Up At The Ranch And Beyond

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The Night Sky – February







https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essen...aturn-mercury/

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Everything Trump Has Said About UFOs, Aliens in Public





Newsweek has taken the trouble to collate some of the current president's public statements regarding the ET enigma.
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President Donald Trump has alternated between skepticism and curiosity about unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and aliens, discussing pilots’ sightings, government secrecy, and his own access to information during interviews and appearances.

Public interest in unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) surged after Congress and the Pentagon released reports and held hearings, making presidential comments—past and present—central to understanding what the government might know and disclose. A 2021 survey by Pew Research Center found that almost two-thirds (65 percent) of Americans believe that intelligent life could exist on other planets.

Trump’s evolving remarks offer a window into how a former and current president talks about alleged sightings.

In June 2019, Trump said he had been briefed on Navy UFO reports and expressed doubt, stating to ABC News: “I did have one very brief meeting on it,” adding that “people are saying they’re seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly.” 

Also in 2019, he told Tucker Carlson he wasn’t convinced in the existence of UFOs. “Well, I don’t want to really get into it too much. But personally, I tend to doubt it,” Trump said. “I’m not a believer, but you know, I guess anything is possible.”

In June 2020, when his son Donald Trump Jr. asked him about revealing “what’s really going on with Roswell,” Trump answered, per The Hill: “I won’t talk to you about what I know about it, but it’s very interesting.”

On Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast in June 2024, Trump said he had met with pilots who described seeing “things you wouldn’t believe,” reiterating he was not a believer himself. “But I have met with people, serious people, that say there are some really strange things flying around out there.”

On Greg Gutfeld’s Fox News show in September 2024, Trump said the question he may get more than any other is about aliens in Area 51, and repeated that pilots told him of a “round object going faster than any F-22.”

Published 13th February 2026 by Joe Edwards – Newsweek
https://www.newsweek.com/everything-...eches-11519458

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Smokin' With Ronnie ...

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We're Not Ready for Superintelligence



Published 17th July 2025 (34:10)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5KVDDfAkRgc

Statement on Superintelligence

Context: Innovative AI tools may bring unprecedented health and prosperity. However, alongside tools, many leading AI companies have the stated goal of building superintelligence in the coming decade that can significantly outperform all humans on essentially all cognitive tasks. This has raised concerns, ranging from human economic obsolescence and disempowerment, losses of freedom, civil liberties, dignity, and control, to national security risks and even potential human extinction. The growing number of experts and public figures who oppose a rush to superintelligence are listed here.

Quoting Exo
https://projectavalon.net/forum4/sho...=1#post1684608

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FEB 14



SpaceX Dragon Astronauts Make Valentine's Day Docking Boosting Skeleton Crew





The residents of the International Space Station received a special Valentine's Day treat.

SpaceX's Crew-12 astronaut mission docked with the short-staffed International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday (Feb. 14) at 3:15 p.m. EST (2015 GMT), ending a 34-hour orbital chase.

"With that gentle contact, we have bridged the legacy of humankind's continuous presence in space. It has been more than 25 years at this very site," radioed Jessica Meir, Crew-12 commander. "The International Space Station is more than a structure, it is a promise kept. Decades in the making, built by nations, sustained by trust and partnerships, and powered by science, innovation and curiosity."

"As we look back at Earth through these windows, we are reminded that cooperation is not just possible, it is essential. Up here there are no borders and hope is universal," she said.

After docking, the crew will change out of their spacesuits and prepare cargo for offload before opening the hatch between Dragon and the space station’s Harmony module around 5 p.m. [EST].

Crew-12 launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Friday morning (Feb. 13), sending four astronauts toward the ISS aboard the Crew Dragon capsule "Freedom."





Those crewmembers are NASA's Meir and Jack Hathaway, the mission's commander and pilot, respectively; mission specialist Sophie Adenot of the European Space Agency; and mission specialist Andrey Fedyaev of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

The Crew-12 astronauts are expected to live and work aboard the ISS through October, making their stint a bit longer than the usual six-month crew rotation.

The quartet is joining up with three other spaceflyers on the ISS — NASA's Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. The trio have had the orbiting lab to themselves since Jan. 15, when the four-person Crew-11 mission headed home to Earth.

Published 14th February 2026 by Mike Wall – Space.com
https://www.space.com/space-explorat...ssion-dock-iss

Heart-shaped Stellar Outburst Stuns Astronomers





Astronomers have spotted a heart in the cosmos — and it's not Cupid's doing, but rather a dying star shedding its layers.

A red giant star called Mira A, located about 300 light-years from Earth, has ejected a vast cloud of gas and dust resembling the shape of a heart. The lovely cloud glows against the void of space, not unlike a cosmic Valentine's Day signal.

