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News Briefs 20-03-2006

I’ve plumbed the depths of my exhausted brain to bring you a mish-mash of news and information. I hit bottom pretty quickly.

  • Paid volunteers in a UK drug trial have suffered life-threatening effects, one victim expected to remain in a coma indefinitely.
  • An investigation by New Scientist suggests a catastrophic over-stimulation of the immune system may have caused the horrific reactions.
  • In an odd opinion piece, the UFO Iconoclast(s) think alien abductors are elitists who only probe the lower classes. Yeah, but they give me a lollipop.
  • NASA plans to send a manned mission to the dark side of the moon. I guess they’re trying to shake their harmless nice-guy image.
  • The best map ever made of the early universe has been revealed. Don’t panic.
  • Will the asteroid 99942 Apophis collide with Earth in 2029? Or will it hit the NASA spacecraft on its way to the dark side of the moon?
  • New evidence suggests that the universe expanded from subatomic to astronomical size in a fraction of a second after its birth.
  • If we could travel to distant stars and planets, could the human body withstand extended exposure to the harsh radiation of outer space?
  • Sun-spawned cosmic storms could be 50 percent stronger in the next 11-year solar cycle than the previous one, say scientists.
  • New analysis says Global Warming is responsible for the dramatic increase of intense hurricanes across the world.
  • Are cosmic rays from the stars causing Global Warming on Earth? Hollywood denies any wrongdoing.
  • Agent Mulder would have a different take on a Russian scientist’s bold theory that the Tunguska event accelerated Global Warming.
  • Could bits of the Earth blasted into space by asteroid impacts have carried life to Saturn’s moon Titan?
  • Evidence of a 3-million-year-old impact crater has been found off the coast of Antarctica.
  • The Pentagon’s defence scientists want to create an army of cyber-insects that can be remotely controlled. Gives a whole new meaning to having ants in your pants.
  • Stanton Friedman is still touring the lecture circuit, talking about nuts and bolts UFOs.
  • If you like your UFOs with a dash of ancient history, try ThothWeb’s article about palaeoufology (my word, I just love the confusion of vowels) and ancient astronauts.
  • A tour of mysterious architecture in Oceania that didn’t make it into Graham Hancock’s Underworld. Ancient Tonga and the lost city of Mua. Speaking of which, remote sensors were recently used to probe Tonga’s ancient tombs.
  • Is there a South American connection to these strange pre-Maori ruins in New Zealand? Fantastic photos in first link.
  • Archaeologists in India discovered a 5000-year-old Harappan city recently.
  • A Chinese frog has been recorded as the first amphibian known to communicate using ultrasound.
  • Ground squirrels make an alarm call so high pitched, humans can’t hear it. Kat can’t hear their screams because she has her car stereo turned up too loud.
  • Screaming squirrels can’t explain Scotland’s mystery monsters from the sea.

Quote of the Day:

Wondering’s healthy. Broadens the mind. Opens you up to all sorts of stray thoughts and possibilities.

Charles de Lint

  1. The Dark Side
    IMO, NASA’s new “Return to the Moon” program is exactly what we need to do. This appears to be the establishment of a permanent moon base. I am surprised to see that the base will be established in the “dark side”, an area that is thus far unexplored.

    However, the communications network, the “lunar internet”, seems to be one of the final elements of the project. I would think that a lunar-wide communications network would be one of the first objectives if the entire moon is being mapped and suitable landing sites are being evaluated.

    Do the people that think that the moon landing was faked believe that landings were faked all six times? Faking all six sets of lunar-surface video transmissions without exposing that scam would be more phenomenal than going to the moon.

    Why don’t the BBC and the Times understand that acronyms are spelled in all upper-case letters identifying them as acronyms?

    Bill

    1. Some People Will Never Believe That We Landed On The Moon!
      Bill

      Some people are so convinced of the truth of their ignorant pseudo scientific understandings which are based on their equally ignorant religious beliefs that they will never believe that Alan Shepherd even got into space, much less that we landed on the moon!

      By the way, ‘The Fabric Of The Cosmos’ by Brian Greene was a very good read! You mentioned it to me a few months ago. I think that it was a very good sequal to ‘The Elequent Universe’!

      What do you think?

      kennc

      1. Monn Landing
        Hi Kennc,

        You may be right, I don’t know. I think there are some that believe that everything is a conspiracy. But there are others that believe that some force will not allow us to ever leave the Earth. I don’t know of any religious teaching that would be the basis for that belief, but I’ve seen it. I don’t understand it so I can’t relate. People like that can probably envision six fraud-landings just as well as one fraud-landing. There are some that base belief simply on gut-feeling without a basis in fact.

        Bill

      2. I believe it
        Bill, I believe that America landed men on the moon every time.Those who believe differently are the same people who believe the crappy docmentaries thrown together for their sensationalist value.
        Probably the same people who are Holocaust deniers.

