Tag Archives: Mars

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-bruary 20, 2021 – NASA vs. The God of Covid

NASA rover Perserverance lands on Mars to do battle with Nergal, the Sumerian God of Covid

Greetings,

Congratulations to NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab. They landed their Perserverance rover on Mars and have been road  tripping across the red planet sending back data.

NASA rover successfully lands on Mars

From previous fly overs and images captured there are a lot of strange anthropomorphic sites on the surface of the planet.

Martian Stonehenge?
Martian bullfrog?
Martian fertility goddess?

The most famous image is at Cydonia: The Face on Mars.  In 1976, NASA’s Viking orbiter (couldn’t land a vehicle on the planet then) captured an image of a mesa with an obvious human face.

Cydonia – Rock face mesa (or temple?) on Mars. Not a trick of the light. Two eyes, bejeweled helmet, nose, two lips. Humanoid!

The unimaginative scoffers at NASA tried to write it off as a trick of the light and shadows. But another photo captured it with even more clarity.  Even after more pictures surfaced the agency still adheres to the notion Cydonia is an optical illusion.

Now is the time to put up or shut up. Send Perserverance to the base of the mesa shaped rock formation and let’s get a close up.

But that strategy is not without risk. Many of the Russian rovers who tried to map the surface were mysteriously fried and knocked out just to be a Martian junk yard.

Could it be the Martians don’t want to be found? Ancient Astronaut Theory says yes!

Marvin the Martian gives the hairy eyeball to NASA planetary exploration

<NASA on Mars! For how long? 45 sec.>

What do I think? Thanks for asking! Mars has always been associated as a war planet of hostile intent.

Mars gets its name from the Roman God of War. The reddish hue of the planet gives off a malevolent vibe down below on Earth. Hindus called the red planet Angakara after their God of War and the occult. Wikipedia mentions that In ancient China, the advent of Mars was taken as a portent for “bane, grief, war and murder”.

Angakara – Hindu God/ancient astronaut. Mars and the God of war

My hypothesis is this. Cydonia is a temple to the Sumerian God Nergal. Consulting multiple episodes of Ancient Aliens, reading the text  of my many Sumerian religion books (don’t call what came first mythology!), this is my analysis:

In the main 7 Ancient Astronaut pantheon of so-called Sumerian Gods, Nergal is the most malevolent. His planet is Mars.

Who is Nergal? The Greeks plagiarized him as Hades. God of the Underworld. Associated with fire, war, destruction, devastation, plagues, death. Pestilence. Consider him the God of Covid!

Nergal – Sumerian God of Death

<Nergal (Mars) – The God of Covid; 2 min 55 sec>

The Martians who worship him, do not want their temple at Cydonia defiled. They can see what happens when mankind discovers/invades. Ask the Mayans and Aztecs the tender kindness shown to them by Conquistadors four hundred years ago. They are  gonna protect what’s theirs. I don’t expect that cute little rover, Perserverance, to have a very long life.

Nergal on high alert since Trump created the Space Force

<Your Ace From Outer Space; 77 sec.>

China and Elon Musk are trying to get to Mars as well. I ‘n’ I play the song by Alpha Blondy “Interplanetary Revolution” on this Smile Jamaica Ark-Ive podcast. The Martians know we never come in peace and they will not allow Starbucks, McDonald’s or Amazon on the Red Planet. No strip mining for minerals for Iphones.

Heed my prophecy, this will lead to weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. And why does any of this matter? I ‘n’ I found a fresh stack of UFO tunes by Burning Spear, Alpha Blondy, Cornell Campbell and I ‘n’ I wanted to rinse them out on my typical UFOria sets on Smile Jamaica!

As I ‘n’ I always say: Look to the skies! Do not scoff!

Fly Me to the Moon? Mr. Spear needs to re-record as Fly Me to Mars

Reggae lost a giant this week. U Roy, age 78, joined Jah’s Heavenly Choir after a lifetime of diabetes. He wasn’t the first Jamaican to chant over Rock Steady riddims in the mid 60’s, but he was the most popular through his inventive lyrical style. He was the forefather to what came after: toasting (think Ranking Roger of the (English),  Beat), 70’s Reggae deejay chanters, dancehall ragga and especially hip hop and rap.

