in the comics with book Queen & Country.  Since then he has participated in many other books for Oni and DC as well.  This particular book was the first time he did everything from penciller to inker to letterer.

On the other hand Oni Press, founded in 1997 by Joe Nozemack and Bob Schreck, was created to release the kind of comics the owners would want to read.  Although now it's only Joe at the wheel, he keeps fighting to provide an eclectic and diverse line of comics and graphic novels.  The company has a great inventory of books and its main office is located in Portland, Oregon.  If you are not a big graphic novel follower, yet you are a fan of Stephen Colbert, then you must know of Tek Jansen.  If that's the case, know that Oni is the company that releases the science fiction, comedy issues.

This first volume includes a bonus in the last few pages.  It's a short preview of The Damned that was published in the back of other Oni comics to let people know of the upcoming release.  It tells the story of how the book actually starts.  There is no way to go wrong with this story and all I can do now is wait for Vol.2.

 http://www.thedamnedcomic.com/

http://www.onipress.com/display.php?type=se&id=19

http://www.cullenbunn.com/?p=142

Theatrical photo by arbron; creative commons license

I have a house full of company this summer, but it's oh-so-pleasant and has settled into a nice pattern of incense wafting upward from the countertop, couscous on the stove, wine in my glass, Brian playing the piano or guitar, Amy singing, Robert drumming on the table over sushi, Aislinn fetching strawberry-chocolate shakes, Shannon playing with Grendel, and regular midnight marathons of Buffy.  Yes, a wonderful season for us with lots of blessings. 

While other people are having their names cursed.  I didn't realize this until half-way through one of our hang-out-on-the-purple-carpet-with-pillows-and-watch-Buffy fun moments.  (As Maggie Shayne and I have agreed on many occasions, Joss Whedon is a god.)

The scene is from the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.    Willow, now becoming much more powerful in her own TV brand of witchcraft, is stunned by her reunion with Oz, her former boyfriend and favorite werewolf. They're talking about their feelings, the separation they've endured.

Willow:  Some of it, you know, was me telling myself I hated you, and cursing your name.... Well, not literally.

Oz:  Well, thanks for that.

Witches would be heavily criticized for "cursing" someone's name, right?  If they're Wiccan, they'd probably be called unethical and accused of magickal harm.  Karma, the threefold law, and all sorts of spiritual rules and regulations would be hastily invoked, I suppose.

And yet, cursing someone's name is exactly what gossip and scandal are. 

A friend of mine who lives at the beach has been in some trouble recently, which is why this hit me so hard. He hasn't hurt anyone but he did manage to become the brunt of scandal.  Bottom line is that it's always a bad idea to email pictures of yourself wearing nothing but a leash, high-heeled boots, and a wicked smile.  Doubly bad if you're in a highly visible career with the public.  I saw the pictures long before they became public, and no, I didn't let anyone else see them.  Shoot, it's taken me this long just to close my mouth.  The guy is adorable, no matter what he wears.

I did him no harm.  I didn't, in fact, point my finger as surely as an athame and curse his name by declaring him bad, insane, perverted, ridiculous, unworthy of his career, or any of those things that have happened so crazily this summer just because he has some interesting fetishes and forgot to be discreet just once. 

His career and reputation are now ruined.  To continue in his profession--if the ethics committees allow it--will likely mean he'll have to move across the State to where his name isn't a household joke.  He'll have to start over.  He'll have to leave his friends and community behind.  He'll have to pray that all the Google caches disappear faster than usual.  I've been the subject of gossip myself, and I know first hand how hurtful it can be--not just emotionally and psychologically, but financially, too.

When I was a child, I remember a story about gossip being released like feathers into the wind and the only way to make amends to the injured party was to gather all the scattered feathers--which could never be done 100%.  It's now too late for my friend.  His life has been interrupted and his career possibly dealt a death blow.  Only time will tell if he'll recover.   

Meanwhile, thousands of people have snickered and speculated and embellished until they've destroyed his good reputation.  They have, very much so, cursed his name.  And it didn't take a witch, a spell, or any magickal tool to do it.

Should you ever say "should of", "would of", "could of" or the like, may an apple fall on your head and cruelly, sadistically, inconveniently and annoyingly end your <whatever cute thing you treasure>'s life and/or warranty.

Should you ever say "should of", "would of", "could of" or the like regularly, may your computer henceforth regularly freeze and reboot into Windows 1.0, leaving you with absolutely no chance of recovering your data, software, original OS or dignity.

You are probably why i called it "the curse of multiples" instead of "Murphy's law" because in my case, it's not necessarily negative but more annoying... I have been single for quite some time and have enjoyed it... no boys were really interested in me... but then recently i start going on dates with a certain boy whom I dont even know whats going on and then since then, everything has gone down hill... not in the way you would think but as I said, the curse of the Multiples came into play... When you are single, not many boy are interested but as soon as something happens between you and another boy, all of a sudden boys are coming from the left, right and center field...

