An international panel of former pilots and government officials has called on the US government to reopen its generation-old UFO investigation as a matter of safety and security given continuing reports about flying discs, glowing spheres and other strange sightings.
MSN’s reluctant expert probed deeper.
It sounded like something out of Apocalypse Now: the scene where a fleet of helicopters thunders over the horizon to the ear-rupturing Ride of the Valkyries. The only difference was no Wagner. When the house started to shake, I – a boisterous seven-year-old at the time – bolted for the front door, leaving mum paralysed with fear at the kitchen sink, bellowing at me to get back in the house.
Skidding to a stop in an arc of gravel on our garden path, I saw it. Filling our driveway (about 15ft across) – its topside level with the roof of our two-storey semi, its underside a few feet off the floor – was what looked for all the earthly world like a huge hot water tank.
Before I go any further, bear in mind it was 1980 and, like I said, I was seven. My career as a rabidly anti-establishment conspiracy theorist had yet to begin; it would be another two years before Steven Spielberg made ET, and discovering the joys of hallucinogenic drugs was still on my list of things to do (still is, as it happens).
But there it was, hovering – with no wings, rotor blades or other visible means of suspension. A vast slate-grey cylinder coated in what looked like the inside of a non-stick saucepan, filament-fine aerials poking out of it in various places, and dotted all over with small, square flashing lights.
I turned to scream at mum, who had regained the use of her legs and was propelling herself at impressive speed towards me, and when I looked back it had gone. No noise. No vibrations. No nothing (and no, I’m not insane: I have the psychiatric assessment, taken shortly afterwards, to prove it).
We are not alone... are we?
That same month, a triangular-shaped flying machine with strange markings was sighted near the former US air base at RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, a few miles from where we lived at the time. It wasn’t reported by a fanciful seven-year-old, an X Files obsessive or even a mescaline-addled maniac. It was reported by a US Air Force pilot – who this week relived his experience in front of an international panel of retired pilots and aviation officials currently urging the US government to reopen its investigation into UFOs. And they can’t all be smoking crack.
"Nothing in my training prepared me for what we were witnessing," James Penniston told them. The UFO, with "blue and yellow lights swirling around the exterior", was "warm to the touch and felt like metal", he said. Finally, "it shot off at an unbelievable speed" in front of 80 witnesses. "In my log book, I wrote 'speed: impossible'.” The case became known as the English Roswell – a reference to the discovery of alleged UFO parts in New Mexico in 1948.
Project Blue Book
Risking ridicule (or worse), the panel is putting pressure on the Bush administration to reopen Project Blue Book, the US Air Force inquiry into 12,500 reports of extra-terrestrial aircraft, which was abandoned in 1969 as a waste of time. Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic have long maintained these sightings are caused by natural phenomena such as meteors, but the panel insists alien spacecraft are “not going to go away” and wants to prevent officialdom from “perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms.”
One thing is for certain: unexplained sightings are in plentiful supply. A few weeks ago, one of the Democratic presidential hopefuls sparked fresh talk about flying saucers in the US when he claimed, during a TV interview, that he’d seen one. Dennis Kucinich isn’t the only prominent American politician to have had a close encounter: two former presidents, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, both spoke early in their careers of having seen UFOs.
They’re here
The UK is also popular with extra-terrestrial tourists, apparently. In June of this year, one of the largest UFOs ever seen was observed by the crew and passengers of an airliner over the Channel Islands, prompting an official near-miss report.
Aurigny Airlines captain Ray Bowyer, flying close to Alderney, first spotted the object, which he described as "a cigar-shaped brilliant white light". As the plane got closer, he viewed it through binoculars. "It was a very sharp, thin yellow object with a green area,” he said. "It was 2,000ft up and stationary. I thought it was about 10 miles away, although I later realised it was approximately 40 miles from us. At first, I thought it was the size of a 737. But it must have been much bigger because of how far away it was. It could have been as much as a mile wide."
Stunned stargazers
A month later, a crowd of 100 stunned stargazers brought Stratford-upon-Avon to a standstill when five mysterious objects were spotted hovering in the sky. Drinkers spilled out of pubs, motorists stopped to gawp and camera phones were aimed upwards as the five orbs, apparently in formation, hovered above their heads for half an hour – moving with extraordinary speed and agility.
Just two days ago, a young Sunderland mum trying to rock her baby back to sleep in the early hours paused to look out of the window and spotted a strange light in the sky. “It was like nothing I had ever seen,” she said. “It was bouncing around and there were different coloured bright lights coming from it.” She captured what she was witnessing – a full 10 minutes of it – using the video function on her mobile phone.
