The blog to end all blogs. Reviews and comments about all and everything. This blog is NOT affiliated with YouTube, Wikipedia, Microsoft Bing, Gemini, ChatGPT or any commercial vendor! Links don´t imply endorsement. Many posts and comments are ironic. The blogger is not responsible for comments made by others. The languages used are English and Swedish. Content warning: Essentially everything.
Det här är tydligen en lista över samtliga partier som ställer upp i årets riksdagsval. Socialistiskt Alternativ och RKP lyser med sin frånvaro. Kommunistiska Partiet har anmält sig, men enligt deras hemsida deltar de *inte* i riksdagsvalet.
Observera att något slags skämtare har anmält Kalle Anka-partiet! Eftersom EAP tydligen inte ställer upp, så slipper de förnedringen att än en gång få färre röster än ankisterna. Det knasigaste partinamnet på listan torde vara "Johannespartiet med extra älg", tätt följt av "99 svarta ballonger"...
I´m sure some idiot finds this offensive somehow...
Personally, I wonder how effective this propaganda really was. After all, Donald Duck´s poor condition as a Nazi German worker doesn´t seem appreciably different from the position of the average American worker in 1943?! Maybe the comic wasn´t directed at, say, UMWA-affiliated mineworkers...
Forget about Jar Jar Binks, here comes Mnggal-Mnggal. And God knows what else! I didn´t know there was an expanded Star Wars universe which included hideous creatures similar to those in Warhammer 40k. Lovecraft´s Eldritch also comes to mind. Apparently, these are monsters mentioned in various Star Wars comic books or perhaps computer games, and they are much worse than the Sith. From galaxies *very* far away...
The commentaries are funny, too, with all kinds of next level Star Wars nerds who claim that the content-creator gets everything wrong, LOL. But sure, a Star Wars-themed horror flick c/o the Unknown Regions might be interesting.
Gemini´s response to the prompt "Quirk Chungus". It seems the AI isn´t entirely up-to-date with the latest internet slang, since that´s surely a Chungus, not a Quirk Chungus.
Yes, I know, I know, I should do something useful with my leisure time, but there you go...
Two somewhat rambling videos from Gnostic Informant, the first about Biblical minimalism (the Copenhagen school), the second about Pythagorean number mysticism in the Book of Genesis. Could still be of some interest on a gloomy Thursday afternoon.
It´s intelligent design, captain, but not as we know it.
Oh, and I didn´t know there was an animated cartoon featuring Donald Duck learning about Pythagoras!
Here is the scene from "Watchmen" in which Doctor Manhattan says that life is irrelevant when compared to the austere and empty expanses of planet Mars...
Credit: Unknown. But it´s Slobbovia, so nobody cares!
I never heard of Lower Slobbovia before, apparently some kind of Jewish-Amerikan parody of Siberia. Or Russia. I admit that it´s convincing! As for our man JMG, he better hurry up with that next essay about the impending AI collapse because...you know. Collapse now and avoid the rush, that kind of thing.
A somewhat "autistic" essay speculating on whether or not it would have been possible for humans to domesticate dinosaurs. Eh? OK, the illustrations are darn funny!
Ganesha is one of the most well-known Hindu gods, certainly outside Hinduism. For a long time, I thought of him as an adorable little critter. Something like the Swedish comic character Pellefant, perhaps? Or Dumbo? You know, cute talking elephants from children´s comic books. IN REALITY, THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT GANESHA. He fights with other gods, wears the head of a slayed demon, is a bigamist, and appears in the cremation ground garlanded with skulls and sitting on a corpse?! No surprise there, since he´s really the son of Shiva (well, kind of). For the shocking truth, see the clips above and read the stuff below.
And no, I´m not *entirely* serious. But almost...
Is there a character called Gajasura in Hindu mythology?
Yes, Gajasura is a real and significant character in Hindu mythology.He is a powerful demon (asura) who had the form of an elephant, and he is a central figure in a famous story involving Lord Shiva.
The Myth of Gajasura and Lord Shiva
According to the myth, Gajasura was a demon who, through intense meditation and penance, pleased Lord Shiva and was granted a powerful boon. The boon was that nothing could kill him and that he would be impervious to all attacks. However, Gajasura's strength and arrogance grew, and he began to terrorize the heavens and the Earth. He became a great source of suffering for both gods and mortals.
In his immense pride, he even challenged Lord Shiva himself, attacking him while Shiva was in a deep state of meditation. The gods, seeing Shiva being disturbed, grew anxious. In response to the demon's insolence, Lord Shiva emerged from his meditation and engaged in a fierce battle with Gajasura.
Ultimately, Shiva defeated and killed the elephant demon.As a symbolic act of victory and to remind his devotees of his immense power, Shiva wore the skin of Gajasura as a garment.This act gave Shiva the name Gajantaka, which means "The Ender of the Elephant."The skin of the elephant demon is often depicted draped across Shiva's back in many artistic and sculptural representations.
This story serves as a powerful reminder of Lord Shiva's role as the destroyer of evil and the protector of the cosmos.
Is there also a myth about Ganesha fighting and defeating Gajasura, who was granted a boon from Brahma?
