Ten years have passed since this blog made its entrance into the blogosphere with "Profit from Fantasy," announcing itself as a place where comments on the book Dark Mission by Richard Hoagland and Mike Bara could find a home. The book had its own blog, started on 18th August 2007, but James Oberg and I very soon noticed that Bara, as blog moderator, generally refused to allow negative comments to appear.
The first four posts on this blog had page views well under 100, and no comments at all. The 10th post, however, "Data's Head image proved fraudulent," set a page view record of 11,117 that stands to this day. The all-time record number of comments is 186, for "Mike Bara sees glass over Picard" on 19th October 2012. The least popular post ever, with only 51 page views, was "The fun is about to begin" on 5th September 2010. Don't ask me why—that's a puzzle.
The "official" Dark Mission blog expired on the last day of 2009, but this blog continued its mission to mock pseudoscience, with a wider remit than just one book. Most often cited words and expressions over the years have been coast-to-coast am, elenin, phobos, hyperdimensional, ziggurat, facebook, accutron. My targets, in addition to Hoagland & Bara, have been many of the darlings of late-night radio: Ken Johnston, Judy Wood, Kerry Cassidy, John Brandenburg, Robert Morningstar, Steve Quayle, and latterly the convicted felon Sean David Morton.
There's no doubt that interest in this blog is waning somewhat: of the 15 posts this year, none has made it to the 1,000 page view level of interest. Just a couple of years ago, 2,000 was a common number. I'm not discouraged but I will be looking hard for fresh topics because I suspect the sag in popularity is due to readers feeling that they've read it all before.
I'd like to make a "Hall of Fame" list of all the people who have supported me over these ten years with their encouragement, information, research, and intelligent comments—but I'm afraid if I did that I'd offend somebody by omitting their name. However, a few stand-outs really must be acknowledged:
James Oberg: Joint founder of the blog and vital resource on space history, especially Russian
James Concannon: A former colleague who has probably written more for the blog than anyone other than myself, and who inhabits Faceboo (whereas I almost never do).
Stuart Robbins Ph.D: An actual working astronomer who has his own blog and cringes right along with me and Concannon when the pseudoscientists make their awful mistakes. If ever I make a slip-up when writing this blog, I'll hear about it from Stuart.
Derek Eunson, Ph.D: Another real working scientist, in the field of design engineering, and not a man to mince words when it comes to scorn for pseudoscience. Derek is now teaching in China, but keeping in touch.
27 comments:
Happy birthday!!
If you're looking for a new fairy tale to deflate, consider the Cooper's Treasure crockumentary that fantasizes about astronaut Gordon Cooper using a top secret spy camera to scribble down precise locations of wrecks of Spanish galleons loaded with treasure -- and hiding it for decades from NASA so he can share it with treasure hunters.
Your blog is essential reading - paying attention to what Cassidy, Hoagland, Bara, and Morton claim (among others) surely has to be exhausting, but it saves the rest of us a lot of work. Congratulations and thanks for the ten years.
My apologies at the outset for a fairly long post, but it does get to a point in the end.
I only came across this blog a couple of years ago, at a time when my interest in a sceptical response to the myriad of conspiracy and other fringe theories was rising.
For a many years I'd read the likes of Above Top Secret as a bit of entertainment, checking in on the latest bizarre theories and implausible arguments. It even became part of my Sunday morning routine... coffee (check), toast (check), trip into the weird (double check).
However this is something that came to an end about 6 months ago. I'd been noticing a gradual and disturbing shift in the content of ATS, as well as other similar sites that I occasionally visited. Years earlier the content had been generally civil and to a large degree been relatively harmless tall tales and wishful thinking.
However over the last few years the tone and themes shifted, with discussions becoming more aggressive and personal and fewer of the more wooly (ufo, ghosts, ancient astronaut) topics and more of the rabid political diatribe variety.
This could be put down to a change in the tone of discussion on the internet generally over the past decade or so, but a new breed of "professional" conspiracy commentator (some want to identify as "journalists", I won’t credit them with that) appear to have contributed to this.
