Windy Sydney

I ran across this website a few hours ago. They specialize in greeting cards with a twist. They say what they really mean. You won't find these in your Hallmark Store.

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When you are Mormon, your goal is perfection. You want to live the perfect life, follow the gospel, raise your kids to be missionaries and marry in the temple. You put off your happiness now for your happiness in the next world, and you are promised that its gonna be fantastic.

Joseph Smith and other early prophets of the church taught that polygamy was required to reach the celestial kingdom (for all you non-Mormons out there, that is the highest level of heaven... they have it separated). You had to be in a plural marriage on earth, or you were screwed. These women put up with this and other rules laid before them because they believed they would be blessed for it in the next life.

Unfortunately, Mormons still believe polygamy is practiced in the celestial kingdom. Many don't realize this because it's not taught openly. When you and hubby both pass away, you have to share him with other women. WTF?

It's not unique to Mormons... why is it that women are used as a reward? Some people believe heaven will have multitudes of virgins to welcome these men as they reach heaven. Some people even believe these women give birth to spirit children and you raise your happy little brood for eternity.

Mormons also believe that the best of the best will then be Gods themselves. They will have their own planets and create a world and rule over it. The many wives would take care of the hundreds of spirit children while hubby plays God. Again... WTF?

Joseph Smith taught that humans came from a planet called Kolob, and Brigham Young taught that there were quaker-like people living on the moon! We now know this is all bullshit, yet most are too afraid to stand up and call them on it. The church doesn't talk about it because they don't want people to know about it. Shhh... lets keep it secret! Oops... I mean sacred. Give me a break.

Call me crazy, but that's not my idea of a good time.

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As many of you know, I took a random photo of myself for my myspace page and caught something a little creepy on the digital camera. At first, I was sure it was a ghost... I have always been fascinated with anything paranormal... but now I truly believe it was just a fluke.

The first time I posted it, I had people tell me in emails that it was anything from a Native American to the spirit of Joseph Smith coming to get me because I talked about the Mormon Temple. I don't know what it is, I just think it's cool.

Here is the shot:

I decided that I would find some other ghostie photos on the web and share them. These photos and stories come from GhostStudy.com, and SecretCrypt.com, don't forget to stop by if you see something interesting. The stories about the photos are sometimes very short and almost impossible to verify. It's just for fun.

In the picture are myself, my wife and my youngest son. My 14 year old son is behind the camera. The photo was taken in the summer of 2004. No one was in the house at the time of the picture being taken. I had not seen this photo until the other day when my son was thumbing thru a photo album and this ghostly figure caught his attention. We have absolutely no idea how a ghost would be in our home and quite frankly we were a little freaked out by it. The house was only 4 years old at the time of the photo. We bought it 6 months after being built. We tried to reflect back on our time in this home to see if we could remember any weird incidents that may have taken place but to no avail. We now longer reside in this house but we are strangely confused by the unknown ghost. We're open to ideas.

Here is a pic taken in my ex-girlfriends house. The boy in the bottom is her son. The girl on the stairs and the other 25 or so faces aren't supposed to be there. I spent 5 years there and that was all I could take, the place was too active!

I took this picture using my new 12mp digi cam whilst on holiday in Orlando Florida...it was in our room and I took a picture of my daughter in our room. My wife was next to me on the right taken the same pic with her mobile phone. My daughter was 2 to 3 feet away from me and it was about 1a.m and room was lit with ordinary lighting. a picture in the background was 3 to 4 feet away beyond her and above her bed and just a picture of empire state building. I was shocked to see the image of a ghost behind her left shoulder. I don't know what to make of it. It's 100 percent genuine and no trickery or reflections or mirror stupidity.

I was just wondering if you could tell me if this is a ghost just above my head bearing to the side. it was taken in the gorse pub on Chester road Stratford Manchester whilst having a drink for my friends 40th birthday I was wondering if it could be my daughter that died at birth or another member of my family or maybe the ghost of the gorse id love to know what you think

I have attached a picture of myself that was taken in the halls of Orchard Park High School in Stoney Creek, Ontario by one of my friends on our lunch break. Notice the head that is directly behind mine. I thought it was really interesting and thought I would send it in for you and others to see.

