Issue #51 UFO Crash Site Safety Review

Most people I know that investigate UFOs would give their left arm to be the first to arrive on the scene of a UFO crash, however if one is going to respond to an incident of this magnitude, you just can't go rushing in without preparation. There is a long list of people who didn't give UFOs the respect they deserve, and they paid for it with their lives.

While safety is primary, we also want to make sure that we do not contaminate the scene, or handle any evidence improperly. Following some basic rules can preserve the integrity of the sight, and perhaps keep you from making a fatal mistake.

The first thing one should do when arriving at the crash site, before even walking away from your vehicle, is glove up. Some people think that means just putting on a pair of gloves...not true. To properly "glove up", one first puts on one pair of gloves, then pull your sleeves down over the gloves. Next put on a second pair of gloves, but this time fit the glove over the end of your sleeve, then tape around the glove to form a seal with your sleeve. Now you are  properly "gloved up".

The next step is to put on a respirator. You will want to make sure that you are using one with new filters, and that the filters are properly rated to keep out anything that could be potentially harmful. It might seem a little bit extreme, especially if you are somewhere in a warmer climate, but choking to death on an unknown pathogen is probably not very comfortable either. I also prefer a hood as well, since anything airborne might not be too good for the skin either. My personal rule of thumb is: Don't leave anything exposed!

Next item to have out is your geiger counter. Only approach a crash if you have some way of reading the radiation levels! Even then, exercise extreme caution, and anytime you get an unsafe radiation reading, immediately back out and call your State Director, or Chuck Modlin. Do not risk any further contact until you have gear on site that can protect you from any potential radiation.

You are going to want to walk the site then, to survey the area that is involved, and then you will want to use your tape to mark off the area, and to keep people out. Only one (1) person should go into the area at a time. You do not want a lot of people going into and out of the area, possibly contaminating the area, or even tracking evidence out with them. The less people in the area, the better. Make sure to list in your control notes who the person is that is going in the area, and what they do there.

Once the area is marked off, you will want to do a complete radiation survey, then you will want to use your metal detector and do a thorough sweep for any debris that might be evidence. Whenever you get a hit with your detector, you will want to place a flag so you can come back once your grid is set up to excavate the material. Remember to photograph everything, making sure to shoot from the different cardinal directions. Any shots of evidence should be taken from directly overhead, looking straight down, and make sure you have a scale in place for reference.

Being able to think on your feet is vitally important in situations like this. One can't possibly know what they might encounter at the crash site of an alien object. Since we don't know the conditions of their world, what they breathe, eat, drink etc., we don't know how anything even as simple as the atmosphere inside their craft could potentially affect us. Taking precautionary steps beforehand can not only improve your chances of survival, it can also help to ensure that you have a solid case after collecting your evidence.

If you don't rush, you think out the situation beforehand, and remember to follow these simple guidelines, you will greatly improve your chances at a crash site. Remember if at any point you run into something that could be potentially hazardous and you're not sure how to proceed, call your State Director for advice.

I hope this helps reinforce protocols for crash site investigation. Remember to share with all of your friends, and come back for more!

Issue #50 Beyond Investigation

Having some knowledge of different disciplines of science can be a definite bonus when investigating UFOs. However the more one learns about the phenomenon, the more one will tend to wonder if there is more to it than the scientific aspect. After all, even using the most up-to-date scientific methods and knowledge, we are still left with data that is outside of our knowledge base, and without a frame of reference to help us make any sense of it. In other words, if our best science pales in comparison to that of the visitors, then that can only mean that there is still a lot of information that we are merely guessing at, and making assumptions about.

While as investigator's it is important to keep an open mind, it is not unreasonable to come to some conclusions after investigating a subject for a long period of time. After many years of investigation myself, I can safely say that 1) some UFOs are flying saucers, 2) some UFOs are not from this planet, and 3) some UFOs are piloted by entities also not from this planet. Considering that we do not have an exhibit of alien craft and aliens for people to examine themselves, that is a lot to be sure of based on only circumstantial evidence. So what do I base my conclusions on? I would have to say that I have based my conclusions on what I have seen myself, what I have heard and read from other witnesses, and from the paper trail of evidence that has been revealed since the Freedom of Information Act became law.

Nothing beats seeing a UFO for yourself to make you a believer, no matter how skeptical one might be before the sighting. When I saw a mile-long craft cruising overhead no more than 200 feet above me, silently gliding by at around 30 mph, I realized at the time that there was more going on than the general public was aware of. When it all of a sudden stretched into first a line of light, then a pinpoint of light, before shooting off into space, I knew I was witnessing technology way beyond anything known to man.

The most amazing thing to me about the sighting wasn't that I saw a craft from another world, it was the silence in the news the next day. I know there were other witnesses, because when I saw this craft, I was just leaving a major supermarket in southern California, and there were other people reacting to the sighting. There were whistles and shouts from other shoppers who saw it at the time, and the general consensus among the people I heard was that "now the government would have to admit that UFOs were real", and "no way this won't be all over the news!" However it never made the news in any form to my knowledge. Such was the political climate of 1979.

Fortunately times have changed, and serious investigators of UFOs are no longer looked upon as just a bunch of wishful thinkers. Real science has helped us to separate accounts of mistaken identity, from actual UFOs, to the point that an argument can easily be made that the evidence points in the favor of UFOs being a reality. The public perception has changed over time as well, to the point that people who believe in the reality of UFOs outnumber the non-believers by a large margin.

Yet we are still limited by not just our own scientific knowledge when confronted with many of the alien technologies, but also the alien way of thinking. Try as we might, we are human, and we are only aware of our human existence. To think like an alien, no matter what type of alien you wish to compare to, would require that we have one in open communication with us, and as of now, I am unaware of one. My guess is because they would have as much interest in conversation with us as we would have in conversing with a sheep. We just don't seem to be of social interest to them whatsoever. Perhaps it's our primitive ways, or perhaps there's more to it than that. That is a question that possibly can't be answered by science.

I hope this spurs some thought into other avenues of research that might open up new ways of looking at cases for investigators. Be sure to share with all of your friends!

Issue #49 Orbs

Prevalent amongst reports file with MUFON, are the many accounts of orbs, or balls of light. While many of these reports can be easily explained away as drones, Chinese lanterns, military flares, and even in some cases meteors, many of these reports defy explanation.