A conspiracy?
But what of the conspiracy theorists? In 2002, self-confessed “bumbling computer nerd” Gary McKinnon was arrested by the UK's national high-tech crime unit after being accused of hacking into Nasa to look for photographic evidence of alien spacecraft. He claims to have uncovered proof that, in building eight of Johnson Space Centre, they regularly airbrush out images of UFOs from high-resolution satellite imaging. America wants to put him on trial and he could face 60 years behind bars. McKinnon has just been granted the right to fight his extradition in the House of Lords.
In the immediate aftermath of the Stratford incident in July, a spokesman for the MoD said: "The MoD does not have any expertise or role in respect of UFOs or flying saucer matters or to the question of the existence of extra terrestrial life forms, about which we remain totally open minded.” Other minds, however, remain not so much closed as firmly welded shut – which, given the fact astronomers recently identified a planet with the potential to harbour life, is even more extraordinary than the notion UFOs exist.
Who do you believe?
Given the vast and ever-increasing expanse of the universe, not to mention the relative infancy of the human race within it, it is supremely arrogant of us to assume we are the only intelligent life forms that exist. Even more arrogant is the assumption discrediting anyone and everyone who claims to have had a close encounter will make this whole messy alien business go away.
"It's a question of who you going to believe: your lying eyes or the government?" once remarked John Callahan, a former Federal Aviation Administration investigator, who said the CIA tried to hush-up the sighting of a huge illuminated ball four times the size of a jumbo jet in Alaska in 1987. You’ll forgive me if I have more faith in my 20/20 vision than I do in any elected representative.
An opinion piece by Laura J Snook, MSN UK News EditorNovember 14, 2007
Should the UFO probe be reopened? Join the debate on our message boards.
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Book Club Choices ~ St Yrieix
Book Club Choices for 2008
February ~ “The Zahir” by Paulo Coelho
March ~ “Great Apes” by Will Self
April ~ “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
May ~ “The Time traveller’s wife” by Audrey Niffenegger
June ~ “We need to talk about Kevin” by Lionel Shriver
July ~ “Atonement” by Ian McEwan
August ~ “Firelight and Woodsmoke” by Claude Michelet
September ~ “Last King of Scotland” by Giles Foden
October ~ “Never Let me go” by Kazuo Ishiguru
November ~ “Grasshopper” by Barbara Vine
December ~ “A Piano in the Pyrennes” by David Hawkes
And not a book of poetry amongst them. Next time perhaps.................
February ~ “The Zahir” by Paulo Coelho
March ~ “Great Apes” by Will Self
April ~ “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini
May ~ “The Time traveller’s wife” by Audrey Niffenegger
June ~ “We need to talk about Kevin” by Lionel Shriver
July ~ “Atonement” by Ian McEwan
August ~ “Firelight and Woodsmoke” by Claude Michelet
September ~ “Last King of Scotland” by Giles Foden
October ~ “Never Let me go” by Kazuo Ishiguru
November ~ “Grasshopper” by Barbara Vine
December ~ “A Piano in the Pyrennes” by David Hawkes
And not a book of poetry amongst them. Next time perhaps.................
Monday, 31 December 2007
Gwyn Thomas....in the footsteps of Gwyneth Lewis
Wales' new national poet is named A professor of Welsh from Bangor University has been named as the man to follow in the footsteps of Wales's first national poet.
Gwyn Thomas will take over from Gwyneth Lewis, who wrote the inscription on the front of the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
The poet, writer and academic said he would use the role to draw attention to the work of Welsh poets.
He said: "It's an enormous privilege, but it will also mean a lot of work."
The national poet holds the role for one year, with their works in English or Welsh read at ceremonial and official occasions.
Gwyneth Lewis became the first national poet in 2005.
Her successor, Prof Thomas, was born in 1936 at Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and is now the Emeritus Professor of Welsh at the University of Wales, Bangor.
The first term under Gwyneth Lewis was extremely successful and it helped to raise the status of poetry in Wales Peter Finch, Academi chief executive
Prof Thomas has published 16 volumes of poetry, several volumes of work as a literary and cultural critic and has also translated the Mabinogion into English.
Prof Thomas is also involved with the film industry in Wales, and has helped pioneer techniques to combine poetry and film.
He said: "I would like to see the media give only five minutes a week on the radio, or television for poets to read their work.
