Tag: (iv)
Blizzard shares Diablo IV opening cinematic and open beta details
Diablo IV will get early access and open betas in March
‘Diablo IV’ open beta begins on March 24th
Blizzard will soon give Diablo IV fans the chance to play the upcoming action RPG ahead of its June 6th release date, the studio announced today during IGN Fan Fest. As it did during the development of Diablo II: Resurrected, Blizzard will host an early access weekend before giving everyone the chance to see the new game. The early access weekend will take place between March 17th and March 19th, and will only be open to those who have pre-ordered Diablo IV. A week later, the open beta begins on March 24th and is open to everyone.
Diablo IV’s Open Beta is coming soon.
Early Access: 3/17 – 3/19
Open Beta: 3/24 – 3/26Pre-purchase for Early Access to the Open Beta.
Details: https://t.co/9GG3wjpBrmpic.twitter.com/bE3iV6zzxZ
— Diablo (@Diablo) February 18, 2023
The previews will be available on PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Both will include access to the same amount of content. Specifically, you’ll get the chance to play through the game’s prologue and first act. That’s the same part of the game Engadget saw late last year. Blizzard promised to share more information about the Diablo IV open beta during a livestream the studio plans to air on February 28th.
Diablo IV Open Beta Dates Announced
The Venus Gospel: An Account of George Adamski’s 1963 Visit to Denmark and Belgium – Part IV
The Venus Gospel: An Account of George Adamski’s 1963 Visit to Denmark and Belgium – Part IV
By Raymond A. Keller, Ph.D., a.k.a. “Cosmic Ray,” the author of the international awards-winning Venus Rising Series, published by Headline Books and available on Amazon.com, while supplies last.
Venus Rising: A Concise History of the Second Planet
Final Countdown: Rockets to Venus
Lady Columba Venus Revelations
Flying Saucers and the Venus Legacy
Adamski on Religion in the Age of Flying Saucers
The Southern California contactee, George Adamski, during his keynote speech to the Scandinavian UFO Information (SUFOI) assembled in Denmark on 5 May 1963, lamented that since the dawn of the Age of Flying Saucers, “opportunists have made a new religion out of these important events (UFO sightings and encounters) with instructions given by supposed space people and spirits.” His reasons for this critique follow below in Section IV:
Section IV
Adamski was emphatic that, “The space people are no more spooks and spirits than we are here. They have been made so by mysticism and that has hurt the program far more than even the other type of propaganda (government disinformation). Their program is purely scientific and has nothing to do with any religion. You do not have to change your belief to learn about the program any more than you have to change when you go to a university to study for an engineering degree.
“The program and the things that are happening in the sky belong to the population of the world, which is three billion people (in 1963, a little over eight billion today in 2023). They all must be informed if the true benefits are to be enjoyed.”
Importance of Philosophy to Science and Religion
Many of Adamski followers wondered why he spoke so often of the space people’s philosophy, in contrast to their science or religion. “You might ask why I have put so much of their philosophy in my book,” the contactee declared, further elaborating, “Well, philosophy is more scientific than anything else, as science is founded on philosophy, and so are religions. So, one cannot talk about hardly anything without implicating philosophy; and that is why it was included in the books. And the philosophy in Inside the Space Ships (1955) was not given for anyone to accept against their will. But I have been asked, ‘What kind of life do thy lead?’ and ‘Do they believe in God?’ And the answers were put into the book. But that does not mean that we have to accept their way of life, unless we want to. If we think it is better, we, without any fear, can change if we want to; but I did not suggest in the book any religion that we have, or any other.”
Some Catholic Hierarchy Receptive
Adamski was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, although his Uncle Sydney in Dunkirk, New York, early on in the young George Adamski’s life, beginning at the age of three, exposed him to the teachings of Helena Blavatsky and the leading lights of the Theosophical Society. As a baptized Roman Catholic, however, Adamski took the opportunity to visit the Vatican when he lectured in Rome during his first European excursion four years earlier, in 1959. Of his meeting with the Catholic hierarchy and their reception the space people’s cosmic philosophy, the contactee, noted: “The program is not religious at all, yet when I lectured in Rome in 1959, those who really understood the problem, like the forty cardinals (ecclesiastical leaders), accepted it on scientific grounds. For they knew that humankind must progress and new things must come up, even in religious talks. Humankind must be progressive and we are progressing towards a wonderful goal if we will survive the present uncertainty.”
