A word of caution when buying used electronics...

Are you thinking about buying a used computer or electronic gaming device for your child as a way to get your child both what they want, and save money at the same time, well, do it with caution first, as you'll see the reason why in this CNN video:

A family noticed racy photos on a 5-year-old's Christmas present, a used Nintendo. KUSA reports.

Now clearly no one wants to give their child any thing like that for Christmas, but the fact is that when you by some electronic device used, you run the risk of the thing being full of porn. This isn't really as uncommon as some of you might think. In fact there was porn on the used netbook computer that I am currently typing this article on as we speak (it was also logged into the previous owner's Facebook page as well, but being the good guy that I am, I emptied the cache and all of the login information).

I also bought a used Nintendo 3DS a few months ago myself, and while it didn't have any porn on it, it did have some pictures and music from the previous owner on it (which I did delete).

Let this be a word of caution for anyone buying a used computer or similar electronic devices, and that while it is cheaper to buy used then it is to buy new, you don't know what is on it, so you need to take some time and do these simple little steps when you first get your new used device:

• Check the device first and check out all of the areas that normally contain photos and videos and whatever else. Also be sure to check any folders that look suspicious as well. Better to be safe then sorry.
• Clear out the caches on all of the computer's internet browsers, including download history, passwords, and saved sites.
• Run a complete disk clean up.
• Run a virus scan.

Also note, if you find any illegal material on it, do not erase it. Shut down the device, put it back in whatever it came in, get the receipt for it, and take it to the police immediately.

If you do these four steps, the used electronic devices you give to your kids should safe for them use, because the simple fact is that even if a company does have strict quality controls when it comes to selling used electronic devices, there is no 100% guarantee that there won't be something on it that should not be there, and you don't want your kids to see what that is.

Soursop: A cure for Cancer?

This here is a claim about that I recently saw posted on Facebook about some fruit call “Soursop”, that some people claim can cure cancer, and works far better than chemotherapy.

Here is the posting in it's entirety:

"10000 times stronger killer of CANCER than Chemo".. do share it.. can save many lives, fill up hopes and build confidence in the patients...

The Sour Sop or the fruit from the graviola tree is a miraculous natural cancer cell killer 10,000 times stronger than Chemo.

Why are we not aware of this? Its because some big corporation want to make back their money spent on years of research by trying to make a synthetic version of it for sale.

So, since you know it now you can help a friend in need by letting him know or just drink some sour sop juice yourself as prevention from time to time. The taste is not bad after all. It’s completely natural and definitely has no side effects. If you have the space, plant one in your garden.
The other parts of the tree are also useful.

The next time you have a fruit juice, ask for a sour sop.

How many people died in vain while this billion-dollar drug maker concealed the secret of the miraculous Graviola tree?

This tree is low and is called graviola ! in Brazi l, guanabana in Spanish and has the uninspiring name “soursop” in English. The fruit is very large and the subacid sweet white pulp is eaten out of hand or, more commonly, used to make fruit drinks, sherbets and such.

The principal interest in this plant is because of its strong anti-cancer effects. Although it is effective for a number of medical conditions, it is its anti tumor effect that is of most interest. This plant is a proven cancer remedy for cancers of all types.

Besides being a cancer remedy, graviola is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent for both bacterial and fungal infections, is effective against internal parasites and worms, lowers high blood pressure and is used for depression, stress and nervous disorders.

If there ever was a single example that makes it dramatically clear why the existence of Health Sciences Institute is so vital to Americans like you, it’s the incredible story behind the Graviola tree..

The truth is stunningly simple: Deep within the Amazon Rainforest grows a tree that could literally revolutionize what you, your doctor, and the rest of the world thinks about cancer treatment and chances of survival. The future has never looked more promising.

Research shows that with extracts from this miraculous tree it now may be possible to:
* Attack cancer safely and effectively with an all-natural therapy that does not cause extreme nausea, weight loss and hair loss
* Protect your immune system and avoid deadly infections
* Feel stronger and healthier throughout the course of the treatment
* Boost your energy and improve your outlook on life

The source of this information is just as stunning: It comes from one of America ‘s largest drug manufacturers, th! e fruit of over 20 laboratory tests conducted since the 1970's! What those tests revealed was nothing short of mind numbing… Extracts from the tree were shown to:

* Effectively target and kill malignant cells in 12 types of cancer, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancer..
* The tree compounds proved to be up to 10,000 times stronger in slowing the growth of cancer cells than Adriamycin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug!
* What’s more, unlike chemotherapy, the compound extracted from the Graviola tree selectivelyhunts
down and kills only cancer cells.. It does not harm healthy cells!

