I'm Still Here But . . .

 I'm still here, and still care. But I am having health issues; won't go into details but it involves chemo. I am optimistic and the prognosis is good. But I will probably not be posting much on this blog or any of my other blogs. Then again, I could spew forth rants about UFO/UAP Pentagon nonsense if I get bored. 

Anyway, everyone out there in Saucer Land keep looking up.

Oh, and read this post by Jeremy Vaeni. I was going to say the same thing. Except not nearly as eloquently as he did. 

Emma Woods: Paranormal Traces

Emma Woods has a YouTube channel: Paranormal Traces. And do not think Ms. Woods has gone away -- she has not. Much to come on not only her own experiences with the discredited David Jacobs, but … well, more to come.

Gary Haden on Eschewing Emma Woods

Another excellent article by Gary Haden at Speculative Realms:The Nausea of an Emma Woods Idiot: Paranormal Celebrity Munchausen by Proxy, the Revolt of the Damned Alive and Making People Sick for Kicks concerning Emma Woods, this time on the responses, or rather, non-responses of the "shrug-so-tiring/boring" variety from researchers. (some who I respect very, very much; but on this one issue, I cannot understand why they think they way they do on this topic.)

Now, this is a hard one because Haden's words are harsh, and as I say, I respect some of the individuals he names. I'm the messenger, not the message. However, again, when it comes to the intentional "mind fucking" as Haden calls it, of witnesses by UFO researchers and disinfo agents, there doesn't seem to be any question as to the acceptance of such devious, manipulative behavior that, well, fucks with people's lives and minds! Yet, somehow, there has been a continued silence and/or acceptance of these doings.

Paul Benneiwitz. John Ford. Emma Woods, for starters. How many more?

It was hard for me to read some of Haden's words concerning Redfern, for example. But Haden is entitled to his opinions. Again, I am the messenger, not the message. Among the many very important paradigm shifting (UFO-wise) elements within Emma's story is the relationship between researcher and witness. What people are still not getting is that Jacobs, no matter what one thinks of his research overall and his theories on aliens, ET, abductions, hybrids, got away with absolutely egregious behavior. Behavior that is no doubt illegal, or would be in other circumstances.

I don't agree with everything Haden writes in this article, though they are minor, nit picky points. Anyway. Read the article. As usual with Haden, it's a great piece, and he is one of the few voices out there continuing to bring the Woods/Jacobs story to our attention.

In UFO Magazine: Jeremy Vaeni's 'Aliens vs. Predator: The Incredible Visitations at Emma Woods

There is so much to say about the fantastic article by Jeremy Vaeni in this issue of UFO Magazine. (Aliens vs. Predators: The Incredible Visitations at Emma Woods.)

But for now, please, please, go and get yourself this issue, and read the article. Vaeni has done an excellent job with unraveling the seeming madness that is David Jacobs, the always precarious method of hypnosis used by some researchers to get at the submerged bits of missing time and nebulous memories of aliens, examinations, trips aboard saucers, and all the rest of "Abductions 101", and subject/witness Emma Woods.

From the beginning of this episode in UFO culture, I wondered why there wasn't more outcry from the UFO community. And yet, there still isn't; what there mainly seems to be, still, are a few stubbornly standing up for Jacobs, and misogynist pronouncements about Emma Woods' sanity, and worse. Other than that, little has been really said about this.

Around the Orb

Trickster's Realm: Bigfoot and the "Kill/No Kill" Controversery
My new Trickster's Realm will be up tomorrow on Binnall of America. In this TR, I comment on the "Kill/No Kill" debate concerning Bigfoot. I take issue with both cryptid researcher Ken Gerhard, as well as Tim Binnall, who both suppoort a kill. Tim, to his credit, is happy to publish my thoughts on this issue, even though we disagree.

That said, the interview with Ken Gerhard was great, very interesting. As I write in the article, I was surprised that Gerhard supports the "paranormal" Bigfoot theory.


White Bigfoot and High Strangeness: The Conser Lake Creature

More Bigfoot stuff: I post a section from my book The Ghost in Conser Lake on Frame 352. You can also read it on Nick Redfern's Crypto Squad USA and the Oregon section on the L.O.W.F.I. site.

