Trickster's Realm: UFOs and Military Exercises: Is This Supposed To Make Us Feel Better?

My new Trickster's Realm is up over at Tim Binnall's Binnall of America:UFOs and Military Exercises:
Is This Supposed to Make Us Feel Better?

I Dunno . . .

You might have noticed I haven't been posting much recently. A lot of reasons; feeling that crud thing going around, MRSA infection, work, and the New Year. I don't know why, but the New Year thing always gets me down. I don't like it. No matter how crappy the old year was, I don't want to let it go. Or maybe I expect too much from the beginning of the New Year; yet it stays the same. I don't know what I expect, January isn't even over and we have eleven months to go. I dunno . . . can we say "ambivalent?"

Trickster's Realm
Anyway, I feel myself getting back to normal. Look for my new Trickster's Realm column to go up sometime tomorrow on Binnall of America. The article is about We TV's program Alien Abductions: True Confessions.

New Blog
Yes, it's true. Trickster Northwest, focusing on UFO and paranormal things in the Pacific Northwest.

Dana Howard
Synchronicity is still happening around Dana Howard. Co-blooger Richelle Hawks over at Women Of Esoterica found this tee-shirt. She also mentioned to me she found a signed edition of a book by contactee Dana Howard; I'm jealous! I recently bought one of her books as well; I found it on eBay. And more synchronicity; it was the only Dana Howard book listed on eBay, and the bookseller was right here in Eugene, about two miles away from me. Somethings telling me to pursue this, I think.


Frustrations
With MP3 players, CD drives, and software. Nothing at all to do with the paranormal or UFOs unless you think my laptop is haunted, or being controlled by MIBS from their remote location inside an unmarked, black helicopter. Nope, just had to share. I have a Mac, believed the computer geeks who insisted the SanDisck would play on my Mac, which it didn't, even after the Lepoard upgrade, now the CD drive is acting snooty. Sigh.

Support Binnall

Tim Binnall, who runs the Binnall of America website, does an incredible job. His site is well put together and has a lot to offer: forums, podcasts, articles. Yes, I write for him; my column is Trickster's Realm. But that's not why I'm shamelessly plugging his site.

Tim consistently brings the rest of us great interviews with the top researchers, writers and thinkers in esoterica. He's into it all; UFOs to Bigfoot, and everything in between. He knows his stuff and has a nice style; he asks good questions, yet allows the person he's interviewing to say what they want to say. (He also does a nice job with the music and intros.)

And he does this all for free. He puts an unimaginable amount of time and effort into all this, and does a great job. Again, for free. Like others, Peter Davenport of NUFORC, John Greenwald of Black Vault, UFO Digest, etc. Tim provides us anomalist junkies with a quality resource for free. (Are you listening C2C?)

Tim, like many (Greenwald, etc.) do ask for donations. He has a PayPal button on his site; easy to do. So I urge those of you who can to donate a little something towards the expense of keeping Binnall of America going. There isn't anything as too little; after all, $5.00 is better than no dollars.

Sunday Orb

The weeks go by too quickly! And when you work a full time job it’s difficult to spend the time you’d like with the realm of the weird. Here’s what’s been going on this past week:

New Blog: Women in Esoterica
I started a new blog: Women in Esoterica. Kind of clunky and too stuffy a title, I’ll probably change it soon.

My next lTrickster’s Realm article for Binnall of America should be up some time tomorrow; it’s on the new blog Women in Esoterica and why I started it.

Marian Apparition
I came across a good article on UFO Digest on a Marian Apparition. The writer’s name is Richelle Hawks and the article is The Virgin Tree of Salt Lake City


Ghost Photo Contest
I think Lesley is about to end the contest, if it isn’t ended already. Hurry over and see if it you can still submit a ghost photo.

The Zorgy Awards
Paul Kimball of The Other Side of Truth has decided to run his Zorgy Award campaign again. He’s taking nominations now. Categories include best UFO blob, best paranormal website, and many more. I came in third last year, much to my amazement. There are many great UFO blogs out there, but hey, I’ll ask anyway. Nominate me!

UFO Mystic
Two interesting articles on UFOs; what the phenomena is, how we should expand our thinking, over on UFO Mystic, Nick Redfern’s item on Steiger’s Shadow World book. Also Greg Bishop's piece on “objectivity.”

Book of Thoth
On The Book of Thoth is my piece on what I think UFOs are doing up there. They Want to be Seen, Not Discovered.

Book
I’m working away on a compilation to be an e-book of articles on skepticism. TBA.

