Was there a UFO discovered on the ocean floor?

From: http://www.mnn.com/

Is an object on the ocean floor a UFO flying saucer, or a natural formation?

 

Peter Lindberg's team found what appears to be a crashed flying saucer on the ocean floor. (Photo: www.oceanexplorer.se)

An ocean exploration team led by Swedish researcher Peter Lindberg has found what some are suggesting is a crashed flying saucer. Lindberg's team, which has had success in the past recovering sunken ships and cargo, was using sonar to look for the century-old wreck of a ship that went down carrying several cases of a super-rare champagne. Instead, the team discovered what it claims is a mysterious round object that might (or might not) be extraterrestrial.

Lindberg explained to local media that his crew discovered, on the 300-foot-deep ocean floor between Finland and Sweden, "a large circle, about 60 feet in diameter. You see a lot of weird stuff in this job, but during my 18 years as a professional I have never seen anything like this. The shape is completely round."

Adding to the mystery at the bottom of the Gulf of Bothnia, Lindberg said he saw evidence of scars or marks disturbing the environment nearby, suggesting the object somehow moved across the ocean floor to where his team found it. 

It's not clear what to make of this report, or the video of the sonar scan that shows the object, but Swedish tabloids and Internet UFO buffs have had a field day. Some suggest the object is a flying saucer of extraterrestrial origin (and the seafloor scars were dug up when it crashed), though of all the things that might create a round sonar signature, that seems to be among the more outlandish. [10 Alien Encounters Debunked]

It might be a natural feature formation, or possibly a sunken, round man-made object.

Lindberg's claim that the object "is perfectly round" may or may not be accurate; while it looks round from the information so far, the resolution of the sonar image was not high enough to verify that it is indeed round. And while the lines that appear to be leading to (or from) the feature may suggest some sort of movement, it's also possible they have nothing to do with the object. [UFO Battles Captured on Video? Not Likely]

Lindberg himself did not offer an extraterrestrial origin, though he did speculate it might be a "new Stonehenge."

This is not the first time a sunken object has been presented as the solution to a mystery. Take, for example, the famous underwater mystery of the "Bimini Road," a rock formation in the Caribbean near the Bahamas that resembles a road or wall. Many New Agers and conspiracy theorists claimed the rocks are too perfectly shaped to be natural, and either were made by an unknown civilization or are possibly a relic from the lost city of Atlantis.

In fact, geologists have identified the blocks as unusually shaped, but perfectly natural, weathered beach rock.

It's also worth noting that UFOs may not be saucer-shaped. The famous "flying saucer" description of the first UFO has since been revealed as a reporting error.

Lindberg said his team has neither the interest nor the resources to further investigate the anomaly. Deep ocean research is time-consuming and expensive. If the object were indeed a flying saucer, recovering it could potentially be worth millions or billions of dollars. If it's a natural formation, on the other hand, it would probably be a waste of time and money.

This article was reprinted with permission from SPACE.com.

7 Old West UFO Encounters That (Probably) Actually Happened

by Justin Thomas

from http://egotvonline.com/

Cowboys & Aliens opens this weekend, and moviegoers are already chomping at the bit for a chance to see cowboys duke it out with UFO’s. As crazy as this genre-blending fantasy world seems, American history boasts a fairly healthy collection of Old West UFO stories during the 1800′s. Even before Roswell and Area 51, people were seeing strange things in the sky, describing them to their local papers, and coming up with wild theories as to what the mysterious objects could be. Of course, there were no video cameras in the 1800′s, and even still photography technology was in its infancy, so collecting documentation of Old West UFO encounters was nearly impossible. Nonetheless, newspapers from the 1800′s are jam-packed with awesome Old West UFO encounters. Here are 7 Old West UFO Encounters That Actually Happened…(maybe).

