Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sunday Orb Round Up
Is it Sunday again already? Grueling week, but at least it’s over. Having the Fall crud doesn’t help. Well, enough about me. Here’s some links and items I hope you’ll follow, because it’s mostly all about me. (I know, I just contradicted myself.)
Frame 352: The Stranger Side of Sasquatch
Visit my bigfoot blog Frame 352.Comments are welcome of course, as well as sightings and encounters, especially in Oregon or the Pacific Northwest. However, reports aren’t at all limited to Oregon or the PNW; sightings from all over the world are included.
The blog doesn’t completely ignore flesh and blood bigfoot, but the focus is on the paranormal, UFO and other high strangeness Bigfoot encounters from all over the world.
The Trickster is not Demonic
Stephen Yulish, a Christian UFO researcher and writer, wrote a piece inspired by my piece on Mary and Marian apparitions as Trickster manifestations. Yulish uses the terms Trickster and demonic interchangeably, and gives the impression I do as well.
I made it clear in this item on the OrangeOrb I do not consider the Trickster a “demonic” figure, not in a Christian framework, nor do I personally believe in the divinity of Christ, Mary, etc. I also do not consider the religious doctrine or a religion's text as proof, real, true, or factual. None of those things are things I “believe” in -- and specifically, not in a traditional, religious and mainstream way.
I need to make this very clear, for I write about the Trickster a lot. I do not intend for misrepresentations or misunderstandings of what I think about this topic to be perpetuated.
You can read my article Speculation on Mary as a Trickster, here.
Stephen Yuish’s article Many Apparitions of Mary may be Tricksters but the Real Mary was not! And my blog post here.
Exopolitics and New Age Personas
I make fun of exopolitics and what I call New Agey types a lot. Gentle fun, because I have to say, that with all of their naive and wrong headed approaches (at times arrogant) the intent of exo-politics is good. It can’t hurt. New Age stuff, because, I’m sort of New Agey myself, but can’t quite get there all the way. So much about them makes me laugh and at times, even creeps me out. And, so much of the New Age movement (remember, i live in Eugene, Oregon) is a strange combination of smug and naive. Superior and pretentious. Then again, I admit I experience frequent bouts of general malaise. Still, I am aware of my contradictory personality; I work with crystals, I mediate, I read cards, baby, I do a lot of witchy new age stuff. Hell, I even like purple.
All this is leading up to shameless self promotion: my next two articles for UFO Magazine are on these topics. The Purple Road discussed New Age perspectives and UFOs, and after that is a piece on the exopolitics movement.
Mating Hedgehogs
Isn’t a paranormal blog per se, but it does have some high strangeness stuff on there. You’ll never know what you’ll find over there.
Ghost Photo Contest
Lesley (Debris Field, etc.) is running her ghost photo contest again this year. I entered, why not? You can find more here.
Things That Caught My Eye
Cave skylights from Mars. I love anything about Mars; I’m telling you, the little buggers are up there. Awhile back there were the deep black holes on Mars. In May I wrote a little blog piece on my spot on
The Daily Grail about the holes. It’s making the rounds again. As always, with things like this, I have wonder what parts are they leaving out when they tell us this stuff?
Nick Redfern’s new book Man-Monkey is reviewed here. Sigh, another book to go on my yearly reading list. I’m still trying to catch up from last year!
Fresh Crater in Peru: Meteorite?
As someone pointed out, why hasn’t this made headline news? Anyway, interesting of course and just what did happen? What crashed and left a crater in its wake in Peru? Some suggest it was a spy satellite. Possible of course, but given the context of the source, I’d take it with a grain of salt.
The CIA, Star Gate and Spying Spooks
Gary S. Bekkum writes about the CIA and its spookier high strangeness side in Secrets Revealed: CIA Allegedly Transferred STAR GATE to Spy Agency
Frame 352: The Stranger Side of Sasquatch
Visit my bigfoot blog Frame 352.Comments are welcome of course, as well as sightings and encounters, especially in Oregon or the Pacific Northwest. However, reports aren’t at all limited to Oregon or the PNW; sightings from all over the world are included.
