The novel is a satirical comedy that looks at 6th-Century England and its medieval culture through the eyes of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century resident of Hartford, Connecticut, who, after a blow to the head, awakens to find himself inexplicably transported back in time to early medieval England at the time of the legendary King Arthur. The fictional Mr. Morgan, who had an image of that time that had been colored over the years by romantic myths, takes on the task of analyzing the problems and sharing his knowledge from 1300 years in the future to modernize, Americanize, and improve the lives of the people. Introduction to the "stranger" The story begins as a first person narrative in Warwick Castle, where a man details his recollection of a tale told to by an "interested stranger" who is personified as a knight through his simple language and familiarity with ancient armor.[2] After a brief tale of Sir Launcelot of Camelot and his role in slaying two giants from the third-person narrative, the man named Hank Morgan enters and, after being given whiskey by the narrator, he is persuaded to reveal more of his story. Described through first-person narrative as a man familiar with the firearms and machinery trade, Hank is a man who had reached the level of superintendent due to his proficiency in firearms manufacturing, with two thousand subordinates. He describes the beginning of his tale by illustrating details of a disagreement with his subordinates, during which he sustained a head injury from a "crusher" to the head caused by a man named "Hercules" using a crowbar. After passing out from the blow, Hank describes waking up underneath an oak tree in a rural area of Camelot where a knight questions him for trespassing upon his land, and after establishing rapport, leads him towards Camelot castle. Upon recognizing that he has time-traveled to the sixth century, Hank realizes that he is the de facto smartest person on Earth, and with his knowledge he should soon be running things. Hank is ridiculed at King Arthur's court for his strange appearance and dress and is sentenced by King Arthur's court (particularly the magician Merlin) to burn at the stake on 22 June. By a stroke of luck, the date of the burning coincides with a historical solar eclipse in the year 528, of which Hank had learned in his earlier life. While in prison, he sends the boy Clarence to inform the King that he will blot out the sun if he is executed. Hank believes the current date to be 20 June; however, it is actually the 21st when he makes his threat, the day that the eclipse will occur at 12:03 p.m. When the King decides to burn him, the eclipse catches Hank by surprise. But he quickly uses it to his advantage and convinces the people that he caused the eclipse. He makes a bargain with the King, is released, and becomes the second most powerful person in the kingdom. Hank is given the position of principal minister to the King and is treated by all with the utmost fear and awe. His celebrity brings him to be known by a new title, elected by the people — "The Boss". However, he proclaims that his only income will be taken as a percentage of any increase in the kingdom's gross national product that he succeeds in creating for the state as Arthur's chief minister, which King Arthur sees as fair. Notwithstanding, the people fear him and he has his new title, Hank is still seen as somewhat of an equal. The people might grovel to him if he were a knight or some form of nobility, but without that, Hank faces problems from time to time, as he refuses to seek to join such ranks.
As Hank gradually adjusts to his new situation, he begins to attend medieval tournaments. A misunderstanding causes Sir Sagramore to challenge Hank to a duel to the death; the combat will take place when Sagramore returns from his quest for the Holy Grail. Hank accepts, and spends the next few years building up 19th-century infrastructure behind the nobility's back. At this point, he undertakes an adventure with a wandering girl named the Demoiselle Alisande a la Carteloise - nicknamed "Sandy" by Hank in short order - to save her royal "mistresses" being held captive by ogres.
47 days ago was SuperStorm SANDY 147 days before this tragic event at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut was the shooting at the Century 16 Theater during the Batman Movie, The Dark Knight Rises. 7 Days later the Olympics began on 7/27/12. 147 Days from this tragic event at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut will be May 10, 2013 (5/10/2013), the date of the annular Solar Eclipse of 2013. May 10 is day 130 from which 235 days will remain in 2013. President Barack Obama's comments on the tragedy in NEWTOWN
Children between 5 and 10 Psalm 147: In the words of spricture, "heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds" The ELEMENT (from Elementary) known as PROMETHIUM-147 is named for PROMETHEUS.