Paratopia: The Trickster and the Paranormal; George P. Hansen Guest
This was another good interview with one of my favorite authors on esoterica, Fortean stuff; George P. Hansen, author of The Trickster and the Paranormal. I've been quoting him for years, and I'm working on something now that I'll put up later here on the Orb. You can listen to the interview here; look for "episode 8."

The Other Blogs
Check out Women Of Esoterica, there's good stuff from several writers over there to keep you busy.

Paratopia Interview Monday Night

I'll be interviewed by Jeremy Vaeni and Jeff Ritzman on their Paratopia podcast this Monday. 6pm Pacific time. We'll be talking about "paranormal bigfoot" among other things. You can listen live or download the podcast for free.

If you haven't heard the program, listen to their interview with Bill Birnes of UFO Hunters. It's a great interview, I really like what Bill had to say about most things, and I found out some things about Bill I didn't know. The guy is no slouch, let me tell you!

Vaeni On Dolan

In the April (2008) issue of UFO Magazine, contributor Jeremy Vaeni has an article about Richard Dolan: Praise for Dickie Dolan. In giving kudos to Dolan for his research, Vaeni also says:

He isn't all about compiling government documents -not that that's an easy task or one I'm taking lightly. I'm saying he's got more to his repertoire, and it's about damn time someone with genuine intellect,genuine curiosity, and the ability to sift through new data just sat down and considered everything anew.

Vaeni says what should be obvious, but to my constant surprise, isn't to many: that we don't know what the aliens are, are from or are up to, so any pronouncements about that are only speculation. Nothing wrong with speculation -- we need specuatlion -- as long as we remember that's all it is. Instead of asking, (or telling) others what we know about UFOs and aliens, we should ask, Vaeni suggests:"What do we know about us?"

Vaeni has been "crying this" for years, giving Dolan credit for also understanding this:

If anyone is qualified to ponder it, it's him. Why? Because he doesn't have his answer and he's not looking for it. He's looking, period. (italics mine.)

I like it!

Source:
Jeremy Vaeni in UFO Magazine, April 2008: Praise for Dickie Dolan, pp 28 - 29

Nick Redfern's New Blog on Culture of Contact

Nick Redfern, Esoteric Blog King, has a new blog at Culture of Contact. Nick’s entry is: “My 3,2,1 of UFO Hatred,” which is very good. I had to laugh at Redfern's comments on the idea aliens are benevolent:

No. 2: The Aliens are our friends
Pleeeeez! No! Fuck Off!

That's to the point! I agree; why assume, even when we’re told by them (the alien guys) are benevolent? Beware the messenger; just because they say it’s so, doesn’t mean it is so.Anyway, (and I say this even though Vaeni didn’t ask me go join :) -- good blog post over there. Be sure to take a look.

Zorgy Awards

By now I'm sure you know that the Zorgy Award Winners have been announced. And I'm glad to say that Lesley has come in strong in two categories; for Best Paranormal Blog (4th place) and for Best Website (3rs place) (News Summary.) Congratulations to Lesley! And all the winners and nominees. Glad to see Odd Things got a nod as well!

Best Paranormal Blog
UFO Mystic - 161
The Debris Field - 151
Posthuman Blues - 76
Odd Things - 32


Best Website (News Summary)
The Daily Grail - 1,058
The Anomalist - 193
The Debris Field - 63
UFO Review - 36

Alfred Lehmberg won for Best Troublemaker, with Jeremy Vaeni in second place. Congratulations Alfred and Jeremy!

Best UFO / Paranormal Troublemaker
Alfred Lehmberg - 178
Jeremy Vaeni - 85
James W. Moseley - 72
David Biedny - 67

Now, I'm going to start in early this year. VOTE FOR ME! I have no idea when Paul Kimball will begin the new round, but I'm putting the word in now. VOTE FOR ME!
Just keep that in mind. In doing so, here are some of my other blogs:
Vintage UFO
Women Of Esoterica
Frame 352
and of course, the OrangeOrb.

I was too naive or dumb or both to know you could nominate yourself, so this year I'll be sure to do so. So remember, VOTE FOR ME!

To see all the winners in all the categories, go to Paul Kimball's blog The Other Side of Truth.

Scared? Probably, But It’s Not What You Think

(And hey Jeremy, if you’re reading this . . .)