The blog doesn’t completely ignore flesh and blood bigfoot, but the focus is on the paranormal, UFO and other high strangeness Bigfoot encounters from all over the world.
The Trickster is not Demonic
Stephen Yulish, a Christian UFO researcher and writer, wrote a piece inspired by my piece on Mary and Marian apparitions as Trickster manifestations. Yulish uses the terms Trickster and demonic interchangeably, and gives the impression I do as well.
I made it clear in this item on the OrangeOrb I do not consider the Trickster a “demonic” figure, not in a Christian framework, nor do I personally believe in the divinity of Christ, Mary, etc. I also do not consider the religious doctrine or a religion's text as proof, real, true, or factual. None of those things are things I “believe” in -- and specifically, not in a traditional, religious and mainstream way.
I need to make this very clear, for I write about the Trickster a lot. I do not intend for misrepresentations or misunderstandings of what I think about this topic to be perpetuated.
You can read my article Speculation on Mary as a Trickster, here.
Stephen Yuish’s article Many Apparitions of Mary may be Tricksters but the Real Mary was not! And my blog post here.
Exopolitics and New Age Personas
I make fun of exopolitics and what I call New Agey types a lot. Gentle fun, because I have to say, that with all of their naive and wrong headed approaches (at times arrogant) the intent of exo-politics is good. It can’t hurt. New Age stuff, because, I’m sort of New Agey myself, but can’t quite get there all the way. So much about them makes me laugh and at times, even creeps me out. And, so much of the New Age movement (remember, i live in Eugene, Oregon) is a strange combination of smug and naive. Superior and pretentious. Then again, I admit I experience frequent bouts of general malaise. Still, I am aware of my contradictory personality; I work with crystals, I mediate, I read cards, baby, I do a lot of witchy new age stuff. Hell, I even like purple.
All this is leading up to shameless self promotion: my next two articles for UFO Magazine are on these topics. The Purple Road discussed New Age perspectives and UFOs, and after that is a piece on the exopolitics movement.
Mating Hedgehogs
Isn’t a paranormal blog per se, but it does have some high strangeness stuff on there. You’ll never know what you’ll find over there.
Ghost Photo Contest
Lesley (Debris Field, etc.) is running her ghost photo contest again this year. I entered, why not? You can find more here.
Things That Caught My Eye
Cave skylights from Mars. I love anything about Mars; I’m telling you, the little buggers are up there. Awhile back there were the deep black holes on Mars. In May I wrote a little blog piece on my spot on
The Daily Grail about the holes. It’s making the rounds again. As always, with things like this, I have wonder what parts are they leaving out when they tell us this stuff?
Nick Redfern’s new book Man-Monkey is reviewed here. Sigh, another book to go on my yearly reading list. I’m still trying to catch up from last year!
Fresh Crater in Peru: Meteorite?
As someone pointed out, why hasn’t this made headline news? Anyway, interesting of course and just what did happen? What crashed and left a crater in its wake in Peru? Some suggest it was a spy satellite. Possible of course, but given the context of the source, I’d take it with a grain of salt.
The CIA, Star Gate and Spying Spooks
Gary S. Bekkum writes about the CIA and its spookier high strangeness side in Secrets Revealed: CIA Allegedly Transferred STAR GATE to Spy Agency
Ideas
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.—Aristotle
I lifted this quote from Lisa Shiel's Bigfoot Quest blog. I like this quote, and think it's important in any area,includng the UFO and esoteric realm. How else are we to get anywhere if we don't allow ourselves to consider other ideas, perspectives?
Along these lines (well, to me, after all I'm a Pisces so I think a bit off kilter) is what Tim Binnall said in his interview on the Blue Rose Report podcast recently. He said, of UFO studies and theories and choosing a "side" to be on, that:
"There aren't any sides, it's a circle." I probably have that wrong, but that's the gist.
