Closing out a busy work week with Micah Hanks. First: that November 19th Senate hearing appearance by new AARO Director John Kosloski. In the physical "perspective" sense, Micah notes the "feed" from one coverage source gave viewers a look at Pentagon spokesperson Sue Gough, whose presence close to Kosloski invited speculation upon how "free" was his testimony. In another sense of perspective, Micah's opinions about the hearing differ from the either predominantly negative or mainly uninterested views of many in the UFO "community." Hanks also has Things To Say about The Mystery Drones of late November. He presents a detailed timeline of the UK drone drama as of his December 3rd podcast, and notes previous overflights of Swedish and recent U.S. East Coast locations. Hanks dips back into that Kosloski Senate hearing and last December's Langley AFB aerial incursions to bolster his own positions on the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System and not UAP) situation. And staying with Micah's Musings, we have "Drone Fever" Strikes Eastern U.S. As FBI Joins Investigations of Alleged Mystery UAVs. Hanks expands upon his belief that much of the temperature's caused by witness misidentifications, fanned by "media's lackluster reporting." (WM)

We have a story out of Washington state from a man claiming to have been part of the post-skyjacking search team hunting for D.B. Cooper. It seems while searching the mountains along the Columbia River he happened upon a Sasquatch that promptly charged at him, knocking him over and sending him tumbling down a cliff. Some folks just don't like uninvited guests. Next we turn our attention to the search for Nessie with No, Dr. Burton! In the early 1960s, Maurice Burton published The Elusive Monster and established himself as a sceptic, in spite of his earlier stance in the 1950s that the Loch Ness Monster was real. He became the foil to Alex Campbell's work, attempting to dismiss anything that suggested a monstrous creature in the Loch. However both men lacked verification for their theories, a common problem when research is lacking and opinions flourish. (CM)

Billy Cox has his own suspicions about Pentagon "perception management" in the light of the November House and Senate hearings. He also gives pilot and other informed reactions to the AARO "case resolutions" and worries about Future Complications. Anthony Bragalia takes up that last cudgel in his opinion piece: Trump to ET: "Stay In Your Saucers!" Bragalia's opinions are blunt and his tone may offend, while he provides his historical views on even larger historical issues. On a rather "kinder and gentler" level, Ross Coulthart covers some of these wider aspects in How Deep Does Pope Francis' Faith in UAP Really Run? There are some very surprising claims here, even beyond yet another claim of a 1933 Magenta, Italy, UFO crash transfer to the U.S. facilitated by a Pope Francis predecessor! And another perspective comes in 'It's Hard Not To Believe He Saw Something': Historian Greg Eghigian on How UFOs Took Over the World. Greg tackles the religious as well as political and cultural angles to the subject. We were surprised to learn that the initial Roswell material announcement happened because "the people who usually dealt with the material were actually off at a conference." (WM)

If you ever wondered what would possess someone to become an exorcist, you'll want to read this story about the Reverend Jason Bray, who became a ghost busting exorcist in 2003. Training under the Church of England, he learned not just the prayers and procedures of a proper ghost busting but how to distinguish between mental illness and actual possession. The Reverend handles about a dozen cases a year in his role as a Deliverance Minister, typically to deal with hauntings and poltergeist activity that he describes as the result of pent up anxiety within the person experiencing the phenomena. In that sort of case, laughter is the best medicine, although you should still give him a call. (CM)

Three reporters cover some of the frustrations people in New Jersey have experienced about what they've been seeing and not hearing about from official sources. In The Baltimore Sun Emma Withrow reflects that Congress Pushes For Transparency on UFO Findings Amid Public Interest. Featured: transparency and down-to-earth monetary considerations as well as AARO Director Jon Kosloski's admission even he can't understand some of the "anomalous characteristics and/or behaviors" demonstrated in some of his office's case load. And for the other side of the country, try Los Angeles Daily News opinion columnist Susan Shelley: The Mundane Reality of UFOs. Though the controversial Michael Shellenberger "wild reading" forms part of her data, Shelley provides historical context to her question "What has the Pentagon been doing all this time while the threat of inexpensive weaponized drones was developing?" In the Land Down Under, ABC Australia's Danielle O'Neal and Piia Wirsu inform that an Australian Institute Funds Research Into UFOs and Unexplained Phenomena. The privately-sponsored "Non-Human Intelligence Research Institute," whose Head of Projects is Ross Coulthart, seeks to fill the void into serious UFO research apparently left by the Aussie government's disdain for the subject. (WM)

