Thursday, January 31, 2008

Animal ESP Files In "TAPS Paramagazine"

The new issue of TAPS Paramagazine includes an article from me on previously-classified files that reveal how, in the 1950s, the U.S. Army undertook secret research to determine if animals could locate landmines via the use of ESP.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Project Twinkle and the Green Fireballs

The so-called Green Fireball phenomenon of the late 194os and early 1950s was one of the most intriguing - yet largely forgotten - facets of the early years of Ufology. On countless occasions these brightly-lit "things" would soar across the skies of New Mexico, apparently taking more than a passing interest in the nation's atomic energy installations.

The Air Force even set up a study program to investigate the puzzle that was named Project Twinkle. Many of the official records on Twinkle are now in the public domain. And for those who want to learn more about this odd facet of official interest in the UFO controversy, check out this great resource tool, and this new posting from mega-blogger Lesley.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Zombies: Coming Soon....Everywhere!

It's not exactly a secret now that the story is in the public domain, but it's definitely strange and it does concern the official world, so I'm going to mention it: namely, a project to understand "human fear" chemicals. Why? Why else: to use them in some fashion on the battlefield, of course! Did you really need to ask?

In view of this somewhat unsettling development, it can surely only be a matter of time before military boffins of a definitive Dr. Strangelove-style seek to understand the nature of "human rage" chemicals too. Then you just know what will happen: the creation of a rage-virus, as per 28 Days Later, that catastrophically breaks out of the confines of the lab and begins to spread wildly among the masses.

As a committed zombie fanatic, I heartily look forward to the day when I may actually get to do battle with cannibal zombies in the remains of some ruined city where the undead roam the streets and the struggling survivors...well, struggle to survive!

There is one good thing in all this, however: given that a high percentage of the population is now fat and diabetic, the real-life rage-people will be easy to outrun - unlike their marauding on-screen equivalents in the 28 Days films and the glorious 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.

Roll on the Zombie Holocaust! Dead Cities! Armageddon! The World Collapses! Only Britain Soldiers On! Etc.

Remember this blog-post with fondness and nostalgia when you are barricaded in your home and the flesh-eating dead are tearing down the walls to eat your brain.

Atomic Sci-Fi Secrets

This a great, and highly intriguing, story that encompasses Second World War secrecy, super-weapons, once-classified government files and the world of Sci-Fi. A classic case of truth being stranger than fiction? Definitely!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Marilyn, The FBI & UFOs

In my book Celebrity Secrets, I included a chapter on the FBI’s secret surveillance files of dead Hollywood babe Marilyn Monroe.

In that chapter I devoted a brief section to a discussion of a controversial document that - if genuine, of course - suggests that Monroe had secretly been told aspects of the Roswell, New Mexico "crashed UFO" story by the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert - as well as other official secrets, too, such as plans to assassinate Cuba's Fidel Castro.

More disturbingly, the alleged CIA document refers to a threat by Monroe to spill the beans on what she knew; something that never happened, of course, as a result of her still-controversial death.

And while I only included a chapter on this affair in Celebrity Secrets, researcher Don Burleson wrote a whole book about it; and he has been interviewed about his research into the Monroe-UFO story.

The document falls into the gray area that most UFO data inhabits. Namely that it’s certainly intriguing, but actually proving anything is near impossible.

Friday, January 11, 2008

The Cosford UFO Files

The so-called Cosford UFO-"Flying Triangle" incident of March 1993 is one of the more controversial ones within the annals of British Ufology. And the fact that it became the subject of a lengthy official Ministry of Defense file makes it all the more intriguing. Needless to say, fifteen years after it occurred, the event still provokes deep controversy - with some people (such as Nick Pope, formerly of the MoD) suggesting the event may have had extraterrestrial origins; while others (such as Dr. David Clarke) argue that the case had far more down to earth origins. To learn all about the controversy, the official files, the theories and more, click here.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

More on the British Ministry of Defense's UFO Files...

More on the new development concerning the declassification of the British Ministry of Defense's UFO files (info supplied, with thanks, by Dave Clarke).

Friday, January 4, 2008

Nessie & JARIC

My Strange Secrets book includes a chapter on official files pertaining to the involvement of the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Center in analyzing alleged film-footage of the Loch Ness Monster.
As the 1960s-era documentation presented in the book shows, JARIC came to some intriguing conclusions...
For more information on the work of JARIC, here's where to go...

Thursday, January 3, 2008

The Weird Files, Part 12; The FBI and ESP

Most people reading this blog will, I'm sure, be aware of the Remote-Viewing research undertaken by various elements of the American Intelligence community and military in the 1970s.

But who knew that the FBI was engaged in such studies back in the mid-to-late 1950s?

The FBI has declassified its files on this particular topic and placed them online (here's where to get them in PDF format).

The FBI came away less than impressed by those who claimed to possess ESP; nevertheless the story is a fascinating one, full of skullduggery and Cold War spy-antics.

You can also read about my own analysis of the files in the anthology The Universe Wants To Play.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

The Weird Files, Part 11: UFOs And The Condign Report

During a policy review in 1996 into the handling of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sighting reports received by the British Ministry of Defence, a study was undertaken to determine the potential value, if any, of such reports to Defence Intelligence.
Consistent with Ministry of Defence policy, the available data was studied principally to ascertain whether there is any evidence of a threat to the UK, and secondly, should the opportunity arise, to identify any potential military technologies of interest.
The Ministry of Defence has released this report in response to a Freedom of Information request and has made it available to a wider audience via the MOD Freedom of Information Publication Scheme.
Where indicated information is withheld in accordance with Section 26 (Defence), Section 27 (International Relations) and Section 40 (Personal Information) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Here's the link.