text:
Written by Christian Pfeiler
Hello and welcome to the fourteenth issue of the magazine
It comes late, but it comes <g>. Sorry again for the delay - especially to all readers from the online archive who haven't read my first apology - but it was really impossible for me to finish the magazine this month in time. Unfortunately, UFO research is not the kind of job which you're paid for (except you're a famous author, an actor or an FBI agent <g>) so all researchers have to do a normal job and to live a normal life and sometimes there is too much to do in this normal life so that we don't have enough time for the UFO business (I think most of my colleagues will agree.) However, I'm a little bit worried about the decrease of the number of pages and articles and also about the decrease of the quality of my own articles. When I look back on previous issues, we had sometimes over 30 pages and 14 or 15 articles from various contributers, but the last two or three issues were pretty small with just a few articles. This is a pretty bad development and I'll try to do something against it.
To prevent the loss of quality and further delays in future, I've decided to stop publishing the magazine every 4 weeks. From this issue on, the magazine will be published every 6 weeks, so the next issue No 15 will be published on October 28, 2000. I think this is better for me and better for the contributers who will have more time for their articles. Who knows, maybe we will have more contribution and feedback now. However, feel free to tell me if you don't agree with my 6-weeks-decision.
By the way, I will be in England from September 26 to September 30. I will be in and around Southampton and for some hours on Tuesday and Saturday in London. Just let me know if anyone wants to meet me there for a discussion about UFOs or about other stuff (or if you want to offer me a job in England <g>). I think I'll have plenty of time during the day, so feel free to ask me if you live in this area or if you have a possibility to come to Southampton.
But back to this issue: I've written a new article called "The Simplest Explanation" and I tried to find the simplest and therefore correct explanation for the UFO phenomenon. Read the article and let me know what you think. We have also a very interesting article written by Tessa B. Dick about the very strange experiences of her former husband, the famous scifi writer Philip K. Dick and we have a great article written by Ray Cecot.
Thanks to Tessa and Ray for their help and contribution.
Best wishes
Contents of this issue
1.) UFO related sentence of the month
2.) UFO Dictionary
3.) The Simplest Explanation
4.) Visitations - the Strange Experiences of Philip K. Dick
5.) Nothing to Fear but Fear itself
6.) FBI document of the month
7.) The KRILL papers (Part 7)
8.) Website tip of the month
9.) UFO photo of the month
10.) Mail Corner
UFO related sentence of the month
"Also, I believe it is very unwise to make public the locations of sightings as many folk are prone to worry, and a state of mind like this is exactly what our enemy is seeking."
From a letter to the FBI, 1952
UFO Dictionary
Written by Christian Pfeiler
Here is the tenth part of the UFO dictionary. In this issue I will try to explain some of the special UFO words, terms and abbreviations starting with the letters "K" and "L".
Kingman Incident
A possible UFO crash and recovery took place 1953 near Kingman, Arizona. However, the case is considered as a hoax by many researchers today.
Kirtland Air Force Base
An Air Force Base in Albuquerque and also home of the Sandia Laboratories which are involved in secret weapon research projects of the U.S. government.
A town in Texas where a series of UFO sightings occured in 1951. The so-called "Lubbock Lights" were later explained by sceptics as simple light reflections on the clouds.
Lunar Transient Phenomena
A term describing unidentified lights sighted on the moon (usually inside craters.)
Langenargen Case
A famous German UFO case from 1977, involving a possible close encounter of the third kind. Langenargen is the name of a town on German Lake Bodensee where the sightings occured.
The Simplest Explanation
Written by Christian Pfeiler
Do UFOs come from outer space?
Some of you are maybe familiar with the term "Occam's Razor". According to Paul Dickson's "The Official Rules", the original Occam's Razor (named after William of Occam, who said it in the 14th Century, so needless to say this is a translation) is "Entities ought not to be multiplied except from necessity". This has been restated in numerous ways, much as the original Murphy's Law has been modified to something simpler, and the most common version
"The simplest explanation is probably the correct one"
is a simplification of the original (effectively applying Occam's Razor to itself); another version is
"When two or more hypotheses serve to answer a theory, use the simplest"
When I read this explanation for the first time, I thought that it should be possible to use this "rule" to find the correct explanation for the UFO mystery. When we have a look at all the various explanations and theories during the last 60 years which try to explain the UFO mystery, and if we try to delete those explanations which seem too far-fetched or too unlikely, the remaining theory should be the simplest and, therefore, the correct one. It should be the truth. But is it really that simple? Let's try it.
The following is a list of the most common theories about the origin and nature of UFOs:
- UFOs are some kind of solid ships from outer space and piloted by
extraterrestrial beings.
- UFOs are some kind of solid ships coming from inside the earth and piloted by an ancient human race.
- UFOs are some kind of solid ships coming from under water and piloted by an ancient human race.
- UFOs are some kind of non-solid "projections" coming from another dimension.
- UFOs are some kind of non-solid "projections" coming from our own future
- UFOs are secret human/military flying devices.
- UFOs don't exist; every object in the sky can be identified after a certain period of time.
Which one of these theories is now the simplest, the most likely, the correct one? Let's have a closer look to try to find an answer.
UFOs are extraterrestrial ships from outer space
The most common theory, the so-called ETH (Extraterrestrial Hypothesis) is mainly based on the fact that some observed UFOs seemed to accelerate with high speed into the sky or into orbit, and that outer space seemed to be their destination and origin. Furthermore, the first people who claimed to have met beings from inside the UFOs (in the 1950s the contactees like George Adamski, later the abductees like Betty and Barney Hill) also claimed that the "UFO pilots" had definetly confirmed that they really come from outer space, usually from well-known star constellations like Sirius or Vega.
There were at least two major theories when the first modern UFO sightings occured in the U.S. in 1947. The first theory was that UFOs are a secret weapon, most likely Russian. The second theory was the above mentioned ETH, the idea that UFOs come from outer space. This one became the favourite. especially when people noticed that no human technology - neither American nor Russian - would be able to do such things (e.g. extreme acceleration). The ETH was shown in various famous science fiction movies in the early 1950s and more and more people started to consider the word UFO as a synonym for an extraterrestrial spaceship. By the way, one of these early movies was "The Day the Earth stood still" where we see an examination room and table inside a circular UFO. Many sceptics later said that some of the stories about certain abductees are just "copies" of what they saw in this and other movies. The role of "Flying Saucer" movies in the early 1950s is a difficult one and it's not easy to say whether the reality copied the movies or the movies copied the reality (in order to make UFOs seem like science fiction?)
Whatever, the ETH is clearly a product of the 20th century - undoubtedly a product of reality and of fiction. It may answer some questions but the theory itself is pretty incomplete and leaves many questions partly or fully unanswered, such as:
- "If UFOs really come from outer space, how are they able to travel the tremendous intergalactic distances against all physical laws. How can they produce the large amount of energy which would be necessary for intergalactic travel?"
- "If UFOs really come from outer space, why have they been visiting Earth for thousands of years? What do they want, what kind of project could justify such a long-time-examination?"
- "If UFOs really come from outer space, why do people describe so many kinds of UFOs and also so many different kinds of beings. How many races visit Earth, and again why and since when?"
- "If UFOs are really solid spaceships, why do they behave sometimes more like ghosts or projections?"
- "Why do the extraterrestrials often claim to come from well-known star constellations like Sirius or Vega? Why do they tell such weird stories to the contactees/abductees?"
You see, even the famous ETH does not seem to be the simplest explanation, because it leaves too many questions unanswered, and it can't explain many of the cases. However, some corrections and additions - like the idea that the human species was created by extraterrestrials - could help to answer some of the above mentioned questions, but the ETH in its current form is unable to explain the UFO phenomenon completely and satisfactorily.
UFOs belong to an advanced species living on our own planet
This explanation includes the theories which see the origin of UFOs either under the earth, beyond the sea, or hidden somewhere in remote regions of our own planet (like the polar regions.) It also includes the strange theory that there is a Hollow Earth and a second Sun inside our planet. The beings inside the UFOs in such theories aren't extraterrestrials from outer space, but either advanced human beings belonging to a million year old race of people or non-human reptilian beings which have evolved from the dinosaurs and which are usually hostile against the human species.
The theory that there is a Hollow Earth is indeed pretty ridiculous and mainly based on simple legends and a few pseudo-proofs without any real meaning. To give you a short example: when you ask such strong believers how the sun inside the earth should be able to produce light and heat by fusion with such a small mass, they reply that the inner sun isn't made of hot gas but of crystal (by the way, all stars in the universe are made of crystal and the scientists and astronomers lie to us - at least according to such theories.) Another possibility would be, that there is no real Hollow Earth but just some very large caves or caverns, and that advanced races live there in subterranean towns and the UFOs come from there (according to some famous legends, major subterranean sites can be found under Mount Shasta in the U.S. and under the entire Himalaja Mountains in Asia.) However, I already mentioned my doubts about such stories in my sceptical comment about the "Lacerta File". If there would be really such large caves at such a depth, the weight of the stone above would undoubtedly crush them.