Who’s blessing who? George Adamski maintained that the cardinals at the Vatican accepted the Venusians’ cosmic philosophy on “scientific grounds,” after he thoroughly explained it to them back in 1959. Photo credit: Daily Beast, 12 July 2017
(Cosmic Ray’s Commentary: There is little doubt that the Bible and other sacred texts are replete with passages that attest to the presence of unusual visitors to the Earth, coming from the Celestial Realms, in times past. These sacred accounts describe contacts between human beings and supposedly supernatural entities such as “angels,” “devils,” “ghosts,” “gods,” etc. For the most part, these entities conform to an anthropomorphic body type, in their outward appearance, at least. Given the extraordinary powers attributed to these beings from beyond Earth, it is not unreasonable to assume that some of these may, in fact, exist in a semi-material state. This is evidenced by their alleged materializations and dematerializations and the working of miracles.
In the majority of cases, these entities present themselves as peaceful messengers in service to humankind. With the exception of the demons or devils, these entities have generally followed the verse of Hebrews 13:2 in the King James Version of the Bible: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” In other words, angels are working on our behalf from behind the scenes, revealing themselves only when necessary. In this context, one could speculate that the terms “angels” and “aliens” are synonymous. And with this acceptance, comes a knowledge and an understanding, or “gnosis,” that a true cosmic philosophy would concede a true spiritual component to the extraterrestrial hypothesis, i.e., the existence of intelligent life beyond the Earth that has been interacting with humankind since at least the beginning of our recorded history, if not since the very beginnings of life on this planet.
When taking into account the spiritual component in the Age of Flying Saucers, it becomes clear that the seeker of enlightenment in matters pertaining to this phenomenon, need not look to any specific religion or to give up their own religious belief system. The student of cosmic philosophy can readily see the interventionist hands of the extraterrestrials in the formation of many religious systems that have helped to spur the evolutionary thought processes taking place in humankind down through the ages. According to Dr. Marco Aurelio de Seixas, M.D., a Brazilian researcher into the extraterrestrial influence on the development of religions, “Extra-planetary people have always been in contact with humans. This assertion is easily extracted from the argument that an abstract force, like a celestial being who descended to Earth to teach humanity, requires a philosophical reasoning unlikely to exist in an uneducated community of thousands of years ago and probably in many people today.” (Hence, the need for contactees like Adamski to enlighten us and spread the gospel of our space brothers and sisters.)
Dr. Aurelio de Seixas continued, “To accept as true the universality of the evolutionary principle and the law of progress, it is much easier to accept the idea that other communities may have already reached a stage of unimaginable technological development that allows them to make long trips through the cosmos.”
As to the opportunists, or UFO cultists, there is little doubt that Adamski’s warnings have come true. The Heaven’s Gate group, led by the mysterious “UFO Two” a.k.a. Bonnie Nettles (1927-1985) and Marshall Applewhite (1931-1997), was the saddest and deadliest example of just such a cult. And then there was the unauthorized UFO Education Center, with chapters in California, Mexico and Wisconsin, headed up by one-time Adamski associate Charlotte Blob, that came under intense scrutiny and prosecution for cult activities in many venues. Many of the members had to be abducted and deprogrammed. Should Adamski have lived a little longer, he surely would have opposed Blob’s efforts to organize this religious cult based on some of his more esoteric teachings. The reader is invited to see my chapter, “Beware of Flying Saucer Cults” in my seventh book in the Venus Rising series, Flying Saucers: From Venus They Come (Terra Alta, West Virginia: Headline Books, 2022), 138-144.
George Adamski warned that the time would come when opportunists and cultists would usurp the message of the friendly space brothers and sisters. Above: Bonnie Nettles (L) and Marshall Applewhite (R), a.k.a. the “UFO Two,” Heaven’s Gate cult leaders attempt to recruit Southern Californians into their deadly ranks. Photo credit: Los Angeles Times
It is important to keep in mind that Adamski never started a religion or even advocated for his own Roman Catholicism. He also never asserted any exclusivity to his message or philosophy, rather stating that it was for all of the Earth’s population. He also never derided any of the other contactees, and frequently shared the same platform with many of them on several occasions. There is no doubt, however, that there is a spiritual component to all of Adamski’s philosophy, and that of our space friends, as well, as espoused in all of his books. Being a true Theosophist, it seems that this Southern California contactee adhered strongly to Helena Blavatsky’s second object of the Theosophical Society’s program: “To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science” among all of those that counted themselves his disciples.
