In 1995, I began using this as my nick on IRC. Later, I ran into someone from Romania. He informed me "Cneajna" was well-known and of historical significance, with a town named after her.

More info surfaced - courtesy of Dr. Elizabeth Miller (Thanks Bloofer!!). As it turns out, Cneajna was indeed a princess from Moldavia, oldest daughter of Alexandru the Good, Prince of Moldavia. She married Vlad Dracul (Vlad Tepes's FATHER) in 1425. They had 3 sons: Mircea, Vlad, and Radu. However, Dracul also had a number of mistresses and several illegitimate children. The difference here is Vlad Dracul was the father and Cneajna's husband - while Vlad Dracula was her son. The spelling (the addition of "a" at the end) means "son of". Many out there seem to think she was Vlad Tepes' wife (Vlad the Impaler aka Vlad Dracula). That is not accurate.

According to author's Florescu and McNally, Cneajna was primarily responsible for "drilling into the minds of the young heirs the lesson that they were different from ordinary mortals." There are no known portraits of her; nor are they sure when she died or where she was buried. There is no proof to the rumor she committed suicide - something that has also been attached to Vlad Tepes' wife courtesy of Hollywood and other misinformed sources.

In addition to all this historical data - there is/was someone in "Cradle of Filth" using the name "Cneajna". I did NOT pick my screen name for any reason connected to the band, but for the close association to vampires, medieval history and appropriateness related to my personal life.

One final comment... I never roleplay.

I've had many requests to see my tattoos so I've had some taken and scanned for the page.

The dragon was my first. I got it August, 1994. It is a "break-thru pattern" and located on my left shoulder blade. The size is approximately 3" X 5" (7.5cm X 12.5cm)



Second is a vampire bat. I got it about six months after the dragon (March 1995). For this one, I did the basic outline and the tattoo artist added the details. It is located on my right shoulder blade and is approximately 5" X 7" (12.5cm X 17.5cm).



Most recent tattoo - obtained in Germany - November, 1997 - located on my upper left arm - approximately 2" X 2" (5cm X 5cm).



An explanation: "BABALON" (around the exterior) is the "manifestation" of Isis - goddess of freedom, release and primal female energy. Referred to as "Scarlet Woman" - in Thelema (Aleister Crowley's philosophy-based "religion") she represents something similar to the xian virgin Mary - only an exact opposite - a woman with great sexuality and sensuality.

The term "Scarlet Woman" is appropriate for my hair color (deep mahoghany red). The 7-rayed star (heptagram) represents Venus and, in numerology, "25" - 2+5 = 7. The other symbols - for Libra and Scorpio - represent myself and the other person who supplied one of several graphic ideas. I (Libra) actually selected, drew and completed the design.

This is also considered the "Mark of the Beast" (Aleister Crowley referred to himself in this way and it does NOT refer to the "antichrist" from xian mythology!). Either way, I've always been outside the "norm" when it comes to my beliefs and have been called evil, dark and Satanic by those who don't know me at all. Contrary to what they thought, I'm actually a nice person - as long as you don't use me or lie to me - but I think that can be said for almost anyone.

And since we're on that subject, here are examples of some of the funniest (and stupidest) things I've read or heard...

Harry Potter books are full of Satanic messages and symbols??? Excuse me!!??? I've seen this a couple places - backed up by a ludicrous picture showing Harry's hair in the form of a so-called Satanic "S" falling over his forehead along with the same thing being said about his "scar". In addition, it stated Harry Potter books are bad because (basically) they allow children to fantasize about things that aren't real. In other words, it is wrong for children to have an imagination or be subjected to anything creative.

I read this in a supermarket tabloid (yes, I know... and no, I don't actually believe that crap), but I decided to mention it because I've heard similar stupidity spouted on TV by tele-evangelists along with things about Pokemon being evil because the symbolism somehow relates to a non-Christian religion.

Well HELLO!!! Did they ever bother to think about the fact Pokemon was not invented in the US, but in an Asian country with Asian culture and Asian religious beliefs???? Oh no! Mustn't let our children be corrupted by learning about someone else’s religion. Like what five or ten year old looks at Pokemon and thinks... "Hey this is an Asian religious symbol!" Case in point, the "sun" is considered a Shinto religious symbol. Next thing you know, fundamentalist Christian's everywhere will be asking that anyone using the Sun as a reference - trademark - picture will be asked to remove it for fear their children will some how magically know it's connected to a religion other than Christianity and be converted. Sound far-fetched. Well, no more so than a lot of the total bunk they're currently spreading. Just look at Falwell's idiotic statement on why the events of September 11, 2001 took place. What a crock! Trust me, kids are bright, but unless YOU point it out, they won't care.

I've even been told Pokemon, Barney (well OK, HIM I might believe), and Teletubbies) cause children to behave in some kind of socially unacceptable non-Christian manner (not that they might, but that they WILL!). Hogwash!! If children are using these as excuses to misbehave then it's the parents fault for allowing it... NOT the TV program or book's fault. Parents instill values in children and children LEARN about these things from adults. Don't kid yourself, children are NOT sophisticated enough to distinguish some kind of symbolism out of watching a cartoon or reading a book unless YOU as their parent tell them about it. So, if kids are doing this - it's the parents who are turning them on to what they perceive the symbolism to be.

