2014 International UFO Congress

This is a bit late since I’ve been on the road, but here’s a quick wrap-up of this year’s International UFO Congress held in Phoenix.

The conference ran over Valentine’s weekend, bit of a strange choice, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind.  The hard working folks at Open Minds once again did an excellent job and things ran smoothly despite a couple of late speaker cancellations.  This year’s presenters included Stephen Bassett, Ted Peters, Kewaunee Lapseritis, Rob Simone, Aaron Sagers and a host of others.

A few of the lecture highlights included:

David Marler discussing his book “Triangular UFOs: An Estimate of the Situation.”  Marler showed just how far back sightings of triangular UFOs can be traced, countering the skeptical argument that such craft are merely modern military planes.

Jaime Maussan was on hand to present video clips and information gathered while working as a journalist and TV host in Mexico.  Maussan is always a big hit and it’s nice to have an international perspective. 

Mike Clelland’s lecture, “Owls, Synchronicity and the UFO Abductee,” caught a lot of attention from the audience.  Mike shared stories from his personal experiences as well as tales sent to him through his exploration into the strange connection between owls and unidentified aerial objects. 

British researcher Timothy Good was on hand discussing his new book; “Earth: An Alien Enterprise.”  Good is known to many in the field for his classic “Above Top Secret” as well as several other UFO titles.  Good hasn’t made many recent appearances so it was nice to see him at the Congress

George Noory presented a special Q&A session.  Noory never fails to capture the crowd’s attention with his humor and anecdotes from his years hosting Coast to Coast AM.

The EBE awards were presented following the Saturday night banquet.  Stephen Bassett was awarded the “Researcher of the Year” for his work with the Citizen’s Hearings on Disclosure.  Bassett, head of the Paradigm Research Group, is a hard working advocate for disclosure and the award is well deserved.

This year’s lifetime achievement award was given to Dr. Bruce Maccabee.  Maccabee has been active in UFOlogy since the late 1960s and has investigated countless cases including the Gulf Breeze Sightings and the Phoenix Lights.  He is an author and has appeared in numerous UFO related documentaries and shows.

Unfortunately, due to health concerns, Maccabee was not able to be on hand to accept the award and instead, a video recording was played of his acceptance.

The year’s film awards were wrapped up solidly by L.A. Marzulli and Richard Shaw who won both the People’s Choice award and the Best feature film award for their outstanding work on Watchers 7: Physical Evidence.

All in all, another successful conference and as always, it’s nice to catch up with old friends and make new connections. 

Links:

International UFO Congress:  http://ufocongress.com/

Watchers 7:  http://lamarzulli.net/

Patterson-Gimlin Filmsite

 

Daniel Perez, editor of the Bigfoot Times newsletter, has produced a cool, fold-out postcard of the Patterson-Gimlin filmsite. The card features five different images of the famous location, showing how it has changed over the years. Beginning in 1968 and ending in 2012.

The limited edition foldout is only $5.50 postpaid. These won’t last so snag a copy while you can. Contact Daniel at: perez952@sbcglobal.net

Or, go to the Bigfoot Times website:

http://www.bigfoottimes.net/

Attenborough & the Yeti

English Naturalist Sir David Attenborough has recently added his voice to those that believe in the existence of the Himalayan Yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman.
Attenborough’s career in natural history and broadcasting has spanned over sixty years. He is most well known for his series “Life”. Considered a national treasure in Britain, Attenborough has produced countless wildlife documentaries and is currently working on the series, “David Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities.”

Attenborough’s comments on the Yeti occurred during a recent UKTV interview.

“I believe the Abominable Snowman may be real. I think there may be something in that” he stated.
Attenborough went on to discuss fossils discovered in the 1930s that support the existence of a large ape in the region.

“A fossil was found with these huge molars that were four or five times the size of human molars. They had to be the molars of a large ape, one that was huge, about 10 or 12 feet tall. It was immense.”
And it is not impossible that it might exist. If you have walked the Himalayas there are these immense forests that go on for hundreds of square miles which could hold the Yeti. If there are some still alive and you walked near their habitat you can bet that these creatures may be aware of you, but you wouldn’t be aware of them.”

