Alien Lore No. 264 - Intelligent Life Beyond Earth

By Jack Brummet, Alien Lore Ed.

At a panel discussion on Monday, scientists from NASA said they were closer than ever to finding out for sure if we have cousins Out There.

Former astronaut and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden made it clear where NASA's collective head is on this issue in his opening statement: 

"Do we believe there is life beyond Earth?" he asked. "I would venture to say that most of my colleagues here today say it is improbable that in the limitless vastness of the universe we humans stand alone."

Read the entire story in the Los Angeles Times here. 

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An amazing houseboat on Lake Pend Oreille

Katrina Bondra's photo of a houseboat on Lake Pend Oreille (non NWers: pronounced Pond O-ray).

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We Pick Dick!: photo from a Richard Nixon for Governor rally in 1962

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Alien Lore No.263 - One week of UFO sightings reported at MUFON (Mutual UFO Network)

By Jack Brummet, Alien Lore Ed.

[Ed's note: We know that Alien Lore is many people's least favorite part of ATIT.  If it makes you feel any better, we haven't posted an Alien Lore article since May 9, 2014].

Over the last week, the following UFO sightings were submitted to the Mutual UFO Network's online reporting page. Here are the brief summaries submitted by submitters.  Much more information is included in the actual report.  If you are interested, go here.

Here are the summaries of various sightings reported on MUFON over the last week:

·         square, round flickering color lights hovering at times speratic [sic] movement

·         Boomerang shaped ufo moving southeast without noise.

·         craft split into 2 pieces

·         both were bright starlight like - moving in a straight pattern through sky

·         Night sky, NE direction, size of star, color was white with flickering red and blue colors. Object hovered, moved left, right, up, and down.

·         3 lights that went straight up into the clouds

·         Driving towards Sherrard, fellow passenger notices object coming towards East from the West. As object travels towards us I I pulled over to see object directly above us traveling in great speed with a golden trail. Then object slowed & continued on.

·         Very large UFO with windows hovering close to trees

·         Looked like maybe a planet but too weird and close to be.

·         Standing on balcony saw an extremely bright light coming from the northwest flying east watched for about 1 min before taping

·         UFO passes by power line grid

·         All kinfs  [sic]

·         UFO appeared to be bigger than an aircraft carrier and looked like a cargo container.

·         Memphis resident films ufo during firework show at local park. Ufo seemed to stick around for about 2 minutes. The ufo can be seen above the fireworks pulsating and changing colors.

·         from se.then over me then lites  [sic] went dim and gone.

·         Object looked like rectangular home in fenced but empty field across the street

·         came behind a shooting star

·         Sightseeing and then we took pictures it was not there we looked at the pictures it was in the pictures

·         the object was moving thru a thin layer of clouds , i got binoculars could see outline of craft, no wings saw 2 white strobe lights st front 1 red at rear

·         saw 3bright stars in the sky.They moved zigzag. I started to walk home, over a 5 story building hovered a large saucer shaped object.

·         my daughter looked up at the sky and saw a strange object flying really fast, then stopped moving then flew again

·         26 Orange lights flying from North and turning West before disappearing

·         My fiancé and I saw a very large, very bright glowing, object silently heading northeast in a downward direction. The object appeared to be multiply triangular. The whole sighting was only about 1 minute long.

·         Star like object, NE position very bright, but had bright light turned on upper portion for for 10-15 seconds.

·         Flew above a plane. Bright flash and sped southeast

·         Ufo- Disc flying sideways, solid lead/gray color in downtown Rodeo, CA flying almost parallel to Parker Ave.

·         Appeared to be an explosion in a small craft in sky 9/26/14 over Parker, CO

·         Seen by 2 other neighbors with me

·         Two unblinking orange lights in a parallel line with a faint green glow on right tip of triangle; SW direction toward Crane NB @ steady constant speed.

·         I was sitting outside and I seen a bright white/blue light hovering then it flew away/dissapered  [sic]

·         Multiple lights on object

·         Two flashes of low altatude  [sic] light followed by obstruction of an area of the sky.

·         Misty white orb at high rate of speed seen traveling SE - 3 to 4 times speed of airplane

·         Was it just a cloud or what?

·         Hovering orange ball of light

·         Looked Like Faint Yellow Stationary Star Then Moved And Stopped Randomly In All Directions Not Always In Straight Lines Back And Forth Side To Side And Stationary

·         Unknown objects were not noticed until looking at the photo the day after it was taken.

·         Observed a bright orange object with a red top flying from the east to west

·         Flashing lights in distance, alternating sequential pattern of red and green.

·         Stange  [sic] UFO with flashing reed, white and blue lights hovering over Foothill Ranch and Mission Viejo

·         I looked straight up through the trees and saw what I thought was a star, except it was too early for any stars to be out yet. It stayed in that spot, but quite glowing & was just a ball in the sky, it then changed to two balls, then three then faded away

·         Spherical object with multiple direction and elevation changes observed

·         We were watching a movie at the drive in theater when I noticed small lights beside the screen.

