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Dog_Ed
Skeptic Friend
USA
126 Posts |
 Posted - 08/25/2001 : 14:29:52
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Just read a letter to the editor in my local (Eugene, Oregon, USA) newspaper. The writer implies that the New Star Wars system is being developed to shoot down alien spacecraft--which is loony enough--but gives his information sources as Colonel Corso (the man who says transistors weren't invented at Bell Labs, the design was stolen from a crashed UFO) and Steven Greer (who once witnessed a UFOs in a group formation that displayed his UFO 'research' group's very own logo). The letter also cites Dr. Jack Kasher, of the University of Nebraska, as analyzing a NASA video which he says shows a missile being fired at a UFO. I don't know anything about Kasher, but I'm going to google on him directly.
Yeah, letters to newspapers are free speech, so the loony views of this particular writer are appropriate for publication. It's just annoying as heck. I'm off to the searches, and after that to fire off a letter to the newspaper. Grrr.
"Even Einstein put his foot in it sometimes"
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The Bad Astronomer
Skeptic Friend
137 Posts |
 Posted - 08/25/2001 : 18:27:16 [Permalink]
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Jack Kasher is actually rather difficult to track down on the web; I've tried. Mostly you find him on UFO sites with a link to buy his video showing Space Shuttle footage of a UFO being shot down. Instead, do a search on sts-48 (which was the Shuttle mission in question) and James Oberg, who has debunked Kasher numerous times. Ron Parise has also debunked Kasher on Michael Shermer's show "Exploring the Unknown". Parise is a Shuttle astronaut, having flown twice, as well as a professional astronomer.
Kasher says he is a professor at the Univeristy of Nebraska, but usually doesn't mention he's at the Omaha campus, not the main one at Lincoln. He is not really affiliated with the main physics department there, as far as I have been able to determine.
*****
The Bad Astronomer
http://www.badastronomy.com
"With tremendous respect to [the] BA, the problem isn't getting scientists to talk, the problem can be getting them to shut up." |
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2001 : 21:24:51 [Permalink]
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quote:
Yeah, letters to newspapers are free speech, so the loony views of this particular writer are appropriate for publication. It's just annoying as heck. I'm off to the searches, and after that to fire off a letter to the newspaper. Grrr.
"Even Einstein put his foot in it sometimes"
Hey, maybe it was a slow news day. See the editor snicker: "What a load of crap! Yeah, let's print it!"
Seriously though, can you post of copy of your letter to the editor here? Also, I'm sort of curious how the newspaper will respond.
Lisa
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Dog_Ed
Skeptic Friend
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2001 : 23:46:14 [Permalink]
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Phil: Thanks for the tips on Kasher; James Oberg's columns and website helped out a lot.
Lisa: I'll post it, but the paper's editors don't usually reply to letters--its an open forum.
"Even Einstein put his foot in it sometimes" |
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Piltdown
Skeptic Friend
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2001 : 00:59:56 [Permalink]
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A plug for the non-forum part of SFN:
My New Conspiracy Theories piece at http://www.skepticfriends.org/guest4.asp refers to a hidden agenda for Star Wars. Our informant, "Dueling Banjo", suggests that "Star Wars" is a cover for the development of an interplanetary targeting system. The first operational version is aboard the Cassini "space probe". As SFN was the first to report, Cassini's real mission is a nuclear strike against alien bases on Saturn's moons. The Bad Astronomer probably knows all about this, but can't admit it.
Abducting UFOs and conspiring against conspiracy theorists since 1980. |
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Dog_Ed
Skeptic Friend
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2001 : 12:04:32 [Permalink]
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Piltdown: I'll have to check that out. Right now I'm off to do some watersports--canoeing on the Willamette River, that is! Here is a copy of the full text of the letter I sent to the Eugene Register-Guard. The editors will probably try to shorten it a bit, there's a nominal 200-word limit. If anyone wants to use all or part of it for any purposes, use it and welcome.
