The Last Words of Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was executed on 19 May 1536.  She was only about 36 years old.  After unsuccessful attempts at producing a male heir to continue the Tudor line, Anne fell out of King Henry VIII’s favor.  Several accusations were filed against her, including witchcraft, adultery and high treason, she was tried and was subsequently executed.

Anne Boleyn: The Six-Fingered Witch?

Anne Boleyn is arguably the most famous of Henry VIII’s six wives.  She rose from being just one of the many ladies of the court to become a consort to England’s monarch.  From just a simple lady-in-waiting to the Queen, Anne herself became one.  But she is a tragic figure in history and of the many accusations leveled at her, the charge of witchcraft is probably the most ridiculous.

The Punisher: War Zone – Will This Be the Definitive Francis Castiglione?

I came across The Punisher comicbook many years ago. The violence, bad a$% attitude and the hero’s thirst for revenge (plus a smattering of macho crap and testosterone) made me love it, although not as much as I did The Ghost Rider.

So I felt a lot of exhilaration when I found out that a movie was coming up, starring Dolph Lundgren. Lundgren is a Swedish actor, 6 feet and 5 inches tall, square jawed, sleepy-eyed, blond, spoke like an android and built like a demi-god. He looked like Frank Castle, so I was more than happy to see the movie.

Hoaxes and Chain Mails

I love and hate these things. Hoaxes and urban legends? Give them to me. Some are downright stupid while others are acceptably creepy – my favorite is that of a college student who, after a late-night session with a study group session/party/family vacation, came back to her dorm room which she shared with one other girl.

Since her roommate seemed fast asleep, she decided not to turn on the light so as not to awaken the other girl. The late night carouser went straight to bed and slept through the night.

Avoiding Scams

You can only avoid scams two ways: one by being a genuine psychic and another by being very careful and paranoid. Here are my tips on preventing scammers from making a victim out of you:

1. If it promises the moon, be wary. Most scams will try to appeal to your greed (relax… it’s human nature and it’s in all of us so no need to feel guilty or offended) and offer you plenty of money.

2. You can’t earn what you didn’t work for. Oi, the only way you can really earn is to work. Even those who generate income through passive means had to put in some effort initially.

3. Is someone asking for an advanced fee? Beware. Legitimate lotteries, sweepstakes and contests pay you your winnings first. Only after receiving the money will you be required to pay taxes. If there are fees and charges, they will be deducted from the total amount of your prize, which means you don’t have to pay anyone just to receive your winnings.

4. To win in a lottery, you have to purchase a ticket. Electronic draws that generate mobile phones or names at random are suspect.

5. You can’t win what you didn’t sign up for. Try to look back over the years regarding the prizes for contests, lotteries and sweeptakes and how they were won. Someone had to enter their name or contact information prior to a draw to win.

If someone surprises you by announcing you as a winner, check who that person is and verify before you give away your personal information or pay for stuff like advanced fees and taxes.

6. If you did win in a contest, a representative of the company should call you – they shouldn’t send you a text message asking you to call them. Here’s an example:

Congratulations! You won in our electronic draw! Jackpot prize is *** million. Call us now to claim your prize.

If you won in a lottery or sweepstakes draw, though, no company will get in touch with you. You should get in touch with them or verify your winning number against a published post or ad announcing the winners. That is, if you did join or purchased a ticket for entry.

7. If the notification mentions a known company, check with that company.

8. Verify if the lottery, sweepstakes or contest is legal in your country or at least existent.

9. Go online and search for information related to the company, person, contest, lottery or sweepstakes. Read what’s available carefully. The company may be legit but the scammer may only be using it for his own evil purposes.

10. Beware the grammar. Most scams show telltale signs of carelessness and lack of professionalism. Legit companies put a lot of effort in making sure they produce good copy. If the grammar is loose and funny, then something loose and funny is probably going on.

A Personal Story About Scams

It is my personal belief that each one of us has, at some point in our lives, been duped into doing or giving up something by somebody.  Young children are tricked into eating vegetables they hate, dieters get to eat supposedly low fat foods without realizing they are high in bad sugar, people pay for self-improvement courses that give them a temporary high and do nothing afterwards, etc.  So if you’ve been living your life partially online (like I am), you have probably been touched or tempted by scam.

If you’re unfamiliar about scams, you’ve probably been living in a bomb shelter all your life or you may be a resident of a utopian society that Ms. Universe contestants talk about.  Scams are like mushrooms after a rainstorm.  They get pulled out once in a while and just when you think everything’s safe, there they are again. 

The Flying Dutchman

The Flying Dutchman, a painting by A.P. Ryder

There have been numerous accounts of ghost ships cursed to travel the open seas. One of the most famous ones is the Mary Celeste, a subject of much discussion and conjecture. However, none has come close to the romance and tragedy of the Flying Dutchman, the ship that can never ever reach the port.

There are numerous stories about the origins of the Flying Dutchman and I shall post them here according to my favorites.

The Maid in the Well

Okiku at the Well

This is a very old Japanese ghost story. It’s so old that no one knows its true origins. It’s also so old that it has become a favorite Kabuki play, appearing first in 1741. The play was called Bancho Sarayashiki, which means ‘The Dish Mansion at Bancho’. The play is about the story of the sad and unfortunate Okiku.

Okiku was a servant girl who worked for Aoyama Tessan, a powerful samurai. Her beauty guaranteed that it wouldn’t be long until Aoyama took notice of her and begin his advances. She refused him. In his anger, Aoyama vowed revenge.

Anne Boleyn, the Witch Queen

a portrait of anne boleyn

Anne Boleyn is alternately a tragic and resplendent figure in history. Because of her, the history of England was sealed. Although we know Anne Boleyn as the first queen of Henry VIII’s who got beheaded, it was also she who gave birth to England’s future queen, Elizabeth I.

Growing up Anne
Very little is known to historians about Anne’s early years. Even her birthdate isn’t clear. Historians place it in May or June at around 1500 while others say it’s around 1507 or even as late as 1509.