While some photographic evidence ends up being nothing more than dust or water on the lens, there are also a number of photographs that just can't be explained as easily. This leaves one to wonder; what are they?

I do not personally believe that any of these accounts can be attributed to ball lightning either. Ball lightning is an extremely rare phenomena, and when it does occur, it only lasts for seconds, not minutes as described in some witness accounts.

I am currently investigating a case near Edwards Air Force Base, where the witness reported "feeling" the orb, before actually turning around to look at it. I asked the witness during the interview what she meant by "feel", and the best way she could describe it was "like a calming presence." In the witness' own words, "Standing in my back yard and watching stars, I felt something and looked to my right, and there was a glowing, round object. It hovered about 3 ft. off the ground, and was 8-9 ft. across. Light was diffused and warm." The witness also stated "a feeling of being familiar with it." The witness saw the object take off all of a sudden to the north and ascent to 1,000-2,000 feet, where it stopped, shone a light on the ground then zipped off to the northeast where it again stopped and repeated it's actions.

All of this implies an object under intelligent control, but what it does not lend any evidence to what it could be. It's description rules out Chinese lanterns, flares, and probably drones as well.

MUFON is currently conducting a study to try to determine more about orbs. Any Field Investigator's with any cases involving orbs are encouraged to contact either Cassidy Nicholas, or Erica Lukes with their findings.

I hope this issue helped illuminate the issue of orbs...bad pun, I know. Come back next week for more, and don't forget to share!

Issue #48 Historical Cases

The success of MUFONs hit show on the History Channel, Hangar 1, has led to an increase in sighting reports from time to time, but recently our CMS was hit with an exceedingly large number of cases. When I have to assign 26 cases in one day, I know that something's definitely up. The one thing that stood out the most was the fact that most of these cases were "Historical", which means that they are not recent, but could go back to the '50s and '60s, or even older!

As a Field Investigator it is important to learn how to prioritize your cases. While many of these old historical cases are fascinating, they do not hold the potential information that a new case does. It is more important to get to the witness that just had a sighting while their memory is fresh, instead of someone who is recalling an incident from years past. A rule of thumb in most investigations is that the first 24 hours is the most important. Obviously, we don't get a chance to get to most of our witnesses within that timeframe, but the closer to it you can get, the better.

This does not diminish the validity, or importance of historical cases, but if a witness is just reporting the event a handful of years afterward, a few more days isn't going to hurt the investigation.

Quite a few of the new "Historical" cases that came in I found to be quite fascinating, and the witnesses that I interviewed were extremely credible. One trend that I did notice among these cases, is that most of them are military-related in some fashion. I also found it interesting that in most instances when I asked the witness why they were coming forward with their account after so long, they all answered that Hangar 1 had something to do with it, mainly because they didn't know about MUFON before they saw the show. Also, almost every witness that I talked to said that they'd be very interested to know if anyone else saw what they did.

While a lot of these old cases will be filed away as Information Only, getting as much information as possible about the sighting recorded into the database can help us to correlate cases to find matches on things like dates and locations. 

In conclusion, case triage is important, so get to those fresh cases first while the witness remembers everything clearly, then when you have time you can delve into the historical cases which while being just as important, will only reveal more information by writing FOIA requests, and interviewing any other surviving witnesses if they can be found.

Don't forget to share with all your friends!

Special Issue #3: Issue #47 Roswell - Interview With Denice Marcel

The anniversary of the crash near Roswell, New Mexico sixty-eight years ago is upon us, and soon people from all over the world will be flocking to the small town, in celebration of what is unarguably the most famous UFO case in history.

Thanks to the efforts of researchers like Stanton Friedman, Donald Schmitt, and Thomas Carey, the public has become aware of the crash all those years ago, and the efforts of the government to cover up the facts and institute the highest level of security around the secret since the hydrogen bomb.

Fortunately, the group in charge of the secret back then did not foresee the Freedom of Information Act, or the release of thousands of documents as a result of researchers and investigators inquiries since it became law. As a result we have a few iconic symbols to remember the event by.

One of the most famous would undoubtedly be the banner headlines "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region", as reported on the front page of the Roswell Daily Record. That one sentence let the proverbial cat out of the bag forever. However the image that a majority of the public remembers was actually a staged photo, published with only one purpose: to deceive the American people, and the rest of the world. That image is one of Maj. Jesse Marcel posing with the wreckage of a weather balloon in an issue with the headlines "Gen. Ramey Empties Roswell Saucer".

At the time the American public swallowed that story hook, line, and sinker, without question. No one even stopped to consider for an instant that a Maj. in the world's most elite bomber squadron would  never mistake a flying saucer for a weather balloon, something any schoolkid in New Mexico could identify. And so the coverup began.

In recognition of this historic event, The Field Investigator's Toolbox is interviewing Denice Marcel, granddaughter of Maj. Jesse Marcel, and daughter of Jesse Marcel Jr., who has also contributed so much in the field of UFOlogy.

I recently appointed Denice to the position of State Section Director MUFON Los Angeles, and she has so far done a fantastic job of reorganizing the section, and preparing for future meetings. I had a few questions for Denice, and she was gracious enough to take time out of her busy schedule to let me interview her for The Field Investigator's Toolbox.

FIT: Coming from a family so steeped in UFO lore, at what age do you first recall being aware of the subject of UFOs?

Denice: Most people would think it would have been learning about our grandfather's involvement in Roswell, where he had recovered debris from something that crashed in the desert just outside of town. Although he told my brother's and I of his accounts of that event around 1975, prior to this there was a culmination of various discussions that would have led me to believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life.

FIT: Did your family openly discuss the topic of UFOs, and if so how was it treated?

Denice: Probably the first occasion that would have triggered a dialogue about UFOs would have been the Pioneer 10 probe which was launched in 1972. I was very young, but I do remember my father being very excited about this because there was a gold-anodized aluminum plaque attached to the probe in case it was ever found by intelligent lifeforms.

Along with that, we would spend several weekends camping and observing the Montana night skies. I remember one night when we were looking through my father's telescope he said something along the lines of; "when we look up at the skies, there very well could be something looking back." So discussing about the possibilities of intelligent life was rather commonplace.

FIT: There has been much controversy over the actual date of the crash near Roswell. As far as you and your family can recall, what was the actual date of the crash?