The discoverers proposed the name "prometheum" (the spelling was subsequently changed), derived from Prometheus, the Titan in Greek mythology who stole fire from Mount Olympus and brought it down to humans,, to symbolize "both the daring and the possible misuse of mankind's intellect." However, a sample of the metal was made only in 1963. There are two possible sources for natural promethium: rare decays of natural europium-151 (producing promethium-147), and uranium (various isotopes). Practical applications exist only for chemical compounds of promethium-147, which are used in luminous paint, atomic batteries and thickness measurement devices, even though promethium-145 is the most stable promethium isotope. Since natural promethium is exceedingly scarce, the element is typically synthesized by bombarding uranium-235 (enriched uranium) with thermal neutrons to produce promethium-147.
NASA's twin Grail spacecraft will crash into the lunar surface intentionally next week, bringing their gravity-mapping mission to a spectacular end. The probes, known as Ebb and Flow, will be commanded to slam into the moon on Dec. 17, NASA officials said Monday (Dec. 10). The agency will host a press conference Thursday (Dec. 13) at 1:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT) to discuss the impact and the events leading up to it.
To top off 12/14/12 there was a Murder-Suicide outside of the EXCALIBUR Hotel in Las Vegas. MORE COMING SOON... stay tuned ! or you can read the entire day of 12/14/12 on my twitter feed at @strangeye
AURORA appears in James Bond 007 SKYFALL in the preview before the movie The Dark Knight Rises in AURORA, Colorado on 7/20/12)
SANDY HOOK in The Dark Knight Rises (notorious for the AURORA, Colorado shooting on 7/20/12)The words SANDY HOOK appear at 119 minutes into the DVD/Blu-Ray (+/- 30 seconds)
AURORA, Roman Goddess of the DAWN "Dawn Nguyen is escorted into the Federal Building, Friday in Rochester, New York, and charged in connection with the guns used in the Christmas Eve ambush slaying of two volunteer firefighters responding to a house fire in Webster, New York. " image source
86 on top = 8+6 = 14 7 on the bottom 147 PSALM 147 in full from Bible Gateway Psalm 147 New King James Version (NKJV) Praise to God for His Word and Providence 147 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. 2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. 6 The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. 7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God, 8 Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. 9 He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens that cry. 10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. 12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you. 14 He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat. 15 He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. 16 He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; 17 He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? 18 He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. 19 He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the Lord! From The Dark kNight Rises, Aurora and SKYFALL and It's always darkest before the DAWN to Star Trek: Into Darkness (film release on 5/17/13 by SKYDANCE pictures)
Hopefully you've been perusing the articles on this blog, (and the Synch Whole) because as the sidebar to right says, no article stands alone here... you'll need the background from the other older articles here (and the extra info from the Sync Whole) to really get the most out of and fully understand the newer ones.
(For the new Strange Eye readers, and there's thousands more since the 2010 Winter Olympics, I apologize if the new articles don't carry forth all of the previously discussed info and symbols but you can't really expect me to continue to write the same things over and over and over with each additional article - each article would be a book unto itself!)
So did you watch the Men's Hockey final game of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics on 2.28.2010?
It was a very exciting and interesting game, especially if you are Canadian! (a special Thank You to 'Kansas', in the 24 Pierce jersey, who was my friendly rival watching the game! You made it all the more exciting brother!)
A few moments in particular stood out to me, so I thought I'd mention them, for you, the reader, to investigate...
The First
My fellow Winnipegger and Taurus, and a man who also shares my birthdate of April 29...
(ref: FlashForward day) - though Jonathan's 16 years my junior on the 119th day of the year (4.29 is also the greek St. Jason's Day - which resonates JASON the captain and Navigator of the ARGONAUTS on their quest for the Golden Fleece)
Jonathan Toews made the very first goal of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olypics Men's Hockey final game.
Winnipegger Jonathan Toews wears #16 and is the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Another was the 2nd Team Canada goal by the 24 year old Taurus, #10 Anaheim Duck, Corey Perry, from PETERborough, Ontario. (PETER/PETRA/PATER/PTAH/STONE - it'll hopefully make sense to you later on in this article and upcoming ones!)
Then there was the 2 - 2 assist goal by Team USA's player, Patrick KANE - #88 of the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS, tipped in by 17th overall draft pick and #9 New Jersey Devil, Zach Parise. Zachary Justin Parise (born July 28, 1984) of Minneapolis, MINnesota.
PATRICK is from the latin word PATER/PATRIS, meaning Father. (think PADRE) and only a "T" separates it from PARIS.
