THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
June 18, 2017
www.theparacast.com
The Paracast Explores UFOs, Philosophy and Cultural Influences
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, and chat rooms when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes, the Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features, Classic Episodes and there’s more to come! We’ve just begun to add podcasts and videos from Paul Kimball’s “Other Side of Truth.” Check out our new lower rates, starting at just $1.49 per week, plus our “Lifetime” membership and special free print and eBook book offers! For more information about our premium package, please visit: Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio.
This Week's Episode: Continuing our coverage of the revolutionary UFO book, UFOs: Reframing the Debate." We welcome another contributor to the book, MJ Banias. He is a writer, blogger, and theorist with a background in Critical Theory, History, and Cultural Studies who critically and philosophically examines the weird, the strange and the anomalous. He was a former field investigator with MUFON, has been featured on multiple podcasts, and contributes to Mysterious Universe and RoguePlanet. Another contributor to the book, our own Curt Collins, is our guest co-host. During this episode, MJ will reveal his reasons for quitting MUFON, and the panel will discuss the impact of the Roswell case on UFO culture.
Chris O’Brien’s Blog: Our Strange Planet
MJ Banias Blog: Terra Obscura - a blog dedicated to the study of the UFOs, Geek Culture and all things strange.
Curt Collins’ Blog: Blue Blurry Lines
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on June 18: Gene is joined by guest co-host Curt Collins in what may be, in part, an “ain’t it awful” episode in which the duo have lots of criticize. They cover the situation over at MUFON and the conditions that caused such people as researcher MJ Banias to depart. With the 70th anniversary of the Roswell case approaching, Gene and Curt talk about the recent controversial collection of MJ-12 documents and their apparent flaws. There’s also a discussion about the fact that there are two Roswell festivals, one of which has a more responsible range of speakers that include Greg Bishop, whereas the other event mostly includes old-timers, which reminds Gene of bringing back doo-wop bands to perform their greatest hit(s) one more time.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
The Roswell Air of Desperation Strikes Ufology
By Gene Steinberg
Perhaps the 70th anniversary of the Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting, on June 24th, will hold significance. This singular case is credited with jumpstarting the flying saucer legend. While there were sightings before then, this case, and others in the weeks that followed, received the right amount of coverage to become the stuff of myth and legend.
But this article is not about the Arnold case. Instead, it’s about another 70th anniversary observance, which occurs on July 8th. At a time where I hoped that discussions of the Roswell episode would be winding down, the fates have sadly intervened.
So very recently, I received a review copy of “Cover-up At Roswell: Exposing the 70-year Conspiracy to Suppress the Truth” from long-time Roswell enthusiast and author Donald R. Schmitt.
If it wasn't for the telltale anniversary reference, I might have believed that I had gone back in time a couple of decades. The book comes across as yet another Roswell rehash, and do we need any more of them?
Note that the title of Schmitt’s book appears to bear a passing resemblance to another title, Nick Redfern’s “The Roswell UFO Conspiracy: Exposing a Shocking and Sinister Secret.” But I won’t assume there are any reasons beyond timing and coincidence.
If you heard Nick’s guest shot on The Paracast on May 14, 2017, you will realize that he wasn’t writing about aliens crash landing in the New Mexico desert. Instead, he revealed a shocking tale of alleged human experimentation gone wrong. So if you put the books side by side, you might just imagine that they were published in alternate universes.
Regardless, I’ve made it clear that I shall not be inviting Schmitt on the show to discuss his book. I asked the publisher’s publicist whether there was anything new about Roswell in there, and she was unable to provide much of a response. Instead, she forwarded a set of suggested questions, none of which hinted at anything that hasn’t been discussed many times over the years.
But if Schmitt wants to cash in on the Roswell case one more time, he’s welcome to try. Indeed, there just happen to be two UFO festivals at Roswell this year. One of them features the usual lineup of speakers that you expect at such an event, whereas the other takes a more measured approach to the subject, and includes such guests as Greg Bishop. You can locate more information about the latter event here: Roswell UFO Festival | 2017
That should be it, but it’s not. Clearly there are lots of people out there who evidently want to milk the Roswell cow for all its worth. Or maybe it’s akin to inviting old-time doo-wop bands back to sing their hit(s).
So there’s now yet another bunch of alleged MJ-12 documents to consider, or ignore, depending on your point of view.
In case you tuned in late, the original MJ-12 papers, the so-called “Eisenhower Briefing Document,” turned up in 1984 on a roll of film received by one Jaime Shandera, a video producer who worked with one of the original Roswell book writers, William Moore. The film contained photos an eight-page document that described a purported secret committee, with, of course, 12 members, authorized by departing President Harry S Truman and meant for his successor in the oval office. It described flying saucer crashes in 1947 and 1950; the former being Roswell.
Some UFO researchers, such as Stanton T. Friedman, seized on the MJ-12 documents as proof not just of the Roswell crash, but of genuine interest by the government in the possible presence of alien spacecraft on Earth.
