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Mike P.
Joined: 27 Aug 2013
Posts: 15
Location: Toronto,ohio
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Posted: Mar 08, 2014 13:48 Post subject: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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A gemstone that was highly prized by the ancient Babylonian and Egyptians. Some believe it has mystical powers. Said this, I wonder why it is displayed in the MUSEUM COLLECTION OF THE COUNTER INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. Any one have any picture or stories of said mystical powers of this gemstone. |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4102
Location: Germany
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Posted: Mar 08, 2014 14:09 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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I do not think there are ANY mystical powers in gems or minerals. But even if - how should anyone have a PICTURE of this powers?! And to be honest, i do not understand what your question is?! And what's "Counter Intelligence Agency"? If you mean the CIA, it's CENTRAL Intelligence Agency ...
The only thing i can offer you is a picture of such a mineral specimen which is in my collection:
https://www.mindat.org/photo-484939.html
I keep this thing for some time now - and it never did anything magical or mystical ;-) |
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Mark Ost
Joined: 18 Mar 2013
Posts: 516
Location: Virginia Beach
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Posted: Mar 08, 2014 14:40 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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Tobi, come on now you know the men in the black helicopters guard the stone! Shoot, everybody knows this! |
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alfredo
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Jan 2008
Posts: 979
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Posted: Mar 08, 2014 15:40 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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Half a century ago, when Che Guevara was engaged in his fruitless fight to get a revolution started in Bolivia, the CIA was worried that Bolivia's tens of thousands of discontented and well armed miners might decide to support Che, so agent Henry Giorgi (sp?) was dispatched to the high Andes mining camps to spy on them. His cover was mineral specimen buyer, which of course meant he was buying nice rocks with CIA funds. Later, the CIA had no interest in these minerals and Giorgi got to keep them. They are now housed in some little backwater museum in his home village in upstate New York.
Perhaps times have changed and the CIA now wants to keep their property, and they have a case where such souvenirs are on display? The lapis lazuli locality is certainly in a region of great interest to the CIA, and no doubt their agents have picked up a few pieces there, either as cover or just for fun. Why not display them? I very much doubt secret mystical properties has anything to do with it at all ;)) |
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Mark Ost
Joined: 18 Mar 2013
Posts: 516
Location: Virginia Beach
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Posted: Mar 08, 2014 16:29 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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Alfredo
When I was a student doing field work in the Appalachians, DEA agents frequently posed as geologists making the real ones lives a bit harder.
Rules of Geology in the field:
1) You must look harmless or clueless, both would be preferable.
2) Never drive dark colored SUVs especially if recent year model.
3) If offered to buy some, buy it. You can throw it away later if inclined.
4) Tune radio station to country music or Fox news.
5) Never tint windows.
6) The more beat up the truck; the better.
7) if questioned, launch into the most arcane arm waving about the cambro-ordivician boundary. They won't know what you are talking about and will refer to rule 1. |
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Joseph DOliveira
Joined: 29 Jan 2012
Posts: 295
Location: Hanmer, Ontario
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Posted: Mar 08, 2014 16:59 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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Speaking as a geologist, I would think rule #1 should be pretty easy for any of us to accomplish. I have on occasion used it when found to be caught "unintentionally trespassing" while trying to reach that long lost mineral locality. _________________ Joseph D'Oliveira
Hanmer, Ontario
Canada |
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Peter Perkins
Joined: 17 Nov 2012
Posts: 87
Location: Norfolk,UK
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Posted: Mar 09, 2014 03:33 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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Mark, If you are going to talk about the cambro-ordivician boundary, never mind waving your arms about, nobody will know what you are talking about! |
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Mark Ost
Joined: 18 Mar 2013
Posts: 516
Location: Virginia Beach
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Posted: Mar 09, 2014 08:28 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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Precisely |
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Mark Ost
Joined: 18 Mar 2013
Posts: 516
Location: Virginia Beach
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Posted: Mar 09, 2014 08:52 Post subject: Re: Royal Blue Lapis Lazuli |
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Though "Arm Waving has an exact definition in geological parlance (not found in any reference but exact nonetheless), perhaps some non geologists or ones from other countries may need a definition. I am not sure this is a universal term. Arm waving means taking in vast measures of time and or rock, orogenies, epiric seas and such in the field while providing a statement that may or may not be true. Frequently it is used to:
1) Lend emphasis and give the speaker gravitas that they, most likely, do not have.
2) Frequently used by sophomores in college who have not heard that A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.
3) Distract fellow geologists on field conferences from the weakness of your argument or point.
4) Frequently seen on the National Geographic Channel.
5) True story; standing on an island in the James River, Richmond, Virginia, my professor was engaging in the practice. Some spectators from a bridge, above and in back of him, thought he was in trouble. The best part was when the fire/rescue trucks pulled up on the bridge during of his lecture (in back of him and out of his immediate sight). |
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