As for myself, in book four of my Venus Rising series, The Vast Venus Conspiracy (Terra Alta, West Virginia: Headline Books, 2021), in “Chapter 1: On the Book of Abraham and the Plurality of Gods,” pages 11-20, I look at the impact of angelic extraterrestrials in the formation of the Latter-day Saints restoration movement (Community of Christ, Independence, Missouri) from my own religious background and unique perspective.
—–
(Editor’s Note: Stay tuned to this website for the continuation of Adamski’s keynote speech in Denmark in Part V of Cosmic Ray’s article, “The Venus Gospel: An Account of George Adamski’s 1963 Visit to Denmark and Belgium,” where the California contactee and UFO prophet outlines the economic system of the extraterrestrials and the hope we all share, thereby, in the superabundant and paradisiacal world of tomorrow. – Lon)
—–
—–
Have you had a sighting of a winged humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area / Lake Michigan region? The entity has also been referred to as the ‘Chicago Mothman’, ‘Chicago Owlman’ & ‘O’Hare Mothman.’ – Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map – Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com – your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated.
—–
TODAY’S TOP LINKS
Mysterious Encounters with faceless humanoid creatures
Mysteries revisited: the chilling A70 alien abduction incident
PHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on Anchor
PHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on Spotify
**********
Please Consider a Donation to ‘Phantoms & Monsters’
Your financial support of Phantoms & Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. This all depends on you, the readers & followers.
Please use the PayPal donation buttons on the blog site. You can also go directly to Phantoms & Monsters donation. Thanks again for your loyalty and continued support. Lon
This blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.
Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® – USPTO #90902480 – Lon D. Strickler
© 2005-2022 Phantoms & Monsters – All Rights Reserved
The Venus Gospel: An Account of George Adamski’s 1963 Visit to Denmark and Belgium – Part IV
The Venus Gospel: An Account of George Adamski’s 1963 Visit to Denmark and Belgium – Part IV
By Raymond A. Keller, Ph.D., a.k.a. “Cosmic Ray,” the author of the international awards-winning Venus Rising Series, published by Headline Books and available on Amazon.com, while supplies last.
Venus Rising: A Concise History of the Second Planet
Final Countdown: Rockets to Venus
Lady Columba Venus Revelations
Flying Saucers and the Venus Legacy
Adamski on Religion in the Age of Flying Saucers
The Southern California contactee, George Adamski, during his keynote speech to the Scandinavian UFO Information (SUFOI) assembled in Denmark on 5 May 1963, lamented that since the dawn of the Age of Flying Saucers, “opportunists have made a new religion out of these important events (UFO sightings and encounters) with instructions given by supposed space people and spirits.” His reasons for this critique follow below in Section IV:
Section IV
Adamski was emphatic that, “The space people are no more spooks and spirits than we are here. They have been made so by mysticism and that has hurt the program far more than even the other type of propaganda (government disinformation). Their program is purely scientific and has nothing to do with any religion. You do not have to change your belief to learn about the program any more than you have to change when you go to a university to study for an engineering degree.
“The program and the things that are happening in the sky belong to the population of the world, which is three billion people (in 1963, a little over eight billion today in 2023). They all must be informed if the true benefits are to be enjoyed.”
Importance of Philosophy to Science and Religion
Many of Adamski followers wondered why he spoke so often of the space people’s philosophy, in contrast to their science or religion. “You might ask why I have put so much of their philosophy in my book,” the contactee declared, further elaborating, “Well, philosophy is more scientific than anything else, as science is founded on philosophy, and so are religions. So, one cannot talk about hardly anything without implicating philosophy; and that is why it was included in the books. And the philosophy in Inside the Space Ships (1955) was not given for anyone to accept against their will. But I have been asked, ‘What kind of life do thy lead?’ and ‘Do they believe in God?’ And the answers were put into the book. But that does not mean that we have to accept their way of life, unless we want to. If we think it is better, we, without any fear, can change if we want to; but I did not suggest in the book any religion that we have, or any other.”
Some Catholic Hierarchy Receptive
Adamski was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, although his Uncle Sydney in Dunkirk, New York, early on in the young George Adamski’s life, beginning at the age of three, exposed him to the teachings of Helena Blavatsky and the leading lights of the Theosophical Society. As a baptized Roman Catholic, however, Adamski took the opportunity to visit the Vatican when he lectured in Rome during his first European excursion four years earlier, in 1959. Of his meeting with the Catholic hierarchy and their reception the space people’s cosmic philosophy, the contactee, noted: “The program is not religious at all, yet when I lectured in Rome in 1959, those who really understood the problem, like the forty cardinals (ecclesiastical leaders), accepted it on scientific grounds. For they knew that humankind must progress and new things must come up, even in religious talks. Humankind must be progressive and we are progressing towards a wonderful goal if we will survive the present uncertainty.”
