Binnall of America: Lesley's Grey Matters

Women of Esoterica contributor Lesley Gunter's current column, Grey Matters, at Binnall of America, where she writes about the "Creepy Summer" in New Mexico:

grey matters: "Always as I see it coming in the Stephen King story The Mist comes to mind, as does the Smoke Monster from Lost. I almost expect some horrible Lovecraftian-type creature to come slithering out of it and start devouring everything in sight. Meanwhile, I think that somewhere beneath that could be a fleet of UFOs and nobody would ever know."

Purple Skull Earrings

I love these earrings! Purple skull Day of the Dead type earrings by WOE contributor Lesley Gunter, on Etsy.

"We're in the Money," -- Not

Those of us that write on things esoteric, on blogs, on e-zines, for publications, make very little, if any, money. We do it for... all kinds of reasons. Because we like to write, because we're creative and find writing a form of creative expression, because we like to share and communicate with others, because we've had our own experiences and are trying to figure them out, because we like to think and ponder and wonder, because... many more reasons I haven't thought of. But one thing is clear, we aren't in it for the money. I don't expect money. Well, I expect money in the sense I'm hopeful and have intent and am not projecting negativity, just being realistic. We don't, most of us, write because we think we're going to make money. It's safe to say most of us wouldn't turn money down if it came our way, but it's not expected. It's not about money. If it were, we wouldn't be doing this.

So, in that context, I THANK YOU to all the contributors here at Women Of Esoterica. I am constantly amazed at the fact that everyone here: Kithra, Lesley, Richelle Hawks, Danielle Lee, Anya, Deirdre, Karyn Dolan, Farah Yurdozu, Tina Sena, and Chris Holly contribute to this blog for FREE. Thank you, thank you.

Moving on. . . while most of us write for free, or very little, and of course welcome any money that may come our way, we do it for the reasons listed above, and more. Hopefully, if we're serious enough, or rather, sincere enough, in our intent, in our journey, in our research, some respect comes our way. Genuine discussions on all this stuff; Forteana, anomalous, UFOs, paranormal, whatever . . . takes place. Some even get to make an actual impact somewhere beyond the fringe. That's pretty huge.

We all know there are plenty of clown shoes in this field. Some of them are downright thieving, nasty, lying, dung filled clown shoes.  On the other end of the continuum are the sincere, the honest, the genuine researchers and people who have dedicated themselves to exploration in this realm, and, while they may not be paid in money, they are deserving of respect and care. You don't just kick 'em out because they haven't performed produced the right amount of stuff for your personal agenda, be it bank account or what. Especially if you don't pay them in the first place.

Dr. Evil Files: "Here Come Drugs To Combat The Scrourge of Dykes"

Thanks to Lesley at The Debris Field for this link. On piglipstick, the following scary as all fucking shit news item about Dr. Maria New: "Here Come Drugs To Combat The Scrourge of Dykes"

Dr. New is experimenting with drugs to be used on the fetus:

"Dr. Maria New has a new strategy for treating unborn fetuses: the use of a potentially dangerous steroid aimed at preventing a rare congenital disorder that affects the adrenal gland, potentially consigning the future child to a lifetime regime of drugs.
It also prevents "some of the symptoms of [this disorder] in girls, namely ambiguous genitalia. . . Dr. New offers pregnant women dexamethasone, a risky steroid aimed at female fetuses that may have this disorder . . . Dr. New is also exploring the use of dexmethasone's effects on future fetuses' desires to explore "male careers" or have disinterest in becoming mothers.

Lesley with a new Grey Matters

Grey Matters, on "new ageyness" and hypocrisy.

"UFOlogy 101 for Bloggers and Forum Posters"

 Lesley Gunter has a new Gray Matters at BoA: UFOlogy 101 For Bloggers and Forum Posters. Good advice!

