ParaTopics: Segregation, Balance, or Wheat From Chaff?

[Penguin]

Fortean/UFO/Xfile C2C junkies hate truthers/coverup researchers/anti NWO/para political/deep state researcher types and vice versa

Hm, I hadn't thought that, but now that you mention I can see that it happens. The blinders of over-specialization?

I was always into such things, since I was a little kid when my grandmother loaned me her Frank Edwards books ("Flying Saucers Are Real" etc.)

Mainly, I just love mysteries (and solving them to the extent possible), and loathe injustice.

We need renaissance women and men. Humans who don't think in categories and are at least passingly familiar with several areas of science, and willing to entertain possibilities in realm of the wildest dreams. Jacks of all trades, masters in passion to know.

Thomson also said that the then-new x-ray machine was a "hoax"...that is, until his rather smug view was changed by the evidence.

Most of us, me included, are smug bastards from early childhood. Not from birth, certainly not.

I hate to break this to you, but a bunch of prevaricators, fabulists, fabricators, mythomaniacs, charlatans and hoaxers have thoroughly infiltrated "para"-everything discussions.

And what is smug about disbelieving something outrageous until evidence is presented? Nothing. Do you remember the Steorn debacle? Long on vague generalities ("we've got this thing, it does stuff"), short on actual anything but confidence games? Most of what passes as parapolitics or even paranormal in one way or another involves and implicates real historical individuals in acts of treason or mass dissimulation. Regardless, it suggests that someone somewhere is culpable of something--and doing so is levying a charge. But to do so without evidence? That's a recipe for witch-hunting.

Not only that, but most of the basic narratives you find in para-fields are fraught with all sorts of questionable and thinly-veiled devices.

So pardon my increasing skepticism, especially when it comes to the "hidden technology" myth.

Indeed.

[nathan28]

Since I'm feeling less hostile today. My other question is--

Where did all the strangeness go? Did it get corralled on the internet? It's all starting to feel culturally bankrupt. I'm not even going to try and follow a show like Fringe or Lost, not at least until Showtime picks them up and they can use the word "fuck" and there's nudity, and not until they come out on DVD. But where did it all go? Who is the Whitley Streiber of 2010? WTF is up with this lame ass 2012 meme? I mean, come on. The biggest recent "weird" phenomenon I can think of right now is Zeitgeist, and that's a hodge-podge of '90s wingnut paranoia and specious Fed conspiracy theories, dashed in with a little "secret mystery cult of the ages" anti-Freemasonic sentiment. Even Rev. Moon, the creepiest motherfucker on earth, is planning for his successor. Benjamin Creme must be in his early 100s by now. This stuff all feels like last year's model.

[Elvis]

I hate to break this to you, but a bunch of prevaricators, fabulists, fabricators, mythomaniacs, charlatans and hoaxers have thoroughly infiltrated "para"-everything discussions.

And what is smug about disbelieving something outrageous until evidence is presented? Nothing. Do you remember the Steorn debacle? Long on vague generalities ("we've got this thing, it does stuff"), short on actual anything but confidence games? Most of what passes as parapolitics or even paranormal in one way or another involves and implicates real historical individuals in acts of treason or mass dissimulation. Regardless, it suggests that someone somewhere is culpable of something--and doing so is levying a charge. But to do so without evidence? That's a recipe for witch-hunting.

Not only that, but most of the basic narratives you find in para-fields are fraught with all sorts of questionable and thinly-veiled devices.

So pardon my increasing skepticism, especially when it comes to the "hidden technology" myth.

Understood, good points. I mostly just thought it was funny, especially about the impossible flying machines. I'm not married to the 'hidden technology' thing, we're not even dating. I just think it's possible. The arguments for and against each have some merit.

[nathan28]

I'm overstating my case. I'm just getting frustrated. Try reading literature on any para topic for any length of time, and you'll be at the top of the BS detector manufacturer's replacement parts orders pretty soon. Because you're trying to patch "counter-knowledge" into accepted knowledge and a lot of shit on both ends is just that, shit. Like orgone-powered motors? Yeah, sure, I heard the Warren Commission has a sale on used bullets found on the wrong stretcher in near-perfect condition.

IOW, what I need is a vacation in a universe where Bob Dole didn't withdraw $5000 in cash every week from his Riggs Bank account, where the FMSF wasn't so fascinated with minimizing the stigma of "age differentials" in "romantic relationships", where rich debutantes didn't invoke racist gods alongside famed intel asset and stage magician Uri Gellar, where the courts didn't enter an opinion in favor of Paul Bonacci and where Lee Harvey Oswald could fire three shots on a moving vehicle in less than five seconds with a bolt-action carbine, striking twice, quite possibly without a scope, causing multiple, crippling wounds to two people with a one bullet and killing with another, from the wrong floor of the TX book depository.

