Oregon L.O.W.F.I

Posts Tagged ‘Lane County’

My new Trickster’s Realm is now up at Tim Binnall’s Binnall of America.

Are orange orbs negative “entities?” Read more here.

Found this on the Eugene Craigslist. A report of a UFO sighting, posted Dec. 21. Location: 18th and Pearl, which is approximately two miles from me. Impossible to say if this is valid, a prank, or what, but here it is:

I just saw a UFO hovering over South Eugene. It appeared around 10:30 PM. I was driving to the store this evening and when I turned on to 18th I saw a bright light hovering just above me, very close, extremely bright. I stopped my car and watched it bobble back & forth a bit. It was very bright and made no sound. It hovered in small circles for about 5 min. and then the light slowly dimmed. After it dimmed I could see a black silhouette moving slowly away until it disappeared. After it was gone I stopped someone walking who had also seen it and was just as amazed as I was. THIS IS NO WAY THIS WAS A PLANE OR A HELICOPTER. Did anyone else see this from another angle? or catch anything else?

* Location: 18th & Pearl
* it’s ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2764971047

About three blocks from my home; heard the sirens last night: Motives of SUV arson unclear – Someone sprayed a vehicle with “Occupy Eugene” graffiti and then set it on fire in a west neighborhoodMy first thought while reading this was that it seemed suspicious; a set-up to discredit OWS and the Eugene version. As the article noted:

But at this point, police say they don’t know who set the fire or why they did it — despite the fact that the burned sport utility vehicle was covered with miscellaneous graffiti that included an anarchist symbol and messages consistent with those of the nation­wide “Occupy” movement protesting economic inequities.

Eugene police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin said it would be “unfair to blame any one group” for the arson.

“The graffiti is all over the map,” she said.

The SUV was painted with OWS type slogans, like “Oil is bad” which seems lame and clumsy. There was also an insult painted aimed at Eugene mayor Kitty Piercy, who is a liberal; the repug types don’t like her at all. That insult (whatever it was, the paper did not release it) adds to my suspicions. It’s illogical an OWS supporter would bash a liberal mayor,one who supports in spirit OWS. There is also the fact that the SUV wasn’t recognized by anyone in the area. It just appeared. Someone commented to me after reading the article that they thought it was insurance fraud.

Occupy Eugene responded:

Occupy Eugene spokeswoman Crystal Stanford said the group is part of “a peaceful movement” that does not condone violence or property destruction.

“My first thought (upon hearing of the SUV fire) was that people would think that we were on the fringe,” Stanford said. “We’re a populist movement, and our values are consistent with the values of the everyday, normal person.”

And I missed it! Damn, hate it when that happens. Right here in Eugene, or, technically, not Eugene proper but Junction City, 12 miles from here. Man sees many colored lights in the sky. Comments at the site include someone from Cottage Grove, about 30 miles to the south, who had a sighting. More here.

About fifteen years ago, there was a local woman who sold religious folk art/outsider art items at her booth at the Saturday Market. Saturday Market is a long running street fair in Eugene (since 1970),  full of booths of hand made items, as well as food booths and lots of music.

I bought several things from her at the time and did a paper on her when I was studying folklore at the University of Oregon.

This is a beaded necklace, with a wood pendant. On the front is an image of St. Maria Magdalene. On the back is a little label: “St. Maria Magdalene Patroness of Fallen Women.” This is what Books of the Times site has to say about St. Maria Magdalene:

There is a breathtaking moment in the Gospel of Philip, one of the Gnostic gospels, which were denounced by the church as heresy. The apostles witness Jesus kissing Mary Magdalene on the mouth. The apostles are horrified, jealous. ”Why do you love her more than us?” they ask. Jesus’ response is mysterious and enigmatic. ”Why do I not love you like her?” he says.

What is the meaning of those kisses? Sexual passion? A profound friendship? Jesus anointing Mary Magdalene as his successor and as leader of the church?

Traditionally, Mary Magdalene has been seen as a reformed harlot, portrayed in paintings as red haired and bare breasted. But as Karen L. King, the Winn professor of ecclesiastical history at Harvard University, in the Divinity School, points out in her new book, ”The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle,” nowhere does the Bible say that she was a prostitute.