"Listening to the one who has written the words reading them is more worthwhile than an actor or recitor saying them," he added.
Prof Thomas said he hopes to "draw attention to the poets of Wales and their work, and try to show that poetry is a unique medium to respond to the world in which we live".
The national poet role is administered by Academi, the Welsh writing body.
Peter Finch, Academi's Chief Executive, said: "The first term under Gwyneth Lewis was extremely successful and it helped to raise the status of poetry in Wales.
"I would like to congratulate Gwyn Thomas for the appointment and we look forward another successful year."
As national poet, Prof Thomas will be reading and discussing his work in public, as well as writing poems for significant national events and occasions.
He will be "in conversation" with his predecessor Gwyneth Lewis at the Lloyd George Museum in Llanystumdwy on 27 July.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/5161364.stmPublished: 2006/07/08 15:43:27 GMT© BBC MMVII
Gwyn Thomas will take over from Gwyneth Lewis, who wrote the inscription on the front of the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
The poet, writer and academic said he would use the role to draw attention to the work of Welsh poets.
He said: "It's an enormous privilege, but it will also mean a lot of work."
The national poet holds the role for one year, with their works in English or Welsh read at ceremonial and official occasions.
Gwyneth Lewis became the first national poet in 2005.
Her successor, Prof Thomas, was born in 1936 at Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and is now the Emeritus Professor of Welsh at the University of Wales, Bangor.
The first term under Gwyneth Lewis was extremely successful and it helped to raise the status of poetry in Wales Peter Finch, Academi chief executive
Prof Thomas has published 16 volumes of poetry, several volumes of work as a literary and cultural critic and has also translated the Mabinogion into English.
Prof Thomas is also involved with the film industry in Wales, and has helped pioneer techniques to combine poetry and film.
He said: "I would like to see the media give only five minutes a week on the radio, or television for poets to read their work.
"Listening to the one who has written the words reading them is more worthwhile than an actor or recitor saying them," he added.
Prof Thomas said he hopes to "draw attention to the poets of Wales and their work, and try to show that poetry is a unique medium to respond to the world in which we live".
The national poet role is administered by Academi, the Welsh writing body.
Peter Finch, Academi's Chief Executive, said: "The first term under Gwyneth Lewis was extremely successful and it helped to raise the status of poetry in Wales.
"I would like to congratulate Gwyn Thomas for the appointment and we look forward another successful year."
As national poet, Prof Thomas will be reading and discussing his work in public, as well as writing poems for significant national events and occasions.
He will be "in conversation" with his predecessor Gwyneth Lewis at the Lloyd George Museum in Llanystumdwy on 27 July.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/5161364.stmPublished: 2006/07/08 15:43:27 GMT© BBC MMVII
National Poet for Wales
Sorry I'm a little late in catching up with this. I heard on Radio 4 today a poem from the National poet of Wales. Didn't know there was one!!
She was so good I thought I'd find some information out . Please see the following:
Wales Appoints Its First National Poet Press Release Academi, 30 April, 2005
The United Kingdom has a Poet Laureate. Scotland has its Maker. Most states in the US have state poets. Canada has a Poet Laureate. In the USA there’s a Poet Laureate Consultant.
Now, after a six year campaign, Wales appoints its first National Poet.
Gwyneth Lewis, author of the world’s biggest poem (the Wales Millennium Centre bi-lingual inscription), NESTA fellow (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), author of six books of poems in two languages, a Book of the Year winner, librettist, sailor, and probably Wales’ best known poet since R S Thomas will be inaugurated as our first National Poet at a special 2.30 pm event at the Hay Literature Festival on May 30th this year.
The appointment of the first National Poet of Wales is made possible by direct funding from the Arts Council of Wales. The appointment is for one year with an option to renew for a second and will be administered by Academi, the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers.
Gwyneth Lewis was the unanimous choice for National Poet made by a group advising the Academi at a meeting in Cardiff recently. Members of this group include the National Eisteddfod, the National Library, the Welsh Assembly Government’s Culture committee, the Arts Council of Wales, Yr Gymdeithas Gerdd Dafod, Ty Newydd, the Dylan Thomas Centre, the University of Glamorgan and the Association for the Study of Welsh Writing in English.
Wales has a long tradition of valuing highly its poets with the creation of a Bardd Plant Cymru (a Welsh Children’s Poet) each year and the chairing and crowning of poets at the annual National Eisteddfod. The National Poet, however, will be the first post which will serve Wales on a national basis and do this through both languages.
