The UFO "Classics"

There is an argument amongst those involved in the whole Bigfoot/Sasquatch field (often a scream at each other field): the famous Patterson-Gimlin footage taken in 1967 has been argued over, point and counterpoint made and after over 50 years it has come down to name-calling.  You can only analyse one short piece of footage so many times -books, documentaries -several forests were felled to make the paper for all the "Patty" writings and there has to be one huge film library somewhere to store all the tapes.

The point is this: there are other cases. However, the "safety net" are the classics -even the dubious ones but, the public are schmucks and will believe what they are told by the experts, right?  Several "Bigfooters" have made the point that the subject has to move on and look at newer cases and new evidence.  Some, like Rictor Riolo, have pointed out that the TV shows and Bigfoot has become entertainment pure and simple.  He may get screamed art, called all sorts of names but there are prominent voices who agree with him -and they tend to either be solo researchers or part of a small team of  up to three trusted people.

I first started reading about flying saucers, ghosts and sea monsters when I was at school and I became a knowledgeable investigator of "weird stuff" after leaving school in 1974.  My late father once said loudly "Him and these UFOs. It's only a fad that'll pass soon".  I think my mother knew better. Some 40 odd years later the 'fad' continues!

TV shows, documentaries, magazine and newspaper articles and lords know how many books I've read over the years but there is one thing I have noticed -hard not to notice because it hits you like a clenched fist: "The Classics".  Yes, ghosts and the paranormal, unknown sea creatures, flying saucers are all alike in that the "Classics" from each field are repeated ad nausem.  Even the cases proved hoaxes are given new life following "I said it was a hoax to avoid attention....then admitted it was not a hoax and then said it was...now I'm here to tell you it was not a hoax"  -you have to ask the rhetorical question:how dumb can people be?

For UFOs it is the said list:

1947  Kenneth Arnold ushering in "The Modern Age of Flying Saucers"
1947  The Maury Island case -often listed as "The Maury Island Hoax" but what's a hoax, right?
1948  Captain Mantell  -no flying saucer was involved it was pilot error.
1971  The Delphos (Kansas) Ring trace case
1973   Coyne Helicopter case

Those are the main ones though there are a few others  but you are probably looking at 10 that are constantly regurgitated -UFO Hunters, the TV series promoted cases as real including the Maury Island hoax.  Probably the last "Classic" was the 1986 Japan Air Lines flight 1628 incident.  Those are the UFO sightings cases (Ted Phillips has indicated that the young witness at Delphos may have experienced missing time -which has only been highlighted over the last few years?!).

When it comes to CE3K/AE cases we have the "usual suspects":

1952   Flatwoods, Virginia
1955   Kelly, Kentucky
1961   Betty and Barney Hill, White Mountains, Washington
1964   Cisco Grove, California
1973   Pascagoula, Mississippi
1975   Heber, Arizona
1976   Liberty, Kentucky


Valensole and Quarouble, Arc Sous Cicon, Cussac, France, Villa Santina, Italy, Sao Francisco de Sales, Brazil, Boianai, PNG, and many others are not noted because (1) they were outside the United States and, (2) todays ufologists do not study or read up on the subject other than modern abduction books by Hopkins, Jacobs and Streiber because "We all know its Greys/Tall Whites abducting millions and the US of A is the most important country" (again, another quote).

When you depend on TV shows to bring you up-to-date or for information for your talks it is no wonder I used to sit there and watch and keep mumbling "Wrong date. That's wrong.  That never happened" and so much more.  Re-inventing cases to bust that dollar total by re-inventing the truth so that now every case involved a giant lizard man on a floating platforms, Greys or "It was all a screen image put into their minds by the Greys" means that you are not credible. You are an entertainer and a very bad one at that (but notice how the suits and "styling" get far more expensive as the lectures and TV show appearances progress: great for the bank account but not real science or research).

Ufologists and debunkers still argue about Arnold, Mantell, Flatwoods, Kelly and other classics and both sides consistently lie.

If Bigfooters are being told "Give up on the Patty footage -it's been fifty years!" what should serious ufologists be saying about cases older than that -the Arnold sighting was 70 years ago and it was just that: a sighting from a distance of what might have been unknown/known objects.

I have found case after case from the past few decades that are never touched on.  Some are just 2-6 lines repeated ad nauseum alongside the hoaxes and others but these are not all conveniently gathered together in a source you can crib from or cut and paste from (I mean, a ufologist having to stressed out over re-typing something!).  True, a lot took place outside of the United States which relegates them to "not that significant" but, perhaps, it's time we showed the Slick Jims how it is done?  They are there for cheap entertainment after all not to muddy boots or work through research work early into the mornings.  No amount of Botox is going to hide the weary face or bags under the eyes when you are in front of TV cameras.  The old cry of "My research is everything!" was long ago replaced by "My left side is the most photogenic -film from that side!"

It's lucky I am not here to make friends!

Constantly going back to "Classics" is tantamount to declaring that the subject has hit a steel reinforced concrete wall -it has not.  As always, I welcome contact from any serious researchers / investigators and I am quite sure that there have been reports of CE3Ks out there where no "Grey" was seen.

Now, until some mysterious financial benefactor contacts me, I have work to do.