Cattle Mutiliations

What about cattle mutilations? For years, ranchers have been finding cattle on their ranches mutilated. Tongues and genitals expertly removed, that sort of thing. What everyone seems to agree upon is that these mutilations did not happen as a result of wildlife or random acts of nature.

The skeptics say that humans are behind it since unmarked helicopters are often spotted in the area immediately preceding a mutilation. It's a government agency conducting experiments or attempting to spread disinformation, they say. Or perhaps it is members of the occult who bear responsibility. And they would have to be spread throughout the heartland since these mutilations happen all over the country. Yet no one has to date caught anyone or anything in the act of one of these mutilations, despite the fact that they have been happening for years.

I'll be the first to admit, I don't know who is doing it. If it's some sort of government experimentation, I would think that agency would use its own cattle, rather than generate the attention that these acts have and continue to attract. What good comes from getting the public stirred up over mutilated cattle? And if it is the government, they should reimburse the ranchers, several of whom have been forced out of business by recurrent mutilations and a resulting decimation of their herds. Or if disinformation some government agency's goal, why? What is the net gain?

As far as the occult, that seems unlikely to me since these mutilations show an expert knowledge of anatomy based on how the corpses have been dissected. I've never known of doctors or vets being followers in the occult. It's possible but in large numbers, large enough to account for mutilations across the country, I really doubt it.

So, what is it? Who is responsible? Am I missing something? What say you?

Welcome to the Great Alien Debate

Since I was a kid, this whole notion of aliens visiting earth has fascinated me. The resolution to the question always seemed to be coming, soon. Well, today I'm all grown up, having gone to college, gotten married and started a family. It seemed like we would know one way or another by now. I always expected this question to be resolved one way or another. Recently, I started wondering if I would ever really know for sure.

Now I'm not saying it's all a big government conspiracy. But it could be a cover up. I just don't know. I've gone from both extremes, wanting to believe, then being a skeptic, and back again. Those who believe we are being visited can point to some fairly compelling examples. For instance, when an airline pilot or a policeman comes forward, their expertise in observation deserves a fair hearing. When an airline pilot goes on the record about a near miss with a UFO, I'm sorry but I take notice.

On the other hand, there seem to be an abundance of people who, for whatever reason, seem to find it enjoyable or satisfying in some way to attempt some sort of hoax. In the case of the 'alien autopsy', that seems to me like it was done for money. Crop circles, probably a lot of fun by people with too much time on their hands, albeit they do create some beautiful designs (at the expense of farmers). And I suppose others are just plain unbalanced. Head cases. I don't know. Why someone would care to go to so much trouble to make a fake? Is it just some out of work Hollywood special effects guy who finds making hoaxes fun? Frankly, I just can't relate to spending that much time on something fake, with the exception of a for profit motive. Even then, I have enough respect for those who spend long days, weeks and hours pouring over sightings reports and the like that I would hate to create something fake just to waste their time.

Then there are the skeptics. They say it's all a bunch of bunk. People seeing things that are not there. Creating false photos. Double exposures, Photoshopping pictures. Or just plain lying about what they did or did not see. Or how about this one: "If aliens exist, why don't they just land on the White House lawn?" We've all heard that argument, right? And it's a fair question. Perhaps a better, more accurate question would be why is there no physical evidence? If we were being visited, wouldn't we have concrete proof of that fact by now?

And people want to believe. Hell, I want to believe too. I know lots of other people do as well. However, the desire to believe that we are being visited neither validates nor does it disqualify the facts. It merely adds another wrinkle to a question which is so simple, yet so hard to conclusively put to rest. For while there are certainly many who would look down their nose at the very question of an alien presence, and can explain away 95% of sightings or incidents with compelling, factually based arguments, there is still that nagging 5%. That 5% of UFO related incidents that no one can explain. And I guess its that 5% that keeps me on the fence, so to speak. It's that 5% that makes me wonder if any of us will ever know for sure whether or not we are being visited by beings from another world.

So I was thinking, I wonder what would happen if I created a blog to air out this question. I'm sure there are no shortage of opinions out there. I decided to create this blog for skeptics and believers alike to come together and talk about it. So go ahead, add your comments, good bad and otherwise. What do you think? Are we alone? If so, what about those pesky unexplainable incidents (and I know you know of some) that defy rational, conventional explanation? If you are a believer, why? What made you come to believe? What accounts did you find most compelling to make you feel that way?

In short, welcome to the Great Alien Debate. Let the debate begin!