A discussion/glimpse/candid view of ufology from my own personal perspective.
18 July 2003Okay, I give in! After an absence of several years, The Swamp Gas Journal is back, albeit in a slightly different format than before. It's amazing to me how I started writing and publishing a zine about my study and work in ufology back in 1978, first as a manually-cranked Gestetner newsletter, then photocopied, then computer typeset and then completely online.
Life got a bit busy in the late 1980s, and publishing was far too expensive a proposition after a while. But then the Internet took hold of publishing, and voila! BLOGs were born.
This first entry is a kind of test. I don't know how often I'll be able to update things, but it's a start. People have been asking me for years to revive the Swamp Gas Journal, and to publish something which conveyed my view of ufology, and this pseudo-BLOG may enable that at long last.
So, hello, and welcome back to my world!
I have now uploaded and linked a new section on my main web page, making available all the issues of the Swamp Gas Journal that are in electronic format. It turns out that there are about 15 or so, more than I thought. Geoff Dittman reminded me that there are many other articles of mine which would be important and of use to new ufologists today. I do have many of these in electronic format, so it would just be a matter of finding them in whatever directories they ended up in, uploading them, creating pages for them and editing them with some formatting. In other words, don't hold your breath.
I received two new reports today. One came via the highly overworked and underpaid Brian Vike, concerning a sighting in Toronto on July 17. The other came to me directly from a witness who reported her own plus another sighting this month near Portage la Prairie. They sounded similar to the "little Charlie" sightings common in the same area in the 1970s. These were mostly LATERs (Lights At The End of the Road), a self-explanatory category of UFO.
Okay, now you know why it's a "pseudoblog." I haven't had time to update this in how many months? Hmmm.
Yet... nothing Earth-shattering has transpired. The aliens haven't landed on the White House lawn, dropped in for tea on Sussex Drive or Downing Street or anything like that.
Personally, I was cautiously optimistic when I got a copy of Magnificent Obsessions in the mail. I've been on lots of TV shows before, and the majority turned out to be real turkeys. Somewhere between shooting the video and the editing and the airing, most UFO TV shows end up making the topic or the "experts" (or both) look rather foolish. Not that it's not warranted in some cases, but when I know I haven't said anything inaccurate or outlandish and you see is a five-second clip of me saying "Aliens certainly seem to be real" whereas I actually said "Aliens certainly seem to be real to people who create them in their minds"... then I get pretty cynical and annoyed.
But when I actually viewed the Magificent Obsessions program (title: "UFO Hunter"), I was pleasantly surprised. They captured the essence of how UFO case investigation occurs: through a lot of talking with people, waiting in airports, editing notes on planes, driving along unfamiliar roads to meet with UFO witnesses and then listening to them as they tell their stories. There were some good sequences with me meeting Brian Vike in Smithers, BC, and having him guide me around to meet with witnesses. A visit with Stan Friedman in New Brunswick, walking in his front door and commenting on the weather as we prepapre to discuss reasons why UFOs are still a hot topic for conversation. Studio work with me against a chromakey screen, discovering only now that I was surrounded by hovering flying saucers. And a very weird but interestingly edited conversation with Errol Bruce-Knapp of Strange Days Indeed, showing me in my kitchen in Winnipeg making an apparent video guest appearance on his radio program in Toronto.
Yet, all in all, it was a good show. I even called the producer, Noah Erenberg, to compliment his work. The show is Magnificent Obsessions, and the episode is "UFO Hunter." It premieres on Saturday, November 8, 2003, at 7:30 pm CST on the LIfe Network.
Note: I'm much more good looking and much thinner than I appear on TV. And yes, they really did film me on the plane. If you really want to be embarrassed, try having a complete film crew with boom mike, lights, video and film cameras set up to film you on a comercial airline flight at 30,000 feet over the Rockies, with the rest of the passengers staring at you and wondering who the heck you are. I guess they never throught they'd see a guy who looked so much like Russell Crowe on their Air Canada flight.
I can't find my copy of The UFO Files by Palmiro Campagna (Stoddart, 1997). I know I had one, because I was mentioned in it in the context of my assessment of the Falcon Lake UFO case, and I as a matter of course collect everything in print about that case. Campagna opined that the incident was very likely an observation of a secret AVRO-type craft, with which I disagree strongly for a number of reasons, but that's a topic for a later bLog entry.
I had wanted the book because I wanted to see what Campagna had to say about the Falconbridge UFO case in which a UFO was seen over an air force base. His book was written based on official DND and DOT records, so it seemed logical to look there before I began writing a review of the case for a project I'm working on. I searched my library for my copy of the book, but couldn't find it anywhere. What's puzzling is that the book is not listed in my personal library catalogue, although I know I did have it at one point. That must mean it's been gone a long time.
