Oh Jesus, get off the kitchen floor

[billw]

Latest pareidolia from Vegas:

Antonia Baker saw the image in the floor of her Lakes home for the first time three years ago during the Christmas season while she was recovering from surgery for an eye injury. Doctors said she had to keep her head down to allow her retina to heal. She wasn't allowed to read or use the computer, so she had to stare at the floor for three weeks.

That much concentration led her to see an image that had always been in the 13-by-13-inch ceramic tiles, but had never been recognized.

"I never noticed for five years. I never even looked," she said. "It didn't manufacture itself. It was just always there."

The image of Jesus from the waist up and facing to the left is the same in every tile, so it likely was made during manufacturing, she said. Baker bought the tiles about eight years ago from a shop that is no longer in business. However, it's possible others purchased the same tile and could be walking on Jesus too.

"You could find him and he might be right there under your feet," she said.

Some of Baker's friends told her they see the image, but not everyone can, she said.

Baker said she doesn't want to make a big deal out of the image or turn her house into a shrine. She believes the depiction is meant to be inspirational and said this is the time of year for religious reflection.

"My brother said, 'The reason that your eye popped (referring to her eye injury) is that you're walking on Jesus all the time.' I said, 'No, he's holding me up,'" she said.

She attempted to sell a couple of spare tiles on eBay, but pulled them off after one man, who offered $100 for one, made too many demands to complete the deal.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jan/02/valley-resident-sees-portrait-christ-floor-tiles/

[Twiler]

Pareidolia.

Pareidolia, pareidolia, pareidolia.

Pareidolia? Pareidolia!

[CFLarsen]

Walking on Jesus?

Blasphemer.

When I blow this whistle...

[Aepervius]

hile she was recovering from surgery for an eye injury. Doctors said she had to keep her head down to allow her retina to heal. She wasn't allowed to read or use the computer, so she had to stare at the floor for three weeks

is that usual to ask people to look at the ground ? Why not use low level technology like.... tinted glasses ? Or even a blackeye patch ?

[Gravy]

is that usual to ask people to look at the ground ? Why not use low level technology like.... tinted glasses ? Or even a blackeye patch ?Light transmission isn't the problem. Whether the eyes are open or not, the head needs to be kept in a downward position to help with healing after certain eye surgeries.

[articulett]

Jesus is in my hometown!--The City of Sin!

Who knew?

[TjW]

Jesus is in my hometown!--The City of Sin!

Who knew?

And He's down and dirty...

[Safe-Keeper]

Why does this even get news coverage?

[articulett]

Well, how many times does Jesus just let people walk all over him in your city?

[roger]

Let's see, I see an image of a fist, a fish with a vaguely human face, and someone making a kind of duck bill shape with their hand. Oh, and an action we were banned from talking about in the non-member section. Why is Jesus beside the giant fist?

[NobbyNobbs]

Pareidolia.

Pareidolia, pareidolia, pareidolia.

Pareidolia? Pareidolia!

Well at least something good will come of this:

How is this word pronounced? I've seen it in print a lot, but never heard it spoken.

[MattusMaximus]

How come no one ever sees an image of Jesus when they look in the toilet just after taking a dump?

Just wondering...

[MattusMaximus]

Why does this even get news coverage?

I guy I know calls it "filling the news hole".

[BillC]

Well at least something good will come of this:

How is this word pronounced? I've seen it in print a lot, but never heard it spoken.

pæraɪˈdoʊliə, that is:

pæ- (short a, as in 'pack')
-raɪ- (like 'rye')
-doʊ- (like 'dough')
-liə (like 'lee-a')

Hence: "pa-rye-dough-lee-a"

[billw]

/pæraɪˈdoʊliə/

[billw]

"pa-rye-dough-lee-a"

Wow - you must have the fastest bazooka in town :D

[FreshHat]

Why does this even get news coverage?

This just in...

In a related development, Mr. Clean has been canonised.

Film at 11:00.

[The Atheist]

How about this one? (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10550309)

[NobbyNobbs]

This just in...

In a related development, Mr. Clean has been canonised.

Film at 11:00.

You know, I know just the product that will take care of that greasy film....

[Lucky]

This may very well be the most pitiable and least convincing example of religious pareidolia ever.

Leaving aside that the thing looks exactly like a floor tile, and given the most generous dose of wishful pareidolia, I've never been able to understand how these people convince themselves they're seeing Jesus (or Mary). I mean, we have no idea what J (or M) looked like - could be anyone (if anyone).

For instance, this one looks incredibly much more like Charles 1 by Van Dyck (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19570/19570-h/images/image_08_1.jpg) than any Jesus (or Mary) I've ever seen (though still more like a floor tile).

[bruto]

Forget Mr. Clean! this is a job for12623

[CFLarsen]

I think this is the first case of a repeated pareidolia: The figure is on more than one tile.

Certainly not one of a kind.

[billw]

How about this one? (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10550309)

Looks like it would be delicious with a bit of hummus, as long as you don't mind nibbling Jesus in a ritually cannibalistic manner. Oh, wait a minute.......

[TheSkepticCanuck]

Another interesting coincidence - The article was written by a guy named Pope. :)

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I thought this was going to be a thread about a new country & western song.

[Alareth]

Why is it he always appears as the white, long haired, westernized Jesus and not the middle eastern, short curly haired version as described in the holy and infallible Bible?

[fuelair]

I thought this was going to be a thread about a new country & western song.
Like "Drop-kick me, Jesus (Through the goalposts of Life)"?:D

[TX50]

How about this one? (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10550309)

This presumably is Jesus' hideously deformed brother John?