Denice: The controversy will always loom, and I doubt anyone will ever be able to pinpoint the exact date of the crash. The one date we are sure of is that on July 7th, my grandfather was requested to investigate some unusual debris that was found on the Foster Ranch. Other than that, our family's recollection of the crash would be from stories and newspaper articles, for example, according to The Roswell Daily Record printed on July 9th, 1947, Mac Brazel first discovered the debris on June 14th.

FIT: What was it that actually sparked your interest in the subject of UFOs?

Denice: Since the Marcel name is synonymous with "The Roswell Incident", I would have to say it would be my father and grandfather. After all, both of them held pieces of a UFO.

FIT: Now that you are a MUFON Field Investigator, has your outlook on the field of UFOlogy changed any, and if so, how?

Denice: Becoming a MUFON Field Investigator has only solidified what I have always thought, there needs to be more scientific research applied to the field of UFOlogy. One little funny side-note; I think I started investigating UFOs around the age of nine when my father and brother's witnessed something over the mountaintops where we lived in Montana. I immediately asked them to all draw a picture so we could compare their sightings. I really wish I still had that drawing.

Since my father had to recount his participation in the Roswell event, I realized that memory played a big role. With this in mind I wanted to understand how memories worked, so I decided to study Hypnotherapy. Even though I didn't practice, I did receive my Hypnotherapist Certification from the California Hypnosis Motivation Institute, which is the only such accredited institution in the United States. The timing was perfect because in 1997 I accompanied my father for a hypnosis session in Washington D.C., that Dr. Neil Hibler would conduct on my father over the course of three days. Dr. Hibler was one of the world's leading experts who used hypnotic regression for forensic purposes. The hypnosis sessions solidified everything my father had been conveying over the years.

FIT: As the new State Section Director you've done a stellar job of reorganizing MUFON Los Angeles. What are your plans for MUFON Los Angeles in the future?

Denice: First and foremost to continue to educate the public on the UFO phenomenon and it's potential impact on society. MUFON Los Angeles will hold monthly meetings with guest speakers, featuring scientists, authors, and researchers, along with discussing past and current UFO cases. And hopefully in the future possible skywatching events.

FIT: Your grandfather, Jesse Marcel, is well known for being ordered to pose with the wreckage of a weather balloon, leading the public to believe that it was what was actually recovered from Mac Brazel's ranch. How did that affect your grandfather...

Denice: The photo you are referring to is well known in the Roswell event. My grandfather was ordered by his commanding officers to pose with materials other than what he actually recovered from the debris field. Since the military felt the actual mysterious material could affect the "security of our nation", as an intelligence officer for the 509th bomb group, and being the military man that he was, he did what he was ordered to do. Although he remained silent about the incident, you can see from the expression on his face, it was  his "you've got to be kidding me" look.

FIT: ...and what is your feeling about military personnel that are ordered to fabricate stories to cover up the existence of UFOs?

Denice: I believe we all have the right to know the truth about UFOs. I don't feel our government has the right to fabricate, or cover up evidence of the existence of UFOs. They will always use the excuse that it is for the "security of our nation". I think those days are long gone.

FIT: Would you personally recommend to other military personnel that they come forward with their stories?

Denice: I had the honor of speaking on the Roswell panel alongside my father and brother at the Citizen's Hearing on Disclosure in Washington D.C. in 2013. During these hearings I listened to 37 other researchers, along with military, agency, and political persons of high rank and station testify to six former members of the United States Congress.

The statements that I listened to over the course of five days were very informative, and not only would I recommend other military personnel to come forward with their accounts, I feel it is time that our government comes forward with the truth, and that is; "We are not alone!" After all, when it comes to the Roswell incident, I believe my father and grandfather!!

FIT: The 73rd anniversary of the crash near Roswell is coming up in July, and you will be speaking at the festival in Roswell. What can attendees expect to see in Roswell?

Denice: The Roswell UFO Festival 2015 will be a three day event featuring guest speakers, authors, live entertainment, a parade and a 5K/10K run/walk. This year my brother and I will be lecturing on our experience, and how it has affected out lives. This will the first time I will be going to Roswell without my father, and so a new chapter begins.

End of interview.

And so indeed a new chapter begins for Denice Marcel, and MUFON Los Angeles. Denice has built a new website as well: www.mufonlosangeles.com

where you can find all the latest information about meetings and sightings in the area!

Thanks for spending the time with this special issue. I'd like to dedicate this issue to Jesse Marcel, Jesse Marcel Jr. and to the occupants of that doomed craft all those years ago.  May you all rest in peace.

Issue #46 Not The Smoking Gun...Again!

The UFO community is all abuzz today with talk of last nights presentation of the purported "alien slides". I would have been remiss to not catch last nights presentation, but fortunately for me I had the presence of mind to find a free link instead of paying the $20. I'm very glad too...otherwise I'd have felt ripped off! Please bear in mind that my following comments are my impressions of the event, and the way it was handled, and what the photos might actually be of. I only have the photos to go by, but then again, that's all anyone else had to go by either!

I was originally interested of course only because of the pre-release of the blurred photo of the slide. The blurred image looked like it might be from what many consider a typical grey alien, and I think the promoters were counting on just that reaction from people. That is why they promoted it the way they did. The public was also led to believe that it was sealed in some kind of preservation chamber, which when finally revealed was simply not the case...no pun intended.

Instead, the "big reveal" showed what appeared to be the mummy of a child in a glass display case such as one would find in any museum. But of course, we've all heard how they just let the public see all the aliens back in '47, and didn't hide anything...right? That must explain the people also in the photograph looking at the "alien", and the other exhibits as if they were common place. And yes, I too would stick either a bear or gorilla's head next to it, because I'm sure the context would be fitting...not! It's more likely part of the exhibit in an natural history museum!

Yes, they showed in their presentation how they were able to date the slides, and how all the film types and processing matched for that era. That doesn't lend one bit of credence to the subject of the picture though. It could just as easily been taken on a trip to Egypt, and mixed in with the rest of the slides. Just because the lady new the Eisenhower's doesn't make it an alien either!

I reviewed quite a few child mummy pictures to compare, and guess what? They all look just like what was presented last night! I think I might have even found the same mummy as represented as an alien, but he is on display in Egypt.

As for all the comments I've read this morning on social media, I can only say that this was the biggest disaster for UFOlogy in years! I have not read any comments that sounded like, "finally the evidence we've been waiting for!", or "Wow, that was the proof I needed!"...instead I'm hearing very negative comments about the "alien", and UFOlogy in general. They said their presentation would forever change UFOlogy...I just hope it hasn't forever made a mockery of the field!