Patrick also resonates ST. PATRICK, patron Saint of the Emerald Isle of IRELAND and whose feast day falls on the OSIRIAN date of 3/17. (for more on the 3.17 see Christopher Knowles's At the Edge of 17 @ The Secret Sun blog)
St. Patrick is believed to have ministered for The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland some time around 420 c.e. - he is believed by the the church to have lived between 340 ce and 440 ce.
Patrick Kane's tying goal assist tipped in by Zach Parise (which made the score USA 2, CANAda 2) occured with only 24 seconds remaining in the game and put the Olympic Gold Medal Final into Overtime play. (24.4 to be absolutely exact)
KANE = QAYIN = CANA = CAIN = INCA = CANES = CANIS
KANE is the joining of CAN and EH for CANEH or CANA
(QAYIN is the spear and the light and CANA is the reed and the branch)
Patrick KANE wears the solar templar number of 88, which is the 4 rings ( O's ) linked and symbolized in two vertical infinity symbols, ∞ ∞
88 is the number of constellations we observe in astronomy.
88 is the number of keys on a piano.
8+8 is 16 which reduces to 1+6 = 7 (or ONE SEVEN)
8x8 is 64, the famous Bavarian Illuminati, Templar, and Enochian number and the number of squares on the Chess board.
6+4 gives us 10 which can be reduced to 1 6x4 gives us 24 which can be reduced to 6
24 is the number hours (HoRus) in a Day / DEI
I could literally go on for hours (and have verbally in the past) about the occult and masonic symbolism and significance behind the Biblical name KANE / CAIN (as well as the masonic name 'TUBAL-CAIN') ...
Genesis 4 1 and ADAM knew EVE his wife; and she conceived, and bare CAIN, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 and she again bare his brother ABEL. And ABEL was a keeper of sheep, but CAIN was a tiller of the ground. ...
In their original Hebrew/aramaic names the two "brothers" are QAYIN and HEVEL. In this we can see that with a silent H, Abel's pronounced name HEVEL becomes the english word ... EVEL (Evil)
The topic is much too polluted, opinionated, convoluted and complicated and quite simply far too involved to fully explore here.
Quite literally a thousand pages could be written exploring these two biblical characters. My recommendation is that the Readers who are unfamiliar with the big background explore them on their own using their favorite search engines and searching the names you've learned here.
Here's one introductory exploration of the subject that is the better of the multitude I have found...
(and I ****HIGHLY**** suggest to the reader that they take the time to read both part 1 and part 2 of that article)
So here at the Winter Olympic games of 2010 we have our blacksmith CAIN (KANE) assisting the tying GOAL (gol-d) which was scored by Z. Parise (PARIS) placing a black (khem) puck into the net while skating on frozen water in an alchemical game called Hockey (Hawk-Eye)
The practical art of AL-Khemy has been preserved by the alchemists of PARIS, France for centuries.
And the Prophet Zechariah in the Book of Zechariah in the Bible tells us...
1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Remember that blacksmith (Tubalcain) pounding the fire shooting anvil at the TORino Winter Olympic games?? (the one dressed in red and black and pounding the fire shooting anvil with the bull / TAURus horns on it?) (ref: Strange Eye article on Turin/Torino)
So back to what we were covering, and here's the nutshell statement to wrap that up for now...
KANE made the game tying goal assist to New Jersey Devil Z. Parise for the USA (home of ABE L-incoln) against CANA-da at 24 seconds remaining in the game.
The other notable event of the game was the Gold Medal Winning goal by Pittsburgh Penguin, Sidney Patrick Crosby.
Sidney plays for those black and white Penguins from Pennsylvania Pennsylvania is the OTHER Keystone (state) in North America - the brother state to Canada's Keystone Province, Manitoba. For those who don't know, the Freemasons are also nicknamed 'Penguins' because of the tuxedos that are worn by Lodge officers.
No I'm not making this up and Yes, you did see the name PATRICK appear once again !!
That makes for a whole-lotta IRELAND (Green Man / Emerald Isle / Alchemical Emerald Tablet of Thoth - Hermes), 3/17, OSIRIS (El Azar us/Lazarus rising from the dead) and the IRA (Eye of RA).
Also interesting is his other 2 names SIDNEY, AL-Khemically resonating the Gold coast of Australia (Sydney Australia in New South Wales (WHALES) ) and CROSS BY / BE
Be sure to look further into the symbols and info that pops out for you - you'll need it for the upcoming articles.