The amazing anti-cancer properties of the Graviola tree have been extensively researched–so why haven’t you heard anything about it? If Graviola extract is

One of America ‘s biggest billion-dollar drug makers began a search for a cancer cure and their research centered on Graviola, a legendary healing tree from the Amazon Rainforest.

Various parts of the Graviola tree–including the bark, leaves, roots, fruit and fruit-seeds–have been used for centuries by medicine men and native Indi! ans in S outh America to treat heart disease, asthma, liver problems and arthritis. Going on very little documented scientific evidence, the company poured money and resources into testing the tree’s anti-cancerous properties–and were shocked by the results. Graviola proved itself to be a cancer-killing dynamo.
But that’s where the Graviola story nearly ended.

The company had one huge problem with the Graviola tree–it’s completely natural, and so, under federal law, not patentable. There’s no way to make serious profits from it.

It turns out the drug company invested nearly seven years trying to synthesize two of the Graviola tree’s most powerful anti-cancer ingredients. If they could isolate and produce man-made clones of what makes the Graviola so potent, they’d be able to patent it and make their money back. Alas, they hit a brick wall. The original simply could not be replicated. There was no way the company could protect its profits–or even make back the millions it poured into research.

As the dream of huge profits evaporated, their testing on Graviola came to a screeching halt. Even worse, the company shelved the entire project and chose not to publish the findings of its research!

Luckily, however, there was one scientist from the Graviola research team whose conscience wouldn’t let him see such atrocity committed. Risking his career, he contacted a company that’s dedicated to harvesting medical plants from the Amazon Rainforest and blew the whistle.

Miracle unleashed
When researchers at the Health Sciences Institute were alerted to the news of Graviola,! they be gan tracking the research done on the cancer-killing tree. Evidence of the astounding effectiveness of Graviola–and its shocking cover-up–came in fast and furious….

….The National Cancer Institute performed the first scientific research in 1976. The results showed that Graviola’s “leaves and stems were found effective in attacking and destroying malignant cells.” Inexplicably, the results were published in an internal report and never released to the public…

….Since 1976, Graviola has proven to be an immensely potent cancer killer in 20 independent laboratory tests, yet no double-blind clinical trials–the typical benchmark mainstream doctors and journals use to judge a treatment’s value–were ever initiated….

….A study published in the Journal of Natural Products, following a recent study conducted at Catholic University of South Korea stated that one chemical in Graviola was found to selectively kill colon cancer cells at “10,000 times the potency of (the commonly used chemotherapy drug) Adriamycin…”

….The most significant part of the Catholic University of South Korea report is that Graviola was shown to selectively target the cancer cells, leaving healthy cells untouched. Unlike chemotherapy, which indiscriminately targets all actively reproducing cells (such as stomach and hair cells), causing the often devastating side effects of nausea and hair loss in cancer patients.

…A study at Purdue University recently found that leaves from the Graviola tree killed cancer cells among six human cell lines and were especially effective against prostate, pancreatic and lung cancers Seven years of silence broken–it’s finally here!

The Reality

All of this is nothing more than over blown woo. If this plant really was 10,000 times more effective at curing cancer than chemotherapy then drug companies would be growing the trees these fruits come from in huge groves.

I know that some people might say that it wouldn't make the drug companies any money off of it, and that is why they don't use it, but the reality is that the drug companies would make more money off of it because more people would be will to take it then they would going through with chemotherapy because it wouldn't be harsh, and it would be cheaper, which are two of the main reasons why some people don't go through with chemo: It's to harsh on them, and they can't afford it.

It would also keep more people alive longer, thus the drug companies are able to sell more other kinds of drugs to them over their life times.

The fruit does contain large amounts of vitamins C, B1, and B2, as well as fructose, and studies have shown that it may be effective at treating some forms of cancer, but all of these studies have been in vitro studies, and have not been shown to effectively treat cancer in living human beings.