Who’s blessing who? George Adamski maintained that the cardinals at the Vatican accepted the Venusians’ cosmic philosophy on “scientific grounds,” after he thoroughly explained it to them back in 1959. Photo credit: Daily Beast, 12 July 2017
(Cosmic Ray’s Commentary: There is little doubt that the Bible and other sacred texts are replete with passages that attest to the presence of unusual visitors to the Earth, coming from the Celestial Realms, in times past. These sacred accounts describe contacts between human beings and supposedly supernatural entities such as “angels,” “devils,” “ghosts,” “gods,” etc. For the most part, these entities conform to an anthropomorphic body type, in their outward appearance, at least. Given the extraordinary powers attributed to these beings from beyond Earth, it is not unreasonable to assume that some of these may, in fact, exist in a semi-material state. This is evidenced by their alleged materializations and dematerializations and the working of miracles.
In the majority of cases, these entities present themselves as peaceful messengers in service to humankind. With the exception of the demons or devils, these entities have generally followed the verse of Hebrews 13:2 in the King James Version of the Bible: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” In other words, angels are working on our behalf from behind the scenes, revealing themselves only when necessary. In this context, one could speculate that the terms “angels” and “aliens” are synonymous. And with this acceptance, comes a knowledge and an understanding, or “gnosis,” that a true cosmic philosophy would concede a true spiritual component to the extraterrestrial hypothesis, i.e., the existence of intelligent life beyond the Earth that has been interacting with humankind since at least the beginning of our recorded history, if not since the very beginnings of life on this planet.
When taking into account the spiritual component in the Age of Flying Saucers, it becomes clear that the seeker of enlightenment in matters pertaining to this phenomenon, need not look to any specific religion or to give up their own religious belief system. The student of cosmic philosophy can readily see the interventionist hands of the extraterrestrials in the formation of many religious systems that have helped to spur the evolutionary thought processes taking place in humankind down through the ages. According to Dr. Marco Aurelio de Seixas, M.D., a Brazilian researcher into the extraterrestrial influence on the development of religions, “Extra-planetary people have always been in contact with humans. This assertion is easily extracted from the argument that an abstract force, like a celestial being who descended to Earth to teach humanity, requires a philosophical reasoning unlikely to exist in an uneducated community of thousands of years ago and probably in many people today.” (Hence, the need for contactees like Adamski to enlighten us and spread the gospel of our space brothers and sisters.)
Dr. Aurelio de Seixas continued, “To accept as true the universality of the evolutionary principle and the law of progress, it is much easier to accept the idea that other communities may have already reached a stage of unimaginable technological development that allows them to make long trips through the cosmos.”
As to the opportunists, or UFO cultists, there is little doubt that Adamski’s warnings have come true. The Heaven’s Gate group, led by the mysterious “UFO Two” a.k.a. Bonnie Nettles (1927-1985) and Marshall Applewhite (1931-1997), was the saddest and deadliest example of just such a cult. And then there was the unauthorized UFO Education Center, with chapters in California, Mexico and Wisconsin, headed up by one-time Adamski associate Charlotte Blob, that came under intense scrutiny and prosecution for cult activities in many venues. Many of the members had to be abducted and deprogrammed. Should Adamski have lived a little longer, he surely would have opposed Blob’s efforts to organize this religious cult based on some of his more esoteric teachings. The reader is invited to see my chapter, “Beware of Flying Saucer Cults” in my seventh book in the Venus Rising series, Flying Saucers: From Venus They Come (Terra Alta, West Virginia: Headline Books, 2022), 138-144.
George Adamski warned that the time would come when opportunists and cultists would usurp the message of the friendly space brothers and sisters. Above: Bonnie Nettles (L) and Marshall Applewhite (R), a.k.a. the “UFO Two,” Heaven’s Gate cult leaders attempt to recruit Southern Californians into their deadly ranks. Photo credit: Los Angeles Times
It is important to keep in mind that Adamski never started a religion or even advocated for his own Roman Catholicism. He also never asserted any exclusivity to his message or philosophy, rather stating that it was for all of the Earth’s population. He also never derided any of the other contactees, and frequently shared the same platform with many of them on several occasions. There is no doubt, however, that there is a spiritual component to all of Adamski’s philosophy, and that of our space friends, as well, as espoused in all of his books. Being a true Theosophist, it seems that this Southern California contactee adhered strongly to Helena Blavatsky’s second object of the Theosophical Society’s program: “To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science” among all of those that counted themselves his disciples.