Natives in Nepal and Tibet have long told tales of the Yeti, a large, bipedal creature similar to the American Sasquatch. Often depicted as a beast covered in white fur, the nickname ‘Abominable Snowman’ was coined during an Everest expedition in the 1920s.

A number of expeditions have been launched in the past to search for the creature but the rugged terrain makes for a challenging quest. Still, footprints and the aforementioned fossils make for compelling possibilities that something unknown dwells in the high Himalayas.

Florida's Invasive Snakes

      

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials report that engineers working in the Everglades this month discovered a Burmese python measuring 18 feet, 2 inches. It’s almost a state record but that was set last year when a python measuring 18 feet, 8 inches was discovered.

The almost 19 foot record holder was spotted crossing a highway by Florida resident Jason Leon. Leon leapt out of his vehicle, grabbed the snake, and dragged it into the middle of the road. The python attempted to wrap around the man’s legs at which point Leon pulled out a knife and killed the monstrous 128 pound snake.

The Burmese python is one of the largest constrictors in the world and is one of the most troubling invasive species roaming southern Florida. In their native habitat of Southeast Asia, the snakes can reach lengths of over 20 feet.

Wildlife officers blame the invasion on exotic pet owners who dump snakes in the glades when the animals become too big to manage. The environment in southern Florida is suitable for the constrictors and the population has thrived. Officials now believe that the python population has grown to as many as 150,000 snakes in the Everglades.

In 2013, the state launched a “Python Challenge” which encouraged registered participants to capture as many pythons as they could. The challenge began on January 12th and ended February 10th. Participants were allowed to operate in ten state wildlife management areas in the Everglades. Cash prizes were awarded to those who captured the largest number of snakes and those who captured the longest constrictors. In total, 68 pythons were captured during the challenge.

Pythons aren’t the only invasive snake in the Everglades. In fact, the world’s largest snake has also made its way to Florida and it may be an even bigger problem than the invading pythons.

The biggest, heaviest snake in the world, the Anaconda, has also been discovered in the sunshine state. The anaconda is a native of South America and, like the python, is a non-venomous constrictor.
Unlike pythons however, anacondas are found in the water as much as on land making them even harder to locate.


Reports have begun to surface of massive anacondas being spotted by people fishing in the Everglades. If the stories are even halfway accurate, there may well be a breeding population of invasive anacondas prowling the waters of the glades. The Everglades is expansive and covers an area of 734 square miles. Few people venture deep into the glades, so it would certainly be possible for such a large species of snake to thrive there without attracting much attention. But could they be as massive as some witness claim or is it all a fisherman’s tale? Giant snake legends can be found in many parts of the world and Florida’s Everglades is certainly a prime spot for one to exist.

In the meantime, Florida Fish and Wildlife has been concerned enough about the anaconda to include descriptions of it in the study guide given out during the 2013 python challenge.
Invasive snakes are having a devastating effect on native wildlife in the region. While the 2013 Python Challenge helped, it has not eliminated the problem of the growing population of constrictors.


 

Grey Ghost Paracon

This year I’m honored to be a speaker at the Grey Ghost Paracon in San Francisco, CA.  The convention will be held February 21-22 aboard the historic USS Hornet docked in the San Francisco bay.

This year’s conference features a UFO theme and there’s a great lineup of speakers.  Guests include Bill Murphy and Ben Hansen from SyFy’s Fact or Faked, makeup master Roy Wooley, Ruben Uriate-MUFON’s Northern CA director, and lots more.

DJ Kos kicks things off Friday night with a pre-party and Saturday is packed with lectures.  There’s also a UFO skywatch on the deck of the ship and a chance to investigate the haunted Hornet on Saturday night.