The theory that UFOs come from beyond the sea is also without any proof, but we have at least some interesting incidents where UFOs were observed while either diving into the ocean or appearing from there and flying up into the sky, so this theory can't be dismissed completely. Maybe there are really UFO bases beyond the sea but nobody can say whether these bases were built by some ancient human race (like the civilizations of Atlantis or Mu or of some other well known lost continent as some legends claim) or by extraterrestrials who simply hide beneath the sea, so we are again back to the ETH and to the old problems and questions connected with this hypothesis (see above.)
However, the assumption that UFOs belong to a species which is native to our own planet would be able to answer one important question, namely "Why have UFOs been observing us for such a long time?" because the simple answer would be "They don't observe us, we just live by pure chance on the same planet." But this theory is again unable to answer an awful lot of questions connected with the phenomenon and especially the many scientific errors and weird claims which make the theory rather unbelievable for many serious researchers, except for a couple of very strong believers. We can say one thing for sure: it is definetly not the simplest and most likely explanation.
Or do UFOs come from beyond the sea?
UFOs are non-solid projections
This explanation includes the theories which see the origin of UFOs either in another dimension or in our own future. UFOs are considered in this theory not as solid objects made of metal or some other material, but as some kind of non-solid and "holographic" projections which are not really part of our reality. The beings inside the UFOs are also not extraterrestrials, but either entities from another dimension or humans from the distant future (the "Grey" species as an advanced stage of human evolution?)
This is a pretty interesting theory and it's not as far-fetched as it may first seem. We have indeed some strange cases where UFOs and even "alien beings" appear as non-solid or ghost-like appearances, and where witnesses walk straight through nebulous UFOs or beings (the UFO sightings in the British Warminster area in the 1960s are a good example). We also have cases where UFOs seem to enter our world through some kind of "gate" or "black hole" in the sky. In addition, such a theory could also explain why UFOs are able to behave contrary to all physical laws, because as projections they wouldn't be part of our world and our system of physical laws. And it would again answer the question "Why have UFOs been observing us for such a long time" because as dimension- or timetravellers, UFOs would be able to appear not only wherever they want but also whenever they want.
However, this theory also has its problems. When UFOs are projections from other dimensions or from the future, why do they appear in so many forms, why do people describe so many kinds of beings, why are some UFOs definetly made of metal or another solid material which leeave traces on the ground. Why do they bother to fly around our planet if they are able to "appear" at certain times and places whenever they want? What about the physical and logical problems inherent in timetravelling (paradox)? Finally, why do people claim that beings from inside UFOs told them that they come from outer space? The theory is again not perfect and it's also not the simplest explanation, especially because of the tremendous scientific problems inherent in the assumption that interdimensional travel is really possible.
UFOs are secret but human/military flying objects
This is a theory which assumes that nearly every sighted UFO is a flying object which belongs to the military of some country (a skeptical approach). It seems to be "unidentified" for the normal witness, but is, in fact, something from our own planet, manufactured by humans without any involvement of alien forces.
Many UFO sightings in the 1950s were later identified by the Air Force as sightings of secret U.S. spy planes which were tested in the Southwest of America without the knowledge of the people in this area. Even today many people mistake military operations as UFO activity (especially people who "want to believe" everything). The famous "Area 51" in Nevada is a good example, because many test planes like the mysterious "Aurora" or the Stealth Bomber can be seen in the sky over the test site as well as normal jet planes with unusual lights during maneuver operations or green and yellow lightflares and so on. Many inexperienced visitors mistake such objects as UFOs, often "confirmed" by self-styled local guides who want to make easy money from such believers.
Unusual military operations or secret flights of new test planes have always been a source for UFO sightings and many believers often refuse to accept simple explanations, but prefer to see extraterrestrial or interdimensional "ships" in the sky. But can this really explain everything? Can it explain UFO sightings where UFOs behaved contrary to all physical laws? Can it explain sightings in former times? Can it explain sightings in areas where it seems to be very unlikely that secret military planes or other projects are responsible (like the triangle UFO sightings in Belgium 1990). Can it explain the entire abduction phenomena? No, it can't. Some per centage of UFO sightings (even of the officially unidentified) can be explained with secret military flying objects, but definetly not all.
UFOs don't exist
This sounds, at first, similar to the last theory but it's not exactly the same. If we assume that UFOs don't really exist, that they are a product of science-fiction-writers and "crazy believers", we must also assume that every sighting is explainable somehow. This involves not only secret military planes, but everything that can be mistaken for a UFO. UFOs are not mysterious objects but merely comets, planets, shooting stars, weather balloons, light reflexions, strange weather phenomena, lightning and, last but not least, simple hoaxes (to give just a few examples.)
To say it in the words of the sceptics: UFO means simply "Unidentified Flying Object" and this term has nothing to do with any unscientific theory involving extraterrestrials or timetravellers or some other "crazy" stuff. UFOs are maybe unidentified for a certain period of time, but they will sooner or later be identified as something normal and explainable. There was no UFO mystery, there is no UFO mystery, thus every other explanation is completely senseless.
Are they right? Can everything be explained in this way? All the thousands of sightings by both, inexperienced and experienced witnesses (like pilots or astronomers), all the photos, films, physical traces? Are all UFOs simple misidentifications? I think we can clearly say "No".
To come to an end: which one of all these theories is now the simplest and according to "Occam's Razor" the correct one? Are UFOs extraterrestrial ships, flying devices of an advanced human civilization, interdimensional or intertemporal projections or are UFOs a simple myth created by some wacky believers?
Most of the sceptics would say that the last explanation is definetly the simplest and, therefore, the correct one, because it conforms with our scientific view of the world. But is this true? We must ask: what are the criteria for "Occam's Razor", what are our criteria for simplicity? Is the most simple explanation always the explanation which conforms with our science? Is the most simple explanation always the explanation which most of us would like to hear?
Each of the above mentioned theories has its advantages and disadvantages, and not even the ETH can give us a complete explanation of the entire phenomenon. Maybe the final truth about UFOs will contain parts of not just one, but of several theories, maybe also of some we haven't discovered yet.
Which one is the simplest, the most likely, the correct explanation? Not even "Occam's Razor" can help us solve the UFO mystery, at least not with our current knowledge. The only thing we can do is to continue with our research, to add new knowledge to old theories, and to find new theories. As long as we do this, there is hope in finding the correct explanation - the truth - one day. As a final thought: maybe the correct explanation is so simple that we don't see it? That's something we should think about.
Visitations -- The Strange Experiences of Philip K. Dick in the 1970s
Written by Tessa B. Dick
Philip K. Dick (1928 - 1982)
Remark by Chris: in the following you can read an article about the very strange experiences of author Philip K. Dick. The article was written by his former wife Tessa B. Dick and sounds rather unbelievable. Some of you will certainly think that such a strange and bizarre story can't be true and even I had such sceptical thoughts when I read it for the first time. However, I'm not familiar with the case and thus I can't say whether these things have really happened or not or whether they have happened in reality or just in imagination. To be honest, I'm rather sceptical, but I've read it with an open mind and I'm looking forward to further parts. Feel free to send me your opinions about this article.
Personally, I've found the part about the electromagnetic influences very interesting but it's too early and I have not enough information to theorize already now. When I asked the author if there were any powerful transmitters near to the apartment, she said that there was just a student radio station with very little power, so I think there was no strong electromagnetic pollution which could explain certain phenomena (for example by use of Albert Buddens theories.)
"Am I crazy?" I can't even count the number of times Phil asked me that question. I always figured that he probably wasn't crazy, as long as he could ask that question. Others were not so kind. I've kept silent for almost twenty years because I don't like being regarded as a "crazy". Besides, most people won't even listen. Yet the experiences that I shared with my late husband, SF writer Philip K. Dick, have continued to haunt me. Many self-styled experts (who met him only once and spent less than one hour with him), and even a few of his close friends, have dismissed Phil's experiences as the ravings of a madman, saying that he was manic-depressive--as if that explained everything, or as if it explained anything at all. Phil might have been bipolar (the current term for manic-depressive), but that does not explain the visitations that we experienced in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. At this point, the skeptics fall back on the idea of co-dependence, or folie a deux, which basically states that I caught the madness from Phil in the same way that one catches a cold. This does not explain anything, either.
For one thing, I had similar experiences before I ever met Phil, and he had similar experiences before he ever met me. In addition, we had some physical evidence of the strange phenomena that happened in and around our apartment in southern California in 1974 and 1975. For example, one afternoon a yellow van pulled up and parked in front of our apartment complex one, and three men in gray overalls stepped out of the van and went into the vacant apartment next door to ours. They carried large metal suitcases, spent about an hour in the empty apartment, and then emerged with the same metal suitcases and left in the same yellow van. Several weeks later we found the door to that apartment open, so we went inside.We found a working telephone in the kitchen, and some kind of electronic equipment which had been set up inside the hall closet. Perhaps this does not have anything to do with UFOs, but then again, maybe it does.