UFO Magazine
My next article for UFO Magazine is on the expectations of disclosure.

Bigfoot
Lots of interesting things on Bigfoot, from sightings to escaped invisible Bigfoot from Livermore labs. This is an old story but reposted over at Cryptomundo in context of the Blogsquatcher’s post on the “lost” CBS footage of a captured Bigfoot in the 1960s. The Blogsquatcher by the way is a new Bigfoot blog that seems to be a very good one.

There's probably more, but I really should try to be responsible and get back in the “real” world and do things like housework. I also have a deadline (like, today) on my next piece for UFO Magazine. (this one on data.)

Have a good week, be safe, be kind, but don’t let the bastards grind you down.

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: On Air War (More on 'Smackdown')

Lesley, of Debris Field, Beyond the Dial, etc. actually heard the Streiber/Pinchbeck interview, Her comments are in this week's Grey Matters, her column for Binnall of America. As always, be sure to read the rest of the good stuff over there (including my Trickster's Realm, heh) and check out the forums too.

The Trickster and the Paranormal

George P. Hansen has new posts at his Paranormal Trickster blog.

And, you're welcome to join the Yahoo group The Trickster and the Paranormal, inspired by Hansen's book of the same name.

OrangeOrb Sunday Round-UP

Quote of the Day:
I'm compelled to my expression -- I call it a provoked obsession. ~ Alfred Lehmberg.

Speaking of Lehmberg, his blog is An Alien View. He also writes a column for UFO Magazine.

Paranormal Smackdown
My item ‘Paranormal Smackdown’ generated a lot of comments. Also over on The Daily Grail.

While my two cents (and that’s all it is, fine people, my two cents, just opinion and speculation) is that Whitley’s interpretation of “the visitors” is heavily influenced by his Catholicism. That’s my take on it; but others disagree. And while I have my opinion, I want to make it clear that that’s all any of us have. It’s easy to play armchair psychologist and comment on other’s interpretations and experiences. Some of us, myself included, can’t help ourselves, because we’re in the same boat as the person we’re commenting on. We’ve had our own experiences. We’re all just trying to figure it out.

Paranormal Meet: New Blog Site
The Paranormal Meet seems to be going strong; new members join every day. It’s good for those of us with established blogs, as well as those who might be shy or unsure about blogging.

Jacques Vallee on C2C!
Monday night Jacques Vallee will be the guest on Coast to Coast. This is such exciting news, I’m going to . If Noory is the host, well, it’s kind of like Jay Leno interviewing ... well, anyone. God help us. But I’ll listen anyway of course.

Various Items
Pieces that went up in the past couple of weeks, in case you missed them:
Trickster’s Realm on Binnall of America on weirdness on the Oregon coast. Look for my new column that should be up sometime on Monday on Glowing Bird Theory.

My thoughts on faeries and other entities on UFO Digest: When Entities Collide.

Still obsessed with parsing UFOlogical terms on American Chronicle: What is a Real UFO?

Vote, Fave, Join, Promote

Don’t be shy. Click on any of the green and white “Technorati” buttons on your right and make The OrangeOrb one of your “favorite” blogs.

There are also a few Yahoo groups you can join: if you have a UFO blog or site, you can promote it at UFO Blog Listings. If you’re interested in discussing aspects of Trickster behavior, join Trickster and the Paranormal. And if you live in the Pacific Northwest, or even if you don’t, you can discuss paranormal, UFO and Fortean topics in Oregon Forteana. The Yahoo buttons on the side bar on your right will take you there.

And just for silly fun, you can vote for the OrangeOrb as being the best pop culture blog, “freakiest blog” or “blog about stuff.”

New Trickster's Realm on BoA

The new TR - my column Trickster's Realm - is up at Binnall of America. This week's column shares stories of not only a haunted house, but a haunted road. The whole area itself seems to be haunted, from the cemetery at one end, to the Indian (yes, cliche) burial grounds at the other end. Furthermore, the question of hauntings and other weirdness following a family is posed.

While you're over there reading TR, be sure to check out all the great material on Binall of America: Lesley's Grey Matters, among others.

Orb Roundup

It's time for blatant shameless self-promotion and reminders:

In the current issue of UFO Magazine, I share my thoughts on the Triangle UFOs. No conclusions, just musings. (Of course, if I, or anyone, had conclusions, there'd be no mystery.)

Frame 352: The Stranger Side of Sasaquatch, my Bigfoot blog.

