GOOD PEOPLE OF THE PLANET EARTH, WE SALUTE YOU!

Suddenly, my playful interstellar greetings have a bit more payload to them.

Knowing each and every one of you fair humanoids that read this newsletter intimately, I know that you've been tracking the - well, let's call it insanity - of the UAP/UFO situation as it relates to our government, NASA and the intelligence community as closely as I have these past 6 or 7 weeks.

I make a habit of bringing this up to everyone I run into. Not because I have some hard and fast belief about what is going on (I mean, "belief", really? What is this 1983?) or that I have any kind of abiding optimism or trust that our government, or any government, is capable of functioning beyond a 3rd grad level. Or that I kid myself into thinking I even have the capacity to appreciate the implications of what this could mean if its most extreme logic could come to conclusion.

No, I ask everybody because it's a really potent Rorschach test to run on a person. You tend to get three responses:

Arrogantly certain that it's bullshit.
Arrogantly certain that ITS FINALLY HAPPENING!!
Soft, resigned, uncertainty and openness.

If you know me (and you do... Right?) than you know that I fall steadfastly committed to ANSWER #2!

I kid, I kid.

These are heady times, my dear comrades, and certainty - and certainly arrogance - are not only passé, and boring and dull and stupid - and GROSS - but certainty, is, in regard to this and every other damn thing under the sun, seemingly, an operational failure.

And who wants to be a freaking failure? Not you, son. Not you.

So, let's hold steady, but not too tightly, and see what comes of the hearings on July 26th as well as what results from Chuck Schumer's new legislation, et al.

Interesting times, indeed.

And what do "interesting times" remind us that we need to be doing? That's right, drink!

In service of that high command, we have some projects for you here in the near and now future:

America's Sweetheart, John Vernon Forbes, will be hosting a night of LIVE and improvisational music tonight at our esteemed HQ. Are you a musician? A noise maker? A human who loves to live in the space of spontaneity and surprise? Then bring your instrument to the Lodge tonight and participate in the first of what should be a monthly gathering of sickos in search of sound. No pressure. Just fun here folks, just fun on a ding dang bun.

We're excited to be, once again, partnering with our friends at the THE SATANIC TEMPLE ILLINOIS for their annual MENSTRUATIN' WITH SATAN feminine care products drive. Bring in unopened boxes of menstruation pads, tampons, panty liners, bars of soap, toothpaste or toothbrushes (not sure what the latter has to do with menstruation, but!) and cleansing wipes and throw them in our fancy, devil-adorned box up by the bar. The lovely folks from the Satanic Temple of Illinois will then, on August 31st, distribute them to Pilsen Dispensa Food de Comida Pantry Pilsen to insure they get to women in need.

And this works for you - beyond doing a top-shelf good thing for your fellow humans - because you then get 10% off your bar tab for the night AND, for every item donated, you receive a raffle ticket to win a pair of MENSTRUATIN' WITH SATAN period panties from the design wizards at HAREBRAINED DESIGNS.

We'll pick the winners on Thursday July 27th and Thursday August 31st at 8pm. You must be present at the Lodge to collect your panties.

And, if games of chance are not your thing, then you can buy a pair of panties for $15. $5 from every pair of panties will go to buy more menstruation care products to be donated for the cause.

How great is that?

And speaking of Satan, everybody's most lovable evil-doer HARRY POTTER is getting his much-deserved time in the sun with ourHARRY POTTER TEAM TRIVIAon Sunday July 30th at 3pm.

That's right, this months' themed team trivia focuses on THE BOY WHO LIVED! We'll cover all the books and all the movies. So get your teams of 6 together and come on down to IBW LODGE #1, get loaded and win Harry Potter prizes.What more do you want from this world???

How about a WEIRD STUDIES BLACK IPA 16"x20" poster?

That's right, to celebrate the release of our 2nd batch of Weird Studies Black IPA (which celebrates Weird Studies podcast) we've made a short run of these phenomenal posters. Printed in full color on thick card stock, these posters are sure to make your life finally worth living.

You can buy one at the Lodge for $10 or you can be a shut-in and still get one from terrible web store for $20.

And, while you're here for all these wonderful events, why not get a 4-pack of Weird Studies? This years batch is dry hopped with Comet and Zappa hops and is a freaking delight. Not only that, but each 4 pack comes with ALL FOUR of the can designs we made for this delicious beer. Check them out!

And hey, if beer isn't your thing,SLUSHY THING #7: THE WATERGATE SALAD AFFAIRis back in full effect, available on draft or in 4-packs to go RIGHT NOW.

WHAT A WORLD!! WHAT A WORLD!!!!