Info-ParaNet Newsletters, Number 68 Saturday, October 28th 1989 Today's Topics: Grammar and Paranet's credibility Re: Roswell Incident Re: Unsolved Mysteries Re: Roswell Incident Re: New Member Grammar and Paranet's credibility Re: Black Abductees Re: Oklahoma Sightings Re: Grammar And Paranet's Credibility FAA listings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: postmaster Subject: Grammar and Paranet's credibility Date: 27 Oct 89 14:20:07 GMT >From: Tom Betz From: JUDY STEIN Read: NO Subj: The Roswell Incident - 1 Conf: (109) Beyond ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tom, I find these reports from ParaNet fascinating. I'd like to make one point about them, though: the quality of the writing and organization is so poor as to detract seriously from their credibility. Granted, these days even many intelligent and well-educated folks don't have the best English skills, but a group devoted to promoting the reality of an inherently unbelievable phenomenon needs to take special pains to sound professional. For instance: "[Schmitt] enlisted the aid of former Air Force Intelligence Captain Kevin Randle, whom Schmitt stated, was totally a skeptic. He was friends of Phil Klass, and Schmitt wanted such a skeptic involved in the investigation. According to Schmitt, Randle 'has total conviction' in UFOs." Aside from the grammatical errors (should read "...Randle, who, Schmitt stated, was a total skeptic. He was a friend of Phil Klass..."), the meaning isn't clear. I gather the writer means Randle was a skeptic *before* becoming involved in the investigation, and is *now* convinced of the reality of UFOs, but this is not stated clearly. "'And, where the specific orders were coming from. Originally, Moore talked about one flight in the book with Jesse Marcel. We have found two other flights with other people and have tracked down those crewmen.'" What flights are these? After rereading, I assume the writer means the flights back to the base with the crash debris, but it's not immediately clear. And is Marcel the co-author of the book, or did Moore report, in the book *he* wrote, a conversation he had had with Marcel, who was one of the crewmen on one of the flights? The syntax is extremely muddled. Granted, the writer of the article is quoting someone else, and most people don't always speak in perfectly clear and grammatical sentences. But a good reporter will take steps to ensure clarity for the reader, either by rewording the quote slightly, without altering the sense, or by quoting indirectly and phrasing it so the meaning is clear. There are many other such fuzzinesses and grammatical errors in this release. I don't mean to be excessively picky, but I really wish they'd find a good editor to clean up their writing. This stuff is too potentially important; if it looks like it's written by functional illiterates, few will be inclined to take it seriously. -- "I don't run - I tend to black my eyes." - D.Parton | hombre!marob!upaya!tbetz ----------------------------------------------------| tbetz@upaya.lilink.com "One minute I'm in the pasture porkin' ponies, | Tom Betz - GBS the next I'm a can of Mighty Dog!" - Secretariat | (914) 375-1510 -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f364.n633.z3.FIDONET.ORG!Mike.Paull Subject: Re: Roswell Incident Date: 13 Oct 89 19:55:00 GMT Hello Bob, Well i am worried. So far, for two episodes in a row, Unsolved Mysteries had not been shown. I am hoping that that is because of tthe two specials they had on, and not because Channel 7 have axed the program, although if they had, i'm sure the news would have told us. Yes, i wilr tell you when its on though ... Mike -- Mike Paull - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Mike.Paull@f364.n633.z3.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f364.n633.z3.FIDONET.ORG!Mike.Paull Subject: Re: Unsolved Mysteries Date: 19 Oct 89 01:41:00 GMT Well there might be a problem here.. For the past three weeks Unsolved Mysteries has NOT been shown down here, on the station that carried it. Although there has been no mention of it, it possible it has been axed, although i doubt it, will have to call and find out. Maybe were hitting non ratings period down here... Mike -- Mike Paull - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Mike.Paull@f364.n633.z3.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!f401.n30163.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Bob.Fletcher Subject: Re: Roswell Incident Date: 28 Oct 89 06:33:00 GMT > Well i am worried. So far, for two > episodes in a row, Unsolved Mysteries had not been shown. I am With all the finacial trouble they are geting themselves in anything could happen. Thanks Bob.... -- Bob Fletcher - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Bob.Fletcher@f401.n30163.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Clark.Matthews Subject: Re: New Member Date: 27 Oct 89 23:53:00 GMT Hello, Rick. Just a note to say hi and, just because you're a skeptic, welcome and fire away. Sounds like you didn't fare especially well in the earthquake. I hope that you're able to recover rapidly, and that the damage wasn't too severe or upsetting. Again, welcome. Best, Clark -- Clark Matthews - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Clark.Matthews@paranet.