Lesley of The Debris Field blog has written an article on ex-Arizona governor Symington, who recently announced that he did see a UFO ten years ago during the Phoenix Lights UFO event. Lesley's article is More Proof that Politicians are the Lowest form of Life and she doesn’t hold back in her disgust at his past behavior (ridiculing witnesses, etc.) and the decade long silence on his part.

Notes
Lesley: More Proof that Politicians are the Lowest form of Life, Grey Matters, for Binnall of America.
http://binnallofamerica.com/gm3.27.7.html

Now WE KNOW, Politicians LIE about UFO’s - Phoenix Lights Confirmed, Heavy Stuff blog
http://theheavystuff.com/

Regan Lee, Be Honest About What You See . . .” Cooper and Symington, The OrangeOrb
http://orangeorb.blogspot.com/2007/03/be-honest-about-what-you-see-cooper-and.html

Binnall of America website, or BOA:http://binnallofamerica.com/

“Be Honest About What You See . . .” Cooper and Symington

Looks like both The OrangeOrb (er, me) and the Heavy Stuff blog were wrong; Anderson Cooper has picked up on the Symington story. Actually, to be specific, the author of Heavy Stuff wrote that Cooper probably won’t ask Symington who ordered him to pull that trivializing stunt with his aide in an alien suit. Good question.
While Cooper does a good job of reporting on Symington’s sighting and what Symington has to say without stopping to mockery or lame little green men jokes, he didn’t ask that question.

The Stories

“Be honest about what you see, get out of the way and let the story reveal itself.” ~ Anderson Cooper

When it comes to UFOs and related experiences (Forteana, etc) this is the starting point for all of us. For many of us it is all we have. It’s all I have, regarding my own experiences. I don’t have bits of a spaceship, a photograph of an alien (assuming those two things were ever part of the events -- who can say?) I don’t have “proof.” (See Stanton Friedman’s articles in the March issues of UFO Magazine and MUFON Journal for his perspective on the demands for proof.)

The more conservative skeptics, who are perennially affronted at the likes of us, basically tell us to just shut up. They have many tactics for doing this, including trotting out the more garish and embarrassing characters in UFOlogy as proof the whole thing is nonsense. They’ve set up a closed system: anecdotal evidence isn’t evidence at all, therefore unless you have bits of a spaceship from Mars, go away.

So while the anti-UFOists, the chronic skeptics, debunkers and the like continue to mock and chide, the rest of us are left with our experiences. Getting no help from them (quite the opposite much of the time) we’re left with a hodge podge of UFO witnesses. Some have mind up their minds, sure, and that’s not good. Some believe they’re been in contact with extraterrestrials, and maybe they have. Maybe the beings have told them as much. That doesn’t mean they’re telling the truth: they could be anything from a mind control black op Dr. Evil government experiment to inner earth entities. Whatever they are, those of us who’ve experienced weird things are trying to figure it out. And all around us are people who feel they have some sort of intellectual -- moral, even -- imperative to insult, mock and harass. Or we have institutionalized science telling us, from afar, what it is we experienced.

The majority of the time, all we have is anecdotal evidence. Intuition. Imagination. Our own inner dance. Perceptions. And while I’m not so naive -- nor ignorant -- to think institutionalized science should suddenly get happy and embrace these feel good concepts, it wouldn’t hurt for the individual humans involved in these projects to check in with themselves from time to time.

UFO witnesses, experiencers of the weird in general, need to tell their stories, and their stories need to be listened to without rancor or ridicule.

Notes:

Lesley, of Debris Field, has written her new column for Binnall of America will be on the Phoenix Lights/Symington revealation, but it wasn’t up last time I checked. Keep checking BOA though.
BOA: http://binnallofamerica.com/
Debris Field: http://thedebrisfield.blogspot.com/

Heavy Stuff blog:http://theheavystuff.com/

Recent writings. . .

On UFO Digest, you'll find "Alien" "Abductions" musing on the term: is it an apt term to use or not?

And in the recent issue of UFO Magazine, I write about Joe Nickell, skeptic, and his thing for owls in "Attack of the Owls."

Look for my Trickster Realm column on Tim Binnall's site BOA (Binnall of America,) where I take yet another angle on the Trent Tempest affair in The Trent Trickster Three. The column goes up Monday. While you're there, take a look at the other writers over there: Lesley, author of Grey Matters, Tina Sena's Esortericana, Khyron's The K-Files and Joe Vee's Wrath of Joe.

