On this page, we provide a 'running commentary' of the changes both large and small which we make relative to anti-Masonry, Masonry (Freemasonry), bogus Masonry, and all of the related items on this site. Because sometimes there are changes 'on the fly' (a spelling error, perhaps, or a very minor rewording), not every single thing is noted in this summary. We do try, however, to comment on changes that might be helpful to our guests in finding items of specific interest.

Our current website version is dated January 1, 2015

From our November 5, 2014 update to Present
- The US leader of the WERMs has died. Warren Rodgers, head of a group he claimed had 96,000 members but was, in reality, a fake Masonic organization with perhaps 1-2 other members (most likely simple followers) in the US and no members anywhere else, passed away at age 57. You can read about his bizarre claims for his religion-and-masonic fantasy here.
- You can't keep a good racist down apparently and it looks like a few of those who are against the Grand Lodge of Texas recognizing Prince Hall Masonry have gone off and started something called Ancient Anglo Saxon Freemasonry. <sigh> Got more information about these characters? Let me know. Nothing I'd like more than ripping the sheets off of Klansmen!
- A few months ago I was speaking with another Mason who's been active for many years in debunking the stupidity of Masonophobes. (I won't name drop, but he's even written a book about it - AND owes me a lunch next time I go to Washington! <grin>) One of the folks I'd mentioned was Ed Decker, not because he's that well known (except in his own mind) but because he's CONSTANTLY begging for you to help him live his life with your financial contributions. On Decker's Dollars, you can find a list of his begging over the past 10 years. It's far from complete today but we'll keep adding things to it as we go along. Anti-things: a family business!
- While some bogus groups fade from the limelight, others push forward into the vacuum, once again using tactics and tools which Freemasonry doesn't. An example is a podcast, available through iTunes which claims to be - "The Ultimate Masonic Podcast – Real Talk, Real Masons, All Positive". Only one problem: they're NOT REAL Freemasons except in their own imagination. Read here.

From our May 21, 2014 update to November 5, 2014
UNBELIEVABLE: a scammer is using the Bangor, Maine Masonic Center as the supposed address for the Illuminati Grand Lodge. Yep, that hub of international commerce and intrigue, a small community of some 32,000 souls (WAIT: is that number meaningful?). Read about the hilarity and OUR part in it here. This is too good to miss!
LOTS of funerals to attend in the world of Fake Masonry: they've been falling like leaves in the Fall all during 2014 it seems.
- First, the much touted Grand Orient of the United States (GOOFUS) has lost their internet presence and seems, for all intents and purposes, to be DEAD! It took longer than we'd thought but the results were SO predictable. The organization which claimed to be SO out in front on technology can't even keep a website going. You'll be able to get their domain for standard prices shortly. Bye Jeff: we've written the obituary....
- And then there's Halcyon Lodge, the only GOOFUS lodge that ever had a real physical presence (the building having been 'taken' from uninterested or bamboozled regular/recognized lodge members): despite their many bellicose claims of greatness, their website is gone too. In addition, their charitable foundation seems unable to get more than a handful of folks to use the building each year (with their touted Ball going elsewhere as well) and they're about a quarter of a million dollars in debt as shown in IRS tax filings. We wonder where their esteemed leader is in this time of crisis. Oh, wait: someone emailed us that he'd written on his Facebook page that he'd 'retired from Freemasonry'. Yeah, right!
- Let's not forget those WERMS (Wordwide Egyptian Rite Masons): Their leader seems to have decided that the Homestead website was just a tad too damaging to their 'reputation' (or credibility) and within a couple of days after we'd written about them, had taken down the site which had cost (supposedly) $150,000 to build. Wow! Then, several days later, it was up again and now, it's closed permanently, the domain name having expired. Wonder what we said....??? In any event, archive.org keeps track of things and we've updated links so you can still see some of their more.... errrr... 'interesting' claims. He's also got a static site that's piggy-backing on a company he's gotten to do their web design although the business owner/web designer would SURELY love it if the self-claimed millionaire gave her even a small part of the $150,000 he claimed to have spent on the former site. We suspect she'll wise up shortly and there'll be yet another change!
- Another of the 'create-it-yourself' lodges, Praxis in Idaho, whose creator travelled quite a bit to follow the bright blazing star of GOOFUS is now just a dim (-witted) memory. Too bad for those who thought it was a great thing.
Other things we've added/changed:
- Added some addresses and information for Grand Lodges but if we've got them in the wrong geographical listing, let us know! Thanks to those who sent us information.
- And Oh, goodness: our search engine from Atomz which had served for perhaps a decade has been closed down without warning to users by our 'friends' at Adobe. We've got a new search engine on board now and hope you find it helpful. Those pesky ads will now not be seen! If you're looking to add a search capability to your site (internet or intranet), you might want to check out Zoom. We've got no connection at all but have been pleased with what they've done at a very price-competitive level.

From our January 8, 2014 update to May 21, 2014
- Spamming emails to various Grand Lodge addresses along with several sent to us caused us to review a book titled "If" by Sébastien Peretti. Such an embarrassment for the author. Long story short: save your money!
- Added more places/things on our page on where to buy Masonic books (and pins, rings, and more);
- We discovered that our page on the group calling themselves the World Egyptian Rite Masons wasn't complete when it went live on January 8th. We've fixed that now. Sorry!
- Is the so-called Grand Orient of the United States (GOOFUS) completely defunct? Sure looks like it based on their web activity - or lack thereof....
- Should have mentioned earlier our thanks to Grand Lodge representatives who supply us with address, phone number and/or website changes. There are only a couple of sites on the web that have world-wide listings that are kept up-to-date so we appreciate the input. Thanks, Brothers (and other Grand Lodge staff too!!!).

From our November 24, 2012 update to January 8, 2014
WHOA! How did over a year slip away without an update to this site? Well, there are a couple of excuses but no real reasons. Masonic activity locally has been fun, fulfilling, and intense while anti-Masons and the bogus crowd have been very low key during the past few months. Being part of things at both a local and Grand Lodge level has left precious little free time - and discovering new opportunities to serve the Craft has been much more exciting than chronicling the aberrant behavior of those who deserve mention on this website. Looking around, you'll see that only 1-2 'fake Masonry' sites ever added anything during 2013 and some have fallen away when their domain ownership expired without renewal - a testimony to their lack of actual existence as we've noted all along. A few new anti-Masons have appeared but by now, their shrill and puerile attacks are easily seen for what they are: attempts to garner attention. It's easier for them to tear down others than to get followers on their own merit (which is often sorely lacking). Yep, masonicinfo.com is still alive and still getting 30,000-40,000 or more page views each month. We continue to 'pay the rent' from our own pocket and keep it alive. It's still a labor of love, but as the years pass and the influx of new applicants seem to 'see through' the stupidity often found on the web, it has sometimes seemed like adding 'just one more' anti-Mason to the list is really 'piling on'. In any event, sorry it's been so long, but we've got a few interesting tidbits for you now:
- Added another little story to our page on why you shouldn't wear Masonic jewelry pretending to be something you're not: grandpa's ring;
- And it wouldn't be an update if we didn't add to our page of phony/bogus organizations pretending to be 'real' Freemasonry;
- We added a page on a disturbed Toronto citizen - and found that he was actually a close neighbor of our perpetual source of comedy, Mike Restivo. Then, as the antics and bizarre behavior of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was making headlines on news broadcasts and comedy programs everywhere, we realized that all three of these men had something in common - and not just their place of residence. Read the story here.
- Updated the story on Conrad Murray, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of rock star Michael Jackson;
- Along with that, we added a whole page on the so-called World Egyptian Rite Masons which, it would seem, is a group of just a couple at the most; they're funny!
- Made some changes to the GOOFUS and Dissembling Lodges pages as well. We continue to hear from ex-members (although it's only a trickle since they've probably never had more than 30 people at any time) and it seems, based on tax records and a moribund website, that their Cleveland building, swiped from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, might cause them to completely disappear in the not-too-distant future - although when you've got someone who can't admit he bollixed things all up, that might not be as likely as it would otherwise be expected.
- We've also revisited a number of pages from our recent 'interesting specimens' to note that the websites about which they'd crowed so loudly a year or two ago are now nowhere to be found. Patience and perseverance doesn't seem to be part of the lexicon for them - but since they were flat-out wrong to begin with, it's hardly unexpected.

From our October 21, 2012 update to November 24, 2012
- It was brought to our attention today that an erroneous picture appeared on our page about the demise of G. David Cooksey. This has been rectified;
- Added a page about the wearing of a Masonic ring of a deceased relative;
- Included a link to the history of the Texas Longhorns 'hook 'em horns' sign fancied by some ultra-neurotic people as a means by which Masons signal to each other on our page about Masonic Handsigns;
- Called to task for not having updated our information relative to Pierre L'Enfant's supposed Masonic membership, some comments have been added on the Famous NON-Masons page about this.

