AREA 51

Area 51, also known as Groom Lake, is a secret military facility about 90 miles north of Las Vegas. The number refers to a 6-by-10-mile block of land, at the center of which is a large air base the government will not discuss. The site was selected in the mid-1950s for testing of the U-2 spyplane, due to its remoteness, proximity to existing facilities and presence of a dry lake bed for landings. Groom Lake is America's traditional testing ground for "black budget" aircraft before they are publicly acknowledged. The facility and surrounding areas are also associated -- with varying levels of credibility -- with UFO and conspiracy stories. In 1989, Bob Lazar claimed on a Las Vegas television station that he had worked with alien spacecraft at Papoose Lake, south of Area 51. Since then, "Area 51" has become a popular symbol for the alleged U.S. Government UFO cover-up. [GC 8/96]

Resource: Web Site - Aliens on Earth, Web Site of Glenn Campbell - http://www.aliensonearth.co

Mt. WEATHER

The Mount Weather Special Facility is an unacknowledged Continuity of Government (COG) facility operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The 200,000 square foot facility also houses FEMA's National Emergency Coordinating Center. Located on a 434 acre mountain site on the borders of Loudon and Clarke counties, the above ground support facilities, with 240 employees, include about a dozen building providing communications links to the White House Situation Room. Completed in 1958, the underground bunker includes a hospital, crematorium, dining and recreation areas, sleeping quarters, reservoirs of drinking and cooling water, an emergency power plant, and a radio and television studio which is part of the Emergency Braodcasting System. A series of side-tunnels accomodate a total of 20 office buildings, some of which are three stories tall. The East Tunnel includes a computer complex for directing emergency simulations and operations through the Contingency Impact Analysis System (CIAS) and the Resource Interruption Monitoring System (RIMS).

An on-site 90,000 gallon/day sewage treatment plant and two 250,000 gallon above-ground storage tanks are intended to support a population of 200 for up to 30 days. Although the facility is designed to accomodate several thousand people (with sleeping cots for 2,000), only the President, the Cabinet, and Supreme Court are provided private sleeping quarters. For Continuity of Government purposes, senior officials are divided into Alpha, Bravo and Charlie teams -- one remains in Washington, another relocates to Mount Weather, and the third disperses to other relocation sites. The only full-scale activation of the facility came on 9 November 1965, at the time of the great Northeastern power blackout.

The Mount Weather Emergency Assistance Center has transitioned from a single mission to one that supports the all-hazards mission of FEMA and, simultaneously, it became a self-supporting cost center that derives its income from the Working Capital Fund authorized by Congress. The Fiscal Year 1997 Appropriation Act authorized FEMA to establish a working capital fund for providing administrative services. A fund was established to support the centralized services provided by the Mount Weather Emergency Assistance Center (MWEAC).

The facility, over a two year period in 1997 and 1998, transitioned to a fully operational mode for the Working Capital Fund. It provides office, conference, training, and billeting accommodations at Mount Weather for use by FEMA organizations and other Federal agencies. While operations are being funded based on current appropriations, collections, and usage, FEMA is aggressively marketing the facility to attract new users. All organizations at Mount Weather, including FEMA components, were subject to the provisions of the Working Capital Fund beginning in FY 1998.

Since the 1993 restructuring, population explosion occurred at Mount Weather, moving from a daily work force of about 400 employees, to one of more than 900. Approximately 250 new Cadre of Oncall Response and Recovery Employee (CORE) positions were added that did not exist in 1993. Conference and Training Center (CTC) activity also expanded dramatically, from fewer than 6,000 students/attendees in 1993, to more than 18,000 in FY 1996. More than 100,000 persons were guests at Mount Weather during 1996. The Conference and Training Center at Mount Weather handles some 10,000 students per year for one-week courses, a number comparable to the approximately 10,000 students trained each year in residence at the National Emergency Training Center in Emittsburg, Maryland.

