Just a Few Things

Last week I submitted my latest Saucers, Slips, and Cigarettes column to Nancy at UFO Magazine. The deadlines always catch me off guard, for some reason. I managed to finish, though!

The piece is called The Mediocrity of the Great Oz and talks (mostly) about how the abundance of information within Ufology has actually made me more skeptical of the ETH, when typically, you might expect the opposite. And yes, I am aware that many believe the so-called '4th Density' to be a non-physical realm, in which case, cocaine use would probably be non-existent. It was just funnier that way. Confused? You won't be after this episode issue of Soap UFO Magazine. Context is everything.

Other Shit That's Going On:

• This weekend is the annual McMinnville UFO Festival, in McMinnville, OR. I went last year for the first time and met up with Regan Lee of The Orange Orb and Erik Stitt for drinks, then we were off to see Colin Andrews speak the following afternoon. I'm heading down again this year and Regan and I have plans to hang out again. I probably wouldn't attend this one if Regan wasn't going. Sure, I love getting out of town, hotel-ing it up a bit, and heading to the bars for drinks, but much of the festival is what you'd expect: a lot of people (and animals) in silly costumes. I usually loathe that sort of thing, but I try to get over myself a bit now and then. Last year I somehow made it through the Avatar portion of the parade without jumping in front of a moving vehicle, so, I suppose I did all right. It's just as well. Parade vehicles are much too slow, anyway.

• Last weekend was the Wake Up Now Conference in New Mexico, an event Lesley Gunter helped organize. You can read about it here.

• Speaking of Lesley, Dennis Rano of The Ufologists drew up another wonderful caricature of her -- check it out. He also tooned a 2nd one of yours truly, which is visible up over there on the right sidebar.

• A couple of weeks ago, Carol Rainey was booted off the UFO Updates List. Disappointing yet sadly unsurprising. You can read a little about it at the Paratopia blog. Paul Kimball also discusses her banishment over at his site.