Mating Hedgehogs, my other blog on: media, culture, sex, para-politics, Dr. Evils, Forteana, esoterica, paranoia, Genetic Food Manipulations, animal rights and welfare, art, feminism, Americana, and whatever else I feel like.

For Trickster's Realm on Binnall of America: Finding Sasquatch.

I'm also around on UFO Digest and American Chronicle.

King UFO Program, Binnall of America

My Trickster’s Realm: Exhilaration and Coincidence, is up now over at binnall of america.

Also on the site is Tim Binnall’s piece Larry King’s UFO Show, on the Larry King UFOs: Are They Real? program on the 13th. The show was just what we’d expect, and it was dismal. I think it inspired many of us observers of the esoteric to comment. (I did: see The Persistence of Chronic Skepticism.)

Tim’s article cracked me up; I almost spilled my morning coffee all over the laptop as I was checking the dailies before work. Tim doesn’t hang back at all, and he’s come up with some precious comments, like calling the program “the festivus” and referring to Michael Shermer as “esoterica’s resident douche bag.” Okay, that’s not mature at all and it’s an ad hominin. Still, it made me laugh. I also loved his calling Shermer a “clown shoe,” that’s a far more creative term.

I agree with Tim’s thoughts; way too many people on the panel, and jumping around from the Phoenix Lights to Roswell to Aldrin’s weird this is a rocket ship kids show and tell. (Which was inspiration for another article; it’ll be up soon. I sense an agenda there. Yes, I know, I’m the agenda Queen.)

Other good things on Binnall of America as usual, so be sure to take a look.

Green Electric

Green Electric
I feel strange writing about this. Yes, me, who urges others to share their stories of the anomalous with others, and not be afraid of what others may think. I hesitate because it sounds off the wall. (I know, it’s ironic, isn’t it? I can hear some people now; “as if missing time, etc. isn’t off the wall?”)

Last night, I had two very strong “episodes.” I was in bed, but awake. (I had just turned off the radio in fact.) I began hearing inside me, inside my head strong clickings and what I can best describe as electrical buzzings, whirrings, and beeps. It was very loud, and very weird. I’ve had this before to some degree, but never this strong. It was, to put it succinctly, freaking me out. At the same time, I was “seeing” this hint of green light -- like green lines, or machines, or green glowing beings -- I “knew” they were there. I “saw” them in my mind’s eye, but of course, when I opened my eyes, they weren’t there. This strong electrical, shocking feeling, was still there. I was afraid to move. It felt a bit like the feeling you get when the chiropractor or acupuncturist puts those electrical things on you, only much much stronger.

As if that wasn’t enough, then I started to leave my body. I was very aware of having, or about to have, an OBE (out of body experience.) I became very frightened at this point and managed to get up, “shake it off,” and then try to go back to sleep.

Then it just happened all over again! “They” or “it” wasn’t going to give up. I couldn’t dispel the unpleasant feeling of some very unpleasant entities around. I couldn’t see them (though I never got the sense of any “grays”) but I felt them. They were responsible for the electric feeling throughout my entire body. It was as if someone had just plugged my entire body into an outlet.

I once again managed to pull myself out of this, and after awhile, go back to sleep. I was a little afraid of going to sleep, but it was about two in the morning and I had to get up at six for work.
I’ve had these weird type of electric, buzzing sensations before; not only in connection with some UFOs, but in some cases of hauntings and precognitive experiences. Obviously there’s a connection there. Or possibly they’re different things but it triggers the same “thing,” the same mechanism.

The Green Glowy Screen Thing
I wrote about a similar episode some time back here on The Orb some where a green “matrix” like computer screen image was scrolling inside my head. (Jesus, that sounds kooky, doesn’t it?) It was one of those “mind postcards,” as I call them. It was from somewhere “out there” and had no business being in my mind’s eye, but there it was. There was the definite knowledge it was intentionally inserted there.

What It Means
I have no idea. I think it’s part of a connection to not only other, “higher selves” but things that are both outside of me (possibly entities, etc.) as well as within. We’re electric beings, and we’re all connected in some way. For all I know, it could be blocked chakras; I’m not being facetious. It’s possible some part of me is trying to connect with something out there, and wake me up to it. Or, the other way around.

It could also be something less “spiritual” and more sinister: government spooks engaged in MILAB mind control stuff. That’s pretty bleak though.

Whatever it is, it’s been something occurring throughout my life.

Tim Binnall, Brad Steiger, and Trickster

Tim Binnall’s season two finale interview with Brad Steiger was inspiring, reminding me of what I consider to be the crucial points of esoteric research and phenomena. (Including UFOs.)

