THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
August 19, 2012
Take an Amazing Trip Through Time, Space, and Worm Holes on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 2:00 AM until 5:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
Why We Want You to Send a Donation to The Paracast: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough to pay your humble hosts decent wages. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network or local stations. So we hope you're able to help fill the gap, if you can, to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch and utility bills. 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, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com.
Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! In the summer of 2010, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. But we need your help to add additional affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
Please Visit Our Brand New Online Store: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and an expanded collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt now featuring our brand new logo, just pay a visit to our online store at The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We also offer a complete lineup of other premium merchandise for your family, your friends and your business contacts.
About The Paracast: 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 is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join long-time paranormal researcher Gene Steinberg, co-host and acclaimed field investigator Christopher O'Brien, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present paranormal writer Marie D. Jones, co-author (with Larry Flaxman) of "This Book is From the Future: A Journey Through Portals, Relativity, Worm Holes, and Other Adventures in Time Travel." Explore thought-provoking possibilities about traveling through time, using warp drive, and jumping through worm holes to speed across the galaxy.
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Our Strange Planet
Marie D. Jones' Site: MarieDJones.com - welcome to mariedjones.com!
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. We recently completed a major update that makes our community easier to navigate, and social network friendly.
So is This Research?
By Gene Steinberg
One common method to conduct research for a book or article is to read previously published works that relate to the same topic. You look for relevant material, summarize it, perhaps with a few strategic quotes, and, you want to be respectful of the original author, cite the material as a reference in your own work.
But just because someone, somewhere, has written material that appears to be relevant to your project doesn’t mean that the material is true. What evidence does the author provide in support? Was it based on direct interviews, experiences, or does it just refer back to something written by somebody else, which can become its own vicious circle?
Obviously, a skilled researcher will, one hopes, separate the wheat from the chaff and only use source material that seems well documented, or posits a reasonable theory.
Now the Internet can, in theory, be the great equalizer. Rather than spending hours poring over loads of books at a library, or rummaging through bookstore shelves in search of the information you want, you can just go online to get it. But the Internet is an open network where anybody with a connection can participate. You can get your own articles published on a free blog, or by spending a few dollars a month with a cheap hosting account. Setting up WordPress, the world’s most popular blogging platform, takes just a few clicks and some simple setups. Those cheap hosts can set you up in a jiffy.
So we have a new generation of citizen reporters, and, if your post catches on, millions of people may see it and spread it on to others. Once the word gets out courtesy of a social network, such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Google Plus, all bets are off. You may become famous overnight, and appear on reality TV.
But because there are easy tools with which to get published doesn’t mean everyone has the skills to become a journalist. It still requires training and experience, and that skill isn’t developed just by writing a few paragraphs in a blog post.
When it comes to books, publishers are not required. You can publish a book yourself with very little investment, using such services as Amazon’s CreateSpace. Within minutes, you can upload your word processor file and book cover. You can even preview the contents online, or get a cheap printed proof to make sure your work is absolutely perfect.
Your book will be posted on Amazon and other services. When someone orders a copy, the publishing system, called print-on-demand, will print a single copy and send it to the customer. You get your cut, or royalty, on each sale.
Indeed, the book doesn’t even have to be available in print form. The same files you send for printing can also be used to create an eBook, a digital version that you can read on an Apple iPhone or iPad, an Amazon Kindle, or any of dozens of other mobile computing devices. These days, digital books sometimes outsell the print versions, although that’s unfortunate. While eBooks are convenient, there’s nothing like having a physical book in your hands.
In any case, the ease with which you can find information on the Internet has resulted in more and more lazy and careless research. Recently, we interviewed a book author on The Paracast who admitted that much of his “research” was done on the Internet. From blogs to message board posts, the author in question grabbed material that appeared to support the book’s point of view without actually vetting the information to see if it had any basis in fact.
While it’s nice to have so much data at your beck and call, it only makes the process of research that much harder. You have to look for confirmation, and check the sources themselves to see if they are reliable, or just individual bloggers or message board posters making off-the-wall comments about one thing or another.
