THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
September 27, 2015
www.theparacast.com
Nick Redfern Discusses Ancient Astronauts and Men in Black 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.
Announcing The Paracast+: We have another radio show, and for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast without the network ads, and chat rooms. NEW! We’ve added an RSS feed for fast updates of the latest episodes and we give free ebooks for long-term subscriptions. A Paracast+ video channel is coming soon. Check out our new “Lifetime” membership! For more information about our premium package, please visit: Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio.
This Week's Episode: With guest co-host Curtis Collins, one of our favorite and one of the most prolific authors of paranormal books, Nick Redfern, returns to The Paracast. He discusses two of his latest books, "Bloodline of the Gods: Unravel the Mystery of the Human Blood Type to Reveal the Aliens Among Us" and "Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures." The focus of the first is whether some humans, presumably those with Rh negative blood types, may be descended from an advanced race of extraterrestrials. The second covers more compelling reports of those strangely-garbed individuals sometimes seen in connection with UFO sightings. As usual, we'll be posing questions asked by our listeners in our forums.
Chris O’Brien’s Site: Our Strange Planet
Nick Redfern’s Blog: Nick Redfern's World of Whatever...
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on September 27:Gene and Chris discuss the ramifications of what author Nick Redfern talked about on the September 27, 2015 episode of The Paracast. So is it possible that some people with Rh negative blood are, in fact, descended from extraterrestrials? The discussion extends to the possibilities that we were visited by ET thousands of years ago. Chris also discusses what appears to be the systematic dumbing down of the population. And what about the so-called Men In Black, who are sometimes reported in connection with paranormal events? Are they government agents who want to protect secrets, supernatural visitors? What? We also have a brief pop culture segment where Gene reveals that he once lived one town over from the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios at the same time some of their famous recordings were made. But don’t ask why the discussion veered from the brand new “Lifetime&rdquo ; subscription offer for The Paracast+ to the best places to buy bagels in Arizona.
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 Early Days of the Men in Black
By Gene Steinberg
One of the first books I read about UFOs, other than those from Major Donald Keyhoe of course, was “They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers” by Gray Barker. Originally published in 1956, it was his first book, but perhaps the last serious work he ever wrote. Its key premise was that those who discovered the truth about the flying saucers might find themselves silenced by certain government operatives known as the “Men in Black.”
This arose the legend of mysterious agents who traveled around the U.S. in black Cadillacs to do their dirty deeds. (In the UK, they evidently drove black Jaguars.)
In the following years, Barker took a semi-serious approach to the mystery, perhaps after becoming frustrated over his inability to actually solve anything. Over the years, he was responsible for some notable pranks – sometimes working in concert with is good buddy Jim Moseley – such as the Straith Letter.
Using actual government stationery acquired from a friend, Barker and Moseley wrote to contactee George Adamski and claimed that a certain non-existent agency was quietly supporting the work of the good “professor.” It was signed, “R.E. Straith.” Adamski no doubt realized the letter was a fake, but he nonetheless used it for a time to promote his claims.
In any case, the main character in Barker’s book was Albert K. Bender, who ran one of the first UFO clubs, the International Flying Saucers Bureau, and published a regular newsletter known as Space Review.
According to Bender, he allegedly uncovered clues that led him to believe he had found the truth behind the alleged UFO cover-up. He promised that he’d publish his evidence in the October, 1953 issue of his magazine. That did not happen, however. Instead, Bender claimed that he was visited by “three men dressed in black” who confirmed his evidence and frightened him sufficiently that he decided to shut down his organization.
His final warning only deepened the mystery: “We advise those engaged in saucer work to please be very cautious.”
Now it may well be that Bender used the MIB as an excuse to explain why he had to close his UFO club, but the real reason might have been more about not having enough money to continue. That was an all-too-common explanation for closing such groups, but the Bender episode took on a life of its own when Barker, a member of IFSB, made it a centerpiece of his book.
Thus Bender became, perhaps unwillingly, a legend in the field. But over the years he chose not to provide any juicy details about his claimed dust up with the MIB, even when people came to his home to question him.
Along with other reports of possible encounters with MIB-types, buttressed by regular promotion from Barker and his fans, many people actually believed that government agents were running around the world trying their hardest to silence UFO witnesses, or those who got too close to the secret.
The Bender episode, however, had a curious aftermath.
In 1962, he wrote a book purporting to explain what really happened to him, entitled “Flying Saucers and the Three Men.” To nobody’s surprise, the book was published – and no doubt heavily edited – by Barker. But the story was not about government agents attempting to put a halt to revelations about what UFOs really were. To the surprise of many, Bender claimed his visitors were extraterrestrial.
Bender was a fan of sci-fi and horror film and literature, so it may well be that he used those influences to craft a fantasy tale about his experiences. But giving the MIB an alien or supernatural origin is not altogether unusual. Those who have studied MIB lore through the years have come up with similar reports.
Now I had the chance to meet Bender a year or so after the book was published. I was one of the teenaged helpers at Jim Moseley’s monthly conferences in New York City. Bender was booked as a guest speaker, and I was quite curious to see him in person.
