THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
September 11, 2016
www.theparacast.com
A Bigfoot Update from David Weatherly and Lyle Blackburn 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.
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 new Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features and Classic Episodes. Check out our new “Lifetime” membership and special free eBook offers! For more information about our premium package, please visit: http://plus.theparacast.com/.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris bring back two noted Bigfoot researchers — David Weatherly and Lyle Blackburn. Both are contributing authors in Wood Knocks, a new yearly journal covering Bigfoot research and investigations, which is being published by Weatherly’s publishing company. Both have been on the show before and are considered two of our top cryptozoological researchers. David is also considered a leading “Black-eyed Kids” researcher and Lyle (on his Paracast appearance in 2014) spoke about “Lizard Men” sightings. This episode is designed to bring you up to date on cutting-edge work in these fields.
Chris O’Brien’s Site: Our Strange Planet
David Weatherly’s Blog: David Weatherly
Lyle Blackburn’s Blog: Lyle Blackburn: author, musician, cryptozoologist
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on September 11: : This week’s guests from The Paracast, David Weatherly and Lyle Blackburn, appear briefly to respond to a question that they did not have a chance to deal with during the episode. There’s a brief discussion about computer hackers, and whether they are similar to the people you see in the eclectic TV series, “Mr. Robot.” Chris promises to update his blog, ourstrangeplanet.com, more often; he hasn’t posted an article since last year. The discussion moves to future episodes, and the expected appearance from an original bassist with Blondie (also a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member), Gary Lachman, a who writes about the paranormal. Chris recalls the time he was caught in traffic on the Long Island Expressway on July 18, 1981, after singer Harry Chapin died in a car crash.
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.
Views Frozen in Time
By Gene Steinberg
After decades of existence on this crazy planet, I hope I’ve learned a few things. I’m reminded that I’ve a lot more to learn, but probably won’t have time to finish the course. Regardless, my ongoing forays into the UFO field have demonstrated to me that you shouldn’t accept the “conventional wisdom.” There may be other answers, and, if not, it doesn’t hurt to ask the questions.
This all came to mind as I read a press release for a new book from Stanton Friedman and Kathleen Marden: “Fact, Fiction, and Flying Saucers: The Truth Behind the Misinformation, Distortion, and Derision by Debunkers, Government Agencies, and Conspiracy Conmen.”
But does the world need yet another UFO book? Well, I suppose we do if it presents new information about what we’ve learned so far about those flying things, some new insights into determining if there’s information that’s being withheld from the public, and what to do about the situation. From the title, I’m reminded of Major Donald Keyhoe’s third book on the subject, “The Flying Saucer Conspiracy,” first published in 1955.
From the early days of the modern UFO era, Keyhoe was absolutely certain their appearance on our skies represented visitors from other planets. In those days, his speculation included nearby planets, such as Mars, rather than other star systems. But the message was the same: The U.S. government knew the truth, but a “Silence Group” within the government was spinning the evidence as merely conventional objects or phenomena that the foolish public took to be something alien.
Keyhoe certainly made a good case for UFO secrecy, though perhaps some of his examples were more about the usual failings of the bureaucracy than about conspiratorial behavior. He was so certain about the reality of the phenomenon, the physicality of what he believed were metallic flying ships of unknown origin, that he couldn’t for a moment believe that the governments of Earth didn’t know the truth. So their ongoing skepticism was, to him, evidence of a spin machine at work to cover up the truth.
It doesn’t seem as if Keyhoe’s views changed much — or at all — over the years as he continued to write books on the subject. After he departed the UFO group he headed, NICAP, he continued to speak out on the lecture circuit. I met him several times over the years, first at NICAP headquarters and later at a diner near his home in Luray, Virginia.
I caught up with him in 1975 at the International UFO Conference, which, by the way, is unrelated to the present-day International UFO Congress; the latter is sponsored by Open Minds. This time, I had my cassette recorder handy, and Keyhoe recorded a brief interview, later published in a supermarket tabloid whose name I forget.
In any case, if you compared what he told me then to what he wrote in the 1950s, you probably wouldn’t notice much of a difference. His certainty about UFO reality never wavered, his belief that they were spaceships never wavered, and he still believed it was possible to pierce the alleged veil of government secrecy on the subject.
Now I have not read the new book from Stan and Kathleen, though I should have a copy in a few days. They will appear on The Paracast for our September 25th episode, and I’m very curious to discover what, if anything, has changed in their approaches to or opinions on the subject.