In conclusion, I can only say that I am very disappointed in the whole affair. The way it was presented was nothing more than a glorified dog and pony show, totally lacking any credible scientific evidence. That someone would think "alien" before "museum exhibit" is quite frankly ridiculous, and the public is not as stupid as the promoters of this event had hoped. Yes, we would love to see the real proof, but when we are presented with junk like this, billed as the "real thing", it's no wonder there are so many non-believers. This is why MUFON has such an uphill battle, but we at least stay credible by sticking with the science. When we forgo that, then we will be finished as a credible investigator of UFOs.

Issue #45 Entity Sightings In California Over The Last Decade

While doing some research for a fellow writer yesterday, I noticed a very interesting trend over the last decade; not only were the number of sightings increasing, but the number of cases involving entities was increasing as well, at least here in California. While some of the cases were under the purview of my good friend Ruben Uriarte, our Northern California State Director, I am including them because most people think of California as a whole state, not broken into sections. The following list will show you how many cases were closed by MUFON Field Investigators in California for the given year, then how many of those cases involved an entity. After than I will break down the entity cases to show what the disposition of those cases was.

1.  2004 - 45 cases completed - four of those involved an entity. Out of those four, two were hoaxes and one was closed as an 'IFO', leaving one that was closed as an 'Unknown'.

2.  2005 - 124 cases completed - one involved an entity. It was closed as 'Insufficient Data'.

3.  2006 - 202 cases completed - five of those involved an entity. Out of those five, two were hoaxes, two were determined to be 'Insufficient Data', and one had no available information.

4.  2007 - 284 cases completed - eight of those involved an entity. One of those was a hoax, one was closed as 'Insufficient Data', however six of them were closed as 'Unknown'.

5.  2008 - 627 cases completed - seven of those involved an entity. One was closed as 'Insufficient Data', and once again, six were closed as 'Unknown'.

6.  2009 - 586 cases completed - nine of those involved an entity. One of those was a hoax, two were closed as 'IFO's, two were closed as 'Insufficient Data', and four were closed as 'Unknown'.

7.  2010 - 593 cases completed - nine of those involved an entity. One of those was a hoax, six were closed as 'Insufficient Data', one was closed as an 'IFO', and one was closed as an 'Unknown'.

8.  2011 - 739 cases completed - fifteen involved an entity. Three of those were hoaxes, four were closed as 'Insufficient Data', three were closed as 'IFO's, and four were closed as 'Unknown'.

9.  2012 - 915 cases completed - twenty-two of those involved an entity. Two of those were hoaxes, five were closed as 'Insufficient Data', seven were closed as 'IFO's, three were 'Information Only', and five were closed as 'Unknown'.

10.  2013 - 816 cases completed - thirty-seven involved an entity. One of those was a hoax, thirteen of them were 'Information Only', six were closed as 'Insufficient Data', six were closed as 'IFO's, and eleven were closed as 'Unknown'.

11.  2014 - 1,089 cases completed - fifty-five involved an entity. Ten of those were hoaxes, fifteen were 'Information Only', fourteen were closed as 'IFO's, seven were closed as 'Insufficient Data', and nine were closed as 'Unknown'.

While we might be off to a slower start this year, I have full confidence the numbers will be comparable to last years. So far 168 cases have been completed, and eleven of those have involved an entity. Of those eleven, four were 'Information Only', four were closed as 'IFO's, two were closed as 'Insufficient Data', and one was closed as an 'Unknown'.

As you can see by the number of cases closed, there has been a steady increase in the number of cases we have been working. That is one of the reasons that I am always trying to interest more people in becoming MUFON Field Investigators...we could use the help!

What I found most interesting in going through all these cases was the fact that one picture has been taken of an entity in all this time. While many of the reports were closed as 'Unknown', none of them had a photograph accompanying the report.

So, while the evidence might be mounting to suggest an increased ET involvement, at least here in California, as of this moment they have remained as elusive as "Bigfoot". 

I hope this shed some light on our investigator's hard work, and maybe even encourages a few new people to look into becoming MUFON Field Investigator's!

Issue #44 Breaking Out Of Your Comfort Zone

As some MUFON members know by now, there is more to being a Field Investigator than just investigating cases that are submitted to us. We also have a duty to educate people about UFOs and the cover up that has gone along with it.

It is a fantastic learning experience to go to UFO conferences and MUFON meetings, and one of the comments I always hear afterwards is how great it was to be amongst a group of people where you can talk about UFOs and not be ridiculed. Birds of a feather do like to flock together after all! I myself agree that it is wonderful to be with a group of such enlightened people, exchanging information and telling our accounts of high strangeness. The problem is that when we do this, we are not bringing our knowledge to the people that need it the most, those who have little or no knowledge of what is going on.

In every day life all of us come into contact with people from all walks of life. I myself live in a fairly small town, and I have lived here long enough to know quite a few people on at least a first name basis, if not better. Over the course of the last year I have been presented with many opportunities to tell people about MUFON, what our mission is, and some of the information that I have learned over the years. It is not as easy to talk to people that have believed what the Air Force and other government agencies have been telling them for years, which is why knowing how to correctly answer many of the questions that you will hear repeatedly is very important.

Always keep in mind that honesty is the number one priority. If you don't know the answer to a particular question, your best reply is "I don't know". The last thing that you ever want to do when talking to someone that is new to the subject is to give them incorrect information. For one thing, you will lose any credibility with that person when they find out the correct version of events, but not only that, it also damages the credibility of an already beleaguered field.

There is no shame in not knowing the answer to a question, and you will always be remembered more for being a person who doesn't just spout dogma to look cool! Especially if you can follow up at a later date with the answer to their question. That gives the person the impression that you both listened to them, and cared enough about their interest to research it and get back to them. That is the kind of interaction with the public that is going to get us all a lot further than fantastic made up stories ever will!

Sometimes you will also run up against the problem of oversaturation. Telling a newcomer to UFOlogy too much at once can have the extreme opposite of the desired effect. You don't really want to "drop a bomb" on people, especially if they don't know you that well. I think that using a much subtler approach can have a much more lasting effect as far as sparking interest in the subject goes. The rule when doing stand-up comedy is to always leave the audience wanting more, and the same approach when speaking to people who aren't familiar with the subject of UFOs is probably just as wise. Sometimes just planting the seed of curiosity is the better option because then the person will seek the knowledge on their own. Most of us know how that ends up...the journey down the "rabbit hole" is a long one indeed!