From our January 3, 2012 update to October 21, 2012
The more you get involved in Freemasonry on a local level, the less time you have to be creating web pages. What has been clearly observed, though, are two things:
        1. That the vast majority of anti-Masonic stuff that's thrown onto the web (or any part thereof including social networking sites) generally represents a bout of self-aggrandizement. Those who lash out don't have a clue and their interest in condemning Freemasonry and/or its members flitters away quickly. Wimps or idiots: hard to tell sometimes but it's interesting that Freemasons are generally proud to proclaim their membership even unto death via obituaries and on their gravestones while anti-Masons never, ever do.
        2. Freemasonry as a whole isn't very good about presenting themselves online. A media consultant (usually NOT a Mason <sigh>) here and a web page kept up-to-date for a year or two there don't really have a lot of 'push' in terms of making the organization more well known. Thus, we provide here ongoing information that stands the test of time and which can be relied upon.
    Now if ONLY those who are so frantic about joining (from Africa and other developing countries) could just stop emailing me when the process is fully explained with links from the home page.... 
- Added some information about Masonic suppliers of books and jewelry on our page here.
- Moe Bedard, creator of the WebmasterMasons site has taken considerable umbrage over our disclosure of him and his activities, although we're not the only ones. Read his email and more here.
- Updated some Grand Lodge addresses on our page here. Thanks to those who've sent corrections. If we missed any, please email us again. Thanks!
- Added commentary about those with a criminal past seeking information relating to joining Freemasonry. It's a thorny subject!
- The so-called Halcyon Lodge, part (or maybe not - depends on what day of the week it is apparently) of the so-called Grand Orient of the United States (GOOFUS), several months ago took great umbrage at what we'd written about them (see the page Halcyon Hogwash) and responded - at least for two days before they apparently realized both the libel and stupidity of what they had written about yours truly. That's ok: just as they'd bragged that they had copies of what I'd written so they could point out if changes were made, so too are there copies with me. <chuckle> The poor dears: they apparently think somebody might care.
- And along the same lines, the so-called Grand Orient of the United States had an announcement about the passing of G. David Cooksey, a long-time antagonist of this site and its creator. Read the 'spin' (and lies) on this event here.
- The page about their many fantasy lodges has also been updated with some new information which shows the shuck and jive process progressing still. Oh, and did we mention that one of their "lodges" claims that author Dan Brown is a Mason? Perhaps they should get in touch with Mr. Brown and let him know - or maybe they got him confused with their apparently former Grand Master whose name they seemed afraid to mention, DALE Brown!
- And while the GOOFUS boys have been creating more online fantasies, perennially reality-challenged Brad Cofield seems to have lost all of his lodges as their domain names have expired and he's been battling the evil forces of the man he fawned over for the past couple of years, another one who's created fantasy pseudo-Masonic groups. Completely bizarre. See here for the latest.
- Plus in addition to all of the above, we've added small pieces to a number of pages including those in our book review section, our list of bogus lodges, a couple of more names to our people page, and more.

From our February 4, 2011 update to January 3, 2012
Sorry to have been SO long in making this update. I've been deep into several Masonic activities that have just been SO much fun and so fulfilling as well. It's been a delightful change from dealing with the folks that are written about on this site.
- Added links to a news story about the bogus "The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of South Carolina" - and THIS is why we are so adamant about making sure that those who use the trappings and words of Freemasonry actually do represent Freemasonry. This guy and other bogus groups do not!
- Added pages about a couple of more bizarre 'fake Masonry' outfits including the Moe Bedard and his "WebmasterMasons" and the deliberately elusive Facelodge.com;
- We were amused to find that the so-called Grand Orient of the United States (GOOFUS as we refer to them but GOUSA as they like to fashion themselves) announced in June (2011) that they were moving forward into 2011. Glad they caught up with the rest of the world which did that several months earlier. We've updated the ongoing saga of their Grand Masters and added information about their once proudly proclaimed relationship with the Grand Orient of France from which they loudly and defiantly proclaimed their legitimacy. Rewriting history once again, however, they now pretend it never mattered at all and the <10 members seek some other hook on which to hang their reason for being. We've also probably finalized the page about their former Praxis Lodge in Idaho although pushing the atheistic agenda, the one-man band (perhaps 2) has already hooked up with another irregular and unrecognized body which will likely be to that organization's detriment also. We've also documented some of the Halcyon Lodge hogwash since they're SO obnoxiously vocal about their rightful place in the Masonic universe but seem to be failing fast when even their touted 'venue' of a building was seemingly unable to secure winter holiday bookings.
- Updated information about the Masonic Knights Templar Eye Foundation, a truly great charity;
- Added information about the Norway assassin, Behring, who was a member of Freemasonry in Norway;
- Clarified some misinformation spread around the web defaming Ken Mitchell, an avid Masonophobe from the past;
- Added a number of names to our list of irregular bodies and expanded information on some of them;
- Added a number of 'tiny factoids' throughout including the death of anti-Mason Ron Carlson;
- Managed to get a couple of more book reviews done finally;
- Updated information about Carroll O'Connor's wearing of a Masonic ring in the popular "In the Heat of the Night" television series.

From our February 3, 2011 update to February 4, 2011

- We've said MANY times since Mr. Peace was removed from Freemasonry in 2004 that a house built from spite along cannot long stand. Less than 24 hours after our last update which included a page about their imaginary lodges, the last 'apparently functioning' lodge of the so-called Grand Orient of the United States (whom we have given the acronym of GOOFUS while they call themselves GOUSA), has left their fold. What other grandiose schemes will emerge for this bizarre situation? We hear that their newsletter editor, Mr. Quest, is forming an alliance with a disaffected Mason who loves to meddle whenever/wherever he can. What a pitiful situation. These people don't want to be involved with regular/recognized Freemasonry yet they do everything in their power, it seems, to create organizations 'just like' it. How stupid is that?

From our December 17, 2010 update to February 3, 2011

- Unmentioned in news of our last update was our entirely new revision of our page about the so-called Grand Orient of the United States which followed closely on the heels of a new website of theirs. Having been roundly defeated in his political aspirations, Dale Brown is back in evidence again there as well. Our new page, though, was because the MANY metamorphoses and knee-jerk changes in direction had left the old story a tortured mess (just like the reality of this group, it seems). So do enjoy the newly updated (and, temporarily, less confusing) GOOFUS page while the former page remains for record purposes here. In light of recent events threatening to rip the organization (such as it is) apart, we've also added a page with the status of their so-called lodges, nearly all of which are fantasy creations while the others are jumping ship rapidly. Check it out here. It'll be out of date within a couple of days of going online, we're pretty sure.
- Added some more information about the claims of the apparently sole Vulcan member.
We've got a BUNCH of other things that we wanted to add but other commitments have kept us from doing so. We'll keep working on it though.

From our August 11, 2010 update to December 17, 2010

- There's SO much more to add on so many different topics and the changing face of 'fake Masonry' means what they're doing one day isn't what they're doing the next;
- Received some interesting commentary about our page on President Obama. Did you watch the swearing in of his staff? If you're a Mason and you had, you'd KNOW he wasn't a Mason. Thanks to Brother Chris Robbins for his insight on this;
- We continue to add various places to our listing of Grand Lodges but become increasingly distressed that we'll get a dozen or more messages daily asking "How do I join?". Aren't the three links on the home page enough to point to the section which contains a dozen pages of instructions enough? Do we need a flashing neon sign?
- Email scams are on the rise. Be careful out there;
- We've been alerted to yet more instances of G. David Cooksey, creator of the pseudo-Masonic Vulcan Lodge in Birmingham, Alabama 'going spare' yet again. There's a link here if you're up for a giggle (because this saga is SO absurdly funny);
- And we've also added some information on the "Praxis Prattle" by somebody who's craving their 15 minutes of fame but not likely to get TOO much with the GOOFUS Grand Master around; and a new page on the whole concept of why no atheists are allowed in Freemasonry;
- The elections of 2010 in the US provided some bizarre moments but some of our attention was on Ward 29 in Toronto, Canada where the person who claimed using your computer's backspace key was illegal was this year running for public office. Welcoming back to the spotlight: Mike Restivo, now a public figure - who nearly lost his pants in a pathetic showing;
- The bogus Grand Lodge of All England's "Grand Secretary" continues to amuse while he continues, sans website, to lie about having hundreds of members world-wide. It's amazing how all of these bogus groups delude themselves;
- Not that they're all important, but perhaps the "True Catholic" website discovered that our page ranked higher in Google than their own - and so became truecatholic.us. We've changed our links accordingly;
- From time to time we get a question about why atheists are not eligible for Masonic membership. Our explanation is here;
- Added yet another person to our "Black Sheep" page as a reminder that Freemasonry - like all of society - is not immune from bad behavior;
- And, of course, the usual 'touch up' things including some spelling errors, internal links added, and more. For next time, coming soon, we've planned a chronology of the constantly disappearing 'lodges' (perhaps they should be called "dodges"?) of the GOOFUS crowd, added essays, some book reviews, an update on the CHIPS program page among other things.