I can delve into Reptilians and Nazi gnomes living inside the earth without literally "believing" in such things. Or explore the Contactee movement without believing that Adamski, Fry, etc. really rode in a spaceship to Venus, or over the United States. That's not to say they were lying - and here's where this idea of entertaining ideas comes in. It's not always such an easy dichotomy when it comes to this arena: either or, black white, literal or not, etc.
So many are still stuck on nuts and bolts vs. the mystical, the ETH vs. anything else. Roswell as the great answer to the puzzle.
Speaking of Roswell (I know,I'm sorry) there are those who expect the answer as a salvation to the UFO enigma, and those who believe that, since Roswell is "dead" all of UFOlogy are dead. More of that either or stuff.
Binnall, in his interview, also stressed the importance of getting the views of international UFO researchers. Lesley (Debris Field, Beyond the Dial, Grey Matters) has done a lot towards gathering international research resources for our benefit. U.S. research and studies in this context needs the perspective of not only international researchers but multi cultural and minority researchers from within the states as well.
At the risk of sounding annoyingly multicultural p.c., I'll say it anyway: the views about UFOs and the paranormal our society has as a whole are held and supported (controlled) by the white dominant paradigm. (As is everything.) When it comes to the paranormal, to UFOs, to the weird in general, our infrastructure does its job: denies, and decompartmentalizes.
Most of this is a given in any culture, and due to the Trickster at work. Divide, invert, juxtapose, hide. And expecting it all to change suddenly because we've now included other views is like the naive expectations of the exopolitics people.
But it can't hurt. Anyway, what's the goal here? To change "them," or to change us?
Vivacious exchange of information and ideas doesn't mean, or guarantee, agreement. That's not the point. It might turn out I think a particular culture's mindset regarding UFOs is ridiculous, or pig headed, or weird. So what?
As the man said, we can entertain these ideas without accepting them. At least we've been exposed to new views.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Tim Binnall on The Blue Rose podcast
Finally got to listen to the interview with Tim Binnall, of Binnall of America. It's a good interview, I liked what Tim had to say about those in this field who think, or want, just one theory, who choose one side, to answer all things.
My favorite quote; "There are no sides, it's just round." Perfect.
You can listen to the interview here.
My favorite quote; "There are no sides, it's just round." Perfect.
You can listen to the interview here.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Yulish on “Demonic” “Trickster”
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece on Mary as a Trickster for UFO Digest.
(Speculation on Mary as a Trickster.) What I pondered was: can we consider Marian apparitions not strictly as a religious figure, (and certainly not literally) but as a female Trickster? Stephen Yulish responded on UFO Digest with a piece of his own; he wrote:
Many Apparitions of Mary may be Tricksters but the Real Mary was not!
He and I seem to agree, kind of sort of, on the Trickster aspect, but for the wrong reasons. For example, Yulish writes:
I have never said or suggested the Trickster is “demonic” and I don’t ever consider the Trickster in that context. Yulish, however does. So in that sense, he has misrepresented what I’ve written. Yes, I think Marian Apparitions are a Trickster like phenomenon, but never “demonic.”
This misrepresentation isn’t personal however. It’s caused by his world view, which is a religious one. Yulish considers UFOs “demonic manifestations of fallen angels sent here to deceive people.”
Yulish is correct when he writes “The Catholic Church in it's exuberance to win over native people's often incorporated pre Christian symbols and practices.” He continues that Mary couldn’t forgive sins, that she wasn’t a “saver of souls.” That may be, that’s religious doctrine, and I’m not concerned with that as much. My focus was on the image of Mary and within a paranormal context.
Yulish thinks that at a certain point later on, he “separates” from my views. I say that he’s “separated” much earlier, given his “demonic” viewpoint:
He agrees, as I said “kind of sort of,” but I can’t agree, for Yulish is coming from a pronounced religious point of view. I don’t think for two seconds “only Jesus can do these things” for I don’t believe in Jesus as a divine being. Nor do I think the Trickster apparitions are “false” in the sense he means, nor “demonic.”
Yulish separates himself from me here:
Well, we’re just going around in circles. Scripture makes it clear, yes. Christian scripture. That don’t make it so. And this is the point his entire disagreement hinges on: he’s coming from, at all times, a Christian bias, whereas I am not.