So please, share this issue with all of your friends, but also...share what you know with strangers! Together we can make a difference. See you all next week!

Issue #43 Seven Decades Of Lies

Ever since our military establishment took control of UFO crash retrievals and put a clamp on any information being released to the public, we have been fed one lie after another in the interest of "national security". That we should feel secure as a nation based on the lies we've been fed is an absurd idea at best! After all, if a government can lie to the people about the most important events in human history, whats to stop them from lying about anything else? Nothing erodes away trust quicker than being caught in a lie. Unfortunately, our government has been caught in several.

One of the consequences of going along with the lie as if it is the truth, is the funneling of enormous amounts of taxpayer monies in the search for life and extraterrestrial intelligence elsewhere in the universe. NASA has spent billions, if not trillions on a ridiculous search of the heavens for life, only to tell us that they can't find any signs of any other civilizations out there. As my friend Jeff Kropp said on Facebook, "What are they looking for, Mc Donald's golden arches?"

Thanks to the Freedom Of Information Act, thousands of pages of official military documents confirming our knowledge of an extraterrestrial presence have been released, yet that data is completely ignored by people looking for life elsewhere. A perfect analogy for the governments search for extraterrestrial life would be someone going down to the waterline at the beach, dipping a glass into the water, and when it comes out without a fish in it saying that there is no life in the ocean, while someone else barbecues a halibut a only few feet away! Keep in mind though that it's your taxpayer dollars paying for this.

There are also plenty of documents in researchers possession which clarify the governments stance on releasing any information to the public regarding UFOs and extraterrestrials. It is strict policy to NEVER release any information concerning either to the public, and media outlets have a similar policy of denial and ridicule. Thanks to Edward Snowden's release of documents to Wikileaks, I even found a document from the United Nations which states that England's official policy is to immediately shoot down any resolutions in the United Nations assembly that have anything to do with UFOs!

One of the problems stems from the publics belief that the government has their best interests in mind. The reality is that the government has it's own interests that supersedes the publics. There is an insatiable monster that must constantly be fed, known to most of us as the military industrial complex. Since their motto is "no breakage, no makeage" they have a need to keep us in a perpetual state of warfare or their gravy train will dry up. They've had their way for so long, that they will not go quietly into the night either, guaranteed. It is only when one starts examining the UFO phenomenon that they start to see how it all fits together, and the lengths that the government has gone to in order to keep the secret from the American people and the rest of the world.

I hope that this weeks issue inspires more research into the coverup, lies and disinformation. It is clearly time to put a stop to it, and to start a policy of openness and truthfulness. Lies are what an evil empire are based on, not a society such as ours  supposedly based on freedom and democracy. 

Issue #42 Animal Mutilations

Perhaps the most horrific aspect of the UFO phenomena is the reports of animal mutilations. Being a animal lover myself, it is hard to imagine anyone or anything that would kill an animal in such a fashion, and leave the carcass behind. I'm quite sure none of us would be so disturbed if it was just normal predation and there were signs that the animal had been fed upon, but when most of the animal is left intact and only select parts taken, it is unsettling on a grand scale because we have no idea of the reason or logic behind the killing.

The first widely publicized animal mutilation occurred in September of 1967 in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado, when an Appaloosa mare named 'Lady' was found dead with all the flesh stripped from the neck up down to the dry bone. A reporter mixed the name up with another horse named 'Snippy', and the name stuck through the years adding confusion to the story. 

Unidentified flying objects and lights were seen in the area before the incident, and many newspapers speculated that there might be a connection between UFOs and the horses death.

A pathologist who examined Lady, Dr. John Altshuler from Denver, was shocked to discover that all the internal organs had been removed from Lady's chest "surgically with heat." The cuts were surgically precise, and bloodless. When the tissue samples that he took were examined under his laboratory microscope, he found that the hemoglobin had been cooked, indicating that extreme heat had been used to cut the tissue. This is a recurring finding in animal mutilations.

Most animal mutilations appear to have quite a few similarities. There are many cases where the animal was found with the rectum cored out, penis and testicles removed by means of bloodless incisions with surrounding tissue untouched, one ear removed (in the case of cattle) yet the ear tags are found on the ground without blood on them, one eye and surrounding tissue removed, sometimes internal organs (sometimes not), teats and udders removed by hide-deep bloodless incisions which show signs of high heat being used, and most alarmingly no blood or tracks found near the animals themselves, including the animals own tracks! In most cases it is as if the animal was lowered to the ground after it was killed.

There is much speculation as to the reasons that whoever is doing this is taking these specific parts, and most explanations relate to testing for levels of radiation in the animals, that they might have picked up from their environment and through grazing. This makes sense even though we do not know for sure who or what is doing this to these animals. With all the atomic weapons testing that has been done without regard to the long-term effects on the environment, it is conceivable that some group either terrestrial or extraterrestrial is monitoring the effects from the radiation.

Another theory put forth is that aliens are sustaining themselves in nutrient baths made from the blood and genetic material taken from the animals, and that there are critical elements that they are missing and must get in this fashion to survive.

As a Field Investigator if you are ever called out to the scene of an animal mutilation I would recommend that you bring along a Geiger Counter or some form of radiation detector, a metal detector so you can examine the carcass for any traces of metal which would indicate human involvement, and of course a camera for taking lots of pictures. You will also want to take tissue samples from the incised areas for microscopic analysis. You can make an emergency field preservation fluid by mixing equal doses of rubbing alcohol and purified water, which will keep your specimens from deteriorating before they can be examined under a microscope. Be sure to properly label your samples and get them to your State Director in a timely fashion.

I hope this issue helps give some guidance in how to proceed with an animal mutilation investigation. As terrible as they are, there is much data that can be collected from these occurrences. In time maybe we will have some answers as to what is really going on. Don't forget to share this issue with all of your friends, and come back next week for more!

Issue #41 Understanding Radar

Some of the best UFO sightings are recognized as being legitimate sightings because they were able to be verified not just by ground observation, but also because they were picked up on radar.

We hear about radar on a daily basis now, be it weather radar, the cop with his radar gun waiting to give you a ticket, or air traffic controllers keeping our skies safe. But what is radar, how does it work, and how did we come to depend on it so much?