From our April 7, 2010 update to August 11, 2010
 
- Not a good time for fake Masonry it would seem, despite their internet imaginativeness: Bad acting and/or a bad actor (literally!) may have ruined the Grand Lodge of All England after not even five years by blowing away the fantasy 900 year old tradition he spent so many hours creating on their website. See here for more information. Meanwhile the Vulcans seem to have vulcanized (except for one non-member who remains fossilized in the past and has revised a long-outdated blog suddenly realizing nobody whatsoever gave a whit about him perhaps) while a pseudonym writes to us privately that Rui Gabbiro is "creating havoc" with his so-called Masonic High Council of the so-called Regular Grand Lodge of England including sucking in men in Lebanon desperate for affiliation with Freemasonry. We've also been thinking about buying stock in United Parcel Service based on the many UPS store boxes John Gilbert of the so-called "Esoteric Masons" is using in order to avoid the connection of his many organizations with the warnings given here - because they're at a different address. The Grand Orient of the United States (GOOFUS) has seemed to pick up a new lodge (apparently they've given up the charade of a 'triangle' consisting of three people before they formed a lodge with seven and now just one person is enough!) but adding one "lodge" doesn't seem to make up for having lost several as they continue their downward spiral. Guess their Supreme Leader isn't finding it as easy to rule as he thought it would be. And, as usual, Mr. Cofield continues desperately and pathetically seeking attention. Lost money to any of these folks or others? Drop a note and let us know!
- We've added a couple of more names to our list of famous non-Masons. A tip of the hat to all those who've written about this page both now and in the past;
- Added some more Grand Lodges to our listing and fixed a couple of addresses;
- A very special and important note: Over the years, there have been a couple of sites which tried to address the embarrassment and strife that fake/bogus groups pretending to be Freemasons can cause. Most of these were one-offs, created on the basis of 'let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.' They soon thereafter were abandoned. Now, though, a VERY promising website has arisen to address the issue of rampant irregular/unrecognized groups calling themselves Freemasons in Lebanon. The site is modern appearing and promises to reveal the names and details of the many bogus groups operating there. Click here for their site. Although the creator(s) have chosen to remain anonymous, that would be quite understandable considering the political situation in that country and although we've long railed against sites with no identified authors, we can understand the need for privacy in this case. Best wishes with this needed work, Brothers!
- Found yet another scam involving the supposed giving away of money - oh, and membership too if you want it! Scams are everywhere: don't be foolish! Read more about this scholarship (a "foundation laying grant" they call it) scam here.
- A small group of rabid 'traditionalist' Catholics has decided that "Freemasonry" is all against them because of what I'd written on the page I added in the last update. Ignoring what I've written about comparative wrongs, they've chosen to portray themselves as the victims of some great persecution because I dared mention how the Catholic Church seems to have spent far more time in the last couple of decades condemning the imagined evils of Freemasonry while ignoring abuse of children by their priests. The page has been updated with additional commentary.

From our February 2, 2010 update to April 7, 2010
 
- The Catholic Church is rocked by more, and more intense, scandals. Yes, that Catholic Church which has declared that Freemasonry is bad. We've done a write-up on the 'comparative outrage' here;
- Whenever we shine a little light into the closet that is the Modern Rite of Memphis errr...  United Grand Lodge of America  errrr... Grand Orient of the United States, we always get a reaction. Within only hours of uploading our last update, there was a flurry of e-mails nearly all of which were self-congratulatory rationalizations for past behavior. The saga continues but by now, it's clear that those pursuing the path laid out by the self-anointed Grand Master are simply living in a fantasy world which has ZERO relationship to Freemasonry and ZERO relevance. One must wonder how grown men can continue to deceive themselves but throughout history it has been thus. Fortunately it hasn't yet gotten to the 'People's Temple' or 'Heaven's Gate' stage though from the rabid behavior of some of those who were supporters in the past, we had that fear. Sanity now appears to be returning to almost all former members, they having slinked off into the darkness from whence they came but the self-delusion in a handful remains evident. See the latest here. Oh, and one of their only adherents left is running around stealing copyright material - from me! Typical: thieves and liars all, it seems.
- After 7 years, we've updated our page about 'Religious Intolerants' and Freemasonry. Just an elaboration but it includes comments on a broader approach to hatred. We've also added a page on Catholics in light of the recent sex scandal revelations which seem to show high church authorities looking the other way. It seems that their time spent railing against Freemasonry might have been better spent addressing the evils within their own organization.
- Every now and then someone will quote the Sacred-Texts website to 'prove' that there really was such a thing as Palladium Masonry. More about that here.
- Updated our Jack Chick page with newer links. It's been a long time since we did that and most were broken. Sorry.
- With the arrest of Doctor Conrad Murray, a number of folks have been visiting our site to understand that his picture in Masonic regalia does NOT mean that the is a part of regular/recognized Freemasonry. Read more - and see pictures of his so-called Grand Lodge - here.
- Brad Cofield continues his pestiferous behavior and has now created a dozen or so websites which create the illusion that there is such a thing as "Post-Modern Freemasonry". If you've had encounters with Brad, do let us know so we can keep others from falling into his web of deceit.
- And, as usual, added a few names to our list of anti-Masons. We haven't bothered to document any of them directly as their whines, rants and stupidity is simply 'more of the same'. There's little new and the arguments all seem to be simple repetition, most geared to garner attention and nothing more.

From our October 28, 2009 update to February 2, 2010
 
- "Free Masonrie" is apparently the new 'what we do du-jour' for the self-created "Grand Lodge of All England". In the past two months of 2009, their erstwhile Mr. Clatworthy has apparently concocted this new means of obfuscation. It's hysterical!
- And the so-called "Regular Grand Lodge of North Carolina" (under the bogus "Regular Grand Lodge of England") now has one of their "Senior Officers" in Iraq passing out degrees. (Not a senior officer in the military, mind you, but a Senior Officer in their little canoe club.) Be careful out there!
- The Grand Orient of the United States (referred to by us and many others with the acronym GOOFUS) seems to have 'lost' their fearless leader. Say it ain't so, Jeff....  The tantalizing bits here.
- Karen Trenouth continues to amaze and astound with her sloppy scholarship and absolutely absurd conclusions which reveal FAR more than she appreciates;
- Added book reviews including Debunked!, a great read for those who think the world's gone mad with conspiracies sprouting from every crack in the sidewalk and two about the death of William Morgan. Also added several books about the Knights Templar books on this page including some fiction that you might enjoy;
- Added yet more information about more schemes by the internet gadfly, Brad Cofield who's now haunting Facebook and other locales, scaring people and enjoying it apparently;
- Found that 'Doctor' John Gilbert of the so-called 'Esoteric Freemasons' is even more busy than we'd thought. Now he's got a charity for single women supported by - who'd have guessed - all of his other pseudo-groups. Read about Infinity Point here.
- Added a piece of information about invitations to Masonic installations.
- And yes, perennial foot-in-mouther Pat Robertson is at it again, proclaiming that the Haitian earthquake was all because the Haitians made a pact with the devil some 200 years ago. Despite this, he's STILL influential. Amazing what simple minds will accept.

From our September 19, 2009 update to October 28, 2009
 
- Added some details on some Masonophobes including Eliza Earsman who's convinced the "Scottish Ritual Masons" are plotting World War III;
- And more earth shattering news this update: the often pernicious blogger who has hidden behind the moniker of "Widow's Son" on the "Burning Taper" blog, never missing a chance to denigrate Freemasons and Freemasonry while presenting a hygienized view of the antics of the GOOFUS crew (but never seeming to have the intestinal fortitude to leave the Grand Lodge of Georgia to join them) has now self-identified as John "David" Ross (something that came as no secret to most), for a very special purpose. No, it's not so the "Doctor" can sell you some homeopathic stuff to change your life but rather to try and capitalize on his oft-disdained Masonic ties to get you and your lodge into a multi-level marketing program. If he isn't a millionaire in three weeks, it'll all be my fault - just as everything that happens involving these characters seems to be. (Just FYI: the Federal Trade Commission's page on Multi-Level Marketing is here for those who might consider this path to freedom from want. Another great site regarding MLM is here.)
- Spurred on by world-wide inquiries, we continue to add and elaborate on our listing of Grand Lodges throughout the world. Sadly, some bogus organizations have planted their (internet) flag in more repressive parts of the world, attempting to secure money and membership from those who dearly crave more freedom and personal liberties. Be careful of scams!!!
- Updated our page about Masonic scholarships where we also warn of internet scams.

From our September 13, 2009 update to September 19, 2009
 
- The publishing world was all a-buzz with Dan Brown's book and although a trending topic on Twitter for the morning of 9/15, it was gone by afternoon. Fame is a fleeting thing - especially compared with the 300 years Freemasonry has been around. While Catholics were up in arms about their portrayal in Brown's earlier work (The DaVinci Code), Freemasons were treated quite respectfully. We believe there's a large reservoir of goodwill towards Freemasonry which seems to have gone unnoticed by most Masons prior to now and it's bubbling up with the essentially positive works of recent years. See our further review of The Lost Symbol here.
- The earth-shattering announcement on 9/15 wasn't Dan Brown's book though: it was that the so-called "Euclid Lodge" in Michigan has severed its ties with the Grand Orient of the United States (GOOFUS). More here.
- And that's it for now....

