A New Industry For Georgia
By Brooklyn Daily Eagle
8-4-1887
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Monday, March 31, 2008
1887 Report Continued: Fallen UFO A Message From The Moon?
A New Industry For Georgia
By Brooklyn Daily Eagle
8-4-1887
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Sunday, March 30, 2008
1887 Report: Georgia Doctor Says Fallen UFO is Blue Metallic Sphere with Pictures and Writings
By The Quincy Daily Whig
7-23-1887
7-23-1887
Editor's Note--The following newspaper article is from July 23, 1887; it describes a Georgia doctor witnessing what he initially believes to be a meteor crashing to earth; after retrieving it he discovers it is a perfectly round, polished, blue metallic sphere with pictures and strange writing on it.
It is presumed by the witness, a doctor, that the object is extraterrestrial . . . but could it be man-made?
If life on this planet advanced "in the past" (before a global disaster wiped them out) in a similar path as it has in more recent history, is it possible that our ancestors launched satellites into orbit as we are doing today? Is what this man found in 1887, a satellite that became the victim of a decaying orbit?
There are other historic articles similar to this one, as well as one describing a "compartmented craft" . . . an ancient "space station" perhaps?--FW
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Friday, March 28, 2008
The Aztec UFO Symposium 08: The Stage is Set!
By Frank Warren
© 3-23-08
This weekend (28th-30th) will mark the 11th anniversary of the Aztec UFO Symposium. The event was borne as and continues to be a fund-raiser for the “Aztec Public Library,” sponsored by the “Friends of The Aztec Public Library.”© 3-23-08
The quaint town of Aztec, New Mexico is located in the scenic Four Corners Area, where New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona meet; given its small size, and “out of the way” local, some might have reservations about the caliber of an event being held there, in contrast to larger cities e.g., Las Vegas or the San Francisco Bay Area etc.; however, Aztec doesn’t disappoint, and never has since it’s inception—it (the symposium) is grandiose by merit!
The premiere Symposium featured speakers such as, “Dr. Roy Craig,” chief field investigator for the "Condon Report," The Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects; best-selling author, and UFO investigator, “Jim Marrs” shared the mic, along with former State Representative, “Andrew (Andy) Kissner (to name a few).
Over the years Aztec has seen the likes of such keynote speakers as: Edgar Mitchell, Jan Aldrich, Peter Gersten, Peter Davenport, John Schuessler, Dr. Bruce Maccabee, Wendy Connors, and Karl Pflock for example; additionally, renowned Ufologists, Stanton Friedman and Dennis Balthaser have called Aztec a second home in regards to speaking engagements, the latter often times MCing the event, as is the case this year.
Although this article’s focus is of the speakers, and the event that has precipitated the symposium, there is a host of other activities that compliment the occasion, for full details visit the official “Aztec UFO 2008 Web-site.”
As mentioned previously, the Aztec Symposium has built a reputation for attracting keynote speakers; this year’s line-up maintains that tradition:
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Returning as Master of Ceremonies is respected researcher, “Dennis Balthaser”; his work regarding the “Roswell Incident” is heralded among veteran Ufologists and abecedarians alike. The repercussions of said efforts encouraged an invitation to join the advisory board for the “Great Pyramid of Giza Research Association,” another area of research he thoroughly enjoys.Given Dennis’ vast knowledge of the “Roswell Incident” he has become the “go to guy” by the media on the subject having done over 350 TV, radio and other media interviews related to the event, most recently appearing on the “The Today Show” (weekend edition) hosted by, “Lester Holt.”
Early on, the “Friends of The Aztec Library” were quick to realize the great asset they had in Dennis Balthaser as an emcee; he is a great facilitator and keeps the conference running like a fine tuned engine; his laid back and charismatic style offer a perfect transition between speakers.
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Another long time friend to the Aztec Symposium is none other then renowned Ufologist, “Stanton T. Friedman”; in order to do justice to his long list of accolades another article would be obliged; however, for me given his long time service in the field, as well as his many accomplishments, I have nicknamed him the “Godfather of Ufology! There is a bit of irony with Ufology in general, and the union between the subject matter and Stan himself; that is to say, most folks don’t give it much thought, but there are a good many well known researchers that may have been content to never ask, or inquire about UFOs if not for Stan; people forget he was the one who broke the Roswell Incident wide-open!
Had it not been for his research, the definition of “Roswell” would have remained “a little town in New Mexico” opposed to the notion of disc-shaped craft and extraterrestrial beings it conjures today; there wouldn’t have been any TV shows, movies, books or probably the very symposium I’m addressing now, as well as many others that have followed suit.
Although Stan’s name will forever be melded with UFOs in general and Roswell in particular, his work and background as a nuclear physicist has certainly lent credence to the field of research, and definitely been an asset in his approach to the UFO enigma.
Stan took an interest in UFOs in 1958, to date he has lectured at over 600 colleges he’s addressed 100 professional groups in 50 states, 9 provinces, and 16 other countries. He has published more than 80 UFO papers and appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs; he has been tasked to present written testimony to Congressional Hearings; his expertise was requested twice during “UN proceedings” regarding the UFO phenomenon.