This is an 8 year old boy that died in a fire. I caught him looking in on me one night so I took his picture and if you look very close at the top and sides of his head you can see that he has little strands of hair here and there which did not get burned off. His eye was damaged and burned shut, and his one ear was damaged as well. The reason why the picture is an orange color is because I took the picture without a flash. I was showing my mom how good some of the pics come out when I don't use a flash. He came around another day and peeked in the window at the bottom there and smiled at me and it was then that I began to pray to God and I crossed him over. I have not seen him since that night.

My name is Tomas Del Toro III. My sister took these pictures of her boyfriend and herself using a Polaroid camera. The place is in my kitchen and it was already dark outside. It was November 8th and I live in Sauk Village, Illinois, USA. A few weeks after taking these photos, my sister noticed what looks like a face on a container on top of my refrigerator. The container is used for holding cookie cutters, but nothing inside resembles the face.

A friend sent this photo to me and said that his Uncle visited this house in August 2006. His uncle stated that no one has lived in the house since 1970. It belongs to a family Business. When we were inside, our heads felt like they could explode, we felt the energy being sucked right out of us. 3 times we went in but we couldn't stay in longer than 2 or 3 minutes. Each time we enter the house we would take random photos. We felt a lot of negative energy and we heard strange unidentified noises. We later viewed the digital photos on the computer. It was shocking to see this chilling figure of a ghost girl show up on the screen! When we took the photo's in that house we only felt things but could not see them. My friends think that the girl looks evil but I think she is just shy with her arms behind her back.

My son was the first to notice this face in the photo. Our entire family freaked out after it's discovery. We are now wondering if it's a visiting family member or resident ghost. The face shows up on the negative as well.

I have enclosed a photo of an unknown apparition that decided to join my sisters and I on a weekend mountain retreat. The presence has been with my family for many generations. I am the baby of 6 so, naturally when my parents passed he chose to follow me. This photo was taken in November of 1996 and he has still remained with me since. When I first got the film developed I was shocked and thrilled. I could finally validate everything we had always said. I, in turn took the photo to three (3) different photo specialist and they all told me the same thing. They could tell me what it WASN'T, but NOT what it was. They said that there was no flaw in the film or the developing, but they could not tell me what it was. They were amazed as I was. So I just wanted to know what you thought about it. At one time I sent it to the TV show "Sightings". They were VERY interested in investigating it but they needed the negative to help validate it. At the time the negative has gotten misplaced, but guess, what I found it. I tried to scan it and email it with the photo, but I don't think that it came through very well. But I do have it if in the future you would be interested in viewing it. Thanks again for your time and please let me know what you think about it. I have looked at a lot of photos on various web sites and have found none to compare to this site.

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I was watching "The View," and Whoopi Goldberg mentioned something that Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show yesterday. Unfortunately, I can't find the exact quote to give you the words as they came from him, but it was something like, "Look at those democrats. We have a woman and a black guy... ha ha ha." Racist and sexist much?

While looking for the quote, I came upon a treasure chest of quotes from Rushie. Here are some of my favorites:

"One of the things I want to do before I die is conduct the
homeless olympics...the 10-metre shopping cart relay,
the dumpster dig, and the hop, skip, and trip."

"Why should Blacks be heard? They're 12% of the population.
Who the hell cares."

"The Earth's eco-system is not fragile."

"Feminism was established so as to allow unattractive
women easier access to the mainstream of society."

"He is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He's
moving all around and shaking and it's purely an
act. . . . This is really shameless of
Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication
or he's acting. This is the only time I've ever seen
Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the
disease he has. He can barely control himself."

"The only way to reduce the number of nuclear weapons is to use them."

"If the owl can't adapt to the superiority of humans, screw it"

"The most beautiful thing about a tree is what you
do after you cut it down."

"Condoms only work during the school year."

How is it that this guy has fans?  People listen to this crap?  I found a
quote from David Letterman that I found amusing:

"Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just think to yourself, 'Am I just full of hot gas?'" Dave Letterman to Rush

I remember when he was arrested for having false prescriptions, and he went to rehab soon after. Before that happened, he would put down addicts and criminals. I am not for addicts and criminals, but that just makes him a giant hypocrite.

He is full of hot gas, and not much else.

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In a little less than two weeks I will be formally resigning from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am excited. I can't wait. It's an amazing thought that they won't be able to count on my number anymore, the won't be able to stop by my apartment with little notes and Book of Mormon verses.