I eventually took the book out of the public library. I was surprised to find no mention of Falconbridge in there at all. Lots of stuff about Project Magnet, lots on the Michalak case, lots on AVROcars, but little on military UFO cases in Canada. Obviously, it's all up to me for putting in my next book.
I thought I'd update my personal library catalogue and comment on tiems that I have added over the past few months. So, without further ado, here's the list of:
New Books in the UFOROM Library as of November 14, 2003
Asimov, Isaac, et al., editors Flying Saucers
Fawcett Crest, NY 1982
pb 350pp
A collection of short stories by various writers and one essay by
Asimov,
all about aliens and UFOs.
Bell, Art and Strieber, Whitley The Coming Global Superstorm
Pocket Books, Toronto 1999
hc 258pp
Neither one is a scientist. Neither one is a climatologist. But that
didn't stop these two from working together on a book about a global
warming disaster catastrophe that is about to occur - any day now. One
author contributed every second chapter as a science fiction short
story,
built on the other's alternate chapters that detail scientific evidence
(and conjecture) that climate change has occurred and will occur again
soon.
Cohen, Daniel Missing! Stories of Strange Disappearances
Dodd, Mead, NY 1979
hc 112pp
A kids book detailing some classic mysteries of people or things that
seemed to vanish, like Judge Crater, the Mary Celeste and Flight 19,
with
a UFO connection. Cohen's light writing style is easy to read, and a
good
overview for young Forteans.
Cohen, Daniel Carl Sagan: Superstar Scientist
Dodd, Mead, NY 1987
hc 168pp
Written before Sagan's death, Cohen's biography gushes about Sagan's
pioneering, pop science style and why he epitomized a true scientist.
The
chapter on UFOs and Velikovsky rightly points out that Sagan actually
spearheaded scientific discussion about UFOs but fails to mention he
never
actually investigated any cases himself.
Coonts, Stephen Saucer
St. Martin's, NY 2003
pb 340pp
Publisher's Weekly and the New York Times Book Review both gush about
how
great Coonts' books are, and the covers and inside frontispieces are
full
of accolades for this and others of his books. That should have been a
tip-off. This is possibly the dumbest work of saucer fiction I have read
in a long time. The plot is silly, the writing shows a remarkable lack
of
knowledge about the UFO scene and the characters' dialogue and actions
are
completely implausible. The story has something to do with a saucer
found
by archaeologists in the Sahara and an evil millionaire in Australia
battling the American military to steal it from the good guys. I lament
the trees which died for this cause.
Heaps, Leo Operation Morning Light
Paddington Press, NY 1978
hc 208pp
A very detailed, but highly readable account of the recovery of Cosmos
954
after it fell into what is now Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in
January 1978. Heaps had excellent cooperation from the Department of
National Defense and NORAD in compiling this fascinating look inside a
major military recovery operation.
Howe, Linda Moulton Mysterious Lights and Crop Circles
Paper Chase Press, NY 2001
pb 342pp
Howe continues her wide-eyed and breathless survey of crop circles
around
the world, with stories of UFOs, ancient mounds and mysticism thrown in
for good measure. She never really takes seriously the possibility that
some formations could be hoaxes or that odd patches of light in
tourists'
photos could be lens flares or other effects.
Keith, Jim Black Helicopters II: The Endgame Strategy
IllumniNet Press, Liburn, GA 1997
pb 208pp
A diatribe about the New World Order and how the Government has been
controlling us all and secretly abducting us and mutilating cattle with
black helicopters often mistaken for UFOs. For conspiracy lovers only.
Nixon, Neil The Pocket Essential UFOs
Hertshire, England 2002
pb 96pp
Thin little book giving a brief overview of the UFO scene, even citing
me
at one point!
Pellegrino, Charles Unearthing Atlantis: An archaeological Odyssey
Random House, NY 1991
hc 326pp
With an introduction by Arthur C. Clarke, the author gives evidence that
Atlantis was actually Crete. Written in a strange, story-telling style,
this book can bore even the most ardent Atlantean scholar.
Sullivan, Robert Atlantis Rising
Simon & Shuster, NY 1999
hc 96pp
Billed as "The True Story of a Submerged Land, Yesterday and Today,"
this
coffee table book attracted buyers (and me) by its sleek design and
outstanding illustrations. (It was also on sale at a very low price.)