The National Poet will act as a cultural ambassador for Wales - marking and celebrating our lives through verse. She will take poetry into places it may not normally go in both the public and private area. Unlike England’s Poet Laureate Wales’s national Poet will not be required to write verse for specific formal occasions but will, instead, follow her inspiration. Gwyneth Lewis has already written a poem on Wales’ Grand Slam Victory and an elegy for Gwynfor Evans.
Gwyneth Lewis said: "It's a huge privilege to be representing poetry in Wales, where we have a poetic tradition stretching back to the sixth century and fully present in the twenty-first." Academi Chief Executive Peter Finch, who has long campaigned for the creation of a National Poet said: "I am delighted that poetry in Wales at last has a national champion. Gwyneth Lewis is the perfect choice." Gwyneth Lewis’s inauguration at the Hay festival will be followed by a series of high profile appearances at public events throughout Wales.
website designed & created by
She was so good I thought I'd find some information out . Please see the following:
Wales Appoints Its First National Poet Press Release Academi, 30 April, 2005
The United Kingdom has a Poet Laureate. Scotland has its Maker. Most states in the US have state poets. Canada has a Poet Laureate. In the USA there’s a Poet Laureate Consultant.
Now, after a six year campaign, Wales appoints its first National Poet.
Gwyneth Lewis, author of the world’s biggest poem (the Wales Millennium Centre bi-lingual inscription), NESTA fellow (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), author of six books of poems in two languages, a Book of the Year winner, librettist, sailor, and probably Wales’ best known poet since R S Thomas will be inaugurated as our first National Poet at a special 2.30 pm event at the Hay Literature Festival on May 30th this year.
The appointment of the first National Poet of Wales is made possible by direct funding from the Arts Council of Wales. The appointment is for one year with an option to renew for a second and will be administered by Academi, the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society of Writers.
Gwyneth Lewis was the unanimous choice for National Poet made by a group advising the Academi at a meeting in Cardiff recently. Members of this group include the National Eisteddfod, the National Library, the Welsh Assembly Government’s Culture committee, the Arts Council of Wales, Yr Gymdeithas Gerdd Dafod, Ty Newydd, the Dylan Thomas Centre, the University of Glamorgan and the Association for the Study of Welsh Writing in English.
Wales has a long tradition of valuing highly its poets with the creation of a Bardd Plant Cymru (a Welsh Children’s Poet) each year and the chairing and crowning of poets at the annual National Eisteddfod. The National Poet, however, will be the first post which will serve Wales on a national basis and do this through both languages.
The National Poet will act as a cultural ambassador for Wales - marking and celebrating our lives through verse. She will take poetry into places it may not normally go in both the public and private area. Unlike England’s Poet Laureate Wales’s national Poet will not be required to write verse for specific formal occasions but will, instead, follow her inspiration. Gwyneth Lewis has already written a poem on Wales’ Grand Slam Victory and an elegy for Gwynfor Evans.
Gwyneth Lewis said: "It's a huge privilege to be representing poetry in Wales, where we have a poetic tradition stretching back to the sixth century and fully present in the twenty-first." Academi Chief Executive Peter Finch, who has long campaigned for the creation of a National Poet said: "I am delighted that poetry in Wales at last has a national champion. Gwyneth Lewis is the perfect choice." Gwyneth Lewis’s inauguration at the Hay festival will be followed by a series of high profile appearances at public events throughout Wales.
website designed & created by
Sunday, 30 December 2007
My intentions for 2008 ~ Scary or What?????
Big, Scary & Hairy Intentions for 2008 ~ 1st January 2008 ~ 1st Draft………
Re-work the novel “One death etc” and have in a shape ready for publishing by September 2008.
Take part in "Script Frenzy" in April ~ sign up now ~ 1st Jan. Intention is to produce a stage play on a subject not yet chosen ~ and complete the project aim ie 200 pages of script by end of April 2008.
Work on “The Mangle” ~ an outline of a novel on my mother and father and based around an art exhibition.Possible entry for NaNOWriMo 2008.
Work on Blog sites with more regularity this year. Drop first experimental site and regroup around “Blogger”. Discuss with Jules. Discuss before end of January with Will/Wendy the prospect of a blog through French Entree.
Work up the poetry I have and produce a Book ready to give to members of the family & friends. Based on places I’ve lived and persons I’ve known.~ “Personal Places”.
Goddard/Smallman/Taylor/Dudley/Meredith Family Tree ~ get others involved eg Peter, David, Adrian, etc in developing and sharpening what I already have on line in “Find my Past”.Complete research by December 2008.