My husband listened to the interview I did with Jeremy Vaeni on his Culture of Contact podcast tonight for the first time. Regarding the whole hypnosis thing, he said, concerning the decades between then and now, that “enough time has gone by” to go about this calmly. He, as well as myself , have gone from avoiding the issue pretty much (he wouldn’t even talk about it for years) to seriously considering regression.

In that interview, I mentioned that it’s fear that’s been keeping me from going under. That’s true, but, while I’ve told myself it’s fear of the aliens or whatever they are, my husband said something that was interesting:

What if we find out nothing happened?

What if we find out that there were no aliens, no orbs or craft or UFOs? Just, a big fat nothing. I admit that that’s been a silent, tiny thought at the back of my mind. I picture a small, slimy black-green paisley shaped entity slithering about in the deep shadows of my brain, daring me to go there and find out what it really is.

Interesting comment: “What if we find out nothing happened?”

Which is more frightening? Aliens of some kind, or a big nothing? If it’s a big nothing, then what did we experience? Why did we experience missing time? (twice too.) Were we, are we, nuts? Drugged without our knowledge?

At least with aliens, it’s a done deal. Still frightening, probably, but also something you can point to and say “Ha! It was them all along, the bastards!”

If it turns out to be a big blank, there’s nothing to grab onto.

There’s also the possibility that it isn’t quite a big black nothing, but not aliens either, just something silly. Like seeing a big pumpkin on the road, and, tired from the long drive on the back of a motorcycle, dozed off and had a dream about flying glowing pumpkins that chased us all over the road. (That later led to dreams of being held against my will under bright white paralyzing light, while "they" whom I could sense, though not see, were watching me from above. While I stood there paralyzed, screaming like I've never screamed in my life, as they dragged my husband away. As I spent months afraid to go to sleep. As I continued to have more UFO sightings. And felt "their" whoever "they" are, in the room with me; confirmed by others. My foreknowledge of the appearance of UFOs. The many times I floated out the door with the help of my little friends when I was a kid. You know, like that.)

So here we have the unknown, and faced with fear. Maybe it's the memory of the fear (those damn dreams were fucking frightening and still give me the creeps when I remember them all these years later) rather than the fear itself. Maybe by now it's settled into a dull anxiety.

Meanwhile, there's still bills to pay and dishes and laundry and the stuff of everyday living, that could give a damn if you've seen aliens or not.

Onward!

Culture of Contact Interview with Jeremy Vaeni

Do I come out and finally acknowledge I've been abducted? Do I sound like Minnie Mouse or Ertha Kitt? Find out on Culture of Contact!

Lehmberg and Vaeni Podcast and Beer

Vaeni Interviews Alfred Lehmberg for Book of Thoth


Very cool, just listened to the interview of Alfred Lehmberg by Jeremy Vaeni on Book of Thoth. It’s great!

One thing that’s great is the appreciation of Lehmberg for Lehmberg’s sake that Vaeni has. Hmm, not sure if that makes sense. What I meant was that, as we know, there are many who don’t get Lehmberg, who don’t like him, who don’t take the time to try. Vaeni is someone who does.

What’s always neat, when listening to audio, is matching the person’s voice to how you’ve imagined they’d sound. Lehmberg pretty much sounded like I’d thought.

Jeremy Vaeni is truly great; and I’m not just saying that because he just interviewed me (to air Tuesday or Thursday on Culture of Contact.) He’s open, funny, honest, and very curious, as well as creative.

Fascinating interview, between two fascinating people.

http://www.book-of-thoth.com/book-of-thoth-podcasts.html#

Gender

Jeremy asked me about gender differences, and you’ll just have to listen to that interview for specifics. Mainly because I don’t remember what the hell I said. But after listening to Lehmberg, I had to laugh: he said (I’m paraphrasing) when someone sneers, he wants to eat their face. And I admit that I feel exactly the same way! But I’ve become passive aggressive; from getting into it with the skeptoid types, to just avoiding them. Unfortunately, this sneer trait goes beyond the skeptoids and there’s many a UFO researcher, supposed adults who should know better, who stoop to such tactics. I think both reactions may be gender based; the sneering, as well as the justifiable reaction of eating their face.

So I appreciate the face eating when I see it, and that’s one of the many reasons I respect Lehmberg. But me, I’m still in my avoidance mode, and just prefer to ignore those idiots.

But go Alfred! And all else who don’t suffer fools gladly.