Well, he came across as a pretty ordinary chap, clean shaven, with short neatly combined hair, wearing a pretty conservative suit; gray or a similar mid-tone as I recall. His presentation was calm, sincere, but he was surely not a professional lecturer.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Bender joined Jim, his wife Sandra (whom he soon divorced), and a few of his friends that included your humble author. When Bender briefly retired to the men’s room, Sandra, who prided herself an amateur psychologist, proudly announced to a few of us that she felt Bender had some issues.
Later on, Bender moved to the west coast, and returned to a life of relative obscurity.
But the MIB legend only grew. A graphic comic book, written by Lowell Cunningham, appeared in 1990 as a mini series. His version of the MIB was an international intelligence organization designed to monitor the presence of extraterrestrials on Earth. They operated in secret, and people who witnessed the presence of ETs, or the MIB in action, had their memories zapped with a device known as a neuralyzer.
Produced by Stephen Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, three films were made depicting the activities of the organization. Coming off the 1996 blockbuster sci-fi popcorn film, “Independence Day,” Will Smith’s star only rose as joined Tommy Lee Jones in starring in “Men in Black” in 1997. The film took on a darkly comedic approach, applying a gruesome touch in the form of the lead villain, a giant insect who seemed to always be followed in its travels by creepy crawly things.
Alas, it does not appear that Barker was ever paid for influencing that popular property. He died in 1984.
Other researchers, notably John Keel, published articles and books about the Men in Black over the years. Whether government agents, alien beings, some combination of the two, or maybe the product of overeager imaginations, the MIB legend continues to inspire, confuse, befuddle and even amuse people who are interested in the strange and unknown.
My early history with MIB actually involves a custom license plate. I was living in New Hampshire at the time, and, flush with a little extra cash from a new job, I leased a red Pontiac Tempest equipped with all the goodies. I had the silly idea to order a license plate bearing the label, “3MIB.”
Some might suggest that was a big mistake.
At 1,000 miles, my Pontiac needed a transmission overhaul because of a fluid leak. While it drove wonderfully when it was working, I visited the dealer frequently to fix all sorts of irritants including persistent rattles. After a year of this misery, I returned the car to the dealer, complaining it was a lemon, and they reluctantly allowed me to get out of the lease without penalty. Maybe they knew something I didn’t.
But I would not for a moment suggest that Pontiac’s persistent problems were the result of my foolish decision about a custom license plate.
Copyright 1999-2015 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 27, 2015
www.theparacast.com
Nick Redfern Discusses Ancient Astronauts and Men in Black 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.
Announcing The Paracast+: We have another radio show, and for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast without the network ads, and chat rooms. NEW! We’ve added an RSS feed for fast updates of the latest episodes and we give free ebooks for long-term subscriptions. A Paracast+ video channel is coming soon. Check out our new “Lifetime” membership! For more information about our premium package, please visit: Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio.
This Week's Episode: With guest co-host Curtis Collins, one of our favorite and one of the most prolific authors of paranormal books, Nick Redfern, returns to The Paracast. He discusses two of his latest books, "Bloodline of the Gods: Unravel the Mystery of the Human Blood Type to Reveal the Aliens Among Us" and "Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures." The focus of the first is whether some humans, presumably those with Rh negative blood types, may be descended from an advanced race of extraterrestrials. The second covers more compelling reports of those strangely-garbed individuals sometimes seen in connection with UFO sightings. As usual, we'll be posing questions asked by our listeners in our forums.
Chris O’Brien’s Site: Our Strange Planet
Nick Redfern’s Blog: Nick Redfern's World of Whatever...
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on September 27:Gene and Chris discuss the ramifications of what author Nick Redfern talked about on the September 27, 2015 episode of The Paracast. So is it possible that some people with Rh negative blood are, in fact, descended from extraterrestrials? The discussion extends to the possibilities that we were visited by ET thousands of years ago. Chris also discusses what appears to be the systematic dumbing down of the population. And what about the so-called Men In Black, who are sometimes reported in connection with paranormal events? Are they government agents who want to protect secrets, supernatural visitors? What? We also have a brief pop culture segment where Gene reveals that he once lived one town over from the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studios at the same time some of their famous recordings were made. But don’t ask why the discussion veered from the brand new “Lifetime&rdquo ; subscription offer for The Paracast+ to the best places to buy bagels in Arizona.
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 Early Days of the Men in Black
By Gene Steinberg
One of the first books I read about UFOs, other than those from Major Donald Keyhoe of course, was “They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers” by Gray Barker. Originally published in 1956, it was his first book, but perhaps the last serious work he ever wrote. Its key premise was that those who discovered the truth about the flying saucers might find themselves silenced by certain government operatives known as the “Men in Black.”
This arose the legend of mysterious agents who traveled around the U.S. in black Cadillacs to do their dirty deeds. (In the UK, they evidently drove black Jaguars.)