I have slimmed down from 15 stone 4 pounds to 14 stone 7 pounds. I aim to lose another 1 stone by end of February 2008 through diet and exrcise ie walking & garden work.
Aim to sell house in France by September 2008. Decide on next location prior to this ~ but I would support Carol’s idea of a trip to USA/Canada and then our final move to a location that is ideal for us both in the UK with something small in France.......or the other way round?????
Bear in mind if we return to UK the need to secure a place on a degree copurse in Art. Eg University College of Wales, Carmarthen.
For this year only ~ Better start taking seriously the learning of French ~ incremental improvements each month. Produce a schedule [ See elsewhere] to support this. Aim for an “intermediary” level by the Summer.
Work on my sketchbooks ~ in readiness for Art School. Produce 5 new sketchbooks based on our experiences in France ~ called “The French Interlude” by August, 2008.
Support all the children & grandchildren as needs arise.
Be particularly supportive of Catherine & Angharad in their pregnancies.
Return to UK to see baby in March, 2008.
Check all our cameras to see what is working by mid January and use as part of sketchbook work after that.
Keep my beard well into the Spring 2008
Simplify our lives by selling/giving to charity those items which clutter our house and our lives.
Maintain & develop our friendships in France & UK..
Finish “Desrt Island Disc” Choices And record the programme.
Work for a successful launch of Connect FF and step down in April 2008.
Work for the success of the St Yrieix Book Club and read at least 12 books this yeat ~ 2008.
Support Carol's aims for 2008.
Vernon Goddard
Re-work the novel “One death etc” and have in a shape ready for publishing by September 2008.
Take part in "Script Frenzy" in April ~ sign up now ~ 1st Jan. Intention is to produce a stage play on a subject not yet chosen ~ and complete the project aim ie 200 pages of script by end of April 2008.
Work on “The Mangle” ~ an outline of a novel on my mother and father and based around an art exhibition.Possible entry for NaNOWriMo 2008.
Work on Blog sites with more regularity this year. Drop first experimental site and regroup around “Blogger”. Discuss with Jules. Discuss before end of January with Will/Wendy the prospect of a blog through French Entree.
Work up the poetry I have and produce a Book ready to give to members of the family & friends. Based on places I’ve lived and persons I’ve known.~ “Personal Places”.
Goddard/Smallman/Taylor/Dudley/Meredith Family Tree ~ get others involved eg Peter, David, Adrian, etc in developing and sharpening what I already have on line in “Find my Past”.Complete research by December 2008.
I have slimmed down from 15 stone 4 pounds to 14 stone 7 pounds. I aim to lose another 1 stone by end of February 2008 through diet and exrcise ie walking & garden work.
Aim to sell house in France by September 2008. Decide on next location prior to this ~ but I would support Carol’s idea of a trip to USA/Canada and then our final move to a location that is ideal for us both in the UK with something small in France.......or the other way round?????
Bear in mind if we return to UK the need to secure a place on a degree copurse in Art. Eg University College of Wales, Carmarthen.
For this year only ~ Better start taking seriously the learning of French ~ incremental improvements each month. Produce a schedule [ See elsewhere] to support this. Aim for an “intermediary” level by the Summer.
Work on my sketchbooks ~ in readiness for Art School. Produce 5 new sketchbooks based on our experiences in France ~ called “The French Interlude” by August, 2008.
Support all the children & grandchildren as needs arise.
Be particularly supportive of Catherine & Angharad in their pregnancies.
Return to UK to see baby in March, 2008.
Check all our cameras to see what is working by mid January and use as part of sketchbook work after that.
Keep my beard well into the Spring 2008
Simplify our lives by selling/giving to charity those items which clutter our house and our lives.
Maintain & develop our friendships in France & UK..
Finish “Desrt Island Disc” Choices And record the programme.
Work for a successful launch of Connect FF and step down in April 2008.
Work for the success of the St Yrieix Book Club and read at least 12 books this yeat ~ 2008.
Support Carol's aims for 2008.
Vernon Goddard
Monday, 24 December 2007
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Word Count Widgets | National Novel Writing Month
Word Count Widgets National Novel Writing Month: "
"
Well I've got this far. Now at 48,000 words and counting. Novel now has some shape to it and a little characterisation, but is mostly outline and story only.
"Well I've got this far. Now at 48,000 words and counting. Novel now has some shape to it and a little characterisation, but is mostly outline and story only.
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