Mom and I have a meeting with her bishop and relief society president. They will be stopping by her house for a little discussion about the issues we have. We want to ask them some questions, and voice our concerns. We want our voices heard. Then, we will go.

The countdown to freedom has begun!

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Gordon B. Hinkley brushed aside the thought that Mormons were racists. He told reporters that racism "was behind us," yet he never once admitted that the ban was wrong.

Is it really behind us? Should it be that easy to "put it behind us?" Lets not forget that the LDS Church has hundreds of quotes saved by its former apostles and prophets. These are men who supposedly speak with God. Would a prophet of God say this?

Conference Reports, CR April 1939, Second Day-Morning Meeting: Elder George F. Richards

"The negro is an unfortunate man. He has been given a black skin....But that is as nothing compared with that greater handicap that he is not permitted to receive the Priesthood and the ordinances of the temple, necessary to prepare men and women to enter into and enjoy a fulness of glory in the celestial kingdom....What is the reason for this condition, we ask, and I find it to my satisfaction to think that as spirit children of our Eternal Father they were not valiant in the fight. We are told that Michael and his angels fought, and we understand that we stood with Christ our Lord, on the platform, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." I cannot conceive our Father consigning his children to a condition such as that of the negro race, if they had been valiant in the spirit world in that war in heaven. Neither could they have been a part of those who rebelled and were cast down, for the latter had not the privilege of tabernacling in the flesh. Somewhere along the line were these spirits, indifferent perhaps, and possibly neutral in the war. We have no definite knowledge concerning this. But I learn this lesson from it, brethren and sisters, and I believe we all should, that it does not pay in religious matters, matters that pertain to our eternal salvation, to be indifferent, neutral, or lukewarm."

If it were behind us, wouldn't the church make a formal apology for the way they treated black people? African Americans were not allowed to hold the priesthood until 1978, one year before I was born.

Anyone with dark skin was considered to be "cursed." Mormons were taught that people with darker skin color were not as valiant in the pre-existance. They were not as good as everyone else. If a person with dark skin were to accept the gospel, it was also taught that their skin would grow lighter as the curse was lifted.

It's sickening.

Many people still claim that the ban on allowing black men to hold the priesthood was only lifted due to pressure from the political climate at the time. Was it really revelation, or was the church about to face an extreme hardship if they didn't conform?

Everyone now knows that having dark skin has nothing to do with any stupid curse. Why hasn't the church apologized for this? Why won't they? Do they not follow their own rules of repentance? Don't they feel they should make things right?

Guess not.

They would rather pretend it didn't happen. They would rather ignore it all together. They want people to forget about it. Instead of facing the reality that their supposed prophets were wrong, and not speaking with God, they make excuses for them. There is no excuse. They want to set up their websites and other media to show men and women of all different races being a part of the Mormon Church. Is that really honest?

People of all races are now welcomed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. More needs to be done. All they have to do is admit they were wrong. All they have to do is admit that the prophets that were supposedly getting these supposed messages from God were not really getting squat from God. That is why they won't do it.

Shame on them.

It goes beyond racism in my eyes. It goes to sexism. Women can't hold the priesthood, women can't bless their own children, women are not allowed to pass the sacrament, women can't hold callings like Bishop. Why?

I have heard this excuse that "women are so spiritual, they don't need the priesthood." There are comments that men and women in the church are separate but equal (That sound familiar?) In reality, there is no equality. I was groomed to be a wife and mother. Nothing more.

Why is it that all men are asked to go on missions at the age of 19, but only certain women are able to go? Why is that? If women are just as spiritual as men, why are women not being sent out with the same frequency as men? Why are women's missions shorter?

Will Women some day get an apology for this? No. We won't. They believe they are right, and nothing anyone says will change their mind. They will do whatever mental gymnastics they need to in order to ease the confusion in their minds. It makes no sense. None of it does. God loves everyone equally, why doesn't the Mormon Church?

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Every once in a while I like to play a little game called, "What if." Today, my what if question is...

"What if Joseph Smith lived in modern times, and started his church today?"

Hm... interesting, isn't it?

I don't know about anyone else, but if some guy, regardless of his age, told me that he had been praying for a true church to join and shared a vision of angels I would be pretty damn sure this dude was off his rocker.

Just a thought.

