A WORD FROM THE PUBLISHER Upping the Ante ith our last issue (#55), Atlantis Rising ini- tiated a number of improvements to our over all presentation and, gathering from the feed- W back so far, they have been well received in- deed. In addition to better paper (heavier, whiter and smoother) we also instituted a number of design changes made possible by better printing technology. Many have noted approvingly that pictures and colors now go to the edge of the page without stopping at an artificial margin (the printer’s term for this capability is “full bleed”). The magazine has also incorporated much more color over all. Some of our more serious content-centered readers may shrug off the value of such changes—consigning them to the realm of cosmetics rather than substance— and they have a point. We too believe that content should come first, a belief that remains the basis of our editorial policy. However, we also believe there are many important reasons why such ‘mere packaging’ details should not be ignored, and we do not speak simply of increased news- stand sales—as welcome as they may be. Since its inception, this publication has sought to fill a gap in the media marketplace. We have aimed to provide authority and substance to a realm which had previously languished at the edges of public awareness. The conventional wisdom regarding our domain—ancient mysteries, unexplained anomalies, future science, etc.—was that it existed only at the fringes, and was thus not worthy of serious attention. Its resulting absence from the pages of the so-called mainstream press only re- inforced the point. Our kind of alternative news was not covered because it was ‘not important,’ and that ‘unimportance’ was proven by its lack of coverage—a classic vicious circle. Knowing, as we did, that so much valuable material never saw the light of day because it had been damned as unworthy of public attention by the paradigm police, we set out to do something about it. In Atlantis Rising, we wanted to make tangible, matters which had been virtually ephemeral before, and we thought the best way to do it was to take a few pages from the establishment playbook. We believed, that contrary to popular misconception, there was actually a tremendous wealth of material on the so-called fringe (we preferred to think of it as the ‘frontier’), and that, were it to be assembled in a credible and objective manner, it would take on a new luster and, perhaps, even authority. Just as established publications from Time to Scientific American, from National Geographic to Popular Science, lend weight, deserved or not, by their polished presentations of subjects cov- ered, we wanted to provide a similar boost to the gravitas of alternative science. The result has been surprisingly rewarding. Just as a seed crystal in the appropriate solution grows dramatically, our readership has expanded with relative quickness as many have discovered the larger outlines of controversies they once thought entirely one-sided. In fact, the feedback from our efforts has, we believe, provided welcome nourishment to some hitherto underfed but not unworthy causes. And we now see some once feeble activities showing new signs of life. So, it has become clear—if you will forgive another sports metaphor—anything we can do to improve the appearance of this magazine, and thus its public acceptability, advances the ball for our side. We hope you agree and will continue to cheer for the team. As you do so, we expect to find even greater opportunities to score valuable points. PO Box 4 Lyndon, KS 66451 Publisher 4 ATLANTIS RISING • Number 56 Subscribe or Order Books, Videos and Much More! See Our Great 8-page Catalog Beginning on Page 74 Number 56 • ATLANTIS RISING 5 6 ATLANTIS RISING • Number 56 Subscribe or Order Books, Videos and Much More! READER FORUM The Hidden Agendas riting to Atlantis plain the apparent increase in the Rising, via snail mail size of the moon and sun when or e-mail is the best, near the horizon and he also dis- Wbut not the only way covered the laws of refraction. to make your views known to our The design is nothing but one readers. There are also “forums” of his doodlings, so there are no on the Atlantis Rising web site (go sinister goings-on involved here. to www. AtlantisRising.com and Mendhak select “Discussions”). The Internet Creationist Designs Roswell Revisited I am a fan of your publication The narrative that you are Atlantis Rising Magazine and read about to read is true. A large it often. And in the latest issue in amount of the information is veri- regards to your editorial “The Pol- fied by records from the National itics of Intelligent Design” I feel I Archives. must make a few points clear. During World War II my Great You see, I am on the front Uncle held the rank of Captain as lines of this debate, so-to-speak, a bombardier on a B-17 Flying being a resident of Dover, PA and Fortress; when the war was over my oldest daughter attends the he was assigned to the Judge Ad- high school there. While you jutant General’s office at Wright- make a lot of very good observa- Patterson Army Air Base in Ohio. tions in your article you must un- His job was defense attorney. In derstand that the Dover school the last week of June of 1947, he board’s intention was not to intro- was given the case of a Private ac- duce an alternative to evolution, cused of the crime of theft of gov- but to find a way to teach, ernment property at Roswell through alternative means, their Army Air Base in New Mexico. In own beliefs, i.e., Creationism. The order to prepare the defense of members of the Dover School this Private, he traveled to Ros- Board have already confirmed this well to interview (him). When he much themselves. arrived at the stockade at Roswell, While I am a proponent of I.D. he told the Military policeman myself I do not agree with the that was on duty there that he was views or methods of the Dover School Board from Wright-Patterson and was there to see and was against this proposal from the begin- Currency Mystery Continued the prisoner. My Great Uncle believed that ning. Bill Buckingham, the chair for the cur- I just read the letter to the Editor in your the Military policeman knew who he was riculum does a good job summing it up here: January/February issue asking about the geo- talking about. My Great Uncle was surprised “Biology,” he said, was “laced with Dar- metric design on the Iraqi 10,000-Dinar when another Military policeman led him to winism.” He wanted a book that balanced (note). Simultaneously I’m reading Zecharia a cell block that was separate from the rest of theories of evolution with Christian crea- Sitchin’s Book I of the Earth Chronicles and the compound. The Military policeman told tionism, and he was willing to turn his town the design appears 40% or so similar to Cu- my Great Uncle that the prisoner had not into a cultural battlefield to get it. neiform. Perhaps I’m way off base. eaten since the prisoner was brought in. My “This country wasn’t founded on Muslim I also wanted to write and thank you for Great Uncle asked the Military policeman beliefs or evolution,” Buckingham, a stocky, Atlantis Rising and your magazine’s truth when that was the answer he got was July the gray-haired man who wears a red, white and that continuously sparks the imagination. 5th. They stopped before a cell inside the cell blue crucifix pin on his lapel, said at the After all, isn’t that what the human spirit sat a small man. My Great Uncle said the man meeting. “This country was founded on craves and what archaeological research was about four feet tall, pale looking skin Christianity, and our students should be should be about? (like someone who had not been out in the taught as much.” Nancy Beang sun for a long time) and whiteness of hair, So basically, the teaching of I.D. was not Washington, DC wearing a greenish-gray garment like a flight the intention of the school board but (was suit. My Great Uncle knew this was not the rather) to push their own faith-based agenda. This is regarding the “Currency Mystery” prisoner he was there to see and told the Mil- I hope I’ve cleared up some misconcep- question posed by one of the readers, about itary policeman that he had seen enough. tions about what the actual debate in Dover the strange geometric design on the Iraqi They left the building. Later my Great Uncle was all about. Unfortunately I.D. may become 10,000-Dinar note. was visited by two men, both dressed in ci- a casualty of the battle. The design is related to the person pic- vilian clothing, that told him they were with Richard Cherry tured there, Alhazen. Alhazen was an Iraqi the FBI. They asked him why he was there Dover, PA scientist and pioneer in optics, mathematics, and what did he see. My Great Uncle told physics and astronomy. He was first to ex- them. After a few more questions the two > See Our Great 8-page Catalog Beginning on Page 74 Number 56 • ATLANTIS RISING 7 READER FORUM men left.