Visit The Orange Orb

http://orangeorb.blogspot.com

Pointless Blog Quiz for the Day

Usually I find Lesley Gunter and I get the same results with these; not this time. She had "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (on her The Debris Field blog) this is mine:

You Are "Across the Universe"

You are spiritual, deep, and at peace. You try to keep life in perspective. You can't help but realize how small you are in the universe. You're just thankful you exist. You tend to be a stream of consciousness thinker. You just let your thoughts flow, even when they don't make sense initially. You trust your intuition to guide you. You know that whatever is in your heart is right and true.

What Beatles Song Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Just for Fun: A Little Bear Synchronicity

I had a dream about tigers and bears the night before last. In the dream, I was me, in the present, but living in the house I grew up in in California. Jim was there with me and my mother and siblings; typical dream like logic, it was both then and now. The only difference in the landscape of the place was the backyard, while looking the same, was much bigger, a couple of acres.

Someone just drops by and gives me a few tigers, and a few brown bears. The bears were grizzly like, but not grizzlies. Both animals were very sweet, just doing their thing, everyone got along. The animals weren't adults yet, varied in sizes and age, but all were young, to varying degrees. While they seemed to be having a good time, I was worried about a few things.

Feeding them, for one. I was kind of getting by feeding them cat food and scraps but knew this wasn't healthy for them. I was concerned about the expense. I was very concerned about the time when, as they grew, they'd realize they could eat each other; I was worried the bears would attack the tigers, or the tigers would attack the bears. I was't judging the animals for this, it was simply their nature, but still . . . and I was worried about their well being. Cooped up in a small place like this, not good for them. They needed lots of room.

So I call the Fish and Wildlife guy to come get them, but I make it every clear the animals were not to be harmed in any way! If he was going to kill them, forget it. He assured me no such thing would happen, but did want to know who gave the animals to me, since it was illegal. I told him I wasn't a fink and I wasn't going to say.

He takes the animals, and they're fine, much happier.

I wake up, feeling good about the dream but intrigued -- what the hell did all that mean? Then I visit Lesley's Debris Field blog, which I do first thing every morning, and find she had a dream about bears the same night!

Then I go into work, and find the bear story still out; I had planned to read it Friday but my sub didn't have time to get to it, so it was the first thing I saw on the table; a big glossy picture of a bear!

From March: Grey Matters column: Disenchanting News in the Land of Enchantment

Here's a Grey Matters column from Lesley that I missed somehow; it's from March. As Lesley says, it's not esoteric but definitely horrifying. (Although, serial killers share a definite esoteric place within that realm.) Disenchanting News in the Land of Enchantment

The victims are women, and, as with other serial killings with female victims, not much seems to be done about it, and particularly when the victims are "lower class" -- i.e. protitutes, drug addicts, etc.

Lesley's Grey Matters: "Susan Boyle is killing Ufology!"

Lesley's new Grey Matters is up at Binnall of America, and this week she writes about the fascination with the decidedly non-fascinating, while ignoring the real fascinating stuff around us. In Susan Boyle is killing Ufology! Lesley writes:

When I see things like Susan Boyle capture so much attention -- I can only agree with the government (assuming they know a lot about ufos) that we are not ready for disclosure.

We watch it all the time -- the weird crap that captures the nation and/or the western world's attention. Anna Nicole Smith, OJ, Brad/Jen/Angelina and so on. Meanwhile, there is truly amazing stuff going on and most people don't seem to even care. (Italics mine)

I share with Lesley a pleasure in getting some gossipy goods -- shallow, fine, but the point is, as Lesley puts it, is that some of us know it's gossip, and get our gossip "news" from gossip type sources. It in itself isn't news news, not of any great import, but sadly, even places like CNN treat gossip and entertainment buzz with equal seriousness:

I expect to get my celeb gossip from the same place I have always got it, The National Enquirer, not the nightly news or 24 hour news channels. Even on those, I don't mind a short mention of the gossip, but I don't want it to be treated like news because it isn't. Celebrity gossip is treated like being REAL news, far more so than things that are really amazing and could really change the world as we know it -- like ufos.

