A Celebration of Modern Ufology -Issue Eight, May 1998
“Folks, we’re not making this stuff up… Someone else made it up!” -Paul Williams, Executive Producer, “UFO Desk”
99.5 FM WBAI, NY
Editor’s Note
The concept of definitive proof of the extraterrestrial presence has been postulated with differing levels of merit at one time or another by virtually every researcher in the field. The where, why, and how has been the subject of much debate and conjecture, but never has this concept, this fundamental hope, been so well encapsulated and depicted as in the idea of “The Aliens Landing on the White House Lawn.”
For decades, this has been the rallying cry of the believers and investigators, alike. This would be the event which would shut the sardonic, garrulous mouths of the skeptics once and for all. A final, ultimate, “I told you so.”
And until then, the skeptics have embraced this scenario as well, and latched upon to denounce the entire phenomenon as pedantic tripe. “If the flying saucers are here, then why haven’t they landed on the White House lawn?”
Unfortunately, the answer is not quite so simple. There are far to many variables and unknowns to ever make such a sweeping generalization, on either side of the fence. But that is not the point of this editorial. The question we seek to ponder here is, if they did, then what? Where would FSG be if the aliens decided to land upon the White House lawn?
Sadly, we think that not much would change for us at all. We would still be here, trying to make some sort of sense of it all, trying to sort the whole mess out. If the alien presence became a sudden reality, our position would still be that of examining not only the social implications and integrity of such a cosmic, societal event, but the communities and subcultures that develop around it, and the strange eclectic personalities drawn to it, as well. And we hope that our readership might grow, too! As the average, uninitiated, unread UFO novice is forced to comply to a new reality, a new perception of the universe, a new belief system, we hope that he would find his way past the propaganda, delusion, and sensationalism to the pages of FSG. And maybe, just maybe, get a little bit closer to the reality of whatever craziness is going on out there in the suburban skies, the rural firmament, the underground bases, and the White House lawn.
-Editor
UFO News… Pine Bush Media Trip…
On the weekend of June 27, Your Editor and friends, along with Paul Williams, Executive Producer of “UFO Desk”, Robin Vargas, Producer of the television show “The Pulse of New York”, and other media representatives and interested parties will be staying in the tiny, once rural, UFO hotspot, Pine Bush.
Interested readers are welcome to make trip themselves, but we urge you to be conscious of the fact that sky watching has recently become quite a controversial pastime in along West Searesville Road. Recommended reading to catch up on the delicate Pine Bush situation is our article “The Rise and Fall of Pine Bush” which was recently published in the MN MUFON Newsletter (and is now also linked directly from the FSG Home Page), and our article on Dr. Cornet’s “The Performance” and Saucer Savvy, which both appeared in the last issue of FSG.
Recommended reading for the Pine Bush saga in general are Ellen Crystal’s “Silent Invasion”, and the Home Page of Dr. Bruce Cornet, as well as most (if not all) back issues of The Flying Saucer Gazette.
This trip promises to be quite interesting, and we will be sure to report on it in the July issue of FSG. Also, it will undoubtedly be covered on both “UFO Desk” and “The Pulse of New York.”
Betty Hill Project Update… We are still continuing our investigation of Ms. Hill’s experience subsequent to her famous New Hampshire abduction in 1961. Ms. Hill was recently a guest of Your Editor and Paul Williams, on our radio show “UFO Desk” on 99.5 FM WBAI, NY. The Betty Hill interview is scheduled to air in late June or early July (please check the FSG home page for exact dates and times, which are always changing), and we can promise that the show will be a hit! Ms. Hill not only speaks of many of her own unique experiences, but takes quite a stand on the pitfalls of regressive hypnosis in the use of recovering abduction memories. She is very skeptical of more “common” UFO experiences, and holds true to her own, unpopular beliefs. With a sharp wit, and a very admirable humor, she speaks of how she has been eschewed by the UFO community, and how her experiences continue to this day.
Please email either FSG at sardonica@erols.com (or write to us at the address on the bottom of this page) or Paul Williams at paulw@escape.com if you are interested in a tape of the broadcast. (Note: Except under unusual circumstances, the tape will not be available until after the broadcast date.)
In the June issue of FSG, we will review Betty Hill’s recent book, “A Common Sense Approach To UFOs”, and we hope to include some of her original photographs and slides of purported alien craft.
High Strangeness In Maine, As Told By Paul Williams…
Paul Williams is Executive Producer and co-host of “UFO Desk” on 99.5 FM WBAI, NY. As such, he has had more opportunity than most to witness many firsthand accounts of the strange and the paranormal. From the delusional and bizarre to the credible and fantastic, Mr. Williams has interviewed many different people, from all walks of life, with all kinds of stories. But never before has one of these experiences been so close to home. Recently, a close friend of Paul’s relayed an experience of her own- an experience which in an of itself is quite fascinating, and quite intriguing. -Editor
High Strangeness In Maine: The Experiences of “Saroya R.”
by Paul Williams
‘Saroya R.’ (who wishes to remain anonymous, at this time) shared this story with me recently. She and her family take regular vacations in Central Maine, which is known for its beautiful foliage, mountains and valleys, and deep lakes. The state of Maine is sparsely populated, and similar to other “UFO hotspots” like New Hampshire and Pine Bush.