        The documentary (sic) that “proved” the moon landings never happened was for the non-thinking people amongst us who don’t bother to seek evidence for themselves.
        They prefer to believe some second-rate producer who wants to make a buck at anyone’s expense.

        shadows

    2. Space Race
      It’s a new Space Race, Bill. Finally, we have serious competition (China, Europe) to challenge NASA, who have been taking their privileged position for granted for far too long now. I have the starter pistol loaded … ready, set, GO!

      1. Race
        Hi Rico,

        You sound ‘racist’ to me! ;o)

        It’s not much of a race. The USA won the race 40-years ago.

        Actually, it could be a cooperative and cost-effective effort if other nations could swallow their pride and accept that NASA, with greater experience and expertise, is going to run the show. That’s too much for some nations to accept, but it’s true.

        Bill

        1. Race for station
          Not sure about that one Bill,

          Now we are talking about permanent bases on the Moon. Think about how it went with the ISS for a starter, just in our backyard.

          Russian Rocket Builder Aims for Moon Base by 2015, Reports Say.

          and

          World’s nations will shoot for the moon in the next decade

          Then, others are apparently interested in just proving that the US has not yet gained space hegemonia and there is great advantages to be had to develop your own space program and get to the Moon.

          There is one particular military strategic advantage to start with.

          If the US had reacted the way you imply after the U.S.S.R. had sent a Cosmonaut in orbit, you can imagine that there would not have been a space race at the time. Perhaps they should have offered to join the Soviet space program at the time?

          Now you are suggesting that other countries should swallow their pride because the game is over?

          Not realistic in my opinion.

          Its not even a question of money (although I understand that in North America, anything and everything is judged by money as if there was nothing else that mattered. After all, with money can’t we buy anything we want? Even a wife from abroad?).

          Beyond this, and still on the money concept, you might want to consider the surplusses that China for one has been piling up over the years while some Western nations are swimming in trade and budgetary deficits.

          Getting the ability to go to the Moon also means having developed the ability to strike anywhere on Earth. Not surprising that Nuclear Powers are seeking to reach space, such as China and India.

          There is of course much international clout to be gained by getting to the Moon.

          Yes, it is too much to ask the world to let the US run the show. Would you want China to run the show economically one day?

          1. eeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Richard !
            you have a way of putting your finger on the spot!

            Times like these I wished I was from another planet…………….

          2. What race?
            Hi Richard,

            When the USA was involved in the Space Race with the Soviets in the ‘60s it was a real race to the Moon. We launched numerous missions in a short amount of time, took risks, and accelerated training and testing to achieve results in minimum time. Potential landing sites were selected based on what could be seen and mapped.

            The mission explained in the article states that the USA will map and select landing sites on the ‘dark side’, the unseen side of the moon that is not mapped or explored. That alone should make it clear that the USA does not consider this any sort of race. It’s difficult to get excited for a race for second place when one has already won first place. Let other nations race for the Moon if they choose, but this will be the seventh landing for the USA. Whoever gets there next will find an American flag planted in the lunar soil.

            I was only suggesting in my previous post that Moon colonization would be more efficient if nations could combine efforts. Your country, Canada, has already accepted that USA space exploration efforts will be led and directed by NASA. Any nation teaming with the USA would have to accept that, due to expertise and experience, NASA would lead the effort. Canada has wisely accepted this position and subcontracts to NASA.

            Nationalism will prevent China and the EU from teaming with the USA. Further, neither could accept a subordinate position to NASA. That’s okay, but it is not the most efficient effort. I will state again that anyone that chooses to team with the USA must yield to the expertise and experience of NASA. It is not a democratic coalition. Some will accept that condition, others won’t.

            China is already the financial model for population-abundant third-world nations. “Borrow” technology and pay slave wages.

            Bill

          3. Race for establishing a permanent presence
            Hi again Bill

            It is not a race for show as much as a race for establishing a foot hold, which is better than just a planted flag.

            I agree with you that if our kind really was civilized, such efforts would not be nation based. There would be no war either.

            There is also a race to not be left behind and eventually not only catch up but surpass.

            Arguably, a race to be the ‘first’ to set foot on the moon is obviously over but the ‘space race’ that is an extension of both military projection as well as control over resources rare on Earth can’t be considered over at all, even when one nation already has an actual base located there.

            The space race in that sense is not the old race to the moon that ended with Apollo but an ongoing measure of projected/perceived ideological/national prestige and supremacy.

            Again, of course if we were a smart race, there would be cooperation rather than mutual deception.

            The ‘space race’, if we can call it that, really is some kind of statement for asserting dominion for some and asserting the capacity of challenging dominion for others.

          4. Racism
            Perhaps “competition” would be more accurate than “race”. However accurate, I admit that “Moon Competiion” just doesn’t have quite the ring of “Space Race”. Nor does it rhyme. But I consider our discussions here a step above the sound-bite mentallity of the 6:00 News, so I’ll avoid the inaccurate term “space race”.

