THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
July 6, 2014
www.theparacast.com
Premature Deaths of UFO Figures Explored on The Paracast
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.
Why It's Important for You to Donate 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
. It’s easy to send a donation. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. Or use theDonate link on our forums, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. You can also 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 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 http://store.theparacast.com/ 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 an episode featuring the ever-prolific Nick Redfern, who will be discussing his latest book, "Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind: Suspicious Deaths, Mysterious Murders, and Bizarre Disappearances in UFO History." So was there really a plot to cut short the lifespans of people heavily involved in UFO research? What about the untimely deaths of Secretary of Defense James Forrestal or UFO researcher M.K. Jessup? Did they truly commit suicide or was there something sinister in their deaths, and those of others who may have had some connection to the UFO mystery?
Chris O’Brien’s Site: http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com
Nick Redfern’s Blog: http://nickredfernfortean.blogspot.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.
Revisiting the Dangers of Seeing a UFO
By Gene Steinberg
In doing a research project for a movie documentary company recently, I looked into the fate of one Dale Spaur, a key witness in the 1966 Portage County UFO chase. The story became famous — or infamous — by being the inspiration of an early scene in Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi/UFO movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
In the actual case, Spaur and fellow officer Wilbur Neff chased a UFO from Ohio to Pennsylvania. The Air Force’s Project Blue Book concluded that Spaur, Neff and other witnesses observed, at various points in time, a communications satellite and the planet Venus.
Spaur’s life turned upside down as the result of being the focal point in the furor over the sighting. His marriage fell apart, and he was later discovered living in a cheap hotel. He was said to be earning $80 a week as a house painter, not such a bad income for 1966, although $20 of it was being sent on to his estranged wife.
His life continued to have its ups and downs, according to James Renner, author of a neat little book, “It Came From Ohio,” which was featured on a recent episode of The Paracast. In the book, Renner reported that Spaur was later seriously injured on a hike in the woods, when he fell into an abandoned mine shaft. After lying in a coma for months, he awoke one day and went on with his life.
While I wouldn’t presume to understand Spaur’s mental condition before the sighting, or whether the stress was just too much for him, it is true that people appear to be seriously harmed, at times, as the result of seeing a UFO.
Indeed, getting too close to a UFO may in some cases be dangerous to your health. Consider the December 29, 1980 Cash-Landrum case, in Texas, where the witnesses all suffered symptoms that might remind you of the popular image of radiation poisoning, which included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, a burning sensation in their eyes, and a general feeling of experiencing sunburns.
But one of the witnesses, Betty Cash, had even worse and lingering after-effects. Painful blisters appeared on her skin, and, after being hospitalized, according to UFO researcher Jerome Clark, Cash “could not walk, and had lost large patches of skin and clumps of hair.”
Maybe it was a coincidence, but the famous UFO case at Rendlesham Forest, in the UK, occurred over the previous three days. Among the witnesses were two U.S. Air Force servicemen, John Burroughs and James Penniston, both of whom claim to have suffered lasting physical effects as the result of coming in close proximity to the strange craft. In recent years, Burroughs has reported heart problems among his various symptoms, and he also claims to have tried unsuccessfully to get proper treatment by the Veterans Administration.
Of course, we all know that the VA has had ongoing difficulties tending to the needs of other soldiers as well, so the problems Burroughs reports may not be that unusual.
In passing, people clearly become ill for a variety of reasons. While the witnesses in the Cash-Landrum case were all clearly harmed in their UFO encounter, that argument may seem more difficult in the Rendlesham case, where a number of other Air Force personnel witnessed the strange events and didn’t report unusual physical symptoms. That surely makes it more difficult to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Besides, tens of thousands of people have seen UFOs around the world, sometimes at close proximity, and not all of them become ill. It may also be true, however, that the UFO seen by Betty Cash and her fellow witnesses was actually some sort of test aircraft, and I suppose it’s possible some radiation or chemical poisoning was an unfortunate side effect of a prototype propulsion system. How can you know? The authorities won’t tell you.
