From UFOs to Johnny Vagabond, Wes Nations Takes His Final Trek

Wes Nations was a young man when he passed away on November 25, 2014, at the age of 47. He left behind a legacy of 1990s' alternative Austin-scene involvement that was close to legendary. But what came next will be circulating among the winds for decades to come. He exited the self-publishing field to undertake a long-held vision he'd fostered. He rid himself of most of his worldly possessions (the main exception being his beloved MacBook) and took off to travel for a year. His globe-trotting turned into six years on the road, a highly praised blog, and a persona known around the world as "Johnny Vagabond."

James Wesley ("Wes") Nations was born on July 1, 1967, in Aransas Pass, Texas. Famed for water sports, fishing, kayaking, and birding, Aransas Pass is the home to the largest hummingbird garden in Texas. Before Nations, the most recalled person from Aransas Pass was Emory Bellard (1927-2011), former University of Texas offensive coordinator and head coach at Texas A&M, inventor of the Wishbone formation. The citizens of Aransas Pass now have the genius of Wes Nations to add to their history, and they should be proud of him.

Nations began to make a name for himself in the age of news magazines ("alt-news-zines") in the 1990s. Wes Nations was the editor and publisher of Crash Collusion Magazine.

SMiles Lewis, Austin anomalist, conference organizer and archivist, personally alerted me to Wes Nations' death and his far-reaching linkages. Lewis observed:

Wes was my entre to the world of alt-news-zines in the 1990s. He was friends of many of the 1990s Zine Scene publishers (and early website operators) from the Excluded Middle magazine (Greg Bishop, Robert Larson, Peter Stenshoel), Steamshovel Press (Kenn Thomas), Adam Gorightly, E.L.F. Infested Spaces (published by me), The Konformist (Robert Sterling), The Devil's Advocate (Tim Brigham), and many more.

Meditative pose at Bell Rock, Sedona. 1997 Texufornia Kookout, with Peter Stenshoel, Paul Rydeen, Adam Gorightly, Mick Taylor, Dave Reimer and Wes Nations. Back row, Greg Bishop. Facebook.

As Nations planned his escape from Texas civilization to travel the world, he had to figure out what to do with his large library. Lewis writes: "When Wes moved away from Austin he gave away his vast collection of books and most of them went to Paul Rydeen and I. It was Wes's collection and mine that made up the foundation of my non-profit Anomaly Archives collections."

Kevin Revolinski said in his Wes Nations' remembrance,

He dreamed, planned, and saved, and finally, in 2009, already in his 40s, he set off on a one-year journey that became indefinite. Johnny Vagabond was born. He worked hard on his writing and photography, and due in no small part to his keen sense of storytelling, he was soon a typical inclusion on any list of travel bloggers to follow. 

Wes Nations' trips turned into a well-loved blog by many. "He was Johnny Vagabond in the travel writing world," Kevin Revolinski wrote. 

After Wes Nation died, Glenn Dixon recalled that "Wes was fairly well-known in travel blogger circles. One time Dixie and I were having lunch in our favorite restaurant, TierrADentro, and were approached by a cute young couple. They said hi, and then asked me, 'Are you Johnny Vagabond?' I got a big laugh out of this. Johnny Vagabond was Wes’ alter ego and the name of his blog. I’m pretty sure I told them that, no, I’m much younger and more handsome than him, but that I could connect them."

In Leigh Shulman ode to Wes Nation, she shared an overview sense of Wes' blog: "Raw is the word I hear most often applied to his writing. Things like how he almost killed a man who offered him an eight year old girl for sex. Or stories about the ethereal nature of travel."

 At Joshua Tree.

 Traveling the world, Wes soon found it was about the people, more than the places.

Wes at Tikal, a couple years ago. 

When the journey on which Wes Nations found himself reached its final destination, via liver disease, he was "back in his hometown, his parents Tommy and Barbara at his side. He had traveled full circle," as Keith Revonlinski nicely put it.

One of Wes Nations' favorite photographs of himself, which he used as his profile pix on blogs, Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere.

The man moved from writing about UFOs and conspiracies, to sex slaves and the mistreatment of the disenfranchised. We appreciate seeing the world through his eyes, even for such a small amount of time. 

Most of his peers, in the end, agreed, despite Nations' blog's tagline that "He's traveling cheap, taking pics, and telling lies," he saw truths and reported realities through his writings and images. He will be missed.