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Linda.Murphy Subject: Grammar and Paranet's credibility Date: 28 Oct 89 03:08:25 GMT > To: TOM BETZ Refer#: 372 > From: JUDY STEIN Read: NO > Subj: The Roswell Incident - 1 Conf: (109) Beyond > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Klass..."), the meaning isn't clear. I gather the writer means Randle --------------------------- ^ That's it in a nutshell... And it works and is probably not accidental. Context, syntax can make a difference in the way a person reacts to the material that is read. If everything was precise, it would no longer hold fascination... And from a c onspiracy enthusiast's point of view, premeditated to deliberatly keep the more "literate" and scientific minded OUT of the picture, because it would be easier for them to find the answers. (And thus, such speculations enhance the total picture of the con spiracy theories and can strengthen the belief in it).... yep. It sure is fascinating.... illiterate linda ( 1:304/1) -- Linda Murphy - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Linda.Murphy@paranet.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Greg.Sandow Subject: Re: Black Abductees Date: 28 Oct 89 10:00:00 GMT I don't know . . . maybe the UFO entities ARE black, and hence spare their homeboys here on earth. However, I'm not sure I'm responding to your question/comment. Should we -- is this what you mean? -- think of UFO abductions as deity experiences created by white culture? Wanna explain a little more? -- Greg Sandow - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Greg.Sandow@paranet.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Greg.Sandow Subject: Re: Oklahoma Sightings Date: 28 Oct 89 10:21:00 GMT I'm impressed with that Kansas City reporter. He was thorough, vivid, unbiassed. The quote from the guy who looked at the objects through binoculars was a killer -- you could share his experience, see what he saw. I'm also impressed -- and here I speak as a guy who writes for a newspaper -- with how much space the Kansas City Star gave this story. And I assume there were no editors insisting on "balance," or in other words more quotes from skeptics like the clown the story actually did quote. Editors can do a lot to influence the tone of a story like this, regardless of the reporter's point of view. Is this man (I've forgotten his name) a senior reporter on the paper, somebody editors can't readily push around? Or -- and forgive my ignorance here: I've lived in New York, Boston, and L.A. -- do smaller-city newspapers normally take a more factual view of local sightings? (I could see that: they'd be closer to their readers. Large-city papers write as if they had Martin Gardner looking over their shoulder -- which, in a very real sense, they actually do.) -- Greg Sandow - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Greg.Sandow@paranet.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!Greg.Sandow Subject: Re: Grammar And Paranet's Credibility Date: 28 Oct 89 10:35:00 GMT Well, I must say I agree. Mike C. will remember a letter I wrote when I first was getting on this system: I'd just read Kevin Randle's "UFO Casebook" and complained it had not been edited at all carefully, and detracted from the credibility of the subject. A BIG offender: Timothy Good's book "Above Top Secret," which is organized like a giant junior high school term paper. Oh, yeah, and also the Moore/Berlitz books, which would benefit from proper use of footnotes, and other academic niceties. We have important stuff to say, right? So we really don't want to come across as amateurs when we say it. -- Greg Sandow - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Greg.Sandow@paranet.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------- From: paranet!p0.f102.n268.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Paul.Faeder Subject: FAA listings Date: 27 Oct 89 03:32:37 GMT In a message of <25 Oct 89 20:29:00>, Michael Corbin (1:104/428) writes: >Would anyone have access to a complete listing of all FAA control towers >throughout the country? These aren't hard to get. Try a general aviation field pilot shop or flying school. It's called the AIRPORT/FACILITY DIRECTORY. There are 7 volumes each covering one region and a new edition is issued every 56 days. You can also call the publisher Nation al Ocean Survey at (301)-436-6690. Also if you have a need, aerial charts can be purchased for all areas of the country. -- Paul Faeder - via FidoNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Paul.Faeder@p0.f102.n268.z1.FIDONET.ORG -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To have your thoughts in the next issue, please send electronic mail to 'infopara' at the following address: UUCP {ncar,isis,nbires,boulder}!scicom!infopara DOMAIN infopara@scicom.alphacdc.com ADMIN Address infopara-request@scicom.alphacdc.com {ncar,isis,nbires,boulder}!scicom!infopara-request ******************************************************************************** End of Info-ParaNet Newsletter ********************************************************************************