The Aurora Incident

Aurora, Texas, 1897


The Aurora Incident is one of the more famous Old West UFO Encounters. The incident occured on the morning of April 17, 1897 in Aurora, Texas, a small town in the northeastern corner of the state. According to the Dallas Morning News, Judge J.S. Proctor was preparing his breakfast when he heard a loud crash outside of his farmhouse. Upon investigating, Judge Proctor discovered a strange airship that had collided with his windmill, causing it to crash to the ground. In the wreckage, the Judge found the ship’s pilot, who was dead and described as “not of this world”. Of course, that could just mean “horrifically burned”, but who knows for sure. The Judge buried the wreckage in an old well on his property and the pilot’s body was reportedly buried in a nearby cemetery, with a plaque marking the grave site that briefly describes the incident. Because of the popularity of this legend, there have been numerous follow up investigations (especially in recent years) that have yielded no conclusive evidence to support the theory that a) the pilot of the mysterious craft was an extraterrestrial, or b) that the event ever happened in the first place, aside from a plaque in the cemetery describing the event as it was reported in the papers. Nonetheless, the town of Aurora considers the incident to be a local precursor to the Roswell incident, which occurred nearly 50 years later, because the two stories bear a remarkable resemblance to one another.

John Martin’s “Flying Saucer”

Denison, Texas, 1878


Many people attribute the term “flying saucer” to Kenneth Arnold, a pilot who used the term to describe an object he encountered while flying a plane in 1947. But the term was used almost 70-years earlier in a Denison Daily News article about a strange object that Texas farmer John Martin spotted on a recent hunting trip. Martin, a reputable local farmer, was out hunting one morning when he suddenly noticed a strange, shiny object in the sky.  As he watched it, the object gradually moved closer to him. When the object silently flew overhead, Martin clearly saw the craft and later described it as dark and saucer-shaped, using the term “flying saucer” for lack of a better explanation. Despite Martin’s solid reputation, nobody else saw the craft and no evidence of its existence was ever unearthed.

Lumley’s UFO

Great Falls, Montana, 1865


This story appeared in a few different newspapers in 1865. The papers reported the story of a fur trapper named James Lumley, who claims to have witnessed a UFO crash in the deep woods of Montana in 1865. Lumley was in the forest trapping animals for his fur trade when he suddenly noticed a brilliant, bright light in the sky. The object streamed across the sky, then broke into several parts and crashed to the ground out of view. So far it sounds like a meteorite, right? That’s what Lumley thought too, until he investigated the crash site the following day. As Lumley approached the site where the object crashed, he noticed a huge stretch of land that had been completely cleared of trees and other foliage. The object had forcefully cleared a path in the woods upon touching down. Lumley followed the trail of devastation and eventually discovered its source: a large stone-like object that had smashed into a mountainside. Upon investigating the object, Lumley discovered that it was sectioned off, almost as if it had rooms inside of it. Lumley said that the object was also covered with “heiroglyphics” that could only have been made by humans or other intelligent creatures. In other words, they weren’t just random scratches on a rock. He also stated that the hunk of rock he came upon appeared to be a small part of a much larger object that he could not find in the area. While sifting through the debris, Lumley found a number of glass-like shards and chunks of what seem to resemble melted metal. Despite Lumley’s claims, the “ship” was never found, and besides his awesome story, there’s no evidence of his extraterrestrial treasure.

The Niagara Falls Lights

Niagara Falls, 1833


In 1833, a series of strange incidents were reported near Niagara Falls in New York. The incidents involved sightings of luminous objects in the sky along with reports of a strange, jelly-like substance falling from the sky. At around 2am on November 13th, a strange luminous object was spotted hovering in the sky near Niagara Falls. The object looked like “a square table that hovered in the sky and emitted bright rays of light”, according to one eye witness. Later that day, a series of jelly-like blobs were discovered littering the ground throughout New York, Newark, and New Jersey. The blobs were described as flat, jelly-like transparent blobs about 4 feet in diameter that fell from the sky, then dissolved within a few hours of exposure to air. Despite numerous eye witness accounts of the blobs and other mysterious lights, no samples of the jelly substance were taken and, aside from eye witness accounts and newspaper reports, there is no concrete evidence to substantiate the sightings or the mysterious jelly blobs.