His pioneering efforts have adorned not only Roswell, but other categories of UFO related research such as “MJ-12, the Barney and Betty Hill abduction case, and the Marjorie Fish Star Map in the aftermath to name a few.
His books include:
"Crash at Corona: The Definitive Study of the Roswell Incident."
TOP SECRET/MAJIC
"Captured: The Betty and Barney
Hill UFO Experience"
Later this year, we’ll see his latest contribution: "Flying Saucers and Science,” what Stan deems his Magnum Opus.
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Staying in a Roswell vein, “Dr. Jesse Marcel” will make his first appearance at this year’s symposium. Jesse Jr., “just like his father” is a true patriot; having joined the Navy in 1962, he was at the front door so to speak when the world held its breath during the “Cuban Missile Crisis.” In 1973 he joined the Montana Army National Guard, went through helicopter flight training as a flight surgeon at Ft. Rucker, Alabama and earned his wings in 1981.
In that capacity, he was eligible to be called for duty in Iraq, which took place in 2004 at the age of 68! He flew 225 hours of combat missions while “in country” as a flight surgeon for the 189th Attack Helicopter Battalion; eventually being discharged at the end of 2005. He’s currently in the “Ready Reserve.” “Honor and duty” flow heavily in the Marcel bloodline!
Of course both Jesse and his father are “icons” in Ufology, but for those turning the first page, as a young boy Jesse was awoken by his father late one night in the summer of ’47 to share in something that would change his life forever; the story his father would tell, and the exotic material that lay before him would be the formation of a legacy that he would inherit decades later.
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That “legacy” has culminated in a book of a similar name, i.e., “The Roswell Legacy.” Jesse’s oratory will explore parts of the book, but having read it (in one sitting) I can say with great fervor it is a “must read” for the UFO maven and enthusiast alike. .jpg)
Choosing Aztec to make his “speaking debut,” producer, writer and editor “Duane Tudahl” will offer his perspective from a filmmaker’s point of view regarding the UFO phenomenon. Duane, most recently identified with the “UFO Files” shows on the “History Channel” will discuss what happens on the “other side of the camera” while making a UFO documentary. He’ll share his “inside information” concerning the politics of programming directly relating to UFO shows.
Duane’s work is an asset to Ufology; with so much “noise” out there on the subject, he’s a breath of fresh air! Recently branching out on his own, he founded “Mariner Point Productions” and we look forward to his upcoming endeavors.
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From across the pond, a rare treat will be bestowed upon attendees at this year’s symposium; best selling author, accomplished musician and long time Ufologist, “Timothy Good” will grace the stage. His groundbreaking work in Ufology is praised by all, and his books have become mandatory works in one’s UFO library. No stranger to dissertation, Timothy has addressed audiences in a myriad of venues such as: the Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, the Royal Canadian Military Institute, the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Naval Air Reserve Branch, the House of Lords All-Party UFO Study Group, and the Oxford and Cambridge Union societies.
His presence has been requested at the Pentagon as well as the headquarters of the French Air Force; his expertise was employed in several U.S. Congressional investigations.
He has been interviewed by media from various countries including Russia, and has been involved on the “other side” of the camera as well, having co-produced several documentaries on the UfO subject.
His best-selling books have included:
Above Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Cover-up
Beyond Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Security Threat
Alien Liaison: The Ultimate Secret
Alien Base: Earth's Encounters with Extraterrestrials
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Following in those same standards is his latest penscript entitled, NEED TO KNOW - UFOs, Military and Intelligence; this book as is its predecessors is simply superb! His upcoming oratory will summarize this latest work, but again having had the luxury of getting an “early copy” (British version) I cannot overstate my enthusiasm for Timothy’s latest efforts! For many of the uninformed, and or pyrrhonistic minded folk, “evidence” is always on the forefront; the ignorant assume the UFO phenomenon is about distant lights and blurry pictures; the pyrrhonist says, “show me the evidence” then ignores it! This is where another “UFO luminary” comes in:
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Ted Phillips, aside from being an engineer, professional photographer, and musician, is also the director of the “Center for Physical Trace Research,” which was borne in 1998.Although CPTR was established in ’98, the body of evidence that it holds spans 38 years, and was culled from more then 90 countries; the files encompass almost 3200 trace/landing cases (physical evidence).
Ted began his UFO trek in the early 60’s, and that venture would connect him with Allen Hynek before the end of the decade; he would remain a close friend and colleague until Hynek’s death.
It was Hynek himself who prompted Ted to focus on “physical trace evidence” associated with UFO sightings. Under that advice, Ted has personally investigated more then 600 UFO cases, and become the largest repository for physical trace evidence in support of the UFO phenomenon on the planet.
Much like Friedman his accolades are numerous; he has made presentations to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerospace Sciences Meetings, the United Nations Secretary-General at the UN in New York, the First International UFO Congress to name a few . . ..
He’s no stranger to the media either, having been on a host of television shows, documentaries and radio interviews; additionally, he has authored two books: Physical Traces Associated with UFO Sightings - A Preliminary Catalog and Delphos: A Close Encounter of the Second Kind, while having his work employed and or cited in dozens more. When Ted takes his turn at the podium you’ll notice the other speakers sitting in the front row!