Seriously, Britney's head shaving incident is treated like a national tragedy that should concern us all. Dozens of people seeing a strange object in the sky over Stephenville (or anywhere else) is comic relief.

Yes, culture has it ass backwards all right. I remember many years ago, when Miami Vice was popular, one of the network news programs breaking in during regular programming with a "news alert" to let us know that actor Don Johnson was gettting a divorce. I remember thinking if I hadn't just slipped into some silly topsy turvy alternate dimension, where news isn't, up is down, that kind of thing.

Lesley asks why it is that mainstream culture is so fascinated with the likes of gossip and other frivolous distractions, while ignoring the truly fantastic (and unexplained?)

Lesley begins her article by talking about American Idol's Susan Boyle who is "unattractive." I saw the clip where she comes out, and the expressions on the faces of both audience and judges. Some of those expressions included outright disgust.

As to the perennial question of why mainstream society and the infrastructure continues to ignore, ridicule and marginalize paranormal and Fortean type occurrences, while it's extremely frustrating, it might be some comfort to realize this is as much a part of the phenomena itself in many cultures, including ours. Call it the Trickster or what you like, but the phenomena enjoys this constant dance of "catch me if you can," of being elusive. Anomalous events, from Bigfoot to ghosts to UFOs and all of the other stuff in between are subversive, anti-structure, in your face occurrences that thumb their noses at science, religions, and society's comfort zones. Like gossip and entertainment. Everyone, including the skeptoids and pathological debunkers, know damn well these things exist, they simply cannot acknowledge the fact. Willful ignorance of the data, marginalizing and trivializing both the phenomena and individuals who experience, believe or research weird stuff, and insults are the rule, as well as the weird inverse of phenomena that Lesley points out. Gossip and fascination with the shallow bewitches; while the real mysteries are shoved aside.

Vatican Cracks Down, ....

I have something up at UFO-Mary about the Vatican's recent cracking down on those who experience Marian Apparitions. It's a bit chilling.

Bush/Cheny pushed through, even in their last, gasping days, their agenda to continue the wolf slaughter.

Lesley posted a couple of interesting photographs she took in Washington of the BVM with orbs.

I comment about the hilarity of the so-called UFO Iconoclasts bloggers and their ridiculous assertion I, along with Lesley and Lehmberg, are "bringing down UFOlogy."

My musings on 2012 on Binnall of America.While there at Tim Binnall's, be sure to read Richelle Hawks, Tina Sena, Richard Thompson, Lesley and everyone else! Also listen to the great podcasts.

Lastly, my Mothman's Photographer III by Andrew Colvin, arrived today! I am so excited, I've only read the forward by Nick Redfern and leafed through it, but it promises to be great.

New Gray Matters Up at BOA

A very neat ghost/trickster story by Lesley for her Gray Matters column on BOA.

Gray Matters on FRINGE

Coincidentally, Lesley also writes about a TV program for her column Gray Matters this week on Binnall of America.(I wrote about The Mentalist, and Psych, for Trickster's Realm this week.) Lesley really likes Fringe, and I do too; it's my favorite new show so far. Unfortunately, it's on opposite The Mentalist, but we just record one, watch the other. While there at BOA, be sure to read all the great columns, like Richelle Hawks,(also a contributor here at Women of Esoterica), Tina Sena, etc.

Animals: Lesley's Blog

I'm an animal lover, more than that, I have a strong spiritual connection with animals, and it's in this context that I'm promoting one of Lesley's blogs, The Wild Kingdom. It's all about animals; animal rights, animal welfare, and the Fortean side of the animal world.

Please visit her blog. It's really good and full of items, some which will make you very sad, like Sarah Palin's pro hunting wolf, and by helicopters, other items will please you.

The Debris Field in the Top Ten!

