A Matter Of Degree

My friend, and he is a friend, Paul Kimball took me to task for putting forth the alleged Gallipoli UFO abduction of 1915, as recounted by David Richie in his UFO book.

You can see Paul's comments and my rejoinders in the comment section of that posting a bit down the way here (in this blog).

Paul didn't notice, I think, that nowhere did I say I thought the account was real. I was using it as a premise to my query about UFOs and clouds.

But putting it online seems to have indicated, to Paul, that I was providing an imprimatur for the (bogus he says) UFO tale. (He may be right, in a way.)

But let me state that ufology and its stories - its mythos - is not composed of scientific verification or data. UFO reports have the essence of mythology, with materialistic or technological elements attached.

UFOs, for me, are an inconsequential past-time, a nostalgic left-over from my youth.

UFOs do not factor into my practical life nor provide exigencies for that life.

That said, one has to understand that UFOs provide several avenues for discussion, some serious, most silly.

UFOs entertain mostly.

I put forth, the other day, the Milton Cooper alien intrusion in his paper on MJ-12. It was to get to my point that schlock permeates the internet. (Apparently I am a contributor of some of it, according to Paul.)

Mr. Cooper's material was just goofy. That's what I was suggesting by offering it here.

It's an observation only, one which I was using to say that people making up such stuff shouldn't place it at the door (others' blogs and web-sites) of strangers, That's boorish.

They can offer such swill in their own venue, of course, but littering it amongst the masses and upon those who take UFO seriously - yes, some people do -- is in poor taste.

That was my point, and it was missed by Paul and a few others surprisingly. My copy was not abstruse.

Also, some UFO stories, while fictive perhaps, even totally bogus, without any redeeming literary quality, do offer humor or sociological and/or psychological insights for those who care to see it.

For instance, the contactee tales were harmless and generally non-dystopian.

Betty and Barney Hill's experience, real or no, intrigues, as does Travis Walton's or the Pascagoula boys, and Roswell in particular. And many others.

One isn't psychologically harmed by those stories.

But Paul is a purist. Fiction, which he likes and films or writes, seems to be under attack by some (phony?) UFO stories - the Gallipoli tale was one evidently.

Again, UFOs and reports about them may have real pith. Or they may by sheer baloney.

Either way, UFOs are not something to get overworked about, as I see it.

Make comments and move along. Life is short, and full of wondrous, real things to enjoy.

Ask Bruce Duensing. Or PurrlGurrl. Or Frank Stalter...

RR

Source: shieldufoproject.blogspot.com