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Friday, 22 December 2017

Getting In Contact

There is the option of the Face Book page....

https://www.facebook.com/groups/467983846696626/

or by email at:

blacktowercg@hotmail.com


With the above please add AOPB to subject header or your email may be automatically sent to spam.

Wolverines, Wildcats, Ferals and Hybrids and Sea Serpents: 2018 is going to be a busy year





It is rather odd how you can suddenly be asked something and your realise that what you are being asked is, in point of fact, a request to look into something.

Here is an example.  Last week I was about to have my dinner and the phone rang.  It was a  call from a very noteworthy fellow who asked about any recent non native cat sightings so I explained that I still received reports but then I realised that his tone was all wrong so I asked: "When was the last time you phoned me? Must be a while ago now?"  It was a while back. Fifteen (15) years back in fact so I asked him outright why he was calling as he did not seem that intent on pumas, panthers or lynx?

"Well, I was just wondering how you were coming along with your wolverine work" was his reply and so I asked what had piqued his new interest in the mustelid in question? It seems that he had heard, due to his position in Scotland, of sightings of wolverine that were outside the area I had previously mapped them. So we chatted and I realised that the population had expanded somewhat since I wrote my preliminary paper UK National Wolverine Population: Preliminary Notes some 17 years had elapsed. 25th November, 2000 is the date on the paper. Seventeen years.

That made me look at another paper I had written and submitted: Felids: Wildcats, Ferals and Hybrids and that was dated 23rd September...2000!

The Fox and Hybrid Study had begun in 1997 and that is constantly being added to and thanks to information from the National Fox Welfare Society a much better picture is available which will probably mean an up-dating of the Red Paper (I): Canids as there will also be much more to add on the subject of wolves -in Europe the situation is changing each year with new canid species moving in.  In the United States there is also a lot going on and a lot more has been learnt from my contacts with Forest & Wildlife Service offices.

This will all need to be added to my newer projects that also include The Red Paper (II): Felids and since I have been asking blog visitors since 2011 to pass along links or news of any unidentified sea creatures (or "sea serpent"/"Sea monster") they see with absolutely zero response -I am going to have to start the work from scratch and a plan of action is already underway. No, blog readers will not be reading of anything I find -unless they buy the book after all the work has been completed.  This also means that no one out there can snap up what I post and claim it as their own work (which happens a lot).

My one disappointment is that, seven years after setting up this blog, there is absolutely no feedback or any kind of interaction with visitors.  No one has seen or read or heard of anything strange that they can be bothered to forward to me.  This is the internet age and you do not have to sit down and write a letter then go to post it.  But I accept that this is what has happened to the formerly curious and enquiring people of the past who communicated and read books -they've been "internetified"!

Now, as I do not "do" Christmas it is time for more work.  I am that dull.



“The Sea Serpent is a Fact,” a story published in the Washington Times, April 24, 1904, with illustrations that showcase many of the famous sightings from the 19th century. In Chronicling America(Library of Congress) .

Crinoidea -Not Everything Has To Be An Unidentified Sea 'Monster'

Sit back and watch -or read- these are lovely creatures.

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Crinoidea/


Thursday, 21 December 2017

Keeping Your Mouth Shut Is Not Very Popular -But It Helps!


1970s RAF Manston, Kent.

It is a question of trust.  What am I talking about? Well, at a time that ex-senior police officers breach the professional code of standards they should have and sell stories to the newspapers about politicians and other people -keeping your mouth shut.

Witness confidentiality is the most important thing and it has to be maintained.  The same applies to work carried out and people you meet and work with and the things they tell you. In 1977 I signed the Official Secrets Act -it was standard in many jobs where confidential or other information might be seen.  I signed because of my City of Bristol Police connection.  Later on I had to sign an up-dated version.  Did it affect the way I operated?  No.

You see, there was something even more important than the OSA that affected the way I worked: my word. A piece of paper meant nothing but my word did and I still maintain that stance.  Just before setting up the Anomalous Observational Phenomena Bureau (AOP B) I had to meet up with a number of people at a Belgrave Square, London, address. There were a number of senior Armed Forces officers, a couple of Lords and what-not.  