UPDATE 1 - 3.7.2010
"He Shoots... He Scores..." ?????
(NOTE the 5 rings of the 5 sided Pentagon - The Olympic Games also uses 5 interlocking rings and the 2010 Vancouver XXI Olympic Winter Games also accentuated this with the 5 stones of the Inukshuk logo)
Which brings us to yet another PATRICK...
...and by now I'll assume you've heard about the recent Pentagon Shooter
Bedell, (May 20, 1973 - March 5, 2010), was a computer programmer and engineering student from Hollister, California, with bipolar disorder who had been institutionalized several times according to a 2006 Orange County court filing regarding an arrest for marijuana possession.
He graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz, 1992 – 1994, B.S., Physics. He also attended San Jose State University, 1995 – 1996 studying biochemistry.
San Jose... Silly-Con Valley Santa Cruz... at the end of HWY 17 Born: 5.2.73 (17)
John Patrick Bedell was an independent-minded and skeptical teenager -- bright and questioning, with strongly held opinions, like countless other young people, his brother remembered Saturday.
Bedell, who went by PATRICK, had vigorously objected to the government's role in the 1991 Persian Gulf War since high school, telling relatives that the United States was trying to enrich itself and oil companies, said his brother, 33-year-old Jeffrey Bedell.
The PATRICK synch to the Olympic Hock-eye game is interesting by itself but the SPIN on this Pentagon Shooter story by the MSM is enough to make anyone dizzy!
UPDATE 2 - 3.7.2010
from Latin ALTUS meaning high
ALTO = High Alto = STOP/HALT
and then we find the "ALTO" Rio Building in the NEWS today ...
CONCEPCION, Chile — Workers demolished a fallen 15-story apartment building that has come to symbolize Chile's earthquake after officials said there was no more hope for finding survivors inside.
The only known remaining victim not recovered from the Alto Rio building was 21-year-old Jose Luis Leon, whose father on Saturday shouted desperately into holes in the concrete cut by rescuers looking for trapped victims.
"Jose Luis! Jose Luis!" cried Jose Leon, who had been given permission by authorities for one last search through the rubble for his son.
There was no answer.
Shortly afterward, a yellow excavator began clawing into the concrete slabs and twisted metal to demolish the structure whose collapse during the Feb. 27 earthquake had moved Chileans. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the fallen apartment building in the quake-shattered city of Concepcion on Saturday.
"I am convinced that with your bravery and strong determination, you will rise back on your feet again to build a better future," Ban told Chileans.
Emergency workers said continuing aftershocks have made the rubble too unstable for firefighters to continue looking for Jose Luis Leon and there is no hope of finding more survivors in the Alto Rio building.
"The family understands that there is nothing else the firefighters can do," Cmdr. Juan Carlos Subercaseaux told Chile's Radio Cooperativa, suggesting that the son's body might be recoverable for burial once the demolition is done.
At least seven significant aftershocks shook Chile on Saturday, the largest with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
No additional damage or injuries were immediately reported, but aftershocks have dangerously weakened buildings all across the disaster zone, including a 22-story office tower whose now-exposed upper floors have partly pancacked and threaten to crash down onto downtown Concepcion. The city's mayor has announced at least five contracts for controlled demolitions of such buildings.
At least 500,000 homes were destroyed, but the figure could reach 1.5 million once surveys are complete, Housing Minister Patricia Poblete said.
At least the Leon family knows the body is somewhere inside the wreckage of the Alto Rio. A week after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake and tsunami, hundreds of people are still searching for relatives with the help of community radio station Bio-Bio, which broadcasts their appeals day and night. With power still out in vast stretches of the disaster area, phone lines downed and cell service spotty, communication was difficult or impossible for most survivors.
U.N. programs already have delivered many tons of relief supplies and other aid, including 79 metric tons of high-energy biscuits and other food, enough to feed 35,000 children for five days.
Chileans also are helping themselves: The military is leading a massive relief and recovery effort, with air force planes landing every half hour in Concepcion, and a 24-hour national telethon aimed at collecting $30 million Saturday.
That's just a tiny fraction of the up to $30 billion experts have estimated will be needed for the recovery effort — a huge amount for a country with an annual budget of $42 billion, even though Chile has saved more than $11 billion in copper profits from the state-owned Codelco mining company.