Mira A is in the late stages of its life, a red giant swelling and losing mass as it prepares to fade into a white dwarf. While stars of this type routinely shed material, the sheer scale and symmetry of Mira A's recent outflow surprised astronomers, according to a new study.

"We were very surprised to see this structure," study lead author Theo Khouri, an astronomer from Chalmers University, said in a statement. "We also see that the star's illumination of the surrounding dust varies in an unexpected way, which implies that the star acts like a lighthouse — illuminating its environment unevenly."

The expelled matter amounts to roughly seven Earth masses, far more than scientists would expect, with gas filling the heart's interior and dust outlining the edges. The star's light also sweeps across the cloud like a cosmic beacon, causing the heart-shaped plume to glow as if it were radiating love into space.

Published 14th February 2026 by Samantha Mathewson – Space.com
https://www.space.com/astronomy/star...ns-astronomers

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Presidents (Cont'd)



Jimmy UFO Interview

(1:00)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gzcimqQDrJk

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Presidents (Cont'd)

Donnie

A source within the Trump administration has provided the prepared full text of President Trump's historic announcement regarding UAP/non-human intelligence.

https://x.com/uBF2fV1cVQxRjQo/status...83913634513305

Maybe someone can tell me what the heck this is on the right hand side.

https://x.com/uBF2fV1cVQxRjQo/status...57615479971887

Trump's Greenland Grab is Part of a New Space Race

– and the stakes are getting higher




Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, in northern Greenland

US President Donald Trump's position on Greenland has shifted almost daily, from threats to take it by force to assurances he won't. But one thing remains consistent: his insistence the Arctic island is strategically vital to the United States.

Within hours of the president's speech at this week’s Davos summit, Reports began circulating that Washington and Copenhagen had quietly discussed giving the US small, remote patches of Greenland for new military sites. Nothing confirmed, everything whispered, but the speed of the speculation said a lot.

What once felt like Trumpian theatre suddenly looked like a real geopolitical move. It was also a hint Arctic power plays are now bleeding into the politics of outer space.

This all happened very quickly. The notion the US might buy Greenland from Denmark (which resurfaced in 2019) was at first treated like a late-night comedy sketch. But behind the jokes lay a growing unease the Trump administration's fixation with Greenland was part of a wider geostrategic ambition in the "western hemisphere" – and beyond.

That's because Greenland sits at the crossroads of two fast-shifting frontiers: a warming Arctic that will change shipping routes, and an increasingly militarised outer space.

As global tensions rise, the island has become a geopolitical pressure gauge, revealing how the old international legal order is beginning to fray.

At the centre of it all is Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base. Once a Cold War outpost, it's now a key part of the US military's Space Force hub, vital for everything from missile detection to climate tracking. In a world where orbit is the new high ground, that visibility is strategic gold.

Trump has leaned hard into this logic. He's repeatedly praised Thule as one of the most important assets for watching what happens above the Earth, and has urged the US to "look at every option" to expand its presence.

Whether by force, payment or negotiation, the core message hasn't changed: Greenland is central to America's Arctic and space ambitions.

Published 15th February 2026 by Anna Marie Brennan – Space.com
https://www.space.com/astronomy/eart...getting-higher

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Presidents (Cont'd)

Baracky

Posted by Eric J (Viking) (here)
This is doing the rounds on mainstream. Drip drip…..about bloody time…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...erview-podcast

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUy9E_UD9RR/

Posted by samsdice (here)
Whatever he said, it's definitely doing the rounds in mainstream media as "Aliens are Real". Make of this what you will, but there does appear to be a shift occurring.

Obama’s ‘aliens confession’ is prepping us for a definitive announcement, UFO expert claims





Barack Obama casually revealing that the truth is (maybe) out there hints at a big ‘twist’ to come in the search for alien life, UFO experts say.

The former US President was asked on Saturday whether he believes aliens are real.

‘They’re real, but I haven’t seen them. They are not being kept in Area 51,’ he told YouTuber and podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen.

Obama clarified in an Instagram post that his remarks weren’t to be taken too seriously, though said ‘statistically’ it’s likely extraterrestrial life exists.

A 2024 report by the Pentagon found no evidence of an alien cover-up, though it said that the belief that the government is hiding aliens will persist.

Nick Pope, who investigated UFOs for the British Ministry of Defence in the 1990s, said Obama’s comments have only intensified this belief.

‘Much of the UFO community has taken this as quasi-official confirmation of an extraterrestrial reality,’ Pope told Metro. He added that rumours are swirling of a ‘disclosure’ event, where long-classified files around what are now called Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena will be released.

‘Obama’s comments are being seen as part of an acclimatisation campaign, readying people ahead of a definitive, formal announcement,’ Pope said.

‘Hang onto your hats: there are probably further twists to this tale ahead.’