[norton ash]

IOW, what I need is a vacation in a universe where Bob Dole didn't withdraw $5000 in cash every week from his Riggs Bank account, where the FMSF wasn't so fascinated with minimizing the stigma of "age differentials" in "romantic relationships", where rich debutantes didn't invoke racist gods alongside famed intel asset and stage magician Uri Gellar, where the courts didn't enter an opinion in favor of Paul Bonacci and where Lee Harvey Oswald could fire three shots on a moving vehicle in less than five seconds with a bolt-action carbine, striking twice, quite possibly without a scope, causing multiple, crippling wounds to two people with a one bullet and killing with another, from the wrong floor of the TX book depository.

But Nathan, the more we learn, the further those vacation spots get.

The world is wild at heart and steeped in woo. Mit evil undt iodine.

[slomo]

IOW, what I need is a vacation in a universe where Bob Dole didn't withdraw $5000 in cash every week from his Riggs Bank account, where the FMSF wasn't so fascinated with minimizing the stigma of "age differentials" in "romantic relationships", where rich debutantes didn't invoke racist gods alongside famed intel asset and stage magician Uri Gellar, where the courts didn't enter an opinion in favor of Paul Bonacci and where Lee Harvey Oswald could fire three shots on a moving vehicle in less than five seconds with a bolt-action carbine, striking twice, quite possibly without a scope, causing multiple, crippling wounds to two people with a one bullet and killing with another, from the wrong floor of the TX book depository.

But Nathan, the more we learn, the further those vacation spots get.

The world is wild at heart and steeped in woo. Mit evil undt iodine.

It bears mentioning that the more one realizes the fluidity of reality ("steeped in woo" was your technical term), the more freedom it gives one to change that reality with effort applied in the proper direction.

[Perelandra]

IOW, what I need is a vacation in a universe where Bob Dole didn't withdraw $5000 in cash every week from his Riggs Bank account, where the FMSF wasn't so fascinated with minimizing the stigma of "age differentials" in "romantic relationships", where rich debutantes didn't invoke racist gods alongside famed intel asset and stage magician Uri Gellar, where the courts didn't enter an opinion in favor of Paul Bonacci and where Lee Harvey Oswald could fire three shots on a moving vehicle in less than five seconds with a bolt-action carbine, striking twice, quite possibly without a scope, causing multiple, crippling wounds to two people with a one bullet and killing with another, from the wrong floor of the TX book depository.

But Nathan, the more we learn, the further those vacation spots get.

The world is wild at heart and steeped in woo. Mit evil undt iodine.

It bears mentioning that the more one realizes the fluidity of reality ("steeped in woo" was your technical term), the more freedom it gives one to change that reality with effort applied in the proper direction.

[Elvis]

IOW, what I need is a vacation in a universe where Bob Dole didn't withdraw $5000 in cash every week from his Riggs Bank account, where the FMSF wasn't so fascinated with minimizing the stigma of "age differentials" in "romantic relationships", where rich debutantes didn't invoke racist gods alongside famed intel asset and stage magician Uri Gellar, where the courts didn't enter an opinion in favor of Paul Bonacci and where Lee Harvey Oswald could fire three shots on a moving vehicle in less than five seconds with a bolt-action carbine, striking twice, quite possibly without a scope, causing multiple, crippling wounds to two people with a one bullet and killing with another, from the wrong floor of the TX book depository.

Put me down for two. First class.

[8bitagent]

IOW, what I need is a vacation in a universe where Bob Dole didn't withdraw $5000 in cash every week from his Riggs Bank account, where the FMSF wasn't so fascinated with minimizing the stigma of "age differentials" in "romantic relationships", where rich debutantes didn't invoke racist gods alongside famed intel asset and stage magician Uri Gellar

Notice last year in 2009, all the theatrical films that had "9" or "Nine" in the title. Gene Roddenberry would be proud!

[Simulist]

Given what has already been disclosed about them, I see no reason to assign any credibility whatsoever to either of those two sources.

Are there any UFO researchers to whom you assign any credibility?

Hi, Elfismiles. I didn't see your question until just now, and thank you for making me aware of it.

Yes, there are UFO researchers who seem quite credible to me; Jacques Vallée is such a person.

I think the UFO phenomenon is an extremely important topic, too — probably one of the most important.