The Mystery Airships of 1896

San Francisco, California 1896


1896 was a great year for mysterious airships. Hot air balloons and crude airships had already been invented by this time, although it would be another 7 years until the Wright brothers would record their first successes in their flying machine. But something else was flying around in Northern California in 1896. Hundreds of eye witnesses reported seeing a massive airship slowly floating about 1,000 feet over the city on the night of November 18, 1896. Most of the witnesses were drawn by the ship’s light, mainly because people just weren’t accustomed to seeing anything besides a bird flying around in the sky in 1896. The following night, Colonel H.G. Shaw was driving in his buggy in Stockton, California (near San Francisco) when he came upon a large airship that had landed in a field. He later described the ship as being cylindrical shaped, about 150 feet long and 25 feet in diameter, and made entirely of metal. Not exactly an every day sight in 1896. He also claims that three very tall, slender men were accompanying the ship, and that they examined his car briefly before boarding the ship again and taking to the skies, and eventually out of site. For the next few weeks, numerous mysterious airships were spotted all along the west coast, in western Canada, and even as far east as Nebraska. While airships had already been invented in 1896, nobody had one that could cover such vast distances and reach such heights, which is why the incident is referred to as The Mystery Airships of 1896.

 

The Flying discs of Salem, Massachusetts

 
1952 Salem, Massachusetts July 16, 1952 1952 was a busy year for UFO sightings, and about that time Shel Alpert, a USCG seaman on duty in the Coast Guard Weather Office at the Salem Coast Guard Station, witnessed four unexplained brilliant lights in the sky. After dimming and brightening again Alpert was able to get a single photograph through the window of this office. This photo has been published in many places, including books, newspapers, magazines, and now websites. (source:UfoCasebook)

The Mysterious Lights of 1897

Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska & Illinois, 1897
 
There were a lot of “mysterious” things happening in the late 1800′s. A tidal wave of “mysterious lights in the sky” sightings were reported throughout the Midwest in April of 1897. The first reports came from Omaha, where hundreds of eye witnesses reported seeing the same thing: a 12-foot wide egg-shaped metallic object flying through the air. That night, hundreds more reported being awakened by a blinding bright light flooding through their bedroom windows, apparently coming from a moving object in the sky. Similar reports came in over the next few nights from Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and even Chicago, where thousands of people stood in the streets and stared at the mysterious object in the sky with one bright light at the “front”, and a red and green light on either side that seemed to rotate around the object. Apparently, two photos were taken of the object by a Chicago resident, but the photos have since disappeared.

U.S. Cavalry vs. Aliens

Southwestern U.S., 1909


There’s an unconfirmed story floating around regarding a U.S. Cavalry unit that encountered a UFO, and possibly even some pesky little aliens, in 1909. As the story goes, a Cavalry unit was in hot pursuit of a gang of Mexican bandits in the Southwestern U.S. in 1909. During their pursuit, the Cavalry unit came upon a cave that they’d never seen before, despite being familiar with the region. Upon entering the cave, they discovered a number of metallic, horseshoe-shaped flying vehicles, along with a small collection of “little grey demons”, which may have been aliens. The Cavalry unit’s horses were spooked by the ships and the creatures, and the Cavalry immediately left the cave. Upon returning the next day, the cave was empty and the ships and aliens were nowhere to be found.

UFOs spotted over London?

A video of bright disc-shaped objects dashing through the blue skies over central London has been posted on YouTube.

The footage was filmed near the BBC Radio 1 building in Great Portland Street, and shows specks of white light flying at high altitude over the capital.

A larger object then emerges from behind a cloud before vanishing moments later.

The YouTube user who posted the clip online wrote: "Right – took over a week to get it ... but finally managed to get these critters on camera on a clear day, and even get a close-up.

"It seems to be attracting quite a crowd now when they appear. Can anyone explain what on earth these lights are please?"

A separate video posted by the same user, alymc01, is believed to have been shot from inside the offices of a visual effects company called The Mill. The firm creates special effects for the film industry.