UFO “Mavens” I’d Love to Sit Around and Have a Few Beers With

Alfred Lehmberg
Lesley
Tim Binnall
Jeremy Vaeni
Kithra
Nick Redfern
Richelle Hawks
Farah Yurdozu
Tina Sena
Snoopy the Goon

I don’t know if all of the above mentioned drink or not, but it’s the spirit of the thing that counts.

Me! On Culture of Contact!

For some reason, Jeremy Vaeni thought it'd be a good idea to interview me for a Culture of Contact podcast. Well, I know the reason -- he wants to out me as an abductee. You can find out if I admit it or not by listening to the interview, which should be available Tuesday or Thursday. I'll give an update when I know more.

I will say it was great fun, Jeremy is a great host/interviewer and I felt very comfortable. No doubt I came off like a bozo, but that's okay. I had fun.

Jeremy Vaeni and Humor

Great interview with Jeremy Vaeni on Tim Binnall’s podcast. So much there; but one thing I want to touch on is a question Tim brought up about Jeremy’s sense of humor. I can relate, because I share that same sense of humor, that flip or facetious attitude towards life. And we’ve both been attacked for it at times.

Really, there are a lot of stuffy ol’ researchers about.

If you haven’t figured out by now that the Trickster, which is ever present in UFOlogy, has its mischievous side (and often dangerously mischievous), you’ll never get that humor aspect. Dahlings.

I don't agree with Vaeni on some things, (as he knows) for example, I have not, and will not, come out and say I'm an abductee.


But I like Vaeni, and encourage those of you who haven't taken him seriously or really looked at his work, do so.

If link doesn't work, cut and paste: http://binnallofamerica.com/boaa12.8.7.html
Image credit: Farah Yurdozu: http://www.jerrypippin.com/Jeremy%20Vaeni%20Theatre.jpg

Sunday Orb

Shameless Pleadings

Read my Bigfoot blog. Link to it, Favorite it on Technorati, talk about it. Leave comments. Enjoy. Or even if you don’t.

My Bigfoot blog Frame 352: The Stranger Side of Sasquatch.

And Shameless Self-Promotion:
I’ve submitted a piece to the Book of Thoth site: They Want to be Seen, Not Discovered. No guarantee it will be accepted, but hopefully it will be, so look out for it.

On UFO Digest is my piece
Disingenuous Infiltration on the unethical tactics of Abdullah Hashem and Donna Bassett. Yes, both are “old news” but that doesn’t mean anything.

Currently on Trickster’s Realm for Tim Binnall’s Binnall of America is my piece on the Trickster: No Mere Prankster. (and I must say I was very jazzed about Brad Steiger's nice email to me about the piece.)

In the current issue of UFO Magazine is my article on The Purple Road, about my New Agey self.

Ghost Picture Contest
Lesley of The Debris Field has her ghost pic contest going again. I entered a photo I took a few years ago at a local cemetery. Be sure to enter; it will be fun to see all the ghostly images!

Recent Orb Postings


I'm still reeling from Noory's Flintstone comment.
The UFO footage from Venezuela does seem too good to be true, as one person commented, it could be a blimp. Whatever, it's unlikely it was a flying saucer from outer space.

Lesley for Grey Matters: Money in the Sky (Part 2) : The Pointless Point

Lesley (Debris Field blog, and Beyond the Dial in UFO magazine) has a good piece for her Grey Matters column for BoA: Money in the Sky (Part 2) : The Pointless Point. Lesley writes about the “they’re only in it for the money” line many scofftoids (and some UFO people, sadly) use to dismiss people who write about UFOs and happen to make money.

“Make money;” it doesn't matter how much money, if that “making money” is a few dollars here and there or enough to make ones living from. The latter is rare, I suspect. I write like the hepped up caffeine junkie I am about UFOs and related phenomena, but so far, I haven’t made a cent. So what? When the day comes that I do make “some money” I’ll be happy of course, but I’m happy now too. The point is, as Lesley writes, is that there is nothing wrong with “making money” from writing about these topics. However, there are plenty of the “UFOlogy Police” (as Lesley calls them) who spend their time attacking those who “make money’ or who they suspect “make money” from their UFO books, videos, and lectures.