Scientists interested in predicting seismic and volcanic events have enlisted goats as recruits for their latest research project. The goats will be fitted with super-light tags that can be tracked via satellite, with the intention of learning how and why they seem to know when an earthquake will hit or a volcano is ready to blow its top. In other fantastical animal news, Dr. Karl Shuker is Finding The Feathered Lions of Larry Hagman – Again! It seems Shuker's memory on its own is a thing of beauty as he pulls this story from his personal archives. Thanks to the Doctor for creating some truly beautiful illustrations to accompany this tale which, by the way, does a terrible job of discouraging drug use. (CM)

There are several areas in the United States to explore where the possibility of having some kind of Bigfoot encounter is better than average. But for those of us who prefer to hear about those encounters rather than be participants, the International Cryptozoology Museum (ICM) in Portland, Maine, is the perfect destination. The ICM "seeks to educate, inform, and spark curiosity," writes Angelique Brenes, and it certainly succeeds at that mandate, while providing excellent parking and low admission fees. Owner and operator Loren Coleman is a tireless researcher and author, who travels anywhere the high strangeness takes him for additions to the museum. But meanwhile, The Man Who Saw Sasquatch Is Closing His California Museum For Good. The Bigfoot Discovery Museum in California is winding down its operations. Owner Mike Rugg and his wife have been operating the museum for two decades, sustained by donations, but health problems have expedited the decision to retire. The museum building has been put on the market, while the museum artifacts and memorabilia are being offered for sale separately. We wish Mike and his wife a peaceful retirement. (CM)

Two events of interest took place in the Bay Area last month, according to reporter Max Harrison-Caldwell. One was the 40th anniversary party for the SETI Institute. The celebration featured an award honoring Jill Tarter, one of SETI’s founding members, and a recorded video message from Jodie Foster, who played a character inspired by Tarter in the 1997 movie Contact. The other event was the Sol Symposium, sponsored by the Sol Foundation, a think take established in August 2023 to research the political, philosophical, and scientific implications of UAP. More than 500 people attended the event, including astrobiologists, space engineers, a member of a black metal band and rapper, among others. Dr. Garry Nolan, "a cancer biologist who has turned his attention to UAP," was a featured speaker. (PH)

The recent drone sensation has raised numerous questions and few answers. Howard Altman charts the overflights of four RAF airbases, as of November 27th. U.S. officials say the objects are too sophisticated and, at least in three sites, apparently "too connected" to be Joe and Jane's hobbyist fun. Micah Hanks asks the Big Question: What's Really Going On With All the "Mystery Drone" Incidents Over U.S. Bases? Launching from The War Zone's early coverage, Micah usefully tackles five elements underlying his title query. Higher-level mainstream British media is certainly covering the aerial escapades; per The Guardian's UFO Expert Not Ruling Out Russia or China Links to Drones Seen at RAF Bases. Daniel Lavelle's expert is "British former UFO hunter" Nick Pope, and Nick suggests hobbyists have been tricked into supplying Russia or China with "intel" about the bases. BBC News' Matt Precey and Alice Cunningham wonder Are Mystery Drones Above US Bases in England Something Sinister? They team up to report what average "on the ground" citizens are making of, and asking about, the antics above. Matt Laslo talks to two key Senators about this drone dilemma in Law Murky, But Warner Says Pentagon Not Engaging UAPs, Drones Over US Bases "Seems Crazy" and New Gillibrand Bill Gives Pentagon Authority to Shoot Down UAPs, Drones on US Soil. Mark Warner and Kirsten Gillibrand weigh in on the issue and what is being proposed to do about it. (WM)