Others, such as Kevin D. Randle, a UFO researcher and author who has followed the case for decades, pointed out what he regarded as serious flaws in the document. He maintained that the original and subsequent MJ-12 documents, which appeared over the years, were all carefully — and not so carefully — crafted fakes.
That’s where it stood until a set of new documents were received by Heather Wade, who hosts a radio show entitled “Midnight in the Desert. The documents are available from: EXCLUSIVE - Ultra Top Secret: Assessment of Situation / Statement on Position on UFOs - Midnight in the Desert
So if you’re interested, feel free to have a look, but aside from the obvious entertainment value, I’d suggest you find better ways to spend your time.
Now to be sure, Randle and others involved in Roswell studies have begun to review the documents. But he has already found serious flaws in these papers, which describe the Roswell crash, the 1948 Aztec flying saucer myth, and an alleged conversation with an ET.
According to Randle, some of the details in the Roswell case are way off when compared to what he has discovered over the years. The alleged Aztec episode isn’t even mentioned in the original MJ-12 papers which, as you recall, refers to a crash in 1950.
While I have presented several episodes on Aztec over the years, I remain unconvinced. Aztec advocate Scott Ramsey claims to have spent half a million dollars in researching the case, but the results are seriously flawed. A local, one Monte Shriver, spent a year of his life investigating the supposed evidence, and found it all wanting. Just as important, he was a resident in Aztec at the time of the alleged 1948 crash, but personally recalls nothing about it. When he met with old friends at a class reunion, none of them had any recollections of flying saucer sightings or possible crashes, in or near Aztec, during that time period.
That’s where it went — downhill. So why would a new set of documents present the case as genuine?
There’s also information about an alleged interview with a so-called EBE (extraterrestrial biological entity) with a proclivity towards speaking colloquial English. Or maybe his — or its — universal translator was configured to present translated speech that way.
All right, you can see that I can’t find any compelling evidence that these documents are genuine. All they do is add to the web of confusion about Roswell, and the UFO saga in general.
While I do not know Ms. Wade, I do feel that she should have made an effort to vet those documents first before deciding whether to post them. There’s enough fake news in the UFO field as it is. We don’t need any more of it.
Now in the unlikely event there is some authenticity to these documents, I’ll be the first to pay attention. But as it stands, they definitely do not appear to be ready for prime time.
Copyright 1999-2017 The Paracast LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
June 18, 2017
www.theparacast.com
The Paracast Explores UFOs, Philosophy and Cultural Influences
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, and chat rooms when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes, the Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features, Classic Episodes and there’s more to come! We’ve just begun to add podcasts and videos from Paul Kimball’s “Other Side of Truth.” Check out our new lower rates, starting at just $1.49 per week, plus our “Lifetime” membership and special free print and eBook book offers! For more information about our premium package, please visit: Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio.
This Week's Episode: Continuing our coverage of the revolutionary UFO book, UFOs: Reframing the Debate." We welcome another contributor to the book, MJ Banias. He is a writer, blogger, and theorist with a background in Critical Theory, History, and Cultural Studies who critically and philosophically examines the weird, the strange and the anomalous. He was a former field investigator with MUFON, has been featured on multiple podcasts, and contributes to Mysterious Universe and RoguePlanet. Another contributor to the book, our own Curt Collins, is our guest co-host. During this episode, MJ will reveal his reasons for quitting MUFON, and the panel will discuss the impact of the Roswell case on UFO culture.
Chris O’Brien’s Blog: Our Strange Planet
MJ Banias Blog: Terra Obscura - a blog dedicated to the study of the UFOs, Geek Culture and all things strange.
Curt Collins’ Blog: Blue Blurry Lines
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on June 18: Gene is joined by guest co-host Curt Collins in what may be, in part, an “ain’t it awful” episode in which the duo have lots of criticize. They cover the situation over at MUFON and the conditions that caused such people as researcher MJ Banias to depart. With the 70th anniversary of the Roswell case approaching, Gene and Curt talk about the recent controversial collection of MJ-12 documents and their apparent flaws. There’s also a discussion about the fact that there are two Roswell festivals, one of which has a more responsible range of speakers that include Greg Bishop, whereas the other event mostly includes old-timers, which reminds Gene of bringing back doo-wop bands to perform their greatest hit(s) one more time.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
The Roswell Air of Desperation Strikes Ufology
By Gene Steinberg
Perhaps the 70th anniversary of the Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting, on June 24th, will hold significance. This singular case is credited with jumpstarting the flying saucer legend. While there were sightings before then, this case, and others in the weeks that followed, received the right amount of coverage to become the stuff of myth and legend.
But this article is not about the Arnold case. Instead, it’s about another 70th anniversary observance, which occurs on July 8th. At a time where I hoped that discussions of the Roswell episode would be winding down, the fates have sadly intervened.
