For today's post, I fictionalize what could occur to movie/film/video producers and directors - when they reach out to a real UFO blogger, like myself - instead of bullsh%t hucksters. Remember, dear reader...believe what you want about this fictionalized account:
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Constellation
The Meeting
Could it really be by chance that the coolest station on Sirius XM, Channel 21, Little Stevens Underground Garage, ...was playing Telstar by the Ventures, followed by Calling All Occupants Of Interstellar Craft - on my way to the meeting at STARbucks? Would that even be believable to re-tell?
Ah, finally, ...there was my visual marker, the Chick-fil-A; I knew it was opposite the Starbucks in the popular upscale strip-mall that we were meeting at. Impossibly, Sirius XM was now playing the Byrds classic Mr Spaceman as my mind drifted to the fact that the word Underground was a daily and important part of my life.
Hell, I thought to myself, real UFO information could also be said to be underground...as could, obviously, HELL itself. Simple human base intuition tells one to avoid the underground; as my mind infused momentarily with CHUD - that 1980's classic cult movie - Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.
Having parked in the far reaches of the Starbucks parking lot, I approached the door from an obtuse angle, wondering suddenly if the young man who would enter the door only moments before me was "my connection". Somehow, perhaps preoccupied, he didn't see me; it was as if I was invisible coming from my unusual angle to the door. Of course, there was no way I could know for sure, as I would indeed momentarily be entering the restaurant myself and looking for him, assuming that he got there on-time.
Now, both of us were inside the door, our very beingness surrounded and infused with the aroma of coffee - I was perhaps two steps behind him - as he moved into the restaurant, and not to the empty ordering line. He indeed seemed to be searching within the restaurant for the "man with white hair"; as I had self described myself.
I followed him thru the maze of table ...also not seeking the ordering line - as I guess, I too was looking for someone if this wasn't who I was suddenly stalking; and when he turned around, not seeing anyone with white hair - I was therefore - immediately upon him, much like the famous magic trick Metamorphosis, slightly startling him.
His face became live - are you Rick?
He had the firm handshake and engaging face of a straight laced business man, with an odd retro slick throwback look reminiscent of the 1960's - like the characters on that Mad Man show. Indeed - his appearance was certainly out of sync with many of his generation even visually. Time-Traveler perhaps? But I get ahead of myself for how this contact and unique meeting was arranged in the first place.
Days before this face to face encounter we had spoken for the first time by phone, arranged from our LinkedIn connection, about the many aspects of the UFO phenomena - for over an hour - still not reaching probably even the halfway point. During the conversation we were seemingly nodding our heads on many points of agreement through the interaction - so - this quite unusual, only LinkedIN connected, face to face meeting about to occur - was something to be anticipated.
Indeed, as alluded to, the set up for the "UFO" meeting was not quite normal, in that the initial contact was made via the business network - Linked In - a social medium, and being in my mid 60's, I almost never use it. With his connection request, I took a quick look at LI which revealed that we had no previous common business friends; why was this unknown local person contacting me - and indicating he wanted to get a message to me - as I read deeper into his business profile, ... he seemed to be an important mover shaker for a large, .... no very very large, American company...but even deeper down on his profile...was the kernel... the ah-ha connection we had...he was somehow associated with a film company that made a famous documentary about UFO's and Disclosure a few years ago, and it was named Constellation. Readers will remember the marketing hoopla of course - and overblown claims.
And...how it changed absolutely nothing.
"LinkedIn", I thought, what a strange way to establish the UFO connection with me, especially when I had/have my personal Email right on this very page and have for years. Had he never seen my blog - why was he connecting? Why would he think this was the best form of initial communication with me?
Soon, as the new year began, I followed up on his outreach, and we "connected" on LI - as I was curious about this strange business reach out for an anomalous reason. And, I was to find it was indeed about the anomalous; and after a written exchange on LI, as alluded to above - that first long esoteric phone call happened, prior to this face to face meeting - with interesting bits being dropped into my earpiece about his real intentions and hopeful desires - over the course of 1000's of spoken words. But, I get ahead of myself - as intentions and desires are tempered by actualization.
Space Line: The Starbucks Encounter
After our firm handshake greeting and then deciding to order, we carried our drinks outside despite a damp environment - as it offered one thing - no eavesdroppers and semi privacy. I was at this meeting looking for clarity with this "Hollywood" contact - as our first LONG conversation left enough open about his intentions or desires from me ....for my very first line to him to be...."since I dominated our first conversation, I'll be looking for you to be the lead." Soon after, I told him about my similar encounters with investigative film makers "as a UFO researcher". More on that as this story evolves.
The Slippery Slope
Turns out, I was wrong to expect any clarity from the young, out of place, stranger.
Despite my asking repeatedly - over the next hour, he never provided a clear answer on how, or why, he was sitting with me in person - or even how I was "found" by him - and he never indicated being a fan of my UFO blogging. Nearly all my questions about the who, what, where, when and why of our meeting got answered almost like double-speak. Additionally, he never indicated being drawn to any particular line of thinking or semi-conclusions about the UFO phenomena I've drawn.
Why did this guy want ME? Was I being pumped for information? By whom? For whom? ... To give the inside stuff shared to me as a UFO researcher, or learned by me in over a decade pursing the unknown?
Immediately, upon the lack of clarity in his answers, I began to wonder.... Should I provide some misdirection?
My thoughts drifted back to the many times I had identified for my readers the repeated visits to my blog by NASA and various national defense contractors earlier this decade. Entities that certainly had contacts with this gentleman's parent company....and his main source of livelihood. Entities that one could only wonder about their visit to a UFO Disclosure website, if UFO's and the phenomena were total bunk as they maintained. He seemed quite naive about how the powers that be might have incentive to keep information about the real phenomena - confused...or on the wrong track. He didn't even seem aware of the Nov.2011 UFO Disclosure answer by the US Government, or its implications.