As you can see from the title, the emphasis will be on those who choose to debunk UFO reality, keep the truth from us, and use the mystery as fodder for conspiracy theories. An editorial review from author Nick Redfern, a friend of the show, says it all: “Finally, an excellent, in-depth book that gets to the heart of how, and why, the UFO subject has been smeared, ridiculed, and targeted by disinformation agents.”
So it’s possible that the evidence, and the various theories about what the flying saucers are, will play second fiddle to the attempts to keep the truth from us. As a practical matter, that may be the better approach, since it may appeal more to readers than just another compendium of sightings, rehashed and otherwise.
This appears to mean that Stan and Kathleen are not going to present any new theories, that it will still be all about the presence of spaceships on Earth, and the need to bring the truth to generations of people who are flooded with so many sources of news it’s nearly impossible to get a well-rounded picture of what’s really happening. Between polarized cable TV news, reality TV and other often less-than-accurate stories, it’s very difficult to understand the events of the day.
Even if UFOs are, as many believe, visitors from other planets, they are regarded by the media as sources of entertainment, not an ever-present reality that may represent the greatest mystery of our times.
Indeed, even if the solution to the UFO mystery lies elsewhere, it will be significant. What about alternate theories, such as breakaway civilizations, visitors from other dimensions or other time streams? Even if flying saucers are manifestations of the collective unconscious, it would present something significant that cries out for understanding.
Unfortunately, when you assume someone already has the answers, and we only need to persuade — or browbeat — them to let us in on the secret, that’s a way of giving up. Why bother to evaluate the evidence, if someone else has already done it for us? Over the years, UFO research has been more about assembling case histories than in examining those sightings with open minds to test the various theories and see where the truth might lie.
Now perhaps Stanton Friedman, Kathleen Marden and others who talk government secrecy are correct. Perhaps the U.S. government and other governments around the world have known the truth about UFOs for decades. But we’ve traveled that same road since Major Keyhoe first called for disclosure in the 1950s. Where has it taken us?
Regardless, these are my current views on the subject. I’m not prejudging a book I haven’t read. All I know is what Amazon, and the publisher’s PR department, posted on the subject. So I look forward to reading “Fact, Fiction, and Flying Saucers” and I’ll have a lot more to say when I have the chance to talk to the authors about it.
Copyright 1999-2016 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!
September 11, 2016
www.theparacast.com
A Bigfoot Update from David Weatherly and Lyle Blackburn 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.
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 new Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features and Classic Episodes. Check out our new “Lifetime” membership and special free eBook offers! For more information about our premium package, please visit: http://plus.theparacast.com/.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris bring back two noted Bigfoot researchers — David Weatherly and Lyle Blackburn. Both are contributing authors in Wood Knocks, a new yearly journal covering Bigfoot research and investigations, which is being published by Weatherly’s publishing company. Both have been on the show before and are considered two of our top cryptozoological researchers. David is also considered a leading “Black-eyed Kids” researcher and Lyle (on his Paracast appearance in 2014) spoke about “Lizard Men” sightings. This episode is designed to bring you up to date on cutting-edge work in these fields.
Chris O’Brien’s Site: Our Strange Planet
David Weatherly’s Blog: David Weatherly
Lyle Blackburn’s Blog: Lyle Blackburn: author, musician, cryptozoologist
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on September 11: : This week’s guests from The Paracast, David Weatherly and Lyle Blackburn, appear briefly to respond to a question that they did not have a chance to deal with during the episode. There’s a brief discussion about computer hackers, and whether they are similar to the people you see in the eclectic TV series, “Mr. Robot.” Chris promises to update his blog, ourstrangeplanet.com, more often; he hasn’t posted an article since last year. The discussion moves to future episodes, and the expected appearance from an original bassist with Blondie (also a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member), Gary Lachman, a who writes about the paranormal. Chris recalls the time he was caught in traffic on the Long Island Expressway on July 18, 1981, after singer Harry Chapin died in a car crash.
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.
Views Frozen in Time
By Gene Steinberg
After decades of existence on this crazy planet, I hope I’ve learned a few things. I’m reminded that I’ve a lot more to learn, but probably won’t have time to finish the course. Regardless, my ongoing forays into the UFO field have demonstrated to me that you shouldn’t accept the “conventional wisdom.” There may be other answers, and, if not, it doesn’t hurt to ask the questions.
This all came to mind as I read a press release for a new book from Stanton Friedman and Kathleen Marden: “Fact, Fiction, and Flying Saucers: The Truth Behind the Misinformation, Distortion, and Derision by Debunkers, Government Agencies, and Conspiracy Conmen.”