So very recently, I received a review copy of “Cover-up At Roswell: Exposing the 70-year Conspiracy to Suppress the Truth” from long-time Roswell enthusiast and author Donald R. Schmitt.
If it wasn't for the telltale anniversary reference, I might have believed that I had gone back in time a couple of decades. The book comes across as yet another Roswell rehash, and do we need any more of them?
Note that the title of Schmitt’s book appears to bear a passing resemblance to another title, Nick Redfern’s “The Roswell UFO Conspiracy: Exposing a Shocking and Sinister Secret.” But I won’t assume there are any reasons beyond timing and coincidence.
If you heard Nick’s guest shot on The Paracast on May 14, 2017, you will realize that he wasn’t writing about aliens crash landing in the New Mexico desert. Instead, he revealed a shocking tale of alleged human experimentation gone wrong. So if you put the books side by side, you might just imagine that they were published in alternate universes.
Regardless, I’ve made it clear that I shall not be inviting Schmitt on the show to discuss his book. I asked the publisher’s publicist whether there was anything new about Roswell in there, and she was unable to provide much of a response. Instead, she forwarded a set of suggested questions, none of which hinted at anything that hasn’t been discussed many times over the years.
But if Schmitt wants to cash in on the Roswell case one more time, he’s welcome to try. Indeed, there just happen to be two UFO festivals at Roswell this year. One of them features the usual lineup of speakers that you expect at such an event, whereas the other takes a more measured approach to the subject, and includes such guests as Greg Bishop. You can locate more information about the latter event here: Roswell UFO Festival | 2017
That should be it, but it’s not. Clearly there are lots of people out there who evidently want to milk the Roswell cow for all its worth. Or maybe it’s akin to inviting old-time doo-wop bands back to sing their hit(s).
So there’s now yet another bunch of alleged MJ-12 documents to consider, or ignore, depending on your point of view.
In case you tuned in late, the original MJ-12 papers, the so-called “Eisenhower Briefing Document,” turned up in 1984 on a roll of film received by one Jaime Shandera, a video producer who worked with one of the original Roswell book writers, William Moore. The film contained photos an eight-page document that described a purported secret committee, with, of course, 12 members, authorized by departing President Harry S Truman and meant for his successor in the oval office. It described flying saucer crashes in 1947 and 1950; the former being Roswell.
Some UFO researchers, such as Stanton T. Friedman, seized on the MJ-12 documents as proof not just of the Roswell crash, but of genuine interest by the government in the possible presence of alien spacecraft on Earth.
Others, such as Kevin D. Randle, a UFO researcher and author who has followed the case for decades, pointed out what he regarded as serious flaws in the document. He maintained that the original and subsequent MJ-12 documents, which appeared over the years, were all carefully — and not so carefully — crafted fakes.
That’s where it stood until a set of new documents were received by Heather Wade, who hosts a radio show entitled “Midnight in the Desert. The documents are available from: EXCLUSIVE - Ultra Top Secret: Assessment of Situation / Statement on Position on UFOs - Midnight in the Desert
So if you’re interested, feel free to have a look, but aside from the obvious entertainment value, I’d suggest you find better ways to spend your time.
Now to be sure, Randle and others involved in Roswell studies have begun to review the documents. But he has already found serious flaws in these papers, which describe the Roswell crash, the 1948 Aztec flying saucer myth, and an alleged conversation with an ET.
According to Randle, some of the details in the Roswell case are way off when compared to what he has discovered over the years. The alleged Aztec episode isn’t even mentioned in the original MJ-12 papers which, as you recall, refers to a crash in 1950.
While I have presented several episodes on Aztec over the years, I remain unconvinced. Aztec advocate Scott Ramsey claims to have spent half a million dollars in researching the case, but the results are seriously flawed. A local, one Monte Shriver, spent a year of his life investigating the supposed evidence, and found it all wanting. Just as important, he was a resident in Aztec at the time of the alleged 1948 crash, but personally recalls nothing about it. When he met with old friends at a class reunion, none of them had any recollections of flying saucer sightings or possible crashes, in or near Aztec, during that time period.
That’s where it went — downhill. So why would a new set of documents present the case as genuine?
There’s also information about an alleged interview with a so-called EBE (extraterrestrial biological entity) with a proclivity towards speaking colloquial English. Or maybe his — or its — universal translator was configured to present translated speech that way.
All right, you can see that I can’t find any compelling evidence that these documents are genuine. All they do is add to the web of confusion about Roswell, and the UFO saga in general.
While I do not know Ms. Wade, I do feel that she should have made an effort to vet those documents first before deciding whether to post them. There’s enough fake news in the UFO field as it is. We don’t need any more of it.
Now in the unlikely event there is some authenticity to these documents, I’ll be the first to pay attention. But as it stands, they definitely do not appear to be ready for prime time.
Copyright 1999-2017 The Paracast LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!