Showing posts with label cults. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cults. Show all posts

Saturday, December 23, 2017

'Belluminati', Pentagon UFO News


I know I'm not the only one who's noticed the new Taco Bell commercial:



Timing is interesting, and of course my conspiratorial oriented mind sees high strangeness with the juxtapositions of the Solstice season, Trump's tax cuts, and the Pentagon releasing the latest batch of UFO information.

As for the commercial, sure it's advertising just goofing on a trend, but those of us living in fringe world can't help but sense there's more to it than just pop culture appropriation of us fringe dwellers.

Monday, August 28, 2017

Fringe Implosions

Strange things going on in not only UFO Land, but the realm of the fringe as well.

We had the racist, sexist comments from John Ventre, the MUFON state director, as well as the initial apathetic reaction from MUFON itself.

Stan Romanek, UFO alien witness, or, alien gray in the window hoaxer, has been charged with being in possession of child pornography.  

Sean David Morton busted for tax fraud. 

David Paulides, author of the Missing 411 books, has upset many with his prima donna act, as well as, according to some, his research methods. (I had my own little drama with him and I regret being a nice girl and giving into his demands.)

And the latest: New Age angel and tarot writer Doreen Virtue has become born again in the Christian faith, and has turned against the tarot, and other oracles, as sinful occult tools.  (I will write more on Virtue on my tarot blog.)

None of this is really a surprise. This metaphysical field -- and I include UFOs in that term -- has always had its share of the dishonest, child molesters (look at all the would be cult leader guru types; a large percentage are either horny jerks, or pedophiles), frauds and egomaniacs.

Because of this truth, none of these areas, including UFOs, will be taken seriously -- respectfully -- by mainstream culture, including its institutions.

It's up to us to denounce these fools, creeps and cheaters because no one else will. Instead, these fools, creeps and cheaters will be held up to the mainstream as justification for mockery and marginlization.

These sad, cheesy events do not negate the reality of UFOs, angels, the tarot, spirits, remote viewing, or conspiracies and strange disappearances. So we need to keep exposing the dishonest (and not keep fighting amongst ourselves about what's worthy of investigation, and what isn't.) Some of the individuals involved are to be tossed out, obviously --tossed, shown up, exposed, and not tolerated -- but it's important we don't, as the saying goes, throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Political Values and UFO Research and Neo- Pagan, Witchy Ways



In January I posted about "political values and ufo research."  I wondered how it is that some researchers who delve into the realm of the strange, are politically conservative. I find that a strange juxtaposition. I also find it strange that most on the left (as am I) mock the strange. As I've commented before, as much as I like Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, John Oliver, etc. when it comes to anything suggesting the anomalous, from UFOs to Sasquatch, it's time for smug dismissals of what is clearly perceived as superstitious paranoia -- and no doubt perpetuated by ignorant right wing bozos. I also find that a strange juxtaposition, as well as disappointing.


Today I came across someone on Twitter who follows me. Looking at their profile, they're all about the things I'm also all about. Paganism, magick, witchy ways, etc. Yet they "support Trump." WHAT?!

My relationship with those areas is many faceted. It's personal, intimate, spiritual, emotional, and important. It has to do with many things, including the planet, the planets, our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the other.
Animals. Spirits. And more that I am not wanting to share here. I am no fluff bunny, no naive goody glittery two-shoed fairy wanna be. I know there are things that go bump in the night, forces and energies you do not want to mess with. But my involvement with the poly-theistic/witch/pagan path includes a basic urge to do good. For us, for me, for each other. I assume that is why others also choose this path. But in my personal experience with that community, I've found that there are many who are politically on the right.

(I am aware that these areas, while often combining and sharing elements, are not the same. There is paganism, neo-paganism, magick, Magick, magic, witchcraft, wicca, wiccan -- oh the categories continue, boggle, and create great argument among followers.)

The history of magick is rife with those that would control, of course. (Nazis, for example.)  Maybe it's not so surprising after all.




Saturday, September 3, 2016

Those Very Creepy Clowns . . .

Clowns seem to have a category all their own in the Fortean World of High Strangeness. The latest: clowns freaking people out in Greenville. Understandably, the authorities are not amused. And as much as I detest clowns, and understand the communities' ire, since when is it against the law to dress like a clown? Isn't that unconstitutional or something? The response of the police is as Fortean as the rest of this weirdness.