One believes what they believe, and if Yulish believes in his version of a religion, in this case Christianity, fine. But he is in error in believing I think the Trickster is “demonic,” etc. for I do not.
(Speculation on Mary as a Trickster.) What I pondered was: can we consider Marian apparitions not strictly as a religious figure, (and certainly not literally) but as a female Trickster? Stephen Yulish responded on UFO Digest with a piece of his own; he wrote:
Many Apparitions of Mary may be Tricksters but the Real Mary was not!
He and I seem to agree, kind of sort of, on the Trickster aspect, but for the wrong reasons. For example, Yulish writes:
Regan Lee's August 6 article in UFO Digest, "Speculation on Mary as a Trickster" was most fascinating. I would tend to agree with her that many if not all of the apparitions of Mary whether they are on a barn or on a tortilla or in the skies above Lourdes, are examples of tricksters, or what I would call demonic manifestations.
I have never said or suggested the Trickster is “demonic” and I don’t ever consider the Trickster in that context. Yulish, however does. So in that sense, he has misrepresented what I’ve written. Yes, I think Marian Apparitions are a Trickster like phenomenon, but never “demonic.”
This misrepresentation isn’t personal however. It’s caused by his world view, which is a religious one. Yulish considers UFOs “demonic manifestations of fallen angels sent here to deceive people.”
Yulish is correct when he writes “The Catholic Church in it's exuberance to win over native people's often incorporated pre Christian symbols and practices.” He continues that Mary couldn’t forgive sins, that she wasn’t a “saver of souls.” That may be, that’s religious doctrine, and I’m not concerned with that as much. My focus was on the image of Mary and within a paranormal context.
Yulish thinks that at a certain point later on, he “separates” from my views. I say that he’s “separated” much earlier, given his “demonic” viewpoint:
In my mind, these are examples of Ms.Lee's trickster motif. By "tricking" people into believing that Mary can save people or forgive their sins, they are kept from the truth that only Jesus can do these things. To associate these false apparitional tricksters with UFO sightings makes my case that both manifestations are demonic delusions to lead people from the truth.
He agrees, as I said “kind of sort of,” but I can’t agree, for Yulish is coming from a pronounced religious point of view. I don’t think for two seconds “only Jesus can do these things” for I don’t believe in Jesus as a divine being. Nor do I think the Trickster apparitions are “false” in the sense he means, nor “demonic.”
Yulish separates himself from me here:
Where I seem to separate myself from Ms. Lee is in her statement that Mary was not a virgin and might have been impregnated by an angel etc. Scripture is clear that the real Mary was a nice Jewish, virgin girl who found favor with God (Luke 1:27-35) and was immaculately infused by the Holy Spirit (God) not by an angel. The angel just told her what was happening.
Well, we’re just going around in circles. Scripture makes it clear, yes. Christian scripture. That don’t make it so. And this is the point his entire disagreement hinges on: he’s coming from, at all times, a Christian bias, whereas I am not.
One believes what they believe, and if Yulish believes in his version of a religion, in this case Christianity, fine. But he is in error in believing I think the Trickster is “demonic,” etc. for I do not.
Images that zap
I've seen hundreds of images of the "typical aliens" or what we think of as "typical aliens" in our current culture. I'm immune; no flashbacks of repressed alien abductions, etc. But now and then an image of "them" jolts me; gives me a deep physical nervous feeling I can't shake. The cover of Strieber's Communion did that to me.
The cover to Mike Oram's "Does it rain in other dimensions?" doesn't "scare me" -- I find it charming and familar (and okay, maybe a teeny bit "creepy") there's just something about it.
I wrote about this reaction I have someitmes to certain images from the anomalous realm on my Trickster's Realm for Binnall of America.com: Unexpected Reactions.
Here are some more images that just kind of zapped me over the years. On some subconscious level, these images just kind of unnerved me a bit.