Mount Weather is currently home to six major disaster operations facilities including the:

National Processing Service Center–Virginia
Satellite Teleregistration Center
Disaster Finance Office
Disaster Information Systems Clearinghouse
Disaster Personnel Operations Division
Agency Logistics Center

Resource: Web Site - http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/mt_weather.htm

BERMUDA TRIANGLE

The Bermuda Triangle (a.k.a. the Devil's Triangle) is a triangular area in the Atlantic Ocean bounded by the areas of Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Legend has it that many people, ships and planes have mysteriously vanished in this area.

The modern legend of the Bermuda Triangle began soon after five Navy planes [Flight 19] vanished on a training mission during a severe storm in 1945. The most logical theory as to why they vanished is that lead pilot Lt. Charles Taylor’s compass failed. The trainees' planes were not equipped with working navigational instruments. The group was disoriented and simply, though tragically, ran out of fuel. No mysterious forces were likely to have been involved other than the mysterious force of gravity on planes with no fuel. It is true that one of the rescue planes blew up shortly after take-off, but this was likely due to a faulty gas tank rather than to any mysterious forces.

Some trace the mystery back to the time of Columbus. Even so, estimates range from about 200 to no more than 1,000 incidents in the past 500 years. Howard Rosenberg claims that in 1973 the U.S. Coast Guard answered more than 8,000 distress calls in the area and that more than 50 ships and 20 planes have gone down in the Bermuda Triangle within the last century.

There as been a number of theories to explain the incredible mystery ranging from extraterrestrials or evil humans with anti-gravity devices to strange magnetic fields and oceanic flatulence. But investigators believe such happenings as weather, bad luck, pirates, explosive cargoes, incompetent navigators, and other natural and human causes are likely causes..

Over the years there have been dozens of articles, books, and television programs promoting the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. In his study of this material, Larry Kushe found that few did any investigation into the mystery. Rather, they passed on the speculations of their predecessors as if they were passing on the mantle of truth. Of the many uncritical accounts of the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, perhaps no one has done more to create this myth than Charles Berlitz, who had a bestseller on the subject in 1974. After examining the 400+ page official report of the Navy Board of Investigation of the disappearance of the Navy planes in 1945, Kushe found that the Board wasn't baffled at all by the incident and did not mention alleged radio transmissions cited by Berlitz in his book. According to Kushe, what isn't misinterpreted by Berlitz is fabricated. Kushe writes: "If Berlitz were to report that a boat were red, the chance of it being some other color is almost a certainty." (Berlitz, by the way, did not invent the name; that was done by Vincent Gaddis in "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle," which appeared in the February, 1964, issue of Argosy, a magazine devoted to fiction.)

Resource - Website - http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~btcarrol/skeptic/bermuda.html

CYDONIA

Background: The Viking Images
The Viking missions to Mars in the late 1970s produced more information about the Red Planet than had been gathered in all the previous centuries of study by Earth-bound astronomers and observers. The primary mission of the Viking program was to search for signs of life on the surface of Mars. Two landers containing sophisticated biological laboratories studied soil samples in a variety of tests which, it was hoped, would prove or disprove the existence of life. The results of these tests indicated that Mars contained no life, at least at these landing sites. However, Viking gathered volumes of data on the weather, soil chemistry and other surface properties and mapped the surface using low-to-moderate resolution cameras on the two orbiters.

Shortly after mapping began in 1976 an interesting image taken by the Viking 1 Orbiter was received at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., which contained a surface feature resembling a human or ape-like face. The photo was immediately released to the public as an interesting geological feature and dubbed the "Face on Mars." Shortly afterwards other photos of the same area were taken, and some scientists believed that the formation appeared to be a face due to the lighting angles as seen from the Orbiter.

Origin Of Features Examined
Over the years, some people began to raise questions about the origins of the features. A few ideas and theories arose speculating that the features may have been built by aliens in the distant past. These theories are based largely on the results of computer photo enhancements and other analytical techniques performed on the Viking images beginning in the early 1980s.

Most planetary geologists familiar with the set of photos, however, concluded that the natural processes known to occur on Mars -- such as wind erosion, Mars quakes, and erosion from running water in the distant past -- could account for the formation of the complicated fretted terrain of the Cydonia region, including the face.

