Leland Vandervort

Well I must say off the bat, how much I have "missed" the French bureaucracy (NOT!).  I find myself currently caught between a rock and hard place attempting to register my car in France, as of course I'm required to do by law... I've so far managed to waste nearly three whole days with this affair and am still no closer to a resolution.

I guess this could be used as a learning experience for anyone who wants or needs to register their UK registered vehicle in France - specifically in the situation where said vehicle was already previously registered in France...

Having become completely disheartened with the Apple iPhone 3G, which has never really worked properly, I decided finally to get rid of the thing and replace it.  I must admit that I am more than pleased with my selection... The HTC Hero!  This little beauty, based on the Android operating system by Google labs, puts the ticks in all the boxes for me.  As well as being simple to use, it is rapid, and has a load of applications available.  A little like the iPhone, a large number of applications are pretty useless but cool for the gadgetry, but there are several applications which are very useful.

Google maps, in street view, for example, makes use of the built-in compass and accelerometers and actually moves the street-view image as you move the phone around.  Very useful when trying to find where you are going -- word of advice, do not try to use this function while you are driving, of course !!!

Another useful application, especially if you are interested in astronomy, is Google Sky Map.  Like google maps, it makes use of the compass and accelerometers, but gives you a map of the sky -- showing the stars, planets, constellations, etc.  With this nifty application, the last few days have proven to have great views of Jupiter at night, and Venus first thing in the morning.

Incidentally, if you are interested in Astronomy, and exploring the "known universe" there is an excellent open source application for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows, called Celestia.  It works a little like google earth, allowing you to move around and view things, but this is in 3 dimensions.  You can zoom in and view planets, galaxies, moons, etc.  And since the application is in real-time, everything is positioned exactly as it is in the real universe, so if you hypothetically took a spaceship to Jupiter, the position of the planet relative to the sun, the other planets, and its natural satellites would be correct.  Awesome software, and it's free! Here's a nifty screenshot of the the moon Io orbiting Jupiter!

This summer we headed off to a small town near Perpignan in French Catalunya, situated in the eastern branch of the Pyrenees mountains, and just 20 minutes from the Mediterranean. So, very early Wednesday morning, we loaded up the car, strapped the children into their car-seats and headed off for the twelve hour drive south.

Having already read the book Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, when the movie was released a couple months ago, I just had to go see it.

Of course, one of the major problems with watching a movie after having already read the book is that there are usually minor plot changes which, while somewhat frustrating, are usually not too disappointing. In the case of Angels and Demons, however, I was greatly disappointed because not only were there a few expected minor plot changes, but there were also very significant changes in the overall story line which, to me at least, resulted in the two works being almost but not quite entirely different.

Warning.. a few spoilers...

Looks like summer is actually here.  Of course one has to be be very wary of weather forecasts, especially given that the forecasters seem to change their story more often than they change their socks!  For the time being, at least, it's hot (30 degrees C) and sunny, and due to stay that way for the next few days.

Of course last week they kept saying that it would be fine all week, and then changing their story three times throughout the day, but we'll see.  All we need now is a weather machine to set the temperature at a nice constant 23 degrees C with only 40% humidity instead of this stuffy 90% at the moment!

Wheeee!

This year saw a record turnout of 36,500 (according to official figures) for the summer solstice party at Stonehenge.  According to reports, the event went very well with very few disruptions and only twelve arrests mostly for minor drug-related offenses.  If only I could have been there!

There are some excellent photos of the event on Demotix.Com !!

As I mentioned in another article, witches do not fly on broomsticks, despite the stereotype to the contrary. This myth comes from an amalgamation of several different historical elements, but the most common comes from the old pagan ritual of running through the fields astride a broomstick in the belief that it would cause the crops to grow better.  Often, this was coupled with the witch annointing herself with a "flying ointment" which is believed to have been hallucinogenic.  (Coffee Shops in Amsterdam didn't exist at the time! )

You see, there's nothing strange about it

Incidentally, the broomstick figures in another very prevalent pagan and wiccan ritual -- the handfasting (pagan and wiccan wedding) where after the handfasting ceremony, the couple will jump over a broomstick to bring the union good fortune and fertility.

Enjoy!

When speaking of Wicca or almost any other neopagan belief, one often refers to "traditions", as in the question "what tradition do you follow?". Indeed I am often asked about my beliefs, and while some aspects may vary over time, there are still fundamental principles upon which my own beliefs are founded.  I will not delve into all of the various traditions in this article as that is wider-reaching subject which can be researched elsewhere.

As an eclectic, of course, I take elements drawn from a number of different traditions and incorporate them into my own philosophy.

A simple geometric shape... but with major significance in numerous cultures and traditions.  Some people ask "what is the significance?  What is so special about this shape for which the the circumference is calculated by 2x PI x the radius, or PI x the diameter ??"  Aside from the mathematical precision of a perfect circle, which is the subject of a totally different discussion, let us examine the spiritual significance of this well-known henagon.