UFO carnival report: UFO/Paranormal Summit

[Deckland]

I was at the UFO/Paranormal Summit this weekend, which is a UFO carnival in Washington state.

Here's a report.

1. The first speaker, on Friday night, was some lady named Sarah Nash. She gave a talk about how she used to be an extraterrestrial whale in a past life. At first I thought she meant she was a fat ET, but it turns out she literally meant she was a whale.

2. After Nash, it was open mic for "witness testimony." I was expecting it would be the Crazy Hour, but it was surprisingly tame. Just a smattering of people who saw triangles, discs, etc. I kid you not, there was not a single alien gang bang hybrid impregnation story.

3. First speaker on Saturday was Aleta Debee of MUFON. I slept in and missed her.

4. Second speaker on Saturday was someone who Skyped in. I didn't catch his name but he was presented as blowing the lid off everything - this was going to be the big one the represented FULL DISCLOSURE. Once he came on the screen he said he had received "documents" that proved MJ12. But he couldn't talk about them or where he got them or even what was in them ... however, he'd have a book coming out that would have all the details so we should all be sure to pick-up a copy! I LOL'ed.

5. Next was Maurene Morgan of MUFON who did a retrospective on the history of Ufology. About 15 minutes into the presentation I had to duck out.

6. Schaeffer and Edmison then screened their short action film on Maury Island and then discussed the sequel they were working on in which a team of Freemasons led by J. Edgar Hoover hunt down those responsible (no, I'm not joking).

7. Next was the "paranormal ranger" Jonathan Dover who spoke ... VERY ... SLOWLY ... and went 43 minutes over his 60 minute allotted time.

8. Next was the "alien hunter" Darrel Sims who entered the stage to "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana before proceeding to deliver a lecture that concluded with the announcement that ETs were responsible for transgenderism.

9. Peter Davenport of NUFORC concluded the event but I've heard his stump speech before so I left early.

 

[Randall]

I was at the UFO/Paranormal Summit this weekend ...

I don't know whether to laugh or cry .

 

[Gene Steinberg]

But thanks for sharing.

 

[Ian]

Same old, same old then. Oh dear. Thanks anyway.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

The UFO "field" is really more of a stockyard at this point. The smell will tell you that before anything else comes into focus. It seems these days to be mostly filled with people who couldn't earn an honest living, and found a willing audience for whatever flapdoodle they can dream up. It's beyond sad.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

And you limit that "earn an honest living" comment strictly to UFO research?

That's a very narrow and very inaccurate description.

Fast is that very few people make a decent amount of money from writing, lecturing and researching UFOs.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

We all have our opinions, of course. I look at the "field" and see every sort of flake, wannabe, con artist and yes, idiot imaginable. Unlike most people, I freely admit to being biased. In fact, I make an effort to own my biases. It's the only way to fly! So I'm looking at this mess of a field of study as a retired educator who made some decisions decades ago, which are paying off quite well as I teeter toward my dotage. I can now afford to indulge some interests I put aside long ago, for good reasons.

I considered a career in the catch-as-catch-can realm of freelance journalism, coming into the job market just as Woodward & Bernstein were cresting as folk heroes. Remember those guys? Eventually, after consulting some wise elders, I decided it would make more sense for me to teach journalism. I didn't end up teaching journalism though, thank God. Seeing what passes as journalism these days is enough to make me gag, and I don't think I could have done it for long. So anyway. I do know a thing or two about writing, about making an honest living, about making hard choices (which I have not touched upon here and I had better not get my prof on).

I had a bit of an interest in paranormal things way back in college, but didn't really pursue it. When the whole Bob Lazar train wreck happened, it was hard to miss but of course that was as bogus as it gets. In the past year or so I have been reading up and looking around. I don't mind saying I see anything but competent, honest research. Oh, sure, there are a few good people out there doing good work but one has to wade through a sea of nonsense to find it. It is looking like I won't bother with that.

Anyway, sorry to drone on. Good luck.