Your question points to a different, but connected, version of the myth. While the most prominent myth states that Gajasura was defeated by Lord Shiva, there are indeed variations that link Gajasura directly to Lord Ganesha.
However, it is important to clarify that in most Puranic accounts, Ganesha does not fight or defeat Gajasura. The two characters are connected through the story of how Ganesha received his elephant head.
The Myth in Detail
In this version of the story, Gajasura is a demon who performs great penance and receives a boon. While some texts state this boon was from Shiva, others, like the Shiva Purana, specify that he received it from Lord Brahma. This boon made him invincible to the gods and other beings. Drunk with power, he began to harass the three worlds.
The story then follows the well-known narrative:
Shiva Defeats Gajasura: The gods appeal to Lord Shiva to stop the demon. Shiva fights and kills Gajasura, but the demon, in his final moments of devotion, asks a boon from Shiva: to be remembered forever and to be worn by Shiva.
Gajasura's Head and Ganesha: At a later time, when Lord Shiva beheads the boy created by Parvati, the grieving goddess asks Shiva to bring him back to life. To appease her, Shiva sends his attendants to find the head of the first creature they see. They return with the head of the elephant demon Gajasura, who had been granted a boon to be remembered.
Ganesha's New Form: Shiva places Gajasura's head on the boy's body, thus creating the form of Ganesha that we know today.
In this way, Gajasura is not defeated by Ganesha, but his story is inextricably linked to Ganesha's origin. The defeat of Gajasura is a feat of Lord Shiva, while the head of the defeated demon becomes the iconic head of Ganesha, fulfilling the demon's final wish.
Is there a form of Ganesha called Aghora Ganapati or Aghora Ganesha?
Yes — there is indeed a form of Gaṇeśa called Aghora Gaṇapati (or Aghora Gaṇeśa), though it belongs to the more tantric and esoteric traditions of Gaṇeśa worship, not the mainstream pūjā forms most people are familiar with.
1. Context: The 32 Forms of Gaṇeśa
In South Indian iconography (esp. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka), Gaṇeśa is worshipped in 32 forms (mūrti-s) described in the Mudgala Purāṇa and temple traditions. These include Bala Gaṇapati, Heramba Gaṇapati, Mahā Gaṇapati, etc.
👉 In this list, you do not find “Aghora Gaṇapati.”
So where does he appear?
2. Aghora Gaṇapati in Tantric Tradition
In Śaiva Tantra, “Aghora” is one of the five faces (pañcānana) of Śiva:
Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpuruṣa, Īśāna.
The Aghora aspect is fierce, transformative, connected with dissolution of impurities and with cremation-ground symbolism.
Gaṇapati in Aghora aspect:
Some tantric texts and local traditions invoke Gaṇeśa in the Aghora mode — wild, wrathful, protective against bhūtas, preta-s, and obstacles of the subtle/spiritual path.
In these mantras, he is often described with a terrifying appearance, surrounded by spirits, sometimes smeared with ash, and invoked in cremation-ground sādhana.
There are also mantra traditions that call on “Aghora Gaṇeśa” for protection in śmaśāna (cremation ground) rituals, parallel to Aghora Śiva.
3. Modern Mentions
In some Kaula and left-hand tantric circles (esp. Bengal and Nepal), Aghora Gaṇapati is recognized as a form used in fierce mantras.
In Odisha and Bengal, one also hears of Ugra Gaṇapati and Aghora Gaṇapati, both invoked for subduing hostile forces.
4. Important Distinction
In mainstream pūjā → Gaṇeśa is gentle, auspicious, remover of obstacles.
In tantric contexts → he can manifest in ugra / aghora aspects, as the destroyer of demonic or inner obstacles, even in fierce cremation-ground forms.
✅ Summary:
Yes — Aghora Gaṇapati is a real form, but not part of the standard 32 Gaṇeśa forms. Instead, he belongs to tantric traditions, where Gaṇeśa is invoked in a fierce “Aghora” mode, parallel to Śiva’s Aghora face, to remove deep spiritual obstacles, subdue spirits, and protect sādhakas in cremation-ground rituals.
Would you like me to track down an actual mantra or dhyāna description of Aghora Gaṇapati from tantric sources (so you can see how he is visualized)?
Yes, please.
Great — let’s go into the esoteric material. Unlike the well-codified 32 Gaṇapati forms, the Aghora Gaṇapati tradition is more scattered, found in tantric paddhati-s and mantra-saṅgraha-s.
Here’s what we know from the texts and oral traditions:
1. Mantra Tradition
One Aghora Gaṇeśa mantra (from Bengal/Nepalese tantric sources) is:
“Aghora-hasta” = he of the fierce hand/gesture, dispelling terrible forces.
Used for śmaśāna-sādhana (cremation ground practice) and protection against bhūta-preta-piśāca influences.
Another simpler bija-based mantra used in aghora contexts:
“oṁ ghaṁ aghora-gaṇapataye namaḥ”
This is said to invoke him in a fierce form, but is much less common.
2. Dhyāna (Visualization)
A traditional dhyāna-śloka (meditation verse), found in some Kaula manuals, describes him as:
Dark (kṛṣṇa varṇa) or smoky in color.