Many of the NYC hip hop originators like Kool Herc came from Jamaican emigrants who brought their record collections north from the Island. His records helped develop the most successful new music format since rock or soul. No U Roy, no Public Enemy, Jay Z or Snoop Dogg.

The last song on this Ark-ive podcast continues his origination: Your Ace From Space which led indirectly to Neil Armstrong skanking on the Moon a year later.

Now Bob Marley and Peter Tosh have someone to chant over their riddims in Jah’s abode.

bless, Bobbylon

<RIP U Roy – inventor of toasting, deejay, hip hop and rap; 56 sec.>

U Roy – “I originate while others imitate”. Indeed

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Feb. 20, 2021

Set 1:

  • Sister Frica – One in the Spirit; Rockers All-Star Explosion (Alligator) ’78 Chicago vinyl; ’85 comp.
  • The Revolutionaries? – Ital Step; Vital Dub Strictly Rockers (Hitbound) ’76 Brooklyn vinyl dub album of the hour
  • U Roy – The Originator; Rock With I (RAS) ’78; RIP inventor of deejaying
  • Zema &  the Gladiators –  Trouble Never Set; Jubilee (Melchizedek) 2009 SoCal female artist
  • Jackie Opel & the Skatalites – Valley of Green (Take 2); 4 Track EP (Top Deck) ’65 UK green vinyl
  • Culture – International Herb; Livity (RAS) ’98 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement

Set 2:

  • Rico Rodriguez – Rico’s Special (Reloaded); 10” (Above Rock) ’76 NY picture sleeve; trombone
  • Horace Andy – Better Collie; Prime of Horace Andy (Music Club) ’75 herbtune
  • Barry Brown – Stand Firm; Far East (Hitbound) ‘81
  • L.S. Diesel Meets Digidub – Skunk Funk (The Mix); King Size Dub Volume 1 (Echo Beach) ‘95
14 down, 36 to go. Lost South Dakota legal/medical weed

Set 3:

  • Rockers Hi Fi – Transmission Central; Thievery Corporation: DJ Kicks (!K7) ’99 dub comp
  • Big Youth – Get Up Stand Up; Trojan Tribute to Bob Marley Box Set (Trojan) ’76 Marley/Tosh cover
  • Roots Uprising – Master Blaster Jammin’; 12” (Top Ranking) ’81 Miami – Stevie Wonder cover/Marley Tribute
  • Sly Dunbar – Sesame Street Theme; Front Line Dub (Virgin Front Line) ’79 comp; Dub Album of the Hour
Stevie Wonder cover/Bob Marley tribute

Set 4: Jamaican Jukebox 7″

  • Susan Cadogan – Piece of My Heart; 7” (OB International) Janis Joplin/Erma Franklin cover ’80: 7” Jamaican Jukebox Set
  • Lui Lepkie – Tribute to Bob Marley; 7” (Joe Gibbs Ultra Sound) ‘81
  • Carlton Livingston – Cold Cold Winter; 7” (Grade One)
  • Benjamin Zephaniah – 13 Dead; Dub Ranting; 7” EP (Radical Wallpaper) ‘82 UK 8 track picture sleeve
8 track, 7″ 33 and 1/3 UK dub poetry

Set 5: Vinyl is Vital

  • Ken Boothe – This Love of Ours; Reggae For Lovers  (Generation) ’79 Missisauga, Ont. Canada
  • Prince Far I – The More We Are Together; Musical History (Trojan) ’83 UK herbtune
  • Gedeon Jerrubaal – Jedna Milosc, Jedna Nie Nawisc; Reggae From Around the world (RAS) ’88 DC; Polish Reggae mixed by Adrian Sherwood
  • Amjam – Every Little Thing; Live Off the Board (Celluloid) ’87 live at CBGB punk club
  • Baby Rose – Barb Wire; Can Jam  Reggae Rockers Disco Style (Rocktone) ’81 Toronto, CA; Nora Dean cover
Polish Reggae on Smile Jamaica!