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The following are the links to my three remembrances for the three ufology researchers/writers who died in one week (November 25 – December 2, 2014):

Tom Benson

Rocky Wood

Wes Nations

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Tarot Cards As Criminal Twilight Language

The Joker? The Hierophant? Jack the Ripper? The Hanging Man? Twilight Language abounds.

As a followup to the recent Austin shootings (see "Gunman McQuilliams Targets 3 Major Austin Governmental Sites"), the identification of the shooter as Larry Steven McQuillams revealed his use of the Twilight Language.

Before his attack, McQuilliams changed his last public individual Facebook profile photo to the following:

It is the Hierophant Tarot card (h/t SMiles). Following is the complete view.

The Hierophant (V), in some decks named The Pope, is the fifth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks.
...
In many modern packs, the Hierophant is represented with his right hand raised in what is known esoterically as the blessing or benediction, with two fingers pointing skyward and two pointing down, thus forming a bridge between Heaven and Earth reminiscent of that formed by the body of The Hanged Man. The Hierophant is thus a true “pontiff”, in that he is the builder of the bridge between deity and humanity.
...
In most iconographic depictions, the Hierophant is seen seated on a throne between two pillars symbolizing Law and Liberty or obedience and disobedience, according to different interpretations. He wears a triple crown, and the keys to Heaven are at his feet. Sometimes he is shown with worshippers, as his alternate title is the Pope or, sometimes, Jupiter.
...
Some interpretations also suggest a link between the card and the myth of Isis and Osiris, a claim made about many cards. Source. 

There is a long tradition of leaving "calling cards" of various types at crime scenes. 

One of the most significant examples in history is those left by Jack the Ripper, which were wrongly interpreted as being Jewish in origin, when, in fact, they were Masonic.

Jack the Ripper is believed to have left two calling cards by Goulston Street, London on September 30, 1888, the night he murdered Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes: a scrap of Eddowes' apron and some graffiti reading Juwes are the men That Will not be Blamed for nothing. Source.

First off, the actual location of the killings, near or in Mitre Square is important, Freemasonically.

Also, in one widely disseminated theory:

Author Stephen Knight suggested that "Juwes" referred not to "Jews," but to Jubela, Jubelo and Jubelum, the three killers of Hiram Abiff, a semi-legendary figure in Freemasonry, and furthermore, that the message was written by the killer (or killers) as part of a Masonic plot. There is no evidence that anyone prior to Knight had ever referred to those three figures by the term "Juwes". Knight's suggestion was used in fictional treatments of the murders, such as the film Murder by Decree, and the graphic novel From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. Source.

In terms of the Beltway Sniper mystery, Tarot cards were used to leave messages.

John Muhammad and Lee Malvo, the so-called "Beltway Snipers," engaged in 23 days of random attacks in the Washington, D.C, area, in October 2002. Muhammad used a Bushmaster .223 rifle.

The snipers left Tarot “Death” cards like this one

at some of the shooting sites. Note the words

“Call me God” at the top. Photo: Official FBI page.

On October 7, 2002, at 8:09 a.m., Iran Brown, a 13-year-old boy, was shot in the abdomen and critically wounded as he arrived at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School at 4901 Collington Road in Bowie, Maryland, in Prince George's County (Brown's name was concealed from the public but was later revealed). His aunt, a nurse who had just brought him to school, rushed him to a hospital emergency room. Despite serious injuries, including damage to several major organs, Brown survived the attack and ultimately testified at Muhammad's trial. At this crime scene the authorities discovered a shell casing as well as a Tarot card (the Death card) inscribed with the phrase, "Call me God" on the front and, on three separate lines on the back, "For you Mr. Police." "Code: 'Call me God'. Do not release to the press."
...
Allegedly, at several scenes Tarot cards were left as calling cards, including one Death card upon which was written "Call me God" on the front and on the back on three separate lines the words, "For you mr. Police." "Code: 'Call me God'." "Do not release to the press." This information was leaked to the press and misquoted often as "I am God" or some similar misquote of the actual words on the tarot card. Source.

Heath Ledger's Joker and his card.

The Hanging Man Tarot card.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Heath Ledger's final role.

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Gunman McQuilliams Targets 3 Major Austin Governmental Sites

Neptune/Poseidon, symbolized by tridents, was the ruler of the seas and associated locations, but also, surprisingly, of horses.