Evil can be found in anything if you look long and hard enough. A really great example of illustrated evil is a book many people have in their homes. It tells children about murder, incest, rape, and a number of other dreadful pastimes. You would know it as the "Holy bible".

Does this mean anyone who isn't Christian is evil? No, of course not! And yet, there they are, telling their followers religions outside Christianity are bad - especially if they don't believe in the "one deity" system (and sometimes even if they do!). Why people listen to and, worse yet, BELIEVE this crap is beyond me. They bring people on TV shows to talk about subjects who have absolutely NO credibility (other than the fact they've written some book or article and are touted as true believing "Christians - which, of course, puts them beyond reproach - yeah, right!). I watch them spout their totally unsubstantiated rhetoric and wonder, "Where do they find these people?" Maybe this is why my backyard has no rocks - someone has been turning them over to find these so-called "expert guests". :)

What bothers me even more are the hoaxes they perpetrate. Late in 2000, one very prominent tele-evangelist told his listeners the UN was going to take away our (US) sovereign rights. He stated this was based on a document being signed into law by the UN. A document labeled "Charter 99A". Which also, supposedly, removed any right to freedom of religion (but only the Christian religion). Well, I visited a couple websites and read it. It's nothing more than a letter asking third world countries to give people certain human rights (things we in the US take for granted). It's not a law, it's not even a regulation, and it sure as hell isn't something anyone is signing to give away our sovereignty. Hey, I don't make this stuff up - it's actually going on out there right under our very noses (under the guise of "religion"). Btw, this same tele-evangelist, also reported the FBI and CIA have marked him as a "terrorist" for his views on the European Union. *LOL* While I can certainly SEE where this might come from, I think the FBI and CIA have better things to do with their time than to investigate this nut. Though, if they actually are, more power to them!

This, among other things, makes me believe many of these so-called religious leaders must be doing heavy duty hallucinogens. I've heard them spout everything from King Juan Carlos of Spain is the Antichrist, to Hell is located in black holes in space. They've even said Jesus is building a city in the sky 1500 miles long (and other measurements as well :) ) and he will land this city on earth when he returns. I've been waiting a long time for someone to validate my idea that religious beliefs come from space aliens who landed here thousands of years ago, I just never thought it would come from a tele-evangelist!

I can see us heading toward another time when people will be accused of heresy and there'll be public burnings at the stake. So-called "Christians" say they are "attacked" and discriminated against because of their religion and yet, they are some of the most protected people around (especially in the US). You can hold up a banner and loudly proclaim yourself a "Christian" and lie, cheat and steal and get away with it, because as long as you only do it to those who appear to be "evil" it's OK and "God" won't mind.

A really REALLY SCARY example of this can be found here... please, read it... you may be surprised what you learn about these so-called "men of god" and what they plan for YOUR future (this pertains mostly to the US, but I'm sure if they thought they could get away with it, they would move on to other countries as well):

What Is The Political Program of The Creationist Movement (Fundamentalists)

People often wonder why I'm so down on religion. This is one of the biggest reasons (along with the non-medical induced lobotomies that seem to accompany so many who become devout - read that as deaf, dumb and blind - in their religious beliefs). People start believing in a deity and forget they even have a brain. They think if their minister (or whatever they call their religious leader) tells them something then it must be true (I wonder if someone told them the sky was no longer blue, but a hazy shade of lavender and somehow managed to prove it using the bible how many would fall for it?). I asked someone over four years ago if they were told computers are evil, would they stop using one - I meant it as a joke, but I've actually heard people on TV since then telling this to their congregation.

A more recent example of the stupidity that "Christians" seem to fall into involves a pharmacist in Kansas who deliberately diluted chemo drugs and sold them to make more money. His reason? He promised his church a huge sum of money for a building fund and didn't have it to give. So he quite possibly condemned innocent people to die from cancer so *HE* could donate to his church? Is that how "Christians" are supposed to act? The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many? Or the ends justify the means? It's like these anti-abortionists who go around killing people in abortion clinics to "save babies". What about the families left behind after the deaths? Do they deserve to be condemned for what someone did these people don't agree with? I'm not saying I am anti-abortion - in fact, I'm pro-choice (take that however you want - I don't believe a bunch of men have the right to tell a woman how she should take care of her body), but once again these self-righteous people want to dictate to others that something is wrong by using murder to prove it. Where's the logic there?

Bottom line... no one can put all their "faith" in a book that isn't meant to be taken literally and isn't a reliable source for historical or scientific data. Though I do find it humorous at the vast number of people who think it's a book of prophecy and yet put down anyone who's into the occult. I guess as long as you think some kindly old man in the clouds wrote it, that makes it OK to predict the future, but if you use Tarot cards, you're goin' to Hell for sure! What a crock! They aren't even paying any attention to what the bible actually says before they go out there and spout this crap.