3 of the FBI's real life X-Files investigated

From: http://dvice.com/archives/

A memo from FBI agent Guy Hottel that many believe proves Roswell's crashed saucer (more on that below).
It's one of many FBI docs now available.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation's newly-revamped online "Vault" gives the public easy access to formerly-secret documents that detail everything from counter-terrorism investigations to rundowns on prominent individuals and potentially "subversive" national organizations.
It's a fascinating resource. For example, we were able to discover that the U.S. government spent actual time and money investigating the mid-1960s make-believe band, The Monkees. The curiously heavily-redacted Monkees dossier summarizes the pretend bands' television show as "four young men who dress as 'beatnik types' and is geared primarily to the teenage market." During a Monkees performance, a (name-redacted) source reports that an onstage screen flashed subliminal "left wing innovations of a political nature."
But the Bureau isn't all about keeping tabs on fake boy bands, assessing threatening letters sent to Colonel Sanders, or probing Carl Sagan's tenuous connections to Central American terrorists. They also launched numerous investigations into crazy supernatural stuff! The Vault's features previously secret FBI documents looking into phenomenon usually reserved for Hollywood-style escapism. Here's a look at some of the most fascinating real life X-Files.

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Mysterious Cattle Mutilations

As early as the 1960s, ranchers throughout several western states reported the mysterious deaths of stray cattle whose mutilated corpses were found butchered with near surgical precision and drained of their blood. Here's some gory details from a 1979 letter between state officials:

[Officer] O'Dell said the steer's scrotum and penis had been removed with surgical precision — a feature common to all previous mutilations — and indicated that patches of hair around the carcass seemed to indicate that the steer had been dropped or bounced — another feature common to all previous mutilations. The steer's intestines had been removed through the hole where the scrotum had been cut out, but were not disturbed.

Slowly, the strange phenomenon — which evidently occurred with some frequency — began to move beyond ranching circles into media and public at large. Rumors spread of helicopters and UFOs hovering over locations shortly before the mutilated bovines were discovered.
As early as 1974, there was some collaboration between the FBI and state investigators looking into the mutilations. But the record shows that by mid-decade local officials grew tired of ineffectual local investigations and began petitioning the FBI to take the lead. These correspondences largely consist of local press clippings detailing the bovine slayings backing up urgent appeals from senators and representatives. The FBI, for its part, seemed mostly reticent to launch an investigation into this spree of mysterious — but decidedly non-Federal — crimes. A 1975 letter from Colorado Senator Floyd Haskell to the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the investigation epitomizes the urgency felt by ranchers in his state:

...The bizarre mutilations are frightening in themselves: in virtually all the cases, the left ear, left eye, rectum, and sex organ of each animal has been cut away and the blood drained from the carcass, but with no traces of blood left on the ground and no foot-prints. In Colorado's Morgan County area, there has also been reports that a helicopter was used by those who mutilated the carcasses of the cattle, and several persons have reported being chased by a similar helicopter.

Freaky.
After lamenting the disorganized and un-serious investigations undertaken by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Senator also goes on to describe a sort of mass hysteria overtaking his constituents.

Now it appears that ranchers are arming themselves to protect their livestock, as well as their families and themselves, because they are frustrated by the unsuccessful investigation. Clearly something must be done before someone gets hurt.

Apparently, the cattle mutilations became common enough that there was even an official mutilation form:

In 1979, a federal investigation into the mutilations was finally launched under the "Animal Mutilation Project." In March of 1980, we have a record of mysterious "flake" samples sent to FBI lab for examination and identification. The flakes corresponded to "a U.F.O. [that] was reportedly observed by a resident of Taos, New Mexico, reportedly hovering over a pickup truck. The next morning the enclosed powder flakes were reportedly recovered from the roof of the aforementioned pickup." The flakes turned out to be white enamel paint.
Documented cases of animal mutilations largely subsided in the U.S. after the federal investigation began (though similar incidences of "horse ripping" continued into the late-1990s in Europe). Officially, the authorities concluded that the mysterious mutilations were largely the work of natural wild life that would often attack the "soft" parts of deceased cows first, such as the ears, eyes, and genitals. Though, to this day, many aspects of the mutilation phenomenon remains officially unexplained.

