Punch hole clouds

Awesome pics of high-cloud-strangeness at DARK ROASTED BLEND.

Seeing faces

I went to profile rock two weeks ago. It wasn't a planned investigation. On the contrary, I was visiting my best friend in Fall River and happened to see signs w/ a very distinguished Native American profile everywhere. Then I saw the sign pointing the way, so while my best friend spent a good hour arguing with T-mobile about a mistake on her phone bill, I saw profile rock.
When I made it to the top of the hill overlooking the rock I was awestruck. Maybe a tad gobsmacked. My heart palpated in my chest and I was overwhelmed by the awesome. So what did I do? Being the adventurer I WISH I was, I got a closer look. I found a stone staircase leading down the hill and so I went on down and close to what became a hill of rocks, broken and graffiti'd and eventually gave way to the true profile of the rock. It wasn't the regal one used to advertise all the businesses in the area. On the contrary, that profile is an illusion. Broken rocks jutting out left and right make it look that way.

But still, there is a profile. Only it resembles a Maya and not a Native American.

I saw a long sloping forehead and a flat nose. But then again, you can see faces in anything, so I have no idea if what I was looking at was carved or made by mother nature as the rocks crumbled. All I do know is that I loved being there and seeing it and I can't wait to see something crazier or stranger or far more mysterious in the near future.

Mac Tonnies Interview w/ Richard Thomas

Mac Tonnies IS a meme all his own.

Stanton Friedman @ BOA

It's one BoA's proudest traditions, the 4th annual BoA:Audio Holiday Special featuring the "Father of Modern Day Ufology" Stanton Friedman. Coming on the heels of the publication of his self-proclaimed "magnus opus," Flying Saucers and Science, we discuss a number of elements to the new tome. We find out about Project Blue Book Special Report # 13, the mysterious "lost" Blue Book text, Stan's relationships and thoughts on legendary Ufologists James E. McDonald & J. Allen Hynek, his "feud" with Isaac Asimov, the crash of the nuclear rocket industry, plus big picture analysis like how to solve Ufology's public relations problems and Stan's thoughts on the state of Roswell in relation to mainstream media & science acceptance.

On top of all that, in the 2nd half of the program, we turn the questioning over to the members of the official BoA forum theusofe.com who had their chance to ask Friedman one question each. Via their contributions, we'll find out about his thoughts on the connection between UFOs & altered consciousness, his disagreements with Kevin Randle on Roswell, Ufology in a post-disclosure world, getting the media interested in UFOs, his opinion on what is the best abduction case ever, his feud with Paul Kimball, sabermetrics in baseball, the alleged 1969 Sverdlovsky UFO crash, why he doesn't subscribe to the Corso version of Roswell, the journal article 'Sovereignty and the UFO', Project Blue Book Special Report #14, and where the US would be in space if it kept going to the moon.

The Solstice at Newgrange

Maybe it's just me, but why's this picture look like there's a boy in it, with his head bowed down? I need some coffee.

Top Ten Astronomy pics of 2008

The pics of the universe are so dang beautiful. I wish I could just float among the stars forever and forever...or just stand over the earth, like Superman, only I'd be Superwoman...and I'd be cuter.

Understand Dark Matter

The vastness and darkness of space has always intrigued me. I don't know what it is about DARK MATTER that just causes one to stop and think about just how much about the universe we don't know...and never will.

He Built Himself An Electric Barbarella!

Gian Quasar @ BOA

In our first two-part episode of Season IV, BoA:Audio heads to previously uncharted waters (on our program) and an area of mystery once huge in esoterica but now relegated to the peripheral ... the Bermuda Triangle. Our guest is Gian Quasar, author of the outstanding book Into the Bermuda Triangle.

In this, our first installment of the interview, we'll discuss the history of the Triangle, both as a phenomenon and as an enigma of public interest. We'll also discuss some of the most famous (and infamous) Triangle disappearances, like the Carol A. Doerring case, Flight 19, Christopher Columbus' Triangle experiences, the Ellen Austin story, the tale of the USS Cyclops, and many others. In Part One, we'll also cover the government's take on the Triangle, Gian's arguments against the various Triangle explanations put forth by debunkers, and disappearance flaps in the Triangle, including the "December Hex."

It's a richly detailed edition of the program unearthing one of esoterica's "lost" mysteries: the Bermuda Triangle.

Full Preview: We kick things off with the standard bio/background of Gian Quasar and how he got interested in the Bermuda Triangle. Following that, Gian gives us a thumbnail definition of what the Bermuda Triangle is, for those folks living under a rock somewhere. Then we find out if Gian has ever ventured into the infamous Triangle. Based on Gian's exhaustive research, we learn what the general average is for missing planes and boats per year and he tells us about disappearance flaps in the Triangle, such as in 1978/79. He also enlightens us as to how the disappearance rate has changed quite a bit in the last year or so and what that seems to be the case. We also find out if there are any other significant trends with Triangle disappearances and Gian tells us about the "December Hex."