Police flying over the destroyed port in the neighboring city of Talcahuano located another man's body, and divers recovered a boy's body in the coastal town of Pelluhue. In Chile's remote Juan Fernandez islands, where five were killed and 11 swept away in the tsunami, a burial service was held for 14-year-old Maite Arredondo.
With the tsunami wiping away entire communities and stranding wreckage miles inland in mainland Chile, the death toll has been difficult to determine. After first reporting higher figures, the Chilean Interior Department said it would release only the number of identified dead: 452 as of the latest announcement, on Friday.
Associated Press Writers Michael Warren and Federico Quilodran in Santiago, Chile, contributed to this report.
Looking for JOSE (see San Jose and HWY 17 above in UPDATE 1)
... on Avenue PADRE Hurtado 776
Which you might also notice bears some resemblance to tonight's Oscar showdown...
Day of complete chaos as floods surge across two states RACHEL BROWNE AND KYM AGIUS March 7, 2010 RESIDENTS in two states were battling against severe weather yesterday that brought record floodwaters, torrential rain, 100km/h winds and hailstones as big as golf balls.
Emergency services in the south-west Queensland town of St George were last night preparing for a flood peak expected to inundate 80 per cent of the town, as Melbourne mopped after a severe storm cell that wreaked havoc.
The Balonne River was already at a record 13.26 metres yesterday afternoon and the weather bureau has predicted it could peak at 13.5 metres - the highest level since recordings began in 1890.
About 40 of the town's 2800 residents were evacuated to a makeshift evacuation centre at the showgrounds. Residents from an aged care facility in the town, 500 kilometres west of Brisbane, were flown to the state capital.
Many St George residents, including Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce, whose family home fronts the Balonne River, spent the day filling 4000 sandbags.
About 25 homes went under but the community appeared to be spared the worst last night.
''Nobody wants to spend the next couple of months with the smell of rotting carpet and underlay around their house,'' Mr Joyce said.
The flood peak will reach the Whyenbah and Dirranbandi area during the weekend.
Residents of the Banana Shire were also urged to prepare for possible evacuation due to predicted flooding in the area.
Heavy rain has hit the towns of Theodore, Moura and Baralaba, west of Gladstone, over the past week. Emergency Management Queensland asked residents to prepare for flooding in coming days.
"Theodore could become isolated and there is the possibility that low-lying homes will be inundated,'' the Banana Shire deputy mayor Maureen Clancy said.
Further south, residents of Cunnamulla braced themselves for a drenching more severe than the floods of 2008 when waters peaked at 9.91 metres. Cunnamulla is expected to be hit with a major flood peak of 10 metres early this week.
An area greater than that of the state of Victoria has been affected by the flooding in Queensland's south. In Melbourne, hail blanketed the city like snow as a thunderstorm ripped through the capital, forcing the cancellation of major events and damaging dozens of buildings. A total of 26 millimetres of rain fell in less than an hour, bringing emergency services to a grinding halt.
Hail up to 5 centimetres in diameter pummelled the streets.
''We don't often see storm cells like that,'' the bureau's senior forecaster, Richard Carlyon, said.
Southern Cross railway station had to be evacuated as heavy rain tore a hole in its roof. Train and tram services faced widespread delays as winds peaked at 100km/h.
UPDATE 4 - 3.7.2010
Ben Stiller on the OSCARS stage as a NA'VI from AVATAR with the WE3M - SHIN - POSeIdON's Trident spinner on his forehead (Blue and Gold)
"... it was between this and the NAZI uniform but the show seemed a little Hitler Heavy..."
Jon Montgomery, from Russell, MB has won GOLD in Skeleton!
With a 4th Heat top speed of 144.8 kph and combined finish time of 3:29.73 (209.73 seconds)
JON REILLY MONTGOMERY with (Mother) Joan, (Father) Eldon, (Girlfriend) Darla, Jill and Jodi (CTV interviewer) Jennifer Hedger
Goofin' with Jon...
Spirit of the Turtle and the Thunderbird... Jon Montgomery has the First Nation's depiction of the Turtle and and the Thunderbird on his helmet. (by artist Phil Gray)
A kiss for Turtle.
A free pitcher of golden beer
Victory Inscribed on the HEARTS of All Canadians...
Olympic Gold Medalist in Skeleton, Jon Montgomery was born on May 6, 1979 and grew up in Russell, MB.