Also, the fruit is apparently much more harmful then helpful as well.

One of the main compounds in the fruit, called annonacin, which is mainly in the fruit's seeds, is actually a neurotoxin that has been linked to causing Parkinson's disease, and maybe even other types of neurodegenerative diseases.

Soursop is simply more harmful then helpful.

7 people who some think lived beyond their date of death

John Wilkes Booth

Everyone knows that John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln, and that twelve days later on April 26, 1865 he himself was shot and killed by Union soldiers after he refused to leave the barn that he was in that the soldiers had set ablaze, but there are rumors that Booth was not killed that day, and that in fact a look alike had been shot and killed, and that Booth had actually lived even into the early 20th century.

There is of course no proof of this, but many authors and descendants of Booth have suggested that he did escape, and there have been several attempts by the family to exhume his body to be tested for DNA.



Jesse James

Probably one of the most famous outlaws of the Wild West, Jesse James and his gang robbed a number of banks, stagecoaches, and trains throughout his criminal career, until he was shot in the back of the head in his own house by fellow James Gang member Robert Ford on April 3, 1882 in and attempt to receive the reward on James's head.

Now despite the fact that he was positively identified, there have been rumors going around even from back then that he faked his death, and that he may have lived under an assumed identity even into the 20th century.




John Dillinger

On July 22, 1934 notorious American criminal John Dillinger was shot to death by FBI agents in an alley way in Chicago, but ever since then there have been rumors that he really wasn't shot to death, and that who really was killed was just someone who just looked like him (perhaps even a payed body double).

The reason behind this is because many people said that he really didn't look like he was suppose to. Of course there is a reason behind this: he had plastic surgery so that he wouldn't look like himself (he even tried to get rid of the famous dimple in his chin). The most likely reason behind this is of course so that he could to live as a free man until he died (which in a ironic way is what happened).



Adolf Hitler

Without a doubt the most evil person in history, on April 30, 1945 Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun killed themselves in an underground bunker in Berlin, Germany. There bodies were removed by Nazi Party loyalist and set on fire so that the Soviet Army couldn't use them as propaganda pieces.

Despite the fact that the remains were found and that dental records confirm that the remains are that of the mad man, there are many people who believe that he did not commit suicide, and that he actually faked his death, and that he may have even lived past 100.

While most people believe that he escaped to either Spain or Argentina, some of the crazier claims are that he either escaped to Antarctica, or to the Moon, or to the inside of the Earth (which some Hollow Earth believers claim), and even another dimension or time period.

Elvis Presley

Probably one of the most widely believed to be still alive dead people, Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, but many still believe that he isn't actually dead (despite the fact that he was in very poor health and abused prescription drugs) and while various reasons have been given for why he is hiding, the most common is that he is actually hiding from the mafia.

While there have been numerous "Elvis sitings" over the years, these could be attributed to Elvis impersonators, or just people who look like him.

The belief that he is alive could simply be the result of fans who loved him so much that they don't want him to be dead.


Tupac Shakur

On September 7, 1996 rapper Tupac Shakur was shot multiple times in Las Vegas while he was sitting in a car with Suge Knight. Six days later, he died, but some people believe that he did not die, and that he actually survived the attack, and that he has been in hiding every since.

People who believe this point out that multiple albums with new songs by Shakur have been publish after his death, and while his family says that he recorded the songs before his death, many people still believe this not to be true, and that he is actually continuing to secretly make songs.



Osama Bin Laden

On May 2, 2011 in his secret mansion compound in Pakistan, Osama Bin Laden was shot and killed by members of SEAL team 6, and despite the fact that this was even confirmed by Al-Qaeda, because his death photos have not been released, and the fact that he was buried at sea, and the fact that many people unfortunately still believe that he was a government agent, many people believe that his death was faked for political proposes (of course the people who believe that he was a government agent also believe that the government caused the 9/11 attacks...)

His death is also unique in the fact that no only do some people believe that he is still alive, but that many other people believe he died years before his official death (either as a result of natural causes, or via military actions) and that his body has been kept on ice to be later dumped in the ocean for political proposes.
 