It was all somewhat informal.  I really did feel like the proverbial fish out of water and when I was asked a couple of specific questions I pointed out that I could not answer them as to do so would mean my having to mention two names and I had given my word not to reveal those names. One gentleman lent forward and asked: "Do you give your word to maintain that position throughout your work?"  I said "yes" little realising that a decision must have been made at some point and I had missed it.

And I stuck by my word.  There were times when I could have benefited financially from selling a few tit-bits to journalists that were not going to cause any individual problems (especially after some of them had died) but it would mean breaking my word.  

The same applies to my work as a UK police forces wildlife advisor.  It was a couple of senior officers at two particular forces who breached confidentiality that led to journalists from both The Sun and the Daily Mirror (as it then was) offering quite large sums in return for what was rather low priority information but also maps showing where specific animals had been sighted in the UK.  I refused despite really needing the money and the fact that the money would solve quite a few problems.  This happened several times over the years but I was bound by my word in this work, too, so I had no choice but to say "no".
1983

With the AOP B work it did lead to some annoyance within the family.  My gran, fed up of the number of people in military uniform, police officers and "other sorts" (!) dropping by as well as the mysterious telegrams and phone calls at all hours once let loose with the words: "It's like the secret service with you -you don't tell us anything!"   And that was true.  Giving my word also meant not blabbing to my family.  To be fair on her it had been a busy week with the Bomb Squad on Monday over a suspicious package, two calls by police officers on the Tuesday -one at 01:00 hrs ("God knows what the neighbours think!"); Wednesday had seen three telegrams and two long phone calls "in private" and Thursday and Friday were not much better -and there were the reporters phoning every few minutes.

Just by mentioning three names and their UFO connection I reckon that I could sell a story for quite a good amount.  However, I never will. I had a discussion yesterday with someone who tried every trick they could including suggesting I was not telling the truth, just to get some names and information. I even offered him this at the bottom of my later response email:

"If it helps -everything I have ever said or claimed about my UFO work is fake. A lie."

He got rather angry at that. I pointed out that I did not care as I was not him and I was never going to break my word.  He then tried the friendly approach again: "I guess we'll have to wait until your archived papers are available then" at which point I told him that the day I die I have arranged for all my papers to be incinerated -no joke: all in archive boxes that fit the burner to the back of the house. Also, I never keep written records of those types of conversations and certainly no "Who's Who" list of persons.

This type of thing does not fit in with the current crop of Ufologists, cryptozoologists or their kith and kin because every line, every name is a potential for making money or getting their names in print or on TV.  Nothing I do not want people to know will be known.

I get asked why I got cooperation from military, the various sections of the Ministry of Defence, police and so on.  Now you know why.  I am reminded of Sir Christopher Lee, known as an actor, he had led a rather "secret" life during World War 2 and would never speak about that work.  In one interview he was asked about this work.  He lent forward and asked the interviewer (who was getting excited, expecting a revelation): "Can you keep a secret?" The excited interviewer responded:"Yes!" Lee sat back in his chair: "Good. So can I".   That's class.

1998


At a UFO convention in Trowbridge in the late 1970s several people watched as a rather stylish black car with CD plates (Corps Diplomatique/Diplomatic Corps) pulled up to where I was standing to rest from all the talking. A short, sharply dressed man approached and addressed me by name. I asked "How can I help?"  He produced an embassy pass and said he had some questions he wondered whether I could answer about UFOs?  He pulled two foolscap sheets with hand-written questions and as I gave an answer he would write my reply down.  After five minutes he thanked me, got back into the car and was driven off.  "Who was that?" I was asked so I explained that he wanted to know something about UFOs and it was pointed out that his car had "CD" plates.  I just shrugged.  Well, he was Russian and that's it. Never asked him "Why?" Left it at that.

I have been asked questions by "Curious Americans" visiting the UK.  Even two from France a few years back -all pre-arranged meetings under various guises.  I found out who they were but that was it.  "We'd like to keep this confidential" meant just that. Zipped lips.

Old fashioned  and ensuring that there will be no gold mine book to sell but I never expected to get rich in the first place.   If there is one thing I do not do it is blab and what Ufologists or others get out of me while I am alive is all they will ever get -a lot of documents have already been burnt so there are fewer to get rid of later.