Russell, MB is located at the junction of MB HWY 83, MB HWY 45 and the Western turn of the Yellowhead Trail CDN HWY 16.
TRIVIA: The Manitoba portion of the Yellowhead Highway route 16 was originally numbered MB Highway #4 until 1977, when it was redesignated in order to make all of the Yellowhead Highway numbered as Highway 16 across all four provinces of western Canada. (Manitoba, Sakatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) The Highway Runs from Winnipeg Manitoba through to Prince Rupert British Columbia. The Yellowhead Highway association's 2010 Annual Conference & AGM is being held April 29 - May 1, 2010 in Prince George BC. [The Flashforward date of 4.29.2010]
Russell is a small Manitoba town of 1700 people. The town of Russell is located at Highway 16 and Highway 83, approximately 15 km from the Saskatchewan border and 340 km northwest of Winnipeg. The community is home to approximately 1,400 people, with a trading area population of over 14,000.
Russell is the home of Manitoba's Beef and Barley Festival, which is held annually in October to celebrate the region's strong agricultural tradition. Festival events include the King & Queen Pageant, a volleyball tournament, a car rally, and a craft fair. Grain farming and cattle ranching are extensive in the surrounding areas.
Now that Montgomery's won a medal, what's in his future? "A pint," he said.
WHISTLER, B.C. -- Strike up the band and begin mapping out the parade route back home -- Russell's Jon Montgomery has delivered a 2010 Olympic gold medal for Canada and for Manitoba.
Montgomery, the 30-year-old part-time auctioneer, full-time daredevil and proud product of the Keystone Province, blistered through the final two runs in the Olympic skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre to overtake Latvia's Martin Dukurs and stand atop the medal podium and give Canada its fourth gold medal, and eighth medal overall, of the XXI Winter Olympics.
"It feels.... is stupendous a word? Outrageous. Unbelievable... all those things rolled into a big ball. It's bearing down on me pretty heavy because I don't even have words to describe it," said Montgomery.
Montgomery began the day 26 hundredths of a second behind Dukurs, the reigning Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing (FIBT) champion and chipped into the Latvian's advantage in Friday's final two runs.
Montgomery posted a time of 52.20 in his third run -- breaking Dukur's track record set a night earlier -- to cut the lead to .18. And in the fourth and final heat he was timed at 52.36 while Dukurs finished in 52.61. Montgomery's four-heat total of 3:29.73 was .07 better than Dukurs at 3:29.80.
"I have no clue how this might change my life," said Montgomery. "You get beyond what's in front of your nose on a skeleton track and you're going to be ass over tea kettle and in a world of hurt. We'll worry about how this might change my life after the Olympics are over."
Dukurs, the likable 25-year-old from Riga, was trying to deliver the first-ever gold medal for his Baltic country. Rounding out the podium was Russia's Alexander Tretyakov, who finished third with a combined time of 3:30.75.
Canada's Jeff Pain, a silver medallist four years ago in Turin, was ninth with a time of 3:31.86 while teammate Michael Douglas, who began the day seventh, was disqualified.
Montgomery's medal performance perfectly caps a wonderful tale of the small-town hero who first began sliding at Tower Hill in Russell, virtually just outside his back door.
Appreciation
"I'm looking forward to getting back to Russell at the beginning of March and showing my appreciation for everything that everybody's done for me, all the well wishes that I've got and the support I've gotten from my hometown, Russell, Manitoba," he said.
Montgomery didn't officially pick up the sport until eight years ago when he first gave the skeleton a try at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.
Working as an auctioneer in the auto industry, Montgomery could see the lights of the skeleton run from his apartment.
Visiting the park with his parents one night... (read the rest of the story at Winnipeg Free Press)
Phil Gray (The First Nations Artist behind the famous Turtle and Thunderbird Helmet of Jon Montgomery)
In September of 2009, members of the Olympic Skeleton Team consulted with British Columbian shaman Sandra Molendyk to receive some spiritual guidance, and to have their sleds blessed. During this consultation, Montgomery discovered that his spirit animal is the Turtle. After discovering this he commissioned his famous Turtle and Thunderbird helmet from Vancouver First Nations artist, Phil Gray.