Our radio had been behaving strangely. Sometimes it came on when we were sure that we had turned it off, and several times we could still hear it, even after we unplugged it. I couldn't make out what the radio was saying, but Phil was certain that it was telling him that he was a horrible person and he should kill himself. Strange electrical phenomena occurred all the time in our apartment. Strange people seemed to be keeping us under surveillance. Strange voices spoke to us.
All the while, we were trying to put the finishing touches on Phil's novel, A Scanner Darkly. It was based on split-brain research, which showed that the two hemispheres of the brain, left and right, are capable of acting as independent persons. In patients who had the corpus callosum severed in order to alleviate severe epilepsy, these two "persons" often had no knowledge of each other's activities. The corpus callosum is the communications center which allows the analytical left hemisphere to consult with the intuitive right hemisphere when observing the environment, analyzing data, and making decisions. The title of the novel comes from St. Paul, who wrote, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12, King James Version). To elucidate, "through a glass, darkly" may also be translated "through a mirror, in a mystery". The protagonist of the novel, a police detective named Bob Arctor, uses scanning devices to conduct surveillance on suspects. When he sees his own image "reflected" in the scanner, he does not recognize himself.
Now, after this brief side-trip, let's get back to the mysterious events. Phil became suddenly ill and did not get better. At one point, when Phil insisted that he wanted the last rites, I called the local Episcopal priest, who came to the house and gave him a healing unction. When Phil finally went to the doctor, he learned that his blood pressure was dangerously high. Several months later, he was hospitalized for several days while they tried to bring his blood pressure down to a safer level. He suffered from hypertension for many years, and this condition had prevented him from participating in the Korean conflict in the 1950s. In the midst of his illness, Phil had a healing vision. He was lying in bed, staring at the blank white wall, when a rectangle of bright pink light appeared on the wall. It opened like a doorway, and our recently deceased cat stepped through the door and into the room. Our cat, Pinky, was walking upright on his hind legs. He stepped around to the side of the bed and patted Phil reassuringly on the shoulder. Then Pinky stepped back out through the doorway, and the luminous pink rectangle faded, shrank and disappeared.
This could have been the fevered vision of illness, or the hallucination of insanity, but then subsequent events made it seem more like a meaningful coincidence of the sort that C.G. Jung discusses in his writing about synchronicity. About two weeks later, in the course of an argument about something trivial (which I do not remember), Phil picked up a small seashell and threw it against the wall. I remember thinking it odd that I heard the sound of the shell breaking before I saw it hit the wall. The sound that I heard was actually Phil's shoulder dislocating. It was the same shoulder which Pinky had patted when he appeared through the pink doorway.
We began to catch brief glimpses, at the edges of our peripheral vision, of people in our apartment. They were strange-looking people, with small chins and long foreheads, like the famous Egyptian busts of Akhenaton and Nephretiti. Akhenaton was the pharaoh who introduced the worship on one God into Egypt. Phil began to lapse into a Christian heresy, a sort of dualism. He believed some of the ideas found in Manichaeism, as well as some ideas of his own. Basically, this heresy states that there are two gods--a good god and an evil god--and that the evil god made us, but the good god is trying to save us. As a scientific agnostic, I had little objection to his seemingly irrelevant detour. Meanwhile, the people began talking to us. Phil thought that they could tell him the secrets of the universe. I was hoping that they could explain the implant in my spine.
Since my early teens, I have had a small metallic sliver in my lumbar spine. I don't know how it got there, or whether it serves any purpose. I don't want it removed because of the obvious risks of surgery on one's spine, and besides, it doesn't give me any trouble. What does trouble me is that I knew about it before I ever had any X-rays of that area of my body. In fact, I remember many strange things from childhood, such as people visiting me when I was alone in my room, taking me for rides on space ships, giving me tests, and teaching me things. I have always remembered these things, and I have never had any help form a hypnotist. However, I have a strong feeling that I am not supposed to remember, and when I try to describe these experiences to other people, something stops me.
I do not believe that I was abducted by space aliens. In fact, I believe that the US government did a secret study of me and about a dozen other second-graders, beginning in 1961. Farragut Elementary School in Culver city, California. was designated experimental in 1961, as part of President Kennedy's education agenda. Fourteen second-graders, including me, were put into a combination class with third-graders. I remember almost nothing about the entire school year, except that every day we would be sent out of the classroom and into the school auditorium for an hour or two. I don't remember what happened there. I do get bits and pieces of it in dreams from time to time, but they don't make much sense. I can tell you the names of all my teachers from Kindergarten through the sixth grade, except the name of my second-grade teacher. I can name all of the girls in my Scout troop, plus many of my fellow students in elementary school. But I cannot tell you about the second grade. All I know for sure is that we learned to say "bon jour" and to count to ten in French, and that I failed arithmetic. When several of our families moved across town, the principal from our school was transferred across town to Culver Elementary (now named Lynne E. Howe Elementary, after the same principal), and our new school was designated experimental.
Phil had been one of the subjects in a famous longitudinal study of gifted children that was conducted by university psychologists. They lost track of him when he was a young adult, and he was quite happy to be out of the study. But the study that was conducted on me and my classmates was of a different nature. For one thing, it was clandestine. For another, it had something to do with long-distance space travel on huge ships with large crews, at the time when the Mercury program was just beginning to send men up into space, one at a time, for a few hours at the most.
So it seemed quite normal to me, in the 1970s, that alien people should come down and visit us in our apartment in southern California.
That's all for now. More next month.
Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself
Written by Ray Cecot (email@example.com, www.iraap.org)
Investigating anomalous flying objects (UFOs) has an extremely important aspect attached to it, one that is so crucial it is essential before any investigation can begin. The witness must be willing to tell the investigator what was observed; in other words, file a simple report. As basic as this seems, it is very often the stumbling block to pursuing a sighting which may have tremendous potential.
Over the last couple of months I had two instances where friends told me they knew someone who had a recent sighting. In each instance, after hearing what was seen, I asked if they would be kind enough to contact the individuals involved, give them my phone number (and/or business card) and ask them to give me a call. I insisted that the witnesses be told "all information will be held in the strictest confidence." Unfortunately, I never received the awaited phone call.
After more than fifty years of UFOs being officially reported in this country, there is still a high degree of ridicule attached to the phenomenon. The ridicule is, more often than not, imaginary, yet this doesn't deter a witness from not reporting what was seen. With more UFOs being observed worldwide than ever before, one would think that we should have overcome the "laugh-ability factor" a long time ago. We have not.
Something in the human makeup has taught us to feel comfortable in our beliefs and resist change at all costs. This concept hasn't fluctuated much as far back as man has been keeping records. Paradigms (or ways of thinking on a particular subject) are difficult to break. Galileo encountered this with the revolutionary (but factual) theory that the earth revolves around the sun. On a lesser scale, The Wright brothers were exposed to ridicule every time one of their "airplanes" failed. "If man was meant to fly, he'd have wings." And of course we need to remember the once widely accepted notion that the world was flat, and if one sailed too far from the sight of land it would mean utter destruction.
Today we are faced with the new paradigm that we earthlings are not the only intelligent life in the universe. The old argument is the same as with any degree of non-acceptance of a new idea: the other planets in our solar system are not hospitable to life. This is one statement that is often used to refute the possibility of life. Yet, my original statement was based on the "universe" and not limited to our solar system. Those who resist change will often argue from a very particular point of view . . . in this case the solar system. It may very well be true that intelligent life would find difficulty existing on one of our nine planets other than Earth. However, the same argument doesn't hold when we expand the possibility to ANYWHERE in the universe.
The other argument which is commonly used is "If there is intelligent life out there, it couldn't possibly get here from there. The distance is just too great." Again, the assumption that we know all the physics there is to know, and we possess all the knowledge in the universe. It is refreshing to recall that this statement comes from scientists who told us a few years ago that eating eggs is bad for us. Today the same scientists say they may have been wrong and eggs are OK, as long as we don't overdo it. Of course, the point is we really don't have all the answers, and just because our present way of thinking tells us that extreme distances in space travel are impossible, that doesn't make it so, in actuality.
With the Hubble telescope exposing our eyes to billions of galaxies we have never seen before, and each of those galaxies containing billions of stars of various sizes, the possibility of no other life except that on earth becomes ludicrous. Further, life on earth is relatively young. If life existed "out there" thousands, millions or even billions of years before us, the possibility becomes more tenable that intelligence exists greater than we can imagine.
Herein lies the rub. We humans see ourselves from an extremely narcissistic point of view. We believe that we are not only the epitome of creation, but also the most intelligent. We can't see anything except our own reflection. Unfortunately, what we may believe to be true stands in the way of our arriving at what may be reality.