So I there is the boy i mentioned earlier, and then there's another Sydney boy who has asked me on several dates (but i always make excuses coz i dont double play) and calls me every third day and then there is the Irish guy who is also in Sydney who has also asked me on a couple of dates... then there is the bouncer from the Palace in Coogee whom sends me private messages on facebook but i never reply... then there is the British guy... and my home boy Cho Cho...FCUK!!! Do i dare go on?

Why do things always end up in multiples... i dont know... but that shyt is whack!!! CURSES!!!

Sometimes, when I don't have my shirt on, I suffer existential questions concerning spirituality and the fate of the universe. Is it expanding, is it contracting, does life exist on Mars, will I live past 2012, where can I find more beautiful women who truly love electro, and more importantly, why aren't there more awesome remixes like this one by Curses? Big questions. I don't have all the answers, but that's why I'm happy groups like Midnight Juggernauts are making Beatles pop meets 80s Disco Apocalpyse styled tuneage.

This Curses remix is by far the best I've heard yet of 'Road to Recovery'. It's got a drama, it's got reverb, it's got a huge jarring climax that I totally wasn't expecting. It actually has an even greater sense of mystery and breadth to it than the original (in my opinion) and does a few things I haven't heard yet from other tunes. The vinyl slowing down effect around 1:40 in is way cool. And the staccato chords that explode out at 2:35 is one of the best moments I've heard in electro for 2008.

Midnight Juggernauts - Road to Recovery (Curses Remix)

And here's the music video to the original for your viewing pleasure, surprisingly close to the vibe I expected:

Several years ago, I was walking along, pondering why there was so much hardship, suffering and trials in my life. I thought having victory in Jesus meant deliverance from all that bondage. I asked God why I was back in Egypt. Then His voice said to me, “You are not in Egypt. You are in the land of the Giants!”….. Is that where you are too?

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Our very own Soror DS has just come back from a lecture by the famous George Napp ( he was the journalist that Bob Lazar first contacted regarding his time spent in the infamous Area 51)

Mr Napp gave a talk on his experiences at one of the strangest places on earth for UFO and paranormal activity. We are going to publish a series of small articles about this place known as 'The Skinwalker Ranch'

Part 1 consists of back ground information gleaned from Wikipedia and you are free to verify the long list of strange occurrences for yourselves!

Skinwalker Ranch is a ranch reputedly located in the Uintah Basin of Utah; it is allegedly the site of a series of paranormal activities.

A precise site has never been publicly confirmed, but the ranch is supposed to cover 480 acres relatively near to the Utah cities of Roosevelt and Vernal. Its name is a play on George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, and comes from the "Skinwalker", a supernatural being in Ute folklore.

Background

Tom Gorman and his wife, sometimes called Terry and Gwen Sherman, bought the ranch from absent owners in the autumn of 1994, with the intention of raising cattle. After reputedly experiencing what they believed to be paranormal activity, and citing personal stress, the family tried to sell the ranch in 1996. Some regional press outlets picked up news of the alleged phenomena shortly afterward.

The National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDSci), which funds study of the paranormal, purchased the ranch for $200,000. The ranch featured in the media again in 2002 when NIDSci gave Las Vegas Mercury reporter George Knapp access to the ranch. Knapp wrote a two-part article, which was published in the now-defunct alternative newsweekly Las Vegas Mercury in November 2002.

Hunt for the Skinwalker, A detailed book about the ranch and the NIDSci investigation which was co-written by NIDSci researcher Colm Kelleher and Knapp was published in December 2005. The authors insisted that standard scientific protocols were followed in the investigation at the ranch, and that scientists and researchers witnessed bizarre phenomena, but there has been no independent verification of those claims.

A Utah talk radio host, Steven Rinehart, claimed in December 2006 on the air to have visited the ranch. He subsequently posted photographs of the ranch and directions to it online (and a Google Earth link), along with purportedly unidentified footprints he found in snow near the ranch. According to Rinehart, each print was about 17 inches (0.4 m) long, and appeared to have been made by a large, bipedal creature.

Reported activity

Activity at Skinwalker Ranch in Utah proved sporadic from the late 1990s onwards, with periods of high activity offset by periods of dormancy. Many of the more unusual phenomena were transient, sometimes happening only once, or often reported as just occurring for a couple of weeks and then disappearing forever, making it difficult for investigators to get results or draw firm conclusions.

The exact pattern of activity on the ranch has proved difficult to identify during this timespan, due to the secrecy and inactivity of NIDS. However, in February 2006 George Knapp declared on the Coast to Coast AM radio show that the strange phenomena had started up again. He also stated that security measures were being used to guard the premises, and that anyone trespassing would be prosecuted.

Types of activity

A wide variety of paranormal activities have allegedly been encountered at the ranch. Unusual or unidentified aircraft, balls of light, poltergeist activity, cattle mutilation, and strange creatures have been reported. The last owners reported no problems while living there^. Chapter 14 in Kelleher and Knapp's book "Hunt for the Skinwalker" asserts that after numerous interviews with neighbors to the Gorman ranch, many spoke of unusual experiences to NIDS researchers (one, identified as "Mr. Gonsalez" alleged that he had unusual experiences with cattle disappearances). They also claim local Ute Indians have a history of encounters with unusual objects and creatures. Since the real names of these people are not revealed, these claims cannot be independently verified.