According to Wikipedia, radar is "an object detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects." 

Several nations worked together in secret during World War II to develop radar. The term RADAR was developed by the United States Navy as an acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging since 1940. We've come to depend on radar for many reasons since then, but mainly because it helps to save countless lives.

Radar works by transmitting a radio wave through it's antenna, or radar dish, in predetermined directions. When they come into contact with an object, they are reflected back providing the information about the object. There are many different types of radar as well, continuous wave radar, and pulse radar are just two examples.

For the Field Investigator, air traffic control radar is of the most interest, and fortunately you can request records directly from the FAA whenever an investigation requires it. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with all the airports, and military installations in your area so you will know where the readings will have been taken from as well.

I hope this issue sparked some thought about the uses of radar, and where to find the data when you need it. Don't forget to share with all of your friends, and come back next week for more!

Issue #40 Computer Tips

The one tool that I'm sure every investigator is using these days is the personal computer. Not long ago that would have sounded like a line from a science fiction novel, but in today's world the fact is that the computer has become our top form of communication and information.

All MUFON Field Investigators use what is called the CMS, or Case Management System, and our data from our investigations is organized into reports that are generated by the information that both the witness and investigator have entered. It is a great database, however MUFON is in the process of creating an even better one!

Besides just entering the information from the sighting, there is a lot of other data that one needs to enter to complete an investigation. Weather information is critical to any investigation, and I personally like to use wunderground.com for all my current, and historical weather data. 

Conducting a telephone interview is made much easier by using Skype, especially since there is an extension available for it that allows you to record your calls. For $30 a year you can make calls anywhere in the United States, and for another $30 a year you can also get a number to receive calls. So for a total of $60 a year you can have secure number to use for your interviews, allowing you to keep your cell phone or home number private. Of course Skype is free to use between other users anyway, but the extra calling features make it extremely useful.

One thing to always be cautious about is bogus links in emails. I recently got my email hacked due to a link in an email from a witness. I should have known better since the telephone number given directed me to a recorded sales pitch. Be careful! If you do pick something up that starts sending out unauthorized emails, change your password to your email account. That should stop it in most cases.

When typing your report, remember that not everyone will have a new up to date computer, or software. When creating a document that will be shared widely, and most likely by different operating systems, it is best to save it in a file type that everyone can open. Using the oldest form of Word usually works fine. Then it will be saved as a .doc, instead of .docx, which not everyone can access. Older computers really have trouble with newer up to date software. When I used to design websites we always tested out every page on multiple browsers to make sure that it looked good no matter what type of computer or operating system the user has.

Of course pictures are a big part of investigation, which is why I use Photoshop, and Adobe Creative Cloud. Since all my computers are Macs, I also have an extension added on to my browser (I use Chrome) that reads the EXIF data from the pictures I'm analyzing. Having a large monitor helps quite a bit as well.

Here are a couple of 'tricks' to help you get the most out of your computer.

Want to see what your doing in fullscreen? If your a Windows user all you need do is press F11. For Macs select 'View' from your menu bar, then 'Enter Full Screen', or you can use the keyboard shortcut shown in the menu. Having trouble reading small print? Hold "Control" and press the + or - key. Your page will readjust with a larger font size!

I hope this issue helps answer a few of your computer questions! Don't forget to share with all of your friends, and come back next week for more!

Issue #39 Closing Your Investigation

To the new Field Investigator, the classification system for MUFON case files might seem a little bit tricky at first. Some categories seem to get mixed up from time to time, so hopefully this little review will help clear this up.

For a while there drones were being classified as 'Unknown - UAV'. It is obvious that there are just too many drones available these days to be able to look at one in the sky and know who makes it, and what model it is.

Many young people have remote control helicopters and drones, with spectacular lighting on them, and of course they are awfully cool to fly. It's not their fault that someone watching the sky can't identify what is up there and thinks it is a UFO.

Not long ago I closed out a case that I knew for sure was a drone, and it made me very uncomfortable to have to class it as an 'Unknown' of any flavor, so I contacted Fletcher Gray with my concerns. He agreed with me that drones do not belong in the 'Unknown' category, so officially they now go in the category IFO - Man Made. Don't worry about having to identify what kind of drone it is, if you feel confident that is what was seen, then that is good enough.

Another big problem we have with the classifications of cases are the obvious psychological cases. I don't mean the cases where there were psychological effects from interacting with craft or aliens, I mean the cases that come in from serial filers with obvious mental issues. It is a sad fact that this happens more than we would like. Unfortunately there are many reports that come in from people who are suffering from varying types of mental illness, and they truly do believe that they are seeing something remarkable. Automatically closing these cases out as hoaxes is not a correct solution. By definition they are not hoaxes. The people might be delusional, but they are not consciously lying. The best disposition for these types of cases is to close them out as 'Information Only'. This way at least you won't antagonize a possibly unstable witness, and they won't be hurt by the flat out lack of credibility associated with closing the case as a hoax.

It is my belief that we need to establish a category that reflects sensitivity to cases, yet at the same time sets them apart from the other categories. Maybe something like 'Imagined Event'? It is my understanding that 'Information Only' is to be used for cases that are secondhand retellings of events that did not happen to the party reporting them, or for something that someone came across through some other form of literature.

Of course the most misunderstood category is the 'Unknown' category. I tell all my Field Investigator's that if they only have talked to one witness, and they don't have any other evidence, they do not have a good case for making it a UFO, or 'Unknown'. Unknown should only be used when you are absolutely certain that you have something that can not be identified that you are investigating. Do not, I mean...DO NOT use it if all you have is a gut feeling! MUFON is the world's leading scientific investigator of UFOs, not the Fantasy Network. That means we have to back up our investigation with evidence that can stand the tests of science, otherwise we just don't have the proof that we need.

Insufficient Data is a proper category if you think something might be an unknown, but just don't have the level of proof required to make it an 'Unknown'.

In reviewing Project Blue Book Special Report #14, it is apparent that many of the sightings in it could have been 'Unknowns', if only there were more information that could be verified. Disregard that fact that the Air Force got their numbers wrong and incorrectly stated that there were only 3% that were 'Unknowns' in the report...apparently they have trouble with classifications AND math! If you add their 'Insufficient Data' cases to their 'Unknown' cases, the number was closer to 30%. I would tend to think of Insufficient Data as being more closely related to 'Unknown', than to 'Information Only', and in fact over time more information might come to light in such a case, and the disposition would then be able to be changed to 'Unknown'.