·         Multiple Red white green stationary lights in sky

·         multiple Star like lights flashing in the sky, stationary then very fast moving with erratic lights which made it look more disc like

·         Bright starlike light that quickly changed its path, hovered, ascended, descended, all very quickly.

·         Triangle Shaped Object, Low & Slow Flying

·         2 bright orange lights moving fast and occasionally slowing down shortly followed by a lot of planes

·         star like object to the northeast flashing several colors moving in a circle and then side to side seen on 2 other nights object fadded  [sic] out completely and returned several feet to the east .

·         A brief summary of my experiences

·         i saw it on my film after i unloaded them onto my computer but didnt see it with naked eye

·         OBSERVED STARLIKE ORB IN NE SKY IN LATE EVENING

·         A formation of dull white objects over Natrona County, WY

·         After the Socrates Cafe meeting at the DPL I was noticed by one other attendee of possible UFO activity outside, preceding outside I saw the the last 5 OBalls slowly flying west, the one and at least 2 or 3 other witnesses saw 15 or more, in formation.

·         Silver reflective object observed to the east above pueblo county this is not the first time sometimes there are up to three of these objects disappearing and reappearing Also making un natural movements to known physics .

·         Rainbow colored flashing/pulsating diamond in sky

·         Appeared south of Reno, traveled very fast northward, pulsates appx 72/min.

·         flashing 2 red lights then other thing following red and white flashing lights

·         On 9/22/14 at 9:30 PM I saw a ufo appear from bright light then disappeared moving easterly direction.

·         Orb circling

·         Bright light flashing in sky, from white to red and blue. Remained stationary, but moved a little with light trailing behind it.

·         taking fall color picxs  [sic]  and noticed object when I downloaded the pics on my computer

·         2 lights in sky duraaaaaaaa@àng thunder storm  [sic]

·         star like object high moving then zipping away

·         4 orange-ish lights; moving very fast/straight; thought was plane, but no sound. then 2 moved off to the right slightly

·         one worm like metal thing that could bend and then a ufo captured in video

·         Orbs of light traveling, then hovering, then shimmering away

·         appeers as birds from a distance  [sic]

·         single green light with fiery trail at times. Split into several similar objects with same characteristics.

·         Apparition appeared in photo when viewed on cell phone

·         Very large rectangular shape hovered above US 41 at light. for a minute or two

·         large triangle flew over us at high altitude.

·         bright disc traveling N to S, disappeared over horizon

·         3 lights in triangle top right light shot to W, top right & bottom formation to NE

·         Looked like a star but it was pulsating with Green, Red, Blue, & white lights

·         Photo of 3 lights or transparent triangle ufo in clouds

·         Ball of light; orb

·         so bright it woke me up. pink, green, white lights as bright as bright headlights, hovered and orbs morphed.

·         During daylight, above a residential home, while walking, was moving slow, blue and silver, blinking white light. about 5 minutes

·         Giant long object with box window like lights along the whole object. Hovering for mins.

·         I saw something that resembled a plane, but it did not have wings and it was not moving. White/silver in color, and cylinder shaped.

·         craft hovers then slightly will move left to right up and down.

·         Husband and I sitting outside when we saw a large gray/white rectangle object with one long object coming out from the side of it, red on the side of it, flying above road line, low enough to see it only had one object on one side and red on it.

·         Found strange triangular shaped mark on left arm.

·         red/white/pink/blue object with humming noise ( posted already, but don’t know how to edit old one)

·         observed 2 craft in sky one flame looking, the other white blue and green. they both morphed shape and at times appeared to seperate.  [sic]

·         heard a humming noise, it was right above me, before i could process what it was it zoomed away then hovered [sic]  then change direction

·         Black triangle. Three lights. One on each point. over tree line. Fast.

·         Unidentifiable aircraft with blue, red, and white lights over Huntington Beach

·         went out at around 11 pm, saw slow moving bright light (rising) went in to get binoculars for better look- when i came out it was gone ( not longer than 1 minute)

·         I saw a stationary, hovering object in the air, while driving on my way home from work.

·         Saw Blue light that changed to white and red hovering and wobbling around in sky

·         Eight glowing lights over the intersection of 40 and 270

·         First night objects that would circle 2nd none. 3rd multiple triangles. It was also aired on van Zander county radio I witnessed it I'm a paramedic me my mom police officer saw even my grandmother I told wafts twice about it but there tpnight are fighter

·         they are so many differend [sic]kinds of them. i see them in the day time with scops.[sic]  best time to see is 5pm till dark thats [sic] when they come out of the mountains

·         continuation of case #58566

·         Watching FSU/Clemson FB game , saw streak of orange trail like falling star.  Stopped video and backed up, using frame by frame saw white light, took picture, enlarged shows number of lights in triangle shape some different colors.  Blimp in area.

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A proportionate response to the bad news we are inundated with every single day?