Autumn Williams on Weird Bigfoot

LTWs and “Paranormal” Bigfoot

Loren Coleman and others call people with anomalous Bigfoot interactions “Bigfoot contactees.” That’s certainly condescending, and puts the whole thing into a George Adamski category. Which means, for most, a “we don’t have to give it any serious consideration since it’s too silly” vibe, and we’re done with such nonsense. (And don't be so quick to dismiss Adamski either. See Colin Bennett's Looking for Orthon.)

As readers of the OrangeOrb know, I am partial to the so-called “paranormal” Bigfoot idea. I’m not sure about using the word “paranormal” but the point is, I consider Bigfoot to be, as Lisa Shiel (author of Backyard Bigfoot) recently told me, “not just a big ape” but something much more. There’s a lot more going on here, like it or not, and it’s clear most Bigfoot researchers don’t like it.

I’ve just ordered Valley of the Skookum, Sali Sheppard-Wolford’s book. (Sheppard-Wolford is the mother of Bigfoot researcher Autumn Williams.)

On her site, Autumn writes about her thoughts on the those long term witnesses -- LTWs -- who’ve had ongoing contact with Bigfoot.

Now, on to the "stranger" side of these reports. What I found by interviewing LTWs is that many of them report other anomalies along with their Bigfoot encounters. Little lights in the trees. Underground rumblings. Lights in the sky. Gift exchanges (they leave food or items out for the creatures and receive natural items in return, sometimes displayed in a patterned formation). There are others, as well, that I won't go into here. What these witnesses describe is rather moot. The FACT that they are describing additional phenomena leads one to take a certain approach to these reports.

Williams writes that if we want to get to the truth, or at least a clearer, closer understanding, of what Bigfoot is, we need to be honest and incorporate these weirder reports in research:

Nor do I BELIEVE any one particular thing about the Bigfoot phenomenon. I've discussed this here before... BIGFOOT IS WHATEVER IT IS. It might be a garden-variety great ape, an animal, relatively stupid and unintelligent. It might be some sort of pre-human ancestor, gallivanting along on its own branch of our family tree. It might be something weirder than that. It might be smarter than us. The point is, I don't KNOW... and neither do you. But if you really want to know WHAT it is, at this early stage in the game you really have to allow yourself to keep an open mind and examine ALL of the evidence.

Remember I said earlier that many researchers avoid certain aspects of Bigfoot research because it doesn't fit in with what they BELIEVE bigfoot to be?

We differ in that respect. I don't CARE what Bigfoot is and I don't presume to know... I only hope to understand it in my lifetime.

Autumn makes it clear: she does not accept as a “belief” that these things are true. But there is enough anecdotal evidence to begin honestly looking into these reports and not reject them because they don’t fit into a preconceived notion of what Bigfoot is.

It’s a great piece and I encourage anyone interested in Bigfoot (and that includes self-identified Bigfoot researchers who, we assume, only want the truth) to read it.

You can read the entire articlehere.

Bob Luca Jr. Comments on "Luca Land"

In February, I wrote an item on Bob Luca Jr.’s contention the Betty Andreasson Luca UFO abduction was a hoax. He recently commented on that entry:

I am Bob Jr. First off, I did not leave the family 30+ years ago. You didn't read my web page or my write-up carefully enough. I had my falling out with my father a couple years ago. also, it is my father who backed out on taking a lie detector test side by side with me. I am ready willing and able. He declined. The item he posted in the paper about me was blown out of proportion. It is when I hit rock bottom from drinking and I called for help. I went in for rehab from drinking. He should do the same! My father just kicks up dirt, but will not debate me as what I say is the truth. Note for the record he is on psyc. medication, and not me! He still won't have the lie detector test done with me. Why is this. He could then proove me wrong so why won't he. Also, my statement about moving out when I was 19 refered to me being on my own and my father never lived on his own, but always with his mom and / or with a woman, but never alone. So I would read up better before you jump to conclusions to the story. What I print is true and there will be more testimony from more people soon. I amdoing that since he copped out of that lie detector test.

I replied that I did not say he left the family thirty years ago; I said the case was more than thirty years old.

I also told Luca, Jr. that I had freely acknowledged I didn’t give his site full attention, and the reasons why I didn’t.

You can read more on the original post here.

Whether you’re an experiencer,UFO witness,skepti-bunkie, skeptic, or wherever you land in all this (as with all UFO and Fortean experiences) all any of us have are the stories of others. Intuition goes a long way, and more of us should trust ours. As I commented to Bob Jr. no one knows the “true” story, certainly not me. However, based on his presentation, my own experiences, research, and intuition, I’m not so quick to buy into his his story either.