Now I realize that none of these are of the real thing; a real photograph, video or film image. They're representations, interpretations of things some people say they say. They're not "real" in that sense. But art is an expression, and a communication, it is a type of folklore passed about. (ie folk art, etc.) Look at our current pop culture and its alien iconography. Even so, sometimes an image tugs at us, some memory, or acts as a reminder, or starts a process that pings one thing inside us and leads us to another place, and another. . .
Crazy Looking UFO People
Is This Even Necessary?
course not; just like all those grumpy bloggers who pontificate about how writing about UFOs is a waste of time, (unless, of course, you’re writing about how writing about them is a waste of time; then you’re not wasting time) are people like this person, who asks: Why are UFO people so crazy looking? And not only that, humph, he makes the mistake in thinking that one can make a choice of “believing that UFOs exist.” We all know UFOs exist. That is hardly the question. As usual, we have to figure out what one means these days when they say “UFO.” Once we get past that, now we also have to worry about why we’re all so “crazy looking.”
course not; just like all those grumpy bloggers who pontificate about how writing about UFOs is a waste of time, (unless, of course, you’re writing about how writing about them is a waste of time; then you’re not wasting time) are people like this person, who asks: Why are UFO people so crazy looking? And not only that, humph, he makes the mistake in thinking that one can make a choice of “believing that UFOs exist.” We all know UFOs exist. That is hardly the question. As usual, we have to figure out what one means these days when they say “UFO.” Once we get past that, now we also have to worry about why we’re all so “crazy looking.”
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Cranky Mini Rant
I'm tired - exhausted -- and it's late. Okay, 8:55 pm is not "late" but when you're old and work 8 plus hours a day in a school and have all the cranky aliments I have, yes, it's late. So alls I'm gonna say for now is, Jesus H. Christ already, how many anti-UFO bloggers are there out there who have nothing better to do than go on and on and ON about how UFO bloggers are wasting time blogging about UFOs?
If you don't "believe" in UFOs fine, say so. Of course, you do realize you're wasting time writing about that, right? Hell, we're all wasting time, every one of us. I'm wasting time. So are you. And you. So there.
My feet hurt. I'm going to bed. And I better not see any links to blog entries tomorrow morning about bloggers wasting time writing about UFOs little mister!
If you don't "believe" in UFOs fine, say so. Of course, you do realize you're wasting time writing about that, right? Hell, we're all wasting time, every one of us. I'm wasting time. So are you. And you. So there.
My feet hurt. I'm going to bed. And I better not see any links to blog entries tomorrow morning about bloggers wasting time writing about UFOs little mister!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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.
And, you're welcome to join the Yahoo group The Trickster and the Paranormal, inspired by Hansen's book of the same name.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
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.”
Friday, September 14, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Paranormal Smackdown!
I subscribe to Whitley Strieber's Unknown Country newsletter, and in the current issue, is an item about Coast to Coast guest Daniel Pinchbeck. Pinchbeck is author of 2012: the Return of Quetzalcoatl.
In the newsletter, Strieber writes that he got into it with Pinchbeck:
The argument starts when Daniel suggests that negative views of the future may actually CAUSE negative things to happen. This leads into a fascinating and revealing battle about whether or not Whitley is in league with aliens who do not have the best interests of mankind at heart.
I haven’t heard the interview, so can’t comment on that. But I’ve often wondered about that point made by Pinchbeck: that our negative thoughts, fears, anxieties, acceptance and apathy -- a sort of resignation of the “dismal” future -- doesn’t in fact influence that future.
I think so. The power of “prayer” (and god knows I don’t mean praying to baby jesus, but you all know what I mean) and intent is not to be dismissed so easily.
On the other hand, there’s a danger to this type of thinking. The flip side of this is the happy go lucky, naive, idiots who can’t see or smell the crap that’s flying all around them, they’re so damn happy go lucky New Age little fluff bunnies. That kind drives me crazy.
Oh, back to the “smack down.” Apparently Pinchbeck accused Whitley of being in cahoots with the evil aliens:
Whitley defends his relationship with the beings, and once again gives his reasons for what they do what they do:
That’s his experience, and I can’t, and won’t, deny what he’s been through. I wouldn’t do that to anyone who so willingly shares their personal journey with all this . . . whatever it is.