First, according to THEIR "good book" no one is in a position to judge ANYONE on ANYTHING except "god". Many seem to forget that little tidbit. Second, the three wisemen were astrologers - how the hell do they think Jesus was found in the manger by following that star anyway? They didn't have compasses back then, astronomy hadn't been invented and they sure didn't use bread crumbs! I'm really sick of all these banner waving Christians who go around talking about Jesus and don't even know what Jesus taught and definitely don't practice it. They think it's okay to pass judgement on someone who looks different or acts different. Jesus didn't say "Hey you can go beat up these guys cuz they are different." Jesus accepted EVERYONE regardless of their color, race, creed, mode of dress, religion, personal habits, etc. And, if you think about it, look where Jesus was born. Do you really think he was some white guy with blondish-brown hair and blue eyes? Not likely. GROW UP and stop persecuting those who are different from you! I'm no Christian by belief, but I live a more "christian" life than 90 percent of those who are "christian" by self-identification. I think that's pretty sad.

As for the bible, it's been translated, interpreted, and edited so many times (not to mention all the different existing versions) that there is no way it's original anymore. And if you're Jewish, that second part doesn't make any sense (there is no "beta version" for the Jews folks, sorry). Keeping in mind the "original books" were not written down for hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of years. You can't rely on something that flaky for anything except a spiritual uplift and guidance in daily life. Beyond that it's totally unreliable - I don't care WHO you think wrote it!

If you really want to make a difference in your life and the lives of others, live your life by the Golden Rule, give to a good non-religious charity, and start treating other people like human beings. And (forgive my religious reference) for GOD's sake stop pointing your finger at people you don't know and passing judgment on them based on how they look, dress, or talk! If there was a deity I can promise you he/she would not give a fig about any of that.

While I was in the hospital, they stuck me in rooms with mostly OLD people... I mean people old enough to be my parents and possibly grandparents. I have nothing against old people because one day I'll be old, but the current crop has a lot of prejudices we need to be rid of and SOON! I deplore and detest the verbal "labels" I hear people attach to this group or that.

Case in point, during my second stay, after my surgery, I overheard my "roommate's" husband talking about a doctor's appointment he had the next day and how he was dreading it. I can certainly understand that, but then he referred to the doctor he was going to see in a most unkind manner... using a term often attached (by those who have no foggy clue what they're talking about) to people who come from the Middle East. I don't know if this doctor was from the Middle East or somewhere closer to the Far East and I won't repeat the term because it disgusts me as much as the other terms people use to describe others of a different culture, race or ethnic origin. However, in my mind, I thought... "One of those ******** you refer to saved my life!" How can people be so ignorant? And I'm sure this man thinks of himself as a "good Christian" -- I think of people like this as a "good hypocrite". I wasn't in any condition to get into an argument, but the thought did cross my mind that perhaps I should remind this guy where Jesus was from - doesn't that make his origins Middle Eastern? People disgust me with their narrow opinions and even narrower minds - especially when they call themselves religious.

Remember, when or if he or she invented the human race he or she didn't put clothes on us. (of course, this would only be true if you believe we all sprang from two people) I don't subscribe to that theory either because I know enough about genetics to know we'd all be a bunch of inbred idiots if that were actually true (though in some cases it IS true)... and no, "god" could not make it so that wouldn't happen... genetics are a fact of life and, if you believe, god invented that, too (which again, I do not).

Yes, it's true, I am an atheist. I used to be religious, used to be "Christian", used to even be "Catholic" for a time (GASP!) - now I just treat others as I would wish to be treated. That's good enough for me. I don't need to believe in any deity or a book some humans invented. It's my contention that religion is for the weak. Believe in yourself first, the rest will take care of itself.

Even during my recent ordeal I stuck to my current "beliefs". I didn't pray (though I know some of my Christian friends did for me), I just knew inside I would be all right. That was enough. I felt I had enough strength inside to survive without relying on some unknown, unseen deity for help. I didn't mind people "praying" for me, I don't really have anything against true Christians (they are few and far between), but I personally didn't need to do it. Good thoughts are enough for me.

Oh, and yes, not to sound Napoleonic, I would like to take over the world some day and, when I do, all the idiots (read that as hypocrites) will be sent to live in that 1500 mile long city or the black holes in space, whichever works best. :) (said totally tongue in cheek so please don't send me any hate mail or accuse me of being too egotistical! Hey folks, it's a joke! Though I wish I had that ability... there'd be a lot of really surprised people if I did! heh heh)

In case it isn't obvious, I was born and raised in California with an open mind (ah yes, land of "fruits and nuts"). I learned early to look beyond what is on the surface. Luckily, my parents, even though raised in the mid-West (full of narrow-minded religious types), taught me to think for myself. Far from negativity and with a strong sense of right and wrong - fair and unfair - good and evil.

I've traveled - the UK, Germany, the US, Mexico and parts of Canada - moved around - California, Alaska, Virginia, Texas, and seen enough to know the world is getting smaller and full of all types of people. I constantly ask "Why can't we all learn to get along?"