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This has been on the news all day, and I am sick about it. Here is the news article, you can click on the photo to go directly to the news page.

HONOLULU -- The Marines on Monday responded to a video clip on YouTube.com showing what appears to be a Kaneohe-based Marine throwing a puppy while in Iraq.

The video shows two Marines talking as one holds a puppy by the back of the neck before throwing the dog over what appears to be a cliff. There is the sound of a dog yelping as the puppy is seen flying in the air.

The clip has been viewed by thousands of people on the Internet, with several e-mailing Honolulu TV news media.

The leadership at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe said they are investigating the case and that they do not tolerate such behavior.

"This is a shocking and deplorable video that contrary to the high standards we set for every Marine. We will investigate this and take appropriate action," Maj. Christopher Perrine said.

Officials said they believe the Marine in the video is a lance corporal who returned to Hawaii in October from Iraq.

Thousands of people viewed the clip that lasted about 17 seconds. Many left messages on YouTube.com saying they were outraged by what they saw.

"The act itself is atrocious and just to see the disregard for life is just troubling," Hawaii Humane Society spokeswoman Kawehi Yim said.

Others said they believed the clip was staged and not real.

The Marines said while they will look into what happened. They want to determine whether the video clip is authentic.

"We need to find out who is this person, is this a legitimate video? Was it edited?" Perrine said.

YouTube.com pulled the clips uploaded onto its site involving the Marine and the puppy by the late afternoon.

Officials at the Hawaii Humane Society said they were horrified by what was on the video.

"People have been e-mailing and calling outraged that one, that the act occurred and secondly that there appears to be little remorse," Yim said.

If the video is authentic, the Marines involved could face judicial charges, a reduction in rank and pay and a court-martial. They could also be discharged.

I won't be the first person to share my outrage with their internet viewers, but I can't help but do it.

How in the world would these men do this? These are men that are supposed to represent our country, and they failed us. I pray to God this video is fake. If the video is fake, I still don't understand why the Marines involved didn't stop to think it might be a bad idea. It doesn't make the thought any less disturbing, and it certainly doesn't make me trust them.

I grew up on an Army base. I am used to the sound of helicopters and fighter jets overhead, the sound of men and women running down the street at 6 am, and I know what it is like when a community loses someone they know well in combat. We trust these men and women with our lives and our safety. Why can't we trust these Marines with a puppy? The men and women soldiers I met while growing up were amazing people. They were brave and treated everyone with respect. I don't believe the men involved in this video could even comprehend the harm it does to a young person watching that video.

I grew up idolizing the military members. They represented something that I was proud to be around. Kids in my town couldn't wait to join the Army or other armed forces. They wanted to be a part of it. They loved it.

What happens to the little kids that hear about this? Do they lose their respect for the individual Marines in the video, do they lose their respect for the Marines in general, the armed forces in general... or do they lose respect for the animals they see being treated so horribly by the men they idolize?

I love animals. I always have. I cried when I got to swim with dolphins, I played with my neighbors dog more than she did! Hell... I even bought cat treats for the stray cats in my neighborhood in Orlando! They are beautiful loving creatures, and they deserve to be treated with respect and love.



Many of you know that I have three cats in my apartment. They are not pets, they are members of my family. 2 of these cats were rescued for horrible situations.

Abbey Road was found on Halloween night 2007 as a kitten. She was soaking wet, and beaten almost to death. Luckily a group of kids heard her meowing from under a parked truck and helped her get to the humane society. No one knows who hurt her, they are still out there... and I pray for other animals that might run into this individual. Abbey still drinks slowly because of the injury to her jaw. We show her so much love to make up for the horrible person that hurt her.


Spooky Bear was found in a home of a hoarder. The older woman had over 78 cats, and at least 6 dogs. She couldn't afford to buy them enough food, and when we took Spooky home from the humane society, she was still looking around for her mom to nurse. She even tried to nurse off of Abbey a few times. We bought her special kitten milk, and she is very healthy now. She is still very scared of humans she doesn't know... that is why we named her Spooky. It suits her, and she is a wonderful cat. My life is better with them.

I would like to take the time to ask each and every person reading this to remember that animals do have souls. They have feelings. They have pain. There are many animal organizations out there who rescue these animals and find them good homes. If you can't give an animal a good home, think about donations. Every little penny counts.

I will get off my soap box now...

-Sydney

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