Notable mention: Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney gets a notable mention here not because he's dead and that many people think he's alive, but because he is alive and that many people think he is really dead, and that he actually did die in a 1966 car crash (which he had originally been reported to have died in) and that he was replaced by a CIA body double that would keep an eye on John Lennon (who was critical of the war in Vietnam and had political philosophical beliefs that many in the government object to).

While this is a pretty bizarre conspiracy theory, he isn't the only celebrity that is believed to be really a CIA body double, he just happens to be the most famous case.

Mermaids: Why they really are a myth Part 3: How they became a myth

In a previous blog article concerning the Discovery Networks Mermaids: The Body Found I discussed how highly improbable it would be for mermaids to remain hidden for so long, and in another previous blog article I discussed how it was highly improbable that such a creature could even evolve from humans (especially concerning the short frame of time the show gave for mermaids to have evolved from one of our ancient ancestors).

Now despite this, many of you are probably wondering why there are so many stories about mermaids around the world, yet such creatures can not exist?

The most likely reason behind why the mermaid myth even got created in the first place isn't because someone actually saw a real mermaid, it's because some one saw something they couldn't explain, and they told other people what they saw, and the myth spread, which is how I mentioned in another previous blog article about how myths get started in the first place

Most likely what happened was that someone from inland who isn't near any deep bodies of water traveled to either a lake, or a large river, or to the sea, and saw someone swimming. Now for us we would see someone swimming in the water and we would probably think "oh that person is swimming", but for a person that does not swim, and doesn't even know that people can swim, that person just might think "that person must have a fish tail" or "that person must be part fish". This person goes and tells their people what they saw, and thus the myth gets spread. This scenario probably happened all over the world as well, which is why the myth is so wide spread.

This is somewhat similar to how the myth about the centaur got started as well. Someone back thousands of years ago saw someone riding on top of a horse, and because they didn't know that people could ride on horses, and had never seen something like that before, they jumped to the conclusion that the person was half man, half horse.

Now I know that it sounds silly today that a person would think that, but back thousands of years ago when these myths got started we weren't that rational, and we were prone to superstition, and when we saw something that didn't make sense to us, we would make stuff up and jump to a conclusion about what it was instead of trying to figure out just what we saw. Heck, we do that even today!

Now I won't say that this is actually got started in the first place, in fact there are probably a bunch of variables concerning how this myth got started, but the fact remains is that this is a myth that will live on in our hearts and our stories... and Disney movies.

12/21/2012 Fail

Today is the day. Today is the day that so many people thought the world was going to end, and guess what? Nothing happened.

No massive world wide earthquakes.

No super volcanic eruptions.

No massive solar flares destroying the power grid.

No rapture.

No second coming.

No start of World War 3.

No nuclear bombs going off.

No start of a second great depression.

No heavenly bodies crashing into the Earth.

No polar shift.

No Earth crust displacement.

No alien invasion.

No alien ships coming out of a mountain.

No sudden human evolution.

No takeover by the Illuminati/NWO.

No demon invasion.

No world wide pandemic.

And perhaps the most disappointing of all, no zombie Apocalypse.

In other words not a damn thing happened at except for the beginning of winter, and of course there being a few disappointed New Agers and Doomers around the world.

And so I can gladly say that the only negative things that came out of this is that some people made some money out of selling some books about what was suppose to happen on this day, people being scared out of their wits for no reason, dumb people asking the dumbest damn questions about this, and Roland Emmerich making a horrible movie about this (and I'm not ready to forgive the Doomers and New Agers for that last one).

Now some of you are probably thinking "aren't you being a little harsh for shoving this in these peoples' faces" and I say no because they have been shoving this stuff down our throats for about a decade now and they need to be aware of the harsh reality: They are not as smart as they think they are and they know nothing about science, or the Mayans, and that everything that they do know is based upon the hacked together "research" by a few wannabe scientists and historians...

If one good thing comes out of this it is hopefully that some of these Doomers and New Agers will finally wake up and realize just what a  waste of time and money all this believing that the world is going to end stuff has been, and hopefully wise up and get on with their lives.

Embarrassing Conspiracy Theories: Shape-shifting Aliens control the Earth

While there are a lot of strange conspiracy theories out there, perhaps one of the most bizarre conspiracy theories out there is one that the primary promoter of is David Icke: that the leaders of the world (and just about anyone who is famous) are actually shape-shifting aliens.