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Another newcomer this weekend will be police office and UFO investigator, “Ken Storch”; a veteran of the force for over 25 years, currently residing/working in Aurora Colorado, Ken became interested in UFOs in the late 60’s after having had a mind-numbing experience! While assigned to the Strategic Air Command in the Air Force, 5 UFOs were being tracked, and it was feared they might be “Russian ICBM’s”; the realization that this was not the case came shortly after the objects changed course in unison. According to Ken this caused such a commotion, a “DEFCON-4 status” was put into effect! These objects were directly over U.S. airspace heading north into Canada; our pursuit aircraft were scrambled, and offensive and defensive measures were initiated. The objects were never engaged, and were soon lost and curiously the incident was never publicized.
No surprise that Ken has been involved in the investigation and research of the UFO phenomenon ever since. Ken applies his investigative skills garnered from his years on the force to Ufology; this pragmatic approach will be explained in his oratory, as well as his views on the government’s refusal to disclose information pertaining to UFOs.
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The UFO personage mentioned thus far would make any promoter of like conferences more then a little giddy; however it doesn’t end there; MUFON International Director, “James P. Carrion” will be addressing this weekend’s audience as well.James’ interest in Ufology began at the tender age of 11 while living in Puerto Rico; during that time the island was experiencing a UFO flap.” Young James began clipping newspaper articles on the events, and it’s been in his blood ever since.
Moving to Colorado in ‘96, James joined the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) and worked as the state section director for both North Eastern and North Western Colorado. Having a “computer background,” James proposed an idea to electronically archive all MUFON’s UFO case files; consequently, the “Pandora Project” was borne.
James methodically moved up the ranks in MUFON, first serving on the International Business Board for three years before being elected as the MUFON International Director in 2006.
In his allocution, he will cover the new challenges of the UFO researcher, particularly the benefits and pitfalls of the Internet in regards to UFO research and will offer some recent cases as examples.
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Bringing up the rear this year is husband and wife team, “Scott & Suzanne Ramsey”; the Aztec UFO Symposium is a special event for them in more then one way as it was the common denominator that precipitated their marriage.
Moreover, it’s a safe bet to say that without Scott Ramsey the “Aztec Symposium” probably wouldn’t exist today, or at least in the measure that we know it.
The distinguished speakers that participate year after year are there in no small part due to the efforts of Scott; the dedication he has to the event is admired by all, which coincides with the respect he has earned amongst other researchers.
Additionally, his investigation into "The Aztec UFO Crash of 1948" is the essence of the symposium itself; picking up where researcher, “Bill Steinman” had left off, Scott has uncovered new witnesses, documents etc., in support of the notion that a “flying disc of extraterrestrial origin” crashed at Hart Canyon just outside of town.
Suzanne, who before moving to North Carolina with her husband hosted her own local radio show, she will revive that roll as the Ramsey’s make their presentation in a “Q & A” fashion.
The summation of the Ramsey’s work, including, but not limited to, 18 years of research, traveling to 29 states, interviewing 60 + 1st and 2nd hand witnesses will be realized in a book coming out later this year.
Their oration will be an overview of the Aztec crash and surrounding events, as well as some exciting new developments.
On a final note a great debt of gratitude must be paid to event planner “Katee McClure”; without her efforts the Aztec UFO Symposium would not be possible—thanks Katee girl!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Erath County Law Enforcement Officers Compile Drawings
By ANGELIA JOINER
Stephenville Lights Reporter
3-25-08
Note: The following composite and narrative came to this reporter through Erath County Constable Lee Roy Gaitan.
An area law enforcement officer, not wishing to be identified at this time, writes the account in his own words. The sighting date was January 8, 2008, and the time was between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. according to Constable Gaitan.
No other information is available at this time.
"This is what I and several other officers saw. I did not see the back, only the frontal view. The two large lights were bright like landing lights, but solid light blue in color similar to LED. The wing tip lights remained steady. The top and bottom tower lights strobed sporadically. It had three towers on the bottom and two on top. It was bigger than a B1 Bomber. It lumbered around town then headed off towards Mineral Wells. It did not leave fast like some are saying. It left slowly. I saw it make a turn. It turned slightly at a 30 degree angle and stayed there for a moment with no movement. It then went to 90 degrees, added a large light in the middle, and moved off at 27 mph and accelerating. I had to go to a call at this time. When I came back I could see it leaving in the distance. It was about 500 ft off the ground. The colors above are the actual color. This drawing is a compilation of all the law enforcement that saw the craft." Stephenville Lights Reporter
3-25-08
Note: The following composite and narrative came to this reporter through Erath County Constable Lee Roy Gaitan.
An area law enforcement officer, not wishing to be identified at this time, writes the account in his own words. The sighting date was January 8, 2008, and the time was between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. according to Constable Gaitan.
No other information is available at this time.