Not only is Saroya R. a faithful listener of “UFO Desk” and has been since its conception in 1996, but she is also a close personal friend. A friend whose honesty, integrity, and truthfulness, I can personally vouch for. As such, there is not a doubt in my mind that the experiences that she has relayed to me occurred as she claims, and that she has described them just as she perceived them. As to the nature of what she witnessed… neither Saroya nor I can ever know for certain. Here is her story:
“It was summer in 1994, my husband, and two children had just finished dinner, we were sitting at the large picture window looking out on lake Pleasant. The cabin we rented was very isolated. We’d been there before and really loved it. Across the lake was a campground, and at this Summer there were not as many people there as had been in the past. “This night we noticed that the area seemed more quite than normal. Usually, there is the sound of Loons, eating and taking care of their business, crickets chirping, and other nocturnal critters coming, going, and doing their thing. Being city dwellers, we did not at first recognize the absence lack of these sounds. I was looking out over the water, when I noticed what looked like car headlights. At first I thought that someone at the campground was going to chum the lake, which is always a pain because it causes methane. This makes the lake smell, as the methane rises to the surface of the water, and into the air. The lights seemed to be bobbing around, as if on a boat which in choppy water. The lake, however, was calm and smooth like glass. If the lights were those of a boat, they should not have been moving the way that they were. I called my children and husband over to watch.
“Then the lights began to silently rise higher and higher, till they were about treetop level. The four of us gasped, this was no boat! Excitedly, we asked each other if they had seen what the other saw. Each of us replied with a yes. Now closer, the object seemed to be shaped like a Manta Ray, with two bright white lights in the front and smaller lights around the edges. I cannot estimate size as it was dark, but the lights did help us determine it’s shape. It was bigger than a breadbasket, no doubt.
“Anyway, as this thing hovered silently above the trees, it began to emit a low bass hum or rumble. The sound was so deep that it rattled the windows and doors and walls of our cabin. Now this cabin is well built, but this violent rattling was the only thing that really scared us. It lasted less than a minute, the sound was like something revving up, and then the object was exploded with speed. It took off like the proverbial bat out of hell. Never have I seen anything move with such speed. Then it was gone. The Loons across the lake started making their night calls and the other night creatures turned on, so to speak.
“We thought that would be the end of it, but it was just the beginning. Shortly after the object had left the area, we saw an Air Force jet screaming in the direction the object had flown in. The next day there was an unmarked dark colored helicopter flying around the lake, and divers were coming and going in the lake for most of the day. My husband went canoeing after all the commotion died down and said there were bubbles coming up from below the surface, large bubbles! He stayed away from the bubbles; the experience was too spooky to investigate.”
This was not the first time Ms. S and her husband had experienced UFO’s in Maine. During a previous trip, along with several others, one starry night, they all observed several lights dancing about in the sky and sending shafts of light to each other. This went on for perhaps a period of half an hour. Another time, Saroya worried that an object had come to abduct her, and had somehow put her husband to sleep. But she is confident that she outwitted her potential captors by heading out to a local bar. Hmmm, one for the annals of Ufology. Perhaps this is the first time a possible abduction was thwarted by going to a bar?
It’s unknown exactly how to explain Ms. R’s experiences at the lake in Maine, but I think that it’s safe to say something unusual happened to her an her family, and that this remote area of Maine may be on its way to becoming yet another UFO hot spot.
[Join us next month for Part Two of Paul Williams’ “High Strangeness In Maine”, as he continues to recount the fascinating experiences of “Saroya R.” -Editor]
Wanaque: The New Pine Bush?
Since the very first issue, we at FSG have boasted a particular interest in the unpopular, upstate New York UFO hotspot Pine Bush. We have visited many times ourselves, recounted the experiences and sightings of others, cataloged its history and numerous “phantoms”, and examined the sociology and politics of the strange community that has developed around it. In Pine Bush we have seen ourselves, our fears, beliefs, and our fantasies brought to vivid realization. Pine Bush has become a microcosm, a cross-section of a larger society which we all inhabit. In examining the many aspects of Pine Bush and its many layers: the people, the phenomenon, the history, and research we have often been critical and exacting, precise in our inspection, and unrelenting in our analysis. But likewise, we have always offered the players and proponents of different standings and viewpoints the opportunity to present their take on things. Sociologic study is nothing without debate. Dr. Cornet, a major presence in the Pine Bush saga, and arguably the current leading field investigator, has taken us up on our offer. We are pleased to present Dr. Bruce Cornet’s article on Wanaque, New Jersey- a newly discovered paranormal hotspot which bears remarkable similarities to Pine Bush. As the legalities of UFO investigation in Pine Bush become more and more embroiled, Dr. Cornet has slowly begun to refocus his research to New Jersey. He has promised to take us into the fields of Wanaque with him in the future, and to keep us updated on current developments.
Here then, in his own words, is Dr. Cornet’s recent research into the anomalous activity in Wanaque, New Jersey, quite possibly the new Pine Bush. And we would like to thank Dr. Cornet for this exciting, intriguing glimpse into his world.
[The views, analyses, and claims in this article are not necessarily those of FSG.]
-Editor
Wanaque
by Dr. Bruce Cornet
As if my life isn’t extraordinary enough, on Memorial Day I went to Wanaque, NJ, with Bryan Williams and Tommy Sinisi, and had my picture taken with an alien! The event occurred while Bryan was photographing me and Tommy at an interdimensional portal, which Bryan calls the Vortex. This anomalous area is located in a field on the floodplain to Acid Brook, the infamous dumping ground of mercury-contaminated sludge from a Dupont munitions factory in the adjoining valley. The factory has since been closed down, and the area is slowly recovering environmentally.
Paranormal activity has been documented at Wanaque for many decades, as well as reported sightings of UFOs. Recently Dick and Uncle Jack stepped forward, like Doug and Dave in England [Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, infamous crop circle hoaxers. -Editor], claiming that they had perpetrated all the UFO sightings over the Wanaque reservoir in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s by sending a balloon aloft over the reservoir containing a basket filled with fireworks. Wanaque is also known for its attraction to white and black witches, the KKK, and the Freemasons.
