Redfern on Coast to Coast!

Nick Redfern will be the guest on Coast to Coast this Thursday!

Non-extraordinary Reactions to Extraordinary Things

Regardless of the cause behind the UFOs, the fact is the UFOs exist, and we have every right to talk about our observations and experiences.

That's a quote from me. Yes, I'm quoting myself. My recent piece on UFO Digest, on the orb/UFO sighting of the Lafuers in Albany, Oregon and chronic skeptics.

Sunday Orb

Vintage UFO
Seems I’ve been productive with anomalous stuff and yet not producing much at the same time. A lot of it has to do with working full time and health. And yet I’ve managed to start up another blog, which I’m liking very much: Vintage UFO. Among other things, right now there’s a YouTube video of UFO Mystic's Greg Bishop in front of the Integraton at Giant Rock, California.

Tim Binnall and Binnall of America
As the earlier post below urges, contribute a little something to Tim Binnall’s website. He does an incredible job of bringing us anomalous junkies podcosts, columns, etc. every week. All for free. It takes a lot of effort and expense to do this. So any bit helps.

Oregon UFO
One UFO sighting making the news lately is of a couple in Albany, Oregon (roughly 60 miles north of me) who saw a UFO at night while they were out smoking (cigarettes, no lame drug jokes please.) The UFO split into two; shortly after they saw an orange orb fly very close to them, emitting sparks. What’s intrigues me most in some ways are some of the comments made about this: that this isn’t news of any kind. The fact that there are weird, unidentifiable things in the sky doing odd things is far more newsworthy than anything about Paris Hilton. Much more on this to come: concerning this case, related cases (including my own) and the mindset that is so jaded it can’t muster interest in machines above our heads.

Classic Abduction Scenario
One thing I’m working on, and might put it up soon, possibly for UFO Digest, if Dirk will kindly have me, is the idea I’ve been abducted. I don’t have this idea mind you, but others do.

Blogs
Reminder to check out my blogs: Women in Esoterica, Mating Hedgehogs, Vintage UFO, and Frame 352.

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.

Jesters and clowns, priests and kings

Kings/Priests are Jesters/Clowns by Alfred Lehmberg of Alien View. (Alfred also writes a column for UFO Magazine each month.)It's a great piece, as most all his are. Here are two quotes from the post that resonated for me:
And it's not just a murmur of pique from some whacko, my interests sane, they are cited -- they're shared! The challenges challenged remain SO unchallenged; it's an ominous silence, and we should beware!

Tell me I'm crazy, a certified loony to have studied the things that I do -- as I have. Tell me the saucers that show up (so plainly) will only show up in a head that's gone bad.

Orbs and Objects in Oregon

A big thank you to Cindy PDX who sent me the links to this story out of Albany, Oregon. A couple saw two "bullet shaped" UFOs that separated, and an orange orb appear very close to their property that gave off sparks.Sounds similar in many ways to what I saw here in Oregon many years ago, though it didn't give off sparks.

A few people in this area have also seen things like this through the years. And a source I have has told me the that the Camp Creek area in the Springfield region (the town over from Eugene) has a history of orange orbs. Sali Sheppard-Wolford, author of Valley of the Skookum, writes of orange orbs in Oregon and Washington.

What's as interesting to me as the story are some of the comments left by readers. Some readers have had similar experiences through the years. Yet others find the story not real news and pointless.

Referring to NUFORC's suggestion to the witness to contact the media about the sighting, a poster calling himself "What" comments:

"And obviously she followed up on the suggestion to contact the media. D-H, is this really newsworthy?"

Well, yes, it is "newsworthy" -- strange objects, orbs emitting sparks on your property. The question isn't if it's newsworthy -- it's: "Why do you think it isn't?"
Another poster going by "ChadT" remarks:
"

Come on Democrat Herald.. front page news? You could not find a better story than this? Do a story on a local teacher going out of their way to influence our kids.. or a local war hero.. or why the most unemployed county in the state fights big employers that might be coming here.. jeez

"

I don't get this type of "logic." If I write about scrambled eggs, does that mean I don't care about war, poverty, children's issues, or if Sonny and Carly are going to get back together on General Hospital?