Unidentified vehicles

A refrigerator-shaped object about the size of an RV with a white light at the front and a red light at the back was reported by the Gorman family prior to NIDS' arrival. The vehicle allegedly retreated from Gorman and his nephew as they approached it. It then floated up into the clear sky and flew away. The vehicle bore a limited resemblance to a Chupa, a type of UFO reported in Brazil.

A black triangular object resembling an F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter was also allegedly witnessed by Mrs. Gorman. The vehicle hovered about twenty feet above her parked car before it vanished.

Known by locals as "ghost lights", the Gormans claimed that they could also move towards people as if to play a game of "chicken".

Orbs and floating lights

Glowing orbs of various colors, particularly orange and blue, were allegedly seen on the property. They were described as ranging from basketball- to baseball-sized, and some contained what appeared to be swirling liquid. These objects were allegedly capable of affecting electrical items, particularly lights merely by their presence, and of melting animals, such as dogs. This was possibly due to extreme heat or radiation that might have emanated from the orbs.

Another phenomena observed by the Gormans were large orange circles that floated in the sky and occasionally expelled orbs and unidentified beings. Mr. Gorman claimed blue sky was visible through one such circle he witnessed at night.

Cattle mutilations and strange creatures

The Gormans allegedly witnessed numerous cattle mutilations on the ranch during their stay. Some common traits of these included:

• One ear being cut off
• Excision of the cattle's genitals
• The cattle being cored out from the anus
• Exsanguinations, some instances of which took place very quickly (twenty minutes, on one occasion)

[Source: Wikipedia]

I actually read the Spanish translation on Ediciones La Cúpula, which I borrowed from my local library; which, by the way, has a new web catalog interface (about time!).

Ok, I have this bad habit of getting into cyber fights with people...(this is different...I didn't even engage in a conversation with him) and I only said the St. Michael prayer... hehe, I'm tempted to post this: Heavy Duty. But anyways, since he has 'cursed' me, I posted the St. Michael prayer on my account, on his new account, and once again, on his old account. (Blocking him all over again.) Now, rather than getting into a fight with this guy, I'm just going to ask all of you to simply pray for him. If the St. Michael prayer from one person did that to him, I'd be interested in finding out what all the prayers of everyone who frequents this blog will do. Keep him in your prayers! We'll have him converted in no time! ;)

(By the way, while some of these are serious, most aren't.)

10.) Tsunku.

No matter how you look at it, this guy is creepy. And, my friends, this scary dude is the one making most of the decisions in your immediate future. How can a man who can't even responsibly pick a hair color that matches his eyebrows decide the future of your entire group? (Answer: he can't) And then he decides to go put out versions of your singles that utterly ruin the songs for the fans...

9.) Scandals.

They just never work out in your favor. Unless you're Yajima Maimi, because MeguKami's graduation did her a world of good.

8.) Fan-made "curses."

There are quite a lot of these, and while they might not exactly have a direct effect on you if you're a H!P member, it must get pretty annoying how a fan'll make a curse out of ANYTHING these days. And I mean anything. For example, we have the rather famous and seemingly legit Love Machine curse, as well as the more far-fetched Sexy Otona-jan, Aruiteru and W curses.

Most of these, with the Love Machine curse being the obvious exception, are complete and utter tomfoolery (Yes, I said tomfoolery) despite how entertaining they are. In fact, to show just how easy it is to make up a curse if you're a H!P fan, I've made one up for you now:

The 4-member Group Curse (Catchy, no?): All groups with four members will be doomed to poor sales, and a very slow/short run of market activity. Let's examine this more closely, shall we (and seriously, how gorgeous does Kaori look in that picture)?

The four-members groups who have been/are in H!P are: Melon Kinenbi, SI*NA, Tanpopo gens. 2 and 3, T&C Bomber, Athena and Robikerottsu and DEF. DIVA. Melon Kinenbi, T&C Bomber and Athena and Robikerororororoooo all had fairly low sales, especially Athena and Robyblahblah. DEF. DIVA only put out one real single, and SI*NA hasn't put out anything and is unlikely to in the near future. The third gen of Tanpopo sold poorly and only released one single. EDIT: Thanks to Nozofan, I realize that I'd forgotten Mini Moni. Well, they were doing just fine when Yagu was their leader, but the moment that Takahashi moved in, the sales plummetted. The only exception is thus the 2nd gen of Tanpopo, which did quite well. But I'm going to ignore that, because this is MY curse and I get to say what's legit or not. Moving on!

7. Exhausting schedules.

This is one of those serious things that must suck about being in H!P. Thanks to the lovely Ishiguro Aya, we know that the girls often get as little as 3 hours of sleep a night. I'm dead if I get any less than 6 hours, so just the idea of getting 3 hours of sleep and then running straight to the next photoshoot/interview/performance is just... terrifying. Someone, I think it was Yoshimi, pointed out the dark circles under the eyes of some of the girls (Ai, Koharu) on the ONSA covers, and she was right. The girls really do look overly tired there. This work-life is partially what pushed Goto out of H!P, as well. Nakazawa Yuko had to graduate from Momusu because she couldn't physically keep up with the younger girls' activities. If UFA isn't careful, they're going to start losing girls left and right to sheer exhaustion.