In any case, if you just can't decide what category to class your case when you are closing it out, don't be afraid to call your State Section Director or State Director to get some help with how to classify it. Together we can make CMS stronger in this way.

I hope this issue helps answer a few questions about classifying your cases. Be sure to share with all of your friends, and come back next week for more!

Issue #38 Military Cases

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my penchant for cases involving military personnel. To me those kinds of cases have a special appeal, not just because there is often a paper trail associated with the case, but also because there is quite often a concerted effort to cover up the sighting. One does not need to study too many cases of this nature before it becomes apparent that there is a procedure in place by every branch of the military to handle these cases in the most covert manner.

When one actually starts looking at the frequency of UFO sightings that involve either military personnel, or military bases and launch facilities, the number of reports is quite staggering. It also becomes apparent that the security classification of these sightings has not been lowered one bit. The security surrounding these instances is just as tight now as it was in World War II. Whether it is because of the technologies involved, or because of what is known about whoever is flying them, the lid of secrecy has not budged in almost 70 years.

Investigating these cases is a lot harder than most sightings, simply because many witnesses are forced to sign non-disclosure agreements which bind them into silence for the remainder of their lives. The people who take these oaths, take them very seriously, as they should, and can not be faulted for not revealing what they know. If anything, they should be commended for keeping their vows. Many times though, service personnel are bothered by the secrets that they keep, and find that what they are doing is morally not in keeping with their beliefs. There is a fine line between being a whistleblower and being a traitor. Too many times the blanket excuse of "National Security" has been wrapped around secrets, when the truth is it was the security of the people hiding the secret, not the nation, that was at risk.

Probably the most famous cover-up would be the Roswell incident of 1947, when Maj. Jesse Marcel was ordered to pose with the wreckage of a weather balloon as if it was what was found on Mac Brazel's ranch. Anyone who would suppose that a member of the world's most elite bomber squadron at the time, the only nuclear bomb group in the world, would make that kind of simple identification mistake, should really consider the ramifications of what they were trying to sell, and see it for the lie it was. Here's the real kicker though...even though he knew what it was that he saw on the ranch, Jesse Marcel did what he was ordered without question, and never spoke of the incident again until many years later. It became a non-event.

If not for the Freedom of Information Act, many of the accounts would never see the light of day. It is evident that when many of these cases from way back when were classified, the people in charge of the secrets had absolutely no idea that in the future any of these documents would ever be revealed. Had they a suspicion that would be the case, I'm sure that many of them would have been outright destroyed rather than taking a chance that they would ever be released.

I have had quite a few of these cases through MUFON, and there have been many that I have been researching over the years on my own. In the course of investigating these types of cases, I repeatedly come across accounts of secondary debriefings by unknown officers, not known to the witness beforehand, and often being intimidated to comply by these outside influences. I investigated a case a few months ago that took place at Edwards Air Force Base, where the Security Police involved saw a disc hovering over the rocket laboratory building on base. When they spotted the disk it rose up from the building and started moving towards them, and their vehicle and radio both went dead. The disc appeared to hover over them before ascending, then taking off at an incredible speed. When their radios came back on, they discovered that they had actually been out of communication for two hours, and personnel were actively searching for them.

As bizarre as this would seem, it was nothing compared to the debriefing that both men endured. After being questioned by their CO, they were both called back in to be questioned by an officer who had been flown in, and made to sign documents which stated that what they had seen was nothing more than a helicopter. This is a recurring theme for military personnel. Being ordered to say what is not true is apparently okay with the powers that be. That sure says a lot about the way they do business.

Then there are the accounts by children of military personnel. I am currently investigating a case where a young boy and his cousin were watching television when the boys father came in the house from the back yard looking for his binoculars. Since he sounded excited of course everyone filed out into the back yard after him, where he pointed out a really bright light that seemed like it was coming from the high voltage lines that ran behind the property. When he looked at it through the binoculars though he soon realized that what he was looking at was an extremely large, tube-shaped craft! As they all watched, three discs appeared, and started circling and hovering near the larger craft, then two spherical objects appeared circling the discs a few times before all the objects entered the larger craft, which then took off at tremendous speed. Of course everyone was excited by what they had just seen, and the boys father, who was stationed in San Pedro, filed a report the next day when he returned to base. According to the son, his father came home that day in a very subdued mood, and told them all they were not to talk about what they saw anymore. The boy, now grown up, filed a report with MUFON because he is genuinely wondering whatever happened to that report. I am going to file some F.O.I.A. requests on his behalf, but we may never find out the truth about he sighting.

Perhaps it is the challenge of these cases that interests me so much, but I can't help but feel that there is a lot more to them then we suspect. Maybe some day when the truth is finally revealed and these cases can be talked about in the open, we'll get a better understanding of exactly what the interaction with these visitors really was. Until then we can only speculate.

Please share this with all your friends, and come back next week for more!

Issue #37 Safety In the Field

Going into the field to investigate a case is probably one of the most important aspects of investigation. Although it is a rare occurrence, when the need arises, you definitely want to be prepared. Whether you are merely going to the home of a witness to record their statements, or you are going out in rough terrain in search of an alleged crash, there are steps you will want to take to ensure your safe return.

I do not advise any Field Investigator's to conduct personal interviews of the witness alone. For one thing, it is bad investigative technique. It takes two people to really pay attention to all of the aspects of the witness during questioning. But not only that, there is also safety in numbers. It is a lot less likely that anything unseemly will occur if there are two Field Investigators present.

I also recommend that Field Investigators notify either their State Section Director, or their State Director before going out into the field on any type of investigation. That is just standard procedure in any type of investigation to let someone know when, where, and why you are going somewhere. That way if anything happens to them, someone knows where to start looking.

Obviously if you are going out into "the boonies" in search of a crash, or any evidence of that nature, you will want to take extra steps according to the type of terrain you will be traversing. Dressing appropriately should be your first concern.

Make sure to wear good sturdy boots, and make sure that they fit properly. Getting a blister miles from help could be disastrous.

Next you want to protect yourself from the sun. I don't so much believe that U.V. rays are worse now than when I was younger as I do that we've learned more about them and the damage they can do when exposed to them for long periods of time. At least use SPF 30 on any exposed areas.