I am now waffling.  I am either bored or it is getting close to Christmas again....oh.

If I do not post again before then and, unlike me, you DO celebrate Christmas --

Have a Happy Christmas and a Great 2018!










Wednesday, 20 December 2017

Up-date on the new books and ordering problems

Hi Terry,

I hope you are well today. My name is Lindsay and I'll be happy to assist you.

I am very sorry for the trouble you encountered with your 'Some More Things Strange & Sinister' project. I apologize that you did have to complete another revision and the problem wasn't completely resolved previously, but I see now that it appears to be ready to order. If you are still experiencing any trouble with this project, please let me know.

Regarding your 'Strange & Mysterious Beasts' and 'Mysterious & Strange Beasts' projects, the "Only ships from North America" statement is incorrect.  When a buyer continues to the shipping information, if he/she is in the UK, it will be shipped from the UK and the shipping rates will reflect the lower local rates, not US shipping rates.  

Unfortunately, due to recent changes, the "only ships..." statement is inaccurate, and is a bug in our system that we are currently working to resolve.  I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this causes and understand the frustration caused to you and potential buyers. I don't have an estimate on when the issue will be fixed on our end, but you're welcome to reply to receive an update on the status.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Again, I am sorry the issue cannot be fully resolved at this time, however, if you have the opportunity, you can inform your buyers that the books will be shipped locally and the associated shipping costs will be reflected when placing an order.

If I can be of any further assistance, please let me know and I'll be happy to help.

Kind regards,

Lindsay P.

Mysterious object confirmed to be from another solar system -UFO 'Expert' Says We May Have Woken Aliens!!

Here we have it folks. Straight from the man who ran the Ministry of Defence UFO Investigation unit, the Ministry of Defence "UFO analyst" the now, it seems, top exobiologist.  Or it could all be utter bull-shit to get his name in the news.

You see, Mr. Pope claimed that his 'rank' was the equivalent of a senior Army or RAF officer all those years back when he had very little real knowledge of the UFO phenomenon (I keep all my emails and letters if he ever needs to check with me).  In fact, he was just one of many, many desk clerk civil servants whose job involved taking complaints from the public about many things and UFO reports was in that lump of subjects.  He filled in the form and passed it along.  He did not run an investigation unit nor did he wear down the soles of his polished shoes by going out and investigating. He followed an unofficial policy to downplay UFO reports -he admits this over and over. It was part of his job as a civil servant.

His rank?  He gave it several times and I know two people who were civil servants at the same time and asked about this.  They laughed. "It's not a rank of any kind it's a civil service grade!"  They kept laughing as their grades, they worked out, would make one a Brigadier General and the other a Field Marshal.

Pen pushing civil servant.

But the Americans love the accent and spin and, boy, can Mr. Pope present a good story.  And once you have your foot in the door of US TV you want to keep it wedged there.

Nothing personal against Mr.Pope but making claims that he was the head of some elite unit and that he analysed all UFO reports is pure trash.  When I first contacted him he had never seen any of the reports that I had passed along to those at the MoD involved in UFO investigation.  Hey, he wants to make a living out of trash TV shows dealing with UFOs then good luck to him but he should expect to be called out on claims made.

"Nick Pope, former head of the Ministry of Defence's UFO project" 
That deserves calling out.

Here is the Daily Mail report:

Daily Mail online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5198325/Was-Oumuamua-alien-spacecraft.html
While initial readings taken by Breakthrough Listen indicate that Oumuamua isn't an alien spacecraft, Mr Pope suggests the scientists may have been looking for the wrong thing

Attempts to scan the mysterious Oumuamua 'comet' that hurtled past Earth may have 'awoken alien intelligence inside', UFO expert warns 

Oumuamua appear in our solar system earlier this month sparking alien claims

  • Initial scans suggest that the object is just a rock, and wasn't sent by aliens
  • But Nick Pope claims that this scanning may have awoken aliens inside
  • He says that aliens may now be watching our every move - and that if they attack, 'humanity probably wouldn't survive' 






Earlier this month, a skyscraper-sized space rock arrived in our solar system, sparking claims it was a spacecraft sent by extraterrestrials.

And while initial scans suggest it is unlikely to have been sent by aliens, we shouldn't rule this out as an option, according to a leading UFO expert.