Over the past three months Bryan and crew have been documenting numerous strange phenomena at the Vortex, most of which have been captured on film and video. At his website (http://members.aol.com/rolusa/default.htm) Bryan, also known as Sargel 18, has an opening page showing him standing in front of an alien who had just entered our dimension through a portal. During May we began recording a different kind of phenomenon, which includes ribbons of light coming off the illuminated crystals we had set up at the Vortex, and double images of those being photographed (Figure 1). These are not double exposures, because only the individual(s) in the photo is/are duplicated near where he/they stood or sat, and because the orientation and lighting on the individual(s) are different.
Figure 1
Bryan and I also photographed the possible device responsible for creating these illusions. I call it the “lampshade device” because it resembles the top of a living room lamp with large shade around it (Figure 2). In side view it looks like a spindle stretching to a point in front and back of a disc-like object. I have photographed the same device in Red Bank, NJ, in 1994 when taking a picture of an anomalous light that had been pacing our car at night (Figure 3). Whenever this device has been photographed, it has always been imaged “floating” in the air and pointed at some light near the ground, such as a stop light or flash light. At the time of the photos the light or lights at which this device was pointing had an unusual glow or aura around them, which extended out from the light many feet. The photos show a mist-like envelope around the light, which has the same color as the light. It is suspected that this device is at least partly responsible for the illusions and holograms created at the Vortex.
Figure 2
On 25 May I was standing within the area that Bryan considers the residence of the portal or Vortex in an uncultivated field. When Bryan took a flash picture of me, all I and he saw was the flash and then a return to darkness. The photograph shows another image of me taken from a different orientation and projected as a hologram to my right (to the left in Figure 1). One can tell it is a hologram because it is darker than the image of the real me, which is bleached out by the flash, and because one can see the background grass and trees through the hologram. It is not a double exposure, because nothing else of the original image is duplicated except for me, the pole to the right of me. I am cut off at the knees, so that the crystal light lower down is not duplicated, and the red back pack with Tommy’s white shirt on it is not duplicated either – which should be the case if this were a true double exposure resulting from a mechanical film-advance malfunction.
Figure Three
After this photograph was taken I moved away from the Vortex location to near the edge of the field and forest, and began taking more flash pictures of Bryan and Tommy. In my left hand I held my Sony Hi-8 camcorder, while in my right hand I held my Minolta 35mm reflex camera. I would take flash pictures while videotaping, and later capture the same scene illuminated by the flash on the video using computer software. I was wearing blue jeans and a matching blue-jean shirt-jacket with buttons down the front. I remember Bryan taking a picture of me and briefly seeing something to my right out of the corner of my eye, but the nighttime darkness returned too quickly for me to make out what it was. When Bryan got his film developed, he discovered what at first looked like another holographic image of me standing to my right and slightly in front of me (Figure 4). But on closer examination, there are too many differences in our clothing, height, and features for it to be a duplicate image of me as had been captured in an earlier photograph.
Figure Four
Upon closer examination (Figure 5) of the second image (with enhancement), one can see an individual who is shorter than me, has a much larger cranium above a pair of small dark eyes, and who is holding something that looks somewhat like a camera. Even though this individual is wearing blue-colored clothing that superficially resembles my clothing, the texture and the way they hang on his body are different. His pants are the same shade of blue as the shirt, but my blue jeans are a darker color than my shirt-jacket. In addition, he seems to be holding only one object, not two. And the ribbon of red light that comes off my camcorder and crosses the picture to the left is not duplicated by the hologram.
You can see the rims of my glasses and the lenses of both my cameras, as well as the lens on the flash attachment, all of which are reflecting light. This is highly unusual. Also, the direction of lighting for the two individuals is different. I am illuminated from the front as would be expected for a flash coming from the direction the picture was taken. The alien beside me, however, is illuminated from the right, and his right side (left side in the picture) is in darkness or shadow. These differences imply that the alien is a holographic image created in a different light environment, and then projected when the flash on Bryan’s camera went off. The “lampshade device” illustrated in figures 2 and 3 may have been capable of creating the hologram at the exact moment the camera flash triggered it. That would explain why I thought I saw something to my right, but it disappeared as quickly as the light from the flash disappeared.
Figure Five
What I find most interesting is not so much the technology involved. It is clear from these photographs that some kind of alien technology is being used. I don’t know of any successful experiments involving invisibility being conducted by our government. Yes, there are rumors and unsubstantiated claims that some organization in the government has this technology. Experiments in radar invisibility have been conducted (i.e. the Philadelphia Experiment), but the cloaking of an individual or object as depicted in the Predator movies is still in the realm of science fiction for humans, as far as I know.
Instead, it is the social and communication aspects of this type of contact that interest me. The earlier photograph showing a hologram of me standing nearby with my legs disappearing into the ground indicates that their technology is capable of imaging an object holographically and projecting that image back into the same environment. The fact that the orientation of the hologram is different indicates that I was imaged from a different direction further to the right of Bryan’s camera. Figure 1 essentially proves the existence of that technology and its capability, even though the skeptics will balk and claim otherwise. If I could be imaged and my image projected at the time of the flash, then someone else at a different location not visible to us could be imaged and his image could be projected next to me as in figures 4 and 5.
The fact that the alien is dressed in clothes that are similar in color and style to mine, and the fact that he is holding an object (which resembles a camera) in a similar pose, indicate that he was trying to appear as another hologram of me, similar to what occurred in Figure 1. Was this an attempt at sardonic humor or was it an attempt to confound skeptics by giving them an easy excuse to misinterpret the photograph as just a double exposure? If there is concern on the part of these aliens regarding our reaction to them, and if they do not want to impose themselves upon us by giving us unequivocal proof of their existence, then perhaps this method of introduction and contact is an attempt to gradually condition us about their presence, superior technology, and superior intelligence. Because they did not simply appear and allow us to photograph them without protection may indicate that they have considerable compassion for us and do not want to incite fear and its negative consequences. Through humorous and even comical forms of contact, could they be giving us subtle messages that they are not here to harm us or to control us?