But several things occur to me and raise questions: for one thing, the “aliens” Whitley’s encountered, whoever, whatever, they may be, are only one of so many types of entities that play with our heads. Or even one manifestation of One Big Thing that presents several variations to humanity.
That part of “free will,” that may be, I dunno. But it’s uncomfortably close -- too damn close for my tastes -- to religion, and a bit more specifically, Catholicism. (Strieber’s a Catholic; coincidence? One thinks not.) It seems these beings -- and I have no doubt at all that these beings are “real” and have been playing with Strieber for a long time -- are “using” him, as they use all of us.
I realize this is easy for me to say; I’m not Strieber, I haven’t experienced what he’s experienced, and I can only offer my unasked for opinion which is pretty much what we all do, so take it with a grain of salt, or, not.
I also question the idea that we’d “go mad” if we knew the truth, I just don’t think we would. Oh, some of us would, no doubt, but that’s not enough to excuse the spindly little beings’ behavior. They’re messing with us, and they need to take responsibility, or get over themselves. Okay, that last bit was over the top, pretty smug on my part. Like they’re going to listen to me. Besides which, they’ll never do any such thing; they’re of the Trickster, and therefore, they’re only doing what they do.
Whitley says, of Pinchbeck’s criticism:
Whitley's last line trivializes what I think Pinchbeck was getting at. The point seems to be this: putting out there, almost gleefully in some cases (Major Ed Dames, etc.) the end of world in 2012, etc. can help create such a scenario. Again, this doesn’t mean we are to ignore the horrific situation we’re in now, let alone the future. Forget the future, think about right goddamn now. And then do something about it.
Strieber continues to explain their (the aliens) intentions:
Many adepts, esoteric researchers, and so on have suggested that “they” are indeed some type of soul eater, or collector; anyway, how in hell can anyone say what “they” want? Simply because these beings say a thing, doesn’t make it so. Putting that mantle of altruism, no matter how harsh it may seem to us lowly poor ignorant humans, again reeks of the religious, and namely, Catholicism.
But then Whitley goes into denial, or some kind of contradiction (or, maybe it’s me; I’m just not getting quite getting it.)
I don’t know. Really, I don’t. It just sounds so damn . . . Space Brother- ish, really. More articulate, better presented, but still, much of it is the same old god comes down from above and saves us all story. We're telling the story better, but it seems we need to rewrite the stories entirely, not just retell them.
Whitley speaks of a “bell curve” and this is why he believes what he believes, as far as the end of the world coming:
Strieber gets even more religious, and I’m not attacking him for that; I just disagree with the interpretation and what I perceive as an ultimately naive view of things. For example, he discusses Mother Teresa, who, as readers probably know, struggled with the question of “God,” of her faith, etc. I don’t see what the issue is; maybe it’s because, being raised partly in a Jewish tradition, “wrestling with god” is to be expected. Questioning, asking, arguing, debating, wondering, -- it’s only logical. I don’t find it disturbing in the least a religious or spiritual person would “struggle” -- I would hope they would.
In this respect, it doesn't matter I haven’t heard the interview, for the questions and points raised by these juxtapositions of negative thought vs. positive thought, naivety, belief, faith, trust in the messenger, as well as the message, are important ones. They’re vital to our future, as well as our present.
In the newsletter, Strieber writes that he got into it with Pinchbeck:
Wow, mild-mannered Whitley gets into a verbal tussle with a guest, and it is INTENSE! Never happened before, in all of his seven years of doing Dreamland, but this one is a corker, as he argues with Daniel Pinchbeck, author of 2012: the Return of Quetzalcoatl.
The argument starts when Daniel suggests that negative views of the future may actually CAUSE negative things to happen. This leads into a fascinating and revealing battle about whether or not Whitley is in league with aliens who do not have the best interests of mankind at heart.
I haven’t heard the interview, so can’t comment on that. But I’ve often wondered about that point made by Pinchbeck: that our negative thoughts, fears, anxieties, acceptance and apathy -- a sort of resignation of the “dismal” future -- doesn’t in fact influence that future.