With these, gone was the idea of promoting the merits of a single, or group of similar theories, in something vaguely like a civil manner. In its place was the promotion of the idea that this is a world in which seemingly every event, large or small, are signs of a myriad of conspiracies, designed to keep YOU down and YOU out of pocket and YOU should be angry.
These new "shock jocks" of the conspiracy world, such as those who are the subject of Expat's preview post, grab events from the news cycle, turning any disaster, manmade or otherwise, into something ripe for exploit. For some it's for the money, for others it's notoriety or to push a political ideology, but make no mistake, they all want something.
Well the world of conspiracies, like most things in this world, is a competitive one and it's important to keep ahead of the competition. So as time went by, the theories get more lurid and the language gets amped up.
But it's all just harmless theorising isn't it, a guy on YouTube with something to say, just asking questions?
But of course it's not. The outcome of all of this has been that victims of terrible events, get vilified as "actors" and the gullible get drawn into the kind of thinking that leads them to committing criminal acts. This is what happens when those without an ounce of decency between them, make use of something as powerful as ideas.
Finally leading me to the point of this post.
This is why the work of Expat and others in the sceptical community is important, to serve as a rebottle to those that promote incredible, unreasoned, theories, often in a hate filled manner for their own gain.
Words have power, with real world consequences, something which too many people forget.
This isn’t just about special angles, handshakes or visitors from beyond the moon; it's about the very real affect that the promoters of all of this have on people’s lives.
So my thanks to Expat and the others that have helped over the years.
Here’s to another ten.
expat:
Please accept my congratulations on reaching this 10 year milestone.
I have commented previously on my opinion about the choice of topics so won't reiterate, but I believe subjects with more meat on the bones would yield more interest.
For example: I know this topic has been hotly debated here before, and this comment really belongs to the immediately prior topic, but...
You stated:
"...That cuts no ice with me because I do not accept, and never will accept, that any part of the US Government planned and executed the destruction of those towers."
I accept that that is your view. My own view is almost diametrically opposed. I can't give any concrete evidence that the US Government had a direct hand in it, but with the benefit of hindsight, and looking at actions subsequently taken by that same govt, the conclusion is almost (to me, anyway) inescapable. Anyway, you may not wish to re-open that debate, but I'm willing to suggest that if you did, you'd get some of the "numbers" you prefer. But I digress somewhat.
What I wanted to ask is this: leaving out the question of the US Government, to ask the question another way, how do you say the towers were brought down?
You see, I have done quite a bit of looking into the physics and the mechanics of the construction and collapses, and I now say much the same as Architects and Engineers for 911 Truth. It couldn't have happened like it's claimed.
The buildings had to be brought down by very expert, controlled demolitions.
When I first looked into it, (many) various people from A&Ef911T said the collapse times were too short, too close to free fall. At that stage, I didn't understand what the significance of that claim was. Why did that prove it couldn't have happened as reported? Well, now I do understand. It's all to do with gravity, momentum (conservation of), and energy transfer. Good old science!
So, to say that crashing aeroplanes and the resulting fires are the cause is, well, pseudoscience.
What say you?
Mock, mock? Who's there?
Ivan: I agree, this is a deplorable trend in modern communication. As I've written before, I think these conspiradroids just want their followers to believe they are in posession of some secret truth. I didn't mention Michael Salla but he's a classic case. He claims to have knowledge of ultra-top-secret diplomacy between US Govt and extraterrestrials. The obvious question is "If it's so fucking secret, how come you know about it?"
2% - I won't be drawn into a debate about WTC demolition.
2% - actually, I will make one comment without getting into technical matters that neither of us is expert in. Part of what you call "inescapable" logic is:
Tragedy T occurred.
Group G derived collateral benefit from it.
Ergo, G contrived T.
I think that's very escapable.
Congratulations and happy birthday!
If interest in this blog is waning I believe that's no reflection on you or the blog. The people you debunk have had no new ideas for a long time; they just recycle the same tired old shit at different events. You've long debunked their stuff.
Hoagland isn't clever enough to understand anything new, Bara isn't brave enough to stray from the safety of his discredited slide deck and the likes of Morningstar will keep mumbling away on obscure radio streams.
For new material perhaps some of the other hucksters at CITD are making claims worth looking at?
