Poem: Mission Statement

By Jack Brummet

The fire from above

Shines down upon us
And everyone standing

In the light has a mission

To carry
Their brothers and sisters.

It's up to us

To administer
The benevolent will of heaven.

The light shines
Without prejudice
Upon everything on earth,

On the evil and the righteous.
We're all just customers
Of the sun

With a mission
To leave a little good
In our wake.
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Steampunk novel cover? — Bristol Boxkite airplane flies over Stonehenge

By Jack Brummet, Old Ways Ed.

A Bristol Boxkite airplane over Stonehenge, circa 1910.  This seems like it needs to be on the cover of a steampunk novel.

click to enlarge

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Don't mess with a Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Yeti/Abominable Snowman in Washington State

By Jack Brummet, Unexplained Phenomena Ed.
illustration  by Jack Brummet

In my home state, Washington, it is illegal to mess with a Sasquatch.  They're protected. As an interesting sidebar, the state only made sex with horses illegal after the notorious Enumclaw Horse Sex Incident (detailed in ATIT in eight posts, in excruciating detail). 

Undiscovered Species Protection Act

Whereas, there is evidence to indicate the possible existence of an undiscovered species a primate mammal variously described as Bigfoot, Sasquatch, an ape-like creature or a subspecies of Homo Sapiens.

Whereas, reported recent and past sightings, research by anthropologist, Primatologist, biologist, forensic experts, cryptozooligst, independent organizations, private individuals and the famous chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall support this possibility.

Whereas, the absence of specific laws covering the slaying, taking, trapping or harassing of said specimens encourages laxity in the use of firearms and other deadly devices and poses a clear and present threat to the safety and well-being of persons living or traveling within the boundaries of the creatures habitat as well as to the creatures themselves.

Whereas, for the safety of all, the carrying or dispersing of firearms requires a sense of responsibility to all surrounding individuals and animals. It is the shooters full responsibility to correctly identify the species before the taking of aim and or the killing of a species, therefore ignorance will not absolve the shooter of said charges.

Whereas, be it resolved that any premeditated, willful and wanton slaying harassing or any malicious activities upon such creature shall be deemed a felony punishable by a fine not to exceed One hundred Thousand Dollars ($100.0000) and/or imprisonment, not to exceed ten (10) years.

Whereas, in the event of the slaying or capture of said creature any and all (moneys) proceeds and revenues shall be donated to a state college for future studies and or the protection of said creatures. The rights and physical possession to the said creature shall also be immediately donated to a state college, for further studies.

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Poem: Escape

By Jack Brummet

1

Take the worst that could happen.
Add two zeros.

2
High fidelity clouds gather over
The tattered stage flats of a world on fire.

3
There is no one to clear our lift off.
We sort our way between the flak and shrapnel.

4
The ground rolls away behind us.
You and me.
             ---o0o---

Two macho men bro-ing it up (Steve McQueen and John Wayne)

Tilda Swinton with rainbow flag in front of St. Basil's

By Pablo Fanque, Russian Ed.

In early July, Tilda Swinton took this photo in front of St. Basil's in Moscow. Don't know if that police car happened to be there or if they were tracking her.

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Waylon Jennings, Buddy Holly, a photo booth, Waylon's accidental good luck, and the day the music died

Waylon Jennings and Buddy Holly (and someone else's finger) in a Times Square photo booth.  A few months later on a tour, Waylon gave up his seat on Holly's plane to The Big Bopper, who had the flu.  The plane crashed six miles from the airport, on what some call "the day the music died."  And the plane was not named American Pie, contrary to the legend; it actually had no name. 

According to Waylon, on a VH-1 Behind the Music special, "The Day the Music Died," he and Holly good-naturedly kidded each other about Jennings' decision. Holly told Jennings, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up!" and Jennings replied, "Yeah? Well I hope your ol' plane crashes!" For years Waylon would not talk about his time with Holly because it was too painful.

---o0o---

Drawings: A stack of faces

By Jack Brummet

[Sharpie, pen, ink, and pencil on scratchboard, metal signs, and wooden crates]

click to enlarge

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Alien Lore No. 253 — UFO Chased By Jets and Men In Black in an Ohio Park

By Jack Brummet, Alien Lore Ed.

On July 14, 2013 The Jeffersonian published a story detailing a UFO, aircraft buzzing the area tracking the UFO, and Men in Back packing serious heat and issuing threats.

The anonymous witness is a fisherman who lives close to Salt Fork Lake.  He fell asleep on his boat and was awakened by lights in the sky. On the horizon above a tree line, he saw four sets of orange light clusters. "They looked like Chinese lanterns. Three took off and one fell back into the tree line. A short time later, jet fighters arrived and circled the area."

Later, he drove in the direction of the spot where he had seen the lights. He got out of his vehicle with a camera. An unmarked car pulled up and two men got out and told him to leave.  "They were big guys wearing guns" he said. "I wasn't going to argue with them."

He thought they might be FBI or other federal officials. An FBI spokesperson in Cincinnati said there has been no FBI activity in this area. A dispatcher with the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office had no information and officials at Salt Fork State Park said they had had no contact with the FBI.

The anonymous witness said he had also seen the lights on July 5th. He was with his girlfriend when they observed a similar clustering of lights. Similar UFO sightings were reported in Columbus the next day.

---o0o---

Poem: The Quest

By Jack Brummet

It’s all one story—
A ragged shape-shifting tale
Of incredible coherence and constance,
Encompassing all you know,
All you don’t know you know,
And all you one day will know.

There is more
To be seen, tasted, heard, and felt
Than can ever be known or told.

Our myths flourish and spread,
Person to person,
And the mysteries of the seas and skies and stars
Fill our collective conscience
With mystical scenes,
Quests, and tales of greatness.

These myths, tales, and fables
Cannot be invented, ordered, or denied.

When you strip away the stage flats, makeup, and costumes,
It’s all one story
Starring our private heroes and dreams.
              ---o0o--- 

Hitler's face appears in a pizza box (shades of the Shroud of Turin and Jesus tortillas)

By Mona Goldwater, Germany Ed.

Thanks to reader Jeff Clinton for this one!  No word if it is out on eBay yet.  And, yeah, we also strongly wonder whether or not this was crafted.  /Mona

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The Rapture, revisited

By Mona Goldwater, Religion Ed.
[art by Jack Brummet]

A little over two years ago Jack Brummet created a series of analog/digital art pieces based on the upcoming rapture.  The day came and went, and we're mostly all still here.

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