Published 16th February 2026 by Josh Milton – Metro
https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/16/obama...aims-26934576/

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The Sky Tonight



Tuesday, Feb. 17 - New Moon annular solar eclipse



When the Moon passes the sun in western Aquarius at new moon on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7:01 a.m. EST, 4:01 a.m. PST, or 12:01 GMT, it will generate a solar eclipse visible from the southern tip of South America, most of Antarctica, southeastern Africa, Madagascar, the Seychelles, and Mauritius.

Since the Moon is farther from the South Pole of the Earth, it will be too small to completely block the Sun's disk, resulting in an annular, or "ring of fire", solar eclipse visible along a narrow track that sweeps across the Victoria Land portion of Antarctica and ends in the Southern Ocean south of western Australia. The partial eclipse will run from 10:51 GMT to 12:44 GMT, but the brief annular phase will only appear from 11:47 to 11:49 GMT. No portion of this eclipse can be viewed or photographed without proper solar filters.


Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Sliver of Moon poses with Mercury and Venus



Above the western horizon for a brief time after sunset on Wednesday, Feb. 18, the 2%-illuminated, young crescent Moon will join the inner planets Mercury and Venus.

In the Americas, the Moon will swap partners — appearing telescope-close (green circle) below Mercury while much brighter Venus gleams a generous palm's width below them. Meanwhile, observers located in a zone extending from the eastern coast of Australia and across New Zealand, southeastern Melanesia, parts of Polynesia, the Baha Peninsula, and most of Mexico and Central America can safely watch the Moon occult Mercury after sunset.


Thursday, Feb. 19 - Earthshine Moon joins a planet party



In the western sky after sunset on Thursday, Feb. 19, the young crescent Moon will exhibit Earthshine, also known as the Ashen Glow and "the old moon in the new moon's arms". That's sunlight reflected off Earth and back onto the Moon, slightly brightening the dark portion of the moon's Earth-facing hemisphere.

Brilliant Venus will shine just above the horizon with somewhat less-dazzling Mercury a palm's width above it. As the sky darkens more, Saturn's yellowish dot will appear a short distance to the left of the Moon.

https://www.space.com/16149-night-sky.html

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Dark Christian Relics



00:00 Introduction
00:36 What Are Relics?
01:30 The Incorruptable Jaw of St Anthony
03:28 The Skull of Mary Magdalene
05:23 The (Four) Head(s) of John the Baptist
07:07 The Relic Debate
08:06 The Shroud of Turin
09:45 The Blood Miracle
10:40 The Lost Coins of Judas Iscariot
11:41 Final Thoughts and Outro

In Christianity, relics are sacred items believed to carry the physical remains or possessions of saints — from bones and skulls to preserved body parts and holy shrouds. But just because these relics are holy… doesn’t mean they aren’t disturbing.

Published 25th April 2025 (13:18)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=l-EiK0XRb64

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Used for 2,000 Years, Erased in a Decade



The Painkiller They Don't Want You Growing

Published 15th February 2026 (17:55)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZmwfDhFsDVE

For 2,500 years, this plant relieved pain without addiction. Confederate surgeons used it when morphine ran out during the Civil War. Polish doctors prescribed it as a safer alternative to opium. By 1898, it was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia alongside aspirin and morphine as official medicine.

Then in 1944, it vanished from medical practice. Not because it failed, but because the pharmaceutical industry built an $80 billion pain relief empire on patentable synthetic molecules. A plant that grows free, requires no prescription, and generates no recurring revenue had no place in that system.

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Rep. Eric Burlison Discusses Alleged Large UAP Object Located Overseas



Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison and Dr Steven Greer add context and information to the multi-tentacled UFO issue under discussion in Washington DC.

Published 16th February 2026 (8:00)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=vtrazl51NGY

[Johnnycomelately]

Posted by Bluegreen (here)
Dark Christian Relics



00:00 Introduction
00:36 What Are Relics?
01:30 The Incorruptable Jaw of St Anthony
03:28 The Skull of Mary Magdalene
05:23 The (Four) Head(s) of John the Baptist
07:07 The Relic Debate
08:06 The Shroud of Turin
09:45 The Blood Miracle
10:40 The Lost Coins of Judas Iscariot
11:41 Final Thoughts and Outro

In Christianity, relics are sacred items believed to carry the physical remains or possessions of saints — from bones and skulls to preserved body parts and holy shrouds. But just because these relics are holy… doesn’t mean they aren’t disturbing.

Published 25th April 2025 (13:18)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=l-EiK0XRb64

Yeah RCC relics are creepy. Saw my first ones at a monastery in Switzerland, on a day trip with a summer camp. Later saw some at a convent in Canada, between hitchhike rides looking for a bathroom (got a meal out of that, too). Fingernails, lockes of hair, iirc a whole finger. Oof.

AFAIK, this is only a Roman Catholic thing, tho I wouldn’t be surprised if the Orthodox Church did it. Protestant Christianity, which I grew up in (and later quit), doesn’t do that.