And in a not unusual bit of synchronicity, as I was writing this, I found this link in my email box from the UFO Experiences blog; an interview with Betty Andreasson.

Six Degrees (Kind of) of UFO Type Separation

"Diane, whenever two events happen simultaneously pertaining to the same object of inquiry, we must always pay strict attention!" ~ Special Agent Diane Cooper, Twin Peaks

A great quote that can be applied to many a Fortean and UFO event. Special Agent Dale Cooper, a character on one of the best TV shows ever, was played by David Duchovny, who played Agent Fox Mulder on the best TV series ever, The X-Files. (Amends: no he didn't. As Daniel Breton pointed out -- see comments below -- it was Kyle MacLachlan who played Cooper. David Duchovny played cross dressing agent Dennis/Denise Bryson.)

I found this quote on
Peter Levenda’s blog, via Lesley, author of The Debris Field Blog.

The quote leads into an entry by Levenda on the E. Howard Hunt/Kennedy/Monroe assassination association. For more on this read Levenda's entry. The dizzying associations between Hunt and occult-covert forces makes for very interesting reading. There’s much more here than I’ve mentioned; I don’t want to spoil anything, check out Levenda’s blog.

Layers, connections, relationships, ships in the night, juxtapositions -- all part of UFOania.

The Sun and the Moon

Dazzling new images reveal the 'impossible' on the Sun by Hazel Muir:

The restless bubbling and frothing of the Sun's chaotic surface is astonishing astronomers who have been treated to detailed new images from a Japanese space telescope called Hinode.

Earth Without A Moon - Pre-Lunar Civilizations, by UFO Area:

There was a time in the early history of our planet, some 100 million years ago, or even less when there was no Moon in the sky.

Our ancestors recall the time when a pre-Lunar civilization lived on this planet without a Moon.

On The Brink Of Hysteria. Really. They Were.

Among Big UFO News is the admission by ex-Governor of Arizona Fife Symington, who now says he saw a UFO that night of ‘the Phoenix Lights” in March ten years ago. (Former Arizona Gov. Admits UFO Sighting On Night of Phoenix Lights
By Jon Shanks
Mar 18, 2007)

And in a touch of irony, in typical Trickster fashion, it was Symington who was responsible for the pedestrian and lame “alien in a costume” stunt. Symtington publicly made fun of the whole UFO event, and in one bit of bozo like behavior, introduced an extraterrestrial, as being responsible for the lights. Har har. (The costumed individual was Jay Heiker, an assistant in the governor’s camp.)

As I’ve written before, one of the aspects of the PHoenix Lights case that always intrigued me was the lack of response, and interest, from authorities.

In the interview Symington says that he called the commander at Luke Air Force Base, the general in charge of the National Guard, and the head of the Department of Public Safety to request an explanation. None of them had answers, and they, too, were "perplexed," he says.

Now, that’s the kind of response I want from our government agencies: weird things flying over our cities, and all they can offer us is that they’re “perplexed.”

When asked about his ridicule factor back then, Symington says:

He explains that Arizona was "on the brink of hysteria" about the UFO sighting at the time, and the frenzy was building. "I wanted people to lighten up and calm down, so I introduced a little levity. But I never felt that the overall situation was a matter of ridicule," he says.

Nice spin. But no cigar.

Of course, I wasn’t in Phoenix, Arizona during these sightings, and so I can’t say if the state was “on the brink of hysteria” or not. It does seem to me, from what I’ve seen and read from the media (I’ve been following this event closely ever since the first day) that people were more likely intensely curious, as well as frustrated with the non-response of those in authority. From their Governor, who publicly made a joke out of the whole thing, to the Air Force, etc. no one took the citizens seriously.

We can't be too hard on Symington. He is, was, a politician. Enough said right there. And look at the junk still flung around about Jimmy Carter's sighting, for example. He's come out now with it, that's something. According to him, he was seeking answers behind the scenes.

But as the author of The Heavy Stuff blog wrote, don't expect Anderson Cooper to come along and do a news story on this.

However, I've noticed that the Phoenix story, like its namesake, doesn't ever really die. There's hope yet.