As for myself, in book four of my Venus Rising series, The Vast Venus Conspiracy (Terra Alta, West Virginia: Headline Books, 2021), in “Chapter 1: On the Book of Abraham and the Plurality of Gods,” pages 11-20, I look at the impact of angelic extraterrestrials in the formation of the Latter-day Saints restoration movement (Community of Christ, Independence, Missouri) from my own religious background and unique perspective.
—–
(Editor’s Note: Stay tuned to this website for the continuation of Adamski’s keynote speech in Denmark in Part V of Cosmic Ray’s article, “The Venus Gospel: An Account of George Adamski’s 1963 Visit to Denmark and Belgium,” where the California contactee and UFO prophet outlines the economic system of the extraterrestrials and the hope we all share, thereby, in the superabundant and paradisiacal world of tomorrow. – Lon)
—–
—–
Have you had a sighting of a winged humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area / Lake Michigan region? The entity has also been referred to as the ‘Chicago Mothman’, ‘Chicago Owlman’ & ‘O’Hare Mothman.’ – Chicago / Lake Michigan Winged Humanoid Regional Interactive Map – Please feel free to contact me at lonstrickler@phantomsandmonsters.com – your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated.
—–
TODAY’S TOP LINKS
Mysterious Encounters with faceless humanoid creatures
Mysteries revisited: the chilling A70 alien abduction incident
PHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on Anchor
PHANTOMS & MONSTERS RADIO Podcasts on Spotify
**********
Please Consider a Donation to ‘Phantoms & Monsters’
Your financial support of Phantoms & Monsters and our other pursuits is much appreciated. This all depends on you, the readers & followers.
Please use the PayPal donation buttons on the blog site. You can also go directly to Phantoms & Monsters donation. Thanks again for your loyalty and continued support. Lon
This blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.
Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS & MONSTERS ® – USPTO #90902480 – Lon D. Strickler
© 2005-2022 Phantoms & Monsters – All Rights Reserved
SPAC Decarbonization Plus IV shareholders to vote on Hammerhead deal on Jan. 23
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection Gets First Big Patch, Online Multiplayer Added For TMNT IV
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection received its first patch, and it’s a hefty one. Headlining the release is online multiplayer support for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time and customizable button mapping.
For Game Boy games, dev Digital Eclipse also added more color filter options. Players can choose between black and white, Game Boy green, Game Boy pocket green, and Game Boy light blue.
And yes, the Switch edition’s Home menu icon has now finally been changed to the TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection’s box art–an inconsequential change in the grand scheme of things, but a welcome aesthetic tweak. The previous game icon included the four turtles without the game title, but that has now been changed to the cover art with the game title.
‘Diablo IV’ Developers Work Long Hours, Bracing For Impending Release
“Crunching” in the video game industry is a common practice, but it’s become controversial in recent years, even while game developers continue working late into the evenings and weekends, sometimes secretly. Despite wishing to avoid crunch, some Blizzard employees in recent months find themselves facing down long hours again, unwilling to publish an unfinished product. They described consequences of crunch that included chronic back injuries, insomnia and anxiety, as well as less time to spend with family or to maintain romantic relationships. […] “We were never going to hit our date without crunch,” said a former Blizzard employee of a previously-intended “Diablo IV” internal release date. “And even with crunch, I don’t even know if we would have hit our date.” Activision Blizzard is offering “Diablo IV” developers a deal in which they will gain twice as many company stock shares when the game releases. Employees said they were offered more stock to stay on based on their position and seniority, from around $5,000 in value for entry-level workers to upward of $50,000 for more senior employees. […]
“Diablo IV” had multiple internal, unannounced release dates. At one point, 2021 was floated as an internal goal. A more specific date emerged — December 2022 — after the title was publicly announced in 2019 at the company’s annual gaming convention BlizzCon. Developers appealed for more time to avoid massive cuts to the game. After moving the date to April 2023, the team felt it still needed more time and was able to get the June date approved. The June date feels harder to move, several employees say. “We’re at the point where they’re not willing to delay the game anymore,” said a current Blizzard Albany employee. “So we all just have to go along and figure out how much we’re willing to hurt ourselves to make sure the game gets released in a good enough state.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.