Now, my mind drifted to our initial call, days prior, with obscure carefully worded non-details. What was/did 'supervising crews' supposed to mean as to the reason why I was being recruited so to speak? Or 'collecting real biological evidence'; what was THAT to mean? I was expecting the NDA discussed on the phone to involve something, that he was supposedly bringing with him, .... to be .... truly something hardcore.
Hardcore enough, that I had friends that I told, for my safety, that I was going to meet up in an amusing 'exchange briefcases' type of scenario. Entering Starbucks, I carried in my book titled The Heavy Stuff; he had a small tote with a small notebook he would eventually remove, scribbling in it at only odd intervals during our face to face. .... Possible Wire/Bug? He was as straight looking and out of place as that new Geico Insurance Ad where the geeky nerd is asked by mobsters if he is wearing a wire.
Afterall, it's not everyday that bloggers meet unknown persons, possibly holding an NDA, before going further with you. Let alone, about subject matter like this; subject matter of possible importance to the world, even possibly, to mankind itself.
Okay. Yes, it's worth a chuckle after you read that. Hell.... engage yourself in a full belly-laugh.
That said, being sought after and having to deal with the "seeking UFO researcher" role, a mantle that one assumes as a blogger on this subject matter - even from movie or TV producers...is not new; and readers will remember my mentioning of previous encounters with such folks, all of which (at least 2 before) had the same characteristic....they don't/haven't end well...and I foretold that to my fresh faced serious contact sitting directly across from me, outside, before a brief drizzle moved us inside.
He seemed surprised at my statement.
Indeed, as we proceeded to talk, my contact seemed naive to many of the more "specific" oddities about UFOlogy... such as Bigelow's money connection to everything anomalous, NIDS, ... and importantly, ignorant of the Fake UFO crappola in the "Disclosure/Alternative" crowd and mindset, and such. .....What exactly was this Mad Man characters base of knowledge?
Over the next month...that became much clearer...from his posting on social media.
That said, he did seem to have already a hidden base of ideas that checked the boxes with some of the non governmental UFO elements - and seemed to understand... that messing too close to the truth may not be in his best interest..... the slippery slope of being on record on a subject off record. Taking everything into consideration, I wondered about the positioning of the follow up to Constellation.
A Magic Connection
While we stayed on the subject matter of UFOlogy - before the meeting ended, his, perhaps not surprising, personal involvement in magic came up, and it's association with possible elements of the anomalous.... so, I asked the question that I've always wanted to ask, much like those who find out that I am a UFO blogger - and I finally had the answer I always wanted, and yet never wanted to hear from a magicians mouth.... YES...magic was real.
He didn't wink. Was he a natural hood-winker?
My answers on real UFO's were much less straight forward. Clearly, most of our discussions were spent on the slippery slope of real.
OMG, the song, Do You Believe In Magic, by The Lovin Spoonful - came on impossibly, right then, on the in-store music service. Was some magical event going to occur? Other than his too common name being called repeatedly by the barista and another man of similar doppelganger age would walk up and claim his drink behind us. Since two other non-ordinary events I've witnessed could be loosely tied to the magic field....(in one, a ball vanished after going into a bag...just after the bag owner, a juggler, questioned the abilities of David Blaine). Seriously Spooky.
Was something building to actualization?
Or was this meeting going to end like the lost notes of the one time historic meeting between Gurdjieff and Buckminster Fuller? Passing vessels full of different structures.
The Outcome
I perceived no event - and alas - ultimately, a month later, the contact didn't end well, as predicted.....shortly after the final and contentious shared call...and, upon looking - I noticed a FB friend total was seen to immediately diminish by one.
Oh, to be used and discarded (he sighed) .... I haven't been to LinkedIn, even yet ...but I have a feeling.
Epilogue
What happened to abruptly change the UFO researchers mind?
The beliefs and prior actions of folks associated with the follow up to Constellation - need I say more. My phenomenology based approach to UFOlogy perhaps dashing another dream.
The enigma of wanting to prove that the anomalous occurs, in the sky nonetheless, is understandably hard to resist for some - and some want to take the next leap of faith and say that it exists in some type of space - but, the believers want you to believe that it IS. And is here-now.
With literally no proof.
The romantic visions of the days of 2012 are over, to all but a very few - and well past the put up or shut up moments for the far out alternative crowd. It should be remembered, that reputations precede attempts to inform; and the messenger, and approach to the public, must be nearly perfectly targeted for sensitive complex subject matter - sadly missing in some quarters.
( Suddenly you have a fuzzy image in your brain of mankind dressed in a futuristic garb - a spaceman outfit - fading on a black and white TV in the front of your mind) Control of your TV and mindset is being returned to you now...do not adjust the controls. I've already done my best to adjust the blurry settings. Wait...would/should Starbucks be playing White Rabbit?
That said, perhaps there is a business model in "have a lunch with a UFO Blogger"? I'm not winking either.
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But here's some real news in UFOlogy .... the FB group 'In The Field' (Scott Browne) is putting together their own version of UFO Truth via those that are seeking proof from evidence gathered from being involved in observations of the sky. I've seen the trailer, set for summer release, and the good stuff will be well worth the look. https://www.facebook.com/groups/scottbrowne/ - the trailer is about 6 posts down his page... Not sure what his privacy settings are for viewing - go find the impossible.===============================================
Thanks For Reading
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And I Guess That Leaves Tye Hampton