But does the world need yet another UFO book? Well, I suppose we do if it presents new information about what we’ve learned so far about those flying things, some new insights into determining if there’s information that’s being withheld from the public, and what to do about the situation. From the title, I’m reminded of Major Donald Keyhoe’s third book on the subject, “The Flying Saucer Conspiracy,” first published in 1955.
From the early days of the modern UFO era, Keyhoe was absolutely certain their appearance on our skies represented visitors from other planets. In those days, his speculation included nearby planets, such as Mars, rather than other star systems. But the message was the same: The U.S. government knew the truth, but a “Silence Group” within the government was spinning the evidence as merely conventional objects or phenomena that the foolish public took to be something alien.
Keyhoe certainly made a good case for UFO secrecy, though perhaps some of his examples were more about the usual failings of the bureaucracy than about conspiratorial behavior. He was so certain about the reality of the phenomenon, the physicality of what he believed were metallic flying ships of unknown origin, that he couldn’t for a moment believe that the governments of Earth didn’t know the truth. So their ongoing skepticism was, to him, evidence of a spin machine at work to cover up the truth.
It doesn’t seem as if Keyhoe’s views changed much — or at all — over the years as he continued to write books on the subject. After he departed the UFO group he headed, NICAP, he continued to speak out on the lecture circuit. I met him several times over the years, first at NICAP headquarters and later at a diner near his home in Luray, Virginia.
I caught up with him in 1975 at the International UFO Conference, which, by the way, is unrelated to the present-day International UFO Congress; the latter is sponsored by Open Minds. This time, I had my cassette recorder handy, and Keyhoe recorded a brief interview, later published in a supermarket tabloid whose name I forget.
In any case, if you compared what he told me then to what he wrote in the 1950s, you probably wouldn’t notice much of a difference. His certainty about UFO reality never wavered, his belief that they were spaceships never wavered, and he still believed it was possible to pierce the alleged veil of government secrecy on the subject.
Now I have not read the new book from Stan and Kathleen, though I should have a copy in a few days. They will appear on The Paracast for our September 25th episode, and I’m very curious to discover what, if anything, has changed in their approaches to or opinions on the subject.
As you can see from the title, the emphasis will be on those who choose to debunk UFO reality, keep the truth from us, and use the mystery as fodder for conspiracy theories. An editorial review from author Nick Redfern, a friend of the show, says it all: “Finally, an excellent, in-depth book that gets to the heart of how, and why, the UFO subject has been smeared, ridiculed, and targeted by disinformation agents.”
So it’s possible that the evidence, and the various theories about what the flying saucers are, will play second fiddle to the attempts to keep the truth from us. As a practical matter, that may be the better approach, since it may appeal more to readers than just another compendium of sightings, rehashed and otherwise.
This appears to mean that Stan and Kathleen are not going to present any new theories, that it will still be all about the presence of spaceships on Earth, and the need to bring the truth to generations of people who are flooded with so many sources of news it’s nearly impossible to get a well-rounded picture of what’s really happening. Between polarized cable TV news, reality TV and other often less-than-accurate stories, it’s very difficult to understand the events of the day.
Even if UFOs are, as many believe, visitors from other planets, they are regarded by the media as sources of entertainment, not an ever-present reality that may represent the greatest mystery of our times.
Indeed, even if the solution to the UFO mystery lies elsewhere, it will be significant. What about alternate theories, such as breakaway civilizations, visitors from other dimensions or other time streams? Even if flying saucers are manifestations of the collective unconscious, it would present something significant that cries out for understanding.
Unfortunately, when you assume someone already has the answers, and we only need to persuade — or browbeat — them to let us in on the secret, that’s a way of giving up. Why bother to evaluate the evidence, if someone else has already done it for us? Over the years, UFO research has been more about assembling case histories than in examining those sightings with open minds to test the various theories and see where the truth might lie.
Now perhaps Stanton Friedman, Kathleen Marden and others who talk government secrecy are correct. Perhaps the U.S. government and other governments around the world have known the truth about UFOs for decades. But we’ve traveled that same road since Major Keyhoe first called for disclosure in the 1950s. Where has it taken us?
Regardless, these are my current views on the subject. I’m not prejudging a book I haven’t read. All I know is what Amazon, and the publisher’s PR department, posted on the subject. So I look forward to reading “Fact, Fiction, and Flying Saucers” and I’ll have a lot more to say when I have the chance to talk to the authors about it.
Copyright 1999-2016 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!