Depending on the time of year you could use your own judgement as to whether you would want to wear shorts or long pants, and the same goes with shirts. However I do recommend that no matter what time of year, always make sure to have at least a light jacket handy. Weather can change at a moment's notice.

A hat is also something that can provide not only protection from the sun, but can also aid in cooling you off if you are overheated. All you have to do is get it wet and it can really help to keep your head cool.

If you are going into any kind of back country, make sure that you have your compass, and plenty of maps of the area your will be covering. You might also want to consider an emergency GPS device, such as Chuck Modlin reviewed during training. If you need rescuing, that could be the difference between life and death.

Snakes, bugs, and wild critters that are common to the area you are going should be considered as well. Generally though most will leave you alone if you extend the same courtesy. Just be aware of your surroundings constantly.

Also be sure to have a flashlight, spare batteries, and whatever other backup source of illumination you deem necessary. I like to have a few glow sticks as well. Light is something that is very important at night, but remember...it is also a signal from miles away as to your location.

And then of course, one has to consider...what do you do if you actually come across a crashed UFO? I think if I were to come across one, I'd be reaching for my geiger counter immediately! I'd probably be concerned about what I might be breathing as well, and might want to put on some sort of protection, such as a gas mask. Remember, any time you get a reading of high levels of radiation, back off immediately! If you do not detect radiation I would still be extra-careful...there are no "Citizen Guides To Crash Retrievals" that I'm aware of, so one would be writing protocol as they went so to speak, so exercising extreme caution would just make sense.

I hope this provokes a little thought on the subject of safety...I want you all to be able to come back next week for more!

Issue #36 Safety

One thing that every Field Investigator should always be aware of is safety. I probably should have written about this a lot sooner, so please don't let my tardiness imply that it is of little importance.

I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind is personal safety. In the course of investigating UFOs, we as Field Investigators come into contact with the public on a regular basis. As an ethical, conscientious investigator, we are all to go into each situation with an open mind, and no preconceptions about the witness. This isn't always easy to do, especially when a witness is less than honest.

It would be foolish for me to imply that every witness has a sterling character, that just isn't the case. Unfortunately the subject of UFOs has been so infiltrated by everything from agents of disinformation, to  reports from people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia or other delusions, that we have to be able to sift through them and distinguish which cases are credible. And of course, the ones that aren't are the cases that you want to be especially careful with your personal information on.

One should keep in mind that in this day and age, every time you make a phone a call, the person on the other end has your phone number. I personally use an iPhone, which has the 'block number' feature available, so that if a witness keeps calling me back harassing me, I can easily block their number.

Of course there is also an element of danger if one is doing an in-person interview of a witness. I would recommend never doing this alone, under any circumstances. Besides the fact that you need a second person to observe things that you might miss during the questioning, there is always safety in numbers! 

Of even more importance is the safety of the witness. At all times one must endeavor to keep all personal information about the witness private. It is never okay to give out a witness's address or phone number to anyone, and that is especially true if the witness wishes to remain anonymous. Protecting the identity of the witness should be a top concern. Just suppose someone from the defence industry decided to make a report with you, and in your excitement you write about it and give all kinds of details that make it easy to piece together who the witness was. Then the next day you read in the newspaper that your witness was found with five knives in his back, a rope around his neck, and a suicide note. You'd probably feel a little bit responsible! Not very good for the witness, but who says the perpetrators would stop there...they'd likely come after you next. So always exercise caution with the information you are given.

Another item that needs to be considered, is the finished report. I would recommend a very secure location, such as a safe or locking cabinet for storing your completed reports. If your home were to be broken into, it would not be wise to have witness information laying around where anyone can access it. It is full of private information still, even though the case has been concluded. You should also make sure that any reports are not easily accessible on your computer. Always protect your files with a password. That way you can assure the safety of the witness as well.

I could write a whole issue just on safety in the field, so I'm not going to cover that today...maybe next week. In the meantime, keep in mind that common sense is not a flower that grows in everyone's garden, so always be on your guard!

I hope this installment is helpful, and that some of you re-examine your safety protocols to make sure that both you, and your witnesses stay safe!

Issue #35 Cloud Anomalies

Any fan of the X Files television series will probably remember the opening credits with the UFO shaped cloud that is in the beginning sequence. I'm sure the producers picked that shot because of it's striking resemblance to reported UFOs, as are many cloud anomalies that one might see in the course of investigations.

Lenticular Cloud

As you can see in the above picture, it is understandable why some people might think that the object is a UFO. It even appears to have a dome shape on the top of it. Lenticularis (Latin for 'lens-shaped'), or lenticular clouds, have three different types; stratocumulus, altocumulus, and cirrocumulus. They can occur at altitudes up to 40,000 ft., and can even sometimes precipitate rain. They are formed by a mechanical obstruction of the ambient wind flow, which could be hills, mountains or even large buildings. When stable, moist air flows over mountains, it can create long-standing waves on the downwind side, and if the temperature at the crest of the wave lowers to the dewpoint, a lenticular cloud may form. I would highly encourage any Field Investigator to spend some time Googling pictures of lenticular clouds, so you can be familiar with their appearance...and because most of the pictures of them are truly magnificent!

The next anomaly I'd like to introduce is called a 'Fallstreak Hole'. This amazing anomaly is the one responsible for people commenting, "it looks like a cloaked mother ship!" I must admit, it does remind me of the 'Predator' just a tiny bit.

Fallstreak Hole

As you can see from the above picture, it is easy to imagine that there is actually something there making the cloud appear this way, after all if that was a basin of soapy water, it is exactly how we would expect it to act if there were another body floating on it. In fact, they are formed when the water temperature inside the cloud is below freezing, yet the water hasn't frozen yet due to lack of supercooled water, or ice nucleation particles. When the water does freeze it causes a domino effect which causes the water around the ice crystals to evaporate, leaving the hole in the cloud. Interestingly, these can be caused by passing aircraft, which can leave a drastic drop in pressure behind the wings, or propeller tips.

There are many conditions that can cause clouds to take on shapes we not understand. Pareidolia is the scientific name for a common phenomenon...seeing familiar shapes in objects such as clouds. I would strongly recommend that any cases involving anything that even remotely looks like it could be a cloud be evaluated thoroughly. More than likely that is exactly what it is.

I hope this issue helps with anomalous identification! Don't forget to share with all your friends, and come back next week for more!