Set 6: Wailers Family Tree

  • Bob Marley & the Wailing Wailers – Stir It Up; Wail ‘N Soul ‘M Singles (JAD) ’67
  • Peter Touch – Selassie Serenade; Arise Blackman (Trojan) ’69 B-side organ instrumental
  • Marcia Griffiths – Steppin’ Out of Babylon; Women in Reggae (Shanachie) ’79 comp.
  • Bunny Wailer – Rise & Shine ; Solomonic Singles vol. 2 (Solomonic) ‘81
Short lived Wailers boutique label: Wail ‘N Soul ‘M (1966-1968)

Set 7: Best of Smile Jamaica 31+ Years

  • U Roy – Music Addict; Music Addict (RAS) ’87 RIP:
  • Aisha – Tribulation; High Priestess (Ariwa) ‘88
  • Black Uhuru – Sinsemilla; Tear It Up! Live (Mango) ’82 live in London
  • Dr. Alimantado – Sons of Thunder; Born For a Purpose (Greensleeves) ‘73
  • 4th Street Orchestra – Ah Who Seh? Ah Who She? Go Deh! (Rama) ’76 Dennis Bovell dub album of the hour
RIP at age 78. Inventor of toasting, deejay talkover, hip hop, rap

Set 8: UFO-ria. NASA on Mars

  • Burning Spear – Fly Me to the Moon; Mistress Music (Slash) ’88
  • Alpha Blondy – Interplanetary Revolution; Cocody Rock!!! (Shanachie) ‘84
  • Cornell Campbell – Stars; The Minstrel (Westside) ‘75
  • Laurel Aitken – Apollo 12; The Pama Years (Grover) ‘69
  • Bam Bam – Star Wars + Dub; Power of  a Woman (Bam Bam International) ’87 LA Vinyl/Roots Dawta
  • U Roy – Your Ace From Space; Version Galore (Treasure Isle) ‘68
U Roy – Your Ace from Space joins Jah’s Heavenly Choir

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives (Stream + Tracklist): May 6, 2017 – Mars or Busted!

We better be here by 2120 – Mars

<Stephen Hawking: To save mankind we have 100 years to Mars; 1 min. 5 sec.>

Greetings,

We are screwed. No Jah Love for I ‘n’ I optimism on this blog post. We need to face facts.

Stephen Hawking: Colonize Mars or humankind perishes

As Smile Jamaica warns during my UFOria sets: We need to quit skylarking and get to the skies.

Mother Earth is finished. It is dead. Not dying. Dead. We killed it. It is a zombie.

Every President has an Oil of the Above energy policy. Industry and government collusion prevented renewables from replacing carbon.

I’m not that much of a tree hugger (more of a leaf burner), but I know it’s over. In 50 years every coastal city will be under water.

Every year living in Utah the air quality gets worse. Even I, with my spongy lung capacity, gets hit by bronchitis frequently.

Soon they will be taxing clean air while the rest of us working stiffs choke. I like my air just my peanut butter: smooth and nah chunky!

My vista in Salt Lake City every January and February. Chunky stylee

I don’t have kids. But if I did I would weep for my nieces and nephews’ great grand kids.

This shouldn’t have happened…

After great promise with the Moon Landing in 1969, we stopped our momentum and put all of our R & D in heinous weapons of mass destruction.

Imagine the trillions on nukes and bombs and jet fighters devoted to Space Travel.

Too bad. So sad. We’re fucked. All we got from Neil Armstrong walking on the moon? Velcro, teflon and Tang.

bless, robt

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: May 6, 2017 Annotated Playlist; 51 sec.