The aliens are often times described as being humanoid reptilians that are from either another planet or universe (although some claim that they are actually the offspring of alien-human hybrids from thousands of years ago) and have actually been in control for thousands of years, and are using their technology to take on a human form and secretly control the human race.

There are several videos on the internet that claim to show some famous person or politician showing some type of reptilian features for a split second, and the reality is that they do not. Many of these videos allegedly shows a person "revealing" some kind of reptilian features are actually the result of camera angle and light reflection, or even or even natural human bodily actions, such as pupil dilation, and just licking lips with one's tongue. Some of these video are even the result of some special effects put in to the video by someone who wants to prove that shape-shifting aliens are real.

Taking into account the wide scope that many conspiracy theorists believe this to be, many people have been accused of being a shape-shifting alien (this includes David Icke as well, and possible even myself). There are even people who actually claim to be one of these aliens. Of course they never actually turn into an alien, they just act very strange when they are in what they claim to be in their transformation. These "transformations" seem more like acting, or psychosis.

Besides considering the scope of such an alleged conspiracy (in both time and number of people involved) and the sheer lack of any evidence what so ever that any of this is true, it makes no logical sense that any technologically advanced conquerors would even bother to do something like this.

Many skeptics believe that the shape-shifting alien conspiracy theory is actually a modernization and rehashing of the many Jewish conspiracy theories (both of which just so happen to be very similar in their accusations), and have actually accused David Icke of being anti-Semitic and that he uses the reference to shape-shifting reptilians as being a code word for "Jews". While Icke does deny this, he does believe that the book The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion (which was proven to be a hoax as far back as 1921) is true, and has apparently been flirting with Holocaust denial.

Regardless of the reasons behind David Icke's allegations (whatever those true reasons may be), many people (both conspiracy theorists and skeptics alike) consider this to be complete nonsense, and have accused Icke of being everything from a scam artist to being outright insane (although some conspiracy theorists have also accused him of being a disinformation agent as well).

Franklin and Sequoyah: Two states that never were

In either a few weeks, or perhaps several years from now, Puerto Rico is set to become the 51st state, but if history (and the heart of congress) had gone differently, Puerto Rico would not be on it's way to becoming the 51st state. It would actually be on it's way to becoming either the 52nd or 53rd state of the Union.

Now there have been multiple proposals for new states over the years that never came to be. There have been several proposals for a state of Jefferson and a state of Lincoln (both in various sites). There have been proposals for the Upper Michigan peninsula to become it's own state, and even Long Island (along with New York City) to become it's own state. There was even a proposal for a state of Absaroka (which would have taken land from Northern Wyoming, South Eastern Montana, and Western South Dakota to form), but the two places that almost became their own states were called the states of Franklin and Sequoyah.

Now Franklin (if you could not tell was to be named after Benjamin Franklin) is part of what is now North Eastern Tennessee, but back when it attempted to become it's own individual state in 1785, it was actually apart of the state of North Carolina, because until 1796 Tennessee was apart of North Carolina.

Back in April 1784 North Carolina ceded what is today Tennessee to the Federal Government in order to pay off debts the state had gained as a result of the War of Independence. The government was reluctant to accept this, and also many frontiersmen in that region were pretty upset about this to, and also feared that the territory might even be sold to a foreign power, so in August of 1784 several counties in what is to North Eastern Tennessee seceded from North Carolina, which resulted in the state of North Carolina to rescind  it's offer of cession, and even ordered judges to hold court in those counties, and send soldiers to the counties that wanted to secede. This of course did nothing to stop the growing secession movement, and on May 16, 1785 a delegation from the region submitted a petition to Congress for approval of statehood.

The State failed to receive the two-thirds majority of approval from the other states that is necessary in order to be admitted to the Union (only seven of the thirteen states at the time voted to admit Franklin to the Union) and couldn't even get the support of Benjamin Franklin himself.

In 1788 the region was finally disbanded and readmitted to North Carolina, and would later become part of Tennessee, but this would not be the last time the area would attempt to become it's own state, the most notable during the Civil War as a result of Eastern Tennessee disapproval of the rest of the state seceding from the union. While the region never did secede from the rest of Tennessee, there were many people there who proposed seceding from Tennessee and rejoining the Union (much like what West Virginia actually did when it seceded from Virginia and rejoined the Union in 1863).