The
downside: it's absurd. Incredibly, Sullivan attempts to prove that not
only was Atlantis real, but they have survived all these years by
instantaneously evolving into mer-people as their city sunk below the
waves. I'd like to believe that the book is only a satire.
Thorne, Ian Bigfoot
Crestwood House, Mankato, MN 1979
hc 48pp
A kids book about bigfoot and yeti and some of the reasons why it's not
a
gorilla or Neanderthal. Leaves the entire question open at the end. Nice
photos and illustrations.
Von Daniken, Erich Odyssey of the Gods
Element Books, Boston 2000
hc 166pp
With extensive translation of Plato's Dialogues, Von Daniken goes off in
search of Atlantis and finds it in Greece, but built with the aid of
aliens. Definitely having fun with his fame and trade, his photos even
have him mugging for the camera.
Von Daniken, Erich The Stones of Kiribati
Souvenir Press, London 1982
hc 268pp
This book can be best read as an entertaining travelogue, as Von Daniken
wades through swamps and cesspools, pulling his Land Rover out of mud,
and
battling incompetent guides, lazy bureaucrats and shysters out to take
advantage of him. The stories of how he goes to great length to follow
up
obscure leads about sacred stones and patches of dirt in remote places,
only to eventually find out there was nothing to the rumours at all, are
full of descriptions of the people he meets, has dinner with and is led
on
wild goose chases by, and are absolutely hilarious.
Well, Mike McDonald and his crew from Halifax were at my house yesterday, filming me for his UFO show about UFOs in Canada. He seemed like a nice guy and his crew were very professional, dealing with time constraints, a cramped set (my library) and cab drivers who had no idea where St. Norbert is located.
I have to admit, Mike threw me off with a few questions. He at one point asked me, "So, what do you think of Wilbur Smith and his channelling stuff with AFFA?" Fortunately, most of his questions had to do with the development of Canadian ufology and its relation to American military UFO investigations such as Blue Book and Sign. The bad news is that I'm not into document retrieval that much and could only offer my opinions based on what I'd read. They had already spoken with Stan Friedman but were somehoe unable to connect with Grant Cameron, both of whom are more expert in this field than I.
Mike also asked about what he considered key UFO cases in Canada. Some, like Falcon Lake and Shag Harbour, were easy enough to discuss. (Of course, my rather Thomaslike view of Shag Harbour might be off-putting to some.) Others, like, "What do you think of the Bell Island case?" made me wonder.
Mike explained to me that the first hour of the show would start with 1967 as a pivitol year in ufology. ("Why?" "I dunno.") Then, it would go back to 1947 and work its way back to 1967 through Sign, Blue Book, Smith, etc. In teh second hour, the focus would be on major cases, newer developments like abduction cases and an introspection of teh state of ufology today. Yes, you'll get to hear what I really think of ufology. No, you won't be surprised.
All in all, it was a good shoot. Just recovering from the flu and not being focused because of some non-UFO matters, I may not have given the best interview and may have been off on some comments, but hey - that's showbiz. Good luck to Mike on his project. I look forward to seeing it in the Summer of 2004.
Ya gotta love it. Someone told me that the segments on Creepy Canada for which I was filmed had started airing, but of course I don't get the Discovery Channel, so I can't see them. But the Manipogo story was apparently on already and was said to be good. So, I went to the Creepy Canada website and looked up the show that included Manipogo. The writeup begins: "Manipogo Lake Monster: Deep in Lake Winnipeg, there lives Canada's own version of the Loch Ness monster..." Aaaargghh! Wrong, wrong, wrong! As Fortean readers will know, Manipogo is in Lake *Manitoba", not Lake Winnipeg, and it's a rather shallow lake, to tell the truth.
An upcoming episode is slated to feature the Hamilton Archives, upon which I was also asked to comment. Later in the season, "The Falcon Lake Landing" is scheduled, too. Then, Mallard Lodge (also on Lake Manitoba) and its ghost is featured, while the ghost of the Hotel Fort Garry is in a segment of the season finale. The Walker theatre is in there someplace as well.
All in all, a good representation of Manitoba in terms of ghosts an weirdness in Canada.
I just had to put this here so that I don't forget it. I found a great comment and observation in a SF discussion group. The first part is supposed to have been said by a famous physicist, but the second part is apparently original. To wit:
Time exists so that everything doesn't happen all at once.
Space exists so that it doesn't all happen to you.
Great stuff.
I've been working on the 2003 UFO Survey data, and have now entered up to the end of August, with about 345 cases so far. If the rate continues, we'll be over 500 cases by the end of the year, up significantly over last year. But I still have not included any cases from Brian Vike's list of reports from July 27/28, which are said to number more than 100. This realization could mean we're looking at another huge increase in UFO reports for Canada.
