What's The Deal With The Drones Over Colorado/Nebraska?

Mystery drones (but not this one) are flying over Nebraska and Colorado
and everybody wants to know why. Image via the New York Times.

There are  apparently swarms of drones in recent weeks flying in a grid pattern over eastern Colorado and western Nebraska, and everybody is wondering why.

Understandably, it's freaking people out.

As the New York Times explains:

"The drone sightings started in northeast Colorado around mid-December and have only grown more widespread since then. 

Almost all the sightings have occurred between sunset and about 10 p.m. though (Palisade, Nebraska resident Missy) Blackman said sheahd seen them out later one night in Nebraska and, for the first time on Wednesday, during daylight hours.

She said she looked at them through binoculars and did not see any markings, just plain silver and white coloring.

Across the state line in Colorado, Captain Yowell tried to photograph the drones on Tuesday night with the camera he uses to document crime scenes, but came away without a clear image. He estimated that up to 30 drones were flying each night, though not all in the same place."

The New York Times reports it could just be some mapping operation by the oil and gas industry, but why do it at night?

Understandably, this whole thing has gotten people pretty freaked out.

Sheriff Todd Combs told the New York Times, "There are many theories about what is going on, but at this point, that's all they are....I think we are all feeling a little bit vulnerable due to the intrusion of our privacy that we enjoy inourrural community, but I don't have a solution."

I  had pretty much decided the mystery drone nerds are prankters just out to freak out as many people as possible. But who knows?  The  FAA, FBI, and local and regional law enforcement said they don't know what's going on.

However, there is tantalizing evidence this week from the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Says the Gazette:

"Air Force Global Strike Command, which is based in Louisiana, has confirmed that it conducts counterdrone exercises out of F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, where it is based.

The command oversees underground Minuteman silos spread across northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska, the area where the drones have been spotted nightly the past two weeks.

The Air Force isn't claiming ownership of the drones, but neither is it denying it.

F.E. Warren didn't respond to an emailed question Friday on whether its counter drone effort has anything to do with the recent sightings."

The Gazette says that maps of the areas where the drones were spotted is pocked with dots where drones are forbidden, with the best guess being these are spots were the military does not want drones over missile silos.

All this could be a test of technology that detects and tracks civilian drones, says the Gazette.

If all this is true, then I'm glad the military is trying to protect missile silos from drone attacks. On the other hand, if this is true, I'm vaguely disappointed.

Like most people these days, I kind of prefer the outlandish conspiracy theories, even though the truth is almost always much more bland that the wild stories people make up.

Nebraska's Boring Tourist Pitch Might Just Work

Are you a tourist heading to Nebraska? Unlikely, but if you go, hop into
 a livestock tank and float down a river. They do that there, apparently. 

I've been to Nebraska, and frankly, I don't find it all that exciting. A lot of people don't.

Oh, in Nebraska, there's nice places, things to do, and the people are wonderful. (The previous Nebraska tourism campaign was called "Nebraska Nice.")  Still, the parts of Nebraska I've seen, it's a little bit of a yawn.

But every state wants to draw tourists, and Nebraska is no exception. The state has a new tourism campaign that's a bit counter intuitive, but it might just work. Or not. We'll see.

"Honestly, it's not for everyone," is the Nebraska tourism tagline.

The campaign has an uphill battle. Nebraska consistently ranks as the "least likely state" tourists want to visit, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Certainly, Nebraska has its unique qualities.

One print ad in the new tourism campaign goes like this, according to the Omaha World-Herald:

"Lucky for you, there's nothing to do here," is the headline on one print advertisement that displays a smiling band of partygoers, floating down a Sand Hills stream in livestock tanks in the Nebraska-invented sport of 'tanking.'"

I have to admit, tanking sounds so bizarre I'd like to try it. At least once.

The landscape that I've seen in Nebraska is very flat and featureless. But I've obviously not been to every corner of the state. One of the new Nebraska tourism ads is headlined "Famous for our flat, boring landscape. The photo shows a couple jumping around an interesting, rocky landscape in Nebraska's Toadstool Geologic Park.

Another part of the new tourism campaign is headlined "Festivals for everything from mud to testicles."  That refers to the Nebraska's Roumd The Bend Steakhouse, which features deep fried sheep (!!!) and beef testicles.

Before you roll your eyes at that, do remember we here in Vermont have festivals like the Black Fly Festival in Adamant, which celebrates those clouds of tiny, biting insects that ruin any attempt to go outdoors in the otherwise lovely month of May.

We in Vermont can also enjoy the annual Burdock Festival in Benson, which is supposed to have us enjoy those extremely annoying weeds with those spiky burs that cling to our clothing if we even get close to that plant.

Of course Vermont is a much more of a tourist mecca than Nebraska. Vermont is just completing its High Holy Season, in which easily more than 3 million  tourists descend on the Green Mountain State to watch leaves die in the autumn. OK, they're gorgeous, colorful deaths, but still.

Stephen Colbert recently noticed the Nebraska tourism pitch, and he added lots of suggestions for other states to use.

North Dakota; "You can't visit all 50 states without visiting North Dakota."

I go to South Dakota fairly frequently, because I have relatives there. The state's OK in terms of interest, but Colbert has this tourism slogan idea: "South Dakota: When North Dakota's full."

Colbert even had a suggestion for Vermont: "Not gonna win an award for best state or nothin' but have you seen New Hampshire?"

Yep, the rivalry between 802 and 603 is alive and well.

He had a few more suggestions. Here's the Colbert tourism clip:

Here's the Colbert clip:

Hawk Is REALLY Into A Televisions Station Web Cam

A hawk in Lincoln, Nebraska checks out
 a television station web cam

Television stations across the nation all seem to have their weather cams up.

They're web cams perched on a prominent high spot in whatever city the television station is, to get a view of traffic, oncoming storms, etc.

The other day, people watching the KOLN web cam in Lincoln, Nebraska got a visit from a hawk who was very, very interested in getting its 15 minutes of fame.

Watch the video to your day brightener:

You'll Never Guess What Police Found In A Container Marked "Not Weed"

This container is labeled, "Not Weed" but.... 

Police arrested a 21 year old kid in Nebraska for DUI and found an interesting container in the car he was in.

It used to contain Land O Lakes sour cream, but that's not what was in it when police discovered the 16-ounce plastic tub.

Somebody, presumably the guy driving the car, used a black marking pen to label the container "Not Weed," according to The Smoking Gun. 

You'll never guess what police found in the Land O Lakes tub.

Oh, you're so smart! It was weed! You, and local police are so clever at unraveling this type of ruse.

Jordan Meier, 21, was busted for DUI.

To be fair, Meier probably doubted police would figure out what was in the container if they found it. Asked why the container was labeled the way it was, Meier told police, "I don't know... I thought I was being funny. Inside joke with myself, I suppose....never thinking it would be confiscated," according to The Smoking Gun.