I know I have that paper, with photos, around here somewhere. I also have other items that I hope to take snaps of and post. I think the woman — a very colorful person! — called herself “Sister Spirit” and I want to say “bear” was in there somewhere, but it’s been many years and I don’t remember.

She sold jewelry with decorated images of the saints and the BVM as well as Jesus. She was known for her Jesus nightlights: religious plastic nightlights of Jesus and Mary, (the kind you can buy at dime stores; I’ve even seen them at Dollar Store type places) painted, often with neon colors, and decorated with beads, glitter, feathers .

I haven’t been to the Saturday Market for a couple of years; but when I have gone there, I didn’t notice her around. I think she left the area some time ago, or at least, stopped making her wonderful folk art.

Local news reports a cougar sighted near Spencer’s Butte park, a popular hiking area (and, local lore goes, somewhat of a UFO hot spot) — there are rattlesnakes up there, and the occasional cougar report. I can see the Butte if I walk to the corner of my street… not far from me at all. With video and photo.

The day before yesterday all four of our cats were behaving very strangely. I even said to Jim that I wondered if there was an earthquake coming soon, because they were just so “off” — not their usual routine.Very agitated and confused, literally walking in circles sometimes. (In a weird way, not the usual that’s what cats do way.) Each cat has their own personality and what bothers one may not bother the other, but that day, they were all just crazy. Well, turns out there were earthquakes, several,  in the area: the Eugene (where I live) and surrounding area, sort of I-5 corridor, extending to the North up towards Portland area, which is about 100 miles from Eugene, and to the south, near Medford:

August 3rd: The Eugene area where I live, had a 1.1.

August 3rd, a 1.6.

August 3rd, 2.1 McMinnville area

August 4th, 2.1

August 5,th 2.2 (southern Oregon)

August 5,th 4.5 off Oregon coast 235 miles off the coast of Newport

(You can read the local news item about the earthquake off the coast, with an interesting comment by a reader who remarks his own animals were acting very strangely.)

Besides the “Conspiracy Park” images I came across while walking along the Willamette River, I’ve come across these rock constructs in the water. You can still see stone from the foundation of a structure that used to be there, before the pedestrian bridge was built. Probably remnants of an old power station — the current EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric)  buildings are nearby. About a month ago, we had walked this same walk and these rock formations weren’t there. Some one, or probably more than one person, enjoyed themselves creating these rock creations in the river. I realize you can’t see them too well; as I said in my previous conspiracy park post, I’m not a photographer and use a cheap camera. But hopefully you’ll get an idea. Here’s one with a mothy vibe:

"Wings" on top of rock arrangement, Willamette River (University end)

Rock arrangements, Willamette River

River rock arrangements

While walking along the Willamette River in Skinner’s Butte Park a few days ago I saw a whale. Not a real whale of course, a whale play structure on the little playground. Actually it’s been there for decades; I remember when it was a plain sand colored object.  Over the years it’s been painted in various ways; this is the latest.

Yep, there’s  Walmarts where I live in Eugene, Oregon, one being not far from my home, roughly two miles away. All kinds of stories concerning Walmart come to us almost daily from all over the U.S. and we all know about sites where you can see pictures of people dressed in sloppy, disgusting, whimsical, dirty, gross, fun, surreal, insane outfits  while shopping at their local Wal-Mart.

Wal-mart, remember, is the first chain to partner up with Homeland Security.  Ah, Wal-mart.

So the WalMart in Eugene is in the world news stream for discriminating against Sandy McMillin, who’s in her fifities and disabled. She’s bald. She’s overweight. It was 90 degrees.  And she was asked to cover up while shopping in the West 11th Walmart because her bikini top violated health codes. McMillin and her sister were then escorted out of the store.  That’s McMillin’s version. Walmart says McMillin was abusing customers, and is refusing to release the security tapes. The top she was wearing was one she bought at Walmart a year ago. McMillin is considering suing. I wonder if any of these people were asked to leave these Walmarts?

Bizzarely, the local newspaper The Register Guard actually thought this an  important enough issue to comment on in their opinion section. Not opinions of this episode from local citizens, but from the editors at the paper. Because there’s no other news going on in the world that’s more important, apparently.