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Extra Sensory Perception

Declassified CIA documents have revealed that the KGB was investigating the use of ESP (or "remote viewing") until as recently as the early 1990s. While citizens of the Cold War era could sleep better knowing Russian intelligence agency's plans of psychic imperialism didn't go unchecked, who was protecting brave American brainwaves on the domestic front? You may harbor visions of the FBI cultivating a covert Dreamscape team of subconscious commandos with a secret base buried under Mount Rushmore in Franklin Roosevelt's forehead. Unfortunately no super awesome dream warrior base existed.
But, boy, did the FBI want one!
In particular, there was a lot of back and forth regarding the astounding feats of a Richmond, Virginia-area man named William Foos. Mr. Foos used to travel around the mid-Atlantic region giving "demonstrations" of his extrasensory method, which he claimed was both authentic and teachable. Foos could boast some bona fides via past collaborations with Duke University's Department of Parapsychology (the department was the focal point of some ire by established academia in its day and has since divorced from the university and been reincarnated as the independent Rhine Research Center).
Foos, a high-school educated part-time railway employee, never charged admission for his demonstrations, but was actively seeking funding to set up a center which would teach the blind to see. Foos had hopes the proposed center would instate him as the organization's president while hiring various members of his family.
According to the released documents, Foos' presentations didn't do much to sway other government organizations such as the Blind Veterans Association. They did, however, manage to impress at least one agent who took in a demonstration at a D.C.-area American Legion Hall in July of 1957:

Mr. Foos, resident of Richmond, Va., is a high school graduate employed in a minor capacity with the C. and O. Railway. About two years ago he became interested in extra sensory perception (a term probably technically inaccurate) and began experimenting with members of his family. He claims to have achieved amazing success... Very simply, Foos claims the ability to teach the blind to see: in six months to teach a person without eyes to see sufficiently well to drive an automobile safely. He disclaims any supernatural power and, not being a scientist or physician, has no technical or scientific explanation.

After witnessing Mr. Foos' teenage daughter walk about a room while blindfolded, as well as reading and distinguishing colors "with complete ease," the agent speculates:

Should his claims be well-founded, there is no limit the value which could accrue to the FBI — complete and undetectable access to mail, the diplomatic pouch; visual access to buildings — the possibilities are unlimited insofar as law enforcement and counterintelligence are concerned.

I get the feeling think this special agent's brain might explode if he ever saw one episode of Mindfreak.

As fantastic as this may appear, the actuality of extra sensory perception has long been recognized — though not to the degree of perfection claimed by Mr. Foos. It is difficult to see how the Bureau can afford to not inquire into this matter fully. [REDACTED NAME], Bureau interest can be completely discreet and controlled and no embarrassment would result.

And then, unfortunately, the Freedom of Information Act came along and now the whole world is clued into the FBI's secret psychic shame. By 1960, the Bureau still kept a skeptical eye on Foos, but seemed willing to kick his particular skill set on over to the CIA or Army Intelligence.

Foos may, of course, be attempting to commercialize on a "fake trick" he and his daughter and the young boy have perfected. On the other hand there is a possibility that Foos does have extrasensory perception abilities. This, of course, is something we cannot afford to overlook in our work but we should not, however, under any circumstances allow Foos the privilege of indicating to outsiders the FBI is interested in his work... It is believed advisable, however, to have checks made with CIA and the Intelligence Division of the Army to determine what reaction those agencies had after witnessing the demonstration as put on by Foos, his daughter, and the young boy traveling with them.

In June of 1960, an FBI memorandum stated that "[Foos'] alleged powers [have] no scientific basis. Other Government agencies such as Veterans Administration, Central Intelligence Agency and Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence also checked on Foos and were highly skeptical of his work."
As for the FBI's current research into paranormal showmen, that part of the FBI story remains shrouded in mystery. Penn Jillette is pretty upfront with his anti-government views. Teller remains a bit more mum on the subject.

