David Biedny appreciation station

[Gene Steinberg]

Long John always said he didn't "buy" any of it. The perfect escape clause.

 

[Gareth]

I was really caught off guard hearing the UFO Magazine commercial. Two weeks after dB's gone and Birnes is back, advertising away? A little suspicious to me. Plus, I thought it very distasteful to hear "If you're a friend of Genes, you're a friend of mine"!! What if I'm a friend of David's, Bill? Do I still get the discount on your magazine? Huh? Or do I hear you slamming the phone in my ear!?

I actually cracked up laughing.

But hey, ad dollars is ad dollars.

 

[sk4p]

Thanks for mentioning Long John, Gene. Being a youngster myself (relatively), I discovered Long John through Don Joyce of Negativland and his show "Over the Edge".

Don's long had an interest in UFOs and one episode of OTE incorporates an old Nebel interview of Arthur C. Clarke, contactee Wayne Aho, and other panelists. (You can find MP3s of this by googling, naturally.)

Fun stuff, especially hearing Clarke using basic statistical arguments to support his skepticism, and being careful to distinguish between "flying saucers", the existence of which he doubts, and "UFOs", which he does not doubt at all -- because perfectly reasonable, honest people do see things they can't identify, and while there's no need to jump to "aliens!" for the explanation, there's no need to disparage most witnesses, either. A good listen.

Anyhow, yes, Long John was the granddad of it all. To top it off, he married a model, Candy Jones, who claimed to be a victim of government mind control experiments. I cite the Fortean Times: http://www.forteantimes.com/features/profiles/497/candy_jones.html

Wacky stuff.

--Shawn

 

[Gene Steinberg]

I remember.