A new violent situation ended when a "veteran Austin police officer putting away horses for the night was able to stop a gunman rampaging through the city's downtown early Friday — ending the suspect's 10 minutes of terror before anyone was hurt." Source.

An individual fired at three targeted downtown Austin, Texas public buildings -- the Austin Federal Courthouse, the Consulado General De Mexico (Mexican consulate), and the Austin Police headquarters -- before police shot and killed him. Sgt Adam Johnson, a 15-year veteran of the department, has been identified as the cop who shot the suspect.

This occurred early "black Friday" morning, November 28, 2014. The gunman also tried to set the Mexican consulate afire.

The Austin Federal Courthouse opened in 2012, designed by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, occupies a full city block, directly west of Republic Square Park.

The Mexican consulate building.

Austin Police Headquarters.

The unidentified North Austin man was suspected of shooting into buildings at around 2:30 a.m. local time, KVUE-TV reports.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that the locations were the Mexican consulate, federal courthouse, and the Austin Police building.

Assistant Chief Raul Munguia told reporters that the suspected shooter, who was wearing some type of a vest, was killed near his vehicle, which may have contained an improvised explosive device. The police bomb squad was on the scene.

Officers pursued leads and were investigating a North Austin address where the suspect allegedly lived. They said they are checking the residence for other potential bombs.

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Update: By the end of the day, Friday, November 28, the shooter was identified as Larry Steven McQuilliams.

Larry, derived from Lawrence, means "laurel crowned," as in a victor of a battle or war.

Steven, derived the Greek Stéfanos, meaning "wreath, crown, honor, reward." In ancient Greece, a wreath of laurels denoted a winner of a contest, from which the crown, a symbol of rulers, was derived.

The root of the ancient Dalriadan-Scottish name McQuilliam is the personal name William. The Gaelic form of the surname is Mac Uilleim, meaning the son of William. The name is first found on the Isle of Harris, Scotland.

William is a name of old Germanic origin. William comes ultimately from the given name Wilhelm (cf. Old German Wilhelm > German Wilhelm and Old Norse Vilhjálmr). The Anglo-Saxon form should be Wilhelm as well (although the Anglo-Saxon chronicle refers to William the Conqueror as Willelm). That is a compound of two distinct elements : wil = "will or desire"; helm; Old English helm "helmet, protection"; > English helm "knight's large helmet."

Therefore, Larry Steven McQuilliams, literally is a triple name specifically linked to the covering of the head in laurels, a wreath, a crown, and the son of a helmeted one.

Videos posted onto McQuilliams' Facebook timeline show him practicing his skills with a Sai (shown at top), a weapon based on the Indian trisula, which is a trident.

The Austin Statesman gave a sketch of Austin's gunman:

McQuilliams, 49, was a Renaissance Fair enthusiast and martial artist, Matlack said. He took care of neighbors’ pets when they were away. Matlack said she saw him every couple of days while walking her dog. McQuilliams loved “Barking Springs,” the spillway end of Barton Springs where many owners take their dogs to roam off leash, and where many of Austin’s free spirits go to hang out. He would help clean up the hike-and-bike trail when heavy rains washed through it. He felt at home in drum circles….He was incarcerated in Texarkana, and his time behind bars — police have not released details of it, and online records are incomplete.

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Meanwhile, just after midnight, also on Friday, November 28, 2014, a stand-off in Newport News, Virginia, ended at the Fort Eustis base. An unidentified soldier locked his wife outside their base residence on Thanksgiving Day, at about 8 p.m., and barricaded himself inside, according to military officials. The man was not a threat, not violent, but refused to come out until the early morning. Rumors of an active shooter on the base were unfounded. It was unknown if he was armed.

See also: 

Gateway Arch Bomb Plot

Gateway Arch to Hell: Ferguson in Trident Times

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Car Crashes Into Red River SXSW Crowd: First Victim Identified

River Red. Mohawk. SXSW. 

Some incredible things have occurred at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, like the world premiere of the new found footage classic EXISTS.

And then disaster struck.

One of the first spokespeople detailing the accident, Lt. Brian Moon of Austin Police Department told the media that a Vehicular Homicide Unit and DWI Unit are investigating the driver for driving under the influence. At a press conference held shortly after the incident, Art Acevedo, Austin chief of police, said the suspect was currently in custody and will be charged with two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault.