Because the entire data set includes only nine low-to-moderate resolution photos, scientists say that there just is not enough data available to justify what would be an extraordinary conclusion that the features are not natural in origin (many scientists question whether images alone would be enough to settle the matter). Such a proven discovery of extraterrestrial life or artifacts would be one of the greatest discoveries in human history, and, as such, demand the most rigorous scientific investigation.

However, despite the phenomenal nature of such a potential discovery, no one in the scientific community -- either in the U.S. or worldwide -- has ever proposed an investigation for a mission to study these features. Until more data is gathered, many scientists consider the probability that the features are anything other than natural in origin are just too low to justify the major expenditure of public funds which such an investigation would entail (more on this below).

What is agreed on is that a greater number of high resolution images of this area should be gathered. Following the failure of the Mars Observer mission in August, 1993, NASA proposed a decade-long program of Mars exploration, including orbiters and landers. The program, called Mars Surveyor, would take advantage of launch opportunities about every 2 years to launch an orbiter and a lander to the Red Planet. The first mission, consisting of an orbiter to be launched in 1996, will map the surface and take high- and medium-resolution images of particular features on the Martian surface that are of high interest. NASA intends to make observations of the Cydonia region making the best effort feasible, either with the first orbiter or on follow-on missions, to obtain images of the "face" and nearby landforms.

Quite aside from the interest generated by these curious features, Cydonia has long been regarded as an area of high scientific importance, ever since the first detailed images were returned by NASA's Viking spacecraft in the late 1970s. The Cydonia region of Mars is part of the so-called fretted terrain, a belt of landforms that circles Mars at about 30-40 degrees North Latitude. In this region, the ancient crust of Mars has been intensely eroded by weathering processes, leaving high remnants of older crust surrounded by lower plains of eroded debris.

The landforms of Cydonia resemble in some respects those of terrestrial deserts, but they probably have been shaped by a unique range of peculiarly martian agencies: wind, frost and possibly running water in ancient times. Deciphering the geological age and origin of this terrain will yield important insights into the evolution of the martian surface, into the role of ice and water in its development and into the nature of the martian climate in times past.

Resource - NASA Facts at http://www.qtm.net/~geibdan/newsd/nasacydo.html

EASTER ISLAND

Mystic and overflowing with legends, with a history that goes back to the 4th century BC, Easter Island is a prime destination for tourists from all over the world, who will find the colossal stone sculptures nearly six meters high, known as moai, standing with their backs to the Pacific Ocean. Their origin is cloaked in mystery. This manifestation of the island's culture, together with the unique music and the marvelous and sensuous movement of its dances, are all attractions that captivate visitors to the island.

There is still no consensus as to the origin of its first inhabitants. Various theories compete to explain the wonder of Rapa Nui, also called Te Pito Te Henua by the natives, that means "navel of the world". Some argue that its first settlers came from Polynesia and others are certain that their origin is South American.

In any case, the men who built the moai were part of a hierarchical and very religious culture that wanted to raise its ancestors to the level of gods, erecting these gigantic figures carved from the volcanos.

The island's archaeological patrimony has no peers, the uniqueness of its inhabitants and traditions, the transparency of its waters, its gentle geography and white beaches attract hundreds of travelers and adventurers from all over the world, who find here a paradise where they can practice scuba diving, explore caves, take archaeological tours, walks and go horseback riding.

History
Genealogies kept by island natives indicate that Rapa Nui was first inhabited around the 4th century AD, by able canoeists from the Marquesas islands. The islanders remained entirely isolated for some thirteen centuries, until the island was 'discovered' on Easter Sunday, 1722, by Dutch mariner Jacob Roggeveen. In the 19th century, islanders were abducted by the hundreds to work the guano mines of Peru, leaving a population of just over 100 natives in 1888, when the island was incorporated into Chile.

Archaeology
Over 600 massive stone idols, known as moais, are Easter Island's most characteristic and widely recognized archaeological remains. Set upon stone platforms called ahus, these moai were revered as representations of the islanders' mythical ancestors; most were toppled from their ahus during inter-tribal warfare beginning around the year 1600.

Ethnic / folklore
Language and culture on Easter Island reflect the Polynesian origin of the island's native inhabitants. Wooden carvings, body painting, and tattooing are among the most traditional and highly refined forms of art on the island, which comes alive for two weeks every February with the contagious rhythms of the Tapati festival.

