Scratch

Here you will find older scratches, musings and other detritus that once were located on the front pages, but have now faded.

Filed away here to collect dust and cobwwwebs in perpetuity, links may break, facts may change and data may corrupt.

On occasion I may come down here to tidy, but for the most, I prefer to leave the past where it lies.

 

Abandon All Hope

Dante's Divine Comedy depicts an allegorical vision of the Christian afterlife, showing the three areas:

• Inferno - Nine circles with the last three being split into three rings, ten bolgias and four zones respectively - eternal suffering and torment in varying degrees ;
• Purgatorio* - Two pre-terrace, erm, terraces, 7 terraces and a seperate garden, erm, terrace - essentially an honor system allowing you to leave a terrace once you believe you have atoned for you sins*; and
• Paradiso - nine spheres of Heaven based upon your devotion to God;

One area that in my mind seems to have been omitted is the level, presumably transcending Hell and Purgatory, that looks mysteriously like a large concert hall. Therein lies a single solitary SingStar microphone where individuals take it in turns under the blazing lights to sing songs they don't know in vocal ranges they don't have. Slightly above them, and in rather too close proximity to the stage lighting, is a small cramped mezzanine level where people sit on uncomfortable stools and listen to the performers.

As to which area is Purgatory and which is Hell I am unsure, nor do I know what sins the poor individuals would have committed to deserve such punishment. I just know, neither option really appeals.

'You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave...'