Addressing the incidents at a media conference Thursday, Greenville Police Chief Ken Miller said officers will arrest and charge anyone dressed up as a clown.
"It's illegal. It's dangerous. It's inappropriate, and it's creating community concern so it needs to stop," Miller said. Source: Greenville Online.
It's unknown why people are dressing like clowns, standing silently while staring at people. Fears about child napping clowns abound.

It may seem odd that that the police are threatening arrest of those in clown costume, it's a law on their books:

According to South Carolina state law, no one over the age of 16 can appear in public wearing a mask "or other device which concealed his identity." The statute makes exceptions for people whose trade or employment involves wearing a mask. There's also a city of Greenville ordinance that prohibits "molesting, disturbing or following persons." (Greenville Online.)
The anti-mask wearing law still seems unconstitutional, and the part about "…following persons" seems subjective.

Laws aside, it is unnerving -- I wouldn't want to come across some creepy clown standing around, wordlessly  staring at me -- but far more disturbing is the affect on children. The following is from Cleveland's Fox 8 news:
Deputies confirmed Monday they were called to the apartment complex on Aug. 21 to investigate after residents reported seeing “a suspicious character, dressed in circus clown attire and white face paint, enticing kids to follow him/her into the woods.” 
Investigative reports state police met with a mother, whose name was redacted, who witnessed the clowns in the woods after her son notified her of their presence. The woman told deputies the clowns were shining green laser lights in the woods.
Another resident also reported seeing a “large-figured clown with a blinking nose” standing under a streetlight near the trash dumpsters.
Deputies spoke with children who told them clowns tried “to persuade them into the woods further by displaying large amounts of money.” 

The Greenville clown scare is only the latest in a wealth of historical clown strangeness. All you have to do is Google something like "clowns Fortean" and all kinds of items come up. The first one being a 2007  blog entry about a Fortean Times article on clown appearances by, of all people, debunker Benjamin Radford. Which only adds to the high strangeness factor.







Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Federal Court Rules Against "Filmaker," For Raelians

Glad to see that would be documentarians Abdulluah Hashem and Joseph McGowen's were found guilty of lying about the Raelians. I've been following this story since 2005 and have written about it through the years. Hashem had an agenda based on his own religious (and political) fanaticism that rivaled the Raelians for sure.My new Trickster's Realm column for Binnall of America, on the court's ruling and the agendas of Abdulluah Hashem and Joseph McGowen, will be up sometime today. 





Sunday, March 9, 2008

The Scientology Meme: Mob Mentality

I’m no fan of Scientology, (had a personal negative experience with them involving a family member when I was young) but I’m no fan of organized religions or organized anythings. Like Groucho Marx once said:
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.

On many esoteric blogs, as well as the anti-esoteric blogs and forums (otherwise known as “skeptics”) there’s been a lot of self righteous anti-Scientology posts. Well, yeah, okay. Let’s go after the Vatican, various Christian sects, Islamic extremists, the Raelians, Buddhists (just because they’re not American and are suspect you know), Yoga, and Jews. Oh, and Wicca. Let’s go after all religions, spiritual and philosophical systems. Get rid of them!

The reasons why so many all over the world are now going after Scientology have to do with its existence on the fringe. Everyone’s gone after all the above mentioned systems; and many of those systems (Catholics, Jews, Muslims) are accepted by mainstream culture. As soon as you step over that line of what’s accepted, you’re fair game. Scientologists, like Mormons and Wiccans for example. are suspect. Their rights to freedoms, in this country anyway, are swept off the table, because, well, they’re weird. And if we think it’s weird, really weird, then we get to vilify. We’ll leave the Methodists alone but don’t be going around saying you’re a Scientologist or practice Wicca. Then we’ll get you. Get you good.

Another reason for the smug sense of being Very Reasonable, is the fear of criticizing religious Muslim extremists for what they are: fanatics. We don't dare go near there for fear of staring up something, or being “anti Muslim” and vilifying an entire group of people.

