area 51 – Allison Thurman

biweekly links 9/11/2019

Author Paints Colorful Picture of JFK Assassination Conspirator in Debut Historical Novel: I’m unclear on the author’s take—is he promoting a conspiracy theory, or condemning conspiracy theorist Jim Garrison’s pursuit of his protagonist—but David Ferrie’s life certainly sounds like one that would lend itself to fictionalization.

The Czechoslovak Occultist Plot to Kill Hitler by Magic: while not the only alleged magical attack on Hitler, Jan Kefer’s efforts in 1938 may be the earliest. This article presents a nice snapshot of late 19th/early 20th century Prague occultism, but I wish it had references.

Prague 1606 / Multimedia view of Prague during the Rule of Rudolf II: speaking of the Czech Republic, I think I got a poster of Sadeler’s copperplate on my 2015 trip to Prague but it’s not 9 meters long or animated, so I think this City of Prague Museum exhibit might be worth checking out.

Area 51 is bracing for humans: Officials fear ‘Alienstock’ could cause county in Nevada to ‘go broke‘: I’m a bit fuzzy on whether “storm Area 51” is still happening: Alienstock’s website says yes and the Little A’Le’Inn is booked solid but Rachel NV’s website says it’s been cancelled altogether. Whatever ultimately ends up happening, this article illuminates the negative effect of UFO-themed tourism on a small community that is ill-equipped to handle so many visitors.

biweekly links 8-28-2019

Dirt Roads to Dreamland: 51 Trips to Area 51: the writer was visiting Area 51 before it was cool – and before the 1995 land grab of the main vantage points that made this secret base even more dangerous and difficult to access.

Brilliant Visions: Peyote among the Aesthetes: lest you think magic mushrooms were strictly a hippie thing, be advised that they also enjoyed a vogue with late 19th century artists and writers.

Manuscript Reveals How Medieval Nun, Joan of Leeds, Faked Her Own Death to Escape the Convent: what it says on the tin. And it’s thanks to the University of York’s Northern Way project that we’re aware of it, as they’re making the original manuscripts available online.

the return of biweekly links: 7/17/2019

Voynich Manuscript: Did Bay Area researchers decipher mysterious medieval book? – this time it’s Latin written in medieval shorthand. The article provides a quick review of all the latest scholarship. As I’m not a linguist or cryptographer I still abstain.
More Than 1 Million People Agree To ‘Storm Area 51,’ But The Air Force Says Stay Home – I’m amazed that Area 51 is still a “thing” on the pop cultural landscape this many years after “The X-Files” heyday, and while I suspect what people see there is bleeding edge human tech, I confess a curiosity about what lies beyond the black mailbox. I’m tickled that the Little A’Le’Inn is not only still in business but booked solid for that weekend, internet joke or not.

The ‘Inn in “Paul” wasn’t the real deal, but it appears they took pains to get the set right.

Catch These Events Celebrating Apollo 11 Moon Landing’s 50th Anniversary – a fairly comprehensive list of this Saturday’s (7/20) 50th anniversary festivities around the U.S. Being the fashion nerd that I am, I really want to see the restored space suit.