UFO Reports Draws National Attention to Capitola
By J.M. BROWN
San Jose Mercury News
3-27-08
The news that private investigators are on the hunt for UFO evidence in Capitola hit the tiny beach town like a meteor Wednesday as TV and Internet chatter about last summer's alleged sighting escalated and residents came out of the woodwork to report other strange sightings.San Jose Mercury News
3-27-08
Wednesday's Sentinel article about the work of two retired cops to find the man who allegedly took a photograph of a supposed alien drone drew a lot of speculation and media attention, but no new evidence for police, Chief Richard J. Ehle said.
After a photograph of the alleged drone appeared in the newspaper, Ehle said his agency did not receive any calls Wednesday from residents saying they remembered seeing the UFO. In the 10 months since the photograph first appeared online, no one has ever called to say they saw the UFO, he said.
The only people he talked to about the case Wednesday were TV reporters. Saying he firmly believed the photo is a hoax, Ehle declined to take a look at e-mails sent to the Sentinel from residents who reported other sightings dating back eight years ago. "I'm done," Ehle said.
But T.K. Davis isn't.
The former Santa Clara County sheriff deputy who was hired by members of the Open Minds Forum Web site to investigate the authenticity of the photo, said he responded to at least five interview requests from national and local TV and print media Wednesday, and received several dozen new e-mails and phone calls from tipsters. He said he passed the tips along to his clients to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Davis, a Saratoga resident, said he and partner Frankie Dixon, who lives in Capitola, will eventually go back to the streets, trying to find out where the photo was reportedly taken on May 16. He said the pair will widen their search to streets in nearby towns, and will try to draw out from cyberspace people from three other areas in California who have reported seeing similar objects.
Davis said the man who allegedly took the photograph in Capitola and shared it with Open Minds Forum disappeared after getting spooked.
Because there isn't any definitive evidence yet, Davis said he can't say the photo is real, but added, "The more research we've done, I'm leading towards believing. I'm not a skeptic anymore."
Bloggers on UFO sites and enthusiasts who contacted the Sentinel Wednesday say the photo is a hoax, saying signs of digital manipulation are evident. But several residents said the story confirmed suspicions that they had seen a UFO years ago.
Mayor Kirby Nicol said he had never heard of the UFO report before Wednesday, but said he wasn't worried about the cosmic publicity blitz for Capitola, a city that feeds on tourism.
"There's no such thing as bad publicity," he said.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Aztec Prepares for 60th Anniversary of UFO Symposium Friday
By Debra Mayeux
The Daily Times
3-25-08
AZTEC — The tall tale has it that 60 years ago this month, a UFO crashed in Hart Canyon, north of Aztec. Supposedly there were charred alien bodies aboard the craft, which was knocked out of the sky by a radar beam.The Daily Times
3-25-08
The Aztec Library began telling this story 11 years ago to raise money for a new building. With the story came national attention and the start of an annual UFO symposium.
The Aztec UFO Symposium opens Friday with a speakers meet-and-greet dinner. It will continue Saturday with internationally known speakers and vendors at the Aztec Masonic Lodge, 1020 N. Aztec Blvd.
The symposium began humbly with the work of Leanne Hathcock, librarian, and Scott Ramsey, a UFO investigator from North Carolina. Ramsey became a patron and assisted in finding reputable speakers.
"We've always been blessed with really good speakers, but this year is really exceptional," Ramsey said.
Since first reading about the March 1948 crash in a book, Ramsey has requested sealed documents, interviewed witnesses and worked on his own manuscript with the help of his wife, Suzanne Ninos, formerly of Farmington. The couple will present recent findings on the crash at the symposium.
"I always come to give new updates on Aztec," he said.
One of those updates includes interviews with friends and relatives of the late Rev. Autrey Brown, of the Mancos Baptist Church. Ramsey recently was contacted by a couple who knew Brown and his story of contact with military personnel after the reported crash of a saucer in Aztec.
"He called his closest friends together and talked about the commotion on Hart Canyon Road. He said he saw the craft, the bodies, and he was there when the military swore them to secrecy," Ramsey said.
Ramsey receives e-mails each week and follows up on the leads.
He recently received 268 documents from the FBI. Those were papers he previously was told did not exist. "They withheld 123 documents in the interest of national security," Ramsey said.
Other speakers include internationally known ufologist Stanton Friedman; Jesse Marcel Jr., whose father was one of the military officers at the purported Roswell crash; Timothy Good, of England, speaking on military intelligence and UFOs; Ted Phillips, a top investigator of physical trace evidence around UFOs; James Carrion, director of the International Mutual UFO Network; Duane Tudahl, producer of the History Channel's "UFO Files"; and Ken Storch, a law enforcement officer.
"The reason (the symposium remains successful) is we stick to our guns and bring in qualified scientific speakers," Ramsey said.
Friedman is a member of the scientific community, a nuclear physicist by profession. He believes interstellar travel is possible at the speed of light and that it doesn't take as long as some scientists say. He argues that the scientific community allows the government to hide the truth about space flight, flying saucers and extraterrestrials.
This will be the topic of his lecture and new book, "Flying Saucers and Science," published by New Page Books.
"The book is sort of my magnum opus," Friedman said. "I take off on the SETI movement. I call it Silly Effort to Investigate.'"
He will talk about press coverage of UFO sightings and opinion polls surrounding UFOs and life on other planets, which Friedman insists exists. In classrooms and at lectures, Friedman said "typically 10 percent of people think they saw a UFO, but very few report them."