Bruce Cornet, Ph.D.
Geologist and Paleontologist
bcornet@monmouth.com
http://www.OrionWorks.com/bcornet/
http://www.abcfield.force9.co.uk/bcornet/
http://www.planetarymysteries.com/genisis-geneset.html
http://www.eagle-net.org/phikent/orbit/april/serpents.html
27 Tower Hill Ave.
Red Bank, NJ 07701
[
Dr. Cornet has instructed us to direct readers interested in further researching the information contained in this article to the homepage of Kent Steadman [of the Pine Bush Phantom fame, see FSG issue three -Editor] and his “Orbit Magazine” – http://www.eagle-net.org/phikent/orbit1a.html Dr. Cornet will be lecturing at William Paterson University on June 20. For information, please contact the Office of Public Information, William Paterson University, P.O. Box 913, Wayne, New Jersey 07470-0913. Phone 973-720-2971 or Fax # 973-720-2418.
Dr. Cornet has also offered to write an article about his experiences with and memories of the Pine Bush sky watchers along West Searesville Road, back in the day. We hope to be able to include it in the June issue. -Editor]
The Culture Vulture…
The Culture Vulture is on hiatus this month, but rest assured- he will be back in June, sharp as a whip and just as sardonic as ever. He is currently very interested in hearing reader response to his recent articles, and suggestions for future topics. Mr. Delcurla may be contacted at either: gregg@monmouth.com or sardonica@erols.com -Editor
Crazy Time…
We are pleased to present the subversive sociology of Mr. Joseph Cyne. -Editor
It’s Crazy Time
An Essay by Joe Cyne
I’ve never been abducted by aliens. I’ve never even seen anything that I would classify as an unidentified flying object. I don’t have E.S.P. I’ve never sighted a ghost, an apparition, a tesla, a bigfoot, a vampire or any other “paranormal” oddity. But I have seen a lot of crazy shit. Unfortunately, most of the stuff I’ve seen has involved people, real ones, the kind you see on the street everyday and on the TV. every night- the people who drive taxi-cabs, or sleep in the streets, or work on the subway- I’ve seen people spaced out on crack, dope, speed, and god knows what else. I’ve seen cops beating kids who don’t agree with them. I’ve seen criminals, hell, I’ve been a criminal as much as I’ve been a victim. I’ve seen religious zealots orchestrating mass suicides. I’ve seen children go to school and shoot their classmates. I’ve seen rape, incest, and Springer’s final thought- prostitutes and peeping tom’s, suicide and serial killers- I’ve seen executions and hung-jury’s, sideshow freaks and celebrity murders. I’ve seen a lot; a lot of craziness, but always, every single time- it has involved people. Real people. And I think maybe that’s why there is such a need in this world, especially these days, for a belief in the “supernatural.”
It seems to me (as an observer not a preacher) that the world is full of escapes. Unsubstantiated beliefs. Crutches. Drugs for example, offer the promise of happiness. Religion teaches that the after-life will be paradise. Work, school, jobs, dreams, aspirations- all serve to make us forget the present, to look forward to something that may never come. All are an attempt at escape- escape from the harshness of reality. But for some, the only way to do this is to believe. And to believe wholeheartedly. Without any proof.
Now, this is not to say that escape is impossible, if it were there would be fewer problems. But it does not validate the facts either. Take religion for example. The idea of an after-life, heaven, utopia- why not believe? It puts the mind at rest. It gives us a reason to tolerate the present, something to aim for- it serves to calm us. And maybe it’s right. Maybe there is hope for the believers in the end. But, let me pose just one question… what if there’s not?
Now, without becoming too cynical, let me just propose what I really think. It is good to hope for the best. It is good to want more than what you’ve got. It is good to be open and receptive to new ideas, new experiences, no matter how unbelievable- be it an afterlife, extra-terrestrial life, spiritual awakening- but let’s not forget that just because you wish for something, this doesn’t make it come true. I for one hope that there is more to it than this- I will be the first aboard that spacecraft should it land in my back yard- I’ll take every miracle drug I can get my hands on- If the gods come down to earth with applications I’ll be the first to sign up. But I’m not holding my breath. And in the meantime, I’ll try to enjoy what I’ve got. And the only way to do that is to stay out of the craziness.
-J.C.
Saucer Savvy…
Patricia Anthony, author of “Brother Termite”, “God’s Fires” and “Flanders” writes…
Dear Scott, Thank you! Your review of BROTHER TERMITE was not only generous but wonderfully insightful; and, yes, you’re right, I’ve done a great deal of UFOlogical homework. I didn’t do the UFOlogical reading just because I’m a speculative fiction writer (most s.f. authors DON’T read that stuff), but because I’ve always been interested in Fortean phenomena. Hooked on it, in fact. Hence I loved reading The Flying Saucer Gazette. I’ve been looking for a good source since Sightings went over to the Sci Fi Channel.
I’m going to send you a copy of GOD’S FIRES as a thank-you. The aliens in it are the little grays (or as Krycek would have it, the “annoying little f**kers”), but they are only there to set up the situation, i.e. an abduction scenario during the time of the Inquisition. The reader is told nothing about the aliens’ nature, since the novel’s characters view the critters, variously, as New World animals, imps, or angels. They are mute little macguffins, bug-eyed wrenches in the works. The story takes place between the single kindly inquisitor and the folks he’s trying his best to save.
Actually my latest novel, FLANDERS, (for a taste of the thing, visit my website: patricia-anthony.com) leaves aliens altogether. I’m dealing with something I know from actual experience rather than from interest and research: spirits. I don’t have my author’s copies yet (the book is due in the stores May 1) or I would send you one of those. Actually, FLANDERS marks what I believe will be a permanent change for my novels from s.f. into the spiritual/death/ghostly realm.