Indeed, a 1986 lawsuit, in which the plaintiffs sought $20 million from the U.S. government, was dismissed because they couldn’t prove their case. But that’s nothing new. The authorities merely have to state that there is no evidence that UFOs are real and represent a threat to national security. So anyone who claims to have been injured by a UFO — or even a secret test aircraft whose existence hasn’t been revealed — clearly received that injury due to other causes. End of story, so they say.
Over the years, there have also been reports that some people, who may or may not have been involved in the UFO field, met premature ends. You’ll find some thought-provoking tales of such matters in a new book, “Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind,” from one of my favorite authors of paranormal fare, Nick Redfern. He cites a number of the well-known cases, such as the tragic death of UFO author Morris K. Jessup, who died as the result of carbon monoxide poisoning in a Dade County, Florida park in 1959.
A myth has arisen over Jessup’s death, and it has filled the pages of a number of UFO books and articles. But it also true that he was reported to be despondent in his final months due to a failing marriage and his inability to get work as an author. Yet some investigators claim that he had told a friend that he made an unspecified breakthrough about the legendary Philadelphia Experiment the day before his death, so why would he off himself? But the authorities said it was a suicide.
According to Redfern, an author that he has not identified is working on a biography of Jessup, and thus we might learn more about the case when the book is released next year.
In the meantime, it’s hard to know what to make of this and other cases of possibly premature deaths involving figures in UFO and paranormal research. Obviously people become ill and die for a number of reasons having nothing whatever to do with these crazy fields, though some researchers want you to believe that getting involved in these subjects may be dangerous to your health.
I’m not convinced.
But speaking of matters of health, I was sad to learn that long-time UFO writer/lecturer Stanton T. Friedman suffered a mild heart attack this past week. He was last reported in stable condition, and we wish him a speedy recovery. Friedman will be 80 later this month, and we hope he’ll be around taking down those noisy negativist UFO skeptics for many years to come.
Copyright 1999-2014 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!
July 6, 2014
www.theparacast.com
Premature Deaths of UFO Figures Explored on The Paracast
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.
Why It's Important for You to Donate 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
. It’s easy to send a donation. We have a Donate link on our home page, below the logo and audio player. Or use theDonate link on our forums, at the bottom of the sidebar on the right. You can also 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 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 http://store.theparacast.com/ 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 an episode featuring the ever-prolific Nick Redfern, who will be discussing his latest book, "Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind: Suspicious Deaths, Mysterious Murders, and Bizarre Disappearances in UFO History." So was there really a plot to cut short the lifespans of people heavily involved in UFO research? What about the untimely deaths of Secretary of Defense James Forrestal or UFO researcher M.K. Jessup? Did they truly commit suicide or was there something sinister in their deaths, and those of others who may have had some connection to the UFO mystery?
Chris O’Brien’s Site: http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com
Nick Redfern’s Blog: http://nickredfernfortean.blogspot.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.
Revisiting the Dangers of Seeing a UFO
By Gene Steinberg
In doing a research project for a movie documentary company recently, I looked into the fate of one Dale Spaur, a key witness in the 1966 Portage County UFO chase. The story became famous — or infamous — by being the inspiration of an early scene in Steven Spielberg’s classic sci-fi/UFO movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
In the actual case, Spaur and fellow officer Wilbur Neff chased a UFO from Ohio to Pennsylvania. The Air Force’s Project Blue Book concluded that Spaur, Neff and other witnesses observed, at various points in time, a communications satellite and the planet Venus.
Spaur’s life turned upside down as the result of being the focal point in the furor over the sighting. His marriage fell apart, and he was later discovered living in a cheap hotel. He was said to be earning $80 a week as a house painter, not such a bad income for 1966, although $20 of it was being sent on to his estranged wife.
His life continued to have its ups and downs, according to James Renner, author of a neat little book, “It Came From Ohio,” which was featured on a recent episode of The Paracast. In the book, Renner reported that Spaur was later seriously injured on a hike in the woods, when he fell into an abandoned mine shaft. After lying in a coma for months, he awoke one day and went on with his life.
