Beelzebub

Posted by Twelvebit (Victoria, United States) on 18 July 2008 in Cityscape & Urban.

Austin Image 12

This image is much softer than I like but I like the juxtaposition of elements too much to put it in the trash can. Strangely, reviewing the series of images I took at this corner reveals that the Beelzebub sign was off, came on for about four frames, and then turned back off again --with the vendor closing. It seems like the kind of "message" we might witness characters discovering in a movie like The Omen.

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Comments (12)

sherri from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

A good question, but it's not the right platform to ask it. That's my 2 cents:-)

18 Jul 2008 9:22am

@sherri: I'm not sure which question you're referring to....you mean the question I asked you on the car fire photo?

gbe from kansas city, United States

it's the hand in the upper left that's got me worried. great shot.

18 Jul 2008 12:03pm

@gbe: It's hard to tell from the photo but that hand is just the "don't walk" sign for pedestrians. Or, you can interpret it as stop and have a drink.

Observing from West Cheshire, United Kingdom

Maybe an advert for the Bar, also upper left. Great shot, love the light reflecting on the street

18 Jul 2008 3:27pm

@Observing: The hand is actually the "don't walk" sign for pedestrians.

dj.tigersprout from San Bruno, United States

yep -- we have them here too! what i can't understand is -- why do they have so much time on their hands...? and that being the case, why can't they find something more important to do? something educational, intellectual, constructive... anything! :) great shot though -- love the blue hues!

18 Jul 2008 4:05pm

@dj.tigersprout: I suppose they think it is important. I don't really care what people believe as long as their beliefs don't become an imposition.

Illuci from Hurdegaryp, Netherlands

Great journalistic work, first Mephisto and now Beelzebub, juxtaposed to the heralds of the narrow road. I don't quite understand the text on their sign: where would you be for eternity. It says nothing to me, maybe they mean: (how) are you prepared for eternity, or: be prepared, but that's already occupied by the Scouting Movement of Baden Powell :).

18 Jul 2008 4:19pm

@Illuci: They simply mean that if you haven't accepted Christ as your Savior you will spend eternity in Hell. They believe that the only preparation you need for eternity is to accept Christ into your heart. In fact, they believe that Adolf Hitler went to Heaven if before he died he accepted Christ, and that Voltaire and Mark Twain went to Hell, because they didn't.

JoeB from Brampton, Canada

This reveals the street and how busy it is, now I see why they picked the corner, lets go to the belly of the beast. This is the kind of corner where you bring lawn chairs and it would be more entertaining then any manufactured reality program or Texas Rangers vs. Blue Jays game. As to their question its a tactic used by all religions "scare them." Who wouldn't pick heaven you could use a different camera every day and don't forget the virgins.

18 Jul 2008 5:54pm

@JoeB: They believe that Adolf Hitler went to Heaven if before he died he accepted Christ, and that Voltaire and Mark Twain went to Hell, because they didn't.

MadScientist from Düsseldorf, Germany

These gentlemen enjoy their strategic meeting and plan their next steps to fight evil. Because, as an Austrian band once sung, "the evil is always and everywhere"! I'm sure that's kind of cool for them.

18 Jul 2008 6:39pm

@MadScientist: If they really wanted to fight evil in this country, they'd be standing someplace else --like out in front of Monsanto's headquarters, on Wall Street, or in front of the White House. Whether or not the "sinners" of 6th Street are "evil" is a question open to discussion, but if they are, it's irrelevant, since the power they have to do evil is extremely limited. I never see these people targeting the evildoers who actually have the power to work their evil upon the world. Another way to express this notion is to say that their concept of "evil" is both very limited and very selective.

danthro from Suburbia, United States

i see how it's a bit soft, but i still like it too. lots of interesting things, people, lights, colors, activity to look at in it

18 Jul 2008 7:29pm

@danthro: Yes, it's active, the way I'd like to see more city life in America. Around where I live in suburbia it's just boring and lifeless.

Sandy from Ontario, United States

I agree about the softness, but as danthro said, there are so many eye catching points in this shot. Looks like the cowboy is talking out of both sides of his mouth...interesting...

18 Jul 2008 8:12pm

@Sandy: Yes, it's active, the way I'd like to see more city life in America. Around where I live in suburbia it's just boring and lifeless.