From our August 31, 2009 update to September 13, 2009
 
- The Freemasonry Watch website has been jumping with glee over a picture of Dr. Conrad Murray, suspect in the Michael Jackson death, in a Masonic collar. What the WHOLE story? Not one you'd EVER find at his site but we've got it here.
- Added a listing of books about Pike and books about the Illuminati which might be of interest to some visitors including a review of a book about the REAL Illuminati, Perfectibilists by Terry Melanson;
- Also added information about Pike and the supposed connection to the Knights of the Golden Circle including commentary on the book Rebel Gold.
- Book review of a brand new work by Jay Kinney published on 8 September 2009 just in advance of The Lost Symbol and designed to be information supplemental to what it's presumed to be about, titled The Masonic Myth. Highly recommended!
- And, as is customary, added a couple of new names to our list of anti-Masons. Every turn through Amazon now reveals more self-published crap with more opportunities for people to pretend they actually have something worth writing about;
- Added world championship motorcyclist Joey Dunlap of Ireland to our list of Famous Freemasons thanks to Bro. Dermott Lawless. His lodge said that "Joey was a dedicated Mason, and visited Lodges throughout the world when he was on his travels, be it races or charity work." - of which there was much and for which he was honored with an OBE.

From our July 9, 2009 update to August 31, 2009
 
- We continue to expand and enhance listings of Famous Freemasons as well as Famous Non-Masons etc. These pages are always very popular despite the disdain we see expressed online from time to time about 'a bunch of old, dead guys';
- Masonic hand signs (handsigns as they're sometimes referred to) seem to be the big thing on the internet these days. Some folks with more time than sense spend endless hours looking for that quarter-second video clip showing some world leader making a sign so everyone will know he's a 'big deal Mason' - although he (or she!) won't just come right out and say so. You can read more about this phenomena and the fantasy of it all here;
- Because we're always getting e-mails about the eye in the pyramid, we've added a bit more information (and done some visual enhancements) to that particular page and we've expanded one of our most visited pages - the Illuminati! We've also added a page about the supposed letter from Mazzini to Pike about the Three World Wars.
- We've also done a bit of 'touch-up' work on the USENET Freemasonry FAQ. With major ISPs now dropping these streams, this may soon become a relic of the past.
- Perhaps the biggest change of all on this update was the complete revision of our Site Map. We hope you like it.
- Added a new page about appraisals of Masonic items. It's something you'll want to read.
- We've spend a fair amount of time going through the site and picking up on places where we've had some inconsistencies arising from not fully re-reading pieces after they were changed slightly. No big deal, and anyone reading those sentences would immediately recognize that it was just a matter of brain moving faster than fingers. Nonetheless, we've caught several and have tidied them up;
- Added a few more names and biographies of anti-Masons to the 'shame on them' listing including "Examiner" Daniel Hopkinson who has managed to find a seach-engine darling site on which to proselytize, Ehsanul Islam Sadequee who was convicted of terrorism and faces a sixty year prison sentence, Scott Roeder who is accused of brutally murdering a doctor in Kansas, and Eric Dubay the absurd near-child who desperately wants to be a darling of the internet conspiracy set;
- Included information about the upcoming book by Dan Brown, "The Lost Symbol". We'll have much more after we've read the book. We've also added some info about a book titled The Marketing Code by Stephen Brown (no relation to Dan but written along the same lines) which uses masonicinfo.com as part of the plot. Buy a copy!!! <grin>
- Made changes and additions to our Grand Lodges address/website listing page (with thanks to those who've sent messages to keep us current!;
- Brad Cofield under the cover of yet another of his alter egos - Raum Sariel - is at it again, creating more fantasy pseudo-Masonic organizations. What's more hilarious, though, is that his prior use of a stolen photograph to perpetuate his lies seems to have resulted in a happy outcome. Read the story here.

- From our June 20, 2009 update to July 9, 2009
 
- Have you been directed to this website to sign up as part of receiving millions of dollars from the Freemason society? Sadly, this is a FRAUD! You can read more here about the absurd lie which has used this web site as part of its ruse.
- Added a couple of more men to our Famous Freemasons section including the 'father of surfing', Duke Kahanamoku (Thanks, Bro. Ron Swan who tells us that this is the first time Bro. Duke been included on such a list!), and fixed up a couple of typos found along the way.
- Ah, those kiddies from the so-called Vulcan Lodge are practicing their brand of 'Masonic behavior' again so - as promised - the make-believe 'Masons' from Birmingham, Alabama have had some updated commentary added to this page about them - and simultaneously we tidied up the page about the so-called Grand Masters of the GOOFUS (Grand Orient of the United States) group to which Vulcan appears to desperately want to affiliate but can't because of <no, we don't mention that name around here - but insiders will 'get it'>.
- Added just a bit more to our Contact Us page. Every now and then there's that e-mail from someone who feels threatened about writing. Trust me: only people who are doing things they shouldn't ever feel threatened.
- And added a couple of more folks to our anti-Masons listing including such 'gems' as Shella Roma, the 29 year old UK woman who thinks Freemasonry was responsible for 9/11 and encourages readers of her pamphlet to start a holy war in support of Osama bin Laden.

From our February 11, 2009 update to June 20, 2009
 
- An announcement of a new blog I've started about the iPhone. If you're a Mason and want to know what the fuss is all about (or are already an iPhone enthusiast), drop by www.masoniciphone.com and see what you think.
- All Black people are the same, right? In the mind of Canadian racist 'Freemasonry Watch' also formerly known as "St. John, the Sublime Reformer", apparently so as he vainly attempts to prove that US President Barack Obama is a Mason by citing an anonymous 2007 post on a conspiracy web site. Replete with his rant are pictures of Senator Roland Burris. It's pitiful - and it's at the bottom of this page which, sadly, he'll gain from if you go to see it due to his many ads. <sigh>
- New Hampshire tax evader and Masonophobe Ed Brown and his wife still sit in prison cells trying to convince the world that Freemasonry is the root of all their problems. It would be laughable if it weren't so darn tragic. His phobia could have cost many, many lives!
- Convicted Mason-hater and murderer Rene Sonny Stermole's attempts at freedom continue as he tries to prove that he's not insane;
- The ever-resourceful Karen Trenouth has, it appears, mastered the art of 'cut and paste' although she's still completely oblivious to the concept of 'making sense'. She's even taken us to task claiming that - by simply so stating - she's proven something. Hey, Karen: I'm the most handsome guy in the world! What? You don't believe it? I've PROVEN it. FULL STOP. Read more about her ongoing absurdity here.
- The self-created so-called "Grand Orient of the United States" (GOOFUS) has, yet again, shaken the Masonic world with their antics. Of course, the shaking comes from the belly laughs everyone seems to be having as a result of their continued absurdities. What's new now? A new Grand Master - yet again! But this time, it's the one you knew was running the organization (such as it is) all along and more degrees - to fleece/opiate the masses. It must be SO much fun having degrees done by 1-2 people. But it was a requirement for their so-called 'recognition' so sure: their leader will be willing to accept a ton more titles;
- Oh, and nothing new about you know whom! He'll be SO disappointed. We do have some more silliness to report from those Vulcans though;

Due to my long-time web host apparently dying, we've moved to a new hosting site. Sorry for any inconvenience if you've been looking for us for the last few days. There are several other new updates but until we've re-verified the data, we won't mention them just yet. We'll have another update within 2-3 weeks if all goes well. If you see anything that looks like it's 'mid-stream', give a shout so we won't overlook it. Thanks.

From our January 31, 2009 update to February 11, 2009

A quick addendum to address just two things from the last update:
- Some people will do simply ANYTHING for attention. Anti-Masons and, now - regularly - those who want to pretend they're Masons by starting so-called 'Lodges' epitomize this perfectly. To that end, we've added a disclaimer for Mr. Cooksey's benefit at the bottom of our page about the silliness of the self-created Vulcan Lodge;
- Once again we've heard cries from a supporter of the various self-created 'bogus' Masons - anonymously, so as to avoid responsibility for his smears - to rail against this site, arguing that I haven't "proven" that these groups formed within the past 1-2 years are bogus and aren't really Freemasonry. Buy a Duncan's Ritual at your grocery store and proclaim yourself a Mason and, suggests the logic of at least one pseudonymous blogger, that will make you a Mason. WHEE! Despite ongoing opportunities to those identified on this site to provide even the most meager refutation, all they can seem to muster is rants and threats. They whine about how mean (or mean-spirited) I am. Boo-hoo! One person (a pseudonym, of course) has argued that I call people stupid. Really? A site search reveals that in over 350 pages on this site the word "stupid" occurs 24 times, at least half of those being specific quotes not of my creation. Several years ago we wrote a page about a then-active anti-Mason, Ken Mitchell, and referred to "stupid tricks" on that page. Because it was written at a time when David Letterman's major Late Night television program 'hook' was "stupid pet tricks", it was very much in vogue. In only one instance have I ASKED (hinting in the affirmative) that a person was stupid - and, frankly, it's darn well justified! (That statement has been on the site for about four years.) This is all a ruse, folks: they want to divert your attention from the fact that there are a handful of internet-vocal people pretending to be Masons when they aren't. It's just that simple. We've had it explained on this page titled Fake Masonry for quite some time.