Oh, dear! Not a great way to start the next 10 years.
expat scribbled:
"2% - actually, I will make one comment without getting into technical matters that neither of us is expert in. "
I wasn't asking you to do that. I was purely asking you WHAT (not who) you think caused the towers to disintegrate and fall down.
"Part of what you call "inescapable" logic is:"
Oh, dear. Misquote me, for heaven's sake. It always helps to "win" an argument.
"Tragedy T occurred.
Group G derived collateral benefit from it.
Ergo, G contrived T.
I think that's very escapable."
Yes, of course. That's why I said "almost" inescapable. And it was merely an aside.
Besides, to say "Tragedy T occurred" is to gloss over this. Either way, it was a conspiracy. So, either way, it's the perfect conspiracy theory subject.
The central issue is the SCIENCE, not my suppositions, based on hindsight.
But you don't want to look at the science, claiming it's "too technical" for us. Ergo, you are happy with the popular pseudoscience.
It might be too technical for you, but what proof do you have of your judgement of me? Since you want a watertight argument, please speak for yourself.
I'm very disappointed.
You would have been better simply to leave it at:
"2% - I won't be drawn into a debate about WTC demolition."
At least, that tilts at it being a demolition job, and I would have been happy with that.
You didpshits wouldn't be worth the manure you're made out of, it if weren't for the major contributor who you conveniently omitted from the credits. Happy fucking birthday, dipshits.
Hi there Expat.
I discovered your blog about a year ago.
I've never commented before now, but this post made me realise how sometimes we take our good fortune for granted, and for my good fortune in finding you I wish to rectify this now with a sincere and heartfelt Thank You.
Without hyperbole I can say your blog, among others, holding reason and logic above superstition and delusion, has helped me get my mind and sanity back.
For nearly 35 years I lived in a mind-numbing, suffocating shroud of conspiracy theory.
My world was run by the Illuminati. The NWO battled against us for total control. Government covered up alien interference with Earth for many reasons and in as many conflicting narratives. The air was poisoned with chemtrails, the water with fluoride. Always wary of eating because the GMOs were created to manipulate our minds, to kill us off, to kill the bees, to alter our DNA to give us cancer. The doctors were secretly killing instead of healing us because they were part of the population contol through eugenics. Armegeddon was nigh. Jesus was returning. Nibiru hurtled toward us even while the NWO sprayed stuff in the sky to hide it in the sky. The moon was a hologram and climate change was a lie to keep us terrified.
And you my dear friend, were a paid shill. A witless accomplice to their evil. So fooled as to help them without even realising you would be killed when their evil plans came to fruition.
All of you who spoke of reason, logic, the awe and wonder of the natural world, of science, evolution, the intrisic beauty of the universe, you were all traitors to humanity.
I am better now.
When the first cracks appeared and I glimpsed the light of day shining just beyond my reach I discovered reason, and little bit by little bit these last two years I have immersed myself in science, philosophy, literature, and most of all thinking.
I can now look at the stars and the intricate magnificence of the universe can make me weep.
I had taken the universe for granted too.
Thank You Expat.
You have helped me.
Congrats on the anniversary. I don't comment too much these days, but always keep an eye out with interest for every new post. I'd argue that this kind of work is even more important now than when you started the blog, in these days where Youtube videos and unsourced TV proclamations qualify as "facts" to far too many.
I wouldn't worry too much about the page views. I think we can confidently say that the fall in relevance of this blog's original target has been FAR more precipitous than your own. Best of luck for the next ten years.
Theodora Minsk said...
"You didpshits[sic] wouldn't be worth the manure you're made out of, it if weren't for the major contributor who you conveniently omitted from the credits. Happy fucking birthday, dipshits."
Sorry Theodora, I for one have no idea who you are including in that ad hominem attack. Nor referring to as the neglected major contributor. But don't bother to enlighten us. It can only be you... Or me! ;-) Or Chris.
It's no one's birthday, just the 10 year anniversary of this blog "kicking off".
Don't expect too much, then you won't be disappointed.
"I won't be drawn into a debate about WTC demolition."