Best,
Pat Anthony
panthony@fastlane.net
[Interested readers can check out our review of “Brother Termite” either by visiting the FSG Book Review Page or rereading the last issue. We also highly recommend Pat’s new novel “Flanders.” This is a wonderful novel of spiritual journey, human compassion, enlightenment, and trench warfare. A haunting story, and an unforgettable protagonist. Read it, and let us know what you think. -Editor]
Jon Robinson, publisher of “Letters From Andromeda” writes…
Editor, You newsletter is very interesting. Being my first time at your site, I am amazed that you wrote what you did regarding the Face on Mars.
Now I am not conspiracy buff, but why do you just except the media’s say on this matter. Anyone in this field of study knows that NASA and the media are bought and paid for!
How do you know that the direct photographic feed really is a direct feed? How do you know that the site location is really the same site location? On close examination they don’t even come close, not only in image, but surrounding ground is not even the same.
We are told that the technology is better, yet the new photo couldn’t be further out of focus. Even the size differences don’t match. It is quite clear, even to the untrained eye, that this is not the same thing.
I feel you are to quick to denounce the Face on Mars as a dead in the water mystery. According to Alex Collier an Andromedan contactee, the Face on Mars is the tomb of Enki (Yahweh) a Niburuan that had played creator God in our Earths history. He was killed by his half brother Enlil, better known as Jehovah to many of this world. Alex has viewed the new pictures and say’s that the new image is not the same site.
Now you can debunk what Alex has to say, but how can you be so sure that the NASA images are indeed what we are told they are. If you really believe this, then I guess our dear President is innocent of all charges being brought to bear against him.
Corruption breeds corruption. They have kept the secret this long, they will continue to confuse the masses, because it is in the best interest of the ones who started the lies. How can you be so trusting?
Respectfully,
Jon Robinson
Publisher, Letters From Andromeda
[
This is a perfect example of the type of mindset that is keeping serious paranormal enquiry at a standstill. Mr. Robinson would have us believe that we cannot trust anything that we hear from the government, NASA, or the media- and yet we should give serious credence to “Alex” a contactee who says that the Face on Mars is the tomb of Niburuan creator God, Enki; that we cannot trust the Mars Global Surveyor’s high resolution image mapping of the Martian terrain, yet we should stand in awe of the teachings contained in his “letters from Andromeda.” This belief system is not only silly and pedantic, but it is fundamentally flawed and ultimately self defeating. All research must have a starting point, and build a history of data. Such data, once gathered, cross-referenced, and expounded upon will validate itself, and promote further fuel for research and investigation. Mr. Robinson, sadly, does not inhabit this realm of the scientific method. His is a suspicious, unreasonable world full of secrets and self persecution; where nothing is true, and every fact of life is a lie hidden in a lie. If we cannot believe NASA’s recent Mars photos, why should we believe those of twenty two years ago? Why should we believe that we even visited Mars in the first place? If we cannot believe the President, why then should we believe “Alex”? Trust is not an issue. Let’s try and keep it real, people! We at FSG will not tolerate this sort of paranoid proselytization. -Editor]
Here’s an odd, anonymous one…
Dear Editor,
bla,bla,bla,bla,…etc I would just like to say that I agree completely with Your statements in last months FSG, about Dr. Bruce Cornet. I’ve been interested in and studying the TUFO or Trianglar UFO phenomenon for some time now, and through this have come across Dr. Cornets work several times. Although I’ll admit some of his hypotheses can be hard to swallow, these have always (at least in the stuff I’ve read) been stated as such. I’ve always found his research to be of a very high standard and EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL. To say that his work is anything else, is at best, misguided and unfair. Also I’m glad to hear that Dr. Cornet has dropped that TLP (Transient Luminescent Phenomena) thing. It’s always been too close to the TLP (Transient Lunar Phenomena) used in astronomy, for My likening.
Some interesting Info. for your readers, The totally stupid Lake County Program was shown in New Zealand a couple of months back. It started with a disclaimer by the television network screening it stating “…It is being screened as provided by UPN..”. The program that aired DID NOT have any CREDITS. Having seen a copy of the program that screened in the US, this appears to be the only major difference between the two. It is obvious that UPN is trying to cover its mistakes overseas . Though I don’t think they would have fooled many people over two. bla,bla,bla,bla,bla,….etc.
Anyway that’s My bit.
P.S (Not to be published under my name)
[We’ll call him, Mr. “Blah-Blah” -Editor]
Sheila Vose of “UFO Times” writes…
Sir, I am helping Mike Harman with his relatively new web page UFO TIMES TEXAS EDITION, http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Rampart/6514/index.html . We are concentrating on UFO activity within the State of Texas. We have a link to your page, THE FLYING SAUCER GAZETTE.
Please, come see what we are doing. We are new to this endeavor, so our site is changing almost daily. The more we learn, the more we change the site, so please visit often for a while and feel free to offer your advice and/or criticisms. We are not too proud to learn from the hard work of others. You obviously know the ropes.
Please let us hear from you as your time permits.
Thanks,
Sheila S. Vose
svose@ctelcom.net
[Interested readers, especially those interested in the UFO phenomenon in Texas are urged to check out “The UFO Times” -Editor]
Lynn Bell of Minnesota MUFON writes…
Hi Scott… I just devoured your latest issue of FSG which arrived about 45 minutes ago! Wow! What a job you do!
A few comments:
I was delighted to see/read the review of one of my favorite authors, Patricia Anthony, about one of my favorite books, Brother Termite! I keep wishing it would be picked up for a movie — certainly with the special effects techniques available nowadays, it should be no problem for Hollywood. Think I’ll go back and re-read the book again (for the 4th time…)!
The Culture Vulture is sure a hit with me — and, when our Minnesota MUFON readers receive this latest newsletter, I think he will have made a lot of fans!