Proceeds go to benefit the Hornet museum so it’s a great time for a good cause.  Limited tickets are still available, full details at the Paracon’s website:

http://www.greyghostparacon.com/#

 

 

 

Paranormal Plus Lecture

Paranormal Podcaster Jim Harold has been bringing the public quality, paranormal themed programming for years.  Recently, he created a ‘plus club’ to feature exclusive content.  There’s a members only forum, newsletter and access to past programs.  What’s really cool though is that Jim uses the plus club to bring conference quality lectures to members.  The presentations are all virtual so it’s a great opportunity for those unable to travel to the big conferences to hear speakers lecture on a variety of topics.

Jim asked me to bring a presentation to his members featuring material from by books, Black Eyed Children and Strange Intruders.  Part one was last month and featured the black eyed kids.  Next week, I’ll be presenting part two covering some other strange beings that populate the paranormal world.

Plus club members can of course still listen in to the first part in the archive section of Jim’s website.  Check out the site below for all the details.

http://jimharold.net/

Lizard Man Reviewed

A lot of cryptozoology books have come out in the past couple of years but I’m always pleased to have my hands on a new book by author and cryptozoologist Lyle Blackburn.

Blackburn is the author of the wildly successful book, “The Beast of Boggy Creek: The True Story of the Fouke Monster.” In this, his second outing, he offers us a peek into the true story of another legendary monster; The Lizard Man.

Reports of the Lizard Man began to surface in the late 1980s in the small town of Bishopville, South Carolina. Residents believed that the bipedal, lizard like creature was dwelling in nearby Scape Ore Swamp. Over several years there were numerous sightings of the creature. Some of the reports were quite bizarre and included the mauling of a Ford LTD and an assault on a teenager who was in Scape Ore swamp.
The reports were so compelling that local sheriff Liston Truesdale, launched an official investigation.

The atmosphere in Bishopville became carnival like. Radio station WCOS-FM offered a million dollar prize for anyone who could bring the creature in. The CBS evening news interviewed Truesdale about the incidents and those who had reported seeing the Lizard Man became virtual celebrities signing autographs and posing for pictures.
In the midst of the media blitz and monster hunting, the Lizard Man became almost a joke, a kitchy character useful for selling t-shirts and buttons and garnering attention for the small town of Bishopville. After so many years, we were left to wonder, what really happened in Bishopville?

Thankfully, Lyle Blackburn turned his attention to the legend of the monster of Scape Ore swamp and dug into the real story. Just as he did with the Legend of Boggy Creek, Blackburn gets to the roots of the Lizard Man reports, interviewing witnesses, going to the locations and generally leaving no stone unturned. It is in fact, Lyle’s trekking through the Lizard Man’s territory that gives the book its driving energy creating a page turner that any mystery novelist would be jealous of. Reading Blackburn’s book, it’s easy to imagine yourself in the swampy south, wondering what mysteries lurk in the muck.

While the Lizard Man was obviously never captured, Blackburn gives us a clear picture from which we can perhaps draw our own conclusions to some degree. Blackburn cuts through much of the nonsense spread over the years regarding the Lizard Man sightings to clarify for us exactly what the witnesses reported about their encounters. Were these people really reporting a bipedal lizard or was something else going on? Additionally, he provides a section that explores some of the possible explanations to explain the Lizard Man sightings. Is there really a bipedal reptile roaming the South Carolina swamp? Was it a mutated, Bigfoot like creature? Or, was the whole thing a grand hoax? Fortunately, through his excellent writing, Lyle takes us all along on his journey to find answers to the mystery of South Carolina’s most notable cryptid.

I highly recommend you check out Lyle’s book for an entertaining journey to discover the story behind the Bishopville Monster.

Lizard Man the True Story of the Bishopville Monster is available from Amazon and the author’s website:

http://www.lyleblackburn.com/

The DreamNet Project

Can you dream your way to success?

Recent studies by Daniel Erlacher, sleep researcher at the University of Bern in Switzerland, have found that lucid dreaming can improve athletic abilities.  His recent studies on the effects of lucid dreaming on performance have also found that musicians can make significant advances in their skills by learning to practice while sleeping.