Saying “I found it on the Internet” is meaningless when it comes to researching a subject so fraught with confusion and controversy. Unless the material is somehow verified, it’s useless. Regardless of what opinion you hold, or what premise you are trying to prove, you will find tons of information online in support. Copying and pasting such material isn’t research. It’s just copying and pasting.
Despite the obstacles, we need real research more than ever. There are so many theories about paranormal events, crazy and otherwise, that it’s extremely difficult to separate the signal from the noise. This also serves the interests of armchair skeptics, who will paint all of it with a broad brush.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t express your point of view, whatever it may be. But it does mean that you can’t believe everything you read -- and this column is no doubt an example -- so you have to dig that much harder to find useful information.
Even reading the daily newspaper, online or print, can produce loads of contradictions. In this polarized environment, news coverage is frequently manipulated to advance a publisher’s editorial position. While it wasn’t unusual for the press barons of old to advance their agendas, the sheer amount of material posted or published every single day makes it that much harder to figure out what’s really going on. And don’t get me started with cable TV news networks.
In our little corner of the world, seeking even a few nuggets of truth has become more and more difficult. But I don’t think it’s impossible, which is why I persevere, despite the obstacles.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2012 Making The Impossible, Inc. 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!
August 19, 2012
Take an Amazing Trip Through Time, Space, and Worm Holes on The Paracast
Special Announcement: The Paracast is heard Sundays from 2:00 AM until 5:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
Why We Want You to Send a Donation to The Paracast: Although ads help cover a small part of our expenses, the income they produce is never enough to pay your humble hosts decent wages. Also, we do not receive any revenue from the ads placed on the show by our network or local stations. So we hope you're able to help fill the gap, if you can, to help us cover increasing server costs and other expenses -- or perhaps provide a little extra cash for lunch and utility bills. 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, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. Or just send your PayPal donation direct to sales (at) theparacast (dot) com.Attention U.S. Listeners: Help Us Bring The Paracast to Your City! In the summer of 2010, The Paracast joined the GCN radio network. This represented a huge step in bringing our show to a larger, mainstream audience. But we need your help to add additional affiliates to our growing network. Please ask one of your local talk stations if they are interested in carrying The Paracast. Feel free to contact us directly with the names of programming people we might be able to contact on your behalf. We can't do this alone, and if you succeed in convincing your local station to carry the show, we'll reward you with one of our special T-shirts, and other goodies. With your help, The Paracast can grow into one of the most popular paranormal shows on the planet!
Please Visit Our Brand New Online Store: You asked, and we answered. We are now taking orders for The Official Paracast T-Shirt and an expanded collection of other specially customized merchandise. To get your T-Shirt now featuring our brand new logo, just pay a visit to our online store at The Official Paracast Store to select your size and place your order. We also offer a complete lineup of other premium merchandise for your family, your friends and your business contacts.
About The Paracast: 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 is a paranormal radio show that takes you on a journey to a world beyond science, where UFOs, poltergeists and strange phenomena of all kinds have been reported by millions. The Paracast seeks to shed light on the mysteries and complexities of our Universe and the secrets that surround us in our everyday lives.
Join long-time paranormal researcher Gene Steinberg, co-host and acclaimed field investigator Christopher O'Brien, and a panel of special guest experts and experiencers, as they explore the realms of the known and unknown. Listen each week to the great stories of the history of the paranormal field in the 20th and 21st centuries.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present paranormal writer Marie D. Jones, co-author (with Larry Flaxman) of "This Book is From the Future: A Journey Through Portals, Relativity, Worm Holes, and Other Adventures in Time Travel." Explore thought-provoking possibilities about traveling through time, using warp drive, and jumping through worm holes to speed across the galaxy.
Christopher O'Brien's Site: Our Strange Planet
Marie D. Jones' Site: MarieDJones.com - welcome to mariedjones.com!
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. We recently completed a major update that makes our community easier to navigate, and social network friendly.
So is This Research?