I think so. The power of “prayer” (and god knows I don’t mean praying to baby jesus, but you all know what I mean) and intent is not to be dismissed so easily.
On the other hand, there’s a danger to this type of thinking. The flip side of this is the happy go lucky, naive, idiots who can’t see or smell the crap that’s flying all around them, they’re so damn happy go lucky New Age little fluff bunnies. That kind drives me crazy.
Oh, back to the “smack down.” Apparently Pinchbeck accused Whitley of being in cahoots with the evil aliens:
Here's an excerpt from the journal: "He accused me of being in league with dark alien forces that do not have the best interests of the human species at heart. He said that I was spreading a dark view of the human future and that, by doing so, I was helping them make it come true."
Whitley defends his relationship with the beings, and once again gives his reasons for what they do what they do:
I have addressed the reasons for the secrecy in these pages a number of times. There are three main ones: first, the visitors would destroy our free will if they exposed us to their knowledge and technology; second, we—in the form of our governments—have reacted to them by doing what we can to hide their presence, and they have respected that; third, the physics of contact are very, very difficult, and unless it is handled by two species who understand its inherent dangers and can cope with them, there is danger that the less-informed species will, essentially, have its access to reality deranged so badly that it will go mad.
That’s his experience, and I can’t, and won’t, deny what he’s been through. I wouldn’t do that to anyone who so willingly shares their personal journey with all this . . . whatever it is.
But several things occur to me and raise questions: for one thing, the “aliens” Whitley’s encountered, whoever, whatever, they may be, are only one of so many types of entities that play with our heads. Or even one manifestation of One Big Thing that presents several variations to humanity.
That part of “free will,” that may be, I dunno. But it’s uncomfortably close -- too damn close for my tastes -- to religion, and a bit more specifically, Catholicism. (Strieber’s a Catholic; coincidence? One thinks not.) It seems these beings -- and I have no doubt at all that these beings are “real” and have been playing with Strieber for a long time -- are “using” him, as they use all of us.
I realize this is easy for me to say; I’m not Strieber, I haven’t experienced what he’s experienced, and I can only offer my unasked for opinion which is pretty much what we all do, so take it with a grain of salt, or, not.
I also question the idea that we’d “go mad” if we knew the truth, I just don’t think we would. Oh, some of us would, no doubt, but that’s not enough to excuse the spindly little beings’ behavior. They’re messing with us, and they need to take responsibility, or get over themselves. Okay, that last bit was over the top, pretty smug on my part. Like they’re going to listen to me. Besides which, they’ll never do any such thing; they’re of the Trickster, and therefore, they’re only doing what they do.
Whitley says, of Pinchbeck’s criticism:
I say in the program that I believe that mankind is going to experience a dieback, and this makes Pinchbeck furious because he fears that just by saying something like that, it will become true. I don’t want to put words in another man’s mouth, but I had the impression that he sees me as a sort of viral particle of negativism, and that my perspective is designed to bring on the destructions of which I warn—presumably, so that my evil alien masters can inherit the ruined planet, I suppose.
Whitley's last line trivializes what I think Pinchbeck was getting at. The point seems to be this: putting out there, almost gleefully in some cases (Major Ed Dames, etc.) the end of world in 2012, etc. can help create such a scenario. Again, this doesn’t mean we are to ignore the horrific situation we’re in now, let alone the future. Forget the future, think about right goddamn now. And then do something about it.
Strieber continues to explain their (the aliens) intentions:
What is so silly about this is the idea that they would want our planet, our bodies, our souls, our genes or anything we have. Are you ready to run off to the Congo to get their cassava? I don’t think so. But you might be moved to go there to help relieve their suffering, even if they have nothing to give you in return.
Many adepts, esoteric researchers, and so on have suggested that “they” are indeed some type of soul eater, or collector; anyway, how in hell can anyone say what “they” want? Simply because these beings say a thing, doesn’t make it so. Putting that mantle of altruism, no matter how harsh it may seem to us lowly poor ignorant humans, again reeks of the religious, and namely, Catholicism.
