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If You Can Read This, You Might Be An Alien Abductee [Ufo Abduction Syndrome]

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A few days ago, the Weird Universe blog dug up a 1993 report on a UFO abduction survey, investigated by sociology professor Ted Goertzel at Rutgers University. The report was checking into a previous study’s claim that 3.7 million Americans were suffering from “UFO abduction syndrome.” While the Goertzel report largely debunked the idea that millions of Americans are actual abductees, you might still be in some danger — especially if you live in South Jersey.

Goertzel’s study first reviewed an existing UFO abduction survey, which asked about five major experiences that could indicate a possible abduction:

1. “Waking up paralyzed with a sense of a strange person or presence or something else in the room.” 2. “Experiencing a period of time of an hour or more, in which you were apparently lost, but you could not remember why or where you had been.” 3. “Feeling that you were actually flying through the air although you didn’t know why or how.” 4. “Seeing unusual lights or balls of light in a room without knowing what was causing them.” 5. “Finding puzzling scars on your body and neither you nor anyone else remembering how you received them or where you got them.”

Survey respondents would qualify as “abductees” if they recognized four out of five of those experiences. Goertzel published percentages of those respondents, both nationally and locally in South Jersey: It turns out people in South Jersey are 1.7 times more likely to be “abductees.”

This early study may have been flawed, however — Goertzel and his team refined it, adding several more questions, with the goal of getting deeper and more detailed information on those Americans who apparently were former abductees. When they did, they found some ambiguity.

In this case, there are at least two alternative theories which can explain why the measure is internally consistent. One is that the respondents are consistently reporting on similar experiences as UFO abductees. The other is that the individuals who score high on the scale share a psychological tendency to have false memories. Flournoy (1911) referred to this phenomenon as cryptomnesia. Psychologist Robert Baker (1992: 78) states that this phenomenon of “seeing complex visual images in one’s head that you cannot remember ever having seen before or…suddenly hearing voices from unknown and unrecollected sources is not only a much more common occurrence than is generally known but is also one of the more interesting and intriguing anomalies in the field of ‘normal’ human behavior.”

To investigate the cryptomnesia phenomenon, Goertzel mapped out the correlation between the various survey responses and the reports of unusual personal experiences. People who believe that high government officials were involved in the Kennedy assassination, for example, had a 21% correlation with those supposed “abductees.” There was a 20% correlation between “abductees” and those who think the Air Force is hiding evidence of flying saucers. But the most overlap occurred with two separate groups of survey respondents: Those who admitted to feeling that others were conspiring against them, and those who said they enjoyed “reading books about UFOs and other strange phenomena.”

Well, if that’s the case, it looks like quite a few io9 readers might be suffering from cryptomnesia. So if you find yourself freaking out about that moving white light in your bedroom, just ask yourself: What would Agent Scully say?

Image from Alien Abductions 24/7

Have You Been Abducted By Aliens? [Weird Universe]

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Candidates target crucial voting blocs

(CNN) — Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain are starting the week reaching out to two crucial voting blocs — Hispanic and African-American voters.

Both candidates are speaking before the National Council of La Raza, one of the country’s largest Hispanic organizations.

Obama on Sunday told the group the Latino community holds the election in its hands.

I know how powerful this community is. Just think how powerful you could be on November 4 if you translate your numbers into votes, he said as he encouraged them to register to vote.

Obama also told the crowd he would make immigration reform a priority as president.

Not just because we need to secure our borders and get control of who comes into our country. And not just because we have to crack down on employers abusing undocumented immigrants. But because we have to finally bring those 12 million people out of the shadows, he said in San Diego, California.

Yes, they broke the law. And we should not excuse that. We should require them to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for citizenship — behind those who came here legally. But we cannot — and should not — deport 12 million people. That would turn American into something we’re not; something we don’t want to be.

McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was scheduled to address the group on Monday.

The event marks the last of three major Hispanic and Latino organizations the candidates are appearing before this summer.

Both candidates last week spoke to the League of United Latin American Citizens.

Previously, the two spoke at the annual conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Watch what the candidates are up to this week

As many as 10 million Latinos could cast ballots in the fall, possibly swinging some important battleground states such as Florida.

Recent polls show Obama leading McCain by a 2-to-1 ratio among Hispanic voters. Read more on the Hispanic vote

Republican strategists have said McCain has to do well with Hispanic voters to win in November. When President Bush was re-elected in 2004, he received 44 percent of the Hispanic vote, but that was before the divisive political debate erupted over illegal immigration.

McCain is seen as a moderate Republican when it comes to immigration reform, but the conservative base of his party has taken a hard-line approach on the issue.

In 2005, McCain angered some in his party when he and Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy unsuccessfully pushed for a comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a path to citizenship. McCain now says he would focus first on securing the borders before offering other ways to deal with illegal immigration.

McCain has a new campaign commercial on the air in New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado — three states where Spanish-speaking voters are a powerful force.

