Airships and Moon: Steampunk Tarot

I received a steampunk tarot deck for my birthday. These two cards fit in well with what the Orb is all about: Ace of Airships, and Moon Voyage.

The Steampunk Tarot, designed by John and Caitlin Matthews

Phantoms and Monsters: Orange UFO Over Mt. St. Helens?

Another orange orb sighting, this one by way of Lon Strickler's Phantoms and Monsters, who has an item about an orange orb UFO over Mt. St. Helens

Phantoms and Monsters: Pulse of the Paranormal: Has St Helens been visited by aliens?

This strange orange object was spotted by Star reader George Hunter hovering above his home close to St Helens town centre.

Described by Mr Hunter as a "huge object" that moved at "warp speed", it was seen just after midnight in the skies over the Rainford Road area.

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Wisconsin witness photographs two orange orb UFOs - Openminds.tv

Orange orb sighting. Images from cell phone; the UFO doesn't look very orb-like, but as we know, UFOs often appear one way to the naked eye, another on film, video or digital...

Wisconsin witness photographs two orange orb UFOs - Openminds.tv: A Wisconsin witness at Madison reported watching and videotaping “two reddish-orange objects” that quickly disappeared, according to testimony in Case 63958 from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) witness reporting database.
The witness was driving to a store in Madison at 4:01 p.m. on March 6, 2015, when the incident occurred.
“I noticed two objects in the sky that had a reflective, reddish-orange color,” the witness stated. “I very quickly realized I was seeing something unique and unusual.”

2,000 Snow Geese Drop Dead from Sky | KEZI

 In Idaho, another mass bird death from the skies:

2,000 Snow Geese Drop Dead from Sky | KEZI: MUD LAKE, Idaho (CNN) — Officials in eastern Idaho have retrieved the remains of 2,000 snow geese that fell from the sky.
The state Department of Fish and Game says the birds appeared to have died from avian cholera.

Debunking UFOs in Art. Not Quite.

(cross posted at UFO Mary)

Point goes over head in this bit of debunkery.Debunking the ufos in art theory: Bogus history Ancient Aliens Debunked: No UFOs in ancient art. Playing devil's advocate (yes, pun,) we have the language used in this debunkery: the ufos in art as "…prey to ufo enthusiasts" and (paraphrase) "no art historian would fall for such an idea…" the usual set-up to let us know Ancient Aliens and those entertaining such connections and ideas are silly and uneducated.

Referring to  the ubiquitous symbols of the moon and sun in such art -- and much mistaken "UFO" --- the narration informs us that these symbols meant the moon and sun were witness to Christian events. And, that they were taken from pagan belief structures. Which raises the question: why the sun and moon, planetary and "supernatural" (of the heavens) entities, as well as their place in paganism?

The Crucifixion, 1350, artist unknown

Citing another famous ufo-in-art painting, the Name says the image mistaken for a UFO is simply representative of angels. This passage from the bible is then quoted:

Madonna and Saint Giovannino,  15th Century Filippo Lippi.

Luke 2:8-14King James Version (KJV)8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

If one is of the opinion that sacred texts such as the Bible are records of supernatural/alien (sheesh, ever read the Book of Mormon?) events, the above is not proof of any debunking but in fact, gives support to the "ancient alien" idea.

Angels, moon, sun, clouds, lights from the skies, beams, voices, non-human entities: all acknowledged by this debunker and yet, according to him, these represent religious beliefs of the day and nothing more. Just couldn't quite make the leap from angel-light-beam-in-sky to alien-ET-non-human interfering entity. For example, what many call "God,"would be one example.

So what's the source for this debunkery -- who is he? No citation. Simply "Brass Check TV.com, Anceitn Aliens Debunked." No name given for this art historian expert who narrates the video. From my brief look at the site, it seems to be a both religious and conservative site.

Why Alien Symbols And Math Will Turn Out To Be Meh-Worthy | JayVay

Among the most insightful in UFO Land is Jeremy Vaeni. Yes. So read the following piece at his place. Here's a snip:

Why Alien Symbols And Math Will Turn Out To Be Meh-Worthy | JayVay: But I’m only picking on Peter because I just listened to as much of that show as I could stomach. He’s not the whole of the problem; there are many like him. Some have even banded together to form “new” “scientific” groups doing “never-before-performed” studies and surveys of abductees.

