Colton Harris-Moore's Death Wish

For over two years Colton Harris-Moore stayed about seven steps ahead of The Heat.  He spent years hiding out in the San Juan Islands, 50 miles up the coast from Seattle.  He broke into dozens (actually, probably hundreds?) of houses and businesses, stole cars, powerboats and quite a few airplanes, and somehow, he acquired a rep as a 21st-century folk hero. He was not a Robin Hood, but a guy who thumbed his nose at cops and prosecutors.  In the end, Colton Harris-Moore's fame probably led to his downfall.  When authorities knew he was in The Bahamas, they papered the islands with flyers of his likeness.  And then yesterday, the police found him in a stolen boat in very shallow water.  He tried to outrace them, but in the end, he was caught.

After he crash landed a plane stolen in the U.S. near the coast of the Bahamas, broke into a few businesses and grabbed a few boats, they made a D.N.A. match.  Witnesses on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera recognized the 19-year-old Barefoot Bandit from the flyers and called the cops, who nailed him today, (Sunday) after a high-speed boat chase.  What was he thinking?  A six foot five American blending into a country where people were mostly Bahama natives a foot shorter than Harris-Moore?  He was far better off hiding on Puget Sound, where presumably friends and family leant a helping hand.  Never emerging in daylight seemed like the sensible move.  On the other hand, maybe it was a death wish.  After he branched out from the Pacific Northwest, he seemed to get increasingly sloppy in the midwest and the Caribbean.  He may have been tired of running.  It looks like he will do some time in the Bahamas, and then be shipped back to the U.S., where there are dozens of cases pending against him in several states.

He does have John Henry Brown, the criminal defense lawyer, as his counsel.  But I don't think he'll slip out of this one...
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Alien Lore No. 175 --> Flights over China diverted as a UFO is spotted in the air over the Zhejiang province

Thanks to our regular paranormal tipster, Jeff Clinton, for spotting this one.

According to an article in China Daily, a UFO disrupted air traffic over the Zhejiang province, Hangzhou, late Wednesday, the city's government said Thursday. Xiaoshan Airport was closed after the UFO was detected at around 9 pm,  Flights were rerouted to airports in Ningbo and Wuxi, according to an airport spokesman. The airport later resumed operations.  More details would be revealed after an investigation, according to the spokesman.  Right.

At 11 pm on Wednesday, a Chinese citizen blogged three entries announcing the airport's closure.  The posts were soon deleted.  China Daily reports:  "He posted an apology at midnight, saying the news had not been confirmed and asking those who had republished his earlier entries to delete them." 

It sounds like the citizen had a visitor.
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Alien Lore. No. 174 - Happy Belated UFO Day a) "Proof" that aliens do exist, that we met them on the moon, and how they asked us not to return, and b) The New York Times reports no one seems to really care much anymore about UFO sightings

First,  happy and belated UFO Day. UFO Day inspired John Schwartz to publish an article on the decline of  UFO sightings (Out of This World, Out of Our Minds).  The New York Times printed the article last weekend.

Contrary to popular alien lore, NASA did go to the moon, but were told to never come back. Thanks to Jeff Clinton for pointing out this video, which, naturally, delves deeply into conspiracy and cover-up theories.

"...sightings rarely capture the popular imagination. Now that cellphone cameras are all but ubiquitous, there isn’t a moment that can’t be snapped — so if the truth really were out there, we’d see it. And we haven’t."

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RyanAir liked our suggestions so much they now propose pay toilets and standing room "seating" (but will not be offering the Crisco)

By Jack Brummet, Social Mores Editor
& Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Editor

Earlier this year, All This Is That published a satire piece about an airline (Spirit Air) that was about to begin charging for seat belts and restroom use.  Four years ago, we published another satire "Airlines consider offering standing room and Crisco in lieu of seats ."  What earlier seemed completely absurd  has come to pass. 

" 'As you know,' the source told our national affairs editor Pablo Fanque, 'we have positioned ourselves as the 'ultra low-cost' airline (ULCC). It wasn't much of a leap to go from charging for carry-on bags to charging for other, well, services.' The source disclosed that Spirit Airlines is about to impose a modest ($5.00) fee for seat belt rentals on all flights."

The Daily Mail recently reported that RyanAir is thinking about not only pay toilets, but is also considering standing room "seating."  Ryanair travellers would "perch on a narrow shelf and lean against a flat padded backboard. They would be restrained with a strap stretching over their shoulder, the budget airline said." 

Ryanair plans to replace the back ten rows of seats on its fleet with 15 rows of vertical seating.  In addition, the airline, at the same time, announced they will begin charging a fee for use of the toilets on their aircraft.

All This Is That pages cited in this article:   

http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2006/04/airlines-consider-offering-standing.html
http://jackbrummet.blogspot.com/2010/04/spirit-airlines-to-institute-pay.html

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Digital Art by Jack Brummet: Hotspot!

click to enlarge

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The Internet, according to Prince, is "completely over"

In a strange interview (which is not in itself all that shocking), Prince recently told Peter Willis of The Daily Mirror that the Internet is "completely over."  Prince has even pulled the plug on his own website, and does not allow YouTube,  iTunes, Amazon, or any other digital service to carry his music. 

"You must come and listen to the album.  I hope you like it. It's great that it will be free to readers of your newspaper. I really believe in finding new ways to distribute my music."

"He explains that he decided the album will be released in CD format only in the Mirror. There'll be no downloads anywhere in the world because of his ongoing battles against Internet abuses."

The short article is pretty fascinating, and while Prince's music seems as strong as ever, he does seem a touch, uh, flighty.  Let's just say that Peter Willis flew a long way for this interview, but he pretty much takes it in stride.  Check out the full article at the Mirror web site. 

"The internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it.

 "The internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good.

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Not exactly contrition--Lindsay Lohan hides an "F*** You" between the lines at her sentencing

By Pablo Fanque         
National Affairs Editor  


While actress and human train-wreck Lindsay Lohan was crying and making a passionate speech to a California judge about her respect for the court and how she was taking full responsibility, she was, at the same time, sending a hidden message written on her middle fingernail: "F**k U."

This may not have been the most convincing way to demonstrate remorse over violating parole,  although there is no indication the judge noticed before she threw the book at Lohan (90 days in the hoosegow, followed by 90 days of in-patient rehab).
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Four analog/digital drawings by Jack Brummet

click the drawings to enlarge...

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George W. Bush goes out with a bang at his last G-8 Summit

Somehow we missed this when it happened -- At his last G-8 summit in 2008, President George W. Bush's delivered a jaw-dropping farewell to two other leaders.  "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter," he said to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, punching the air and grinning widely. The two leaders looked on, stunned and in shock.

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Independence Day: Shucking the Devil British Overlords, and celebrating with Fireworks and Firewater

click to enlarge

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I hope some of my British friends can explain this curious dessert from England that I saw in my local grocery store this week. I suspect it has appeared in some Monty Python and Benny Hill bits at some time or other...

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Random photos from our trip to the Methow

click to enlarge - my latest niece, Olivia Jane Sanchez

Olivia's brother Otis Valentino - click to enlarge

Cowboy sculpture in downtown Winthrop - click to enlarge

Cool water rolling around a rocky sandbar in the Methow River - click to enlarge

Taxidermy lined up atop the feeezer cases at the Twisp Grocery Store - click to enlarge

More taxidermy at the Twisp Grocery Store - click to enlarge

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