Geology
Formed by lava flows from three separate volcanos, Easter Island first emerged from the vast Pacific about 3 million years ago. The relative depth of the water surrounding the island has inhibited reef formation, exposing the island's shore to intense wave erosion, creating dozens of caves and steep sea cliffs.

Resource: http://www.chilediscover.com/easterisland.htm - Chile Discover

STONEHENGE

The megalithic ruin known as Stonehenge stands on the open downland of Salisbury Plain two miles (three kilometres) west of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, in Southern England. It is not a single structure but consists of a series of earth, timber, and stone structures that were revised and re-modelled over a period of more than 1400 years. In the 1940s and 1950s, Richard Atkinson proposed that construction occurred in three phases, which he labelled Stonehenge I, II, IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc. This sequence has recently been revised in Archaeological Report (10) published by English Heritage.

Phase I (2950-2900 BCE)
Stonehenge: Phase I (2950-2900 BCE)
The earliest portion of the complex dates to approximately 2950-2900 BCE (Middle Neolithic). It is comprised a circular bank, ditch, and counterscarp bank of about 330 feet (100 metres) in diameter. Just inside the earth bank is a circle of the 56 Aubrey holes that held wooden posts.

Phase II (c. 2900-2400 BCE)
After 2900 BCE and for approximately the next 500 years (until 2400 BCE), post holes indicate timber settings in the centre of the monument and at the north-eastern entrance. The Aubrey Holes no longer held posts but were partially filled, some with cremation deposits added to the fill. The numerous post holes indicate timber structures but no clear patterns or configurations are discernible that would suggest their shape, form, or function.

Phase III (c. 2550-1600 BCE)
Stonehenge Phase III, sub-phase 3ii (c. 2550-1600 BCE)
The Sarsen Circle and the Trilithon Horseshoe
During Phase III the monument underwent a complicated sequence of settings of large stones. The first stone setting comprised a series of Bluestones placed in what are known as the Q and R Holes (sub-phase 3i). These were subsequently dismantled and a circle of Sarsens and a horseshoe-shaped arrangement of Trilithons erected (sub-phase 3ii).

The Sarsen Circle, about 108 feet (33 metres) in diameter, was originally comprised of 30 neatly trimmed upright sandstone blocks of which only 17 are now standing. The stones are evenly spaced approximately 1.0 to 1.4 metres apart, and stand on average 13 feet (4 metres) above the ground. They are about 6.5 feet (2 metres) wide and 3 feet (1 metre) thick and taper towards the top. They originally supported sarsen lintels forming a continuous circle around the top. Each lintel block has been shaped to the curve of the circle. The average length of the rectangular lintels is 3.2 metres (10' 6"). The lintels were fitted end-to end using tongue-and-groove joints, and fitted on top of the standing sarsen with mortice and tenon joints. The Sarsen Circle with its lintels is perhaps the most remarkable feature of Stonehenge in terms of design, precision stonework, and engineering.

Part of the outer Sarsen Circle with lintels in place
In front of them are stones of the Bluestone Horseshoe (see below)
Sarsen stones are hard-grained sandstone with with a silaceous cement. They were probably brought to the site from the Marlborough Downs, about 30 kilometres to the north of Stonehenge.

The Trilithons are ten upright stones arranged as five freestanding pairs each with a single horizontal lintel. They were erected within the Sarsen Circle in the form of a horseshoe with the open side facing north-east towards the main entrance of the monument. They were arranged symmetrically and graded in height; the tallest is in the central position. Only three of the five Trilithons are now complete with their lintels. The other two both have only one standing stone with the second stone and lintel lying on the ground.

Two of the Trilithons
In front of them can be seen two of the upright bluestones
which originally formed an oval inside the
horseshoe of Trilithons
Bluestones may have been added next (sub-phase 3iii) but were subsequently removed.

Stonehenge Phase III, sub-phase 3iv (c. 2550-1600 BCE)
The Bluestone Oval and the Bluestone Circle
In sub-phase 3iv, a Bluestone Oval added within Trilithon Horseshoe and a Bluestone Circle added outside the Trilithon Horseshoe but inside the Sarsen Circle.

