Your Paracast Newsletter -- March 6, 2010

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THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
March 5, 2010

The World of Conspiracy Theories Explored on The Paracast

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I realize some of you have been irked of late because of my ongoing appeals for personal funds, but this request is strictly for the show and our continuing operations. No contribution is too small (or too large :). We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. There's also a Donate link on our forums, right below our logo. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com or use this direct link: http://www.theparacast.com/forum/bppl_donate.php?.

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Sunday, March 7, 2010: The Paracast covers a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions across the planet.

Set Up: The Paracast hosts interview long-time researchers in the field, to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.

Join us as we explore the realms of the known and unknown, and hear great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.

This Week's Episode: Our guest co-host Frank Warren returns as we present the “czar” of conspiracy theorists, Jim Marrs, who joins The Paracast to discuss the classic cases. You’ll hear about the Kennedy Assassination, 9/11, the UFO mystery and lots more.

Frank Warren's Site: http://www.theufochronicles.com/

Jim Marrs' Site: http://www.jimmarrs.com/

Coming March 14: Guest co-host Paul Kimball presents a pair of highly experienced paranormal investigators from the UK-based Unknown Phenomena Investigation Association. You’ll hear from Steve Mera, author of “Strange Happenings: Memoirs of a Paranormal Investigator,” and Dave Sadler, author of “Paranormal Reality: Ghosts, UFOs and Pussy Cats.”

Paul Kimball's Site: http://www.redstarfilms.blogspot.com/

The Unknown Phenomena Investigation Association: http://upia.moonfruit.com/

Reminder: Don't forget to visit our always-active Discussion Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal (and note our new Internet address): http://www.theparacast.com/forum/. We've just completed a major redesign to make our community even easier to access, with more convenience features to boot.

The Curious Case of Sean David Morton

Back in 2006, The Paracast was in its formative years, and we brought on several guests that we were not likely to invite on the show had we known better. One of those people, Sean David Morton, spent his portion of our May 23, 2006 episode telling us about his superlative psychic abilities, his amazing accuracy as an investment counselor, and even extolled his close friendship with such worthy show business figures as the late Gene Roddenberry, creator of “Star Trek.”

We soon learned that you couldn’t rely on much of anything Morton said. Start with the fact that Roddenberry’s family denied knowing Morton, and consider the that almost none of his predictions ever came true. He didn’t do so well at the stock market either, but that’s true even for so-called respectable financial analysts.

Those of you who are regular visitors to UFO Watchdog, which we now run, know that Morton was one of the early members of the site’s Hall of Shame. He also fought back, suing UFO Watchdog founder R. Myers for one million dollars.

Although legal outcomes can be unpredictable at times, a sane decision was reached on this occasion. Morton’s suit was tossed and he was ordered to pay the defendant’s attorney $16,000 to cover legal expenses.

I suppose you could regard Morton as just another sideshow in the crazy world of the strange and unknown, but clearly his actions have caught the ire of the legal eagles at the SEC, and that’s a very bad thing.

In a filing announced this week, the SEC accuses Morton and his wife, Melissa Ann Morton, along with their various companies, of defrauding investors of some six million dollars. Compared to the infamous Bernard Madoff, that figure may strike you as chump change, but not to the people who were allegedly bilked out of their hard earned money from various supposed investment schemes.

The SEC, in its legal filing, which you can access from: http://www.sec.gov/litigation/complaints/2010/comp21433.pdf, is demanding that the Mortons return their ill-gotten gains, plus interest and fines. The Mortons, by the way, claim to be broke and in bankruptcy.

So it appears that those unwary investors are likely going to have to seek redress in the form of tax deductions for their losses. It’s doubtful that anything will ever be recovered from the Mortons.

Of course this doesn’t mean that the SEC isn’t going to seek criminal prosecution. If convicted, the Mortons could face jail time, though it’s hard to know whether the authorities want to expand their complaint to involve the already crowded criminal justice system. In passing, the Mortons also evidently failed to register their businesses appropriately as investment-related firms, and are thus subject to even further legal complications.

I feel for those who lost their hard earned money on these various schemes. It’s one thing to buy a book or attend a lecture given by a charlatan. Usually the amount of money lost is modest, and there may be some level of entertainment value even if the material is of questionable accuracy. But when you are led to believe that someone is experienced at investment counseling, and is capable of helping people make money, you confront the danger of losing your life savings.

In their defense, Morton is making the usual claims of government prosecution. I suppose there’s nothing else for him to do, other than, of course, to confess his sins and face the appropriate penalties. Maybe he and his wife may even find a way to redeem themselves somehow, though frankly I’m very skeptical that any such thing is possible in this particular case.

Peace,
Gene Steinberg
Co-Host, "The Paracast"

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