 

[TDSR]

Zaphod-
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I too had found that ufology had become dauntingly saturated with lies, generated for a variety of reasons, mostly selfish. However, as I began to push through all the trash I did find "tells" and "trends" which now filter out the noise quite quickly and effortlessly, in other words, frauds are easy to spot and a fit mind possesses common sense. I have noticed a trend in the forums that support your same experience. Previously, we have discussed how advances in visual technology make virtually impossible to validate imagery and video, which adds another layer of disappointment.

That all said when I struggle to keep my interest in this subject relevant, I remind myself of the core question and its implications, we are either practically alone or not alone, either answer is so profound that I would be intellectually affronted by any person who did not value the question, let alone the answer. Many people who participate here at the Paracast and on the forums are genuinely driven people whose minds simply do not take other peoples words as fact, and that our minds (and souls) are telling us there is more to this phenomena and it does affect us as individuals. The UFO enigma is based on lies and truths, so by its very nature, this had to be the outcome, planned or otherwise. I offer this as a crumb in the forest so to speak; you cannot go through a day today by which the average person is not exposed to the UFO, it is a part of our ancient and modern culture....why is that?

Just some thoughts from out here on a rock, in the void.

TDSR

 

[TDSR]

The following mystery also warrants my attention, and for me adds some interesting perspectives and potential context to any number of anomalies associated with technology, global events, social engineering, the space industry, and even astronomy. I guess if I could give a PSA to the ufological community, "if you don't know..now you know".

TDSR

Is Our Government Intentionally Hiding $21 Trillion In Spending?

In a prior article, which went viral, I discussed $21 trillion in apparent government outlays for which our government accountants can not account. Most of these "unsupported adjustments" are in the DOD. Evidence of what may be unprecedented government malfeasance is now being censured.

www.forbes.com

Key Documents – The Missing Money

missingmoney.solari.com

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Zaphod-
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I too had found that ufology had become dauntingly saturated with lies, generated for a variety of reasons, mostly selfish. However, as I began to push through all the trash I did find "tells" and "trends" which now filter out the noise quite quickly and effortlessly, in other words, frauds are easy to spot and a fit mind possesses common sense. I have noticed a trend in the forums that support your same experience. Previously, we have discussed how advances in visual technology make virtually impossible to validate imagery and video, which adds another layer of disappointment.

That all said when I struggle to keep my interest in this subject relevant, I remind myself of the core question and its implications, we are either practically alone or not alone, either answer is so profound that I would be intellectually affronted by any person who did not value the question, let alone the answer. Many people who participate here at the Paracast and on the forums are genuinely driven people whose minds simply do not take other peoples words as fact, and that our minds (and souls) are telling us there is more to this phenomena and it does affect us as individuals. The UFO enigma is based on lies and truths, so by its very nature, this had to be the outcome, planned or otherwise. I offer this as a crumb in the forest so to speak; you cannot go through a day today by which the average person is not exposed to the UFO, it is a part of our ancient and modern culture....why is that?

Just some thoughts from out here on a rock, in the void.

TDSR

Thank you, TDSR. I know that sometimes I sound more like Abe Simpson than I care to admit. This is about my third foray into the UFO mess since my retirement, and I've just recently discovered the most excellent work of Michael Swords. Of course I feel right at home at his blog, which is a real gem. As my grandfather, a hard old farmer, would say, It's like a diamond in a billy goat's ass.

My bovine excrement detector is well tuned, perhaps a bit on the sensitive side, and it goes off almost constantly as I look around the paranormal end of the internet. I had naively imagined I had left behind all the dysfunctional, egotistical, pompous and vapid characters who seem to live just to suck all the fun out of life when I no longer had to show up for work. Seems there are more than enough to go around. Fortunately, they are still pretty rare down at the library, and my favorite coffee shop is a drama-free zone.

Images have been cleverly faked for as long as there have been images. There are plenty of examples from way back, of course. I've seen some amazing things done by talented people in darkrooms, having nothing to do with any paranormal claims. A talented artist in any medium is a delight to watch doing their thing.