The term "Bluestone" refers to various types of mostly igneous rocks including dolerites, rhyolites, and volcanic ash. It also includes some sandstones. The Bluestones at Stonehenge are believed to have originated from various outcrops in the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire in Wales. How they were transported to the site at Stonehenge has been the subject of much speculation.

Stonehenge Phase III, sub-phase 3v (c. 2550-1600 BCE)
The Bluestone Horseshoe
In sub-phase 3v, an arc of stone was removed from the Bluestone Oval to form a Bluestone Horseshoe.

Stonehenge Phase III, sub-phase 3vi (c. 2550-1600 BCE)
The Y and Z Holes
In the final sub-phase (3vi), two circles, one inside the other, known as the Y and Z Holes were dug for the placement of stones but were never filled.

Probably also dating to Phase III are the four Station Stones (only two of which survive, and one of them has fallen). These sarsen stones stood just inside the Bank on more or less the same line as the Aubrey Holes. Two of the Station Stones were surrounded by circular ditches 10 to 12 metres in diameter. These have caused the area enclosed by the ditch to appear mound-like and have lead to the erroneous identification of each mound as a burial barrow.

Assigned to Phase III are also Stoneholes D and E and the recumbent sarsen known as the Slaughter Stone located on the north-east side in a break in the bank-and-ditch in what is regarded as the main entrance of the monument.

At this time was also laid out an earthwork known as the Avenue that extends north-east from the break in the bank-and-ditch.

Located further along the Avenue , and most likely dating to this period, is the so-called Heel Stone (Stone 96). The sarsen Heel Stone is approximately 16 feet high (4.88 metres), with another 4 feet (1.22 metres) buried below ground. The Heel Stone is surrounded by a circular ditch of approximately the same dimensions as the ditch surrounding each of the two Station Stones. The stone now leans out of vertical but most likely once stood upright. Originally, the Heel Stone may have been paired with another stone now missing (Stonehole 97).

Heel Stone
Finally, mention should be made of the so-called Altar Stone, a large dressed block of sandstone that lies embedded in the ground within the Trilithon Horseshoe and "in front of" of the central and largest Trilithon pair. Two fallen stones now lie across it. The stone is believed to be Cosheston Beds Sandstone from south Wales, and is the only example of this type of stone at Stonehenge. It is 16 feet long (4.9 metres), 3 feet 6 inches wide (1 metre), and 1 foot 9 inches thick (0.5 metres).

Resource - Web Site - http://witcombe.sbc.edu/earthmysteries/EMStonehenge.html

UFO HISTORY

Ancient Artifacts

Since the dawn of recorded history, UFOs have been seen in the sky. Records of these sightings have been recorded by different means throughout the ages; from as far back as prehistoric cave paintings, to classic canvas paintings, to land drawings in Peru that can only be seen by aerial view. Evidence has been recorded showing that all ages of mankind have witnessed strange objects in the sky. This can only be considered as strong evidence of the existence of UFOs since primitive man had no means to gain wealth or fame in performing hoaxes of such incredible events. The only motivation would be that of a religious nature or a true account of a sighting. Some of the ancient artifacts include (what seems to be) runways similar to our modern day airports. What purpose could these runways have served several hundred years ago? Why would people of primitive civilizations build such elaborate patterns on the soil of Earth? One theory suggests that these mysterious designs were landing paths for flying machines that may have visited Earth during these times. If this is so, people of these times were welcoming the "out of place" visitors with open arms.

The "War of the Worlds" Scare of 1938

The radio broadcast of the H.G. Wells classic "War of the Worlds" on October 30, 1938 caused a major panic to 32 million people who tuned in and listened. The format of the show was enacted as if it were mainstream media reports of an attack on Earth by creatures from the planet Mars. In the story, there are a lot of human casualties and devastation of metropolitan cities across the United States. This broadcast was taken seriously by many listeners and widespread panic set in. Many people packed up and left their homes, some took arms and barricaded themselves inside their houses, and there were a few unfortunate suicides in fear of the Martian attack. World renown psychologist Carl Jung stated that people were particularly vulnerable at this time with the very real threat of invasion from Germany.