All in all, what can I say — another dynamite issue! I’m sure glad you’re out there!
Lynn Bell
lynnbell@pclink.com
This was forwarded to us by Michael Kiley, regarding his article “Black Helicopter Facts” in the February 1998 issue of FSG…
From the Offices of: The Smoking Gun Research Agency
“No Government Agency has Jurisdiction over the truth.”
E-mail Addresses: AgentJN1@aol.com – SGRA@Stateman.net
www.stateman.net/SGRA Dear Mr. Kiley,
I am the head of a research group in Connecticut that is currently investigation those pesky black choppers. I just read your article from a post on the Flying Saucer Gazette and knew then and there that you would be an important person to contact. I would like to have the opportunity to share the information you have uncovered so that I can have a better place to start from. I enjoy reading up on what respectable sources have found before I jump into my own investigation, that way I know where I am jumping to. I would appreciate any information you can send me. Please, if possible, respond to me through the regular mail. Our E-mail is constantly backed up, and I prefer regular mail. I would be honored to get any information you have, or even to just receive a response from you, as I am sure you are busy. Thank you for your time.
Keep in touch,
Jon Nowinski
Our HQ in Connecticut:
The Smoking Gun Research Agency
24 Oakview Circle
Westport CT, 06880
[For some odd, implacable reason, this letter scares us… Smoking gun research? -Editor]
Tim Brigham, Editor of The Devil’s Advocate writes…
Dear Editor, Just had a chance to read through most of your back issues. I was impressed. I like that you maintain a sense of humor and skepticism regarding the saucer field and everything and everyone it involves. You take the hits well too, hits which anyone who tries to maintain a non-zealot view will get. Gotta luv the guy who said you were a commie for having a pink background on your site. classic.
So I see Commander Moseley’s Smear is what got us a new ring member. Moseley’s truly a bright guy with a unique point of view, and a good friend. Glad you’re a Smear fan as well.
You know, I had never really followed Pine Bush, so most of the info you printed was new to me. I had always had my hands full following Gulf Breeze, being a local, and the two cases do remind me a bit of each other looking back at them now. They start out with something interesting which deserves investigation, then the facts are blurred by both believers and skeptics with their own agendas until the whole ordeal is worse than the convoluted plot of a bad day time soap opera. But then again, what UFO case *isn’t* like that? Ah well, there are a few sane folks left out there whose goal is merely to find the truth objectively no matter what it is, perhaps one day they’ll reach their goal. I’m hoping that the mindphuck webring will be one more small step which allows people to more easily find unbiased information.
Just added your site to the Operation Mindphuck ring. I very much enjoyed your editorials, the essays by Mr. Delcurla as well as the work in your art gallery. keep up the great work, and glad to have you aboard.
Take care,
Tim
[We are glad to be affiliated with “Operation Mindphuck.” Please read our write-up on it below, in this issue. -Editor]
Your Editor on “The X Zone”… Scott C. Carr, Editor of FSG, will be a guest on the Canadian radio show “The X Zone” on Sunday, August 23, at 11:15 p.m. Be sure to check the FSG Media Page for the latest schedule changes for our media appearances.
Check out “The X Zone” website, which can be found at http://www.x-chronicles.com
Your Editor and Paul Williams will also be appearing as guests on the television show “Beyond The Unexplained.” The date and time has not yet been set, but feel free to check out their website at: http://members.aol.com/texfilez/beyond.html
FSG Book Excerpt:
“Incident At Sardonica, A Love Story” by Scott C. Carr
For quite some time now, (nearly seven years) Your Editor has been hard at work studying, organizing, and becoming involved in many aspects of the UFO phenomenon and culture, while doing research for his novel “Incident At Sardonica”. Now, at long last, my novel is in the final stages of fine tuning, and I am beginning the initial task of pursuing publication. As FSG has been an integral part of my research, and in fact, was inspired by a similar, fictional newsletter contained in the novel itself (The Flying Saucer Reader, edited by my character Charles W. Wallace), I felt that it would only be appropriate to unveil the first published excerpt in the pages of FSG. Where else could I find a more perfect audience, than in the readership of FSG, than in the heart of the UFO community, itself? I would like to thank the readers who have come with me this far, and hope that they will remain with us as FSG plows forward into the future. It is my sincere hope that you enjoy this excerpt from my novel, and I look forward to any and all comments and criticisms that you may have.
Sincerely,
-Scott C. Carr, Editor and Author
[“Incident At Sardonica” is written in the form of a fictional biography. That is to say, that although it is entirely fictional, and none of the characters, places, or events described actually exist, it is presented as a biography- a collection of letters, journal and diary entries, transcripts, book excerpts, and interviews. Likewise, the characters of Wolf Peterson, the biographer, and Michael Matheson, his subject, are both fictional.]
Incident At Sardonica
A Love Story
Biographer’s Preface
I have always wanted to write a biography. I have always been fascinated with, by, and of people. And I have always sought after the ones who interested me.
“The only [ones] for me are the mad ones,” wrote Kerouac, “the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
When I was young, no more than eight or nine, my family and I were driving home from a visit to our grandmother’s in Searsport, Maine, when we spotted an odd light in the sky. Father saw it first, and pointed it out to mother. Hesther, my baby sister, and I were huddled together in the back, Hesther asleep on my shoulder.
We pulled over to look at it, it seemed to be following along, just below tree level, off to the side of the road. We pulled over and got out, and I really don’t remember much more about it, just images, really. I was young, and I have never been gifted with the crystal clear recall, that certain of my peers seem to possess.
I remember Hesther awake and asking, “What is it, Daddy?” and I remember my father’s concerned reply of, “A helicopter, I think.” I remember mother being cold, and father putting his leather jacket around her shoulders to warm her. I remember getting back into the car and heading home. And that’s it.