Now as for the State of Sequoyah, which was to be named in honor of Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith who invented the Cherokee syllabary (or alphabet), the area which would have become it's own state was part of what is today Eastern Oklahoma, and was from 1890 until 1907 when it was merged with the Oklahoma Territory and became the State of Oklahoma, it's own individual territory known as the Indian Territory, which actually once included most of Oklahoma, but after 1890 a little over half the territory was ceded to white settlers to form it's own separate territory.

In 1905 the territory formed a constitutional convention, and voted to send a petition to the United States Congress for approval of statehood.

The delegation that arrived at Washington D.C. from the Indian Territories did not receive a warm reception, with many eastern politicians not wanting to admit two new western states. Even President Theodore Roosevelt proposed that the two territories be merged back again and become the State of Oklahoma (which is what happened in 1907). Still, all the hard work of the Sequoyah state constitutional convention was not lost as the Sequoyah constitution served as the basis for the Oklahoma constitution.

It should also be noted that if Sequoyah had ended up becoming a state, it would have been the first (and only) state where the majority of the people were Native Americans.

How the Electoral College should be done

Probably one of the most controversial aspects of a United States presidential election isn't the money spent campaigning, or the negative ads, but how we actually vote for the candidates itself.

The United States uses a system known as the Electoral College where instead of the population voting for who will be the President of the United States as a whole, individuals called Electors actually vote for who will become the President.

Now the only reason why a presidential election is is even held in the first place is because all 50 states have laws that state that the Electors must respect the wishes of the majority of the voters in the state they are in, and all the Electors usually choose who majority of the voters voted for (although this is not always the case).

Now while this may sound okay to some, this does have several flaws in it.

The first flaw in this is that the way the Electoral College is set up is that it can led to the person who did not win the popular vote to still win the election because they had enough electoral votes (this has happened three times before, four if you count the election of 1824).

The second flaw with this is that a couple of highly populated areas can literally give a candidate all the electoral votes in one state by only a few thousand votes, which in turn creates a huge amount of resentment from everyone else in the state.

There is of course a way to solve this problem.

As most of you may well be aware all states plus the District of Columbia are given a minimum of three electoral votes. This is of course to reflect the number of people that state has in congress (members of the House of Representatives and the Senate).

So here is what I feel should be done. Instead of a presidential candidate winning all of a state's electoral votes if they win the popular vote in that state, they should only be given the two electoral votes that is suppose to represent that state's senators if they win the popular vote, and that the candidate who wins the popular vote in a certain representative district should be given the electoral vote that represents that district, regardless of whether or not they actually won the popular vote in that state.

Doing this would not only more accurately represent the voting population of a state, it would also give a boost to "third party" candidates as more people might be more willing to vote for a candidate they actually want to for instead of voting against a candidate by voting for a candidate they don't necessarily like, but they can not stand the other candidate.

This could also eliminate Faithless Electors as well, as an elector might be more willing to vote for the candidate who won the distract that the elector is assigned to rather then actually becoming a faithless electors. Electors could even become no longer necessary at all and that the electoral votes be given out by the state.

Of course we could just do away with the electoral college completely and go to direct vote...

Embarrassing Conspiracy Theories: The Illuminati controls the Music Industry

One of the big conspiracy theories going around the internet (especially Youtube) is that the music industry is controlled by the Illuminati (mind you of course there is no proof that the Illuminati even exists in the first place).

One of the key pieces of "evidence" that many conspiracy theorists claims is "proof" that the Illuminati is in control of the music industry is that many musical artists tend to use hand gestures and symbols (along also with certain lyrics) that many conspiracy theorists believe contain pro-Illuminati messages, or is being used as some type of brain washing techniques.

Now besides the fact that a very secretive group (such as the allegedly existing Illuminati) probably wouldn't be so bluntly giving away their existence by having a bunch of musical artists basically giving their audience a bunch of little subtle hints of that group's existence, it would kind of defeats the purpose of a secretive group being a secret to the public at large if they gave away their existence so openly.