Christ, really?

But that's just the beginning and there is much more on our experiences in relation to "aliens" and why, or how, or what, it might be…

For starters.

Speaking of insightful-something-to-really-say UFO bloggers, Vaeni among them: Jack Brewer at UFO Trail, Alfred Lehmberg at Alien Views,  Mike Clelland at hidden experience.  

Vallee: "Data is not knowledge"

I came across a quote from Jacques Vallee: "Data is not knowledge." I think I know what he meant in the big scheme of things, but, at the same time, I respectfully disagree with his comment. (Of course, I'm taking this out of context, but I was inspired by the remark to wonder…)  Data is a sort of knowledge; the more data we have, the better. I realize many a UFO researcher has lamented that collecting witness accounts is simply tiresome and non-productive. And it is a huge task of course; collecting stories. Narratives. Accounts. All for what?

Well, that's the thing. All for what. Once we have a big pile of stuff, what do we do with it? Depends on the collector. On the one doing the interpreting. You and I might have the same exact set of stories of spinning UFOs and glowing eyed Sasquatch emerging from landed craft, but our interpretations of those events might differ. And what about the witness? What's her take on it all? So now we have three different ideas on the same case.

Come to think of it, in that context, data isn't knowledge, since no theory of everything (let alone definitive answer) has been determined. All we have are arguments, debates, interpretations, beliefs, even.

Still, I argue that data is important, and analyses of data from many different perspectives is a necessary process in order to arrive at some kind of agreed upon theory, as tenuous as it might be. It's a start.

We don't have to give up or throw the baby out with the bath water. Or believe that, by following one path we've rejected others. There are many paths, and there is no rule, no law, that mandates we rigidly follow just one.

And to be clear: I have the highest respect and regard for Jacques Vallee and his work and am in no way taking him to task in any way. So chew on that before commenting, thank you.

Oregon witness says hovering orange UFO dropped sphere | Openminds.tv

An orange orb sighting out of Albany, Oregon. Thanks to Fortean Queen Skylaire Alfvegren, who posted this item from Open Minds on my FB page as a birthday treat. Yes, it's my birthday, and I am busy celebrating on the coast in charming and peaceful Yachats. Meanwhile, I'll be looking for orbs, orange and otherwise, as well as the usual UFO and Sasquatch sightings.

Oregon witness says hovering orange UFO dropped sphere | Openminds.tv: An Oregon witness at Albany reported watching a large, hovering orange object that dropped a sphere before moving away at a high rate of speed, according to testimony in Case 63735 from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) witness reporting database.
The witness had just opened a back door when the object was first seen about 8:15 p.m. on March 4, 2015.
“I noticed a very large orange object with dark red, fibrillating light on the bottom descending approximately less than one mile away at 140 degrees southeast,” the witness stated. “The object stopped and hovered for about two to three minutes.”

Synchronicities: UFOs and Beanie Babies

Past couple of days, been experiencing synchroniciites:

Reading Dean Koontz's Odd Apocalypse. I enjoy this series about Odd Thomas, a character who sees dead people. I didn't know anything at all about the current book, just that it was another in the series. As I'm reading, out of nowhere the thought pops into my mind: "Wonder if Odd Thomas will ever encounter UFOs --  if Koontz will write about Odd and some kind of alien, UFO theme?" The passage I was reading had absolutely nothing at all to do with UFOs. Not a hint. About three pages later, the dialogue between Odd and another character turned to UFOs. One character was musing on alien abductions, etc. while (unfortunately, but keeping in character) Odd was not buying into it.

A co-worker came into work with a bag full of Beanie Babies. She said she used to collect them during the Beanie Baby craze was on --- but now, of course, it's pretty much a graveyard of Beanie Babies for collectors. She was giving some of them away to the students. Later that night, not knowing who the guest was on Coast to Coast or the subject matter, I turn on the radio. The first words I heard were "Beanie Babies." The guest was Zac Bissonnette, author of The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute.

