Astronomer With An Eye Patch

Well, I've been gone on vacation for a little over a week, and I'm a little upset to see that things just kept happening while I was gone. What's wrong with you people?

Since I'm still sorting through all my emails, I'll just give you the highlights of what's been going on, and then fill in with more detail as needed over the next few days:

* I've been asked to be a secret envoy by a prominent UFO research group that wants to reach out to another UFO research group to collaborate on a top-secret, high-tech project that could save the world.
* I have accepted the position of Chief Investigator for MUFON in Wisconsin.
* I have received a heartwarming letter from an old friend of my favorite alien artist, Anthony Ranfone, and learned that Mr. Ranfone died some time ago.
* My post on the Michigan Swamp Gas incident inspired a brilliant reader to post this reply, and just like that "High Strangeness" has a theme song!
* Another reader responded to my joke about a guy wearing an eye patch being unsuited to being an astronomer, and asked "Why would having having one eye be relative to being an astronomer?" Glad you asked! At first I thought your question was kind of dense, but upon reflection, it occurs to me that having one eye might make you the ultimate astronomer, because you never have to decide which eye to use on any given night, and you don't have to waste all that energy keeping the other eye shut tightly all night. Good call, reader!
* The MUFON State Directors Forum on Facebook continues to suck up my life energy every time I look in on the day's news and trivialities. We are now, perhaps inevitably, at war with the French, as this recent post indicates: "Kxx, please refrain sending out info to French ufo orgs....I have solid reasons to please ask you to do so till we clarify one of the USO websites we check and which seems to be on the....politely....competitors side whom" states Mufon is in France to take control of French ufology. These competitors have been throwing sticks and stones to us, and spreading unfounded rumors...."
* My efforts to restage "Roswell: The Musical" were dealt serious a blow by the news that the guy who wrote the play and thought he might have a copy packed away in a box checked the box and it was empty. Bummer.
* Speaking of Roswell, another reader commented on my coverage of the nonsensical "Citizen Hearing on Disclosure" and said that I was full of beans. To wit: "It was not Major Marcel's grandson at the event. It was his son. According to Jesse Marcel Jr., he actually handled wreckage from the 47' crash. This makes him pretty relevant. With regards to Mr. Friedman, I think you are off the mark. Every preacher of the UFO gospel has his or her own voice. It appears you are starting to develop your own.
* ...Which brings me to the sad UFO news of the day. It was reported that Jesse Marcel, Jr."," one of the few remaining eye-witnesses to whatever happened in Roswell in 1947 to inspire a musical, has died"."

Also, while on vacation, my wife and I took a ride on a UFO:

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That's me and my wife at Hilton Head last week, being taken 500 feet aloft by this strange flying device. The name of the parasailing company was "UFO Parasailing." Coincidence?