I wonder why? Maybe the nearly 3,000 or so architects and engineers [ all with high grade credentials ] to name but a few, who question the so called official rubber-stamped version of the truth also on a scientific bases, are most likely all "conspiradroids who just want their followers to believe they are in posession of some secret truth" in your expert opinion right? And no, you do not have to explain the context in which you used the aforementioned phrase, that would be an insult to your own intelligence.
Or that they are blithering idiots as Mike "the Cartman" Bara likes to phrase it? So you see darling, science is not some sort of business-model or to but it in better terms a snackbar-model, where you can pick and choose you happy meals.
I think not. But please..I gather you are most happy with your safe-space version of science. I remember the topic very vividly about the WTC a while ago. The simple question which I brought to the fore was...Name all the page numbers in the official and final NIST report where one can read all the testimonies of all involved professionals who heard and or saw explosions on that peculiar day in 2001.
To this day...NO ONE came up with the numbers. Therefore, do not be so smug as if you are some kind of cupbearer of science, you really are not. Science can only be real science as long as it is conducted with open and unbiased minds.
Adrian
"But you don't want to look at the science, claiming it's "too technical" for us. Ergo, you are happy with the popular pseudoscience. It might be too technical for you, but what proof do you have of your judgement of me? Since you want a watertight argument, please speak for yourself. I'm very disappointed."
I agree.
and
"....without getting into technical matters that neither of us is expert in"
I surely hope the "us" in that sentence is Pluralis majestatis and some sort of practical joke on your part. If so LOL
But actually I have a sneaking suspicion that you were not horsing around at all with that. So please practice some Pluralis modestiae would you. I really do not mind you're not being an expert in these matters as you admitted so frankly but to state that that the rest of the world isn't either...Well a word comes to mind from a different area of science known as psychology...
Adrian
Daniel - thanks, man
2% - Theadora's just shitting us. At least I sure hope so.
Hi expat,
If you're looking for some new targets, here's an excellent one - if you know a little about electrical machines. This is yet another "Over-Unity Generator", which seem to be all the rage at present. This is complete PS BS. The guy is clueless. I'd be willing to bestow a "Top Mocker" award to the person who writes the simplest, briefest and most understandable explanation for why this is pure, undiluted BS...
His name is Gerard Morin, on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOLnf_gP7K8
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsiwv99k0t62ARYwDuytnjA
Has a bit of a following.
Or don't you go there?
I tried, but I can't understand what he's saying. I mean I can't actually hear the words, not that I hear but don't comprehend. It so happens that I do know a bit about electrical machines.
Too bad! If you can't decipher his speech, I guess others will struggle as well.
He has an odd, European-sounding accent, not sure where from. Dutch-Italian-American?? I'm no expert on accents, but can decipher most of it.
Basically, he knows so little that he doesn't (apparently) know that most simplistically, electrical power is the product of the voltage and the current.
He has two (washing machine, I suppose) "drum" motors on a common shaft. One is the motor, the other acts as a 3-phase generator. He is able to generate sufficient (flea-)power from the generator end to drive the hair drier fan (in Cool mode), possibly at above its rated voltage, judging by the sound, but that is quite distorted which makes him even harder to understand.
He then switches the hair drier to Hot mode, at which point the fan apparently stops (is no longer audible), indicating that this load has effectively short-circuited the "generator".
However, it must still be generating about 10-15 Volts AC, in order to obtain the current reading of about 1.7 Amps, through what I assume is an 1850W, 120V hair drier element (& fan motor).
He then compares (I think) the AC Mains Supply current (about 1.1 Amps) to the motor, with the 1.7 Amps he's getting out of the generator, and proclaims that 1.7(Amps)/1.1(Amps) demonstrates "Over-Unity" power generation!
If only! [In reality, POWER IN would seem to be ~115V x 1.1A (at Unknown Power Factor, assuming 1) => ~125 Watts, while 'power out' is about (estimated 12V) x 1.7 Amps ~= 20 Watts!]
Some of the commenters view it as entertainment, but many seem to take it seriously.
When he's perfected this amazing technology, he's gonna release it to the world for FREE. After he's hopefully collected enough to pay off the $1/4 million he alleges he has invested so far! Not much to show for it, I guess it went on Rent, Food and Clothing... Oh, and Electric Power Bills!