6. Eggs.

You never know when one is going to crack.

5. Anyone from Johnny's.

(Look, one of the three members of Johnny's that I can recognize! The other two being Golf and Mike.)

Because on the inside you know that at the end of the day, no matter how much sparlkejuice you put in your hair, how many fake gems and human babies plastic flowers you stick to your nails, or how many peace signs you flash, they will still always be girlier than you.

4. Random black dudes who are hired to lip-synch in your PVs.

'Nuff said.

3. Your group-mates.

Let me expand here. While it's true that most girls in H!P seem to get along splendidly, there have been those who, on occasion, don't get along at all (Rika and Miki being prime examples). And when you don't like someone, being stuck with them day after day, forced to put on a smiling front for the fans, is near torture. Even the best of friends start getting on one another's nerves if they spend too much time together.

2. The futility.

(Notice that Risako is almost twice the size of Shimizu Saki. That's just sad.)

In H!P, you're basically stuck in the same place among fans from the moment you debut. True, there are exceptions (kamei, Gaki), but generally it's a futile task to try and become more popular within your group if you're already one of the ones pushed to the back. Is this fair? No, of course not. It leads me to wonder, what would H!P lose if it did start promoting girls more equally? Would it kill the sales if Risako got one less line and ShimiSaki one more? I doubt it.

Which brings us to, finally, the number one worst thing about being a member of H!P:

1. That time of the month...

I'm completely serious here. Most of the members of H!P are 14 or older, and they are all girls, so eventually it's going to be that time. For you bachelors out there who don't already know, girls on their period are scary. And if you can imagine dancing around for hours on end, singing your lungs out, and smiling non-stop while all the while your stomach is cramping like crazy and all you want to do is stay in bed with a hot water bottle and bite the head off of anyone who comes near you, you'll see that this is truly the most awful aspect of being in H!P.

Spain's one of the most technically gifted sides in the world and they were playing at full strength compared to the Italians - who were missing star playmaker Andrea Pirlo, their enforcer Gennard Guttuso, World Cup captain Fabio Cannavaro, and without the services of recently retired center back Alessandro Nesta and forward Francesco Totti. Seems like a pretty anticlimactic result until you consider the following:

1. Spain hadn't made the semi-finals of a major tournament in 24 years.

2. La Seleccion hadn't beaten Italy in 88 years of official competition.

3. The June 22 jinx: The Spanish had lost three consecutive major international competitive matches on penalty kicks on June 22 - the 1986 World Cup (Belgium 5-4), the 1986 Euros (England 4-2), and the 2002 World Cup (South Korea 5-3). Keep in mind that one of those losses was to ENGLAND on PKs and you can understand how gut-wrenching these losses were.

The Spanish milestone was so colossal - even just in a quarterfinal - that King Juan Carlos of Spain came to congratulate Aragones and the squad. Now that's a royally huge accomplishment.

Spain now faces Russia in the semi-finals in what promises to be one of the best matches of an already thrilling tournament. The Spanish defeated the Russians 4-1 in the group stages, but Russia's riding a high off of their shocking victory over the Dutch. Midfielder Cesc Fabregas, the hero for Spain after netting the winning penalty kick, has already declared his fear of Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin after Arshavin's mastery against the Netherlands, so the final outcome of this match should be a lot closer than the handling during the group stages.

Carlin does not need me to write anything about him.
He passed away in June of '08   Knew his later work from
YOU TUBE.   Saw him live once in the 70s  
I don't think I can ever forget him OR the effect
he had on me; not until old age kills off
many more of me brain cells

Most people believe that it is 'faith healing', meaning that if you have faith to believe Jesus can and will heal you, then that is all it takes to be healed. Much damage has been done through this erroneous approach to healing, and it is the primary inroad into all that is false and misleading concerning the realities of faith and of salvation and Christ. It is also the most grievous distortion of the work and will of God in Christ, and is in truth one of the two golden calves of Jeroboam, as concerns the charismatic church. (The other is prosperity and abundance, but that is another post).

The Tabernacle of God was not put together in just any old fashion. God walked Moses through it once on the Mount Zion, He guided Bezaleel through it once again to build it, and He instructed Moses in the erecting of it. Three times in Exodus, the issues that pertain to the Tabernacle of God were gone over in great detail, with the admonition of God to Moses to make sure that it was built exactly according to the pattern shown him.  Likewise when David was given the blueprints for the Temple, and when Ezra and Nehemiah and the Levites restored the Temple after the captivity of Babylon.

It is also known and understood that Christ Jesus Himself is the Tabernacle, the true Tabernacle and that all things that pertain to the Tabernacle are summed up and contained in Him. There have been a number of works written to explain how the layout of the Tabernacle resembles the cross, and a great number of expositions concerning them, so I wont go over it here in this post.