Friedman said he is not a "closet ufologist," and most people do take him seriously.
"I've had 11 hecklers in 700 lectures," he said.
The meet-and-greet dinner Friday is $15 a person. Entrance to the two-day symposium is $30 per person or $20 for students and seniors. The police, military, firefighters and EMTs receive free admission.
Information: Aztec Public Library, (505) 334-7657 or on the Web at www.AztecUFO.com.
Was It a UFO Above Corpus Christi Skies?
By Kiiitv.com
2-25-08
He doesn't want to be identified because he says he doesn't want to draw attention to himself.2-25-08
What this man does want is to share what he saw.
"It got to the point to where it got a little closer and that's when I got a little bit more nervous," says the man who brought us this video, what he calls a UFO.
The active duty military man captured it on his cell phone.
The video may not seem intimidating but it certainly is different. The image looks like a white, glowing spot moving around. At first we were definitely skeptical.
Is it a UFO? It could have been anything.
But then, we went back and looked at the video captured by residents in Stephenville and look for yourself. There are some similarities.
Both objects move back and forth and from side to side in the same way
"It got to the point that it was close enough that one of my Chihuahuas saw it and he was trying to take care of me and just started to bark and when he started to bark that's when the light started to do that weird movement."
The man spotted this object Saturday night just outside his home on the corner of Holly and Everhart. He says it lingered in the skies for about 15 minutes.
"Were you scared?"
"Yes because I was by myself. I may be a dude but I ain't dumb. I don't know if it was instinct and not trying to be seen, maybe I've watched too many movies, i don't know."
Too many movies or not, this man wanted to share the video with us to see if anyone else also spotted this object in the sky.
He says he's shared it with family and some friends and they all say that's definitely not a plane, satellite or shooting star.
"Yeah it made me feel like I'm not nuts or maybe I wasn't the only one that saw it."
Monday, March 24, 2008
Allies Say 'Foo Fighters' Were Secret Nazi Weapon
By The Hamilton Spectator
8-20-1945
8-20-1945
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MY UFO EXPERIENCE: Another Witness Confirms San Diego UFO Sightings
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Reader Submitted Report
[Unedited]
3-24-08
Hey Frank,
I just did a Google search to see if anyone else in San Diego saw the strange lights I saw on the evening of February 27th, 2008. I found two descriptions on your site. The first one sounds exactly like what I also saw, except that I only saw 3 lights. I live on West Robinson Avenue in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego. The dialogue below is how I described it to my sister-in-law later that evening.
I said:
"Last evening (around 6:20 p.m.) when I was outside smoking a cigarette, something caught my eye. I looked up in the southwestern part of the sky (out over the ocean, which is just down the hill from me), and I saw three huge, round white lights lined up diagonally in the sky. [Unedited]
3-24-08
Hey Frank,
I just did a Google search to see if anyone else in San Diego saw the strange lights I saw on the evening of February 27th, 2008. I found two descriptions on your site. The first one sounds exactly like what I also saw, except that I only saw 3 lights. I live on West Robinson Avenue in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego. The dialogue below is how I described it to my sister-in-law later that evening.
I said:
It looked strange because they were so large, bigger than any jet, helicopter or star, all of which I see all the time. As a matter of fact, a jet was flying by beneath them at the same time, in a horizontal direction. I could clearly see the flashing lights on the jet. The San Diego airport is just down the hill from me, so I see planes taking off and landing all the time. But the big white lights didn't flash at all. They just glowed. They did seem to get brighter and then back to a bit dimmer and then back to bright again. The strange part of it was that they were not moving. They just hovered in place. They made no noise that I could hear. I did hear the noise of the jet as it flew by, however.
I watched the lights for a long time, and then the lights just went out, one at a time. First the one on top, then the one in the middle, then the one on the bottom. It was like someone turning off a light switch. I continued to watch to see if they would reappear, but they never did. It was really interesting. I don't think they were flares, because they remained illuminated too long to be flares. I watched them hover in the same spot for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Last night was a very clear and cloudless night, so the objects were very easy to see.
Who knows? Maybe I saw some UFO's or something. Trouble is, just seeing strange lights in the sky doesn't prove anything. I want them to land and come and talk to me if they are aliens, but they never do. Of course if they did, they would probably just take me up there and conduct all sorts of bizarre experiments on me.
It was strange though. I called the local NBC station to find out if anyone had called in about it, and she said they had not. but I called them within 10 minutes after I saw it, so maybe people called in later. I didn't hear anything on the news today about it though.
It was probably something connected to the military, but I have never seen anything like it in our skies before. There's a lot of military activity in this area. Military bases are all over the area.
Miramar Naval Air Station is just north of me. That's where they have the Top Gun school to train jet fighter pilots (remember the Tom Cruise movie?). These lights were clearly not military (or civilian) jets, however. I'm sure of that.
My sister-in-law answered:
"There has been a lot on the news lately about a lot of people in Stephenville , Texas seeing strange things over that area. A lot of what you said is what we hear coming out of that area. Who knows, maybe we are being visited by someone. Just thought you might like to hear about others saying similar things."