Set 1: Kentucky Derby Horse Race set

  • Barbara Paige – Jah Love; Hear Me Now (Epiphany) ’82 San Fran vinyl
  • Roots Radics – Storming the Death Star; Scientist and Jammy Strike Black (Trojan) ’82 UK – vinyl dub album of the hour
  • Dillinger – Caymanas Park; 7” (Well Charge) Jamaican race track
  • Abyssinians – In a Kalda; Reunion (AO!) ‘98 
  • The Pioneers – Longshot Kick the Bucket; 7” (Trojan) ‘69
  • Bo Jangles – Selassie I Cup; 7” (Joe Gibbs Record Globe)
  • GT Moore – Ganja Flower; 10” (Jah Works) 2002 UK mutant dub 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
Congrats to Always Dreaming for winning the 2017 Kentucky Derby

Set 2:

  • Peter Tosh – Mark of the Beast; Honorary Citizen (Columbia/Legacy) ’76 single

<Mark of the Beast – beating from the cops; 17 sec.>

<The cruelty of beating a guitar player’s hands; 34 sec.>

  • Bunny Wailer – The Specialists; Dancehall Massive (Shanachie) ’92 Hypocrites riddim
  • John Brown’s Body – Fight Them a Fight; Burning: Live at the Annex,  Madison, Wisconsin (bootleg)
  • Joy & Trevor – Love at First Sight; 10” (Well Charge) ‘81
I see the Mark of the Best on their ugly faces. Congregating in evil places.

Set 3: Best of Smile Jamaica 27+ Years

  • Aswad – Rainbow Culture; Showcase (Mango) ’80
  • Bingy Bunny – Bit by Bit; Kingston 12 Toughie (RAS) ’75 of the Morwells
  • Rita Marley – Easy Sailing; Who Feels It Knows It (Shanachie) ‘80
  • Burning Spear – Give Me + Brain Food ; Marcus Garvey + Garvey’s Ghost (Mango) ’75/’76 w/ dub

<Winston, Rupert & Delroy – Burning Spear; 13 sec.>

  • Bush Chemists – Respect Dubwise; Light Up Your Chalice (Dubhead) ’99 mutant dub album of the hour

Set 4:

  • Don Carlos – Jah People Unite; Deeply Concerned (RAS) ‘87
  • Stranger Cole & Gladdy – One Toke Over the Line; 70’s Hits Reggae Style – Brewer & Shipley herb cover
  • Gondwana – Los Defendos (The Defenders); Second Coming (RAS) ’99 Chile; 16 sec.
  • Aisha – Raise Your Voice; 12” (Twinkle) ‘95

Set 5: UFOria Vinyl Is Vital

  • Prince Jammy – Conspiracy on Neptune; Destroys the Invaders (Greensleeves) ’82 UK
  • Lone Ranger – UFO; Barnabas in Collins Wood (GG) ’79 JA
  • U Roy – Your Ace From Space; Version Galore (Treasure Isle) ’68 JA
  • Bam Bam – Star Wars; Power of a Woman (Bam Bam International) ’87 LA, female singer
  • Lone Ranger – Beam Me Up Scotty; 12”

Set 6: Waiting in Vain Riddim shower

  • Bob Marley & the Wailers – Waiting in Vain; Exodus (Tuff Gong) Riddim Shower (1): vox
  • Dillinger – Check Sister Jane; King Pharaoh (Blue Moon) ’84 UK vinyl
  • I Roy – Commandment III (Waiting in Vain); Ten Commandments (Virgin) ’80 UK yellow vinyl/picture sleeve vinyl
  • Chalawa – Waiting in Vain Dub; Exodus Dub (Micron) ’77 Can. Dub

Set 7: Rockers do Reggae

  • The Clash – Police on My Back; Sandinista (Epic) ’80: Eddy Grant cover
  • Eric Clapton – Whatcha Gonna Do; Crossroad (Polydor) ’74 Tosh cover from box set
  • Blues Brothers – Groove Me; Briefcase Full of Blues (Atlantic) ’78 reggae take on King Floyd
  • Nina Hagen – UFO; Nunsexmonkrock (CBS) ’82 West. Germ.
  • Creation Rebel/New Age Steppers – Chemical Specialist; Threat to Creation (Cherry Red) ’81 mutant dub album of the hour

Set 8: Mutant Dub

  • Word Sound I Powa – Intro; Live From Planet Crooklyn (ROIR) ’96 – mutant dub set
  • Alpha & Omega – King and Queen; King and Queen (A & O) ’90 UK trance dub
  • Braindead feat. Justin Warfield – Braindead; clear (Quango) ’95 UK
  • Dub Syndicate – More Kaya; Acres of Space (Lion & Roots) 2001
  • Systemwide – Interferene; Pure and Applied (BSI) 2002 Portland
  • Bush Chemists – Star Dub; 10” (Jah Tubby’s) 2006 UK – Star Wars theme

Words of Wisdom:

 

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: August 1, 2015 (Stream + Tracklist): Jah-maican Independence Weekend

download (1)
Not advised for vinyl fetishists!