Change involves fear of the unknown. Fear must also be dealt with in some way as we resist the change ... the change that makes us uncomfortable. One way to resist change and deal with our fears is to laugh at anything new. Ridicule is a powerful tools in keeping things status quo. What better way to resist the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence, aliens, UFOs, than to laugh at those who claim to have seen these otherworldly entities and objects. It seems to be working well, for as I stated previously, it still keeps witnesses from reporting anomalous events and consequently hindering investigation.
Truth will always prevail. Although there are many witnesses who remain silent out of fear, there are many who are able to conquer their anxiety and report what they have seen, regardless of consequences. If extraterrestrials are visiting us, concealing the evidence will not change that fact, anymore than ignoring an illness will make it go away. Sometimes we must face truth square in the face ... stand eye to eye with what seems impossible, and accept what may very well be not only possible, but probable. UFOs are the next challenge. They are the modern day paradigm shift which must be dealt with in a positive manner without fear of reprisal. As investigators seeking the truth, it is important that we help dispel the fears in reporting anything unusual.
Let us become worthy of the public trust. Let us respect the witness and seek the truth.
FBI document of the month
Written by Christian Pfeiler
In the following two funny documents from my FBI archive. The first document is from July 11, 1947 and reports about a flying saucer with a "buzzing" machinery which had ostensibly landed in Laurel, Maryland. The second memorandum from July 12 identifies the so-called saucer as an obvious hoax. Not a thrilling UFO mystery story, but amusing to read <g>.
The KRILL papers (Part 7)
Written by O.H. Krill (pseudonym)
Alien anatomy - or just a fake?
Remark by Chris: in the following text you can again read some "true" information from the KRILL papers, this time about the mysterious Men in Black and about the physiology and anatomy of the Grey species. You know my usual comment: the story is rather weird and difficult to believe, but maybe there is a small true core. Please make your own opinion. By the way, the Maury Island case which is mentioned in the text as real UFO incident was most likely a hoax.
The Men in Black
All things considered, UFO research has become pretty much of a circus today, and the most intriguing and controversial sideshow skirting the edges is the question of the "silencers," or the mysterious "Men in Black." There is a strong subliminal appeal in these accounts of visits by mysterious dark-suited figures (I have been visited myself, as have others I've known) attempting to silence UFO witnesses. A typical situation would be that a witness has a UFO sighting or UFO-related experience. Shortly thereafter he is visited by one or more "odd"-looking men who relate to him the minutest details of his experience, even though he has as yet told no one for fear of ridicule or other reasons. The men warn him about spreading the story of his experience around and sometimes even threaten him personally, sometimes obliquely, sometimes directly. Any evidence, if it exists, is confiscated in one way or another. Sometimes the visit is for some totally meaningless reason and the subject of UFOs is hardly mentioned, if at all. But again, the men all seem to look alike.
We actually seem to find ourselves in close proximity to beings who obviously must be directly connected in some way with the objects themselves or the source behind them, yet they seem to be functioning unobtrusively within the framework of our own everyday existence. The classic conception of an MIB is a man of indefinite age, medium height and dressed completely in black. He always has a black hat and often a black turtleneck sweater. They present an appearance often described as "strange" or "odd." They speak in a dull monotone voice, "like a computer," and are dark-complected with high cheekbones, thin lips, pointed chin, and eyes that are mildly slanted. The visitors themselves are often on absurd missions. They have reportedly posed as salesmen, telephone repairmen or representatives from official or unofficial organizations. Their mode of transportation is usually large and expensive cars -- Buicks or Lincolns, sometimes Cadillacs, all black, of course. I might note at this point that their physical appearance also has included beings that have pale-greyish skin, and that some of them have been seen to have blond hair, yet they wear the clothing and drive the cars previously described.
Their cars often operate with the headlights off, but ghostly purple or greenish glows illuminate the interior. Unusual insignia have been seen emblazoned on the doors and the license plates are always unidentifiable or untraceable. The fabric of their clothes has been described as strangely "shiny" or thin, but not silky -- almost as if they have been cut from a new type of fabric. Their often mechanical behavior has caused them to be described by some as being like robots or androids (think back to the Dulce lab). A lot of descriptions of some of these "folks" are pretty bizarre. A businessman's family in Wildwood, New Jersey, was visited by an unusually large man whose pants legs hiked up when he sat down, revealing a green wire grafted onto his skin and running up his leg. There are other cases of MIB appearing on the other side of a wet, muddy field after a heavy rain, but having no mud whatever on their brightly shined shoes and in the bitter cold, out of nowhere, wearing only a thin coat. Their shoes and wallets all seem new and hardly broken in. They are not alone. They seem to have faceless conspirators in the nation's post offices and phone companies. Researchers and witnesses often report their mail going astray at an unusually high rate and being bothered by bizarre phone calls where they are spoken to by metallic, unhuman-sounding voices. Unusual noises on the phone, intensifying whenever UFOs are mentioned, and voices breaking in on conversations, have all led many people to suspect that their phones are being tapped.
One can't discuss the MIB for long without mentioning the name of John A.
Keel, an author who has written much about them. Keel has done more than
any other writer to publicize this bizarre aspect of the UFO situation. Keel
suggests that the UFO are part of the environment itself and come from another
time-space continua; that most of the UFO phenomena is psychic and psychological
rather than physical. Well, I personally would not define it that way, although
those two components are certainly deeply involved in what's going on. The
first noted appearance of the MIB was in 1947, at the scene of the Maury
Island incident, where some debris was ejected from a disk, and subsequently
recovered by officials, who loaded them on an Army bomber which crashed on
takeoff. To illustrate a little how bizarre some of the incidents are regarding
the MIB, I have assembled a short list of some of the more interesting factors
in some cases:
- An ex-Air Force man is gassed and interrogated by MIB after he has learned classified NASA secrets.
- Closeup photos of UFOs were seized from a teenager who is also directly threatened by MIB.
- MIB sighted in the lobby of the U.S. State Department leave a mysterious artifact.
- MIB pose as Air Force officers to silence witnesses.
- MIB tries to buy before-hours Coke and sings to birds in trees.
- MIB disintegrates a coin in a witness' hand and tells him that his heart will do the same if he talks
Throughout all this information, I have neglected to mention some aspects of the psychology of the Greys. Dr. Paul Bennewitz, in his original report to the government entitled "Project Beta," goes into some detail, which I will now discuss:
- The alien, either through evolvement or because the humanoid types are "made," will exhibit tendencies for bad logic.
- They appear to have more frailties and weaknesses than the normal Homo Sapien.
- They are not to be trusted.
Because of the aliens' apparent logic system, a key decision cannot be made without higher clearance. All are under control of what they call "The Keeper," yet it would appear that even this is not the final authority. Delays as long as 12-15 hours can occur for a decision. Because of this apparent control, individual instantaneous decision-making by the alien is limited. If the "plan" goes even slightly out of balance or context, they become confused. Faced with this, possibly, the humanoids would be the first to run.
- Psychologically their morale is near disintegration. There is pronounced dissension in the ranks -- even with the humanoids.
- Because of their own internal vulnerability mind-wise to each other, there is a basic lack of trust between them.
- They appear to be totally death-oriented, and because of this, absolutely death-fear oriented. This is a psychological advantage.
- The prime, and weakest area discovered, probed and tested is exactly what they have used, thinking it their key strength - that being the manipulation of and control of the mind. Manipulated in reverse-psychology they face a situation where they have a vulnerable, integrated weakness.
- They totally respect force.
Grey Physiology and Anatomy
The approximate height of most specimens is between 3.5 and 4.5 feet. The head, by human standards, is large in comparison with the body. Facial features show a pair of eyes described as large, sunken or deeply set, far apart or distended more than the human, and slightly slanted as Oriental or Mongoloid. No ear lobes or apertures on the side of the head were seen. The nose is vague. One or tow holes have been mentioned. The mouth area is described as a small slit or fissure. In some cases there is no mouth at all. It appears not to function as a means for communication or for food. The neck area is described as being thin, in some instances not being visible at all because of the tightly-knit garment. Most observers describe these humanoids as being hairless. Some of the bodies recovered have a slight hair-patch atop the head. Others have what appears to be like a silver skullcap. There were no breathing attachments or communications devices. This suggests telepathy with higher intelligence.
In one instance there was an opening in the right frontal lobe area, revealing a crystalline network. This network implies the development of a third brain. The arms are described as long and thin, reaching down to the knee section. The hangers each contain four fingers, with no thumbs. Three fingers are longer than the other. Some are very long. Some are very long. Others are very short. No description is available of the legs and feet. Some pathologists indicate that that section of the body was not developed as we would anticipate, showing that some of these beings were adapted to life in the water. There was a webbing effect between the fingers on most of the specimens. According to most observers, the skin is grey. Some claim it is beige, tan or pinkish-grey. No reproductive organs or capabilities were discovered. No phallus. No womb. Confirms cloning mentioned by other sources. The humanoids appear to be from a mold, sharing identical racial and biological characteristics. There is no blood as we know it, but there is a fluid which is greyish in color.