This may sound a bit silly to some people but the ideas put forth in the 2010 box office hit, Inception, may not be as farfetched as you may imagine.  Lucid dreaming is far from a modern fad.  Ancient cultures have long worked with various methods to achieve success by working with various dream states.  In fact, working with dreams is a vital part of shamanic traditions in numerous native cultures around the world.  Whether it’s the dreamtime of the Australian Aboriginals or the shared dreaming of the Guaranis of Paraguay, the shamanic approach to dream work is a vital part of many tribal peoples. 

It’s not just about athletic performance though.  People can use dream techniques to improve health, obtain psychic information and to find answers to modern problems.

Of course, the technique of lucid dreaming takes a lot of time and practice to master.  Even Erlacher, who has been working with individuals in a laboratory setting has only achieved about a 50% success rate in teaching people to lucid dream.

Now, along comes Bill Murphy, scientist and paranormal investigator.  Bill has spent a lot of time researching the nature of consciousness and in particular, the nature of self awareness while dreaming.  Bill’s explorations have led him to explore lucid dreaming and how modern technology can affect it.  Pushing the boundaries of his research, Murphy has teamed up with Michael Paul Coder of lucidcode to bring us DreamNet, the programmable lucid dreaming headband.  The DreamNet device is a revolutionary approach to jump start your way into the lucid dreaming process.

I won’t try to explain the full approach here; rather, I encourage you to check out the website below for full details.

The DreamNet Kickstarter campaign winds down in just a couple of weeks but you still have time.  Check out the link below, it’s a great project to support and if you’re interested in the potential of lucid dreaming, you can get in on the ground floor of this fascinating technology.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/525556006/dreamnet-the-programmable-lucid-dreaming-headband

 

Orang-Pendek Evidence

It’s long been rumored that remote areas of Sumatra may be home to an ape like creature locals call the “Orang Pendek” Indonesian for “short person.”

The creature is described as bipedal, between two and five feet in height and covered in short fur. Colors vary among the accounts but grey, brown and reddish brown are common. Reports indicate that the creatures are ground dwelling but they have also been seen in trees.

The Orang Pendek has been reported for over a hundred years by local tribes, villagers and western colonists alike. The primary location of sightings is the Bukit Barisan mountain range, an area of primal rainforest just two degrees south of the equator.

According to a recent report from blogger Robert Lindsay, scientist may already have definitive proof of the creature’s existence. Lindsay’s post states in part:

“The data has already been prepared for some time, and the scientists are certain that they have proof that the creature exists. They have known about it since 1996 but have possibly been sitting on the data for unknown reasons, or maybe they have been gathering more information. Apparently at least one dead specimen exists. The scientist told me that he had seen three photos of a dead specimen of the creature.
He said it was the shape of a Bonobo but the size of a gibbon and described it as “terrestrial,” meaning it lives on land. This sounds approximately like the description of the Orang Pendek. Unfortunately, they have no plans to publish their data documenting this species until 2016, and it would still need to go through peer review. The scientist was not sure exactly what the scientists thought it was, and seemed to be uncertain whether it was in the Pongoid or Homo line. After all, Homo are greater apes also. Anyway, he seemed to be referring to the Orang Pendek as there are no cryptic greater apes in the region other than this.”

The Orang Pendek is likely an undiscovered species of orangutan and the continued intrusion of humans into the remote mountains of Sumatra make its discovery probable. If the report from Lindsay is accurate, it’s exciting to know that scientist have definitive proof of the animal’s existence. It’s disappointing however that they are choosing to withhold the evidence.

The Orang Pekdek was the subject of an excellent book from cryptozoologist Richard Freeman. (Published in 2011 by CFZ press) The best overall study of the cryptid, it’s highly recommended for anyone interested in the field. Freeman journeyed to Sumatra a number of times to collect information first hand.

Lindsay’s full posting can be read here:
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/bigfoot-news-october-12-2013/