Zizly

One of the most well know players in Celtic mythology, the Banshee is linked to death and mourning. The sound of her wailing is said to signify a recent death or to foretell of a forthcoming one. The name is derived from the word bean-sidhe which translates into fairy woman or spirit woman. She is generally depicted as a fair haired woman with an incorporeal appearance. Variations of the Story : In original Mythology, the story went that the banshee was a fairy woman who would appear and sing a mournful song at a funeral. Later variations of the tale say that she was not a fairy, but rather the spirit of a murdered woman who would shriek and howl a mournful note to predict an oncoming death. It is said the the banshee will walk around the outside of a house when someone inside is about to die. Most stories describe the banshee as wearing white, but some place her in garments of red or green. Also she is depicted in some variations as brushing her long hair with a silver comb. The com...

To most people it probably sounds strange to hear the words pets in prison, but programs which place dogs with inmates are becoming more popular in several states. No it's not a matter of letting convicted criminals have pets, but rather it is a method for joining animal rescue and rehabilitation into a unique program to benefit society. Several dog programs exist in different states and have different goals ranging from rescuing pound dogs to rehabilitating dogs rescued from fighting rings, as well as having a positive impact on the offenders within the correctional facilities. As these prison dog programs become more popular across the country, we can expect to hear a lot more about them. Below are some of the programs going strong now. Safe Harbor Prison Dogs The  Safe Harbor  program started in 2004 with a group of rescued shelter dogs being brought to a correctional facility in Lansing, KS. The program utilizes approximately 100 inmates trained as dog handlers to hel...

Influenza affects millions of people every year; people rush to get flu shots every winter, and many become gravely ill from influenza infection. What a lot of people don't know is that our pets can get the flu as well. We don't usually think of our dogs getting the flu or coming down with a cold, but it is much more common than you might think. The canine influenza virus known as H3N8, was discovered in 2004 and has been found in cases throughout the U.S. This virus is commonly referred to as dog flu, however, this term is not favored by experts in the field as it creates confusion and leads people to falsely associate it with viruses affecting humans such as the bird flu and swine flu. It is important to note that this is specifically a virus impacting canines and is not transferable to humans. While H3N8 is not a direct threat to people, it is of specific concern to dog owners. Here's what you need to know if you're a dog owner. Symptoms Symptoms of dog flu are m...

If you've read my  other articles  on  fundamentalist religion , you know that I don't cut these people any slack, and I have no respect for people who spread their own hate and attribute it to god. There have always been bigoted cults, religious movements, and other hateful fascist organizations attempting to corrupt minds with a polluted message. In recent years none has received more attention than the WestBoro Baptist Church. In case you don't know, these are the people who protest at funerals for U.S soldiers and other events holding signs praising the death of people they disagree with. They carry signs with such nice little slogans as "god hates fags" "god hates America" "god loves dead soldiers" and more. The central focus of their organization seems to be on homosexuality; their website is even titled god hates fags. They first gained notoriety when they picketed the funeral of murdered student Mathew Shepard waving signs praising hi...

One of the central themes of A Sand County Almanac is Leopold's observation of nature and his reflection on the ways of the natural world. In the beginning, Leopold follows the tracks of a skunk that has just come out of hibernation during the January thaw. In his essays on March and May, he tells of the returning geese and the upland plover bringing news of spring's arrival. Leopold also speaks fondly of seeing the annual bloom of a certain flower in July (cutleaf silphium). His words on this, however, are heavy with sorrow for the loss of this plant species, which is nearly extinct, save for this spot alongside the Wisconsin highway. Leopold writes in regard to this remnant of western natural history: "The Highway Department says that 100,000 cars pass yearly over this route during the three summer months when the silphium is in bloom. In them must ride at least 100,000 people who have 'taken' what is called history, and perhaps 25,000 who have 'taken'...

China is known as a place of great mysticism and lore. The Chinese culture is commonly associated with a celebration of mythical heroes, gods, and mythical creatures like the dragon. The  myths of China  can be traced back nearly 4,000 years, and include different belief systems such as Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese  Buddhism  (Willis). For the purposes of this text, the focus will center on the spiritual and cultural beliefs of the followers of Taoism and its evolution from philosophy to religion. "The founder of Taoism is believed by many to be Lao-Tzu (604-531 BCE), a contemporary of Confucius" (religioustolerance.org). Some say that the book Tao-Te Ching which is the foundation for the Taoist philosophy was written by Lao Tzu to end the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime, but some see him as a mythical character (IBID). As Taoism evolved from a philosophy to a religious faith in 440AD, Lao Tzu became vener...

Shinto began in ancient times as a shamanistic practice of nature worship much like the early druids. As outside cultural and spiritual influences came to Japan, what started as a loosely formed nature cult grew into a religion that has acquired many followers and greatly impacted world culture. Shintoism is a religion that is strongly connected to teachings of Buddhism,  Taoism , and Confucianism. Shinto belief borrows much from the teachings of these sister religions, but still it remains unique in its structure. Without great study of Shintoism, one could easily see the influence from Buddhist and Toaist temples by looking at a Shinto shrine. In Japan it is common to see statues of Koma-inu placed outside of Shinto shrines. Koma-inu are guardians against evil that strongly resemble the Chinese  guardian lions  found outside Buddhist temples. To further show the importance of Chinese Taoism in the inspiration for Shinto beliefs, the word Shinto adopts the Chinese word...