Another comment Lesley makes is about humor. Lesley discusses UFO experiencer, writer and filmmaker Jeremy Vaeni -- one of the accused “money makers” -- and how some have added the sin of having a sense of humor to his crime of money making. I’ve been attacked for my sense of humor as well; in fact, I believe that those who’ve gone after me with such psychotic vengeance is the fact that UFO pundits aren't supposed to crack wise. And women especially aren’t supposed to be so damn cheeky.

I don’t know Jeremy personally, never having met him, but we’ve corresponded quite a bit, including an interview he did of me for UFO Magazine (Grilling Regan Lee) and I’ve always been impressed with his humor. He comes across as quirky, sure, but quirky is good, and there isn’t enough of it. More importantly (for we all can’t be quirky; you either are or you’re not) he is his own damn self. He’s not afraid to be who he is, doesn't pretend to be anything other than himself. That’s all anyone can expect in this arena: honesty.

As to “making money,” I doubt Vaeni is going to be moving to that villa in Tuscany any time soon.

This whole idea that “making money” from one’s UFO passion - and that it somehow proves the individual is lying -- is ridiculous.

I loved Lesley’s comment regarding this faux moral concern:

”What is Ufology? The Priesthood? You must give up all your worldly good and take a vow of poverty? Maybe you also need to promise to only bath once a year and crawl around your house through broken glass? Ridiculous!”

There are those -- way too many -- who have blogs and websites that write incessantly about how people who write about UFOs are wasting time. Apparently we;re wasting their time, our time, everyone's time. The irony escapes them: that they’re wasting time telling everyone else how much time we’re wasting. But they also can’t resist reading the material they judge to be crap. Rather than ignoring such “crap” and doing something productive, they attack, often going so far as to lie about the people they’re attacking. They harp on the “truth” and decide that they’re the ones able to judge. They insist material such as abduction accounts be classified as fiction, instead of nonfiction. True, there’s no ultimate “proof” of these encounters, which is a whole other topic, but here’s something Lesley said about this that I think is very important:

"I hate to sound all anarchist, but why should we be so concerned about whether something is true? If we find the story thought provoking, does it really matter if it is true? There are certain fiction books that have influenced my entire life, not because they were true, but because the values I learned from them are true and because they caused me to think about things that are beyond my ordinary daily life. I am not really terribly concerned about what Jeremy or anyone else says being completely true or accurate, I am more concerned about whether it is interesting and whether I can learn anything from it. Since I look at almost all Ufology as being subjective, none of it is really true. If dozens of people had the same esoteric experience, the chances that most would interpret it differently is highly likely. Even if they all agree that they saw the same thing, many will take different meanings from what they saw. This is not only true of esoteric events, ask any policeman about robbery witnesses. One person will swear it was a blue shirt the guy was wearing, while another insists that is was green. Both of these people will be completely sure they are right and the other is wrong. Human minds interpret things differently, that is just how it is.”

And it all gets down to this: for those that find some sort of twisted joy in attacking UFO and Fortean writers, Lesley suggests the following:

"Besides which, if they are so sure that they know the truth, then they should spread it, instead of spending their time sitting at their keyboard constantly griping about what others are doing.”

Excellent advice.

“No, No! I’m the Bee Doctor:” Parodies and More on George Noory

In light of Jeremy Vaeni’s experience with George Noory on C2C, here are a few items I’ve found:

On Tim Binnall’s BoA, this item on
Touched by an Angel.

Parody of George Noory; this is very funny!

And Noory gets decidedly weird and peevish on the Fantastic Four Forum,
threatening some with lawsuits.

Lesley on Grey Matters writes about her feelings on Noory.

"How Do You Know It Wasn't An Angel?"

I missed much of Jeremy Vaeni’s interview on C2C. I did catch the part where Jeremy was explaining his sighting, and he was very clear and upfront and came across quite reasonable and credible. Noory came across as a bit flippant, even, and then he asked Jeremy a question about the sighting: “How do you know it wasn’t an angel?” Or something to that effect, I’m paraphrasing, could have been "Do you think it was an angel,?" etc.) I almost fell off the chair! What the hell kind of question was that?!

Turns out Jeremy V. wants to know the answer to that too. So I was expecting Jeremy to come back on air, along with Budd Hopkins: I was looking forward to an interesting conversation with experiencer and researcher. What would Budd have to say to Jeremy? Knowing Jeremy’s style and humor, what would his responses be? But no Jeremy! Turns out Noory ditched him.