However, in all of these things, we have missed the primary point of what has been shown to us through the Tabernacle, which is also the truth and the reality of what it means to be healed and restored and made whole in Christ, the end of our salvation and faith, and our hope of glory.

God does not, has not and will not separate obedience to His commandments from the salvation that has been promised us in Christ. To be given the light of the truth and the strength to obey in Christ is one thing, but the outworking of that salvation is our wholeness, the full restoration of our lives and all that pertains to it from the curses and ravages of sin, rebellion and transgression, the epitomy of which will be our new and glorified bodies which we will receive either upon our resurrection or in the moment that we are caught up unto the Lord.

It is written in the Gospels that Jesus 'healed them by His word.' Many are the instances whereby faith was made evident through another's faith in the word that Jesus spoke. Other instances have been the healings that occured by others touching Him or the hem of His garment, which represents the tzit-tzits or tassels of the prayer shawl which were the reminders of the commandments of God. In matter of fact, salvation can only be yours upon the recognition that you are where you are because of your rebellion against God, and the evidence of your return to God is a new-found desire and ability to now obey Him and desire to do so. This is the witness and testimony of Christ in you, that which makes us prophets before God, that which makes us kings and priests unto God.

We are the temples of God. That means that each one of us that has received the salvation made known to us and made manifest in us through the indwelling Christ, the fulfillment of the prophecy of God dwelling in the midst of us, are the Tabernacles of God. That would also indicate to us that the realities of our sanctification, our healing, and our restoration, in the height, breadth, and the depth of our lives, body, soul and spirit, can also be understood and worked out in us, through understanding how it is that the Tabernacle relates to us, and us to the Tabernacle.

Perhaps it would be best to see it like this:

Overview:

Briefly, for you would do well to take this diagram and study it and the Scriptures in the light of it, here are some things to consider:

The entrance into the Tabernacle or into the knowledge of the things of God begins with the issues of how you regard the vessel that is your body, particularly your sexual participations.  Sexual conduct is one of the foremost issues of Scripture, and this is why.  Those who choose carnal knowledge over the knowledge of God will suffer accordingly, aligning themselves with the flesh, rather than with the Spirit.  Adam did not know Eve until they fell and were evicted from the Garden.  The way back in, is through the total cleansing and purging and renouncing of all sexual activities and participations that are contrary to the way of God.

The Altar of Sacrifice relates to the navel - the source of all of our fallen lusts, desires and ambitions and the seat of the god of the belly, who exalts himself above all that is God.  This area is the Outer Court, the form of godliness, accessible by natural light, and relates to natural understandings versus spiritual ones.  This area relates to religion in all its forms and guises, and declares that it is only through our willingness to take up the cross and die to all that is 'self', as did Christ, that we will ever come to progress further into the knowledge of God and the ways of holiness.

The Bronze Laver relates to the liver.  The liver cleanses and filters or purifies the blood, removing the bad, and replacing it with good.  It essentially washes the blood.  The Laver of the Tabernacle was made from the looking glasses of the women.  We are called to look into the Word of God and see ourselves in it. As we come to see and acknowledge the truth, we are washed from our sins and unrighteousness.   Jesus Christ did not come to save the righteous, but the sinner.  If what you see are the filthy rags of your own self-righteousnesses, then you can be cleansed, purged and purified unto life, by faith in the blood of Christ that was shed for you.

The first veil is that of the flesh, and signifies the baptism into the death of Christ.  Die to self, and the veil of the flesh is stripped way, and you enter into the light of the Spirit, the light of regeneration.  We are saved by faith, not by intellectual considerations and reasonings.  Salvation is by faith, and if you do not sense or see your need for salvation, then you will never see or know God.  God gives His grace to the humble, to those who are willing to receive the truth that He has spoken concerning their need, and the redemption that He has made available to them in Christ.

The Holy Place contains the 7-branched Menorah, the Table of the Shewbread or Table of Presence, and the Altar of Incense.   The Menorah  are the lungs, the breath of life.  The Table of Presence is the heart.  We judge ourselves through the Table of Presence, the Eucharist, as outlined for us in 1 Cor. 11:23-32.  This is where the true healing and restoration of the life and the spirit take place, which brings about the health of the body - that which is inward, working out.  The 7-branched Menorah speaks of the seven spirits of God, the seven Churches, the seven-fold outpouring of the glory of God.

The Altar of Incense is that which unites all of these items, all of which point to that which is behind the second veil - the Ark of the Covenant.  We receive the truths of the Word of God, we judge ourselves, or better yet, ask God to open our eyes and judge us.  We repent and renounce, and walk according to the light of that which was shown us.  We cleanse our ways before God.  We grow in the grace and the light of God.  Those who order their ways aright will be shown the salvation of God - the revelations of God, that which He has laid up for those who love Him, that which fills our spiritual houses with substance, that which feeds His sheep, that which is the hearing of faith.

