When Flying Saucers Attack!

[Mike Covell]

Philip Klass passed away in Florida on August 9th 2005.
He was a strong voice against UFO's but the scene needed that to keep all the saucer heads, level headed!

In the 60's Klass offered $10,000 to anyone who could,
1, From the National Academy of Sciences could provide a piece of UFO debris,
2, From the National Academy of Sciences could state officially that that conclusive evidence had been gathered to prove the ET Hypothesis,
3, A real Alien could appear before the General Assembly of the UN and on TV.

No one claimed the prize!

[Doctor X]

It was money in the bank.

I wish I could reproduce the rant Harlan Ellison had on alien abductions. It was on the SciFi channel . . . back when it showed science fiction. However, he recognized that any travel by an alien race would "break known physics laws" so at least require a lot of resources. To my recollection:

I am told that one and five Americans think they have suffered an alien abduction. That means something like 40 million people have had their rectums probed. Think of that. They believe that some species has spent whatever gazillions of quatloos or credits, to break the laws of physics to travel the vast distances, all to come and examine your rectum! And they have done this millions of time! I don't know about you, but one or two examinations would remove all intellectual curiosity about the human rectum!

The original is much better. It also highlights the major problem with UFOs--the break the laws of physics. One then has to appeal to ignorance: that . . . yeah . . . somehow . . . one can break the laws of physics.

It also demonstrates how popular media has influenced and shaped such thinking. As certain stories became popular, they shape the hallucination.

I suffer--if it merits the term--sleep paralysis about once or twice a year. Generally, it has been the "night hag." As with the "alien abductions" I fall back to sleep. Have to love those hallucinations. Anyways, the last time it was Yamamura Sadako. . . .

. . . fortunately, she did not look at me.



--J.D.

[Mike Covell]

Sleep Paralysis dates back centuries with myths and legends involving the Incubus and Sucubus, and I think everyone at some point undergoes it!

I remember years ago when I was about 14 and living at home, I used to be awake, but would "sleep walk" to the bathroom, and back to my room.
I knew it was happening, but could not control muy body, and my parents used to be trying to wake me up, but I could not speak or move!

God knows what it was, but my folks were pretty worried, after a few months I seemed to grow out of it.

Each attack was always accompanied by a ringing in my ears, medical tests proved everything was fine.

[Doctor X]

Well, it is simply a problem of being somewhat awake while your voluntary muscles are still paralyzed. My FAVORITE example--not sleep paralysis--was during a particularly boring lecture.

The Nina attacked!

Hate them damn Ninja! Grabbed the closest one by the throat--get inside, you see, cannot cut you with those useless straight ken!--pulled back, and attempted to boshiken his head to the Moon . . .

. . .

. . . and promptly "punched" myself into the aisle.

No one noticed. Most were also asleep!

Anyways, the brain is designed, in a way, to "fill in" gaps. This is why you can induce all sorts of "abductions" and the like. The first thing that happens in sleep paralysis is you try to breath/scream which, of course, you cannot. You are not out of breath of course--you were breathing. You just cannot activate the voluntary muscles.

The brain--in that highly suggestive state you are in--will fill in the rest.

I suppose I can find a linkypoo on it. The kicker is one falls back to sleep. As on commentator put it, if you woke to discover an alien or a hag sitting on your chest, or having been rectal probed, would you go back to sleep?

Yours insomniacly,

--J.D.

[sdreid]

I criticized Nixon for doing nothing but sitting back and just taking it with some occasional begging.

Yes, trying that in the Middle East is exactly what we should have done. That's how you get people's attention.

If your policy is to do nothing then that's exactly what you'll get.

[Doctor X]

Yes, trying that in the Middle East is exactly what we should have done. That's how you get people's attention.

Well, mass thermonuclear genocide does have away of attracting attention.

Does not get you control of oil.

So, specifically, how do you do it?

--J.D.

[sdreid]

I already said by regime change like we did in other countries if the mind change didn't work.

The Soviets wouldn't have done anything. They didn't even do anything when we were bombing the hell out of one of their communist allies.

[Doctor X]

I already said by regime change like we did in other countries if the mind change didn't work.

Mind change did not work.

How will you effect this "regime change" such as it will make the oil flow?

The Soviets wouldn't have done anything. They didn't even do anything when we were bombing the hell out of one of their communist allies.

What ally? I think you mistake the relative importance a country holds for control of oil production and distribution and . . . well . . . some rice and rats.

Saying the "Soviet's wouldn't have done anything" is akin to me claiming Nicole Kidman's bodyguards "wouldn't done anything" when I climbed that wall. . . .

--J.D.

[Doctor X]

. . . I mean, you do realize you are arguing for massive military action--probably requiring weapons of actual mass destruction, right on the Soviet Union's southern border, yes?

Do you recall how the Soviets reacted to Prague during springtime? Poland after the time-period you consider?

--J.D.

[sdreid]

No, the actions would chiefly be covert such as support for insurrection which could also involve sabotage and this would make their lives miserable as well as unpopular with the citizens. They'd likely get the message even before any regimes changed but that would be the chief card if necessary.

Vietnam was an ally. The Soviets didn't need the oil. They had their own

[Doctor X]

No, the actions would chiefly be covert such as support for insurrection which could also involve sabotage and this would make their lives miserable as well as unpopular with the citizens.

Which takes years and would fail to solve the problem. It also will not gain control of the oil.

Next idea?

They'd likely get the message. . . .

Have not in 40+ years of trying.

Next idea?

Vietnam was an ally.

And Middle East countries were not?

The Soviets didn't need the oil. They had their own

Wrong.

--J.D.

[Doctor X]

. . . and you do not suppose that, say, some like, you know, Arab "terrorists/resistance fighters" might not . . . you know . . . sabotage back?

Might ruin that chance at solving the oil embargo? Might ruin that chance to control the oil? You know, it does not take much to break a pipe-line.

--J.D.

[sdreid]

If doing nothing is your idea then you should be happy because that's basically what we did. One thing for sure, what you never try will never work. We wouldn't be gaining control of the oil, only returning to the pre-embargo.

[Doctor X]

. . . and another thing!

I understand the USSR was a net exporter, but they rather enjoyed the profits the embargo produced, would need to shift to import based on need--such as their military necessarily having to meet the sudden threat on their Southern border, et cetera.

To think the USSR would just sit there while the US conquered the Middle East--"covert/regime change"--is not going to gain control of the oil--is, with all due respect, magical thinking.

And stuff.

--J.D.

[Doctor X]

If doing nothing is your idea then you should be happy because that's basically what we did.

Wrong. You are committing a fallacy [No Latin!--Ed.] where you are excluding the middle. You have created an "either/or" that does not apply to the situation: "do nothing" and "conquer the Middle East." You cited this as a better reason to impeach Nixon. Just does not work. You may dislike the effects or this tactic or that tactic, but your extreme alternative fails as well with huge very real costs that could have included triggering WWIII.

One thing for sure, what you never try will never work.

Your "plans" certainly would not. That, along with their obvious negative effects, prove a good reason not to "try them."

--J.D.