And maybe I misjudge his electrical knowledge...
Sounds all too familiar, wouldn't you agree?
Thanks for that. Hilarious...
Congrats on 10 years expat! Discovered you when you were on Dr. Stu's podcast and have loved you ever since. You even have an honored spot on my tool bar so you are never farther than one-click away. Keep up the good work. Just knowing that you continue to piss off the likes of Bara and Hoagy make my day!
Hey, that's great Alienmojo! Thanks a lot...
I have to back pedal a bit on opinions that I've expressed. While Hoagland stated that recreations were used in the making of, The UFO Diaries, he does qualify that by directing that the original images of the previously unpublished face or faces on Mars, need to be obtained from NASA. Also, someone at Bellgab mentioned that the cut and paste outlines I found in NASA images online, were an artifact of digitization and enlargement. I've experimented with unrelated images, and found that to be the case.
Keep up the good work - as long as there are liars, charlatans and hucksters out there peddling their snake oil to the gullible we need pages like this to point out what frauds they are and why they are wrong.
Of course we've all heard by now, that Art Bell passed away, a couple weeks ago, last Friday The 13th. Now, Richard C. Hoagland & Gary Leggiere, reunite, tonight!
A full review is expected of you, ex Patrick.
__________________________________________________________________________
Mad_Martian
Re: The Other Side of Midnight - Richard C. Hoagland - Live Chat Thread
« Reply #115071 on: Yesterday at 06:00:27 AM »
THE WAR FOR THE TIMELINES!
“THE MARTIAN REVELATION” – with your host Gary "The Mad Martian" Leggiere, directly live on the LNM Radio Network on Saturday night APRIL 28TH, 2018 @ 12AM-3AM EST.
Today's guest is Richard C. Hoagland speaking of THE CITIES OF BARSOOM.
2nd Guest Dr. John Brandenburg
Live/Listen Chatroom: https://discord.gg/Hft4ayK
Show Times:
USA Listeners: 10PM MST — 12AM EST --- 9PM PST
European Listeners: 5AM GMT (UK Timezone) — 6AM (Norway & Central Europe Timezone)
Australiasian Region: 12PM HKT (Hong Kong Timezone) —
2PM AEDT (Australia)
You can listen to The LNM Radio Network 24/7 by going to www.latenightinthemidlands.com or www.lnmradionetwork.com or call to listen live by calling 701-719-9704 or streaming LIVE on Tunein, iTunes, and the Paranormal Live Stream App available from Android App and Itunes store
Note: If you miss a live broadcast, it will be replayed 12hrs after the live airing time on the LNM Radio Network.....
We also archive our shows, which you can access to listen here: https://www.neelyproductionsinc.com/themartianrevelationshow
NO.... BREAK OUT YOUR BOWLS N SMOKE AS YOUR GONNA NEED IT. Enlighten your mind NO XANAX DUMBING DOWN SHIT! For the consciousness change your going to in the least be entertained by. You would also be definitely surprised what Hoagland has allowed.. and think of... WHY???
HISTORY IS NOW CHANGING OVER TO THE NEW TIMELINE WITH THE GAMECHANGER!
A WAR FOR THE TIMELINES IS EXPOSED! ;-)
(You have to listen and follow the past 4 shows to understand this show.... Juss sayin... WE... CAN USE YOUR SUPPORT!)
This is my WOLF MOON....
Puff Puff Passssss this along! ;-)
AS THE MARTIAN REVELATION... COMETHS!! ;-)
http://bellgab.com/index.php?topic=8014.msg1187766#msg1187766
For THREE HOURS??? No way.
I thought the Reviler and the Hoaxter hate each other?
HISTORY IS NOW CHANGING OVER TO THE NEW TIMELINE WITH THE GAMECHANGER!
It is not a game. I will not listen anyway. Cringe-fest!
Hello old friend. In our China people like Hoagland and Bara are irrelevant. These people are not allowed a platform. Which is bad form. I read this blog as much as my vpn will allow. Oftentimes it is difficult to connect.
Oh and a personal message to Concannon......Bro, you have no idea about the disgusting food items I have become accustomed to. ��
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