Three-eyed, with a fierce elephant face.
Garlanded with skulls, smeared in ash.
Holding kapāla (skull cup), khaṭvāṅga (staff), paraśu (axe), and muṣṭi (fist/gesture of wrath).
Surrounded by preta-gaṇas (spirit hordes).
Seated on a corpse or in the cremation ground, radiating terrible power but also supreme protection.
👉 This parallels the Ugra Gaṇapati dhyānas in texts like the Śrī Tattva Nidhi (Mysore), but with more explicit Aghora-Śiva symbolism.
3. Purpose
Unlike the gentle remover of everyday obstacles (Vighneśvara), Aghora Gaṇapati removes deep karmic and spiritual blockages.
Invoked in dangerous sādhana: spirit-subjugation, cremation-ground rituals, and advanced tantric initiations.
Seen as the wrathful protector of the sādhaka, consuming subtle impurities.
✅ Summary:
Yes — there are mantras and dhyāna descriptions of Aghora Gaṇapati, mainly in tantric paddhatis. He is envisioned as dark, fierce, ash-smeared, with skulls and weapons, and invoked with mantras like
This is not a mainstream pūjā form, but a specialized tantric invocation parallel to Śiva’s Aghora aspect.
Would you like me to also contrast Aghora Gaṇapati with the more widely recognized Ugra Gaṇapati (who is in the 32 forms list)? That comparison would help show how close — but not identical — they are.
Darren Naish comments and interviews none other than Dougal Dixon, the "father" of Speculative Zoology (or Spec Zoo). I´m old enough to remember the original release of Dixon´s "After Man", one of the few truly classical books.
Naish´s article does contain some new information, but it´s also *extremely* nerdy, so unless you have an undying love-affair with Dixon´s strange books and related media, you´ll probably shake your head at this one! Note the Japanese manga-style angle, btw.
Unhinged Vtuber (what even *is* a Vtuber?) turns out to be...well, unhinged. An unhinged Vtuber, to be more exact. Not sure why this is even a thing, LOL. We are in the click bait/gossip/pseudo-celebrity corner of YouTube, which usually doesn´t interest me. Parasocial relationship, anyone?
A certain Riro Ron was terminated by her talent agency after sleeping around with the talent manager, creating a "harem" of fanboys, and accepting lavish gifts from at least one of them. Sounds like any celebrity I know, so what is the scandal here, really? The content-creator laughing at her, Mujin, doesn´t seem to think Riro Ron is *that* dangerous either, since he wants to record a live stream with her?!
It seems Riro broke the first rule of VTube by actually showing her real face on social media. And yes, she is cosplaying as her own VTube persona. I suppose that makes her even more parasocial to some people.
Not an influencer. And probably not a smurf, either.
Overheard on the web: there is a new smurf in Smurf Town. Yes, he´s called INFLUENCER SMURF and is already the butt of many jokes, becoming something of a meme in his own right...
Doreen Virtue strikes again, this time interviewing a fundamentalist Christian who believes that Marvel Comics have a demonic and downright Satanic agenda. Well, maybe.
I admit that his analysis of Stan Lee´s poetry and the characters "Galactus" and "the Silver Surfers" is at least vaguely interesting. The idea seems to be that the comic "Fantastic Four" has a Gnostic subtext, with Galactus being Yahweh (who is cast as an evil devil-like character) while the Silver Surfer is Lucifer. Naturally, the latter turns out to be good and even goes through a Christ-like passion!
Sure, this may even be true. And therefore...what?
Det verkar nu vara definitivt över för Neil Gaiman. Länken nedan går till någon kulturskribent som våndas över att hennes idol visat sig vara en sexistisk liten gris. Åtminstone enligt uppgifter i media.
Hade aldrig hört talas om Gaiman och "The Sandman" innan författaren blev anklagad för sexuella övergrepp förra året. Observera förresten att artikelförfattaren påpekar att Marion Zimmer Bradley också anklagats för sådant. OK, när blev *den* anklagelsen mainstream? Intressant...
Skribenten menar att vi måste kunna skilja mellan en författare och hans/hennes verk. Men är det verkligen så? Om en författare (inga namn) skriver lite väl lustfyllt om pedofili, går det verkligen att skilja från eventuella anklagelser om pedofila böjelser IRL? Om en författare (inga namn) fyller sina verk med tortyrporr, kan man inte misstänka att det är något väldigt märkligt med hans psyke, även om tortyrscenerna i och för sig är "negativa"? Ja, varför ska vi *inte* tro att en stor författare lägger ner delar av sin själ i sina verk? Inklusive de mörkare delarna!
Om jag förstått saken rätt är boken som avslöjar Zimmer Bradley publicerad av den högerextreme bloggaren Vox Day. Tror någon att det är en slump? Nä, just det. Men om förläggare kan ha agendor, kan väl samma sak gälla författarna?
Och apropå agendor så försöker Aftonbladets skribent rädda situationen genom att framställa alla progressiva författare som visar sig vara svin för att vara "höger". Men är inte problemet det rakt motsatta: i det lugnaste vattnen...