From our October 27, 2008 update to January 31, 2009

- Was the California father who committed suicide after killing his wife and five children a Mason? Not very likely - and our explanation is here.
- Is President Obama a Mason? We say to those who argue that he is, PROVE IT! Read our analysis on this page.
- Can it really be? Yet ANOTHER Grand Master now leading the so-called Grand Orient of the United States (also known as GOOFUS)??? Whoever would have guessed THAT, eh? (Perhaps anyone who knows or knows of the founder....) And guess who it is? Don't feel badly if this doesn't surprise the socks off. Read more here. Oh, and then there's the part about their website being hacked or stolen or something. It gets funnier every day!
- The one-man (2 maybe?) band at the so-called Vulcan Lodge apparently has nothing better to do than watch our site - and react. Read the story about their missing blog post within 24 hours of our 'outing' the feeble attempt to obfuscate - along with some comments about teacups in lodge - here.
- We've found that John Gilbert has been busy creating even MORE groups to augment his bogus "Ancient, Accepted and Esoteric Freemasons" organization. Get out your wallet and head here.
- Poor Brad Cofield. Out in the cold yet again. Even the GOOFUS crowd can't bear to have him around. And just a few months ago, he was going to help grow their organization in the Northwest United States. Don't blink, folks: something will change yet again. Meanwhile, you can read all about Brad here.
-Karen Trenouth's blog posts are always good for a laugh but none more so than the post in which she has provided irrefutable proof that her theories about the Jack the Ripper murders can easily be validated by virtue of the 'evidence' she's seen in a 100 year old grainy photo. We've even got the picture-proof here. SCREEN ALERT WARNING: We will not be responsible for computer screens damaged by the expulsion of any liquid or solid matter in your mouth when reading this.
This particular update has been a bit rushed due to personal priorities. More will be coming soon.

From our August 29, 2008 update to October 27, 2008

- We had given a newly-started Masonic publication a listing on our site but the Editor was apparently miffed so we've simply deleted it. You may want to take note of his comparison of the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York to Stalin here.
- It was a pleasure to delete the 'Not recognized by their mainstream counterpart' note from our listing of the MW Grand Lodge of North Carolina, PHA based on the actions taken by the GLNC on September 19, 2008. There are now 10 state Grand Lodges who do not recognize their Prince Hall counterpart, all in the Southeastern US which many have noted smacks of apparent racism.
- Hey, those crazy Vulcanites are either living in a time warp or they're double-dipping, take your pick. And they're also using some pretty phony photographs to mislead. Read more about it here.
- And finally, made a number of corrections thanks to the sharp eyes of several readers who noted typos and fractured sentences. The feedback is much appreciated even though rarely answered on a timely basis.

From our August 27, 2008 update to August 29, 2008

- So you don't think there's anything wrong with people starting groups and calling themselves Masons? Try THIS story on for size. It comes just a couple of days after a well-respected Mason used his blog to implore those of us who refer to 'Fake Masonry' to quit doing it. "Ignore them and tend to your own temple." - and let criminals and frauds steal Freemasonry's good name. Interesting....
- And it's hard to believe but Brad Cofield, after being caught in the act of stealing photographs, then lies about it. Read 'the rest of the story' here;
- The Grand Lodge of All England apparently is getting twitchy about the attention they've received from others who don't agree that Masons should simply ignore those who steal Freemasonry's name and trappings. Read about their Don't Link On Me activities here.

From our August 2, 2008 update to August 27, 2008

- Added book reviews for The Freemasons Key and Quips, Squibs and Some Curiosities, both of which I think any Mason would enjoy;
- Mr. Cooksey continues to make misleading accusations about comments we'd previously made. Read the facts here;
- We've also added a lot more information about the behavior of Brad Cofield including the theft of pictures and lies about his 'organization';
- Moving Brad to his own page gave us the opportunity to talk about the Grand Orient of the United States current advertising slogan (Traditional Cosmopolitan Freemasonry);
- We've also gotten a couple of e-mails from individuals begging to be included as anti-Masons. How sad.... and No, children: you're simply a fly-speck on the backside of life and don't warrant even a modicum of attention;
- With our July 30th update, we added a page about The Masonic Society, a new organization for Masonic scholars and those who are interested in Masonic research. We wrote of the silly games that some were playing because of it. Again, proving the reach of this site's comments, the 'bogus' discussion group created to disparage the Society's intent was modified within two days and accordingly, in our August 2nd update, the page was removed. One individual, however, seems to want to continue to harass The Masonic Society and accordingly, we've updated and reinstated the page. It's here;
- We've updated some of the information on our Resources page to reflect new web links, a new magazine, and more;

From our August 1, 2008 update to August 2, 2008

- Mr. Cooksey is now threatening violence. We've revised our page about Vulcan Lodge. So this is the new Traditional Continental Freemasonry as practiced by members of the Grand Orient of the United States?

From our July 30, 2008 update to August 1, 2008

- Looks like some folks read our most recent update. As a result, the self-designated "True" Masonic Society has closed their forum under their old name and taken on a new name (Masonic Brothers). As the major contention has been removed, we've removed our page about this as well.
- And then there's poor David who STILL refuses to provide substantive proof of the issues involved. We've also removed a statement that he chose to deliberately misinterpret and offer our apologies for any misunderstandings.

From our April 27, 2008 update to July 30, 2008

- Provided some information about the Masonic status of those seeking election in the US Presidential election;
- An update to the trial of another person so terrified by the demons in the world around him that he murdered his next door neighbor. He's been identified on our site for the entire 10 years we've been here! Sonny Rene Stermole will be spending the rest of his life in psychiatric care;
- Added a bit more on the so-called "Esoteric Freemasons" group from North Carolina. Gosh, this stuff is just SO comical!
- Also added some additional commentary on the Vulcanites whose couple of members do their Don Quixote performance sans the pathos normally found in such situations as well as some comments (not choking on my words by any stretch of the imagination) relative to the so-called 'Treaty' the GOOFUS boys have signed with the troubled Grand Orient of France;
- Added expanded information of a couple of more Masonophobes including one who's a VERY active Amazon reviewer;
- Added a page on embezzlement since this topic seems to draw the attention of those wanting to goad Masons. This article also contains a bit of 'investigative journalism' relative to the 'investigative journalist' who's been reporting on the Shrine lately;
- Avoiding the shrillness of 'fake/sham Masonry' has become increasingly difficult online causing some reactionary activity by dedicated Masons including the creation of new discussion groups and more. Check out our guide to the good, the bad and the just plain nasty in our new page about The Masonic Society.... and friends....
- We're not sure why but several reports have recently surfaced about the demise of anti-Mason James Larry Holly. Typical of so much internet chatter, it seems to be completely false at this time.
- Added some information on our page titled "What About Women" including a link to the Womens Masonic Lodge of Los Angeles;
- Updated some wording on several pages, added a couple of names to our People page which identifies anti-Masons, and did some link clean-up. 

From our February 10, 2008 update to April 27, 2008

- Based on a note from Bro. Cory Sigler, we discovered that we had not fully completed an addition we'd begun for the bogus group called the "Esoteric Freemasons". We've done that now. Next week we've got to get organized! <sigh>
- Poor Mr. Zagami Young Kahn Zagami: he's back craving for attention yet again. He exhibits a remarkable inability to differentiate between regular/recognized lodges and phoney-baloney imitations. This absurdity should give you some clue as to how accurate the rest of his claims about world domination etc. are Read more of his whining here.
- Have you been spammed by Knights Templar Quest - knightstemplarquest.com ? If not, you don't run a Masonic website or one which mentions the Knights Templars. This site alone has received around a hundred e-mail messages as they've scraped every address they could find from the pages here. Give it a rest, folks! Their plan to sell subscriptions to their website but it looks like they've paid more to paint their van than.... We would suggest that before they go on their continued flights of fantasy, they spend far less cash and read "The Rosslyn Hoax" and "The Templar Code for Dummies", reviews of which are right here. They could then learn about the NON-connection with the Masons thereby making all of the breathless hype of Classic Media Group nothing more than a lot of hot air. Perhaps if Mr. Walker was a Mason and had read either/both, he might not have been so.... enthusiastic.
- We've been asked why we haven't kept up more on our book reviews and, frankly, there's no good answer. If someone could just add a couple of days to the week.... That notwithstanding, we've added these with more to come in future updates! Hopefully they will help you make some good decisions in the spending of your reading dollars: Freemasonry: Rituals, Symbols & History of the Secret Society by Mark Stavish (including he and his surrogates' antics on Amazon!), and The Rosslyn Hoax by Robert L. D. Cooper (VERY highly recommended), 101 Things You Didn't Know about the Freemasons by Barb Karg and John K. Young, Ph.D., and (earlier on our blog) Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies for Dummies by Christopher Hodapp and Alice Von Kannon.
- And the FUNNIEST e-mail arrived from someone claiming to be the Grand Master of the Grand Orient of the United States (which we've 'acronymized' as GOOFUS). This is a fellow who not even two years ago was the Grand Master of the now lost-in-space Grand Lodge of the United States. Ain't it GRAND? We've also added a page about Vulcan Lodge meeting in a library in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Wear your Dr. Spock ears, folks!
- All this along with our usual collection of tweaks and the addition of a couple of Famous Masons, Anti-Masons, and even some link changes.