I then answered her again with:
"That's interesting to hear. When I was watching the lights, two other people happened to walk by, and I drew their attention to it. We all three just stood there and watched for some time, with a great deal of interest. I'm sure many other people must have seen it as well, because of their size. It wasn't frightening, just interesting. I think it was the size of the objects and the fact that they didn't move that was the strangest part of it. They weren't as big as the full moon, but bigger than any other object I've ever seen in the sky. I thought it was very unusual the way they each switched off the way they did. It was almost like it was done with some kind of synchronicity. That's why I expected them to come back on, but they didn't. I was sort of hoping they would zoom off, but the lights just went out."
Here are the descriptions that I read on your site:
"First I have to say that I am blown away with the fact that nothing has been said about the lights over the western sky on Wednesday 2-27-08. I’ve lived in San Diego for twenty years and have never seen anything like what I saw that night.
At first there were five lights due west over the Point Loma horizon at about 6:30, past twilight. These five lights were vertical and spaced seemingly even, one by one starting from the top light they began to disappear.
I was on the phone while I was driving and asked my friend if he saw the lights, he hadn’t so I told him to look west and check out the sky (He was in the Santee area so these lights were fairly high up).
Quickly three more lights showed up in another section of the western sky, more south, that were in a triangle shape. This time my buddy saw them and was as baffled as I was. Before it was over there were at least six more lights in pairs that came and went.
I thought it might be shrapnel from the satellite we blew out of the sky last week, but I am not so sure because of the way they seemed so ordered and evenly spaced. Any idea what these were? Thank You."
Another reader sends in this report:
"I am on holidays in Coronado San Diego in a beach front hotel. The following I experienced on Feb. 27,2008 at approx. 7:00 pm.
What I saw was something in the sky that I did not even know what I was looking at until my husband was listening to the news and told me there was a ufo sighting in San Diego. Everything just clicked and I realized that I saw the ufo. I was walking up alone to the hotel and I saw an object that resembled half a dish with huge lights on it. The lights were in the shape of a plus sign (ex. + + +). I did not give it much thought, I was tired.
As I continued to walk, there was something hovering over me with no lights and it seemed to be scanning or repositioning itself and I could hear the noise of the scanning. Again if you could believe it, I continued to walk ignoring it. It was only later, when I was in the hotel that the reality of it sunk in and after hearing of it on the news. The object was really close to me, so close that I could hear the scanning.
During the night, I got up in the hotel room and looked at the sky thinking to see something. I could kick myself for being so dense, that I did not have any idea of what I was looking at and hearing. I must say that the object was really close to me. Well I go home tomorrow to Canada. I will definitely remember my visit to San Diego. God Bless."
The description by the first individual sounds almost exactly the same as mine, except that I only saw three lights. He/she mentions that they were lined up vertically. From my vantage point I saw them lined up diagonally, but evenly spaced as he/she mentions. And they began to disappear from top to bottom just as he/she mentions as well. Her description of the time is almost the same as my estimate, and she saw them over Point Loma, which is exactly where I saw them. I saw no additional lights further south as she mentions, but I didn't remain outside watching too long after the lights I saw went out and it seemed as though they would not reappear.
The description given by the second person on your site sounds nothing like what I saw. I don't know if he/she is trying to describe the same sighting or not. I didn't hear anything on the news about it either.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Scientists Envision Aliens Who are Strangely Familiar
By Andrew Chung
TheStar.com
3-23-08
Creatures will look weird all right, say experts who have imagined some for a new exhibit. But inside they could turn out to be surprisingly like us
If the prototypical alien is the gruesome monster that a crew of highly unfortunate humans found in a remote space outpost in the film Aliens, with Sigourney Weaver, you might say our future seems bleak.TheStar.com
3-23-08
Creatures will look weird all right, say experts who have imagined some for a new exhibit. But inside they could turn out to be surprisingly like us
The aliens in that film – actually a series that began with Alien in 1979 – are terrifying and bloodthirsty, salivating from their two sets of jaws, bent solely on turning human bodies into wombs from which baby aliens violently burst.
But come on, just how realistic – biologically speaking – is an alien whose blood is acidic enough to eat through several decks of a spaceship?
Or what about the Martians in H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, hideous blobs with Gorgon-like tentacles descending from their quivering mouths, pipetting victims' blood into their own veins?
Or, for that matter, the blob in the Steve McQueen movie of the same name?
There has been no shortage of alien depictions in literature, comic books and film.
But now scientists are putting some extra thought into the idea of aliens. They've come up with some interesting results.
An exhibition, set to open April 10 at the Montreal Science Centre, intends to add scientific rigour to a subject heretofore solely the domain of human imagination.
Using the expertise of a number of renowned scientists, the exhibition presents ideas on what aliens might look like, taking into consideration biology, astronomy, and the laws of physics and chemistry.
"It's fiction, yes, but it's science-based science fiction," says Louise Julie Bertrand, the head of exhibitions at the Centre. Such an exercise, she adds, will appeal to both kids and adults. "People are often attracted to the bizarre and intriguing and weird."
