EXAMINER– Witnesses to the March 1997 mass UFO sightings wave that became known as the Phoenix Lights are coming forward with previously unreported accounts, thanks to the broadcast of American Paranormal: UFOs Over Phoenix on the National Geographic Channel.

That broadcast repeats tonight and Monday morning and is expected to provoke even more witnesses to come forward. The result is that a new understanding is forming of the events of that night.

The investigation, conducted by the Phoenix UFO Examiner for Base Communications, presented a broad outline of the still unexplained mass sightings events as detailed by three iconic witnesses: Tim Ley, Mike Fortson and Michael Kryzston. 

These witnesses characterize both the first wave of shockingly big objects (craft?) that drifted across the state in the 8:00 PM time frame and the more enigmatic and contoversial lights that were observed and recorded around 10:00 south of the greater metropolitan Phoenix area. 

Continue reading about National Geographic Phoenix Lights Investigation Re-Opens Mystery.

© Larry Lowe, 2010

Photo by flickr user jervetson

AP– Unmanned aircraft have proved their usefulness and reliability in the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the pressure’s on to allow them in the skies over the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been asked to issue flying rights for a range of pilotless planes to carry out civilian and law-enforcement functions but has been hesitant to act. Officials are worried that they might plow into airliners, cargo planes and corporate jets that zoom around at high altitudes, or helicopters and hot air balloons that fly as low as a few hundred feet off the ground.

On top of that, these pilotless aircraft come in a variety of sizes. Some are as big as a small airliner, others the size of a backpack. The tiniest are small enough to fly through a house window.

The obvious risks have not deterred the civilian demand for pilotless planes. Tornado researchers want to send them into storms to gather data. Energy companies want to use them to monitor pipelines. State police hope to send them up to capture images of speeding cars’ license plates. Local police envision using them to track fleeing suspects.

Like many robots, the planes have advantages over humans for jobs that are dirty, dangerous or dull. And the planes often cost less than piloted aircraft and can stay aloft far longer.

Continue reading about Feds Under Pressure to Open US Skies to Drones.

© AP, 2010

Photo by flickr user PLaneMGlasgow

ELEPHANT JOURNAL– A convenience “cooking” method that was invented by the Nazis, refined by the notorious company Raytheon and banned by Russia in the 70’s, the microwave has no place in my kitchen.

Some are still convinced that these radiation boxes are safe, nuke hot meals with efficiency and have no side-effects. Really? There are some scary facts that prove otherwise. If these don’t provoke you to adopt slower cooking methods, not sure what will.

1. Remember the lawsuit that involved a hospital warming blood in a microwave prior to a blood transfusion, resulting in the death of a womyn prior to a hip surgery?

2. Research has proven that heating breast milk or baby formula in a microwave destroys vital vitamins and nutrients.

3. Heating prepared meats in a microwave sufficiently for human consumption created:

* d-Nitrosodiethanolamine (a well-known cancer-causing agent)

* Destabilization of active protein biomolecular compounds

* Creation of a binding effect to radioactivity in the atmosphere

* Creation of cancer-causing agents within protein-hydrosylate compounds in milk and cereal grains;

4. Microwave emissions also caused alteration in the catabolic (breakdown) behavior of glucoside – and galactoside – elements within frozen fruits when thawed in this way;

5. Microwaves altered catabolic behavior of plant-alkaloids when raw, cooked or frozen vegetables were exposed for even very short periods;

Continue reading about 10 Reasons to Ditch the Microwave.

© Elephant Journal, 2010

Photo by flickr user Robert Couse-Baker

YAHOO NEWS– The rich grew richer last year, even as the world endured the worst recession in decades. A stock market rebound helped the world’s ranks of millionaires climb 17 percent to 10 million, while their collective wealth surged 19 percent to $39 trillion, nearly recouping losses from the financial crisis, according to the latest Merrill Lynch-Capgemini world wealth report.

Stock values rose by half, while hedge funds recovered most of their 2008 losses, in a year marked by government stimulus spending and central bank easing. “We are already seeing distinct signs of recovery and, in some areas, a complete return to 2007 levels of wealth and growth,” Bank of America Corp wealth management chief Sallie Krawcheck said.

The fastest growth in wealth took place in India, China and Brazil, some of the hardest hit markets in 2008. Wealth in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific soared to record highs. Asia’s millionaire ranks rose to 3 million, matching Europe for the first time, paced by a 4.5 percent economic expansion.

Asian millionaires’ combined wealth surged 31 percent to $9.7 trillion, surpassing Europe’s $9.5 trillion. In North America, the ranks of the rich rose 17 percent and their wealth grew 18 percent to $10.7 trillion. The United States was home to the most millionaires in 2009 — 2.87 million — followed by Japan with 1.65 million, Germany with 861,000, and China with 477,000. Switzerland had the highest concentration of millionaires: nearly 35 for every 1,000 adults.

Read full article about the World’s Rich Getting Richer.

© COPYRIGHT YAHOO NEWS, 2010

Photo by flickr user J_D_R