By Jack Brummet, Old Media Ed,

I am reading a post apocalypse novel before starting book two of Proust (not cleansing the palate, just taking a breather).  This passage from TW Brown is one of several reasons I can no longer watch broadcast news, or, often, read the local newspaper.

Thinking of the recent spate of beheadings, offshore, and now onshore, it feels like we no longer have a proportionate response to the outrages.  The two hundred still kidnapped girls, the thousands of civilians who have died as "collateral damage" on our missions mostly in the Middle East, and Ebola running virtually unchecked seem like far better targets for our compassion and outrage than three people decapitated by extremists.

I get it; beheading is dramatic, it's really f'ing sad, and generates a visceral response and far more airtime, web hits, and ink.  I've veered wildly from my intention to post a quote from TW Brown.  I have to use a bitmap....Kindle doesn't support text clips, or at least by any method I can figure out.

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Search Engines and All This Is That

By Mona Goldwater, Computing Ed.

Traffic (a/k/a readers) into All This Is That is heavily skewed to Google, mainly, we assume, because Google owns blogger and Blogspot, where this blog is located.  

According to Searchenginewatch, current search engine popularity is :

• 67.6% Google
• Bing 18.7%
• Yahoo 10%
• Ask 2.4%
• AOL 1.3%.  

Wait...that's 100%?? I guess that means that Apple's Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc. are statistically irrelevant?  We are guessing that, although Bing is at an 18.7% market share, they tend not to refer to Google-oriented sites?  Or maybe it's just us!

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Faces No. 914 - Beards

By Jack Brummet

click to enlarge

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Getting through Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time

By Jack Brummet
20th Century Fiction Ed.

I just finished Swann's Way, Book One of Seven in Marcel Proust's novel In Search Of Lost Time a/k/a Remembrance of Things Past (about to page 550 or so of a 3,600 page book). I don't think I've spent two weeks reading a book before except maybe Lord of the Rings or Ulysses. I haven't read a book in a long time that aroused joy and frustration in me like this. Swann's Way has vast passages of brilliant, machine-gun prose and incandescent writing, focused on memory, time, obsession, and brilliant psychological analysis.

As a kid who grew up poor, I have some of the same problems reading this as I had with, say, Jane Austen or other writers who focus on the dapper and lovely lives of the upper classes. I had a pretty visceral reaction to some of this. But for the most part the book is so densely poetic with some of the most beautiful descriptive prose I've read in my life, that I give it a pass. It made me realize why I prefer Charles Dickens or Dreiser Hemingway or Joyce or even Rabelais to the more mannered novels of the upper crust. But then--why do I love Shakespeare so much when he also mostly wrote about the upper crust and whose best works are almost all focused on Kings and the nobility? 

painting of Marcel Proust by J.E. Blanche

I am meeting with a group of people soon and we are going to be a sort of ad hoc book club that focuses on Proust's great novel. This should be very interesting. We'll be meeting at Café Presse, so even if it fizzles (I don't think it will), hey, good eats and good Bordeaux.

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The rapture that never happened, May 21, 2011

By Jack Brummet

The rapture that never happened, on May 21, 2011, actually generated a huge amount of humor and speculation on the internet.  I created a series of collaged images in the week before the rapture, and a day or two afterwards.  Here they are:

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Painting: A Sunflower And Zinnia

By Jack Brummet

click to enlarge

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Painting: The first map

By Jack Brummet

This is the first map I ever drew and painted.  They got better as time went on, but this one's special because it was the first, and because I used an old window from our house as the frame.

click to enlarge

Details:

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ATIT Reheated [from 2006]: Calvin Coolidge,The President of Cool

By Jack Brummet, Presidents Ed.

They say he wasn't actually frosty. . .he just rarely showed emotion. In fact, when President Harding died, Coolidge was awakened after 2:00 A.M. He took the oath of office in his sitting room. He was sworn in by his father, who was a notary public. Thirteen minutes after he took the oath of office at 2:47 A.M., Calvin Coolidge went back to sleep. To sleep! His President (Warren Harding) had just died! He was The Top Banana! And he went to sleep. In that same position, I would have done something. Like:

Drink some whiskey!
Raise up a glass to the shade of Warren G. Harding.
Give orders to round up some of my enemies and have them held at The Tombs.
I would legalize something.
I would declare martial law on Detroit.
Drink more whiskey!
Declare the Roman Catholic Church a subversive organization.
Ask for the cabinet's resignations.
Order in naked dancing girls.
Throw a feast.
Make a collage.
Drive a tank through the streets of Washington.
In a radio address to the nation, quote Putney Swope: "I am not going to rock the boat; I am going to tip it over."
Watch the sunrise and the birds take to the sky on my first day as Czar  King  President.

Then, maybe, I'd go to bed.

Coolidge kept a poem hung on the wall in his living room, and it both illustrated how he felt and the image he wanted to project:

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw, the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
Why can’t we be like that old bird?

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