Okay, not the best example. But this kind of ho hum, why are you boring us routine from those who don't even bother to debunk or scoff; they respond with a big yawn and ignore the weird lights and orbs over their heads. . . I don't get it.

I find this reaction -- or non-reaction-- particularly odd in these post 9/11 days. Homeland Security, terror alerts and scales; if there are weird things flying over your property, wouldn't you be concerned? Interested, at least? The conclusion these UFOs are ET is an assumption, and some may go there right away, but not everyone, including me. Man made, military, or even, if it turns out, a hoax or someone's remote controlled toy. Fine. Until one knows however, to display such indifference borders on the pathological.

Cindy has seen her own orange orb UFO, and she has very kindly given me permission to use that information for a future UFO Magazine article on Oregon's Orange Orbs.

Insectoid Aliens on UFO Mystic

Good post on UFO Mystic by Greg Bishop on "insectoid aliens." As I commented over there, I've been working on the same idea past few days; synchronicity.

Speaking of posting, I haven't been writing much, or, I have, but it's all just in various stages. I can't seem to get beyond the desktop to the blog. A lot of it has to do with a combination of working full time and health stuff. (nothing major, but a lot of very irritating things that add up to one big crappy thing. After awhile, it gets you down.)

Back to insectoids. Nothing creepier to me than insectoid aliens. I don't particularly like insects to begin with, though I admit my responses to them are illogical. I won't kill them "just because" I try to get them to go outside. Unless they're a spider, then I make my husband deal with it. I can't abide people who just go around stomping on bugs outside simply because they can. If there's a wasp in the house, or even outside in my yard, I kill the bastard. Ladybugs don't bother me. Who doesn't like butterflies; I grow plants to specifically attract them to the yard.

Praying mantis; they're fascinating to watch but also kind of creepy, and the idea of a giant praying mantis is truly terrifying. The idea of giant bugs of any kind, including ladybugs and butterflies, is terrifying.

And then I had my strange bee encounter as a child. Wow, just thought of that one. More to come.

Anyway, good post on UFO Mystic.

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.

Yoko Ono: About The IMAGINE PEACE TOWER.

Happy Birthday John.
Peace.

Too Many Blogs?

Too Many Blogs?

We all know that because of the ease, access to computers and low expense, anyone can have a blog. Lots of people do and it isn’t any different when it comes to UFOs, the paranormal and the overall esoteric. (I have five blogs myself.)

Some within UFO research think this is a bad thing, and certainly those outside on the fringe looking in (pathological skeptics, scofftoids, etc) think so. With the latter, their response is that all UFO blogs are created by blithering kooks, except for their blogs, because they’re not blithering kooks; they make fun of blithering kooks.

There are “too many blogs” but that’s not a bad thing. It just means I don’t have the time I’d like to read them all and write about them when I find something interesting. For every one blog I might mention or use as inspiration, there are about ten that I just haven’t had the time to really explore the way I’d like.

It’s natural some of these blogs are worthless, or just coming from a weird place. Some of these, in my opinion, are blogs by “known” people who should know better. They’re either mind numbingly narrow in their thinking, or scorchingly arrogant, while others are just weird. But all UFO blogs (and I’m don’t mean anti-UFO blogs; those chronic persistent skeptics that love to bash everyone else) are a positive thing, including the ones I or you may find off, annoying, boring or even silly.

It’s positive because people are taking the phenomenon seriously enough to spend time on-line sharing their thoughts, experiences and research. The more voices the better.

So I don’t complain that there are “too many UFO/paranormal blogs” and call for some sort of cleansing of the blogosphere. Anytime anyone is willing to put themselves out there about their views on Bigfoot, or UFOs, or the goblin universe we live in, it adds one more little squeaky wheel to the Big Picture.

Women in Esoterica

I started a new blog: Women in Esoterica. The title's too stuffy for my taste, but at least it gets the idea across. Also, do we want Women and Esoterica, Women of Estoerica, etc.

I'll write more on the whys and whats of the blog in my next Trickster's Realm column for Binnall of America, which help be up sometime on Monday.