The stars of the exhibition are these alien forms envisioned by the scientists to fit the specific characteristics of two "planets," such as carbon content, the temperature, the type of atmosphere.
"It was a real attempt to come up with creatures, that, although fanciful, are plausible," says Michael Meyer, an astrobiologist and the lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program.
The exhibit opens with depictions that authors and filmmakers have dreamed up. A common theme is how aliens are viewed as the other, just as witches – and even Communists – have been.
"Through the ages, they have always been something we feared," Bertrand says. "Dragons, witches, aliens, this is a recurring (theme) through history. The stranger, the person different from us, this is who we'll focus our fears on."
In this zone of the exhibition, there is, yes, a life-size model of the alien queen from Aliens, but then it's on to the science.
It seems natural that the next exhibits would include examples of creatures that live on our own Earth, such as the creepy sea spider and the deep-water fang-toothed fish. It's easy to see how hideous creatures like these might inspire Hollywood's alien-creators.
Real forms of life that exist on Earth in extreme environments – under extreme pressure at the bottom of the ocean, or in extremely high temperatures, or acidic conditions – offer clues to the real forms that alien life might take.
A few years ago, for example, scientists discovered a single-celled organism at a volcanic vent two kilometres under the sea, at 121 degrees C. At those depths, they need no sunlight. Researchers suggest they could survive on a planet that is habitually dark.
The two "planets" that the scientists came up with – canvases, really – are both similar to and different from Earth. And on these canvases they drew the creatures that inhabit them.
The planets are about the same size as Earth, says Simon Conway Morris, a Cambridge evolutionary biologist who took a lead role in the exhibition, first presented in London, England, in 2006. Had they been bigger, the pull of gravity would be too strong for anything to move with any vigour.
"Aurelia" supports life even though the star it orbits is much cooler than our sun. It does so by orbiting very closely, so close that the star's gravitational pull prevents Aurelia from spinning. One-half of the planet is always dark, the other always day.
The top predator on Aurelia is the bipedal gulphog, which has a long neck and a claw-like beak, and stands 4.5 metres tall. It might feed on six-legged mudpods that scurry on the ground, hide in burrows, and swim like crocodiles. There are also stinger fans, which look like plants but are actually animals that use tentacles to capture a weak star's energy.
"Blue Moon" is more like Earth, but with much more oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, allowing both plants and animals to grow bigger than on Earth. The air is extremely dense, allowing all sorts of animals to fly, such as so-called skywhales, which have nine-metre wingspans and fly using echolocation. They hover above thick "pagoda" forests, which stand at an astonishing 1,000 metres.
There are distinct similarities to creatures on Earth. Conway Morris says that's no mistake. "My constraint," he explains, "is that I seem to think that life could only evolve in a number of limited directions."
He's talking about "convergent evolution," whereby similar physical attributes evolve from completely unrelated ancestors.
"From different starting points, you end up with very similar biological solutions," he says. The eye, for instance, is found in all sorts of unrelated creatures. The octopus and the human have each developed an eye that's similar in construction.
"What I find so fantastic, if we did meet an alien, we might first (express disgust). But those differences would turn out to be skin deep. While they might look quite different, in the details of its organization, we'd be impressed by terrestrial similarities."
The scientists believe that extraterrestrials would also be subject to the laws of evolution that have shaped life on this planet.
"If you don't have evolution, you're not going to get from a simple replicating thing to bacteria to complex life," says NASA's Meyer. "I can't think of another way."
Other assumptions were made, such as the fact both Aurelia and Blue Moon have oxygen to support life. "There is reasonable scientific speculation that you need oxygen to get complex life forms because the energy-usage rate is so much higher to maintain different kinds of cells working in cooperation," Meyer says.
He notes that we didn't have an aerobic world until 2.8 billion years ago, roughly the time we began getting more complex organisms.
As scientific as these researchers' approach was, it doesn't deny some of the more Hollywood versions their due.
Take that horrific alien queen with the acid blood. Neither Meyer nor Conway Morris discount the possibility. Here on Earth, they point out, the African bombardier beetle can spray boiling hydrogen peroxide at enemies.
The final zone of the exhibition looks at our attempts to communicate with aliens, largely through the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (or SETI) project, listening to radio waves, hoping for contact. (So far, nothing.)
There is no hint at positing the existence of "intelligent" life out there, just the existence of something.
Meyer's bet is based on simple math: "There are 100 billion stars in our galaxy. And there are 100 billion galaxies," he says. "That's a pretty large number – so there's got to be something out there."
For others with ideas grounded less in science and more in imagination – even those without conspiracy theories about UFO abductions and alien invasions – the bet is probably based more on hope.
Hence all the books and films: The idea that we're completely alone in the universe is apparently too difficult to accept.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Cedar Creek Man Records Light He Saw in The Sky
By Austin News
KXAN.com
3-21-08
AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- A Cedar Creek man started rolling on a mysterious light he saw in the sky Friday morning.KXAN.com
3-21-08
"It looks like a star," said Jeffrey Swetz of his video-recorded sighting. "But look at the stars around it. They're like, it's like four times brighter than any star in the sky except for the blue one over there way over to my right."