My memory of the actual light in the sky, …the UFO, if you must, has grown dull and been blurred with the passing of years. All that I remember, really, is seeing a light in the sky, with no definite shape or form. A floating memory, awash with a thousand others of youthful abstraction. Indeed, it was all but forgotten until recently.
In early 1988, I caught wind of a professor of literature who would purportedly be teaching an experimental class in paranormal theory, during the Summer semester at St. Fogg’s University. Myself being a graduate student in journalism, and having been closed out of the necessary required classes for my major that Summer, I was on the lookout for an interesting elective.
I must admit, that I was more intrigued to see what sort of people would be taking the class, and in what kind of format it might be presented, than I was in the actual subject matter. As I’ve said, my own singular paranormal experience was little more than a minor family mystery, seldom recalled, and never pondered. Father had firmly fixed into the permanent family retrospect that the mysterious light had been nothing more than ‘a strange looking helicopter.’
But from a sociological perspective, this class seemed extraordinary. What would be the objectives and goals of such a study? What expectations could student and teacher have for one another? What requisites should we go in with? What anticipations would be met? What could we possibly be tested on? And just who was this guy, our instructor, and what qualified him to teach such an extraordinary class?
Let me tell you straight out that, going in, flying saucers were the furthest thing from my mind. Sure, paranormal, I thought. Ghosts, the Loch Ness monster, the Bermuda Triangle, perhaps even a student oriented ESP test. But I can honestly say that the idea that UFOs might be seriously considered and discussed, never even occurred to me. In fact. I can say with the utmost sincerity, that my own little experience did not bubble its way up out of my subconscious, until almost the completion of this biography. It just never seemed that real to me, like a dream only half remembered, but lacking even a dream’s symbolic importance. No, flying saucers were never a part of my life.
When I first met Professor (now Doctor) Matheson, he had been teaching at St. Fogg’s for only three years. In fact, he had begun teaching just as I had been going into my third year of undergraduate work.
It has been my extreme fortune, to not only have known Michael Matheson, but to have nurtured a friendship with the man. A friendship that has outlasted both our distance and our academic years. Residing now in California as I do, it is not often that I actually see my friend. Though our correspondence has remained both constant and abundant through the years, and the nostalgic, hours long weekend telephone call is not uncommon, we have maintained, above all, a powerful, and often times obverse relationship.
When Michael first agreed to let me author his biography, I was overjoyed. The idea of a biography had been a constant point of interest to me, so much so that I feel I may have burdened him with the unyielding pressure of my insistence. Several well documented accounts (at least three come to mind) as well as several less than accurate accounts (including a blatantly sensationalist novelization) have been written about the extraordinary events surrounding the small town of Sardonica. To date, documentation of Doctor Matheson’s involvement in these events has been recorded with varying levels of merit; he has been depicted as being of paramount significance, and likewise, as being of incidental importance. But to date, no insight into the character of Michael Matheson, no biography of the man, has been attempted.
But even I was not prepared for the earnestness with which he would support my endeavor. The excitement with which he would embrace this project was, to say the least, overwhelming. Not only did Dr. Matheson offer much of his own valuable time, as well as demonstrating a seemingly never ending willingness to interview, often answering truthfully and at length even the most personal and difficult of questions. But he unabashedly (and, at not an inexpensive postal burden, which he adamantly took upon himself) made the great entirety of his private journals and letters available to me. Without his significant and wholehearted involvement, this project would not have been possible. If not for his openness, his sincerity, his candor, I would not have been able to even scratch the surface of his extrinsic personality, or begin to relate this narrative of his remarkable life. Dr. Michael Matheson remains at the heart of this endeavor, and to him, it is my hope, that this work does justice.
It is with profound admiration and respect, that I present to you his story. The story of a man with both the courage and the conviction to follow his beliefs. A man who, his entire life, has sought only to understand and define these beliefs. To prove them. And to share them.
A man who, in quiet determination, continues to shine like a candle in the dark night sky.
-W. Peterson
~
-Excerpt from, The Flying Saucers Are Here, by Michael Matheson
pub. 1976
This is where it begins.
I can remember thinking that over and over. This is where it begins. This is where it begins.
In these California hills, forty miles north of Santa Monica.
To the east there’s only desert; to the west, I could just make out the ocean. It’s cool and dry, a gentle breeze blows through these hills.
Dusk.
A ragtag throw down of lawn chairs and picnic blankets, someone’s brought a grill, and the coals are just beginning to go white around the edges. The red of their glow is enhanced by the deepening indigo of the night. All around us, it is still and quiet. The brightest of the stars are just coming out.
About a dozen of us are here tonight, I am the newest addition to these ranks. I came out here on a promise. A promise of mystery, that I might see something that would utterly astound me; a promise that, in the face of sensibility, I would encounter something I couldn’t explain.
A promise that I might see a flying saucer.
This group of people, these ‘witnessers’ as they call themselves, would gather almost nightly in these hills to watch what they claimed were ‘alien lights’ playing havoc in the night sky.
I’d heard of them through a friend of a friend, so to speak. An associate who, knowing of my great interest in these matters, felt obliged to make mention of a peculiar phenomenon that his sister had witnessed during a recent stay in Los Angeles. It seems the friend that she was staying with was a part of an informal group of more than two dozen who would regularly journey north to watch these strange night lights dart about the sky.
“Richard,” she had nervously told her brother, upon her return to the east, “Richard, they were flying saucers. I’m sure of it.”
This loose network of witnesses, whose only commonality was the sharing of this fantastic nocturnal pastime, had slowly come together, the result of a camping trip a year before, during which this strange discovery had been made. The discoverers, “Harry” and “Beth” as I shall refer to them for the purposes of this account, were not in attendance the night that I joined the witnesses, and so, I was unable to obtain the details of their strange camping trip.