Steiger stressed that at the core of all these anomalous events (always keeping in mind this includes UFOs) is the Trickster element. (Steiger isn’t the only researcher that believes this; see George P. Hansen’s The Trickster and the Paranormal.)

Another point Steiger made was that no one has the answer, (which should seem obvious) and yet so many come out and insist that that is exactly what they have.

There was also the point made that younger researchers sometimes are ignorant of the older, previous researchers that have gone before and set the way for others; Steiger himself, Keel, Sanderson, Fodor, etc. Young ghost busters tromping through haunted houses with high tech equipment, or UFO “researchers” who read one or two books and think they know it all. I’d add to this that it isn’t just young people, nor all young people, but that this attitude is found among all age groups. There are calls to ignore the history and focus on the now, which is a disservice to all research. (At the same time, you don’t want to get stuck in the past.)

The chronic skeptics, in all their varieties, point to the fact that after so many years -- whether it’s sixty years or a thousand -- we haven't found any answers. That’s true, if one means, by “answer,” the final one size fits all solution to the UFO question. We haven't found “the answer.” The point is, we very likely won’t. That’s unacceptable for some. For others, it’s a non-issue, since we heavily suspect we’ll never find the “answer” and anyway, that’s beside the point.

(Painting: section of Boticelli's Adoration of the Magi 1475)


The persistently skeptical also tell us us that much of UFO and anomalous phenomena seems silly and downright pointless. Conflicting information given by “aliens,” their general behavior, the elusive nature; it’s too uselessly complex and nonsensical.

But that’s what makes it fun; and it’s what the Trickster does; confuse and play cruel jokes. Maybe it makes sense to itself; tough if we can’t get it. Or maybe it knows we can’t get it, and that’s why it delights in doing what it does. Maybe it’s nothing personal at all and we’re personifying; it just is what it is, and we are what we are. No matter, for the Trickster is still at it, regardless of what we think about it.

None of this means there really aren’t Martians living beneath the surface of Mars, or that there are bases on the back side of the Moon. (Maybe.) If any of that is so, that’s only a fraction of the Big Paranormal Picture. A lot more is still to come.

And actually, I suspect that it is really very “simple” in a way: as Steiger called it, we live parallel to a “shadow” world/reality. They do their thing, we do ours. Sometimes, more often than some of us would acknowledge, we meet each other, We find ourselves plunked into their world, or we meet up with “visitors” from theirs. The boundaries between the two aren’t all that firm, as much as some of us like to pretend it is. Indeed, one of the main functions of the Trickster is crossing boundaries.

So thanks to Tim Binnall for all his great work in bringing us (and for free) solid interviews with all kinds of UFO and esoteric researchers, including Brad Steiger.


Resources:
Binnall of America
Brad and Sherry Steiger
The Trickster and the Paranormal

Trickster's Realm: 'Popcorn Machine Aliens'

Latest Trickster’s Realm: Popcorn Machine Aliens,about memories of aliens, on board craft, and giant insectoid creatures, by moi.

Also on BoA (Binnall of America:) Lesley’s Grey Matters: on Ian Punnett and C2C, Tina Sena’s Estoericana: The Witching Hour, where she writes about 3:00 am being the weird hour (as have many a UFO experiencer; indeed, that does seem to be the hour,)
Wrath of Joe’s Whiter UFOlogy? and Khyron’s The K-Files.

Plus all the great audio interviews Tim Binnall has done over the past two seasons!

“Young” UFOlogy

At the risk of appearing patronizing, as well as guilty of some kind of “ism” (youthism? ageism? oldism?) there has been discussion here and there, now and then, about younger UFO and paranormal, Fortean researchers. Kimball, Loren Coleman, and others have commented on this not too long ago.

It is a good thing to see younger people (jesus, that makes me sound so old!) (Well, guess I am, let’s face it. . .) involved in these studies. What do I mean by “younger people?” Seems a bit arbitrary to just cut people off at an age. I don’t know, under forty? Under fifty? I’ll let you all decide. Me, I’m fifty er, um, okay, three. I said it! Fifty damn three years old. In my head, I’m still twelve, somedays twenty-two, but the outside doesn’t show it. Or feel it. Anyway, enough about me and my old age, here are two younger people writing on UFOs and related topics:

Tina Sena is one that’s been mentioned earlier. She has her own blog, Yufology, and writes for BoA, writing her Esoterica column.

Another younger person is Ross Howard, author of the blog AETHER THEORIES.