From our November 26, 2007 update to February 10, 2008

- Added more information about the GOOFUS group and updated some comments on our page about women in Freemasonry.
- Included additional information about Leo Zygami who has yet another identity - and more baloney.
- Updated our comments about the Grand Lodge of All England who've done a 180 turn-around on the recognition issue now that we've called attention to their 'status'.
- Updated information about alleged murderer Sonny Rene Stermole.
- Several years ago we wrote of 'The Devil in Kenya'. News reports as we begin this new year tell of the civil war and violence that has erupted there. We've added a short paragraph tying the two together.
- Some time ago also, we'd written about the Spear of Longinus - a query which had appeared in our review of things being searched for on this site. At the time we had noted that we had no idea what this was all about until an individual e-mailed us with a link to a website page. We linked to it but never looked 'behind the curtain'. Now we've added some new material on this subject - although it STILL doesn't relate to Freemasonry in any way.

From our November 12th update to November 26

- Added a page on the conspiracist Leo Zagami a/k/a Leo Young. This one is SO unbelievable - and yet, so many buy right into it.
- Some very expanded information on another of the many bogus groups, the "Esoteric Masons" - also known as 'post office box drop in North Carolina'.
- While we had written about this on our blog, we realized that we never updated our website page about (alleged) murderer Sonny Rene Stermole who was convinced that a neighbor was part of a Masonic conspiracy and simply shot him to death. A tragic story indeed and sadly, not unremarkable amongst the actions of those we have written about on this site.
- Finally - and we know you'll have a hard time believing this one - there have been EVEN MORE developments with the United Grand Lodge of America. They're out and there's now a Grand Orient of the United States of America of (Un)Accepted Freemasons. Who would have imagined that, eh?

From our June 18th update to November 12

- First and foremost: many, many thanks to a new Mason (and new Dad as well!), Bro. Jonathan Horvath, who has taken the time and effort to go through a whole bunch of pages on this site and point out non-functioning or changed links. Particularly with the anti-Masonic and fake Masonry crowd, trying to keep up is quite a chore. Whenever they realize someone has them caught in the headlights, they move quickly to hide their 'dirty deeds'. We certainly appreciate Bro. Horvath's temerity in this! We haven't completed going through his list but we're working on it.
- We've added several graphics to our pages of Famous Freemasons. Here's the problem: we're CONSTANTLY adding names and information based on feedback from readers. When someone STEALS (yes, that's what taking the work of one person and using it as your own is called - and it's also known in legal terms as a copyright violation!) this material and adds it to their website, it quickly becomes out of date and is sometimes even inaccurate (see the next note!)
- Yet more names added to our Famous non-Masons page including Gustave Eiffel and Baruch Spinoza, another darling of the 'fake Freemasons' group. We've received a HUGE printed listing of Masonic members from Bro. Richard Gregory that we'll be adding soon.
- Sadly, we've also added yet another name to our 'Black Sheep' page: that of a British child abuser.
- A particularly interesting new author, anti-Mason and Ripperologist wannabe, Karen Trenouth, is added. She was 'tricked' so it's all the fault of the Masons....
- Youtube is the rage for some and now Masons are taking action to counter some of the more egregious junk that anti-Masons and/or the terminally ignorant have created. Brother Jay Moody has created a great one to deal with the Denver Airport Conspiracy.
- Either James Todd - of VOMIT 'fame' - has decided to give up decades of being a total boor or he's passed to the greater beyond. His website is now only a link-farm. Oh, well. A lot of the rabid anti-Masons from when this site began are now completely missing from the internet scene, forgotten except for our comments on their absurdities. As with most efforts begotten of hatred, bigotry and negativism, they're now forgotten except by our pages. All of their efforts was for naught and few (if any) could legitimately claim that they'd had any success in swaying ANY Mason away from his membership - unless they were lying through their teeth about it. As the saying goes, 'Freemasonry, notwithstanding, still survives!'
- Another anti-Mason we'd profiled in the past has repented, saying it was a childhood indulgence. He now wants us to pretend it never happened and remove him from our site. Unringing bells isn't that easy. Oh, and then there's the on-going saga of rain-barrel obsessed Maurice Kellett, the Samurai Swordsman, who has a web site that should be submitted for a bad design award.
- And say it ain't so: "Marta" - a/k/a a whole lot of other pseudonyms - now deceased? Hmmmm....
- The self-styled Grand Lodge of All England has tried to claim legitimacy based on an e-mail but more and contradictory detail is now available. Read the November update here.
-Trying to keep up with current literature is difficult. We couldn't miss, however, adding a review of the new book by Christopher Hodapp and Alice Von Kannon titled "The Templar Code for Dummies". Don't miss this one!
- We've added a new page addressing the question we're frequently asked: How much does it cost to join? (It also answers the other question: 'How expensive is it to be a Mason?)
- We're embarrassed to say that VERY sporadically we've been blogging. A couple of months ago we began a series of posts under the rubric of "The Old Webmaster" but sadly, other time commitments have kept us from doing more.

From our May 22nd update to June 18

- Some further updated information on the "What's New" page about Scottish Rite Racing just to clarify what we'd written previously.
- We've noticed a couple of new names attending the absurdly-named "Ministry to Masons" conference so we've added them to our anti-Masons list just so they'll get the credit they deserve. As time allows, we'll learn more about these folks and let you know what their stories are.
- It never ceases to amaze me: some people just don't 'get it'! Apparently Mr. Rui Gabirro, creator of his own Grand Lodge, found our May 22nd update and was a tad bit upset about it. What did he do? Why, he wrote yet another potty-mouthed e-mail to me. Why do a few men in the United States and Europe want to support his games? It's amazing....
- WHOOPS! We inadvertently dropped the link to our Blog from the last update. Well, we took it out, decided to start blogging actively again, but never put it back. In any event, we're blogging again now and hope you'll find it of quasi-interest.
- Tried to re-word our 'Before you send me an e-mail' page. The overtly paranoid always seem to think I'm making threats after they've read that. Clueless!
- Added some additional grave headstone pictures to the gallery with many thanks to new online friend Julie Scott.
- There's a new book about to hit the shelves dealing with the strange man from another planet, Malachi York. Information is here.
- Added a few more names to the 'Famous Freemasons' section and added some information about Voltaire who seems to be the darling of a small segment of those blogging about Freemasonry;
- And fixed the usual typos etc. with many thanks to our correspondents!

From our March 12th update to May 22

- As we were rambling through the piles and piles of unread e-mails, we've come across several items sent to us months ago which have only now seen the light of day. We sincerely apologize to those who've written and thank you all for your contributions. Special thanks to Bro. Jeff Armstrong for providing additional information about (NON-Mason) Rev. Billy Graham.
- The one-time, <1 year Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of America has written to tell us that the duties required of him in his "lodge" (the self-created Temple of Regulus with his "Vulcan Lodge" <shaking head>) caused him to step down from his position. Oh, and he also notes that the "lodge" is no longer a part of the UGLA. That, coupled with the metamorphosis and disappearance of the Sirius Lodge website seem to indicate additional dissention in the ranks. And then there's a newly-minted (read: self-styled) "Masonic Historian" sending out press releases just a few months after saying he was giving up Freemasonry.... It's just amazing to see the bizarre claims made with such braggadocio and then watch the reality unfold. Want to join the UGLA? They've even dropped the contact link on their website so you may have missed your big chance.
- Nevertheless, you can also subject yourself to the erratic and sometimes obscene behavior of the "Regular" Grand Lodges making their appearance almost daily on the internet. We've got some more details on the antics of the leadership of the so-called "Regular Grand Lodge of Virginia". Lying? Not a problem: just call the other person a racist and it'll all go your way....
- Updated some comments about the Scottish Rite Racing involvement with pictures and links. You'll want to read this one!
- Began a 2007 entry on the 'marginals' of the alt.freemasonry newsgroup.
- Added a bit more about Sam Moser whose numeric obsession is now reaching frenzied proportions. He really does need sustained help.
- Bilderberger boy Tony Gosling has a 'secret friend' for whom he's fronting a website. You can read about Joe Stirling here.
- Updated information on Ed Brown, whom many now know as a tax protester but who is an attention seeker and equal-opportunity hater.

