Internet Lodge of Research Blog

International Conference on the History of Freemasonry 2011

Blog Admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:51:19 +0000

This premier conference is taking place at Alexandria, Virginia at the end of May 2011 and my flight is booked.

Take a few moments and have a look at http://ichf2011.org/

Online Backup

Blog Admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:00:42 +0000

I’ve been looking for a company that keeps a backup of my data for a reasonable cost and I believe I found it – Carbonite.

Carbonite.com

I did my “due diligence” read all the reviews and then took the 15 day test drive and it worked like a charm. So I dug DEEP into my pocket and paid $54.95US for a year’s subscription and a year of peace of mind should my house burn to the ground etc. It took quite a few days to upload my initial backup but then I am stuck on a slow connection as Telus doesn’t give a very good service to Airdrie.

To my friends (if any exist) – If you decide that this MAY BE for you, drop me an email ’cause then I will recommend you and I will get three extra months free and you will get one extra month free. Make sure you email me BEFORE you register and download the trial version or we will both miss out.

Apple iPad

K.Madden — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:27:16 +0000

Apple has released their new iPad - digital reader, content reviewer, and wireless pad targetted at those of us who want a computer for the couch or the coffeeshop without all the functionality of a full laptop. At only $500USD, it may fill that niche.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10442905-49.html

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry

H.Young — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:48:52 +0000

This is the United Grand Lodge of England’s Library and Museum website and it is certainly worth a visit. On the home page, it proudly states “The Library and Museum of Freemasonry is a registered museum housing one of the finest publicly available collections of Masonic material in the world” it is an accurate statement. Predictably, it is focused on England and English Freemasonry, however, there are many items from different parts of the world. Try the Library Catalogue and do a search for “Calgary”.

The current featured exhibit is “Freemasonry and the Royal Society” and apart from the written word on the site, has a link to a full list of the Royal Society’s members.

Take a few minutes and have a wander at http://www.freemasonry.london.museum/

St. John the Evangelist and his day

Blog Admin — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:11:27 +0000

St. John the Evangelist

St. John the Evangelist is one of the two St. Johns who are associated with Freemasonry. St. John the Evangelist Day is the 27th of December.

For a full write-up on this Saint and his day, click HERE to read the online version from the Book of Days, printed circa 1865.

Motion Detector for your web cam

K.Parkyn — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:40:28 +0000

Here is a very cool, free application that you can run to enhance your security.
This Motion Detector turns your web cam into a surveillance camera that senses motion and starts recording read all more it and download from the link on the page:
http://lifehacker.com/5233052/motion-detection-is-an-effective-dead-simple-security-camera-app

The Babbage Engine

H.Young — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:37:47 +0000

Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage lived in England from 1791 to 1871. Did he invent the first modern computer?

http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/

Pictorial History of the world’s early computers

K.Madden — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:02:54 +0000

http://royal.pingdom.com/2009/12/11/retro-delight-gallery-of-early-computers-1940s-1960s/

Detroit Masonic Temple

Richard Hopkins — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:21:16 +0000

Detroit Masonic Temple from the air

Another site worth looking at. The architecture is fabulous.

(http://www.detroitmasonic.com/pictures.htm)

Liverpool Street Hotel, London

Richard Hopkins — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:15:00 +0000

Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel, London

Interesting bit of Info.

In years gone by, many London lodges, which were unable to afford their own premises, used to hire a room in a local inn/hotel/tavern for their meetings and the subsequent dinner/festive board. Such an arrangement was beneficial both to the landlord (from the increase in business on lodge nights) and to the lodge whose furniture and paraphernalia were safely stored.

From 1966 to 1988, the Grecian masonic room in the Great Eastern Hotel, built in the 1880s but known since 2008 as the Andaz Hotel <http://london.liverpoolstreet.andaz.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/>, was the meeting place of the Lion & Lamb Lodge No.129 <http://www.lionandlamb.org.uk/> according to information provided at <http://www.lionandlamb.org.uk/temple%20intro.html> together with photos at <http://www.lionandlamb.org.uk/Temple%20Thumbs.html> (No doubt this room was also regularly used by several other masonic lodges.)

A report entitled “English Masonic Lodges, Pipe Organs and National Heritage” by Andrew Pink (January 2007) mentions: “the organ by Norman and Beard Ltd of London (1912) in the lodge room known as The Greek Temple, at the Great Eastern Hotel at Liverpool Street Station, London. This imposing and highly decorated Edwardian space is Grade 1 listed and so the survival of its otherwise typically modest masonic pipe organ has been guaranteed by its being integral to the lodge room’s original design. Despite the completeness of the furniture and fittings in this lodge room it is no longer used for masonic meetings, but the instrument is intact and playable.”

Surprisingly, although this masonically decorated room is now available for hire for up-market events, it was for a while converted into a health club, before being boarded up behind a fake wall and forgotten!!!

Incidentally, early this year, the same publication “Londonist” had a report about Great Queen Street where UGLE’s main building is located <http://londonist.com/2009/01/spruce_up_for_great_queen_street.php>
**
S+F,
Ashok Mahbubani
*member of Scottish & English blue/craft lodges