The Altar of Incense relates to the voice box.  Life and death is in the power of the tongue - to pray, to speak unto God, to speak unto others, to edifgy or to destroy.  The words of our own mouths will be our judges, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  As God abides in our heart, and we obey that which is of the heart, of His righteousness, our words become cleansed and renewed to right words concerning God and the realities of His kingdom.  This is what is to guide our prayers, and it is how we grow into ever increasing authority in the issues of intercession for others.  Jesus was the Intercessor of Intercessors, and God heard Him in all things, because He ever walked in the righteousness of God.  It comes through maturity, through having your senses exercised to discern truth from error.

The second veil is that of the 'self' life.  Those who have truly died to self abide in the secret place of the Most HIgh. It is where you become crucified to the world, and the world to you.  Your robes are now washed clean in the blood of the Lamb,  your mind is renewed unto holiness, and the righteousness of God is now the strength and purpose of your life.  Those who do not make it past this veil, will be those who will be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord, as lukewarm - the hypocrites that are making a lie out of the Way of LIfe, who will not die to self, but prefer instead to rewrite the intents and purposes of God to justify themselves and their ways.  These are the false prophets, the lying seducers, the lovers of self more than the lovers of God.

Behind this veil is the Ark of the Covenant, which holds the Commandments of God, the Pot of Manna, and the Rod of authority, and it answers to the Scripture of Revelation 3:21:

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.

This is the seat that we have been raised up to in heavenly places, not just because the general riff-raff of the mixed multitude claim it to be so, but it belongs unto those who, by faith and a single minded, single-hearted love of the truth that mortifies all that is a lie, have fought through and overcome the world unto the overcoming victory of faith that is Christ now made manifiest in us, our hope of glory!

It is here that we hear the voice of our Lord.  He is set between the two cherubim, those which guard the entrance into the Garden of God, the Garden of Eden, which keep the way of life.  Christ is the one who is the flaming sword that turns every which way in the midst of them, the double-edged sword which is the Word of Life, which is able to sever soul from spirit, and is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This is the light that we are called to come to, the light that we are called to abide in, the light wherein there is no shadow of darkness, the fullness of our salvation, where every tear is wiped away, and every hear filled with joy.  This is where we neither hunger nor thirst, the place of the fountain of the living waters, thr throne of righteousness and mercy, where we serve God before His throne for all eternity.

We are constant called to renew our mind from the vanity of the Gentiles.  A carnal mind is in enmity against God.  The mind must be renewed to the truth of God, which can only come about, not by memorizing Scripture or wallpapering your understandings with your own interpretation of Scripture, but through receiving the truths that the Scriptures are pointing to, and abiding in the Wisdom and Righteousness of them.  This is the way of holiness, the way to a clear conscience before God and man, that brings about the boldness or confidence of those who are truly righteous, and not just putting it on.

This is the reality of our salvation, wherein is our healing, to the height, depth and breadth, body, soul and spirit.  It is the way of the cross, the mark of the son. It is the power of the resurrection made manifest in us, which will lift us up and out of our graces on the day of the Lord, and which will bring healing and wholeness of mind and soul now.

God has spoken many, many times throughout the Scriptures that sickness, disease, infirmity, and all the attendant miseries that we have enshrined as being the new normal of our lives are the products and results of our rebellions and disobediences against Him and against righteousness and truth.  There is not one that cannot say that they do not suffer in one form or another for the wounding of their conscience, whether it be by their own deeds or those of another.

It is for this cause and this reason that we adomonish you to seek unto the Lord for your health and your healing.  Receive the Word against your sins and wrongdoing that you might be cleansed, healed and restored.  Renounce your participations with the ways and wisdom of this world, a way that is eternally enshrouded in death, that you might live.  Wash yourself clean in the blood of the Lamb and do it God's way, for the end of His ways are life, and glory, and a place before Him for all eternity.

After the captivity of Israel in Babylon, the foremost issue was a return to Jerusalem, which entailed the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem and the Temple of God.  Two books of Scripture, Ezra and Nehemiah both pertain to this time, as well as the mnistries of the last of the prophets,  Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

I mean, Idol is so clean-cut and they almost perceive their contestants as "angels" which most of them are not. It's almost like the actors on the Disney Channel. If they say one curse word, all hell breaks loose. Same for these contestants. If one unusual thing comes out of their mouths, everyone turns their cheek to sternly look at them. I almost love David Cook more because he curses and he's "real" - whatever that means. He's a human and humans curse, damnit! We need more "real" Idol winners out there. Am I wrong?

Listen to David Cook curse and you'll understand. Listen to Cookie perform a cover of Radiohead's Creep which contains a few more F-words then one can stand.

Alright, enough of this. By the end of this post, people are going to start thinking I'm the "weirdo."

From Gena Showalter's website:

An immortal warrior cursed to die every night, only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again.  A mortal woman with a power beyond imagining...

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member – a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments. . .and ignites an irresistible passion.  But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love...