From our February 11th update to March 12

- We've changed several links away from the freemasonry.org website due to the loss of linked material with their recent 'face lift'. Sorry for the inconvenience.
- Added a few more thoughts to our page titled "Should I Wait?" including the amplification of a comment about D&D we'd made. No offense to the gamers out there, HONEST!
- Although it's not always mentioned, there's rarely an update that we don't add a couple of names to our "Famous Freemasons" listing. A wonderful article in the March, 2007 Smithsonian Magazine about Civil War General George Henry Thomas caused yet another addition.
- Did some more work on our listing of Grand Lodges. It's slow but eventually we'll get there.
- Had a message from a Brother who questioned our use of the comment that a Grand Lodge of the United States was never seriously considered after 1843. That date was incorrect. We'd meant to write 1847. However, he noted that a particular Grand Lodge supported the idea for some time after that. Accordingly, we've changed that to 1840's. That appeared on our page about the self-styled United Grand Lodge of America who, apparently haven't managed to hold onto a Grand Secretary for an entire year. Alas... And then there were (six???).... We also notice that one day they're whining that they're not "expelled" and not long afterwards, they're using that very same term. We've got to check our insurance coverage for internet whiplash if we're going to keep watching this group!
- Added some more information on our What's New page about the Southern (US) Jurisdiction Scottish Rite's involvement with NASCAR racing.
- And we're hoping to get some time back from other pursuits so we can go back to blogging just a little again. For a couple of ex-Masons, it's their only 'real' life it seems. Not here, thankfully.

From our January 19th update to February 11

- Anti-Mason and Anti-Semite Ed Brown and his wife have been convicted of tax fraud. He's vowing that the government will not 'take him alive'. <SIGH>
- Did you know that Bill Schnoebelen has now added yet another title to his resume? Yep, the guy's now saying he was a VAMPIRE! What next, Bill?
- Here today, something else tomorrow: the Rose Croix Cross of Gold Lodge (which used to be a separate organization) is now - wait for it! - SIRIUS Lodge. Are you Serious? Change a website, change the world.... It's so comical! See the story here where we also address the whine about 'expelled' versus 'erased', a distinction without a difference.
- Did you wonder about the NASCAR sponsorship by the Scottish Rite? Check out the information on our 'What's New' page.
- If you stumbled on our page titled "Should I Wait?" and thought it was really fouled up, you were right. The page kinda snuck up on the last update well before it was done. It's soup now: sorry for the confusion. 

From our January 17th update to January 19

No, we're not in the 'update-a-day' mode. When we updated our page about the organization called the Grand Lodge of All England, we thought that their 'Grand Secretary' had made a typing error and we had marked the word 'reponed' as <sic>, assuming he'd meant 'reopened'. We were wrong and the term he used deliberately was, in fact, 'reponed'. A definition has been added for those who might make the same assumption we had. We also corrected a couple of errors on our 'Famous Masons' pages - with thanks to some very alert readers!

From our January 16th update to January 17 (Believe it or not!)

- The "Grand Lodge of All England" has taken exception to things we've written on this site about them, wanting us - apparently - to assure everyone that they're 'regular'. Sorry! We can't do that as regularity is something that's determined by other Grand Lodges, not by an individual. We've changed some of the things on our page about them as they're now howling. We trust this will make them happy.

From our September 17th update to January 16, 2007:

- With the unexpected removal of the lodge locator database at freemasonry.org, we've gone ahead and set up our own page to help you locate Grand Lodges. Most Grand Lodges now provide links to their own lodges so you can 'drill down' for the information you need. We hope you'll find this helpful. Please notify us of any discrepancy being sure to put MASONICINFO in the subject line of your message! We're FAR from finished, having only the US Grand Lodges but we'll get more there for the next update.
- Added an entry on comedian and Mason Michael Richards whose racist rant during a live performance has received an enormous amount of publicity;
- Updated information on several of the 'marginals' for 2006 including the now-supposedly dead 'doctor Marta' and more;
- Because there have been a number of searches done on our site for 'Tony Blair' we figured we'd tell you all about his Masonic membership here. (Oh, and for the terminally clueless who will read that sentence and NOT click on the link, we've placed the information on the Famous NON-Masons page. Does that help you out a bit or do we need to be more specific?) Thanks to Bro. John Karnes for making the suggestion for this inclusion;
- Book Review on The Book of Fate which has a jacket that's hard to miss and more than the ten words that we'd previously written about S. Brent Morris' book Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry. We've also reviewed Chris Hodapp's new book, Solomon's Builders, and we've a 'real' review of Freemasons for Dummies; Because of a groundswell of interest, we'll be adding several more book reviews in the weeks and months to come: there's a LOT of stuff being published now with Masonic references and about Freemasonry.
- We'd never mentioned the page added a couple of updates ago about the 'name of deity' which anti-Masons like to claim is used in the Scottish Rite and, now more recently, the Royal Arch degree.
- And just before publishing this update, an e-mail was received from (supposedly - although not provably as it's a commercial rather than domain address) the "Grand Secretary" of the "Grand Lodge of All England" whining about something ostensibly e-mailed to us that we never received. In light of this, and because we really hadn't spent much time on that page initially, we've gone back and made several changes. They won't be happy because having you know that they're NOT recognized by anyone is an anathema to their growth. As an adjunct, we've also created a page titled "How To Tell" which might help sort out the problems currently arising from blaring internet sites creating an allure.

From our July 4th update to September 17th:

- A new page about the Emblems of Mortality has been added to address the sometimes-asked question about the skull and crossbones emblems;
- Had a nice message a few weeks ago from a Denver Mason who'd seen our page about the Airport there. He provided a very cogent explanation for the 'technopad': would you believe raster Braille?
- Added a few lines of update on various folks like Sam Moser;
- Added some additional information about the various "Grand Lodges" formed under the aegis of the so-called "Regular Grand Lodge of England" along with a brand new page detailing Rui's whining about the exposure he gets on this website. We've also updated our page about the self-styled "United Grand Lodge of America". It's just amazing what these folks will do for attention;
- Got an e-mail message that stated "Something is rotten in Denmark" because we hadn't listed radio personality Alex Jones as an anti-Mason. Problem fixed! Mr. Jones doesn't have as much recognition in my world as in that of the anonymous e-mailer, obviously!
- It's really amazing some of the folks we hear from directly as a result of this site. This time, it's "Patient A" (who provided a name and phone number for verification) relative to the revocation of medical license for one of the folks closely attached to Neil Brick who claims that there's such a thing as Masonic Satanic Ritual Abuse. Check at the bottom of this page for the update.
- A cult leader in Japan has been sentenced to death as a result of his actions in a subway attack with sarin gas in Tokyo in 1996 that killed 12 and injured about 5,500 - all because he thought that the Masons might attack Japan.

From our June 11th update to July 4th:

- Updated information on the National Masonic Foundation for Children - a truly great program!
- Added a link to our new Blog on the home page;
- Updated some wording and added a 'teaser' to our section about 'Director' David Bay;
- Updated several links thanks to our alert readers!
- Added a nice poem for those thinking about becoming Masons.

From our May 23rd update to June 11th:

- Good grief! Somehow our navigation got fouled up on the last upload. I just LOVE the way this thing works sometimes.... <SIGH> Sorry for the confusion!

From our May 23rd update to June 4th:

- Added some additional information on a couple of anti-Masons while fixing some awkward wording that was on those pages;
- Put a couple of more comments about self-claimed apparent record-holder for the leg press, Rev. Pat Robertson;
- Just as our last update had been wrapped up, we found a truly fantastic essay about perceived lack of fulfillment from Freemasonry vis-a-vis the proponent of the so-called Grand Lodge of America. You'll surely want to read it.
- Included a couple of thoughts deriving from e-mails we receive from supporters of the apparently quite confused Mr. Schnoebelen.
- Received some very interesting information about yet another 'credential', this time concerning Dr. Cathy Burns.
- Added some very curious information about the so-called Regular Grand Lodge of England.
- Added another like on The DaVinci Code page. We suspect there'll be lots more in time to come.

From our February 21st update to May 23rd:

- Updated our page on anti-Mason Rev. Pat Robertson adding his most recent 'statements' about assassination and more;
- In realizing that I don't often remember when I'm supposed to use "which" or "that", made a bunch of little changes to several pages;
- Added the obligatory review on The DaVinci Code not because we had too very much to say about it but because there is a bit of a connection in this NOVEL to Freemasonry. Initial reviews of the movie sure don't seem to live up to the hype, however;
- Added a page about the five month old Grand Lodge of America, yet another attempt by some to 'have it their way';
- Another anti-Mason has appeared asking to be added to our site, apparently hoping for some credibility. Heck, a six year old could do better than THAT!