Greetings,

Since coming back from my Jah-tana Roadtrip: Southwest and North Central Montana I have dropped 3 thematic episodes of Smile Jamaica:

  1. Best of Smile Jamaica and 27 Years of Reggae Radio – The 70’s
  2. Best of Smile Jamaica and 27 Years of Reggae Radio – The 80’s
  3. Jah Love – 3 Hours for HIM Happy Birthday: July 23, 1892
download (2)
Killer record store in Missoula Montana – Rockin’ Rudy’s. Drop $200 here every summer

So now back to the usual Roots ‘n’ Dub Shuffle:

bless, robt

<Comin’ in Hot!: Roadmap for the 3 Hours; 50 sec.>

  • Wailers Family Tree: Mix and Match “Catch a Fire: Tosh live, Marcia Lovers Rock; Bunny dancehall
  • Best of 27 Years: Faves from the beginning ’88-’89
  • Rockers do Reggae: 1st Saturday of each month
  • Vinyl is Vital
  • Rastafari Tributes – Holdover, never left over from last week’s Ark-Ive
  • Mutant Dub

df0ccaa17e20b5ac30ffb9a16aede19b

Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives Jah-gust 1, 2015: Annotated Playlist – photos, captions, soundbytes, reggae history lessons!

Set 1:

  • Melodians – Get Up and Dance; Irie Feeling (RAS) ’83 DC vinyl
  • Soul Syndicate/Sugar Minott – Ghetto-ology Dub (Easy Star) ’79 Dub Album of the Week
  • Bunny Wailer – Warrior; Gumption (Shanachie) ’90: Johnny Osbourne cover
  • Marcia Griffiths – It’s Impossible; Steppin’ (Shanachie) ‘79
  • Fred Locks – Vision of Redemption; 10” (Sip a Cup) 2003 UK militant steppers
  • Barry Brown – Pass Up the Chalice; Rich Man Poor Man (Moll-Selekta) 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
  • AKB – Where/Where’s da Dub; Future Present (AKB); ’96 Al Kirk Band = Halloween tune

<Where are the Priests and the Prophets to save us from the Vampires!?; 15 sec.>

Sugar-Minott-Ghettology
Sugar Minott: “Don’t know much about biology, geography, history. But I know ghetto-ology”

Set 2:

  • The Wailers – Concrete Jungle (JA + US/UK mix); Catch A Fire (Tuff Gong) ’73; much different mixes

<Jamaican ghetto mix of Concrete Jungle vs. Twangy guitar overdubs; 84 sec.>

<Concrete Jungle Recap: 57 sec.>

  • Hollie Cook – Win or Lose; Twice (Mr. Bongo) 2014 UK dubstress

<Hollie Cook – Dawta of a Sex Pistol; 10 sec.>

  • The Observers – Zorro/Cutting Sword; 10” (PK) ’79 Mine instrumental
download (3)
Catch a Fire and the Jimmy Cliff flick The Harder They Come – lit the fuse for Reggae

Set 3: Best of 27 Years

  • Sister Carol – Lost in a Space; Jah Disciple (RAS) ’89 space travel is a waste

<Cydonia on Mars; 36 sec.>

  • Dillinger – Loving Pauper; Cocaine (Charly) ’76 over Dobby Dobson
  • Michael Prophet – Righteous are the Conqueror; Righteous are the Conqueror (Greensleeves) ‘81

<Justin Hinds in DC, 1998; 22 sec.>

  • Justin Hinds & the Dominos – Sweet Lorraine; Travel With Love (Nighthawk) ‘84

<Space Travel no isms or schisms!; 22 sec.>

Face-on-mars
Cydonia “man made” Monument on Mars
pluto-heart-new-horizons
Livf on Pluto?

