Blood is thicker than water

Some years ago, "illusionist", Derren Brown, performed a dowsing experiment. It went like this :

DB introduces the idea of dowsing, but claims it only works through suggestion. He meets a volunteer in the Nevada desert who is given a pair of dowsing rods; as he walks towards a bottle of water in the sand the dowsing rods cross supposedly indicating the presence of water. DB describes a black canister that the volunteer saw and signed earlier and says that it contains water, but it has now been buried in the desert. The volunteer is then given the dowsing rods again and told to find the canister through dowsing. While the volunteer is dowsing, DB asks his seemingly random questions to which he answers that he sees his grandfather acting as a guide to him, the experience is like the colour blue to him, and the canister would make the sound of wind and water. As the rods begin to cross the volunteer identifies the spot to dig, and he duly finds the canister. On opening it he discovers it does not contain water, but a note explaining his dowsing process has had nothing to do with water or energy. The note continues, as a prediction by DB, that he would have made the volunteer think of his grandfather, the feeling of blue, and the sounds of wind and water

It was never fully explained whether Derren somehow hypnotised the gentleman in some manner, but my reckoning was that Derren somehow opened a portal within the mind, thus allowing the process to work. Historically, dowsers were in great demand for finding underground streams and suchlike, indeed the method is still used, and not just for water.

One thus wonders, in a similar but darker manner, about Jimmy Savile's choice of Glencoe for his Scottish abode, given his post-humous reputation, and the infamous MacDonald massacre by the Campbells - a blood sacrifice to William of Orange and his Stuart wife Mary.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the first "English Settlement" in the USA; Jamestown - James Fort - named after Bible reviser and promoter, James 6th and 1st, someone I go on a bit about here. (wiki). The BBC ran an interesting article at the beginning of the month, which noted proof of cannibalism in the colony.

Yesterday saw British Prime Minister, David Cameron, visit Boston to soak up the atmosphere of the post marathon bombings and talk of the values of "freedom, democracy, and diversity". (mail on line)

Old Boston map, note St. James Avenue & Buckingham

Yesterday also saw Prince Harry in the USA, visiting New Jersey, to view the destruction left by Hurricane Sandy. (here)

Some people believe "science" still has a lot to learn. 

cheers