(Part 8 will be published in the next issue)
Website tip of the month
Written by Christian Pfeiler
The website tip of this month is the small but very interesting website "Truth Seeker at Roswell" by UFO researcher Dennis Balthaser. The website is especially about the Roswell incident (with a very interesting article) but there is also some other information about the UFO phenomenon in general. The Roswell case is generally considered by sceptics as the worlds greatest UFO myth but maybe there's more than most of them want to believe.
The URL of the website is
UFO photo of the month
Written by Christian Pfeiler
A rather strange UFO photo from Majorca, Spain. At 3:00am on March 25, 1950, news cameraman Enrique Hausmann Muller observed and photographed a huge, rotating greenish-orange globe in the night sky. It had a fiery Saturn-like ring of vapor or mist surrounding its middle, and had great shooting tongues of flame jetting from the edges of the ring, exactly like a huge 4th of July Catherine's Wheel. It emitted a loud drone as it passed at low level over the island of Majorca. Its speed was estimated at up to 400mph , but Muller had time to raise his camera and get it squarely in the view finder for one picture. It was so big and so close that it almost filled the entire field of view. It flew away over the horizon.
In the following an interesting comment by Ray Cecot about my Bible article from the last issue
I would like to make a few comments on your recent article "The Book of Exodus or Project Genetic Separation." It is important that you placed, at the beginning of the article, the fact that some people might find the idea of "genetic purity" offensive. But, as I mentioned in previous correspondences with you, to limit new ideas because they don't conform to what we believe only promotes prejudice and lack of growth. One does not have to believe what you wrote in your article, especially when there is no definitive proof. Yet, to incorporate the information into one's thoughts as a possible explanation keeps the mind open to new concepts and potentially viable options.
You ask the question "Why do UFOs observe us?" Although you ask this question, you never really answer it. This is understandable because there is probably no one answer at this time. In light of the Exodus article, "God" (I use this word to mean extraterrestrials for the purpose of this brief commentary) may have watched over the Hebrew race to promote some sort of genetic purity. But why are UFOs observing us today ... in the present? The Jewish people live in areas all over the Earth, and any purity they may have once possessed, has long since been destroyed. UFOs seem to be observing us (if that is their reason for being here, and I am not sure that it is) throughout the globe. No one race seems to be selected for observation or breeding selection.
Today, a total "human race" project seems to be underway. Purification of any one race is no longer viable, in fact, taking into account the alien hybridization project some abductees claim is happening, it seems the very purity of humanity, itself, may be threatened. Could this be the next logical step to what occurred in the Old Testament?
The God in the Old Testament certainly is much different from the one we encounter in the New testament of the Bible. The NT preaches love, gentleness, compassion, and giving of one's self for the sake of another. The OT, as you state, depicts a God full of anger, vengeance, hatred, violence, and a demanding of obedience or else there will be dire consequences. Looking at this in relation to a genetic purity makes sense. If a particular race needed to be singled out for this purpose, "fear" would have to be strong in that particular race to keep them in conformity. How else would God be able to keep them from mating with other races?
It is not that the other races were not human. Certainly the Egyptians were such. It seems that a particular group of extraterrestrials may have been manipulating the Jewish people genetically, while other extraterrestrial groups were experimenting with other human races. The "alien" conflict in this regard would, indeed, be tremendous. The God who was interested in the Jews certainly laid down a list of detailed laws governing the way that particular race should behave. However, as I stated earlier, the purity of that race no longer exists the way it once did, so that particular genetic plan may have been scrapped or developed into one which is today more global.
Is it possible that UFOs today are observing us to see how we evolved following the first Jewish experiment? Is the next step a hybridization which may benefit both us and the aliens? We may be made more "cosmic" in the process, and they may gain some kind of genetic strength. It is possible that this evolution began way back in biblical times and has reached us today, in a new stage of evolution. Mankind has become more conscious that he is located on a tiny dot within an immensely enormous universe. Perhaps, our evolution has been orchestrated by extraterrestrials, and it is now time for us to make our leap into the world of the cosmos, a leap in which we need that one last genetic "tweak" by those who brought us to where we are today.
Of course, this is only speculation, yet what a revelation it would be to find out that our father in heaven is really from someplace like the Pleiades.
Ray Cecot
Organizational Director, IRAAP


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Croatian defensive midfielder Filip Tapalovic officially started a week-long trial period with the Fire on Tuesday after arriving late in Chicago on Monday night.
Tapalovic, 33, played for HNK Rijeka of the Croatian first division last year and spent several years of his career playing in the German Bundesliga.
"The directors told me to watch him," Fire head coach Carlos de los Cobos told MLSsoccer.com after practice on Tuesday morning. "We will have him for all the week and after that we [will make] our conclusions."
De los Cobos, who described Tapalovic as a "strong" and "smart" player, certainly could use another central midfielder on his roster. Both John Thorrington and Logan Pause, the Fire's central midfield pairing for much of 2009, are currently dealing with injuries. Thorrington (quadriceps) confirmed Tuesday he will not play in the team's home opener against San Jose on Saturday, while Pause is questionable for the match with an undisclosed leg injury of his own.
Should Pause not be able to go on Saturday, de los Cobos said that Baggio Husidic and Peter Lowry would likely get the start in the central midfield. Lowry has started both matches thus far this season and Husidic has come on as a substitute in both games.
It's not all bad news on the injury front, however. Defender Wilman Conde, who missed last week's game at Colorado with a left foot contusion, said on Tuesday that he is all set to go for the home opener on Saturday night.


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Make It At Home
Kids love to play games, even Wampanoag and Pilgrim children!
Use these directions to make a traditional Wampanoag toy called Toss and Catch, and a board game that was popular in Pilgrim times called Fox and Geese. After you make them, give them a try.
For more information on what Wampanoag and Pilgrim children did for fun, go to the kids' essay Playing and Learning in our Homework Help section.
Wampanoag Toss and Catch Game
This is an ancient game played among many nations of Native people. The game has different meanings to the different Nations that play it. It was made from a variety of materials, including deer bones.
Besides being fun, toss and catch is a great way to develop hand and eye coordination. When the hands and eyes work well together, people can perform exacting skills better; hunters have better control shooting arrows and people are better at jobs like weaving.
Easy to make and fun to play, here are directions for you to make your own toss and catch game at home!
Thin cotton string or jute twine about 15 inches long
a non-poisonous, flexible piece of vine about 12 inches long (Bittersweet works well)
A straight, somewhat thin stick about 8 inches long
Tie one end of the string to the stick, about 2 - 3 inches down from one end. Make sure the knot is tight.
Wrap the piece of vine to make a circle about 1 ½ or 2 inches in diameter. Wrap it several times, and then twist the free end around the circle to hold it in place.
Tie the other end of the string to the vine loop. You're done! Now give it a try.
To Play:
The object is to swing the loop out and up and try to catch it with the end of the stick you are holding. Once you master the toss and catch with one hand, try it with the other.
Pilgrim Fox and Geese Game
This game was very popular in the 17th century. Although Pilgrim children had to work a lot, historians think that they were allowed to play sometimes. Games like Fox and Geese were good to play because they helped children exercise their "wits" (brains). Adults probably played games like this too.
Make your own Fox and Geese game, and then give it a try.
Board game template (see picture)
Piece of wood, canvas or paper for the game board
Pencil, marker, ink or paint to apply design to the game board
15 small game pieces for the geese, such as pebbles, buttons or beans
1 larger game piece for the fox
Transfer the design from the template to your game board with a pencil. Next, color or paint in the lines.
Gather your game pieces.
To Play:
This is a game for two people, so find someone to play with. The object of the game is for the geese to corner the fox so that he can't eat them. If they do that, the geese win. For the fox to win, he must eat all the geese.
Put the fox and geese pieces on the board using the template as a guide.
Decide who will start first. The pieces move along the lines one space at a time. The fox can move in any direction while the geese can only move forward or sideways. The fox captures the geese by jumping over them to an empty space, just like jumping in checkers. Any goose that the fox jumps is taken off the board. The geese do not jump the fox, but move along the lines trying to corner the fox so that he cannot move.
The fox wins if there aren't enough geese on the board to cover him. The geese win if they have cornered the fox and he cannot move.
It takes a lot of skill to win. Good luck!


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I'm my biggest fan.
So you will understand my victory moment when I took a bunch of random vegetables from our fridge and made something not only edible out of them, but truly scrumptious:
Zucchini, onions, baby carrots, and boiled russet potatoes mixed up in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, Parmesan cheese and a little lemon pepper. Baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.BAM.