Beginning to look more closely at the Triangle disappearances, we first talk about how many of those that go missing are seasoned pilots & seamen, which flies in the face of popular claim of human error as the cause of Triangle vanishings. Next we talk about the changing shape of the Triangle and how it is more amorphous than the generally held public perception of a "triangle."

We then discuss the evolution of the Bermuda Triangle as a pillar of the esoteric community, beginning with its introduction to the scene, the explosion in popularity of the Triangle, and then the post-70's "deep freeze" where the phenomena seemed to vanish from the the public eye. Gian speculates on what elements may have caused the "Triangle fever" of the 1970's.

Looking at disappearances in the Triangle, Gian tells us about any patterns that might be found and he described both "standard disappearances" and "bizarre disappearances." Gian shares some of the more truly strange aircraft disappearances attributed to the Triangle. He also points out one key aspect of BT disappeances: the lack of any signal from emergency devices used to locate missing ships and planes. This segues into Gian speculating on just why it is that the Bermuda Triangle seems to resonate with people, at times moreso than the more popular mysteries like Bigfoot or UFOs.

Following that we discuss another odd layer to the BT mystery: derelict (or abandoned) ships that turn up in the Triangle. He recalls one such famous case, The Carol A. Doerring case. He also tells us about a couple of amazing stories of derelict planes that may have been Triangle-related as well.

Looking at famous and noteworthy plane disappearances in the Triangle, we first talk about a May 27th, 1962 plane vanishing which saw the only wreckage found to be a nosewheel of the plane with bizarre characteristics. Then we talk about perhaps the most famous of all Bermuda Triangle flight disappearances: the vanishing of Flight 19. This leads to another interesting element of some flight disappearances: the fact that some make radio communications to land, though hours after the planes should have run out of fuel. Before we move on to the missing boats, Gian explains why it is easier to document missing planes rather than missing ships.

Moving on, we look at the oceanic elements to the Triangle. We start with the Sargasso Sea, a truly bizarre element to the waters of the Triangle. Next, we look way back in history at the strange events that befell Christopher Columbus' voyage through the Triangle. Following that, Gian recounts the infamous case of the Ellen Austin, which was reported to be a derelict ship discovered, recapitulated, and then mysteriously abandoned again. We also take a thorough look at perhaps the most infamous missing ship case in the Triangle: the USS Cyclops. Gian explains why he thinks there were more human elements at work behind the Cyclops disappearance, rather than attributing it to the Triangle itself. Lastly, we look at cases of submarines that have gone missing in the Triangle.

We then briefly talk about divers that go missing in the Triangle and whether or not they may have fallen victim to "rapture of the deep." Gian then talks about one of the roadblocks to Bermuda Triangle research: the difficulty in establishing a boat "disappearance." Looking at the big picture of Bermuda Triangle disappearances, Gian estimates how many planes and boats he has documented disappearing in the area since WWII and the number is staggering. He also explains why it is harder to get information on pre-WWII cases and why there are so few flight cases before WWII.

We find out what, if any, the government's official stance is on the Triangle, especially in light of so many planes disappearing there during WWII and beyond. Gian also details how he played a part in changing the government's official statement on the Triangle, which had grown horribly outdated over the last few decades. We then find out how extensive the investigations were into the Triangle during the boom of the 1970's. We also learn what these investigations uncovered about the Triangle.

Following that, we talk about Lawrence Kusch's infamous book Bermuda Triangle: Mystery Solved and Gian explains the weakness of that work and why the title is highly misleading. Looking at another tact taken by skeptics of the Triangle, Gian argues against the theories surrounding methane gas as the cause of disappearances.

Wrapping up Part One, we look at plane disappearances and radar, we talk about how the actual time it takes for the plane to disappear is seen to be very fast, usually within seconds. Gian contrasts a plane disappearing in the Triangle to a plane crashing as far as how they appear on radar.


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Gian Quasar Bio
Gian Quasar is recognized as the leading authority in the world on the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, the man responsible for taking the subject out of the haze of two decades of debunker driven obscurity and placing it in its actual and often disturbing light. He is the first person to completely document the Bermuda Triangle, incident by incident. His research began over 15 years ago, and he has compiled the largest private repository of reports and official maritime documents, containing over 350 cases spanning over 2 centuries. Over 150 of these have been disappearances which have happened in the last 25 years.

Gian’s tenacity in finding every scrap available has gained him popular recognition as Generation X’s number 1 investigator of the most famous phenomena topics long established by the 1970s, uncovering them for an entirely new generation, but now with actual documentation instead of the endless hype and hyperbole of their public marketing. He presents them as all facts must be presented: in a mature and objective manner.

His website is bermuda-triangle.org

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Next Week :

Gian Quasar PART 2!!!