By Gene Steinberg
One common method to conduct research for a book or article is to read previously published works that relate to the same topic. You look for relevant material, summarize it, perhaps with a few strategic quotes, and, you want to be respectful of the original author, cite the material as a reference in your own work.
But just because someone, somewhere, has written material that appears to be relevant to your project doesn’t mean that the material is true. What evidence does the author provide in support? Was it based on direct interviews, experiences, or does it just refer back to something written by somebody else, which can become its own vicious circle?
Obviously, a skilled researcher will, one hopes, separate the wheat from the chaff and only use source material that seems well documented, or posits a reasonable theory.
Now the Internet can, in theory, be the great equalizer. Rather than spending hours poring over loads of books at a library, or rummaging through bookstore shelves in search of the information you want, you can just go online to get it. But the Internet is an open network where anybody with a connection can participate. You can get your own articles published on a free blog, or by spending a few dollars a month with a cheap hosting account. Setting up WordPress, the world’s most popular blogging platform, takes just a few clicks and some simple setups. Those cheap hosts can set you up in a jiffy.
So we have a new generation of citizen reporters, and, if your post catches on, millions of people may see it and spread it on to others. Once the word gets out courtesy of a social network, such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Google Plus, all bets are off. You may become famous overnight, and appear on reality TV.
But because there are easy tools with which to get published doesn’t mean everyone has the skills to become a journalist. It still requires training and experience, and that skill isn’t developed just by writing a few paragraphs in a blog post.
When it comes to books, publishers are not required. You can publish a book yourself with very little investment, using such services as Amazon’s CreateSpace. Within minutes, you can upload your word processor file and book cover. You can even preview the contents online, or get a cheap printed proof to make sure your work is absolutely perfect.
Your book will be posted on Amazon and other services. When someone orders a copy, the publishing system, called print-on-demand, will print a single copy and send it to the customer. You get your cut, or royalty, on each sale.
Indeed, the book doesn’t even have to be available in print form. The same files you send for printing can also be used to create an eBook, a digital version that you can read on an Apple iPhone or iPad, an Amazon Kindle, or any of dozens of other mobile computing devices. These days, digital books sometimes outsell the print versions, although that’s unfortunate. While eBooks are convenient, there’s nothing like having a physical book in your hands.
In any case, the ease with which you can find information on the Internet has resulted in more and more lazy and careless research. Recently, we interviewed a book author on The Paracast who admitted that much of his “research” was done on the Internet. From blogs to message board posts, the author in question grabbed material that appeared to support the book’s point of view without actually vetting the information to see if it had any basis in fact.
While it’s nice to have so much data at your beck and call, it only makes the process of research that much harder. You have to look for confirmation, and check the sources themselves to see if they are reliable, or just individual bloggers or message board posters making off-the-wall comments about one thing or another.
Saying “I found it on the Internet” is meaningless when it comes to researching a subject so fraught with confusion and controversy. Unless the material is somehow verified, it’s useless. Regardless of what opinion you hold, or what premise you are trying to prove, you will find tons of information online in support. Copying and pasting such material isn’t research. It’s just copying and pasting.
Despite the obstacles, we need real research more than ever. There are so many theories about paranormal events, crazy and otherwise, that it’s extremely difficult to separate the signal from the noise. This also serves the interests of armchair skeptics, who will paint all of it with a broad brush.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t express your point of view, whatever it may be. But it does mean that you can’t believe everything you read -- and this column is no doubt an example -- so you have to dig that much harder to find useful information.
Even reading the daily newspaper, online or print, can produce loads of contradictions. In this polarized environment, news coverage is frequently manipulated to advance a publisher’s editorial position. While it wasn’t unusual for the press barons of old to advance their agendas, the sheer amount of material posted or published every single day makes it that much harder to figure out what’s really going on. And don’t get me started with cable TV news networks.
In our little corner of the world, seeking even a few nuggets of truth has become more and more difficult. But I don’t think it’s impossible, which is why I persevere, despite the obstacles.
The Paracast Copyright 1999-2012 Making The Impossible, Inc. 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!