There were no laser blasts in the battle between believers and non-believers at a UFO conference in Alberta this weekend, but plenty of sharp words were fired between the two camps.
Stanton Friedman, a nuclear physicist who maintains that some UFOs are alien spacecraft, told nearly 200 delegates during the conference's opening lecture Friday night at the Telus World of Science in Edmonton that journalists and scientists are ignorant of the evidence supporting the fact that interstellar travellers have visited.
Friedman, who believes government covered up an alleged discovery of alien wreckage and bodies in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, said that many eyewitnesses of UFOs are silenced by a "laughter curtain" and fear ridicule if they report their sightings.
But Jaymie Matthews, an associate professor of astronomy at the University if British Columbia, argued that while he and other scientists have spent years searching the universe for Earth-like planets that would support intelligent life, none have been discovered yet.
"As an astrophysicist, I want there to be aliens here," Matthews told the crowd in his own lecture that followed Friedman's. "I'm not convinced."
Delegates such as David Beatty, a commercial pilot, expressed disgust that believers get marginalized.
"I'm sick and tired of the press covering (UFOs) as just something drunks saw on a beach," Beatty said after hearing Friedman speak.
This week marks the begining of the APEC summit held in Australia, where Asia, Pacific world leaders come together for meetings regarding all things economic and trade. sadly this comes at the expense of an estimated $300 million for a week of .... meetings. Yup you guessed it, we are the ones paying for it. more absurdly is the state of fear surrounding Sydney at the moment that has led the city to be virtually "Fortressed" and shut down to accomodate a "safer environment for world leaders". barracaded out with steel fencing, police patroling the lines of defence, CCTV watching every corner .... are we in a police state yet people?
Police yesterday said they are not opposed to a march, planned for Saturday, but reject the protesters' planned route, which passes the U.S. Consulate in Sydney, but is several city blocks from the summit venue.
With Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the APEC summit, protesters also plan to demonstrate against human rights abuses in China, nuclear proliferation and global warming.
Sydney Police : "Be aware of the mob rule mentality. Don't be enticed by those that would seek to have you get involved in an unlawful act," Scipione told a news conference. I wonder if those sentiments are echoed in a similar way in Police briefings? the coin flips both ways, and cops are human too. meaning that violent actions happen on both sides of the fence, from both parties, and sadly this is the only concern for our ailing media to cover. If only they looked around and saw how their rights have been shoved to the side, city closed off without public support, fear and intimidation tactics around ever "blue" street corner, they wouldnt need to resort to pumping up this protest wrestle match happening on Saturday.
Instead lets start asking the questions. Why are these people so important that our surrogate capital city in Sydney needs to be fenced off to its inhabitants? not keeping them in, but out of the city. What dont they want us to see or hear? How can we give away our rights and liberties to these minority authoritive forces who feel they are on the cutting edge of deeming what is "safe and unsafe" for us to see, hear or interact with?
Its almost like they seem to have feed us the "violent protests in Sydney" script before its even been filmed, in order to justify their means of creating a Berlin wall around the city. Its simple, feed the media the bullshit, the media then feeds it to us, we get scared about planned "violent youths" attacking people, we shut the doors and stay inside our comfortable four walls, we give in to the fear story. as Dubya would say ..... Mission Accomplished
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed by musician Dave Grohl in 1995. The group is named after the World War II term "foo fighter", used to refer to mysterious aerial phenomena. "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" is the sixth album by the Foo Fighters, set for release on September 25, 2007. "The Pretender" is the first single released from the record and the expansive video is playing around the world as we speak.
The song starts with a mellow guitar intro but after about 30 seconds, it kicks into high gear and becomes a Foo Fighters classic. The sound is a mix of old and new, rocking as ever a lead single should be, its still not quite a creation from the "Colour and the Shape" years.
The video was directed by Sam Brown. It consists of the band performing the song in a large aircraft hanger, with a white floor and many halogen strip lights on the ceiling. Behind the band is a large red screen, which is thick and solid. The band is then faced by what appears to be a riot police officer, who stands behind a black line on the floor, around 30 feet or so from the band. As the song progresses, he is joined by more riot police officers, and a panning shot shows us that to his left, the numbers on the officers' vests descend all the way to "01".
During a quiet part late in the song, the video slows down as the officers charge at the band. Just as the band repeats the song's louder chorus, the view suddenly erupts in a torrent of red liquid, as the large red screen behind the band explodes, flushing away the enforcers.
Why am I posting this? yeh im a huge fan of the "Foos" but this song screams "Protest". Its almost as if, after hearing that their music was used without their consent during pro Republican / Bush rallies of the 2004 election year, Dave Grohl has woken up to the power the band holds and what difference they can make. being a huge supporter of Gore, his ethics and concerns, Dave is finally pissed off enough to make music reflecting this need to stand up against the system, and to get things back on track, environmentally, politically, and socially. The lyrics speak for themselves.
FOO FIGHTERS: THE PRETENDER Keep you in the dark You know they all pretend Keep you in the dark And so it all began
Send in your skeletons Sing as their bones go marching in... Again The need you buried deep The secrets that you keep are ever ready Are you ready? I'm finished making sense Done pleading ignorance That whole defense
What if I say I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? You're the pretender What if I say I will never surrender?
I'm the voice inside your head You refuse to hear I'm the face that you have to face Mirrored in your stare I'm what's left, I'm what's right I'm the enemy I'm the hand that will take you down Bring you to your knees
So who are you? Yeah, who are you? Yeah, who are you?
psst. Foo Fighters are scheduled to return to Australia in DEC. mmm BDO? or will that be left to Rage Against The Machine? who knows, but with TOOL returning as well its gonna be a big summer. ahhhh back to work. Miguel, book me a room.
I tend to delve into all things "Right Brain". Using Graphic Design as a creative outlet and profession to stop myself from strapping my ass to a 100 foot Zeppelin, and circumnavigating the Earth.
G'day and Welcome. I like to think of this place out here in cyberspace as another form of communication and visual expression. My thoughts and activities will no doubt spill onto those screens in front of you with left of center zestyness. I hope each segment provides a little peak into another side. Post, Comment, for what is a blog in a web if no one communicates?
Live, Learn, Click, Explore, Step into the Shadow....