The blog The Heavy Stuff includes WOE contributor Lesley's blog The Debris Field in the top ten blogs:

6. The Debris Field http://thedebrisfield.blogspot.comTHS Comment > To THS this website is the number one for UFO’s and current ufo info - often you can find 20 links a day and most are about ufo’s. Leslie, the editor, also is a writer on various blogs and highlights her daily writings and life too on this blog. The blog has many pictures and more of a `female’ tone to it. THS really likes the black background of the page too. Overall, the page has a weeks worth of diverse links numbering over 100. Leslie picks up posts from this blog, and THS gets many hits from the archive - which you won’t want to miss. Less commentary than some - but lots of links. This is an example of a recent link http://thedebrisfield.blogspot.com/2008/07/noted-ufologist-robert-hastings.html

Pretty cool, Lesley!

On Binnall of America This Week

On Binnall of America, we have Lesley’s newest Grey Matters article, UFO Flaps and the Media. In it she talks about the UK’s current UFO flap. I agree that not only the UK, but that UFO sighting reports have been increasing worldwide lately.

I also like Richard Thomas’s article for Room 101: The Sea Devils' Triangle: Is The Bermuda Triangle A Good Place For an "Alien" Base? How can you resist liking a writer who manages to tie in Dr. Who with the Bermuda Triangle?

Great news too regarding Binnall’s audio: this week’s guest is Linda Moultan Howe! (should be up late today or Monday, according to Lesley’s post at her Debris Field blog.) AND, as if that isn’t enough, the season finale is with Jacques Vallee! Yes! My god! I know! Too much. As always, Tim gets the most amazing guests.

Lots of other good stuff, as always, over there! Be sure to check out BOA regularly, for new articles, message board stuff, and the latest podcasts.

Tim Binnall's Women

(heh) Since Richelle and Lesley won't shamelessly promote themselves, I'll do it for them, and promote myself as well.

We all have articles up at Binnall of America.

My Trickster's Realm went up today; it's on Marian Apparitions again: Apparitions and Control. I don't know why I've been having apparitions of the Marian variety on the brain lately, just that way.

Richelle, as usual, has an interesting perspective on things, this time it's the "going green" meme that's the fad now. It's good to be green, as Kermit said years ago, I'm not knocking doing what needs to be done. But Richelle has some good insights, addressing the "evil" side of the whole green thing in A Hero's Dilemma: Green and its Evil Twin. for her Medussa's Ladder column.

Lesley, for her Grey Matters column, writes about the blog on UFO Magazine in UFO Magazine: Online and Blogging ! She's done a great job of getting that going, and it looks great, with lots of bloggers contributing.

Tina Sena (not a contributor here at WOE even though she's been invited -- hint!) writes Heaven Can Wait for her Esoterica column.

But it's not just about us dames. There are other great columnists (yes, I just called us all "great") like Richard Thomas's column Room 101. His current piece is Alternative 3 and the Secret Space Program

And Khyron writes The K Files; the current column is his "summer movie preview."

And as always, there are great podcasts to listen to (for free) so be sure to visit Tim Binnall's site and look around, post in the forums, and listen to some great interviews!

Esoteric Junk Mail

My latest on Tim Binnall's site for my Trickster's Realm column over there: Esoteric Junk Mail.

http://binnallofamerica.com/tr5.5.8.html

As always, be sure to read all the other great columns over there, including Lesley's Grey Matters and Richelle's Medusa's Ladder.

The Trickster Elves (on Machine Elf)

A WOE contributor, Lesley, has a blog called Machine Elf that is very nice. I really liked her latest post: The Trickster Elves.

http://machine-elf.squarespace.com/blog/

Machine-Elf

Lesley has a really nice looking new blog that promises to be interesting, and a bit different. It's called Machine-Elf. She has a post up there now about fairies that I really enjoyed.

Lesley and I are both web/blog junkies, and so of course I had to go and try the new website/blog site she wrote about on Debris Field. It's called Squarespace. I dunno, doesn't seem to be working for me so far, I can't get it nifty like Lesley's. I'm playing around with a Mothman theme, but we'll see.

Anyway, be sure to visit Machine-Elf!