In other news, I have a lot of errands to run today ... so the above is my before picture. The after picture will probably look something like an elephant is trying to wear my shoes. That will be fun.


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Michael James Rocha
Michael James Rocha is the arts and entertainment editor. He oversees coverage of pop music, classical music, visual art, theater, dance, things to do and dining both for online and print. Rocha started his career at The San Diego Union-Tribune in December 1997 as a features page designer. He eventually became the features design editor, managing a staff of 15 designers and 17 features sections. Through the years, he has done stints as the front page designer, audience development editor and home decor editor. He previously wrote a monthly column on outdoor living, which focused on outdoor decor. Rocha graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications (with an emphasis on print journalism) from California State University-Fullerton in 1994. He has worked as a reporter, copy editor, city editor and designer for numerous Southern California newspapers, including The Orange County Register, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Ontario Daily Bulletin. He is one of the founding members of the Asian American Journalists Association's San Diego chapter and served on the national AAJA board for many years. Until 2017, he taught an upper-level magazine journalism course at Point Loma Nazarene University, where he was an adjunct professor. He also loves dogs.


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I am not happy with either of my choices for president. Obama and Romney are not all that different, and they both believe government is the solution to our problems. I can understand not wanting to vote for either, but one of the two is going to win. If you absolutely refuse to vote for either, I would suggest voting for a third-party candidate, so the two political parties are aware of your vote. However, I like many have made a choice.
Most of the differences between Obama and Romney stem from party affiliations. Foreign policy? They have very little disagreement, Romney asserts he will have a firmer tone, but we still use Gitmo and we still have troops in Afghanistan. Obama with his drones and execution of American citizens might have the most blood-lust of the two. People want to make a big fuss over the abortion and woman's rights aspects, but what is the real difference? Obama supports abortion, and Romney used to support abortion. Now, Romney says he is against it (with exceptions in the cases of rape, health of the mother, etc..) but that it's not part of his legislative agenda. Obama has Obamacare, Romney has Romneycare. Obama "evolves", Romney "flip-flops". Obama went to Reverend Wright's church, Romney is a Mormon. Both have been executives at the government level for an even number of years. These are two politicians that are trying to convince us that they are so different but they are both Ivy League millionaires. People mock the excesses of Romney, but Obama goes on million dollar dates, had 1.4 billion spent on him, and his office last year, and has a full time dog watcher (on the taxpayer's dime of course).
There is one aspect that I do see a stark contrast in, and that is economics. Obama has, for a while now been demonizing wealth. He's been saying how the rich should "pay their fair share" and how we should "spread the wealth around". He's acted as though we can tax our way out of the problems we have. We can't, and let me be clear. The rich already pay far more income taxes than the rest of us. They not only pay a higher percentage, but they also pay a far larger amount than most of us do. A large percentage of the population pays no income tax, while a small percentage of the top earners pay most of the taxes. There is no tax rate that can make them shoulder the excesses of our government. Increasing rates will only serve to discourage them from participating. For example, George Lucas sold almost everything he owned before higher tax rates could kick in. He's now on the sidelines. You might consider that a good thing but there are many like him who would simply opt out of participating in an economy with higher taxes. The problem is that Obama has almost no free market experience. His administration is not full of experts on business, it is full of academics.
The last unemployment numbers showed a rise to 7.9%. Obama would have us believe that the economy is on the right track, just moving there slowly. Unemployment doesn't go up when things are headed in the right direction. To give an analogy, the economy broke its leg (I would argue due in large part to government policy and backing of bad loans). This happened while Obama was in a Democratic majority congress by the way. A broken leg will heal, eventually. The question is how it heals. If you don't have a doctor, you might end up with a horrible, disfiguring limp. That's what this looks like to me. Obama is not a doctor, and our economy is not healing well.
Romney on the other hand has a lengthy track record. There is a reason non-Republican businessmen like Lee Iaccoca, and Ross Perot endorsed him. He found success in private business, he managed a state well financially, and he even did a great job of running the Olympics. Obama promised to cut the deficit in half, but instead we have a larger deficit. I can't blame Obama, he just doesn't know economics, he doesn't know budgets. Romney clearly does. He knows how to generate wealth, he knows how to manage finances, and he has an understanding that Obama lacks. This is one reason Romney is not demonizing the wealthy. He understands how wealth in our economy is created.
We have fiat dollars. This means that we can print them, but they have no inherent value. Thus far, Obama's main economic solution has been to print more money. Most people view wealth as they would a bar of gold. As though we are just making more gold, and all we really have to do is take a piece of someone's gold and we suddenly have a portion of their wealth. That's now how it works, since our money has no real value, it only holds value as long as there is something behind it. It is our productivity that lends value to our money. The strength of our economy lends strength to our money and in turn that is what gives us our wealth. We can create wealth, but we can destroy it as well.
Let me give an example based on what has happened in some countries. If a wealthy man has a productive farm, we decide this is not fair, and we give half of his farm to others, what might happen? Well, for one he might say to hell with it, and stop farming. As to the other half of his farm, it is highly unlikely that it would be farmed as productively. The logic is simple, they are not going to give the other half to wealthy farmers, so they will give them to poor farmers (if they are actually farmers at all). The productivity of the farm drops, and in other countries this practice has caused famine and destruction of a their currency. A wealthy person is wealthy because somewhere along the line there was productivity (hypothetically, there are people who came by their wealth through government and the like) and they by the merit of their wealth have proven to be good stewards of their wealth. A poor person, is by definition a poor steward of wealth. If they come by money, not through the fruit of their efforts, but the theft of property it is not likely they will be nearly as productive with it as the person from whom it was taken. There is ample evidence of this playing out. Another example would be a car. I understand why we might all want a piece of a Rolls Royce, but each strip part of it, all we have is parts. No one has a running vehicle.
Our wealth can be produced or destroyed. We are wealthy, even our poor have what would be considered above average wealth in Europe. We, as an American people are the 1% of the world. The reason for this is that we have been better stewards of what we have. We produced, we invented, and it gave us wealth. While relatively speaking we might still be unhappy, there is no mistaking how entitled we are. Our "poor" people expect to have cell phones, cable TV, air conditioning, and video games. These are luxuries to most parts of the world. This can be destroyed if we erode what powers our wealth, if we strike out against business and the wealthy there will be negative repercussions.
I say this not as a member of the 1%. I am a high school drop out, I know what it's like to be destitute. My parents died and left me no inheritance, I've gone without food, I've feared for how I was going to pay rent, or where I was going to live. However, I learned. My house is paid for, my cars are paid for. I am not wealthy, and I might never be, but I understand what it means to be responsible. I was poor, I had the cards stacked against me, but I knew that I was not going to climb out of my hole by stealing. I never once took a government handout. I have been a good steward of what I have, but I would not have been if not for the fact that I knew exactly what effort brought it forth.
Now that I have something, the thought of it being taken from me is a great concern. I have a house that's over 2000 square feet. There are only two of us living here. Surely we don't need all that space? We rented one bedroom for years as we saved up. We pinched our pennies, and no one else is entitled to our house. I am sure this his how wealthy businessmen feel about their wealth, and they have more capacity to act on that feeling. They can fire people if we force their hands, they can retire, they can move to other countries. We can not simply bleed them, and make them pay for their success as a means to overcome our own shortcomings.
I could go on, but we are at a crossroad here. Do we hate the rich? Do we want to punish them, do we want to destroy wealth? Or, do we want to be rich? Do we want a country in which all of us can succeed if we make the right choices? That is the choice as I see it. Obama tells me I should hate the rich, his words are dripping with class warfare. Romney knows what it takes to become wealthy. I'd rather strive to be wealthy, than hate wealth.
Possibly related posts:


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I'm fascinated by the way that literature has helped shape and guide different American president, a subject I've written about in the past. Thus I was thrilled to stumble across a Barack Obama reading list compiled shortly after his inauguration. I don't know how I missed it. According to the website The Curious Autodidact (great […]
- Literature is as vital to our lives as food and shelter. Stories and poems help us work through the challenges we face, from everyday irritations to loneliness, heartache, and death. Literature is meant to mix it up with life. This website explores how it does so.
Please feel free to e-mail me [rrbates (at) smcm (dot) edu]. I would be honored to hear your thoughts and questions about literature.
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Men in Black
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The Old Republic video game has just released a Mandalorian 101 trailer, showing why these guys are an awesome pain in the ass to our Jedis. In other Star Wars news rumor has it Lucas may be speaking at SDCC.
Here's the official synopsis from the site, and yes if you were wondering that video is narrated by Lance "Bishop" Henriksen.
The Keeper of the Jedi Archives has entered a new holorecord. Continuing his investigation, Master Gnost-Dural delves deeper into the history of the galaxy after discovering that the blockade that Hylo Visz helped end was a result of the actions of the new Mandalore.