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Do Animals Experience Joy?

Short answer: Yes.
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Diverse Intelligences: The Search for Joy in Animals

Researchers have found that great apes, dolphins, and kea parrots display measurable signs of joy — such as laughter, play, and optimistic behavior — suggesting that joy is not uniquely human but a shared feature of intelligent, social animals.





“The study of animal emotions is really in its infancy… There’s a lot of research on fear, on anger, and on grief. And there’s very little research on joy,” says Erica Cartmill, PhD, Professor of Cognitive Science, Animal Behavior and Anthropology at Indiana University Bloomington. Cartmill directs the COMPARE Lab (Comparing Other Minds in Play, Adaptation, Representation, and Emotion), where her team investigates how humans and other animals reason about and communicate with one another. In 2024, she and her collaborators published findings on spontaneous playful teasing in all four great ape species, highlighting a form of complex, joy-related social behavior.

“Victory squeals, warble calls, laughter… these may all be emotional signals, and the idea is that they might actually affect the internal state of other individuals,” explains Heidi Lyn, PhD, Associate Professor and Joan M. Sinnott Chair of Psychology at the University of South Alabama. Her research spans marine mammals, dogs, and apes, focusing on how cognition and communication emerge across species and environments.

Colin Allen, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara, studies the philosophical foundations of cognitive science and neuroscience. “Joy is a natural phenomenon,” he says, “and like all natural phenomena, we should be able to study it scientifically.”

The current research centers on three highly intelligent, social species: great apes, dolphins, and kea parrots. Researchers are using tools such as thermal imaging, vocalization analysis, and behavioral observation to investigate how joy might arise in animals, how it spreads, and how it influences behavior. These species were chosen for their intelligence, social complexity, and playfulness, as well as their evolutionary distance from one another. That evolutionary gap helps researchers explore whether and how joy might emerge across very different types of animals.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNJ40rtlzMD/

This research raises important questions about how we understand and relate to other species. It challenges the idea that emotions like joy, empathy, and love are uniquely human. Cartmill suggests that resistance to the idea of animal joy may stem from our desire to maintain a belief in “human uniqueness that we would like to continue to believe in.” Lyn adds, “There’s no question in my mind that humans are unique, but so is every other species.”

Ultimately, says Cartmill, “if we can start to appreciate moments of beauty and meaning and joy in the lives of other species, then we’ll be able to better appreciate them in each other and in ourselves. And that’s certainly something that I hope we will take away from this study: a greater capacity for joy in our own lives.”

Published 8th September 2025 by Templeton Staff
https://www.templetonworldcharity.or...-animals-video

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1,400-Year-Old Tomb Built By Mexico’s ‘Cloud People’ Found Unbelievably Unchanged





During recent excavations in the Central Valleys of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, archaeologists suddenly found themselves face to face with a great owl — a stone owl, draped over the entrance to the antechamber of an ancient tomb. The archaeologists had uncovered an ornate and astonishingly well-preserved burial monument from the Zapotec culture, which Mexican officials are now hailing as nothing short of “exceptional.”





This Zapotec tomb is not only well-preserved, but extremely detailed in its carvings, murals, and other adornments. Archaeologists suspect that it was built some 1,400 years ago to honor a Zapotec lord, and it offers invaluable insights into this civilization’s social organization, funerary rituals, and overall worldview in the pre-Hispanic era. The Zapotec tomb was found during excavations in the municipality of San Pablo Huitzo.

Though it dates to roughly 600 C.E., the tomb is incredibly well-preserved, and is already being hailed as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Mexico’s recent history.

“It is the most important archaeological discovery of the last decade in Mexico,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, “due to its level of preservation and the information it provides.”

Archaeologists believe that the tomb was constructed for an important Zapotec lord. At the entrance of the tomb’s antechamber is an owl — a bird that symbolized both night and death in Zapotec culture — whose long beak drapes down over the stuccoed and painted face of a man. This man, likely the person to whom the tomb was dedicated, possibly came to be seen as a liaison between his descendants and Zapotec deities.

At the threshold of the tomb is a lintel (a horizontal support beam) that includes a stone frieze engraved with calendrical names. Meanwhile, alongside the vertical jambs, there are engravings of a man and a woman, both wearing headdresses and holding artifacts, who may be the guardians of the tomb. And inside the burial chamber are sections of “an extraordinary mural painting” of “ochre, white, green, red and blue colors,” depicting a procession of people carrying bags of copal, a sacred tree resin.

The tomb thus provides a fascinating look at the Zapotec civilization, which existed in Oaxaca from 700 B.C.E. until roughly 1500 C.E.




Published 29th January 2026 by Kaleena Fraga and John Kuroski – All That's Interesting
https://allthatsinteresting.com/oaxa...t-zapotec-tomb

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