This is the first book in a great new series. There is a prequel available through eharlequin.com, but it isn't necessary to the series. I really liked this book. Maddox is such a tortured character that I think it is impossible to not feel for him. His curse, of having to be murdered every night, is hard to comprehend. Ashlyn is a very vulnerable character. First I didn't believe that she was truly having the feelings that she thought she was. It was so out of place for a seemingly normal girl to find her way to the castle and demand that a fearsome man take care of her. Then we learn about her own curse (the voices) and how this is something she feels that she must do to become whole. The one thing in this book that I had trouble with was the time it takes place in. The language of the warriors, who are from the ancient past, kept taking me back in time. Every time something modern (like Tylenol) was written about it kind of shocked me into remembering that the story takes place in the present. In my opinion this is a great new series. I already have book #2, The Darkest Kiss, and can't wait to get #3 in July.

find me at the book girl store

I gotta admit that I'm a big fan of Buffetlibre DJ's. They keep droppin one great mix after another. This is their latest mixtape. Hope you like it as much as I do.

BUFFETLIBRE - Verbena No. 4 Mixtape

TRACK LIST:

1. Sidechains - Buffetlibre's Theme
2. Frankmusik - In Step
3. The Shoes - Knock Out!
4. D*L*I*D - Discovision
5. Grum - Love Disco
6. The Touch - Le Night Dominator
7. Das Pop - Fool For Love (Super7 remix)
8. Jupiter One - Countdown (Designer Drugs extended remix)
9. Moulinex - Lover In Me
10. Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak remix)
11. Cryptonites - Can't Give You Up
12. Primary 1 - Hold Me Down (The Shoes remix)
13. Hearts Revolution - CYOA (LSMR remix)
14. Top Billin - My Girl Wants To
15. Culture Prophet - Death Of The Party
16. Headman - Catch Me If You Can (Bag Raiders remix)
17. Juiceboxxx And Dre Skull - Center Stage (Curses! remix)
18. A-Ha - Hunting High And Low (Louis La Roché remix)
19. The Millioners - Body Into Use
20. Sam Sparro - Black And Gold (Russ Chimes remix)
21. Familjen - Huvudet I Sanden
22. Heartache - Don't Stop (Lifelike remix)
23. Bonde Do Role - Solta O Frango (Busy To Disco remix)
24. New Europeans - Dr. Rhythm (Facteur remix)
25. Vitaminsforyou - B4U

edit:  I forgot to mention that this was part of the colt 45 tour sponsored by VICE magazine, a fine publication made by intelligent funny people.

brooklyn is goddamn weird, but it's nothing like florida apparently

that established, I'm usually okay with the prospect of getting free unlimited beer in a certain amount of time, but the beer they were giving away was colt 45. for the uninitiated, colt 45 is a malt liquor usually sold in 40s to bums and poor/ironic-cool college students, too hip for the gentrified PBR. the vice-sponsored colt 45 tour appealed predominantly to the latter category.

so I got in the glasslands, grabbed a beer, and danced a little bit to the stevie wonder/etta james/ray charles insta-mix thrown together by the house dj. an honest beeradvocate style review of drinking colt 45 for free at the glasslands:

colt 45 (6.1% ABV, pabst brewing company, 16oz aluminum can)
drank straight from the can in a packed meathouse filled with steam

a: n/a
s: heavy hits of corn and carbon contrasting against the wall of humidity and paint melting from the glasslands' walls
t: bitter and malevolent, colt 45 assures you that you are imbibing low-cost beer. while not as egregious as, say, king cobra, its heavy roasted flavor and malty coating layer to create a generally unpleasant taste
m: watery. easy-going, I guess
d: actually the highlight, because when drank in succession, you don't really have the on/off bad flavor effect. it's like eating spicy food--if you keep eating, you don't get the burn

after I drank ONE colt 45, I had to leave the glasslands for a bit for fear that I might pass out due to heatstroke.

a note about the heat in the glasslands: because of the incredible amount of folks in attendance for curses! (or free beer), compounded with the heatwave dropped on the city as of late, the glasslands sweltered like a dutch oven. at first, they allowed the heat to go unchecked, only later setting up a few fans, but by then it was too late--everyone was a sweaty mess and cold beverages hardly stopped the humidity. as a bartender told me, it was heaven outside, hell inside.

right next door to the glasslands is another concert venue/somebody's loft, ParisLondonWestNile, where a noise show was going down. the first band up was Florida's dickhearse, a two piece (or perhaps three piece) wall of sound. I venture a third person because while one guy didn't play an instrument, he was an integral part of dickherarse's show.

that would be the almost naked man painted white who tied bungee cords to his thighs and bounced around the room. occasionally, he went outside or listlessly watched the band members slog away on their instruments. they played only one song that I'm pretty sure was at least 25 minutes, which began with a noisy solo on a homemade instrument that I will hencefore dub the 'fufabo.' the fufabo is a contraption strapped to one's shoulders that contains the slide of trombone, pieces of an air vent, a window frame, and part of a stove, all of which was hooked up to a contact mic (it also used to have a drill, but the drill went missing). this fufabo was destroyed at the end of the solo by the player.