"They Want to be Seen, Not Discovered"

My recent piece, this time on The Book of Thoth site. "They Want to be Seen, Not Discovered," about the classic question: what the hell are UFOs doing, anyway?

Ghost Photo Contest

Reminder to enter your ghost photo at Lesley's (Debris Field, Beyond the Dial,) ghost photo contest blog.

I think this was in response to my post on the "blimp" or thumping UFO video I posted here from Venezuala. Intereting comments, and thanks to Dimitris for the info.

I was intrigued by the possible parallels between the "alien" beings
described in the Caponi Italy 1993 / Varginha Brazil 1996 cases and the
*amphibian *beings described in various mythologies, e.g.

1/ the "Nommos" of African tribe Dogon in Mali. The word Nommos is
derived from a Dogon word meaning, "to make one drink," The Nommos are
usually described as amphibious, hermaphroditic, fish-like creatures.
Folk art depictions of the Nommos show creatures with humanoid upper
torsos, legs/feet, and a fish-like lower torso and tail.

2/ the pre-Sharun cultures of modern day Iraq contacts with amphibious
being known as Oannes (ref: works of Berossus, a priest who was the
first person known to have collected those fertile crescent encounter
stories in his Babyloniaka, a history of Babylon).

A few days ago, I stumbled upon Youtube's clip of a (spanish
production?) documentary on greek TV about the Dogons, which
unfortunately was broadcast translated, rather than subtitled (which
tends to cause further distortion). In that documentary, there is info
about the Nommos, which e.g. describe the Nommos having red eyes, three
fingers and breathe through a place in (our) stomach area. See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nElS5k9hP0

Look at the Caponi story & pictures at
http://www.ufologie.net/htm/caponi.htm
http://www.ufologie.net/htm/caponipics.htm

Notice the place the "tubes" go in is in the stomach area.

Notice things which suggest the Caponi-being desires water, as Caponi's
testimony suggests:

/"The being had always appeared with gauze around the legs, and
something similar to leather on its back, but this time it did not
wear its covering anymore, but appeared with two tubes on the thorax
that seemed to slightly move under its skin, like from air or liquid
pressure, or some fluid, I don't know, maybe for its respiration.
The small tubes both moved rhythmically. And an other important
thing: *I was convinced that the _body was wet, it drained water, it
dripped_*. But not much. From its head, water passed beside the eyes
like some sweat. I want to emphasize that that evening my sister had
also heard the noises, on the small terrace of our house, where my
father had *two drums in which he put water for watering the
flowers. We have thought that perhaps it had gone to bathe itself.
The drums were supposed to be full, but instead one was half empty.
Maybe during the night, it had "undressed", dipped in a drum*,
washed, and jumped from the terrace, producing the noise of a jump
in water that my sister heard." /

Also, apparently the Caponi being is wearing a jumpsuit and "helmet" in
all but the last photo. The only time when it's seen without its
"coveralls/jumpsuit" was on 20-Sep-1993 which was a _*rainy*_ night.

The Varginha case witnesses talk about "oily (wet/glistering?) brown
skin", "very small hands with three fingers", "huge veins running down
its neck" (perhaps the tubes seen in Caponi's photos?). There is a
different in the description of length of arms and legs, but the being
seen by the 3 girls at Varginha was seen in "kneeling" position (which
incidentally is also how Caponi's sketch depicts it).

American medical doctor Dr. Roger Leir traveled to Brazil in 2003 and
interviewed a Varginha doctor who said he examined one of the aliens.
The physician observed "reticulated skin," which though smooth, showed
the outlines of scales, as well as a "claw-like appendage," Leir
recounted (src: C2C interviews on 29-Aug-2004 and 22-May-2005). My
*Question: would this "claw-like appendage" be at the lower limb /
"thigh" area?* (see pic)

There are many Web pages on the Caponi and Varginha cases, I list
several sources in my UFO-occupants page at
http://www.hyper.net/ufo/occupants.html

Please feel free to forward/share/re-mix this to anyone.

Regards from Greece,
Dimitris Hatzopoulos

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.