Bigfoot:Patterson-Wallace Synchronicity

It feels like Bigfoot is following me. Lots of Bigfoot items coming my way, recent conversation with Lisa Shiel (Backyard Bigfoot,) and too many threads to follow up on. And last night I posted this item over on the OrangeOrb on My Space (basically it's a billboard and a back-up) on a Wallace/Patterson connection. Of a sorts. Then I see that Loren Coleman on cryptomundo has posted a Wallace/Patterson item as well. Maybe Sasquatch is psychic after all.

The Trickster Visits McMinnville

I thought this would be the last of the ‘Trent Tempest’ that recently went on, (see notes below) but I’m inspired to write a bit more on this. One of my observations about this whole thing has been the Trickster aspect in this little affair.

The Trickster is everywhere in UFO and Fortean events, and I think this point is often missed by many researchers. As irritating as the hoaxes and hucksters are, and as bewildering as the surreal moments in UFOlogy are,these elements are a necessary part, an innate part, of the phenomena.

Often both UFOlogists and the pathological skeptics call for some sort of what I call a cry to "cleanse the cultural landscape of woo." Get rid of the hucksters, the embarrassing ones, the harmless pranksters -- all of them. On the pro-UFO side, a rational (usually) call for saner behavior is made. On the rabid, anti UFO side, there are those who want a crusade against anything “woo.”

Personally, I’d like the Raelians to go away, for a long list of reasons. Reluctantly, however, I realize they’re simply a part of the big UFO picture.

The Trickster in Brief
The Trickster is not a person. It’s not an individual, not a human. It’s not a cartoon character, or a comic book icon.

The Trickster is a manifestation of a phenomena, an element, an idea. It’s cross cultural. The Trickster goes by many names, and many guises, and many guises within any one culture.

The Trickster is both a specific character -- say, the Coyote as in many Native American traditions -- or it can be more of a concept. Humans can exhibit Trickster traits and behaviors for a short time.

The idea of ‘The Trickster” is an archetype. It’s an idea, a behavior, that presents itself both in events and in isolated moments within a person’s character.

When the idea of “Trickster” is brought up in UFOlogy, I mean both specific, individual characters, as well as manifestations of a concept. One or both can be present at any time.

One concept is the hoaxer or prankster in UFOlogy. One of the key issues in UFOlogy is proof: is the photograph real or fake? Does that video of a light in the sky really show a light in the sky, or is it a remote controlled, glowing frisbee thrown up in the air? Is that UFO really a triangle of unknown origin, or just Air Force pilots having fun flying in formation? Is that UFO researcher, who speaks at conferences and has published loads of books in reality a disinfo agent? Is that abductee really an abductee, or at least an individual with strange, unexplainable experiences, or an outright lair?

We rarely know. And even when we do, when it comes out that so and so was lying, or the photo was hoaxed, or the video showed pilots flying in formation having a bit of fun and not a flying saucer, we’re often left with endless questions, and the event is not so neatly solved after all.

There’s also a playful element in the Trickster. The Trickster thumbs its nose at society (which certainly UFOlogy and Forteana do), at “the rules,” at convention. Often those who don’t “believe” in this stuff will join in, just for fun. Festivals in towns where UFO events have occurred are an example. (Roswell, Aztec, Hopkinsville Kentucky, Nevada) For a short time, no one takes it seriously and everyone uses the
the event to let loose, to be silly, to meet others, to be anonymous if they wish. Or to come out completely with their experiences and beliefs in a safe place, knowing they can leave and go back to “normal.”

Trent Photos
The Trent photos, taken in 1950 in McMinnville, Oregon of a UFO, have been considered as genuine by many researchers.

On that day in 1950, Paul Trent took two photographs of a UFO. More than fifty years later, according to the bloggers at the UFO Iconoclast blog, a “third, lost” photo of the Trent UFO was found. This photo was sent to the bloggers from an unnamed individual allegedly in Arizona.

It turned out the photo was not a “third, lost” Trent photo at all, but one of a UFO taken in Germany in the 1970s. Meanwhile, a small flurry of comments were made on their blog, the bloggers generated some attention for themselves, and the whole thing seemed to have quickly died down.

I wrote a couple of items on this, and my intuition tells me, as it did then, that the whole thing was a hoax; meaning, there never was a “lost” photo sent to them, it was all a silly exercise. It isn’t necessary to ask what the point was, for the point is: the Trickster is simply at work.

Another way the Trickster has fun with the McMinnville/Trent UFO case is in the annual McMinnville Festival in McMinnville, Oregon. This is the “party” element of the Trickster mentioned earlier. People come from all over Oregon and beyond to have fun. There is even a typical Trickster inversion of the Blessing of the Animals in many religious celebrations with the “alien pet parade” part of the festival.