From our February 19th update to February 21st:

One change occasionally motivates a second one close on its heels as we realize omissions and problems we thought were already fixed, so here we go again!
- Sometimes we add things to our site and then forget to mention them here. One item we were pleased to add included pages that involve issues of sharing information with our wives along with the removal of wedding rings etc. during the 'Rite of Destitution'. We trust you'll find these interesting;
- Made some very slight changes to our page about the so-called Ex-Masons for Jesus to clarify the amount of time one FORMER Ex-Mason for Jesus has been attempting to get the group to remove his 'testimony' now that he's returned to Masonic membership;
- Added a long-overdue book review about a MUST READ work: The Plot;
- Made a couple of minor changes to our page about Women and Freemasonry (we'd used the word 'debate' when we probably should have chosen the word 'discussion');
- Added a note about the upheld conviction of Malachi York who'll likely be spending the rest of his life in jail;
- Added the information about the sentencing of Brad Bleidt, one of Freemasonry's 'black sheep';
- Also added just a few additional words about "Masonic Authority" on our page about the powers of the Master.

From our January 29th update to February 19th:

- When an anonymous reader called our attention to a comment about a reference we'd made to a bizarre claim of Roger "El Gato" Bullock, s/he asked, "Do you remember Viet Nam?" Roger had written that "Occultists were given permission to encircle the Pentagon in order to levitate it." In fact, we DO remember Vietnam - and because of that, don't recall much about events in the US in 1967 when HIPPIES (NOT 'occultists") staged a protest (they were not 'given permission' as Roger claimed) and tried to levitate the Pentagon. We've adjusted our commentary accordingly.
- We've also received a message from a person who remains listed on the "Ex-Masons For Jesus" website of Duane Washum. He indicates that he was mislead by others and about a year ago rejoined the Lodge.
- A reader wrote to say that the quote at the start of the page on the Illuminati taken from the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia was wrong. <Tongue in cheek> Microsoft wrong? Can you imagine? </remove tongue from cheek>. We've added a note to fix that matter right here.

From our November 12, 2005 update to January 29, 2006:

- Debunked the rumor which sometimes surfaces in Usenet newsgroups that actor Leonardo DiCaprio is a Freemason;
- Added the Shriner's Creed to our page about the Red Fez;
- Included a new page addressing the concern about wives knowing ritual and removal of wedding rings;
- Did a status update on Sam Moser whose problems just seem to multiply - all the fault of the Freemasons;

From our September 3, 2005 update to November 12, 2005:

- A non-Mason reader from the UK pointed out to us that placing former US President Clinton on our 'infamous non-Masons' page along with killers etc. was really inappropriate. He's right - and we've removed him from there leaving him on our 'famous non-Masons' page.
- Within a day or so of an update on our page to the so-called 'Regular Grand Lodge of England', links to pages which show some of their machinations in a less-than-flattering way are gone. Why? Well, we've added a bit more on them here that may explain.
- In addition to the 'fake Masonry' con games, there are also 'fake Illuminati' con games too. World domination for sale, folks - along with lies from Internet trolls. Read about it here.
- Added a couple of names to our anti-Masons list and also added some more information in our Book Review section.

From our August 27, 2005 update to September 3rd:

- Added information about Masonic disaster relief and provided a link for donations to be made for the Katrina disaster;
- Updated information about the Knights Templar Eye Foundation thanks to Bo. Bill Orr of Texas;
- Added some extraordinary cemetery pictures to our page here; and several months ago we added a page about a VERY unique gravestone in Scotland which we never noted in this section. It's fascinating: take a look here.
- Elaborated a bit about the 'eye in the pyramid' including some very basic information for the truly clueless.... <sigh>
- Greatly expanded our discussion of the so-called "Regular Grand Lodge of England";
- Added - yet again <sigh> - some information about Daryl Carstensen who has returned to haunt the alt.freemasonry newsgroup
- Included some additional information on our page about Famous Non-Masons which shows that it's not just now that folks want to make such associations.
- Added just a single additional example of Masonic educational scholarships to this page. There are thousands of such programs out there and an entire website could be devoted just to them.

From our August 9, 2005 update to August 27th:

- "Plutonium" - now apparently preferring to be known as "Filmnoir" - has written to us our characterization of him here. We've made some changes....
- We've apparently upset someone with our comments about the so-called "Regular Grand Lodge of England" so we've added a couple of additional comments about that on our page here.
- Added a couple of additional comments on our page about women and Freemasonry.

From our January 8, 2005 update to August 9th:

- Seven months without an update! Where does the time go? Sometimes getting information for this site is more like playing "Whack-A-Mole" than doing Masonic research. The minute one objection is addressed, some anti-Mason will arrive on the scene with yet another claim to be tracked down. When it's revealed that their assertions are nothing but make-believe, they then resort to interpretations even the most gullible would find difficult to accept. Nevertheless, we've continued to try and define the objections (and objectors) in an objective way. It just gets more difficult every day in this 'whack-a-mole' world! (Want to play whack-a-mole online yourself? Go here! Warning: you'll need Flash and there will be pop-up ads.... )
- Added just a few lines on our page about Genealogy;
- Added a page about bogus group: the self-styled "Regular Grand Lodge of England";
- Updated the Yahoo groups address for those with an interest in esoteric matters;
- Tried (and likely failed) to add all of the small 'fixes' and fix all of the small typos that diligent readers have found. Sadly, there are many too many to mention. <SIGH> Nevertheless, we appreciate your bringing these to our attention and if we missed something, please do remind us!
- We've not had the opportunity to follow-up on a couple of sections on this site that we'd hoped to have updated. Also, we've gotten a couple of e-mails from folks whose names and/or organizations have been noted here. Strangely, though, they don't really seem to want to share much other than their displeasure at being 'seen'. We'll keep you posted....
- Made the switch (twice actually) to FrontPage2003. We were VERY unhappy with the coding games that FP2002 played and returned to FP200. This time, though, we've 'bitten the bullet' and are in it all the way. If this site looks badly due to formatting changes in certain places, PLEASE let us know specifically where it's happening and what's going on. There's LOTS of extraneous code being added these days, all to enhance IE viewers' experience while diminishing others, we suspect.
_ And no, Nicholas Cage is NOT a Mason. It's a MOVIE, folks! Sean Connery wasn't a Mason either and, much to everyone's surprise no doubt, there really hasn't been an interplanetary spaceship capable of going into warp drive named Enterprise built yet. We've got a page on Famous non-Masons but hoped we wouldn't have to add a whole list of names there. Maybe we will....
- We've also got a number of book reviews and some more gravestone pictures ready but just haven't had a chance to get them on. They'll be added shortly. Thanks to contributors!
Generally, though, we've been busy with other Masonic endeavors. Since first becoming involved in 'online Masonry', we've watched the inevitable: start doing something online because you've got the time and inclination and as sure as heck, you'll get 'sucked into' doing something else Masonic in real life. It's exciting - and VERY fulfilling!

From our November 28, 2004 update to January 8, 2005:

- In reviewing our page on the so-called "Modern Rite of Memphis", we realized that we'd left out on of the several groups that were part of this confusing 'package' but in an attempt to ensure a clear presentation, we've removed our content hoping for clarification of the many questions which arose;
- Added information about the sentencing of the Mason involved in the tragic NY Shooting;
- Included information on a 'black sheep', Mason Brad Bleidt, who has admitted multiple financial improprieties. The story is not a pretty one and Bleidt stole from Masons as well!
- Fixed a couple of broken links and mistyped links - with THANKS to those who'd noted them;
- Added a couple of "Famous Freemasons" and updated information about others.

From our November 25/26 updates to November 28, 2004:

Just a word of explanation: recently a Usenet poster indicated that he'd like this site to be updated more often. Another suggested that some of the material about certain online antis is a bit dated. In an attempt to be responsive, we're going to attempt to address both of these issues. We'll keep you posted here as to what's being changed as we go along. Truthfully, we may not be able to keep up a more frequent update schedule (this website is, after all, the work of one person who really does have some other things to do in life!) but we'll give it a try.
- Added some comments on our page about Satanism;
- Con artist is Mason who scammed his own lodge as well. The story is here;
- Updated our page on the recently released movie National Treasure;
- Added an EXCELLENT book review by V.W. Bro. David Julian on Ron Rhodes' book "Reasoning from the Scriptures with Masons"; 

From our October 31st update to November 25/26, 2004:

We've made a change on this page unrelated to subject topic and done as a test.
We've also abbreviated our page on the now apparently defunct "Modern Rite of Memphis". That's all folks...

From our October 25th update to October 31, 2004:

Each time we do an update, we invariably leave out things that we'd done but had set aside. Here is one that should have been included before.
- Added a page on the the current crop of strange posters on the alt.freemasonry usenet newsgroup;
- In addition, changed an erroneous reference (referring to 'the Colonies' as the "United States") on our page about the movie "National Treasure" thanks to the sharp eye of our friend and Brother Ĺke Eldberg - and he's not even an American! We're embarrassed....

Just click on "Prince, the Search Dog" to find things on our site. He's on every page and he'll take you directly to our search form where you can see if we've written about whatever it is you're interested in. Prince has a great memory; he always remembers where things are!

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