We might be forgiven for thinking the age of sea serpent sightings ended when the modern cruise ships of the 20th century took to the oceans. The fact is, in 1911 a rather spectacular sighting took place as witnessed by the guests aboard one of the largest ocean liners in the world. Interestingly, it was initiated by a well known broadway actor who was on board at the time, and resulted in a significant number of other passengers coming topside to view the spectacle and later give fairly consistent reports of what they saw. The following year a young girl and her four friends on a steamship to Bermuda had a similar sighting. Then in 1922 the Greek government dispatched a fleet to the Aegean Sea in pursuit of yet another serpent. Sixteen years later the crew of a fishing boat off the coast of Massachusetts encountered a strange black serpentine creature that was more than 50 feet long. It can be argued that sea serpent stories are more enduring than any so- called progress that seeks to leave tales of monsters behind. They are a part of our history as much as any other event. (CM)

A photograph and some video footage set off a Thanksgiving feast of excitement and speculation in social media. Matthew Phelan has the "main course" with a photo of the "ominous quartet of gleaming lights above the United States Capitol building," plus "dessert" in a 43-second video of "UAP over Washington DC." Pentagon spokesperson Susan Gough told Daily Mail she had nothing on the matter. Phelan adds context from both Chris Mellon on the overall drone problem and "Average Chris," not Mellon but a former paranormal investigator, who says the video is just "commercial airplanes lining up to land at the several airports in the area." "Average Chris" attacks the still photo as "clearly a glare reflection off of the lens of the camera of the street lights below it." Upon considered reflection, the phenomenon former USAF veteran Dennis Diggins captured looks rather like other photos we've seen purportedly of the famous July 1952 Washington D.C. overflights. And Times Now Digital offers UFOs Over Capitol Hill In Washington DC? Fact-Checking Viral Photos. Here John Greenewald banishes the "main course" (but beautiful!) still photo to oblivion with a demonstration of the inverted light pattern. "New photo, same lens flare 'phenomenon,'" says John. No Thanksgiving leftovers here! (WM)

Not many people still talk about the Cambrian Explosion outside of academic circles, but Carol Dehler heard something of interest and it seems Alessandro Passalalpi is quoting heavily from SciTechDaily. So read the University of New Mexico's New Grand Canyon Discovery Could Rewrite Geology Textbooks where the pull quotes are in-context. What's it all about anyway? Let's just say Noah wasn't the first to experience a globe-spanning flood. Meanwhile Michelle Starr reckons these Mysterious Human Footprints From 1.5 Million Years Ago Reveal A Surprise. The surprise? Humanity's ancestors were friendly with one-another, but envisioning them as hunchbacked troglodytes needs reconsideration. Also geomancers should rejoice with Margherita Bassi's lede "Archaeologist Discovers Two Neolithic Stone Circles In England, Supporting A 'Sacred Arc' Theory" After years of conjecture of a ring of stone circles, but not having proof to fill in those gaps, Alan Endacott has filled 'em in raising all sorts of questions. Rounding out our roundup (see what I did there?) has an old fortean mystery trying to bubble back up into the headlines. Some Researchers Think Indonesian Pyramid Could Rewrite Human History, Dating Back To 25,000 BC. First clue for the article is the invocation of "Some" in the lede, followed with the byline attributed to "Jerusalem Post Staff", and 'retracted' being the 8th word in the first line. If you happen to be a true believer, there's much to love here. (CS)

These queer objects may, or may not be, akin to a Svoronos Star Tug nor a Shkadov thruster (Look them up, true believers!) but Clement Vidal has a preprint (sigh) on arXiv suggesting hypervelocity stars are you-know-who. In case you're lazy or on-the-go, and who isn't nowadays, Paul Sutter distills it down to a read that takes as long as one needs to drink half a cup of coffee. If they happen to pass through our neighborhood, don't expect them to say hi since Aliens Have A 'Non-Interference Policy' And Want To 'Avoid Humans,' Claims Expert. Who is this expert anyway? Daniel Sheehan, the UFO lawyer who represented Luis Elizondo against his former employer. He graduated from Harvard so we wonder if he hobnobs with Avi Loeb. As to the whys and hows, it's Adam Cailler's job to lay that out. In the midst of hypotheticals and pie-in-the-sky "Prime Directives", Christopher Walker gets a little sour explaining Why We Probably Won’t Find Aliens Anytime Soon. For a little hope, Chris is using the Drake Equation rather than the recent revisions more in line with cosmic observations. Despite the pessimism, Mr. Walker gives a decent overview of the science and expectations behind SETI. (CS)