From Jeremy Vaeni:The Subtle Racism of Ufology | JayVay

The Subtle Racism of Ufology | JayVay: Where are the voices from other cultures standing right beside us? Are we afraid to speak with them? Are we afraid to learn that they have a fuller understanding of certain phenomena because they’ve built relationships with intelligences we have yet to engage in any meaningful way, while we’re still stuck on “Is it real?” and “I know what I saw!” and “The government better tell us what it knows–We have a right!”

How does that Western mind–which, like a child, believes itself to be the pinnacle of what Mind is and therefore believes itself to be at the frontier of exploration–engage its neighbor who has already formed close bonds with the transrational beings we ogle at a distance? ~ Jeremy Vaeni

Another excellent piece by Jeremy Vaeni at his JayVay blog. Discussing paranormal/UFO/supernatural experiences, Vaeni looks at different cultures and their acceptance and perceptions of such experiences. A very important point, and one that needs to be looked at full on. And then worked with.

There is a simple way out of this field of pies. Investigators? Actively engage and include everyone. That may mean setting aside the knowledge we’ve accumulated, giving up the dominant role of the investigator, and just listening. Not foisting hypnosis on people to hear that story again, either. Just listening. (Vaeni)

Class comes into this as well. My opinion is that we still are ignoring the issues of class, as well as cultures (and wrongly defining such.) Until we acknowledge both, investigators won't get anywhere. And the Trickster plays on.



What a great arena for the Trickster! A general white, middle class, fairly male dominated (until recently) playground where such things as Trickster is rejected -- no wonder Trickster continues to spin dazzling wheels of confusion around our pointy little heads.

From High Strangeness: Jacques Vallee and "UFOsplaining"

George Knapp interviewed Jacque Vallee recently on Coast to Coast. High Strangeness shares some of his favorite quotes from that interview. My favorite quote is the following:

High Strangeness: UFOsplaining: "We have to face the fact that whatever the phenomenon is, it has access to a greater knowledge of reality, a greater knowledge of the universe, than we do." ~ Jacque Vallee

But of course, they are all worthy of pondering upon. Speaking of quotes, another favorite Vallee insight I came across some time ago is his advice that the UFO investigator simply hand the UFO witness a blank sheet of paper and a pencil, and let them have at it. Just write, jot, note, sketch what they saw and felt. Ask the questions later. Take the measurements and samples at another time.

Not Quite Getting It: Reporting UFOs to the FAA

At the train station, awaiting my train, overhear a woman talking about an orange orb sighting years ago. I think the location was Los Angeles but not sure. So I get closer, and openly eavesdrop. The person she was talking to seemed bemused. But I introduced myself to her, told her of my interests. She kept interrupting and went off on a jangled monologue about UFOs, star people, aliens…and how the FAA accepts reports of UFOs. This fact proves that our government is now openly admitting the reality of UFOs she insisted. "Go the their website" she kept saying. "It's all there, you report to them."

I told her that the FAA doesn't exactly take UFO reports, and here she interrupts telling me that's "it's on their website, go look." I explained about Bigelow, who he is, his connection with the FAA, etc. but she wasn't' having it. She is correct that going to the FAA website, you will find info on how to report a UFO.   Which tells visitors to the site to contact the local police " If concern is expressed that life or property might be endangered,,," or, you can report your sighting to "a UFO/ unexplained phenomena reporting data collection center," such as Peter Davenport's National UFO Reporting Center. 

This small interaction with a UFO witness was interesting because it shows how misinformation is right out there doing its job. Yes, technically you go to the FAA website, and there's info on how to report a UFO. Not thinking further, this woman assumed the government is happy and open about UFOs and is helping us, the hoi polloi, with our UFO experiences. The opposite is the reality. The FAA is unconcerned (openly that is) and passes the buck. Call your local police, or, the National UFO Reporting Center. The latter is a start, but there is no contact number on the FAA site. You have to figure that out for yourself. 

Now, back to the FAA. I linked to the FAA page that instructs witnesses to report to Davenport's NUFORC. That page is dated April 3, 2014: "Effective April 3, 2014" in the upper right hand corner of the page. 

There is no mention of Robert Bigelow and his BAAS (Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies)  organization. (Bigelow, billionaire, funded paranormal and UFO studies including the NIDS report on black triangles, and who has been quoted as saying the public doesn't necessarily have the right to know data collected on UFOs. Also in bed with MUFON.)