I don't know what inspired these guys. the guitarist and drummer must have sat down one day (the gimp was locked in the pantry, as usual), the guitarist saying 'uh hey so I know we're really talented but let's go ahead and just play a whole bunch of shit at the same time and hopefully it will come together,' to which the drummer, nodding, responded 'this is a sound idea.' the gimp was then lubed up, junk was piled in the aerostar, and off they went around the country.

maybe I just don't get noise. I like minimal stuff, with minor abrasive sounds, like keith whitman fullerton, or noise hums of bands like demons, but this just seems indulgent. like they're trying to force something on the audience, but they don't even know what they're trying to force. or maybe I just don't get it. naked gimp gets it, though; that should be enough.

okay. enough noise. more dance.

I went back into the glasslands, missing the first band and arriving just in time for snakes say hisss!. snakes say hisss! consist of a guitarist and a singer wielding an ipod. they play an odd permutation on pop music with a glam'd out rock attitude, piped through a preteen hissy (hisssy?) fit. it was like best fwends but sexier, which was hard to get through at first, but shown through at the end. unlike best fwends, snakes say hisss! had charisma and worked the crowd instead of freaking out and looking at each other too much. highly recommended. I hope they play another show soon, because they didn't sell any albums at the colt 45 show.

as for curses! (aka drop the lime), I don't know. it was really good, but the heat definitely got to me. I danced my ass off to snakes say hisss!, so when curses! took the stage, the heat caught up to me and I ended up sitting down on an upstairs couch for the remainder of the show. the only thing I remember--which is unfortunate--is that damn "I like to move it move it" cover that was absurd and hated by me and me alone. it was a huge mistake.

but I learned two important things: first, that snakes say hisss! exist, and second, as weird as brooklyn gets, at least it's not florida weird.

Girunners, ATENCIÓ PROPOSTA per dissabte 14 a les 18:00h:

després de las andaduras pels carrilets Olotines, els Àngels i Mallorca...podrem amb un open BTT???

Es tracta d'una cursa de nivell iniciació d'uns 32 km. Pinta interessant, hi ha un tram que passa pel circuit on maquillen una part i ho converteixen en un tram BTT.

Què us sembla?¿

I questioned people for more than a month when a young mother of two came and told me that she and her husband wanted desperately to tell me something. The husband, Ed, didn't look like he wanted to talk at all, so Arlene took the lead.

"We were in a prayer group. That's when it all started to go down hill"

I was skeptical at first - at least until they described the prayer group. It was comprised of a pastor, several leaders and their wives and one or two "prayer warriors". There was one focus of the group: to rout out all the inroads the Enemy was making in the church. Primarily, they saw the wife of one man as the culprit. She was critical, arrogant and not in step with the leadership (the words of the pastor verbatim). She was the wife of Don, the church's most prolific giver. She was his second wife. His first wife died of a heart attack several years before the prayer meeting started.

In their prayer meeting, they prayed that she would see the error of her ways, and that if she didn't, that God would convince her by bringing tragedy after tragedy upon her, Job style. They were praying she wouldn't sleep at night until she came on board with the leadership's vision for the church. As Arlene recounted this, she wept in shame. She told me how the woman had indeed suffered numerous health problems, that she couldn't sleep at night and that eventually her marriage ended. At the same time, the church really started to fall apart. Eventually, the prayer group disbanded.

I wish I could tell you more of what went on at this prayer meeting, but I have said enough to give you the picture. This group was practicing something that is called "Curse Praying" or as Alice Smith refers to it "Witchcraft Praying". This kind of prayer wishes harm, misfortune or personal destruction on another person or institution. Here is a quote from the Australian Prayer Network about this kind of prayer:

An example of witchcraft praying would be: "Lord, I pray that you'll straighten my pastor out! You know how blind and stubborn he is, God. Just break him if you have to." An implied curse, or hex, is in this prayer. Alice and I call this "witchcraft prayer" because the very essence of witchcraft is control. Prayer based on a desire to control is essentially the practice of witchcraft. In pagan religions and in witchcraft, the grace and sovereignty of a biblical God are unknown. The practitioner is instead dealing with spiritual "forces" that must be appeased, bribed and otherwise manipulated. But God cannot be manipulated and He alone is to be in control. We must always pray His will.

The enemy of our souls knows that since we have freedom of choice and that our freely chosen and freely expressed desires are open for him to use and manipulate, these kind of prayers allow the forces of evil to enact serious damage on other people.

Why would a believer in God pray this way? Perhaps we are so frustrated with someone that we cannot see any way they can see their own unhealthy choices unless bad things happen to them. Or perhaps we secretly wish that someone would suffer the consequences of their actions and we mask that feeling of revenge or bitterness in prayer form. I have personally heard people pray and say "God, will you bring {so and so} to the end of themselves and cause their life to fall apart."

This kind of prayer is not from God and will cause "friendly fire" to hit friends and loved ones if we pray that way. In the example I started with, I confronted that entire prayer team (minus the former pastor who had left by this time) and instructed them that we are even to bless those who curse us. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught to curse another person. Anyone reading this would be well advised to stay away from praying this.

The question is often asked "What if I believe other people have prayed this about me?" I think the simple answer is to bring it to God and ask God to counteract their curses. I have no scriptural evidence that this works, but it is what I do when I don't explicitly know what to do. God always has an answer.