The ad salutes Hispanics who have served the country.

When you go to Iraq or Afghanistan today, you’re going to see a whole lot of people who are of Hispanic background. You’re even going to meet some of the few thousand that are still green card holders who are not even citizens of this country, who love this country so much that they’re willing to risk their lives in its service in order to accelerate their path to citizenship and enjoy the bountiful, blessed nation.

So let’s, from time to time, remember that these are God’s children. They must come into our country legally, but they have enriched our culture and our nation as every generation of immigrants before them, McCain says in the ad.

Both candidates also turn their attention to the NAACP this week, with Obama speaking in front of their national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday and McCain delivering his speech on Wednesday. Watch what’s expected at the NAACP convention

Obama’s speech will be his first time in front of a large black organization since Jesse Jackson apologized for suggesting that Obama talks down to African- Americans.

According to polls, Obama has overwhelming support among black voters.

Obama on Sunday also addressed the American Federation of Teachers Convention. He spoke before the Chicago convention via satellite from San Diego.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama’s former rival, spoke before the same group on Saturday.

McCain had no public events scheduled Sunday.

Nationwide, Obama leads McCain by four points– 47 to 43 percent, according to CNN’s poll of polls.

found here.

Angelina Jolie gives birth to twins

PARIS, France (AP) — The Brangelina twins are here: Angelina Jolie has given birth to a girl and a boy, and dad Brad Pitt took the whole thing in stride.

The obstetrician who delivered the twins, Dr. Michel Sussmann, said the actress, the babies, Jolie and Pitt are doing marvelously well.

The 33-year-old actress gave birth to a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline, by Caesarean section about 8 p.m. Saturday in Nice in southern France. Jolie had a local anesthetic and was conscious throughout, the doctor said.

Pitt was in the delivery room at the seaside Lenval hospital as the babies were born one minute apart, Sussman said, the boy weighing just over 5 pounds and the girl 5 pounds.

He was perfectly calm and everything went well, Sussmann said.

He was very happy … The emotion was very strong for him, the doctor added. Angelina Jolie was speaking, was laughing with her husband. They were happy.

found here.

Bertha hovers near Bermuda

HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) — Slow-moving Bertha barely clung to hurricane status as it hovered near Bermuda early Sunday, and forecasters said it could weaken to tropical storm status by the end of the day.

The Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning as Bertha’s outer bands were expected to brush the island in the coming days.

Most tourists chose to hang out in pools and walk along the beach instead of battle the stronger surf and rip currents along Bermuda’s southern coast. Signs have been posted announcing that beaches are closed.

You can go out and swim if you like, but lifeguards will not come out and get you, said Darnell Joell, a bartender at Coco Reef resort.

Lifeguards at Horseshoe Beach blocked the shoreline with bright red tape and turned tourists away. Many lingered, however, taking pictures of the crashing waves.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was barely a Category 1 hurricane and remained at a near standstill early Sunday about 220 miles (355 kilometers) southeast of Bermuda. Even forecasters hit a lull: After a week or so … I am running out of things to say about Bertha, read one official report.

The center said Bertha was expected to resume its northward drift in the coming days, passing southeast of Bermuda, kicking up surf and dumping 2-4 inches of rain on the island. The center’s hurricane tracking map showed Bertha sideswiping Bermuda on Monday, a day later than earlier forecasts.

About 5 a.m. Sunday, Bertha had maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph (120 kph) with some higher gusting.

Rain had already started falling at Elbow Beach by midday on Saturday, driving tourists away.

But many remained largely unconcerned.

It’s not really going to hit that hard, said Eilif Kenny, 21, who is visiting from Ireland. If it was, I’d go stay in the holiday apartment, and I’d be under the bed.

Bertha became the Atlantic season’s first hurricane on July 7 and has vacillated between a Category 1 and 2 storm.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Elida formed off Mexico’s Pacific coast Saturday.

The hurricane center says Elida, the fifth tropical storm of the Pacific season, has sustained winds of nearly 60 mph (95 kph), with higher gusts.

found here.

Kenny Perry in tie for lead at John Deere

SILVIS, Illinois (AP) — Kenny Perry can’t figure it out, either.

The new putter? That seems to be helping. His surgically repaired knee? It feels fine, after he rushed back two years ago.

New equipment and better health aside, he can’t explain why he’s playing this well.

If I knew the answer, I’d have done this 20 years ago, Perry said. It’s just going my way right now.

Perry finished with a flourish to move into a three-way tie for the lead through three rounds at the John Deere Classic on Saturday.

Perry, seeking his third victory in five starts, birdied the 18th hole to finish at 4-under 67 for the day and 15-under 198 for the tournament. That tied him with Eric Axley (67) and Brad Adamonis (66), who at 35 is the PGA Tour’s oldest rookie.

Jay Williamson (62) and second-round leader Will MacKenzie (70) were one stroke back.

found here.