Nick Pope, former head of the Ministry of Defence's UFO project, claims that the scans may have 'awoken the intelligence inside,' and aliens may now be watching our every move.



The rock, called 'Oumuamua, soared through our solar system last month.

Scientists led by Professor Stephen Hawking, in a project called Breakthrough Listen, even used high-tech scanners to discover if the object was sent by an alien civilisation - although they also couldn't find any evidence of this.

Speaking to Sun Online, Mr Pope claims that this doesn't rule out the option that Oumuamua was sent by aliens.

He said: 'While nothing has been found yet, there's another intriguing possibility: If this ship is an alien probe, it's possible that our scans will awake the intelligence inside.'

While initial readings taken by Breakthrough Listen indicate that Oumuamua isn't an alien spacecraft, Mr Pope suggests the scientists may have been looking for the wrong thing.

He said: 'Because there's no air in space, an alien spaceship wouldn't need to be designed in the same way that our aircraft have to be.

'Rather than building an interstellar spacecraft from scratch, it makes perfect sense to take an asteroid and then build your ship around it, or hollow it out and build inside it, for the protection you'd derive from being surrounded by so much rock.'

And Mr Pope claims that Oumuamua isn't the only object we should worry about.

He added: 'Simply put, any alien ship searching for life may go into a dormant mode until it gets close to an inhabited planet.

'But what's fascinating about this theory is just how many astronomers and other scientists are taking the idea seriously.

'It's a sign of how accepting we are these days about the likelihood of finding alien life.'

While aliens are often seen as a topic only discussed by conspiracy theorists, governements are starting to take the idea more seriously.

Last week it was even revealed that the Pentagon had been conducting research into UFOs.

Mr Pope said: 'It's an extraordinary revelation, not least because it directly contradicts the many specific denials that the US government has issued previously when asked about this subject and their involvement in it.

'The take-home message here is that there's probably something out there, but we don't know what it is.'

If aliens do find us, it's not good news for civilisation as we know it, according to Mr Pope.

He added: 'Humanity probably wouldn't survive an alien invasion.

'Any aliens that find us (as opposed to us finding them) probably have technology way in advance of anything we have.' 


"It's an extraordinary revelation"  That there was a 'secret' Pentagon UFO investigation since 2007? Just what are these so called Ufologists doing other than getting well groomed for their many TV appearances that this investigation was such a shock to them.  Over the last seven years or so I have mentioned that UFO reports are still checked out by the US military.  I even spoke with a couple of those involved so if I knew and was talking to these people WHY was the UKs top UFO analyst not involved?  I am speechless.

Sadly, everything else Mr. Pope said was a re-hash of old science fiction stories and UFO conspiracy factions as well as things claimed by Prof. Hawking (about a less developed civilisation being discovered by a superior one).  Same old same old.

An artist’s impression of interstellar asteroid `Oumuamua. It is a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 metres long, and unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.
above: an artist's IMPRESSION of the object

