2 posts tagged “observed”
So, 'twas mid-morning on Saturday November 24, 2007. I was hiking out at the Shoreline nature preserve. Then I looked out to the skies above Silicon Valley (in the general area of Mountain View and/or Sunnyvale). Was it a bird? Was it a plane? What is a Flying Google Nerdman? Heck if I know. I can only say that I couldn't identify it.
Caveat: I live near NASA Ames and Moffett airfield. So, I'd really like to believe that my UFO was piloted by little green military men instead of little green martians.
My observations of the mystery object in the sky follow:
- It wasn't a helicopter, plane, blimp, or zeppelin -- or, if it was, I couldn't identify it.
- It appeared to be triangular in shape, slow moving, and low to the ground -- which is why I thought it might be a hang glider and/or kite at first (even though it was not windy).
- But then I realized it was quite large, was moving much higher into the sky, and was rotating or spinning (sunlight kept glinting off of parts of the object).
- And at this point I was really PERPLEXED, as was the other person with me.
- After about 5 minutes of watching it, it wandered over the foothills toward the Santa Cruz coast.
I know at least two other people saw it -- two guys jogging pointed at it and kept jogging and pointing. Everyone else on the nature trail kept nattering away into their cellphones. That's the funny thing about Silicon Valley. Little green martians COULD show up hovering over highway 101, in broad daylight, and no one would notice as they've already been taken over by their gadgets.
If anyone else in the SF Bay Area saw it and/or knows what thing to my wondering eyes might have appeared, please leave a comment. I'd also like to add that I wish I hadn't seen it. I'm all for open inquiry and revealing the mysteries of our universe, but I was just getting used to the idea of quantum physics -- and now there's this OTHER little crack in my reality! Fabulous.
Last night was a monthly salon chez moi. The topic of discussion was "pick 3 people that lived during the 20th century to have dinner with..."
My first choice was Marie Souvestre (1830 - 1905). Marie Souvestre was a feminist educator. At her school in France, Natalie Clifford Barney was a student. At her school in England, Eleanor Roosevelt was a student. Marie Souvestre is clearly a pebble in a much vaster pond. She was a mentor to 2 of the most influential women in the 20th century. I don't know much else about her, except I'd like to have dinner with her.
My second choice was Peggy Guggenheim (1898 - 1979). Peggy Guggenheim discovered, nurtured, and created genius. Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, Picasso, Magritte, Dali, Jackson Pollock. She was also a regular at Natalie Barney's influential salons. She also gave Djuna Barnes a place to stay while the latter was writing Nightwood.
My third choice was Daniel Lanois (1951). He got an early musical break working with Brian Eno, and went on to be a mentor for Pierre Marchand. Pierre Marchand is the producer for Sarah McLachlan -- who is, like, my most favorite singer ever. Daniel Lanois also produced fabulous albums for the likes of Peter Gabriel, U2, Chris Whitley (a fabulous artist that died way too soon), Emmylou Harris, Robbie Robertson, and Luscious Jackson. His album Acadie is also one of my favorites.
So, that's my list. As you can see, I selected folks who influenced and nurtured others, folks who surrounded themselves with genius, folks who acted as hubs for change. Who would you invite to your dinner party?