In the following years, Barker took a semi-serious approach to the mystery, perhaps after becoming frustrated over his inability to actually solve anything. Over the years, he was responsible for some notable pranks – sometimes working in concert with is good buddy Jim Moseley – such as the Straith Letter.
Using actual government stationery acquired from a friend, Barker and Moseley wrote to contactee George Adamski and claimed that a certain non-existent agency was quietly supporting the work of the good “professor.” It was signed, “R.E. Straith.” Adamski no doubt realized the letter was a fake, but he nonetheless used it for a time to promote his claims.
In any case, the main character in Barker’s book was Albert K. Bender, who ran one of the first UFO clubs, the International Flying Saucers Bureau, and published a regular newsletter known as Space Review.
According to Bender, he allegedly uncovered clues that led him to believe he had found the truth behind the alleged UFO cover-up. He promised that he’d publish his evidence in the October, 1953 issue of his magazine. That did not happen, however. Instead, Bender claimed that he was visited by “three men dressed in black” who confirmed his evidence and frightened him sufficiently that he decided to shut down his organization.
His final warning only deepened the mystery: “We advise those engaged in saucer work to please be very cautious.”
Now it may well be that Bender used the MIB as an excuse to explain why he had to close his UFO club, but the real reason might have been more about not having enough money to continue. That was an all-too-common explanation for closing such groups, but the Bender episode took on a life of its own when Barker, a member of IFSB, made it a centerpiece of his book.
Thus Bender became, perhaps unwillingly, a legend in the field. But over the years he chose not to provide any juicy details about his claimed dust up with the MIB, even when people came to his home to question him.
Along with other reports of possible encounters with MIB-types, buttressed by regular promotion from Barker and his fans, many people actually believed that government agents were running around the world trying their hardest to silence UFO witnesses, or those who got too close to the secret.
The Bender episode, however, had a curious aftermath.
In 1962, he wrote a book purporting to explain what really happened to him, entitled “Flying Saucers and the Three Men.” To nobody’s surprise, the book was published – and no doubt heavily edited – by Barker. But the story was not about government agents attempting to put a halt to revelations about what UFOs really were. To the surprise of many, Bender claimed his visitors were extraterrestrial.
Bender was a fan of sci-fi and horror film and literature, so it may well be that he used those influences to craft a fantasy tale about his experiences. But giving the MIB an alien or supernatural origin is not altogether unusual. Those who have studied MIB lore through the years have come up with similar reports.
Now I had the chance to meet Bender a year or so after the book was published. I was one of the teenaged helpers at Jim Moseley’s monthly conferences in New York City. Bender was booked as a guest speaker, and I was quite curious to see him in person.
Well, he came across as a pretty ordinary chap, clean shaven, with short neatly combined hair, wearing a pretty conservative suit; gray or a similar mid-tone as I recall. His presentation was calm, sincere, but he was surely not a professional lecturer.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Bender joined Jim, his wife Sandra (whom he soon divorced), and a few of his friends that included your humble author. When Bender briefly retired to the men’s room, Sandra, who prided herself an amateur psychologist, proudly announced to a few of us that she felt Bender had some issues.
Later on, Bender moved to the west coast, and returned to a life of relative obscurity.
But the MIB legend only grew. A graphic comic book, written by Lowell Cunningham, appeared in 1990 as a mini series. His version of the MIB was an international intelligence organization designed to monitor the presence of extraterrestrials on Earth. They operated in secret, and people who witnessed the presence of ETs, or the MIB in action, had their memories zapped with a device known as a neuralyzer.
Produced by Stephen Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, three films were made depicting the activities of the organization. Coming off the 1996 blockbuster sci-fi popcorn film, “Independence Day,” Will Smith’s star only rose as joined Tommy Lee Jones in starring in “Men in Black” in 1997. The film took on a darkly comedic approach, applying a gruesome touch in the form of the lead villain, a giant insect who seemed to always be followed in its travels by creepy crawly things.
Alas, it does not appear that Barker was ever paid for influencing that popular property. He died in 1984.
Other researchers, notably John Keel, published articles and books about the Men in Black over the years. Whether government agents, alien beings, some combination of the two, or maybe the product of overeager imaginations, the MIB legend continues to inspire, confuse, befuddle and even amuse people who are interested in the strange and unknown.
My early history with MIB actually involves a custom license plate. I was living in New Hampshire at the time, and, flush with a little extra cash from a new job, I leased a red Pontiac Tempest equipped with all the goodies. I had the silly idea to order a license plate bearing the label, “3MIB.”
Some might suggest that was a big mistake.
At 1,000 miles, my Pontiac needed a transmission overhaul because of a fluid leak. While it drove wonderfully when it was working, I visited the dealer frequently to fix all sorts of irritants including persistent rattles. After a year of this misery, I returned the car to the dealer, complaining it was a lemon, and they reluctantly allowed me to get out of the lease without penalty. Maybe they knew something I didn’t.
But I would not for a moment suggest that Pontiac’s persistent problems were the result of my foolish decision about a custom license plate.
Copyright 1999-2015 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!