Set 4:

  • Peter Tosh – Coming in Hot; Live at the Jamaica World Music Festival (Peter Tosh): Nov. 27, 1982 – Montego Bay
  • Anthony B – Marley Memories; Universal Struggle (VP) ’97 Bob tribute over ska era “Put It On” Wailers riddim
  • Ika Black – Human Life; Special (Keyman) ‘86 female singer

1982-11-20

Set 5: Rockers doing Reggae

  • Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now; I Can See Clearly Now (Columbia) ’72

<Bob Marley wrote for Johnny Nash; 7 sec.>

<Johnny Nash: reggae, soul, AM pop; 22 sec.>

  • The Ruts – Jah War (Live); Criminal Minds (Recall) UK Punks do Reggae

<Punkers in solidarity with Rastas in UK 14 sec.>

  • Nina Hagen – African Reggae; Nina Hagen Band (Columbia) ’80 German Reggae
  • Corey Harris – Walter Rodney; Zion Crossroads (Telarc) blues pays tribute to assassinated leader of Guyana

<Walter Rodney of Guyana; 15 sec.>

walterrodney2
Guyana’s Walter Rodney. Caribbean leader/martyr

Set 6: Vinyl Is Vital

  • Tyrone Taylor – Cottage in Negril; Cottage in Negril (Love) ’86 
  • Aura Lewis Meets Lee “Scratch” Perry – At Midnite; Full Experience (Blue Moon); Fr. EP w/ female vox
  • Prince Jazzbo – Jamaican Collie; Head to Head Clash (RAS) deejay herbtune
  • Burning Spear – Travelling; Knotty Vision (Nighthawk) ‘82
R-2643914-1294685082.jpeg
Nighthawk Records – St. Louis, Missouri

 

Set 7: Tribute to Haile Selassie

  • Black Slate – Calling Jah; World Citizen UK
  • King Kong – Jah is My Best Friend; Rumble Jumble Life (Massive B) ’97
  • Rastafarians – Jah Greatest Blessing; Orthodox (Makasound) ’81 Rasta Cruz, Collie-fornya
  • Israel Vibration – Jah Love; Strength of My Life (RAS) ‘88

<Israel Vibration – Polio survivors, Rastas; 38 sec.>

Set 8: Mutant Dub

  • African Head Charge – Conspiring (Dancing to My Own Drums); Pride and Joy: Live (ON U Sound) ‘91
  • Zion Train – Get Ready; Homegrown Fantasy (China) ’95 UK trance dub w/ female vox
  • Systemwide – Rise Up; Pure and Applied (BSI)
  • Snoop Lion – Rebel Way; Reincarnation (Berhane Selassie); Snoop vs. Major Lazer
  • Les Nubians – El Son Reggae; One Step Forward (Virgin) French/Chadian sistas

July 20, 1969 Moonwalk “Neil Armstrong Submits”

Neil-Armstrong-on-the-Moon-in-1969
“Wow. I’m high!”

Greetings,

July 20, 1969. Mankind finally reached the boundaries of outerspace. The most amazing technological achievement of our species.

My Mesopotamian ancestors, the Anunnaki, must have been tremendously proud of us!

WIK_Tilglath-Pileser-III
The Anunnaki – Sons of the God Anu. “Those who come from the Heavens to the Earth”. From the 12th Planet Nibiru. Returning to Earth in 2800 AD. Look at his wristwatch!

I was 4 years old and vaguely remember watching this with my family. My Assyrian grandparents were in Montana with us visiting from Turlock, Colly-fornya. I remember them chattering away in Syriac in amazement with my mom. While my Anglo dad probably sat on the couch nursing an Olympia. (Which we called Owl Piss in high school.)