While I wouldn’t presume to understand Spaur’s mental condition before the sighting, or whether the stress was just too much for him, it is true that people appear to be seriously harmed, at times, as the result of seeing a UFO.
Indeed, getting too close to a UFO may in some cases be dangerous to your health. Consider the December 29, 1980 Cash-Landrum case, in Texas, where the witnesses all suffered symptoms that might remind you of the popular image of radiation poisoning, which included nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, a burning sensation in their eyes, and a general feeling of experiencing sunburns.
But one of the witnesses, Betty Cash, had even worse and lingering after-effects. Painful blisters appeared on her skin, and, after being hospitalized, according to UFO researcher Jerome Clark, Cash “could not walk, and had lost large patches of skin and clumps of hair.”
Maybe it was a coincidence, but the famous UFO case at Rendlesham Forest, in the UK, occurred over the previous three days. Among the witnesses were two U.S. Air Force servicemen, John Burroughs and James Penniston, both of whom claim to have suffered lasting physical effects as the result of coming in close proximity to the strange craft. In recent years, Burroughs has reported heart problems among his various symptoms, and he also claims to have tried unsuccessfully to get proper treatment by the Veterans Administration.
Of course, we all know that the VA has had ongoing difficulties tending to the needs of other soldiers as well, so the problems Burroughs reports may not be that unusual.
In passing, people clearly become ill for a variety of reasons. While the witnesses in the Cash-Landrum case were all clearly harmed in their UFO encounter, that argument may seem more difficult in the Rendlesham case, where a number of other Air Force personnel witnessed the strange events and didn’t report unusual physical symptoms. That surely makes it more difficult to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Besides, tens of thousands of people have seen UFOs around the world, sometimes at close proximity, and not all of them become ill. It may also be true, however, that the UFO seen by Betty Cash and her fellow witnesses was actually some sort of test aircraft, and I suppose it’s possible some radiation or chemical poisoning was an unfortunate side effect of a prototype propulsion system. How can you know? The authorities won’t tell you.
Indeed, a 1986 lawsuit, in which the plaintiffs sought $20 million from the U.S. government, was dismissed because they couldn’t prove their case. But that’s nothing new. The authorities merely have to state that there is no evidence that UFOs are real and represent a threat to national security. So anyone who claims to have been injured by a UFO — or even a secret test aircraft whose existence hasn’t been revealed — clearly received that injury due to other causes. End of story, so they say.
Over the years, there have also been reports that some people, who may or may not have been involved in the UFO field, met premature ends. You’ll find some thought-provoking tales of such matters in a new book, “Close Encounters of the Fatal Kind,” from one of my favorite authors of paranormal fare, Nick Redfern. He cites a number of the well-known cases, such as the tragic death of UFO author Morris K. Jessup, who died as the result of carbon monoxide poisoning in a Dade County, Florida park in 1959.
A myth has arisen over Jessup’s death, and it has filled the pages of a number of UFO books and articles. But it also true that he was reported to be despondent in his final months due to a failing marriage and his inability to get work as an author. Yet some investigators claim that he had told a friend that he made an unspecified breakthrough about the legendary Philadelphia Experiment the day before his death, so why would he off himself? But the authorities said it was a suicide.
According to Redfern, an author that he has not identified is working on a biography of Jessup, and thus we might learn more about the case when the book is released next year.
In the meantime, it’s hard to know what to make of this and other cases of possibly premature deaths involving figures in UFO and paranormal research. Obviously people become ill and die for a number of reasons having nothing whatever to do with these crazy fields, though some researchers want you to believe that getting involved in these subjects may be dangerous to your health.
I’m not convinced.
But speaking of matters of health, I was sad to learn that long-time UFO writer/lecturer Stanton T. Friedman suffered a mild heart attack this past week. He was last reported in stable condition, and we wish him a speedy recovery. Friedman will be 80 later this month, and we hope he’ll be around taking down those noisy negativist UFO skeptics for many years to come.
Copyright 1999-2014 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!
.