As the dark continues to fall, and the stars to shine more and more brightly, I survey the crowd. An eclectic collection of people, to be sure; there is “Mac” a civil engineer from Pasadena, and “Susan”, an artist from Dreighton. The witnesses consist of all ages; two children toss a Frisbee as a dog runs frantically back and forth between them, perhaps believing himself to be an integral part of the game; a brand new baby sleeps in it’s stroller, as a man of no less than eighty dozes fitfully in his lawn chair beside it.
At last it is dark, and the stars shine down; a slow, heavy silence falls over our humble gathering. There’s an air of seriousness, of importance; a solemn, unspoken understanding, that this is a special place, and that a certain appropriate comportment is necessary.
The air seems charged with electricity.
I’m instructed by “Marion” to try to encompass the sky as a whole, as much of it as I can, in my field of vision, while not focusing on any particular part, and to wait. The rest of the group continues their watch.
I cannot accurately convey the peaceful serenity that emanated from these people, the overwhelming cast of their patience, the staggering sense of complacency that they exuded. The minutes drummed on; then an hour; then two. I couldn’t help but be caught by the raw power of their combined consternation, as if force of will alone could bring fire down from the sky and throw mountains up to the heavens.
Through almost three hours of apterous, earthbound communion we watched the skies.
Finally the cry of, “There goes one!” and “Did you see it?” And all eyes were straining towards the west.
For a timeless moment, all was silent. Even the insects that incessantly pervade the night fell quiet. I can remember thinking again that this was some sort of beginning, that there was some fundamental nascence, an inchoate peculiarity to this place. That for me, this evening was much more than just another futile attempt at the fantastic, the delusional fancy of a young man with stars in his eyes.
And then one of those stars, in the far right of my view, very suddenly pulled from its place in the eastern horizon and flitted over to a new position in the sky! It did this all of its own accord, seemingly for no better reason than the benefit of the witnesses, who immediately erupted into raucous applause.
Then another star shifted from it’s place in the sky, and was quickly followed by two more. It was all that I could do not to laugh aloud in sheer, nervous awe of the spectacle above me. I cupped my hands to my mouth and turned to Marion, my eyes wide with wonderment. “Marion,” I stammered, “Marion, the stars are moving!”
She just nodded, her eyes becoming quick and darting, endlessly searching the night sky, waiting. “I know.” she said. Just then, another of the ‘stars’ slipped from it’s place, zipped all the way across the sky, almost to the eastern horizon, and then just as suddenly, winked out.
“Where did it go?” I stammered.
“It’ll be back” she said. “Just watch, it’ll be back.” She fixed her gaze on the spot where the light had gone out, an intense look of inspection upon her face, scrutinizing the sky, her bottom lip clenched firmly between her teeth. “Come on.” she whispered, “Come back…”
“Come back.” Another witnesser, a man to whom I had not yet been introduced, joined Marion’s chant. “Come on back… Come back to us.”
And then it did come back. Just as if someone had flipped a switch, that strange little light popped back into the night sky, in exactly the same place that it had disappeared.
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“Who knows?” she replied.
“They do.” Offered the old man in the lawn chair, wide awake now. “They know. The stars know exactly what they’re doing.” He said this so matter of factly, so assuredly, that there was no room left open for contention.
“Yes. The stars know what they’re doing.” Agreed another man whose name I did not know, laughing. “The stars have it all under control.” He smiled. And, as if in acknowledgment of this presumption, the stars, with renewed vigor, continued to zip about the sky.
It is curious to me to note, that the dog which had earlier been frantically enjoying a game of Frisbee, was now as complacent as the rest of the witnesses, exhibiting a behavior so unlike most reported incidents of animal reaction to such extraordinary encounters; he just lay there, as peaceful and content as ever, with his head resting upon his crossed front paws, lazily gazing up into the sky, with only an occasional wag of his tail.
We continued to watch these strange, frenetic lights for upwards of five hours. This much I’m sure of; that as anomalous, as mysterious as the whole affair may have seemed to us at the time, the strange lights did know what they were doing, that there was some fundamental purpose, some determined intent, a specific design, an intelligence behind their majestic romp about the California night sky. This much seemed sure to me.
The ‘stars’ have it all, it would seem, exactly under control.
And, this I’m sure of as well, that for the very first, and perhaps the only time in my life, at long last, along with a few, disorganized others, scattered almost arbitrarily throughout the world, I too could now claim, without reservation or doubt, to have seen a UFO; an ardent, appetent initiate, I had entered the realm of the flying saucers.
***
I don’t know if the witnesses still gather to watch their mysterious lights. Richard’s sister’s friend has since moved away, and, in fact, I’ve all but fallen out of contact with Richard, myself. The rest of them remain as elusive as ever, often not even responding to my occasional inquiry or attempt to invite myself out for another look.
I’ve tried on three occasions since, to find those hills myself, but couldn’t.
I hope that you enjoyed this excerpt from “Incident At Sardonica.” Interested readers are invited to check out the “Incident At Sardonica” Home Page. This page will be updated frequently, and will soon contain more excerpts from the novel, as well as current information, reviews, and publishing information. “Incident At Sardonica, A Love Story” is © Copyrighted 1998. “Sardonica” is a registered trademark of Scott C. Carr and The Flying Saucer Gazette.
See you next month!
-Editor
Next issue: The Betty Hill Project: A review of “A Common Sense Approach To UFOs”… Dr. Cornet’s Reminiscence On West Searesville… Part Two of Paul Williams, “High Strangeness In Maine”… “Crazy Time” by Joe Cyne… Whatever Happened to ACC?… The Culture Vulture… Saucer Savvy… And much, much more…
The Flying Saucer Gazette
Scott C. Carr, Editor
84 Clinton St., Suite 1534
New York, NY 10002
