Quick Notes: Halloran Goes to Israel, Salem’s Memorial Rededicated, and Stonehenge on Fire

Quick Notes: Halloran Goes to Israel, Salem’s Memorial Rededicated, and Stonehenge on Fire August 13, 2012

Just a few quick news notes to start off your Monday.

A Heathen in the Holy Land: New York Republican congressional candidate  Dan Halloran, who also happens to be a Theodish Heathen, is currently in Israel for a two-day visit where he’ll meet with Israeli leaders.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik4v0suIqjM

“The city councilmember is running in the Sixth Congressional District, which covers parts of Queens and has a large Jewish population. His trip is scheduled to include meetings with Israeli leaders and stops in places in Jerusalem and other locations on Monday and Tuesday. Halloran has criticized President Barack Obama and Democrats for their approach to the U.S. relationship with the Middle East nation.”

Halloran has said that President Obama is “not a real ally” of Israel, while Democratic opponent Grace Meng has tried to hang Ron Paul’s controversial views about Israel around Halloran’s neck despite publicly breaking with the libertarian-leaning Republican on foreign policy. This move by Halloran seems calculated to win more support in the heavily Jewish and Democratic-leaning district, and comes after Grace Meng’s family has been hit with a scandal involving her father, possibly weakening her electoral chances. One wonders if the topic of his personal faith will come up while in Israel, and what he’d say if asked what his beliefs are.

Famous Witch Trial Memorial To Be Rededicated: Salem, Massachusetts’ famous Witch Trials Memorial, originally dedicated in 1992, has been restored and improved and will be rededicated on September 9th. In modern times Salem has become known as the “Witch City” not only for the infamous trials, but because modern Witches and Wiccans have turned the city into a place of pilgrimage which now sports a large Pagan community.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWWz3-4p8jc

“As in 1992, when the powerful memorial was unveiled, the ceremony will involve descendants of the witch trial victims and Gregory Alan Williams, hero of the 1992 Los Angeles race riots and first recipient of the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice. […] Hayden Hillsgrove, the memorial’s original stonemason, has reworked and repaired the memorial’s stone. Landscape and lighting elements have also been restored and a plan created for future maintenance.”

You can find out more about the restoration and rededication at the Salem Award Foundation. You can read all of The Wild Hunt’s Salem coverage, here.

Stonehenge on Fire: The 2012 Summer Olympics in London are now over, but one memorable scene from that period was the impressive “Fire Garden” created on Stonehenge for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad that ran concurrently with the Summer games. Lobster Pictures has released a beautiful time-lapse documentary of this installation.

“For Salisbury International Arts Festival, we produced time lapse, stills, video, editing and media services. The French arts group Cie Carabosse transformed Stonehenge into a magical ‘Fire Garden’ for two nights – part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.”

It’s a lovely tribute to one of Britain’s most enigmatic and powerful symbols.

That’s all I have for now, have a great day!


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