Now, part of this increase is that I'm adding in all bolide and fireball reports from MIAC and the meterorobs list. This may seem inappropriate to some people, so let me describe why I'm doing it this way.
First of all, fireballs and bolides have always been part of Canadian UFO data. They were always included in the NRC reports, even in the "Non-Meteoric" Files. Second, for the past few years, I've been including fireball reports from MIAC as a matter of course. I'm just looking harder for bolide reports now. I didn't realize until today, for example, that my old friend Don Hladiuk of the RASC in Calgary runs an all-sky camera that often records fireballs, and posts videos of them on the web. Another point is that MIAC sometimes lists "fireballs" in its monthly lists that don't seem to be fireballs at all - like one this year that was observed for 10 minutes.
The downside of this is that we will suddenly have many more "Explained" UFOs in the Canadian UFO Survey this year. The percentage of Unknowns will therefore drop a bit, and this may give some people concern. But what the heck, it's just the way things are.
Yesterday, I was walking outside a small strip mall in south Winnipeg when I passed a video store. Having a few minutes to kill, I went in and browsed the racks. I soon realized that about half of the titles in the store were East Indian movies, nearly all in Hindi or Punjabi. This was a Bollywood goldmine, to be sure. I was about to walk out when I saw, exactly at eye level, on the "New Titles" display, the DVD box titled "Koi...Mil Gaya."
Now, I realize this wouldn't have clicked for most people, but then, I will have to admit I have pretty eccentric taste. This was one movie I had to have! You see, Koi...Mil Gaya (which means, apparently, something like "Now that I've found you") is a Bollywood movie starring some of India's best and hottest actors - and it's all about UFOs and aliens. I had heard about it several months ago and discussed it in some forums, but never thought I'd ever see a copy. I took out a membership in the little store and paid my two dollars for the rental. I watched the movie later in the evening when most of my family wasn't around so they weren't forced to watch it too. I turned on the English subtitles, although I realized soon into the movie that there was enough English injected in the dialogue that it probably wasn't necessary.
It's hard to describe Koi...Mil Gaya. Imagine The Sound of Music meets E.T., with the lead played by Jim Carrey or Jerry Lewis. Yes, it's a musical, and this makes it the only UFO movie musical I can think of. (Unless you count The Rocky Horror Picture Show.) It's also a romantic comedy, an X-Files episode, and a Nickelodeon-ish kids flick that delivers a message about acceptance and an appreciation of life. The scenery and cinematography are fanstastic, and the dance sequences are choreographed well, even including special effects and actors on a lot of wires, with tributes to Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire musicals. But good grief, is it ever silly!
The story brings together bits of many other movies, borrowing heavily from practically ever genre. Follow this plot: a scientist (in Canada!) makes contact with aliens using 1980s computer technology and CE3K-like tones. His scientist colleagues, of course, don't beleive him. Later, while driving along an isolated highway with his pregnant wife, a UFO buzzes them and he crashes. He's killed and his wife is injured, causing brain damage to her unborn child. She moves to India and raises her son, Rohi, to manhood, although he has the mind of a child. He hangs around with the young kids in his grade 6 class and accidentally meets Nisha, a gorgeous woman who just wants to party. The local jock/bully intervenes and our boy loses his girl. But when they get together again, he inadvertently contacts the aliens again with a Commodore 64 and they arrive, much to the Keystone-Kop-like antics and consternation of the local police and army officials. One alien is left behind, a cute little ET named Jaadoo, who resembles a blue Tele-Tubbie. He can cure injuries and levitate people and stuff like that, like My Favorite Martian. There's even an astoundingly silly basketball game in which the kids are pitted againt the bullies, and the alien helps them out with magical powers. Oh, and did I mention the musical dance number with Jaadoo and the kids? Nisha falls madly in love with Rohi, despite his mental disability. However, Jaadoo "cures" Rohi's slowness and he is instantly transformed into a genius, a super-athlete and a disco dance king. There's a bicycle-and-alien-in-a-bag flying sequence that must surely violate some kind of copyright. Rohi escapes a hail of bullets and police as he rescues Jaadoo with his newfound superhuman speed and agility. He saves Jaadoo from the bad guys and helps him get back to his spaceship, but Jaadoo takes away his powers when he leaves for space. (or does he?) Rohi is arrested because he stole the alien from under the army's noses (in one scene, almost literally). But in the end he is exonerated and the boy and girl live happily ever after.
Its website is: www.koimilgayathefilm.com
Hoo-boy! Let's see Spielberg top that one!