The tragedy outside the Mohawk, a popular bar and live music venue, cast a pall over downtown Austin as the Texas city plays host to the annual South By Southwest festival. SXSW draws tens of thousands of people for its program of films, music and interactive technology.

Acevedo called the rampage an "intentional act" and said the driver faces two counts of capital murder and other charges. KVUE, citing two sources, identified the suspect is Rashad Charjuan Owens, 22, of Killeen, Texas.

Mugshot of Rashad Charjuan Owens from the Bell County Sheriff's Office.

Rashad is of Arabic origin, and the meaning is "good judgment" and "thinker."

The meanings and origins of Charjuan is unclear.

Owens is a name of Welsh/Celtic origins with the meaning, "well-born" and "young fighter."

Killeen means "church," "church-yard" and "grave-yard," as well as "treasure-box," "nest-egg" and "treasure." In the "grave-yard" context "Cillín" (and its English version "Killeen") came to mean the small "cill" or burial-ground, outside of the consecrated grave-yard, where unbaptised infants were buried. This is often its meaning in placenames. The little "treasure boxes" contained the tiny innocents who were buried there.
Acevedo said he encouraged organizers to push on with the nine-day festival, which is expected to draw 70,000 people to music, film technology and education programs.

"This is an individual who showed no regard for the human beings he plowed through," Acevedo said at a press conference. "We can't let one individual ruin this great event."

Officers initially tried to pull over the driver at a gas station on an Interstate 35 service road around 12:30 a.m. CT Thursday, March 13, 2014. The driver fled the wrong way down a one-way street and turned onto a street that had been closed after a concert. The Toyota sedan hit pedestrians at a "high rate of speed."

Acevedo said the driver then hit a man and a woman on a moped, then a taxi and a van, before stopping the vehicle and fleeing on foot. The driver was pursued, shocked with a stun gun and taken into custody.

A local woman on the moped and a bicyclist from the Netherlands were killed. Two of the injured remain in critical condition, Acevedo said.

The bicyclist was a 35-year-old Dutch musician and music agency employee.

The man, Steven Craenmehr, was identified by his employer, Massive Music, on the company’s website and Facebook page Thursday morning. The company said Craenmehr worked there for 8 years and Craenmehr listed his position as “creative director & sonic branding specialist” on his personal Facebook page. A Twitter profile under Craenmehr’s name said he is also a musician, composer, lead singer and guitarist.

A translation of Craenmehr is unknown at this time.

The name of the woman has not been released.

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The I-81 Killer

There is a new highway killer on the loose.

Timothy "Atsi" Davison is the first victim of the I-81 Killer in 2014.

He was killed on this stretch of I-81 in Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday, January 7, 2014, northbound vehicles on Interstate 81 pass the site in the median where Timothy Davison of Poland, Maine, was shot to death in a random act of violence early on Saturday, January 4, in south-central Pennsylvania near the Maryland state line. Davison had called 911 in Maryland and again when he crossed into Pennsylvania to say that he was being pursued and shot at by someone in a small, dark-colored pickup truck. Davison was on his way home from visiting his sister in Orlando, Fla., when he was shot. (Photo: Jenn Fitch/The Herald-Mail)

(Davison shared the same name as his father, so "Atsi" became his nickname from his middle name Austin.)

Timothy Davison, 28, was traveling north on Interstate 81 when he called 911 to report a small pickup truck was chasing and firing gunshots at him.

The driver then rammed Davison's vehicle, forcing him into the median. After Davison's vehicle became disabled, the driver approached and fired several rounds that struck Davison.

State police say he died from his wounds at York Hospital.

Police are hunting for a small-type pickup truck with side-panel damage, similar to a Ford Ranger.

The fact is the Davison shooting was not isolated.

In the statement, which Pennsylvania authorities distributed after canceling a planned press conference Tuesday morning, the task force said it is investigating a possible connection between Davison’s killing and a shooting eight hours earlier about 30 miles away in Monaghan Township, Pennsylvania.
The victim, who was not injured, told police that the driver of a black Nissan pickup truck fired at him.
“While there are many similarities between the two, conclusive evidence definitively connecting the two has yet to be established,” the statement said. “Both investigations will be treated as being related until conclusive evidence proves otherwise.”
The statement announced the formation of a task force to investigate the shootings, including Pennsylvania and Maryland state police, the Carroll Township Police Department and the FBI. Source.