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Roswell

The majority of the the FBI's unexplained section is dedicated to UFO sightings, and in particular the reported "flying disc" which crashed in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. Roswell has been thrown back into the public's consciousness recently due to the implications in Annie Jacobson's new book about Area 51.
In her book, Jacobson's inside source claims that the Roswell crash did occur and strange child-sized alien-like bodies were recovered from the wreckage. However, according to Jacobson, the "crash" was part of a Soviet plot to disrupt U.S. society and defenses — a plan inspired by the chaos that unfolded in the wake of Orson Wells' War of The Worlds mockumentary broadcast from 1938. Most disturbingly, Jacobson's source claims there were actual child-sized human bodies recovered from the crash that were genetically or surgically altered to resemble extraterrestrials.
Which is almost a stranger concept than visiting aliens.
Here's the text of a 1950 memo from Special Agent Guy Hottel to the FBI Director regarding the Air Force's investigation into Roswell.

The following was furnished to [Special Agent in Charge], [REDACTED TEXT]... An investigator for the Air Force stated that three so-called flying saucers had been recovered in New Mexico. They were described as being circular in shape with raised centers, approximately 50 feet in diameter. Each one was occupied by three bodies of human shape but only 3 feet tall, dressed in metallic cloth of a very fine texture. Each body was bandaged in a manner similar to the blackout suits used by speed flyers and test pilots.
According to Mr. [REDACTED] informant, the saucers were found in New Mexico due to the fact that the Government has a very high-powered radar set-up in that area and it is believed the radar interferes with the controlling mechanism of the saucers.
No further evaluation was attempted by S.A. [REDACTED] concerning the above.

This stands is some contrast to a 1947 memo from the Dallas FBI office to the Cincinnati branch which stands by the official story that the flying disc was a downed weather balloon.
There are literally hundreds of pages regarding UFO investigations in the FBI's vault. Much of these documents include press clippings in addition to correspondences with private individuals and organizations inquiring about the Bureau's investigations into the phenomenon.

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The truth is out there. And by "out there," we mean photocopied and available online. Happy reading!

For the latest tech stories, follow us on Twitter at @dvice

Jerusalem UFO Spottings Over Islamic Landmark Spark Debate (VIDEO)

Dueling clips of a purported UFO hovering over Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, have created an online ruckus since surfacing online.

Not surprisingly, AOL is reporting on the blogosphere's ongoing debate over the legitimacy of the videos, which show round, bright objects hovering over the landmark's iconic dome before rocketing upwards. The videos, which include audio of the inspired reactions of spectators, were reportedly shot over the weekend.
Take a look at the rumored UFO clips here:

Russia Is Making Flying Saucers. DUN-DUN-DUN!

by Aaron Saenz

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Russian company Locomo Sky is in the process of building a fleet of cargo hauling aerostat aircraft that resemble UFOs. Conspiracy theorists everywhere are salivating with anticipation.

Russia’s latest endeavor to produce commercial grade lighter-than-air aircraft seems a little strange. The “aerostatic thermoballasted vehicle” from Locomo Sky looks like something straight out of a 1950s UFO movie. The flying saucer shape isn’t just for show though, it helps the aerostat travel through the air with a minimum loss of energy to air resistance. According to their press release, Locomo Sky has started building a construction facility in the Ulyanovsk region of Russia to create a fleet of the aircraft. These airships, more commonly called Locomoskayners, are already used in geographical surveys. That version of the craft has a 1000kg (2200 lbs) carrying capacity with a crew of 2-8. Locomo Sky is hoping to build a huge version of the Locomoskayner that would have a 600 metric ton capacity or even carry 11,000 people. The company presented this idea recently to President Dmitry Medvedev, reportedly with good results. With millions already invested, it seems possible that Russian skies may be filled with flying saucers hauling cargo very soon. It sounds too wacky to be true, but it is. Check out a simulation video of the large Locomoskayner in action after the break.

Thanks to Gringo.Comtv.ru for the video. Can’t say that the audio really helps me take this seriously though.

It’s not that I doubt the efficiency or very long and successful history of lighter-than-air flight. Balloons, dirigibles, blimps – these aircraft ruled the sky before planes and jets were ever built. Even now, they represent a interesting means of hauling cargo. They don’t need dedicated airfields, they can travel quickly across most terrain, and they are generally more fuel efficient. If you don’t fill an airship with hydrogen (RIP Hindenburg) they are very safe. All these facts make aerostats a great idea. However, there’s just something about the flying saucer shape of the Locomoskayner that cracks me up. I can’t stop shaking my head and chuckling. Is this really the future of freight hauling in Russia? In the world? I’ll believe it when I see it. Until then…

BEWARE THE RUSSIAN FLYING SAUCERS!