Musical artists can be a weird kind of bunch. They constantly "reinvent" themselves or evolve in there tastes for two main purpose: To express themselves artistically, and to stay relevant so they can make money from teenagers and young adults, because that is where a large part of where music sales come from. There is even speculation that some musical artist that are accused of working for the Illuminati are actually intentionally using what is considered Illuminati symbols in their acts and lyrics in their music in order to generate controversy, and thus publicity.

There are also other claims by people who claim to have worked in (or currently are working in) the music industry, and that they have actually "witnessed" either what they consider to be Illuminati or other occult type ceremonies occur in private with some of these musical artists. These claims tend to be few and far between, and could be simply the result of misunderstanding the actions of a musical artist (as I said before, they can sometimes be pretty weird and do weird things) or everything they are saying could just be entirely made up (including their involvement with the music industry).

Even if this was true, the music industry would not be a very good industry for a secretive group to secretly spread messages of their existence through symbols (rather then outright saying that they exist).

Besides the shear fact that many musical artists are very independent minded and would most likely never go along with being apart of the Illuminate (some of which are conspiracy theorist minded people who would have no problems exposing this) there are thousands of people who work in the music industry, and there should be a lot more evidence being brought forth, and a lot more people coming forth and claiming that the entire music industry is being controlled by some secretive shadow group.

Also, another reason why the music industry really wouldn't be a good place to do something like this in the first place is because musical artists come and go all the time, with maybe only a few lasting a decade or more (as comedian Chris Rock once put when he was talking about musical artists "here today, gone today" because that's practically how long some of these artists careers last). So with this being said, would you really want to use the music industry to secretively spread a message (without even hinting what that message was)?

From what I can tell this is simply a new spin on old accusations that have been plaguing the music industry for decades about how the music industry is being controlled by secretive and malicious forces, such as Satanists in the 1980's and 1990's, and communists even before then.

Is it a Conspiracy Theory, or is it Propaganda?

Conspiracy theories and propaganda tend to go hand in hand, mainly because many conspiracy theories tend to be against something (government, industry, etc) while at the same time trying to promote something (political beliefs, alternative medicine, etc). Sometimes it's difficult to tell which is which. Sometimes they are one in the same.

Some conspiracy theories are obviously propaganda and are generally not believed by most (including those that promote the conspiracy theory) except for those who are to deluded (or have deluded themselves because of some personal bias against a certain person or group) to not accept the conspiracy theory/propaganda, or are not smart enough to figure out the deference between what is real and what is a lies.

Examples of this would be holocaust denial and the allegations the President Obama wasn't born in the United States.

Then there is the flip side of this in that some conspiracy theories have been used as some sort of propaganda. In fact it's not that uncommon that certain politicians, world leaders, and even certain celebrities will use these already established conspiracy theories in order to obtain power, maintain power, and just get attention for themselves.

Sometimes the leaders of one country who is experiencing hostilities from the leaders of another country will use already established conspiracy theories in there propaganda about their rival country as a way to try to make the leaders of that rival country to back off, and to perhaps try to sway the people in the rival country over to their side.

Probably one of the best examples of this would be the 9/11 conspiracy theories, in particular with Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has most likely used the 9/11 conspiracy theories as a way to gain support and downplay the United States, and as a way to get the US to back off from Iran.

Then there are of course conspiracy theories that you cannot tell if they were propaganda that became conspiracy theories, or if they just started as conspiracy theories, and ended up becoming propaganda. In fact many of the anti-government, modern medicine, new world order type of conspiracy theories tend to fall into this category.

This is actually where many conspiracy theories fall under simply because it's difficult to tell whether or not a conspiracy theory began as propaganda that evolved into a conspiracy theory, or vice verse. Examples of this would be FEMA camps, chemtrails, and vaccines causing autism (along with a lot of other things).

Then there are of course conspiracy theories that are so bizarre that most skeptics (and even some conspiracy theorists) suspect that they may have originally began not as propaganda but as a either a hoax or a scam.

Regardless of whether or not a conspiracy theory originally started as propaganda, or if a conspiracy theory is being exploited by someone with an agenda, the fact is that conspiracy theories are used as propaganda, and we should be skeptical of certain people or groups and ask ourselves this: are they promoting this because they seriously believe this, or do they have some type of agenda.