[Ashles]

She attempted to sell a couple of spare tiles on eBay, but pulled them off after one man, who offered $100 for one, made too many demands to complete the deal.
Like what?
(Actually maybe I don't want to know...)

I like the last comment on that page:
Something tells me the eye surgery was not successful

[korenyx]

Like "Drop-kick me, Jesus (Through the goalposts of Life)"?:D


I always perfered "Jesus Loves You, I Don't". :cool:

[fuelair]

Oh Jesus, get off the kitchen floor
Stand up now & help me, I'm feelin' mighty pore,
My man just done run off with the widder from next door!!
Oh Jesus, get off the kitchen floor !!

[articulett]

I like the last comment on that page:
Something tells me the eye surgery was not successful


:fg:

'wish I'd thought of it.

[billw]

Oh Jesus, get off the kitchen floor
Stand up now & help me, I'm feelin' mighty pore,
My man just done run off with the widder from next door!!
Oh Jesus, get off the kitchen floor !!

Y'know there's nothing in there about trains or trucks or getting drunk or prison or Mama......

[fuelair]

It's only the first stanza........

[The Atheist]

Why is it he always appears as the white, long haired, westernized Jesus and not the middle eastern, short curly haired version as described in the holy and infallible Bible?

Cultural empathy.

Given that Jesus would have actually looked much like today's ragheaded terrorists, widdle sky-daddy worshippers are more comfortable praying to an icon which looks more themselves.

I love the blond Jesus; I use him as an avatar at a christian forum. You have to watch out for your iconography - left to their own devices, some sects would draw him as a coon (http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s97/TheAtheist/maorijesus.jpg)!

[Hamradioguy]

Why is it he always appears as the white, long haired, westernized Jesus and not the middle eastern, short curly haired version as described in the holy and infallible Bible?

Excellent question. Some time ago I found this on line somewhere- A concept of Jesus based on what people of that region looked like 2,000 years ago.

Sometimes I'm tempted to hang this portrait and tell my religious friends that they are worshiping a false image.

[SphereGuy]

Once again I pull out my VW Virgin Mary... http://www.starthinker.com/images/mary.jpg

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Excellent question. Some time ago I found this on line somewhere- A concept of Jesus based on what people of that region looked like 2,000 years ago.

Sometimes I'm tempted to hang this portrait and tell my religious friends that they are worshiping a false image.

That can't be! Jesus is tall and skinny and white! And he has long hair!

[neltana]

For those of you too skeptical to see the image, I enhanced it using my MK Davis toolkit. The original is on the right, the enhancement is on the left (slightly reduced).

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/2341149626e29d6b6a.jpg

I bet you all feel silly now for calling it para..paera...para-doilie!

All it takes is a simple adjustment of the contrast...and maybe a few tweaks I forget...and bingo. This is clearly a photocopy of an early Polaroid of Jesus.

[Psi Baba]

It looks more like Saint Nicholas than Jesus.

[neltana]

It's interesting that you point that out. Further enhancement seems to reveal what could be a feline wearing a Santa Claus hat in the lower left hand corner. This could be a picture of Jesus actually celebrating Christmas with his cat, Mr. Puffers.

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/234114962817fec106.jpg

There really is an amazing level of detail hidden in this floor tile.

[TjW]

Perhaps the kitty is about to eat the fish he's holding in his left hand?
Actually, it looks like he's preparing to ram the fish down kitty's throat.

[neltana]

I can't believe I didn't see the fish before.

Clearly, this is a picture of Jesus, giving his cat, Mr. Puffers, a Christmas present of a fish, Mr. Scaly.

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/2341149635e4aed358.jpg

[articulett]

Deep!

Jesus didn't just feed the crowd with his fish multiplying skills-- he made a special hocus pocus fish for Mr. Puffers. It's really comforting to know Jesus liked felines. And the Santa hat has some great symbolic meaning, I'm sure.

Excellent sleuthing, Neltana. (I'm hoping you can give me a reading of my cottage cheese ceiling next?)

[neltana]

I only do floors.

[TjW]

I only do floors.

Are you using a Microsoft operating system? I'd love to meet someone who does floors in Windows.

[billw]

Clearly, this is a picture of Jesus, giving his cat, Mr. Puffers, a Christmas present of a fish, Mr. Scaly.

I wonder why the bible doesn't mention Jesus' kitteh. And who knew he celebrated Christmas? How very recursive.

[TjW]

I wonder why the bible doesn't mention Jesus' kitteh. And who knew he celebrated Christmas? How very recursive.

Why wouldn't he celebrate his birthday? He was a jew, not a Jehovah's Witness.

[neltana]

Jeezus Kitteh is one of the many things that were edited out of the gospels during the Pauline era.

I think Matthew originally had Santa Claus delivering the gold, frankincense and myrrh, but the wise guys got to him. Never underestimate the power of the mafia.

[articulett]

Why wouldn't he celebrate his birthday? He was a jew, not a Jehovah's Witness.

The cat's Jewish? I bet the circumcision was difficult.

[billw]

The cat's Jewish? I bet the circumcision was difficult.

MeOWWWWWWWW!!!!!

[articulett]

Jeezus Kitteh is one of the many things that were edited out of the gospels during the Pauline era.

I think Matthew originally had Santa Claus delivering the gold, frankincense and myrrh, but the wise guys got to him. Never underestimate the power of the mafia.


I heard that Mary never sent them a thank you note.

[Soapy Sam]

Excellent question. Some time ago I found this on line somewhere- A concept of Jesus based on what people of that region looked like 2,000 years ago.

Sometimes I'm tempted to hang this portrait and tell my religious friends that they are worshiping a false image.

Good God! He looks Jewish!

[Shrike]

I think he's just down there to look up skirts. Or kilts.