            Bill

  2. Re: Mish-Mash
    Your work is greatly appreciated. a simple thanks…
    I must say ..yes I must ..every time I see the long Cerne giant, I wonder how many other base ball stars there were back before we had photography?

  3. Rico’s abduction
    Rico said,
    “In an odd opinion piece, the UFO Iconoclast(s) think alien abductors are elitists who only probe the lower classes. Yeah, but they give me a lollipop.”

    I agree that this is odd, very odd indeed. I never get a lollipop when I’m abducted. But then, Mom always liked you best!

    Michael Scott
    An Fhírinne in aghaidh an tSaoil

      1. Placebo
        Michael, I always get a lollipop because I scream too much during the alien procedures.

        Kat, that’s a really interesting angle I don’t think anyone’s addressed. Are mutilated cattle and horses prize stock, average, or the sick and elderly put out to pasture? We don’t hear of prized Kentucky race-horses having their tonsils removed via a pin-sized incision.

        Horses get sugar-cubes, cows get salt-sticks, and I get a lollipop. I’m just an animal to the aliens *sniff*

        1. at least you are interesting
          I am apparently so boring average that they dont even try to abduct me. Or they know about my hypoglycemia, and they don’t want to hurt me with those lollipops. Some people in Canada call lollipops “suckers”.

          I am just not worthy of abduction I guess.

        2. wrong angle
          >>Are mutilated cattle and horses prize stock, average, or the sick and elderly put out to pasture? We don’t hear of prized Kentucky race-horses having their tonsils removed via a pin-sized incision.

          I meant, I wonder if most of the cattle that have been mutilated belonged to lower middle class or middle class ranchers, rather than to very wealthy ranchers with vast herds. If such is the case, I’d say that’s a pretty clear indication that aliens aren’t the ones doing the mutilating.

          Likewise regarding lower class humans being picked for abductions, since they’re typically less educated and therefore, presumably, more gullible, they’re less likely to be believed, and they don’t have the money or political connections it would take to investigate further.

          Kat

          1. Mutilated lower class cattle
            Kat, yours is an utterly fascinating take on “cattle mutilations”. I don’t believe anyone, in the entire world, has ever examined this subject from a Marxist perspective.

            In his magum opus, “Das Kattle”, Marx himself suggested that alien sponsored mutilations would likely focus on the cattle (stuke) of the underclasses and only rarely reach to the ranks of semi-wealthy ranchers with half-vast herds.

            Personally, I favor mutilating the cattle of wealthy, lower class ranchers whilst preserving the herds of the upper classes regardless of net worth. Like the ranchers themselves, upper class cattle smell better than those of the lower classes…taste better too.

            As for “lower class humans being picked for abductions…” I’m not sure your observation is entirely accurate. In America, the lower classes may be less well schooled but that does not mean they are less well educated and they are certainly not more gullible. e.g. How many of the lower classes can be successfully conned into paying out perfectly good money to buy a Mercedes or BMW?

            So how are humans picked for abduction? Well, Rick gives us one clue: the Aliens really like those who scream a lot. That’ll do it. Lonely middle-aged women living in trailers also seem to be a favorite. And, for some obscure reason, FBI agents tend to get abducted more frequently than most normal folk. The Aliens seem to have their own agenda working here and they’re not telling.

            At the end of it all, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Aliens. “Only The Shadow knows!”

            Michael Scott
            An Fhírinne in aghaidh an tSaoil

          2. mutilating my brain
            >>Kat, yours is an utterly fascinating take on “cattle mutilations”. I don’t believe anyone, in the entire world, has ever examined this subject from a Marxist perspective.

            Guess I’m just naturally curious about uninvestigated angles. 🙂

            >> In America, the lower classes may be less well schooled but that does not mean they are less well educated and they are certainly not more gullible.

            That’s why the word ‘presumably’ was in there.

            I’m afraid, if I were to try to understand the rest of your comment, I’d end up needing a botox injection for my wrinkled brow. 😉 Somehow I doubt that amazon has a listing for Das Kattle. haha

            Kat

          3. Thanks Michael
            for the best laugh I’ve had in ages.
            By the way, I am a lonely old lady living in a small house with my animals.Do you think I fit the criteria for abduction?
            I’ve been hanging out for an abduction now for years but feel that the aliens may be scared off by my parrot.
            The parrot stays of course but can you suggest what it is I may be doing wrong so that the aliens don’t keep ignoring me?

            All those probes………

            shadows

          4. Thanks shadows
            >>The parrot stays of course but can you suggest what it is I may be doing wrong so that the aliens don’t keep ignoring me?

            All those probes………

            You know, these days, you can buy your own probe at a shop.

            hahahaha

            Kat

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