But then Whitley goes into denial, or some kind of contradiction (or, maybe it’s me; I’m just not getting quite getting it.)
The history of intelligent life in the universe is not a history of magic. It is not about god-beings and mysterious galactic superminds playing in the lives of their wretched planetary underlings. Our gods are in our minds.
Rather, it is a history of what it is like to live in a place that is by the nature of its structure, damn dangerous.
Many intelligent species have become extinct simply because their planet has taken a hit at the wrong moment, or their star has burped a little too forcefully. Just at random. They’ve gone down, no doubt, calling on their gods and cursing their gods, and begging forgiveness for sins that never mattered at all.
One of the great problems that our present visitors face is that they have attained something close to absolute knowledge, and so they know, in advance, where most of these accidents are going to happen. They also know that they can prevent some of them. They live with a terrific ethical quandary: should they? If a species is ugly and probably going to kill itself off anyway, should they just let some cosmic accident happen, or should they quietly intervene, in the deep of space, and redirect that asteroid, or quiet the turmoil in a star?
I don’t know. Really, I don’t. It just sounds so damn . . . Space Brother- ish, really. More articulate, better presented, but still, much of it is the same old god comes down from above and saves us all story. We're telling the story better, but it seems we need to rewrite the stories entirely, not just retell them.
Whitley speaks of a “bell curve” and this is why he believes what he believes, as far as the end of the world coming:
Pinchbeck is right about me in one respect. I do think that there’s going to be a dieback of the human species, and I do not think that anything can be done to avoid it. Certainly, it can be ameliorated and even, to an extent, controlled, but it is going to happen.
The reason that I’m sure of this could not be more simple. In nature, there is a formation called a bell curve. When the ascending shoulder of a bell curve develops, the descending shoulder follows. Nothing goes up for ever. Entropy always sets in. It must. That’s the way that physics works. I said it on the show—at least, I think I did—and it’s worth repeating here. Nature is numbers. It’s math, pure and simple.
Strieber gets even more religious, and I’m not attacking him for that; I just disagree with the interpretation and what I perceive as an ultimately naive view of things. For example, he discusses Mother Teresa, who, as readers probably know, struggled with the question of “God,” of her faith, etc. I don’t see what the issue is; maybe it’s because, being raised partly in a Jewish tradition, “wrestling with god” is to be expected. Questioning, asking, arguing, debating, wondering, -- it’s only logical. I don’t find it disturbing in the least a religious or spiritual person would “struggle” -- I would hope they would.
In this respect, it doesn't matter I haven’t heard the interview, for the questions and points raised by these juxtapositions of negative thought vs. positive thought, naivety, belief, faith, trust in the messenger, as well as the message, are important ones. They’re vital to our future, as well as our present.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Jesus Fucking Holy Christ; That’s Some “Mistake!”
Local (Eugene) UFO researcher Gordon Kaswell passed this news item on to me this evening:
Which prompted this decision:
Air Force investigates mistaken transport of nuclear warheads
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Six nuclear warheads on cruise missiles were mistakenly carried on a flight from North Dakota to Louisiana last week, prompting a major investigation, military officials have confirmed.
art.barksdale.b52.usaf.jpg
A B-52 is seen on the ground at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in this file photo.
The plane took the cruise missiles from Minot Air Force Base to Barksdale Air Force Base for decommissioning Thursday, the Air Force said.
"This is a major gaffe, and it's going to cause some heads to roll down the line," said Don Shepperd, a retired Air Force major general and military analyst for CNN.
Shepperd said the United States had agreed in a Cold War-era treaty not to fly nuclear weapons. "It appears that what happened was this treaty agreement was violated," he said.
Which prompted this decision:
The Air Force announced that all flights of fighters and bombers in the United States will be halted on September 14 to allow for a review of procedures.
Monday, September 10, 2007
UFO - Sightings - Nazi Flying Saucers
From the tv show "Sightings" -- great show -- on Nazi flying saucers.
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