BTC 8 – During a Republic resurgence in the Great War, a bold young warrior rose to fame in the Gladiatorial arenas on Geonosis. Adopting the ancient and infamous title of Mandalore, this young leader amassed an army of Mandalorian mercenaries and bounty hunters. The new Mandalore led his forces to form a blockade and challenge the Jedi Order, effectively turning the tide of the war back in the Sith Empire's favor.
In other, very exciting news, TV Squad is hearing rumors are being leaked the George Lucas may stop by San Diego Comic Con to talk about the live action Star Wars television series supposedly gearing up to shoot in Australia as we speak. Or at the very least, Lucas may be piped in via videoconference. Let's hope he doesn't show up empty handed.


text:
Biohort products are a premium maintenance free garden storage solution. The raw materials used to make the Avantgarde are treated with a 150g/m2 zinc coating to each piece of stee, after which each of the 3 enamel coating polyamide are applied. Each paint application is also applied to both sides of each painted part of the building.
As standard, this shed features an acrylic glass fanlight, a security 3 way locking mechanism with cylinder lock. Other features include an integrated organisation system consisting of a shelf set and tool hanger, a gas assisted damper to prevent the door slamming and a built in gutter system complete with the facility to collect water if required.
Biohort sheds are particularly suited for sites where non-combustible storage sheds are compulsory and will provide a rust-free, durable storage solution for a minimum warranty period of 20 years. and easy step by step photo illustrated instructions are included to make assembly easy.
|Height (mm)
|Width (mm)
|Depth (mm)
|External Size
|Base Size
|Door Opening
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text:
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Suzi playing, learning
2 comments:
- Jules said...
I love your new masthead pic!!!
My aunt has been a 2nd grade teacher her whole life. She says kids have already lost there spark for learning by the time they get to her now. 10 years ago it wasn't like that. Kids are stressed by the testing and get a 20 minute recess. She's been my greatest supporter for homeschooling!
- October 6, 2009 at 10:17 AM
- Lauren Wayne said...
I love the imagination in the arrangement of the letters! Kids all learn so differently, too, don't they? And then schools try to force them all to keep up or slow down to match each other. My 2-year-old, for instance, sings the alphabet song all.day.long, in English & German, and can't get enough of letters. But he's not very creative yet in terms of make-believe. It's so intriguing to watch how and when they develop different skills and interests.
Anyway...now for two things totally off topic!
One is sad (for me) news: I keep having trouble accessing your blog -- it crashes Firefox & Safari on my Mac. I figured out I can get to it in Opera, so I'll do that. Part of the page loads and then crashes the browser, so it's likely something in the sidebar. I hate to the bearer of bad news about stupid technology incompatibilities, but just in case it's something that's affecting other readers, thought I'd mention it. I've personally gotten notice of stack error overflows or some such in Internet Explorer for my site, and I can't even replicate that at home so just had to fool around and hope for the best. Let me know if you want me to Mac-test drive any changes you may make.
But forget that. Now for...
The GOOD NEWS! I've passed on an award to you. I always enjoy your insightful writing and the perspective you have on parenting. Thank you!
- October 15, 2009 at 12:44 AM


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LMP-specific T-cells for Patients With Relapsed EBV-positive Lymphoma (ALCI)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00062868
Recruitment Status : Active, not recruiting
First Posted : June 18, 2003
Last Update Posted : July 18, 2019
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Results Submitted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Patients have a type of lymph gland disease (HD or NHL, Lymphoepithelioma, severe chronic active EBV (SCAEBV), or leiomyosarcoma) which has come back or may come back or has not gone away after treatment, including the best treatment known for these diseases. This research study uses special immune system cells called LMP- specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, a new experimental therapy.
Some patients with Lymphoma or SCAEBV or leiomyosarcoma show evidence of infection with the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis Epstein Barr virus (EBV) before or at the time of their diagnosis. EBV is found in the cancer cells of up to half the patients with Hodgkin's and NHL, suggesting that it may play a role in causing Lymphoma. The cancer cells (in lymphoma) and some B cells (in SCAEBV) infected by EBV are able to hide from the body's immune system and escape destruction. Investigators want to see if special white blood cells, called T cells, that have been trained to kill EBV infected cells can survive in the blood and affect the tumor.
The Investigators have used this sort of therapy to treat a different type of cancer that occurs after bone marrow or solid organ transplant called post transplant lymphoma. In this type of cancer the tumor cells have 9 proteins made by EBV on their surface. The investigators grew T cells in the lab that recognized all 9 proteins and were able to successfully prevent and treat post transplant lymphoma. However, in HD and NHL and SCAEBV, the tumor cells and B cells only express 2 EBV proteins. In a previous study, T cells were made that recognized all 9 proteins and were given to patients with HD. Some patients had a partial response to this therapy but no patients had a complete response. The investigators think one reason may be that many of the T cells reacted with proteins that were not on the tumor cells. In this study, they are trying to find out if they can improve this treatment by growing T cells that recognize proteins expressed on EBV infected Lymphoma cells and B cells called LMP-1 and LMP2. These special T cells are called LMP-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). These LMP-specific cytotoxic T cells are an investigational product not approved by the FDA.
The purpose of this study is to find the largest safe dose of LMP-specific cytotoxic T cells, to learn what the side effects are and to see whether this therapy might help patients with HD, NHL, Lymphoepithelioma, SCAEBV or leiomyosarcoma.
|Condition or disease
|Hodgkin Disease Non Hodgkin Lymphoma Lymphoepithelioma Leiomyosarcoma
|Biological: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group A) Biological: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group B) Biological: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group C)
|Phase 1
Investigators will first test a biopsy of the tumor or lymph node that has already been done to see if the tumor or tissue cells are EBV positive. If the patient is eligible, investigators will then take 60 mL (about 12 teaspoons) of blood from the patient or their donor on one or two occasions. They will use this blood to grow T cells. First they will grow a special type of cells called dendritic cells or monocytes which will stimulate the T cells. Next they will put a specially produced human virus that carries the LMP genes into the dendritic cells or monocytes. They will then be used to stimulate T cells. This stimulation will train the T cells to kill cells with LMP on their surface. Investigators will then grow these LMP specific CTLs by more stimulation with EBV infected cells. These EBV infected cells will be treated with radiation so they cannot grow.
Once sufficient numbers of T cells have been made, investigators will test them to make sure they kill cells with LMP on their surface. If the counts are low they may need to obtain additional blood samples to make these cells. Prior to giving the patient the CTLs, the cells will be tested to make sure they don't attack the tissue.
The cells will then be thawed and injected into the patient over 10 minutes. Initially, two doses of T cells will be given two weeks apart. If after the second infusion there is a reduction in the size of the lymphoma on CT or MRI scan as assessed by a radiologist, the patient can receive up to six additional doses of the T cells if the patient wishes. This is a dose escalation study which means that for some patients the second dose may be larger than the first. All of the treatments will be given by the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Texas Children's Hospital or the Methodist Hospital.
The patient will followed after the injections. They will either be seen in the clinic or will be contacted by a research nurse yearly for 5 years. To learn more about the way the T cells are working in the patient's body, an extra 20-40 mL (4-8 teaspoons) of blood will be taken before each infusion, and then 4 hours after each infusion (optional) and 3-4 days after each infusion (optional) and then weekly for 2 weeks after each infusion (total of 9 times). Two weeks after the last infusion, blood will then be taken again and then every 3 months for 1 year, then once a year for 5 years. Investigators will use this blood to see how long the T cells last and to look at the immune response to the patient's cancer.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Estimated Enrollment :
|89 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Administration of LMP-Specific Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes to Patients With Relapsed EBV-Positive Lymphoma (ALCI)
|Actual Study Start Date :
|April 2007
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|April 2014
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|January 2020
Experimental: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group A)
Patients receiving CTLs as therapy for relapsed Lymphoma/Lymphoepithelioma/leiomyosarcoma or who are at risk for relapse
Biological: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group A)
Each patient will receive 2 injections, 14 days apart, according to the following dosing schedules:
Dose Level One
Day 0: 2 x 10^7 cells/m2; Day 14: 2 x 10^7 cells/m2
Dose Level Two
Day 0: 2x10^7 cells/m2; Day 14: 1x10^8 cells/m2
Dose Level Three
Day 0: 1x10^8 cells/m2; Day 14: 2x10^8 cells/m2
Experimental: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group B)
Patients receiving CTLs as adjunctive therapy following autologous or syngeneic transplant.
Biological: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group B)
Each patient will receive 2 injections, 14 days apart, according to the following dosing schedules:
Dose Level One
Day 0: 2x10^7 cells/m2; Day 14: 2x10^7 cells/m2
Dose Level Two
Day 0: 2x10^7 cells/m2; Day 14: 1x10^8 cells/m2
Dose Level Three
Day 0: 1x10^8 cells/m2; Day 14: 2x10^8 cells/m2
Experimental: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group C)
Patients receiving CTLs following allogeneic stem cell transplant.