Phil Gray began carving in 1999 with Salish artist, Gerry Sheena. Since then, Phil has worked with artists Mike Dangeli, David Boxley, Henry Green, Lyle Campbell, Jay Simeon and Ian Reid. He also had the opportunity to study Advanced Design under acclaimed Haida artist, Robert Davidson. Phil works primarily in cedar, alder and boxwood. He creates masks, panels, poles, sculptures and drums. Philip belongs to the Killerwhale Clan and the majority of his works are created in his traditional Tsimshian style. In September of 2003, Philip had three of his pieces donated to the Burke Museum in Seattle. In 2005, Phil was featured in the 'Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2' exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design in New York. In the winter of 2007, Phil completed a large commission of sculptural works for Sonora Resort on Sonora Island, BC. Also in 2007, Phil completed the Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts Program at the Native Education College in Vancouver, under Kwakwaka’wakw/Haida artist, Dan Wallace. Phil was included in two major exhibitions in 2009. The first was the 'Challenging Traditions' exhibition at Ontario's McMichael Gallery, a show that was dedicated to exploring innovative and experimental works from the Northwest Coast. The second was 'Continuum: Vision and Creativity on the Northwest Coast' at Vancouver's Bill Reid Gallery, which highlighted 23 established Aboriginal artists from BC, Washington State and Alaska. In September of 2009, Phil completed a pair of large red cedar doors here in Lattimer Gallery, which depicted a 'Grandmother Moon' design. In February of 2010, Phil designed the helmet of gold medal-winning Skeleton racer, Jon Montgomery. Montgomery held Phil's helmet throughout the Olympic awards ceremony.
OLYMPIC MEDAL TRIVIA: The Olympic Medals were minted in the center [heart] city of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the Royal Canadian Mint. Each medal is a piece of a larger puzzle. All the medals fit a place in a larger picture. Each "crop" and medal is number coded for medal winning athletes to reference which part of the picture they have on their medal.
(click to play)
The Mint produced all 615 gold, silver and bronze medals for Olympic Winter Games athletes, as well as the 399 athlete medals for Paralympic Winter Games competition.
BONUS SYNCH (2.22.2010):
I was checking out Deconstructor's Superheroes vid on youtube (ref: the Strange Eye TESLA article) and at the very (and I do mean very) moment that he said the word SUPERMAN... this is what was displayed by Canada's CTV. I have had it on, as of late, to hear the latest Olympic NEWS, catch up, and grab some fitting images but this morning I happened to look over at the screen right as the Deconstructor video said Superman.... I took a screen cap to post here - as this moment was the perfect example of a "personal synch" [ref: Jungian Synchronicity]... (Kudos to the inventor of PVRs)
Strange Eye is an independant and not-for-profit blog. It is not aligned with nor supported by ANY group, organization, cult, sect, religion or otherwise. It exists with an open mind to explore, enjoy, ponder, postulate and speculate about events occuring around us all.
Welcome to you new Strange Eye readers from around the globe who have made your way to this blog and are looking around going "what the heck is this stuff all about??"
In a sentence, Strange Eye is a Jungian Synchronicity and Semiotic Observance and Research blog.
But What does that Mean??
it means that at this Strange Eye blog, we consider even the smallest or singular events of daily life as connected to and expressions of the bigger picture of ALL existence. The articles build upon each other in progression, none truly stand alone here.
The Strange Eye motto would be - if ever there was such a motto - ALL for ONE and ALL IS ONE.
While reading "Strange Eye" you may come to see the repeated expression of the belief that WE are all intimately connected parts of the Whole of Existence... that WE are part of and ONE with the UNIVERSE - and not just in it!
Because of this, WE are all able to experience and observe the workings of the UNIVERSE through semiotics and Synchronicity - from the macrocosmic to the microscopic - and through the witnessing of these events and workings, come to better understand our own existence and the active parts we play in creating it.
So Welcome, explore the blog archives, read, comment, post your synchs... and may you recognize and feel the synchronicities and spirit floW... strong and clear - and may you truly experience, on a deeply personal level, the beauty of the design hidden behind the machinations of everyday life.
~SE~
Notes:
"There are no jokes in synchromysticism, even when there are!" - Strange Eye (2009)
Penelope, the Queene, when she had view'd The strange eye-dazeling, admirable sight, Faine would have praisd the state and pulchritude, But she was stricken dumbe with wonder quite, Yet her sweet minde retain'd her thinking might ; Her rauisht minde in heaunly thoughts did dwel, But what she thought, no mortall tongue can tel.
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"Be the Change You Wish to See in the World" - Ghandi