The Air Ship Wave

Another wave that hit in huge proportions was the "Air Ship" flap of the 1800's and early 1900's. People were seeing blimp-like crafts over the skies of almost every major city in the United States and the world over. Everyone was becoming interested in the possibility of flight. Newspapers were launching stories of "strange ships flying in the sky". These ships were often said to be occupied by human pilots, based on design concepts and a small handful of prototype air ships tested in Europe. The reports seemed to inflate with the first manned dirigible flight which took place on September 24, 1852. Henri Giffard of France constructed a steam-powered balloon that traveled 17 miles in just over three hours. Many later attempts by Giffard met with disaster and the ship was never a full success. During the year of 1914, the California Arrow was built and tested. At this same time, the Germans had already began taking flight on their versions of air ships called Zeppelins.

The Term "Flying Saucer"

One of the common misconceptions of UFO history is that the coining of term "Flying Saucer" is often credited to a man named Kenneth Arnold in 1947 (story covered later on this page). The truth is the term was actually coined in the year of 1878 by a farmer in Denison, Texas named John Martin. Mr. Martin was hunting when he noticed an object high in the sky. He gazed at this object for a long time making out details as best he could but the long-term strain on his eyes had taken its toll and he could look no more. When he made his statement to the Denison Daily News he described the object as a large saucer.

The Kenneth Arnold Story

Kenneth Arnold was a well respected business man who flew his own light plane and ran his own successful business. On June 24, 1947, while flying his plane over Mt. Ranier in Washington state, he spotted nine strange objects flying in a "V- formation". He described the objects to be very thin and when viewed edge-on, they were only outlines against the snow. He also said that they resembled "a saucer skipping across water" as they moved through the air. Because of Mr. Arnold's reputation within the community as a business man and deputy sheriff, his sighting was treated seriously by the media and he soon enjoyed somewhat of a celebrity status nationwide. His story appeared in many newspaper publications and SCI-fiction magazines such as Fate Magazine (Later renamed Flying Saucer Magazine).

After Kenneth Arnold reported his sighting of the nine peculiar objects over Mt. Ranier, a rash of UFO sightings began to take place. Kenneth Arnold was later anointed to be "the man who started it all". One famous report occurred only a few days after his encounter with the mysterious flying crafts. That report was the "Roswell Incident".

The Roswell Incident

Many of the UFOs shown on the chart are widely argued. Some are considered more credible than others but they all have laid the groundwork for Ufology of modern times. Most UFOs have been described as "disk shaped" but there have been many other reports of crafts (not shown on the chart) that differ from the common disk shape.

Resources: Video - UFO Encounters and Abductions - A&E Home Video
Resources: Book - UFO The Complete Sightings by Peter Brooksmith
Resources: Book - Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th Century by Janet and Colin Bord
Resources: Book - The Complete Book of UFOs by Jenny Randles & Peter Hought

CROP CIRCLES

The countryside of southern England is the stage for an intriguing and truely modern mystery. This bizarre occurrance has been the topic of heated debates among respected scientists, military officials and Ufologists alike. Since the year of 1979, each summer across England, elaborate circle patterns began appearing mysteriously in fields of wheat. These circles literally appear overnight. They are noted for their enormous sizes and seemingly perfect symmetry. Some are so large, they can only be photographed from airplanes. No one knows with certainty when the first crop circle surfaced, but "cereology," the study of the phenomenom, can definitely be dated to an article and photographs which appeared in the August 15, 1980 issue of the Wiltshire Times, detailing flattened circles found in a field of oats near Bratton, Wiltshire, England. Each was about 60 feet in diameter and swirled flat in a clockwise direction. The Bratton circles attracted the attention of both a meteorologist, George Terence Meaden of the Tornado and Storm Research Organization, and a ufologist, Ian Mrzyglod, editor of the now defunct PROBE Report. Mrzyglod made two important discoveries: he determined the circles showed no obvious evidence of either beta or gamma radiation as measured by a geiger counter and, perhaps as importantly, that they were not really circles at all; in fact, the formations were slightly elliptical in shape, an unexpected characteristic which seemingly argues against hoaxing.

Resource - Book - Unexplained! by Jerome Clark