Biological: LMP1/2 CTLs (Group C)
Each patient will receive 2 injections, 14 days apart, according to the following dosing schedules:
Dose Level One
Day 0: 2x10^7 cells/m2; Day 14: 2x10^7 cells/m2
Dose Level Two
Day 0: 2x10^7 cells/m2; Day 14: 1x10^8 cells/m2
Dose Level Three
Day 0: 1x10^8 cells/m2; Day 14: 2x10^8 cells/m2
- Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) rate by the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria (CTCAE) v2.0 and the method of Przepiorka et al (protocol Appendix I) [ Time Frame: 6 weeks post second CLT infusion ]Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) rate is the proportion of participants with DLT. DLT will be defined as any toxicity that is irreversible, life threatening or Grade 3-4 considered to be primarily related to the LMP-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) injection or development of Grade III-IV Graft versus host disease (GVHD). Toxicity will be evaluated according to the CTCAE Version 2.0. GVHD will be graded by the method of Przepiorka et al (protocol Appendix I).
- Response Rate according to the Harmonization Project (protocol 8.5.1) or RECIST criteria. [ Time Frame: Up to 4 months after the last infusion ]
Response rate is defined as the proportion of participants with best overall response of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) . All patients who receive the first infusion will be evaluable for response.
In patients with detectable tumors and/or lymphadenopathy - response and progression will be evaluated using PET based imaging studies (whenever possible) based on the Harmonization Project (protocol 8.5.1). All available non-PET imaging studies will be evaluated in this study using the international criteria proposed by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) Committee.
- Grade III-IV toxicity rate in participants receiving an extended dosage regimen according to the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria (CTCAE) Version 2.0 and the method of Przepiorka et. al. (protocol Appendix I). [ Time Frame: 6 weeks after the final injection ]Grade III-IV toxicity rate is defined as the proportion of participants who receive an extended dose regimen and developed Grade III-IV toxicity attributable to the CTL infusions at any time during the extended dosing regimen. Toxicity will be evaluated according to the CTCAE Version 2.0. GVHD will be graded by the method of Przepiorka et al (protocol Appendix I).
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|Child, Adult, Older Adult
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Any patient, regardless of age or sex, with EBV-positive Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, or lymphoepithelioma or leiomyosarcoma regardless of the histological subtype or EBV (associated)-T/NK-lymphoproliferative disease or Severe Chronic EBV#
(#SCAEBV is defined as patients with high EBV viral load in plasma or PBMC (>4000 genomes per ug PBMC DNA) and/or biopsy tissue positive for EBV)
a - In second or subsequent relapse (or first relapse or with active disease if immunosuppressive chemotherapy contraindicated or multiply relapsed patients currently in remission who have a high risk of relapse) OR with primary disease or in first or subsequent remission if immunosuppressive chemotherapy is contraindicated, e.g. patients who develop Hodgkin disease after solid organ transplantation or if the Lymphoma is a second malignancy e.g. a Richters transformation of CLL.(Group A)
b - In remission or with minimal residual disease status after autologous or syngeneic SCT for Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma/Lymphoepithelioma/SCAEBV. (Group B)
c - Patients in remission or with detectable disease after allogeneic SCT. (Group C)
- Patients with life expectancy 6 weeks or greater.
- Tumor tissue EBV positive
- Patients with a Karnofsky/Lansky score of 50 or greater
- Donor HIV negative (if autologous product - patient must be HIV negative)
- If post allogeneic SCT must not have less than 50% donor chimerism in either peripheral blood or bone marrow
- Patients with bilirubin 3x normal or less, AST 5x normal or less, and Hgb greater than 8.0
- Patients with a creatinine 2x normal or less for age
- Patients should have been off other investigational therapy for one month prior to entry in this study.
- Patient, parent/guardian able to give informed consent.
- Patients with a severe intercurrent infection.
- Donors who are HIV positive or Patients who are HIV positive if autologous product to be used
- Patients with greater than Grade II GVHD
- Due to unknown effects of this therapy on a fetus, pregnant women are excluded from this research. The male partner should use a condom.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00062868
|United States, Texas
|Texas Children's Hospital
|Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
|The Methodist Hospital
|Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
|Principal Investigator:
|Helen E Heslop, MD
|Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Helen Heslop, Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Obsolete Identifiers:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
ALCI ( Other Identifier: Baylor College of Medicine )
|First Posted:
|June 18, 2003 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|July 18, 2019
|Last Verified:
|July 2019
|Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
|Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
EBV-T/NK lymphoproliferative disease
Severe Chronic EBV
Hodgkin Disease
Neoplasms by Histologic Type
Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Lymphatic Diseases
Immunoproliferative Disorders
Immune System Diseases
Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue
Neoplasms, Connective and Soft Tissue


text:
Star light, star bright
Berkley Publishing Corporation, 1976 - Science fiction, American
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Kit Review – SC/Jaycar Garbage and Recycling Reminder
Electronics, garbage, jaycar, KC5518, kit review, pic, PIC16LF88, recycling, reminder, silicon chip, tronixstuff, tutorial Commenti disabilitati su Kit Review – SC/Jaycar Garbage and Recycling Reminder
Every month Australian electronics magazine Silicon Chip publishes a variety of projects, and in January 2013 they published the "Garbage Recycling Reminder" by John Clarke. Jaycar picked it up and now offers a kit, the subject of our review. This kit solves the old but recurring (for some) problem – which bin to put out, and when!
The kit offers a simple way of keeping track of the bin schedule, and is suitable for up to four bins. With a simple user-interface consisting of a button and LED for each bin – once setup the reminder can easily be used by anyone. It allows for weekly, fortnightly and alternate fortnights – which is perfect for almost every council's schedule.
The kit arrives in typical Jaycar fashion:
and includes everything you need, including an enclosure, front panel sticker and battery:
The PCB is well done, and routed nicely to fit inside the enclosure:
Now to get started. The instructions included are a reprint of the magazine article, and as Jaycar have modified the kit a little, their notes and photos are also included. However there isn't anything to worry about.
Assembly is straight-forward, the only annoying thing was the assumption that the constructor will use off-cuts for jumper links. Instead – use your own header pins:
Furthermore, when soldering in the resistors and 1N914 diodes next to the LEDs – leave them floating so you can move them a bit to make way for the LEDs:
This is also a good time to check the buttons line up with the holes drilled into the front panel (a template is included with the instructions):
At this point you can fit the LEDs to the PCB, and carefully match it up with the drilled lid. You are supplied with a red, green, yellow and blue LED – which generally match the bin lid colours from various councils. Screw the PCB into the lid then solder the LEDs in – after double-checking they protrude out of lid. Then insert the battery and make a final test:
If you made it that far, you can apply the sticker included to illustrate the front panel. To save time we cut the sticker up for a minimalist look. However you now need to set-up the jumpers before closing the box up. There is a set of three pins for each bin, and a jumper can bridge the first two or last two pins, or none. If you don't bridge them – that bin is weekly. If you bridge the first two – that bin is fortnightly from the setup day. If you bridge the last two – that bin is fortnightly from the next week, for example:
So you can easily set it up for a weekly bin and an alternating-fortnight pair of bins. Once you've setup the jumpers, screw up the box and you're done.
Once you've set the jumpers up as described earlier, you just need to execute the programming function at the time you want the reminders to start every week. For example, if your weekly collection is 4 AM on a Thursday – do the programming around 5pm Wednesday night – that will then be the time the LEDs start blinking. When you put out the appropriate bin, press the button below the matching bin LED to stop the blinking. You can control the number of bins – so if you only have two bins, only two LEDs will activate. The blinking period is eighteen hours, and you can adjust the start time via the buttons.
How it works
The circuit is based around a Microchip PIC16LF88 and has an incredibly low current draw, around 15 uA when the LEDs aren't blinking. This allows the circuit to run for over two years on the included 3v coin cell battery. The internal clock is kept accurate to around 10 minutes per year using an external 32.768 kHz crystal. After a period of use the battery voltage may drop to a level insufficient to adequately power the LEDs, so each one has a voltage doubler by way of a diode and capacitor – very clever. This ensures LED brightness even with a low battery. For complete details purchase the kit or a copy of the January 2013 edition of Silicon Chip.
Now it sits next to the kettle, waiting for bin night…
Personally I needed this kit, so I'm a little biased towards it. However – it's simple and it works. Kudos to John Clarke for his project. You can purchase it from Jaycar and their resellers, or read more about it in the January 2013 edition of Silicon Chip. Full-sized images available on flickr. This kit was purchased without notifying the supplier.
In the meanwhile have fun and keep checking into tronixstuff.com. Why not follow things on twitter, Google+, subscribe for email updates or RSS using the links on the right-hand column? And join our friendly Google Group – dedicated to the projects and related items on this website. Sign up – it's free, helpful to each other – and we can all learn something.