The UFO phenomenon continues as a mystery, unabated.
Although some so-called researchers have spent their life-times studying the phenomenon, these “researchers” have come nowhere close to resolving any aspect of the UFO phenomenon.
Not an iota of understanding or tangible hypothesis has evolved over the sixty years plus of UFO study by a small group of UFO die-hards, who like to pretend research credibility by labeling their hobby “ufology.”
The resident hang-out for this moldering group of UFO devotees is UFO UpDates, called “The List” by habitués of the shop-worn web-site.
A visit to The List will show you that the left-over and left-out members of “ufology” try to one-up other members with attempts at faux-expertise; that is, members strive mightily to show that they have some expertise about something: aircraft, chemistry, photography, et cetera – all things that have little or nothing to do with the intrinsic UFO riddle.
Elder statesmen of the concocted “science of ufology” hope to create a legacy of some kind for the futile and fruitless endeavors over the years.
Jerome Clark, for instance, hangs his hat on the rubric “UFO Historian” – a sad commentary for one’s career or life.
Stanton Friedman, a well-known UFO spokesperson has been relegated to defending his obtuse views about UFOs and various elements of the foolish study called ufology.
Bruce Maccabee, a Naval insider, uses The List to showcase his knowledge – limited knowledge we note – of UFO photography that has shown up over the years.
Don Ledger is a pilot, who likes to correct Listers when they wax eloquently but incorrectly about airfoils and things that fly in the sky.
When a topic arrives at UFO UpDates, it’s never ignored, but always flailed by someone who uses the topic to back-bite others or to showcase a pretense at scholarship about something.
No topic is ever debated on its merits, or efficacy. The List is all about ego and self-promotion.
What’s even sadder is that the small contingent of UFO mavens who still use UpDates for a presence in the UFO community have no idea how ridiculous their ramblings are to outsiders who look at UFOs in the context of wider realities or surrealities.
Over the years, The List has accumulated more UFO rot than any other UFO site in existence.
The surfeit of blather is astounding, for its faux seriousness and ludicrous patina, as academics and true scientists see the thing.
We continue to refer to the group that maintains a presence at UFO UpDates, The List, as UFO Geezers: a group of has-beens or never-weres who represent nothing worthwhile within the legitimate study of UFOs.
This group of pathetic UFO hobbyists are in the final stages of life, thankfully, whose passings will leave open the door of UFO study for real peer review by persons who are less inclined to defend their smarmy, egotistical wasted lives and pursue a mystery that evokes true awe in the human mind.
8 comments:
Although not really connected with your remarks, have you noticed, in the MUFON literature (Proceedings of past MUFON conferences) how they devote two or three pages to their "Advisory Board of Consultants" who are listed, all with doctorates or other advanced degrees I believe, as experts in this or that?
In the 1986 & 87 cons. there were three such persons, listed as consultants, one in veterinary medicine, one in entomology and one in plant physiology!
I presume these were inserted to give MUFON an air of respectability to outsiders. But I do wonder whether these three (or any others for that matter) ever did any real consulting.
Guess who the consultant in nuclear physics was. No prizes for the answer.
CDA:
That's funny....
Of course, Friedman has milked his "nuclear physicist" mantle for years, even though he forsake that career for the "loftier" one of ufologist long ago.
What the heck is wrong with guys like him and Jerry Clark?
They are both smart guys who'd rather be part of the UFO laughingstock than men with legitimate careers with, eventually, a noteworthy legacy.
RR
"Of course, Friedman has milked his "nuclear physicist" mantle for years, even though he forsake that career for the "loftier" one of ufologist long ago."
http://www.ufotv.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/U435-BIG.jpg
Hey, it's a neat cover!
So we now have Nuclear Physicist Stanton T.Friedman's double DVD set FLYING SAUCERS ARE REAL.
In 1950 we had the non-physicist Donald E.Keyhoe's paperback FLYING SAUCERS ARE REAL. (Keyhoe was an ex-aviator and journalist, but was reluctant to put this on his book covers)
Identical titles, so are we to assume there has been no progress in ufology in 60 years?
Incidentally, is there anyone else in the whole of ufology who consistently uses his description/occupation
on everything he writes or produces? I am curious to know.
CDA:
When I saw the title, I thought Friedman was trying to link himself with Keyhoe who, despite some alleged shortcomings, has gravitas with UFO aficionados.
Friedman is a good guy, as I note elsewhere, but his ET fixation has skewed the UFO story in ways that have marred any real evaluation as to what the phenomenon might be.
(And, as you, Gilles Fernandez, and I, among others note, his foray into the Roswell incident has egregiously tainted witness testimony.)
Friedman has an agenda, and that agenda isn't bolstered by objectivity, unfortunately.
RR
I've been personally stupid enough to engage in conversation on this list...it's a mistake I won't soon make again.
Jerome Clark with bitch-slap you for suggesting alternate theories on what UFOs might represent, all the while telling you, that the notion of backlash for suggesting such theories is ridiculous.
"Friedman is a good guy, as I note elsewhere, but his ET fixation has skewed the UFO story in ways that have marred any real evaluation as to what the phenomenon might be."
I don't think anyone understands the UFO market better than Friedman and he gives the people what they want.
I know there are some folks who are bored with ETH, but I'm not one of them. The exo-planet hunt reached 500 today. That is an extraordinary benchmark and we are only scratching the surface.
FS:
Yes, the ET hypothesis is a good one, but as we note elsewhere, why would an inter-stellar race show up here when there are so many other awe-inspriring places in the Milky Way let alone the Universe that draw one's attention?
If you posit that it's because we humans are here, that flies in the face of the implied other civilizations that your 500 exo-planets allow.
I, personally, like the extraterrestrial scenario, but it, alone, doesn't quite explain the UFO phenomenon for me.
Friedman's ET predilection belies his facade as an objective scientist is what we're saying here.
RR
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