Russians and flying saucers. The future of cargo transportation?

[image credit: Locomo Sky]
[video credit: Gringo.Comtv.ru]
[sources: Locomo Sky]

Japan's New First Lady Says She Flew In UFO

By AP / MARI YAMAGUCH

Democratic Party leader Yukio Hatoyama walks past his poster after speaking to reporters at the party headquarters in Tokyo

Toru Hanai / Reuters

(TOKYO) — Japan's next prime minister is known for being bland in his speeches. His wife, however, is anything but.

Miyuki Hatoyama, a former actress and wife of Yukio Hatoyama — who will likely be sworn in as Japan's prime minister on Sept. 16 — promises to become one of Japan's most colorful first ladies ever.

A strong believer in spiritualism, Hatoyama said in a TV appearance earlier this year she met U.S. actor Tom Cruise — in a previous life. She also claims that her soul has traveled to Venus on a UFO.

"I have a dream that I still believe will come true, which is to make a film in Hollywood," she told a TV talk show in May. "The lead actor is Tom Cruise, of course. Why? Because I know he was Japanese in a previous life.

"I was with him then. So he would recognize me when I see him and say 'long time, no see!'" she said, though cautioned the program's young interviewer not to take her seriously.

Cruise starred in the 2003 film "The Last Samurai," which was set in Japan.

"I also eat the sun," Hatoyama said on the program, looking up with her eyes closed, raising her arms high as if she was tearing pieces off an imaginary sun. "Like this, hum, hum, hum. It gives me enormous energy."

"My husband has recently started doing that too," said the 66-year-old Hatoyama, who was born to Japanese parents in Shanghai and met her husband in the United States where he was a Ph.D student at Stanford.

The Democratic Party of Japan, which her husband heads, scored a sweeping victory in Sunday's elections for the 480-seat lower house of parliament, winning 308 seats and ending the ruling party's virtually uninterrupted more than half-century domination of government.

His party's majority means he is a shoo-in to be the next prime minister.

Miyuki Hatoyama, a former actress, dancer and singer in the hugely popular Takarazuka Revue all-female theater group, wrote in a book published last year about her surrealistic space trip about 20 years ago.

"While my body was sleeping, I think my spirit flew on a triangular-shaped UFO to Venus," she said in the book called "Most Bizarre Things I've Encountered," according to an Internet bookstore bk1, which quoted the passage from the book.

"It was an extremely beautiful place and was very green," she said.

The book is a compilation of interviews with 26 prominent people, including writers, scholars and culinary experts revealing their strange or spiritual experiences, originally published in her "Miracle Interview" column in the monthly spiritual magazine "Mu."

She is also known for her healthy cooking and has published several books, including "Miyuki Hatoyama's Spiritual Food." She is also in charge of making her husband look presentable and healthy.

Nike Skateboarding Heavens Gate Dunk Shoes -- $3000? WTF?

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Rumors are swirling that Nike discontinued work on this sweet black-and-purple prototype Dunk shoe because it reminded consumers too much of the Heaven's Gate cult mass suicide. Really? On the Nike Skateboarding blog, they offer up this image of the shoe side-by-side with one of the victims of the Heaven's Gate suicide to prove their point.

So, the idea is that because the shoes match the colors of the suicide victim, the shoe was discontinued? If you'll recall, the web design company/cult known as Heaven's Gate believed that they were going to be taken up by aliens associated with the Hale-Bopp comet, so they timed their suicides to coincide with its arrival. But is there really a connection between these sneakers and the cult? It's true that the Heaven's Gaters were known for all wearing matching black Nikes, but I don't see Nike discontinuing their line of all-black Dunks.

Still, the flimsiness of the rumors haven't stopped eager entrepreneurs from trying to make a ton of cash from selling the prototypes on E-bay. I love the way the E-bay seller pretends that the shoes were actually called "Heaven's Gate." You too could be suckered out of $3,000, so act now! [via E-bay]