Mysterious object confirmed to be from another solar system

Interstellar object ‘Oumuamua covered in 'thick crust of carbon-rich gunk'
The mysterious interstellar object ‘Oumuamua that is shooting through our solar system is wrapped in a thick coating of carbon-rich gunk that built up on its cosmic travels, astronomers have found.
New observations of the cigar-shaped body found evidence for a deep surface layer that formed when organic ices – such as frozen carbon dioxide, methane and methanol – that make up the object were battered by the intense radiation that exists between the stars.
The 400-metre-long object is the first confirmed interstellar body to visit our solar system. It was spotted in October by researchers on the Pan-Starrs telescope in Hawaii after it barrelled past the sun on its way through. The name is taken from the Hawaiian word for “messenger” or “scout”.
The deep outer crust may have formed on the body over millions or even billions of years and gives ‘Oumuamua a dark red colour, according to researchers who investigated the object with the William Herschel Telescope on La Palma in the Canary Islands and the European Southern observatory in Chile’s Atacama desert.
“This is a slowly spinning skyscraper-shaped object with a greyish-red surface crust and potentially ice in its heart,” said Michele Bannister, a planetary astronomer who worked on the observations at Queen’s University in Belfast. When carbon-rich ice is baked in interstellar radiation, it creates a layer of “organic gunk,” she added.
The coating may explain why ‘Oumuamua did not billow clouds of gas and dust when it swept past the sun earlier this year, well inside the orbit of Mercury. Most comets shed vast plumes of gas when they are heated as they swing past the sun, including comet 67P which the European Space Agency’s Rosetta missionchaperoned around the sun in 2015.
“It may well be that this object is icy inside,” said Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer on the team at Queen’s University. “If the surface layer is a few tens of centimetres thick, then any ice underneath would not have been heated enough by the sun, because it takes time for the heat pulse to travel through.”
The astronomers began watching ‘Oumuamua days after it was first discovered when it was more than 40 million miles away and travelling at 130,000 miles per hour. The telescopes found no signs of rocky minerals or ice on the surface, but did find evidence for the carbon-rich crust.
“This surface layer is what happens if you take comet ices and comet dust grains and bake them with high energy particles for millions or even billions of years,” said Fitzsimmons.
The researchers went on to compare the measurements of ‘Oumuamua with those taken from asteroids and comets circling in our own solar system. They found that ‘Oumuamua resembles the so-called Trojan asteroids near Jupiter, but also objects in the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune, the most distant planet in the solar system. “Our observations are very consistent with this having started life as an icy body in its own system, similar to those found in the Kuiper belt or around Jupiter,” Fitzsimmons said. Details of the work are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Last week, astronomers on an alien-hunting project known as Breakthrough Listen used the huge Green Bank telescope in West Virginia to monitor ‘Oumuamua for radio signals in case it happened to be a passing spacecraft, and not an interstellar asteroid after all. To date, no signs of intelligence have been found.
ahem...."Nick Pope has issued a shock warning over Nibiru..."  I write no more.
Next week: "Former UK Government UFO Chief: Caterpillars Are Alien Reconnaissance Force!"

Tuesday, 19 December 2017

100 new species found

BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42410194

Mekong region: Lizard and turtle among 100 new species found

More than 100 new species have been discovered in the ecologically diverse region of the Mekong river which stretches from the Tibetan plateau to the South China Sea, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Undated handout photo issued by WWF, of a Odorrana Mutschmanni, a vibrantly coloured frog, which is one of the 115 new species that were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2016.Image copyrightPA
Odorrana Mutschmanni, a coloured frog, was found in a forest in north-eastern Vietnam - among 115 new species discovered by scientists in the Mekong region in 2016.
Undated handout photo issued by WWF, of a Euroscaptor orlovi, a mole, which is one of the 115 new species that were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2016Image copyrightPA
This mole, called Euroscaptor orlovi, is one of two mole types found in Vietnam. According to researchers their underground dwellings have helped protect them.
Undated handout photo issued by WWF, of a Rhinolophus monticolus, a mountain horseshoe bat, which is one of the 115 new species that were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2016.Image copyrightPA
A mountain horseshoe-shaped bat called Rhinolophus monticolus was found by a scientist in a local market in north-eastern Thailand. New species discovered in 2016 include 11 amphibians, two fish, 11 reptiles, 88 plants and three mammals.
Undated handout photo issued by WWF, of a Malayemys isan, a snail eating turtle, which is one of the 115 new species that were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2016.Image copyrightPA
This snail-eating turtle, called Malayemys isan, was also found in a local market - in north-eastern Thailand. Every year scientists announce dozens of new species discovered in the region surrounding the Mekong, which flows through China, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. WWF says the manmade threat to the animals' habitats remains "massive" but the discovery of new species gives "enormous hope".
Undated handout photo issued by WWF, of a Shinisaurus crocodilurus vietnamensis, a Vietnamese crocodile lizard, which is one of the 115 new species that were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2016Image copyrightPA
The Vietnamese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus vietnamensis), a scaly reptile, hails from northern Vietnam's forests. It has taken years to confirm its status as a separate subspecies of a reptile first found in 2003.
Undated handout photo issued by WWF, of a Schistura kampucheensis, a loach fish, which is one of the 115 new species that were discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2016.Image copyrightPA
This loach fish (Schistura kampucheensis) was among species discovered in Cambodia. WWF says that over the past 20 years more than 2,500 new species have been discovered in the Mekong region - roughly two discoveries per week.