One of the things that strikes me as odd is that both Jeremy and Noory write a column for UFO Magazine. (ahem, as do I.) Don’t some of the columnists read what their fellow writers write? Naive of me, probably. I know I read the entire issue cover to cover. It’s like being in a club, and you chat with the other members who are in the same room. Noory didn’t seem to do much homework in that regard.

You can follow the thread about his appearance on his blog:I Was Kicked Off Coast.

Speaking of UFO Magazine
I received a letter from a woman in Northern California who had read my column and wrote to me, detailing her own UFO experiences with “an orange orb.” It was nice to know someone took the time to write a “real” letter (no e-mail, but a handwritten letter) and share her story. If I have her permission I’ll write more about this later on.

Jeremy Vaeni on C2C!

Jeremy Vaeni on Coast to Coast!

Our friend Jeremy Vaeni will be on C2C this Thursday night. (June 14th.)

Jeremy writes for UFO Magazine, and is creator of the film “No One’s Watching: An Alien Abductee’s Story.”

Very cool, Jeremy! Congratulations.

Going Under

I started a thread on the Book of Thoth forum on aliens. Specifically, “intelligent, invisible” aliens. I’m very sure about the intelligent, invisible part, not so sure they’re aliens from space. One thing I do know for certain; they’re not human.

I asked, in the thread, if anyone has had similar experiences to mine regarding these “aliens.” I described what I’ve experienced a few times: the powerful knowing that these entities (and they always “appeared” in multiples, never just one, but a small group) were present. Each time thinking I was going crazy, until others confirmed it, without me saying anything.

Interesting responses, including from Jeremy Vaeni’s comments. Jeremy has a column in UFO Magazine, and creator of the film No One’s Watching: An Alien Abductee’s Story. Jeremy interviewed me for UFO Magazine (Grilling Regan Lee, April issue) and asked me, as he did in the Book of Thoth forum, why don’t I say I’m an abductee? I responded that I can’t say I’m an abductee, since I don’t recall anything about aliens (never seen one) (well, not quite) (ah, the chimera like state of UFOlogy!) or being taken, or probed, etc. So how could I say I’ve been abducted?

In the thread, Jeremy asked me if I want to know. Why don’t I go under hypnosis, for example.

Why don’t I want to be hypnotized? Wouldn’t that be easier than going the very long and convoluted route I’m going?

Why do I read book after book after book on UFOs and related phenomena? Aside from being a flying saucer junkie, what purpose does it serve? It seems I’m doing everything but simply saying: “Hi, my name is Regan (“High, Regan”) and I’ve been abducted by aliens.”

I just can’t do it. I don’t know that I have. It seems ridiculous to say I am just because I could have been.

Dr. David Jacobs said a couple of things at the recent McMinnville UFO Festival: he said that close encounters aren’t random. And neither are repeated sightings, or even the far off sighting, sometimes. I’ve experienced all of those. That sent chills up my spine.

Maybe I live in the Nile; denying the obvious. I mean, how much does a girl have to go through before she says “I’m an alien abductee” ? Two episodes of missing time, intelligent invisible aliens dropping by, several UFO sightings, including ones involving precognition, close encounters. . .

I say I want to find out what happened to me, and yet I’m doing everything except “go under.”

Maybe I’m scared to death. (If so, why? But there you are. I’m a big chicken.) I don’t trust hypnosis, I’m not sure why. Or even what I mean by that.

And am I being a hypocrite by encouraging others to tell their stories, and urging researchers to include all the data, not just the data they like, while I sit back here and balk at “going under?” (Hmmm, maybe the phrase “going under” has a surreal-Freudian-Jungian-poetic-subconscious-don’t-go-there connotation I don’t want to deal with.)

For now, I guess I’ll stay with working my way through the piles of UFO and related material I have strewn about the house, writing about UFOs, blogging about UFOs, and dreaming about UFOs. Yes, I had a dream the other night I was abducted, but in the dream, I didn’t remember being abducted -- just the part about missing time! Even my subconscious won’t go there with me.

In the meantime, I would like to hear from others about their experiences -- or just thoughts -- on the “intelligent, invisible” aliens. If you’d like to share, go over to the Book of Thoth forum and join us.