Smile Jamaica Jah-neology: Assyrian, German, Norwegian. Thus, I am Half Assed

My Grandfather Jibrael was my hero before Bob Marley. I moved to Utah from Montana to study the Middle East. Picked up a couple of degrees in Arabic and Middle East History at the University of Utah. Wanted to devote my life to settling the tribal war of brother killing brother. Took the Foreign Service exam.  I had one year to go: either work for the Government or go to Grad School in Collie-fornya.

I lost the plot during the first Gulf War. I did not want to be like James Bond and become a grungier version of a Neoliberal hitman. “Shaken not stirred?” More like,  “bongrip not rolled.”

james-bong
License to chill, dreadie!

Decided to stick around and devote my attention to Roots Reggae instead on Smile Jamaica. Take some time to consider my options.

While I was in the Middle East program, I met a variety of Muslims from around the World: Palestinians, Syrians, Malaysians, Iranians, Turks. Went to lots of parties and settled the world’s problems via awesome food choices.

One of these discussions I remember having was the rumor in the Muslim world that Neil Armstrong, the first man who walked on the Moon, was a Muslim.

180px-Neil_armstrong
Haji Neil Armstrong, “La ilaha ila Allah wa Muhammad rasul’llah”

Here is the Urban Legend:

There is no sound in outerspace. While Neil Armstrong was doing the original Moonwalk, he heard something he could not explain in his space helmet. It wasn’t radio static from Mission Control. It wasn’t random noise or gibberish but a language of vocabulary and sentences.

When Armstrong, an International hero, visited Cairo, Egypt, he  heard the Muezzin: The man who takes to the heights to call his fellow Muslims to prayer.

Neil was staggered. That is what he heard in space! He converted to Islam before he left Cairo.

Wikislam entry

astronaut-floating-in-space-stocktrek-images
In Space no one care hear you pray

I wrote to Cecil Adams of the Straight Dope .

He gave me the Hairy Eyeball. Never answered my query in his columns. Probably because I aced him out on a response on the Beatles’ “butcher block” cover of the albumYesterday and Today

BUTCHERED BEATLES ALBUMS

Dear Cecil:

In your discussion of the controversy over the “butcher cover” of the Beatles’ “Yesterday” … and Today [January 9], you mentioned that the design showing the moptops draped in raw cuts of meat and holding decapitated dolls was an attempt to satirize the vapid cover art of the time. But this isn’t really what the bloody motif was meant to represent. It was a protest by the Beatles directed at Capitol, their American record label. Capitol was in the habit of shaving tracks from the British LPs and hoarding them for another full album of “new” songs for American consumption in between “official” releases. The butcher cover was a statement against the greed of the American record label who “butchered” the Beatles’ artistic integrity for the sake of commerce. –Robert Nelson, Salt Lake City, Utah

Dear Robert:

Some people claim to have heard this explanation from John Lennon himself. Maybe they did, but if so it’s an explanation Lennon cooked up after the fact. As I explained before, the idea for the cover came from photographer Bob Whitaker, and the Beatles eagerly agreed to it. At the time Lennon reportedly said, “I especially pushed for it … just to break the image.” That it did. To quote my assistant Jane, who has a “peeled” copy of the stereo version of the album–that is, with the bland replacement cover photo peeled off: “Eww.”

butcher

Smile Jamaica 1; Straight Dope 0

***

When Neil applied to lead a Boy Scout troop there was a requirement that he describe his religious affiliation. He wrote deist. A true stoic hero of rare magnitude who eschewed political attempts to co-opt his celebrity and resented American Exceptionalism as the self appointed world’s policeman. He passed away in 2012.

Armstrong did, however, see UFO’s while in space. But that is fodder for a future post.

On a more optimistic Middle Eastern/space exploration note:

Since America and Russia squandered our scientific resources on Mutual Assured Nucelar Destruction, we as a people haven’t budged on space travel. The way I see it, we should have been space hopping and making Extra Terrestrial contact with our planetary neighbors in the decades since Neil and his mates took that “giant leap for mankind.”

Praise Anu, that our Emirati peers are going to re-boot planetary travel

United Arab Emirates taking a Magic Carpet Ride

bless, robt

p-dreadlocksoverearth-288x413
Revenge of the Anunnaki. “I am coming back in 786 years and you fools better get your crap together”