The same with Judaism, though less so. Everyone from the Left to the Right and in between gets to insist they’re “not anti-Semitic, just anti-Israel,” before they launch into a long winded, often erroneous, mini history of why Israel is so evil. But that aside, most people leave that alone as well. (Wait, no they don’t, look at Rense.com.)

The point is, no, I don’t like Scientology. (Although, as with all of these systems, don’t be so quick to throw the baby out with the bath water.) But there are issues far bigger than Scientology to focus your wrath on. The occupation (er, “war”) in Iraq. Global warming/climate changes/whatever the hell you want to call it, we’re all gonna die save the earth damnit, alternative energies, child abuse, elder abuse, domestic abuse, animal abuse (Christ, we’re an abusive species!) poverty, education . . .

I’ve noticed that for those who proudly state they’re “skeptics” -- those very same who remain stubbornly ignorant of the facts when it comes to UFOs, who assume all kinds of wild things regarding the paranormal -- are quick to believe the most paranoid, outlandish things about things they want to annihilate.

I suppose one thing that bothers me in particular about this is the idea that those working so hard towards eliminating or “exposing” Scientology feel so damn proud of themselves, as if they’ve brought us a rare gift from another realm. This rare gift is presented as enlightenment from ignorance and superstition. It's an intellectual coup.

Kind of like what they do with UFO and paranormal topics. There are those within and on the fringe (the chronic skeptics looking in) of UFO studies who insist UFOlogy needs some sort of guild, organization, committee -- some kind of official body --- that will once and for all get rid of all that embarrasses and angers, and keep only what is approved. (Who gets to do the approving, and why, well, you see why it's a problem. . .)

Exercising our right to voice our opinions about these things is one thing, and exposing illegal or unethical methods is a good thing. Other than that, ranting on an almost daily basis, hacking into web sites and calling for blood seems over the top.

What disturbs me is the momentum. Worldwide, people have been unquestioningly and happily joining in protests against Scientology. And it’s this crowd gathering/one-mind vibe that has me worried. At some point, the lines blur: who are the ones acting as a mob, as a single unit, as a controlling mass? That’s scary.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

"Course in Miracles" Government Mind Control?

This is a juicy piece of psy op mind control business regarding the “Course in Miracles” books, popular New Age stuff awhile back.
According to Dr. Helen Schucman and the Foundation for Inner Peace (FIP), Dr. Helen Schucman and Dr. William Thetford "scribed" the book by means of a process coming from a divine source through a form of channeling which Schucman referred to as "inner dictation". Schucman described the divine source of her channeling as none other than the person of Jesus Christ. Well.....Dr. William Thetford, headed the CIA's "Mind Control" MK-ULTRA SubProject 130: Personality Theory, while at Columbia University between 1971 - 1978.

Read the whole piece here:
A COURSE IN MIRACLES - A CIA Manipulation Device ?

Monday, May 28, 2007

Update on ‘The Most Dangerous Idea in the World” - (Laura Knight-Jadczyk)



Wow. I just came across Dustin’s entry on his blog Odd Things on Laura Knight-Jadczyk. The synchronicity aside, I was right about what I commented on in the previous Laura entry; her anti-Semitism Jews run the evil world of the evil doers, don’t you know beliefs. What absolutely intrigues me is that Knight-Jadczyk writes extremely well, and is obviously no dummy. She’s quite smart; certainly smarter than I am. And yet we have, in the end, someone clinging to bigoted belief systems. When it comes to UFOs, aliens, and Forteana, none of us can afford to have such deeply entrenched beliefs about anything, except for the painfully obvious reality that “reality” is far from what it seems. Once you start creating a belief system around yourself, you’re doomed. Throw in ethnic/cultural/racial/religious bigotry, and you’re damned.

So little did I know. This little episode also reminds us that being intelligent isn’t always an accurate measurement of being intelligent. A lot of brilliant people have led cults and held paranoid, bigoted, insular beliefs -- and managed to get others to follow them.



Dustin’s Odd Things blog:
http://www.book-of-thoth.com/blogs/oddthings/

Cassiopaea site:
http://www.cassiopaeacult.com/

OrangeOrb blog: Laura Knight-Jadczyk: The Most Dangerous Idea in the World
http://orangeorb.blogspot.com/2007/05/laura-knight-jadczyk-most-dangerous.html