Joe LaFleur's letter of August 25th was indeed a wake-up call to the public--a demonstration of just how strong the influence of cranks and charlatons has become. Here's some info on the "authorities" Mr. LaFleur cites.
Colonel (not "General") Phillip J. Corso's book "The Day After Roswell" claims that most modern technology was copied from crashed flying saucers. Mankind did not invent Kevlar, night-vision scopes, fiberoptics, or lasers--they were back-engineered from UFOs. Either his claims are lies, or the research records, books, patents, and personal statements of countless research scientists worldwide are lies.
The famous video Dr. Jack Kasher "analyzed" does not show an UFO being shot by a missile, it shows ice crystals, flecks of debris, and the effects of a burst from a steering rocket filmed through the space shuttle port. James Oberg has effectively debunked Kasher's claims, noting that identical debris flecks kicked by rocket bursts have been seen outside spacecraft ever since John Glenn noticed them on his very first flight. More info at www.jamesoberg.com/
Dr. Steven Greer (a onetime medical doctor) runs CSETI, an organization which takes customers on flying saucer viewings. His claims of UFO sightings are so wild that he angers even other flying saucer believers (see www.parascope.com/nb/articles/UFOlogia.htm). Of course he has yet to produce any credible photographs, video, or other evidence. He's profiled in "Apocalypse Pretty Soon" by Alex Heard (pre-publication article from 1998 at www.rickross.com/reference/millennium1.html).
For every careful, factual book examining charlatons like these there are 10 books mindlessly promoting on their claims, and for every website debunking them there are 30 or more sites praising them. That's because there's money to be made from promoting hoaxes but precious little money in exposing them. There is an epidemic of irrationality in this country, and the only cure is to ferret out the facts and confront the hoaxsters at every opportunity.
"Even Einstein put his foot in it sometimes" |
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Dog_Ed
Skeptic Friend
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2001 : 23:39:44 [Permalink]
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Letter got printed today, which is the absolute fastest turnaround I've ever gotten. The editors cut it down in size but did it very intelligently, and they left the references in. So far I've logged one phone call in support.
"Even Einstein put his foot in it sometimes" |
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Garrette
SFN Regular
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2001 : 06:13:10 [Permalink]
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Whew! By the title of this thread I thought someone had discovered the secret I have been keeping for so long--namely, that the first operational Death Star is nearing completion in my backyard and Tony Blair is in reality the Emperor Palatine.
Thank heavens I was mistaken and you're only talking about this piddly intra-solar-system stuff.
My kids still love me. |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2001 : 07:46:10 [Permalink]
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quote:
Whew! By the title of this thread I thought someone had discovered the secret I have been keeping for so long--namely, that the first operational Death Star is nearing completion in my backyard and Tony Blair is in reality the Emperor Palatine.
Thank heavens I was mistaken and you're only talking about this piddly intra-solar-system stuff.
My kids still love me.
Heck, I thought the honor of being Emperor Palpitine would go to Margret Thatcher or one of the really interesing members of the House of Lords that I see on BBC/America every once in a while. Usually they are argueing about the VAT.
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Garrette
SFN Regular
USA
562 Posts |
Posted - 08/31/2001 : 08:41:48 [Permalink]
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quote:
Heck, I thought the honor of being Emperor Palpitine would go to Margret Thatcher or one of the really interesing members of the House of Lords that I see on BBC/America every once in a while. Usually they are argueing about the VAT.
Infidel. As soon as I replace the batteries in my double-edged light saber, I'll smite you.
My kids still love me. |
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bestonnet_00
Skeptic Friend
Australia
358 Posts |
Posted - 09/01/2001 : 01:28:45 [Permalink]
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I have the whole Imperial fleet in my pocket.
I also have 1 death star (fully complete Death Star v2.0).
Oh well, might make the earthly star wars program seem a bit easy to destroy. Then the guys in white come and take the planet over. I need a new planet for my empire. Oh and I forgot to choke that new Admiral for disobeying his lord.
Radioactive GM Crops.
Slightly above background.
Safe to eat.
But no activist would dare rip it out.
As they think it gives them cancer. |
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