But according to the Open Minds, the FAA in May of 2013  lists Robert Bigelow as a source to report UFOs:

9-8-1. GENERAL
a. Persons wanting to report UFO/unexplained phenomena activity should contact a UFO/ unexplained phenomena reporting data collection center, such as Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) (voice: 1-877-979-7444 or e-mail: Reporting@baass.org), the National UFO Reporting Center, etc. (FAA)

The above includes phone numbers for both BASS and NUFORC. Handy. But if you click on the link in the Open Minds article, it doesn't show the above, but the more current page from the FAA from April 2014. So within the year, the FAA changed their resources for reporting UFOs. No phone numbers or links, no mention of Bigelow -- just the NUFORC.  

Which makes us ask, why was Bigelow's BAAS taken off the FAA site?

As to pilots reporting UFOs, this is what one FAA official had to say, as reported by Lee Speigel in a 2012 article:

When asked about Federal Aviation Administration policies to deal with UFOs, an FAA official told HuffPost, "Our standard response is that the FAA does not track UFO activity."
"As far as any procedures for reporting, that's probably on an airline-by-airline basis if, in fact, they do have any procedures at all for that," the official added. (Lee Speigel, Huffington Post 2012)

In the Speigel article, former FAA official John Callahan is quoted on his mandated lie to the public job:

Oh, I think we really are," [visited by aliens] he told HuffPost. "And the government doesn't tell you the truth all the time. Part of the stuff I was doing in my last 10 years with the government was lying to the public. I gave out disinformation -- an approved tactic in the government -- because the people can't handle the truth." 

So the FAA isn't exactly making it easy for citizens to report UFOs, and they are certainly not being open about the subject. But to many who may have seen something unusual in the skies but don't follow the intricacies, duplicities and overall convolutions surrounding government and UFOs, it seems like a sweet and happy fact the FAA "lets us" report UFOs to them.

RIP Mr. Capp

Very sorry to hear that Joe Capp of UFO Media Matters has passed on. My condolences to his friends and family. I never met Joe in person, but we did occasionally communicate on - line. I've always respected Joe for his take on things UFO, especially his support of witnesses.

American Horror Story Season 5 Theories | POPSUGAR Entertainment

The season finale of American Horror: Freakshow, aired recently. I'm a fan of the series (couldn't get into American Horror: Asylum after the third episode but I think I'll try watching again.) Ryan Roschke at Popsugar Entertainment outlines some possible scenarios for next season of American Horror including an alien abduction theme. Could be exciting, especially since, apparently, the Feds have moved Area 51 from Nevada to New Mexico:

American Horror Story Season 5 Theories | POPSUGAR Entertainment: A lot has happened in the Southwest, most notably Area 51 in Roswell, NM, which many believe to be a government cover-up for an alien crash site. (italics mine)

Who knew?

Of the various possibilities, this one seems pretty likely, and as the Popsugar article notes, there are clues in Freakshow  that hint at a UFO/alien future. Jessica Lange's character: Elsa Mars, who, sang David Bowie songs, including Life on Mars.  There are the freaks themselves; alien to the rest of society. Lobster Boy; the man with lobster like hands. The diminutive Ma Petite.

Compare and Contrast: Tonight's C2C

Well darlings, readers of the Orb here know full well how I feel about "skeptics." So it is not surprising that I am astonished at the choice for tonight's Coast to Coast guest: Michael Shermer. Yes, that's right, Shermer. On Coast to Coast. Get this:

(italics mine): Science & Truth/ Sky People - Shows - Coast to Coast AM: outlining how science and reason have been the driving forces of truth and morality throughout history …

Bad enough anyone not in the skeptiod camp is already considered basically heinous, but immoral as well? I've seen UFOs so now I'm immoral? Reminds me of an old, literally doddering philosophy professor I had once, who told me I was "immoral" because, apparently, I did not have the right take on a short story in my Philosophy of Literature class many moons ago. No doubt the fact I was female, and an older one at that -- as compared to young, pretty and malleable -- had something to do with his drooling assessment. But I digress.



Later in tonight's C2C we have guest Andy Sixkiller Clarke, who will discuss:

"… will share their stories of encounters, sky gods, giants, little people, and aliens."