The on-site investigation was visible via the traffic cam pointed at that section of I-81. Was any video available to authorities from 2 am the previous morning that was able to show any of the shooting incident in the dark?

The incident occurred as Davison was on I-81, as he drove from near Hagerstown, Maryland, north into Pennsylvania, just north of I-70. The exact location was three miles over the Pennsylvania border in Antrim Township, Franklin County.

It is worthy of noting that Maryland's I-70 crosses South Mountain, which passes through Greenbrier State Park. At the top of the mountain, the Interstate passes under US 40 and the Appalachian Trail and enters Frederick County, Maryland (which is SE of Franklin County, Pennyslvania). I-70 has a pair of rest areas on the east side of the mountain, one per direction. The westbound rest area is where the Beltway snipers, John Allen Mohammed and Lee Boyd Malvo, were apprehended by police in October 2002.

Interstate 81 largely traces the paths created down the length of the Appalachian Mountains by migrating animals, American Indians, and early settlers. It also follows a major corridor for troop movements during the Civil War. These trails and roadways gradually evolved into U.S. Route 11. Interstate 81 parallels much of the older Route 11.

I-81 is the longest odd-numbered (and therefore the longest north-south) Interstate highway in which the number does not end with a 5, and the third longest Interstate highway in which the number does not end with a 0 or 5 after I-94 and I-64. Being mostly rural, it is heavily used as a trucking corridor, often as a bypass of the busier Interstate 95 to the east.

Interstate 81 passes through the state of Maryland at one of its narrowest points, passing through the "Hub City" of Hagerstown where it intersects with a large number of other routes. Being that this stretch is only 12.08 miles (19.44 km), this is the shortest stretch of I-81 among the states that it traverses. Interstate 81 forms a major north–south corridor through the state of Pennsylvania.

Now I-81 has a killer associated with it.

The history of highway snipers goes way back. I reported (in Mysterious America) on the The Blue Phantom of Route 66, a person in a blue car who first appeared in May 1952, around Joliet, Illinois, shooting at other cars driving along Rt. 66. The shootings continued up and down Rt. 66 (with some on the nearby Rt. 54), throughout June, from East St. Louis to Decatur. No one was ever arrested.

On the Sunday morning of April 25, 1965, 16-year-old Michael Andrew Clark opened fire on cars traveling along Highway 101 just south of Orcutt, California, from a nearby hilltop. Three people were killed and ten were wounded before Clark took his own life by suicide, upon the arrival of the police.

Since 1999, at least 10 men have been convicted in seven separate highway sniper cases in which at least 15 people have been killed.

The Beltway sniper attacks in 2002 killed 10, injured three and paralyzed the Washington, DC area for weeks. 

The 2003 West Virginia sniper attacks were a series of sniper-style shootings that took place over the course of several days in August 2003, leaving three people dead in West Virginia. In July 2012, Shawn Lester, who had been indicted for all three murders in 2011, pleaded guilty to the second degree murder of one of the victims.

 
In 2003, in Ohio, a gunman, Charles McCoy, Jr., shot 24 motorists along I-270, killing one (62-year-old Gail Knisley, killed on November 25, 2003) before he arrested in Las Vegas on March 17, 2004. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and hoped the shootings would stop the coverage of Michael Jackson.

In southeast Michigan, in 2012, at least 24 motorists were hit.

Is Interstate 81 to be added to this highway sniper history?

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According to WVEC, there has been another 2 am shooting on a Middle Atlantic interstate highway:

VIRGINIA BEACH-Va. State Police is investigating a reported shooting along I-264 West in Va. Beach.
Spokeswoman Sgt. Michelle Anaya says troopers were alerted to the situation at 2:33 a.m.
Posted on January 10, 2014 at 9:40 AM
Update 2:27 p.m.: Va. State Police told WVEC.com that a man driving a car was shot this morning.
Sgt. Anaya says he was taken to Sentara Va. Beach General for treatment of non-life threatening injures. She couldn't confirm his age, whether anyone was in the car with him or where along I-264 the shooting occurred.
I-264 West was closed between Parks Avenue and First Colonial Road in Virginia Beach for nearly an hour as State police searched for clues.
Sgt. Anaya did state that investigators have determined a car pulled over near Witchduck Road was not involved.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4.

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