Swetz said the sight did not have any flashing red or green lights, like the kinds airplanes should have.
"I don't know what it is, and I can't call it a UFO, but it's got the makings of it," Swetz said.
He added that this is not the first time he has seen a mysterious object in the sky. Swetz had another sighting when he was a teenager.
Videographer Wants More Evidence
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By Billy Cox
De Void
3-21-08
Some UFO hoaxes are better than others. Take the simple, homemade hot-air balloons using dry cleaner bags, balsa wood frames, and candles. They can look otherworldly at night, but uncool if they start a brushfire near your back yard.From a distance, the simplest ones can be the most impressive, like black trashbags taped together to form solar-powered balloons (see this). Pranksters enjoy launching these suckers by day to see how many people report cylindrical UFOs. But in the long run, they wind up as just more shredded litter on someone else’s property.
And that’s what the Pasco County Sheriff’s Department says Luis Jimenez videotaped early Friday morning — some sort of homemade balloon. The footage exploded across the Internet after initially running on Tampa’s Fox 13-TV (seen here). But Pasco Sheriff’s spokesman Doug Tobin was unconcerned. “(A deputy) confirmed it was a balloon caught up in the trees,” he said.
Too bad that officer didn’t bother to photograph the debris or provide more information. Because Jimenez isn’t buying the balloon story without a little — what’s the legal term? — corpus delicti.
Wesley Chapel is located about 25 miles northeast of downtown Tampa. That’s where Jimenez, 34, lives, and that’s where he was hauling his trash to the curb between 6:15 and 6:30 that morning when the UFO caught his eye. He woke up his wife, ducked inside, grabbed his camcorder, and started shooting. By that time, he reckons half a dozen cars had pulled over, and calls were coming into the dispatcher’s office.
“It looked pretty high up, but I couldn’t tell how high,” says Jimenez, a service repairman. “I don’t know what it was, but they were really, really bright lights. There were three blue lights, at first, and they seemed to be going clockwise. Then there came the red flashing light, and at some point, the lights started going counter-clockwise.”
Jimenez, who also called the cops, says he logged some 15 minutes of footage as the triangular array hovered before moving off to the west at a high rate of speed. He got the sense that it contained “a darker shadow in the middle of it.” If someone was stopping traffic with a hoax, Jimenez says he’d like to see the proof.
“I want to find out if this is a legitimate sighting or if someone is just playing around,” he says.
It’d be great to see how hoaxsters pulled off this balloon stunt involving blue lights and a flashing red light. But the officer who solved it isn’t sharing those details because, as Pasco’s Tobin says, “his concern was about being on ‘Hard Copy’ or ‘Inside Edition.’”
Hmm. Hey, maybe this was the same balloon that freaked another Wesley Chapel resident one evening last October. That one also involved a triangle of lights so noteworthy that the witness reported it to http://www.ufoinfo.com/sightings/usa/071006.shtml.
Anyhow, it’s all over now, so don’t worry about it.
MY UFO EXPERIENCE: Ex-Army Signal Intelligence Analyst Says, 'UFO Was Not Made Here!'
Reader Submitted Report
[Unedited]
2-27-08
Sir; I would think that every person who tells you his ufo story believes that is a bit strange or unbelievable, I am not much different.[Unedited]
2-27-08
I went to work for greyhound bus lines in 2000 as a driver, and in late 2001 I was working out of Las Vegas. The Federal rules state that a bus driver can't drive over 10 hours a day, and a lv to la run and back is just too tight of a schedule for a 10 hour day of driving. What happens is this Greyhound "cushions" it drivers back to their home terminal ( they get 1/2 pay and ride a bus back home).
I was "cushioning" on a bus from la back to lv and I noticed a silver disk right about at the I-10 and I-15 intersection at about 4-5000 feet in altitude! I used to carry a pair of binoculars with me in my overnight bag, and I broke them out and got a good look at the craft. (It was early afternoon and the sky was clear).....The disk in my estimation was 50ft in diameter and rock steady. It had a peculiar addition to what most people think of a flying saucer type shape, the only way I can describe it verbally is that it had what I consider to be a "saxophone shaped bell-horn projecting down upon itself! (the bell-horn's neck started narrow and increased in diameter like a saxophone, and it projected right over the middle of the disk approx 10f above the disk itself).
I got a sharp clear view of this for approx 5-8 minutes until the bus made the turn to north on I-15. (I followed the disk from my vantage point inside the bus through the windows, and it was only untill the bus was at a 180degree position was I unable to view it!......................................
Sir, I am an ex-army signal intell analyst, I used to have a top secret clearance, ( tssi) I know the difference between a blimp, balloon, helicopter, dirigible, p-47,c47,707,747,f14,f16,f18,b1,b2, and just about everything in between!!!...........
There were no marker lights, no red-green navigation lights, no lettering, no beacon lights, nothing!
This was not made here.
If, it were a blimp on a tether, it would bob and drift with the winds, this did not, (especially with the areodynamics of a flatish disk)!!!!!!
I used to a skeptical type that poo-pooed this type of stuff as a bunch of b.s. Not anymore, I have to believe what I saw, and nowdays I always keep both my eyes and mind open.
