The following is a Legally Mandated Public Notice pursuant to a Court Order

The Directors of the Idyll-Beast Research Center and its Museum and Gift Shoppe sadly announce the dissolution of our financial services company, Beastie Mac. All Idyll-Beast Research Center Museum and Gift Shoppe "Beast Buy" credit cards are hereby and immediately canceled, and all balances forgiven.

Our apologies go out to those members of the public who were terrorized by over-zealous docents attempting to turn every transaction into a new pre-approved credit card account. And that small print, not even we knew what it said.

The one service to survive the wreckage is our "Idyll-Beast and Associates Collection Agency." In these difficult times our unconventional methods could be just the thing to turn your accounts receivables into cash. Contact us for more details at:

idyllbeastresearchcenter@yahoo.com.

Prophecy?

As I have stated earlier, I am personally a sceptic in matters of "prophecy." I have mentioned my work on the quatrains or so called "Prophecies of Beastradamus," and my purely scholarly and literary interest in this curious, even eccentric document. So I admit to a moment of chagrin when I turned on the radio today to hear about the local "shake up" in San Jacinto's city government. I invite the gentle reader to refer to my August 5th posting, "IBRC Archives," in particular the part dealing with the Beastradamus project. I mentioned a quatrain, which when translated in full reads:

"In the city of Saint Hyacinth leaders reel

In the Year of the Idyll-Beast

four in five are named in a

one-hundred-fifty-five count indictment involving money laundering and bribery."

I know it's not great poetry, and it loses something in translation, but you can't make this stuff up. I am starting to think there could be something to the rantings of the furry seer.

Beast Wishes

DJ

New Converts

Although it is never our intention to prosletyze, the Idyll-Beast Research Center's community outreach effort has lead many to embrace the Beast. Halloween was a special opportunity to meet and greet the younger generation.

I was honored to be invited this week to participate in a colloquium at Astro Camp, that other Scientific Organization on the hill. Those people really love science. And root beer schnapps. It was a relaxed yet scientifically rigorous evening of highbrow infotainment. We look forward to future exchanges. Much interest was expressed in the upcoming translation of the so-called "Prophecies of Beastradamus." This project has taken much of my time lately, but will be of interest to Idyllwilders, especially the credulous ones. Many uncanny references to a strangely familiar "village in the pines."

What's New at the Idyll-Beast Research Center

Last week I was shocked to be asked by local eminence grisé Hubert Halkin "Is there really an Idyll-Beast Research Center Museum and Gift Shoppe?" People, skepticism is healthy, and I know some folks never venture North of Cafe Aroma, but the IBRC Museum and Gift Shoppe is as real as any other business in Idyllwild. Maybe not as profitable, but just swing by 54875 B North Circle and see for yourselves. Doubting Thomases. Having established the reality of the shoppe, I then am asked what exactly we do there. Harder to answer. Well, last week we:

*Repaired furniture for customers,

*Sold some tee shirts and halloween costumes (available for children and pets)

*Took orders for Beastiopathic Remedies and "Calling All Idyll-Beasts" Sacred Space Clearing Spray (Christmas is coming),

*Educated legions of tourists,

*Assembled our first IBRC "Li'l Researcher Adventure Play Sets,"

*Met many curious and supportive business owners and community members.

*Negotiated image rights for the new IBRC postcards. A real asset to the community.

*Developed curricula for our new continuing education series. In these times many of us are investing in new skills. Our "Dumpster Diving 101" sections are filling up fast.

MEDICAL NEWS: Back at the Research Center proper, our scientists are working overtime to insure a plentiful supply of the new H1B1 "Beast flu" vaccine. Dr. Idyllbeast himself will be performing the innoculations at the Museum. Parents bring your children.

And people, if you are new to the Blog, please read the posts from previous months. Much valuable information is available there.

A Cautionary Tale

Many of you by now have heard about the closing of one of our local "watering holes" as a result of an unfortunate incident involving an Idyll-Beast. Many locals show sympathy for these creatures, allowing them to forage in dumpsters and even leaving scraps out for them. It seems patrons at Jo Ann's crossed the line, offering meals and drinks to one beast, and the creature lost much of its natural aversion to human contact. Soon yokels were inviting "Idy" in for drinks. "Bartender, a chocotini for my Furry Friend!" Ha ha. What could possibly go wrong? It turns out the one thing worse than buying liquor for an Idyll-Beast is buying liquor for an Idyll-Beast on Karaoke night. The county was not amused. Emergency response teams are very expensive. One family's adventure in Idyllwild hospitality has been cut short. And members of our community are out of work. The follies of the few beget the suffering of many.

The Real Deal

At last, an image that repays serious scrutiny. Muzzle to muzzle with the unknown, these are the moments we researchers live for. In focus, great depth of field, good lighting and color balance, excellent composition. Almost painterly in its approach to subject and landscape, this image was recently taken at Inspiration point. Technical details to follow. 

OK OK already

This is not such a great picture. Eyes closed. Poor depth of field. Color lackluster. Light too bright in lower half, too dark above. Composition lackluster. Point and shoot. Very much a run-of-the-mill Beast sighting photograph. Still it's a start. Submit your Idyll-Beast sighting shots.