UFO Researchers on the Trickster
Colin Bennett, George P. Hanse,Jacque Vallee, and John A. Keel, are some of the UFO writers who have written on this Trickster element within UFOlogy.

A recognition of this innate Trickster element in UFO and Fortean phenomeana doesn’t have to exclude a nuts and bolts construct. Both can coexist. In fact, it seems more evident every day that they do. I used to think that the two were exclusive, but the reality seems to be that we can’t afford to be that limited. All this infighting over theories doesn’t take into account that the two can be related, and part of a larger picture.

The next time some irritating and seemingly pointless event occurs surrounding UFOs, it may be some small bit of comfort to remember the Trickster’s role in UFO and Fortean experiences.

Notes
Regan Lee, UFO Digest:
Still a Mystery, and a Big Question: The Trent Farm/McMinnville Oregon Case

One hint that this was all a hoax -- the blog's contention there was a third lost photo, not the Trent photos themselves -- is the timing. My Trent article on UFO Digest appeared right after (was inspired by) another article on the Trent case. Not long after, the idea of a "lost" photo appeared. (I could be wrong, so be it if that's the case. In typical fashion, I doubt we'll ever know.)

UFO Iconoclasts blog:
A Lost Trent Photo?
Regan Lee, UFO Digest:
A New Lost Trent Photo Surfaces? and:
The Trent Tempest

Wendy Conners Announces Retirement

Wendy Conners, “Wicked Witch of UFOlogy” as well as another “CSICOPian Slayer” who of course, is responsible for the Faded Disk Project,announced her retirement from UFOlogy on UFO Updates recently.

Thank you Wendy for all you’ve done!

Bright Birthday Ball

Yesterday was a strange day. My birthday, and not sure how I felt/feel about turning 53. Ahem. Of course, growing older is one of the few but solidly sure things in life that you can't do one damn thing about. It's going to happen. The alternative is death, which is also going to happen, but those are the choices: another year older alive, or, being dead. I lost my spiffy new glasses with the copper rectangle frame in a bizarre "I'll just decide to fly off you face today, thank you very much" and into the purse rack at the department store. I spent two hours in there looking for the things. No one's turned them in. They have to be somewhere! Where the hell are they? Shit. And lots of other, little things and glitches, like email hassles, and other things, that just added up to not a terrible day, but a weird day. The lost glasses though; that's terrible.

So I'm lying in bed last night, and very "buzzed" not sure why. Was very tired, and yet I felt very "electrical." I noticed a very bright star through the crack in the blind; and couldn't help but keep staring at it. I got up to look outside; beautiful night, so sharply clear, lots of stars out, all twinkling. I still felt "buzzy" and got back into bed, looking at the bright star light twinkle through the slats of the blind. Suddenly, this very large, bright ball of white light just came from nowhere, swooshed by, in front of the window, and was gone. It was so damn weird!

This was a solid object (or appearing to be solid) not an "orb" like a ghost/spirit orb. As I say, it seemed to be lit from within.

It was low, not up in the sky, but what seemed to be about seven feet or so high. It was as if someone had thrown a very large ball -- one lit from within -- and thrown it in front of my window. But no one could throw that fast.

So I'm still in bed, see this thing go "swoosh!" right past my window, big and bright, and I can't get up. I'm just wired awake, yet frozen.

All very weird, indeed. It could have been a bird, but if so, that was one big ass bird. And glowing? From what source? No lights out back there.

Who knows. Just another one of those little strange, weird moments.

---

image source:http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/fairies4.shtml

The Trent Tempest

image source:UFO Casebook

Another UFO tempest in a teapot: here's the last item (hopefully) on the so-called "lost" Trent photo: The Trent Tempest on UFO Digest.

Utterly Pointless Time Wasting Blog Quiz

Your Hair Should Be Orange

Expressive, deep, and one of a kind. You pull off "weird" well - hardly anyone notices.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

Nah, at my age I'd just look like a cheap imitation of Ethel Merman.

Sketch of Oregon Triangle

As many of you may know, I saw a triangle a few years ago in Dexter, Oregon. (Dexter is in Lane County, Oregon.) Here's a graphic I did of the triangle.

I tried to show how the triangle was almost the color of the surrounding sky, but not quite. It was just a shade or so darker, and blotted out any stars and background. It was completely silent, very huge, no lights. It was right above us, at an angle; and then shot off incredibly silently, and incredibly fast. A blink of an eye. Just sort of "slid" off, and away.