NMSKEPTIC

Coming Soon to a Newsstand Near You!

2011-06-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Most of the upcoming July/August issue of Skeptical Inquirer is devoted to analyses and discussion of 9/11 Truth and 9/11 conspiracy theories.

I've an article about the top three claims of the Truth Movement: "near-freefall" collapse of the towers, thermite and melted steel, and the enigma of WTC 7.

It should be coming out soon, but I'm announcing it now, so all our truther friends can start working up a good sweat.

The Great Debate, August 21st, 11:00 PM MDT

2010-08-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

9/11 Debate on Coast-to-Coast AM

August 21st, 2010 11:00 PM MDT

Dave Thomas and Kim Johnson to debate
9-11 "Truth" Advocates Richard Gage and Niels Harrit
on Coast to Coast AM Radio,
Saturday, August 21^st,
11:00 PM MDT - 3:00 AM MDT.

To listen in, you can find a list of stations that live-stream Coast to Coast AM, here.

If you're curious when the show runs in your locale, click here.

Coming August 21st: Six Papers from the new
Institute of Theoretical and Experimental 9/11 Physics!

Coming Soon to NMSR's new YouTube Channel: 9/11 Explained!

Big Bad Horns, the Musical

2010-08-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

THE VIDEO JESSE VENTURA DOESN'T WANT THE WORLD TO SEE!

2010-03-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Background: For the 9-11 episode of the Tru TV television show "Conspiracy Theory", Jesse Ventura's crew filmed a test using thermite on steel beams at NM Tech's EMRTC (Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center). You can see the segment here:

starting at 2:00 minutes in.

There are two burn tests on the beam, one with the beam unpainted, the second with the beamed laced with thermite. After the first test, the narrator on the "Conspiracy Theory" show announces "The beam burns briefly, but it does not melt."

After the second test, Romero is shown asking the question "Does it burn long enough and hot enough so that we have structural failure?"

But, this question is never answered on the show. Instead, with a dodge that both Romero and I consider to be dishonest, Ventura simply asks "Anybody still got any doubts?"

The question that should have been asked here is "Was the beam cut? Did it fail??"

The answer to that question was left on the cutting room floor. Here, friends is "THE VIDEO JESSE VENTURA DOESN'T WANT THE WORLD TO SEE!"

First, some clips I've obtained directly from the EMRTC.

Clip #1: Pouring burning thermite on beam that has not been painted with thermite.

Clip #2: Pouring burning thermite on beam that has been painted with thermite.

Finally, Clip #3, "THE VIDEO JESSE VENTURA DOESN'T WANT THE WORLD TO SEE!":

Dr. Van Romero, banging on the beam after the second (thermite) test, and answering the question "Does it burn long enough and hot enough so that we have structural failure?"

The answer is "NO!"

I presented this in my critical thinking class as an excellent example of how to spin a scientific test as coming to the opposite conclusion of what it did in reality.

Here's another YouTube that takes Ventura to task on the cell phone argument:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUOtv...eature=related

Cheers, Dave Thomas

Introducing the Toyota Tsunami!

2010-03-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

What with all the problems Toyota has been having with cars that are affected by runaway acceleration, I conjured up a mental image of a new design, the Toyota Tsunami, that would be described with slogans like "It's a Force of Nature!", "Can't Be Stopped", and so forth.

Then I discovered my would-be joke was actually a reality, some 6 years back.

Check out "Toyota drops 'Tsunami' name for sports car model", or "My 2004 Celica GT-S Tsunami Edition" and see for yourself!

What is this world coming to? How can I snark Toyota, when they've already snarked themselves?!?

Hockey Stick Politics: ClimateGate or ClusterPuck

2010-02-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Courtesy Mark Boslough
Copyright, NMSR Reports February 2010

In 2005, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) called global warming the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.” Rep. Joe Barton, (R-TX) joined the assault by harassing three respected climate scientists, demanding immediate documentation of what he called “methodological flaws and data errors” in their work. Barton held hearings and ordered a review of the “hockey stick” temperature graph the scientists had published. Edward Wegman—a statistician with no background in climatology and little understanding of physics—led the investigation. Wegman’s team submitted a report that criticized the statistical methods used by the scientists. Denialists embraced this criticism, claiming that the hockey stick has been discredited and declaring that global warming was a fraud.

To many researchers, the investigation was nothing more than an anti-science witch-hunt. Scientists play by well-defined rules. They require peer reviewed publication, logic, and evidence. Science is like a hockey game that only works if fans understand it and teams play by the rules. Inhofe and Barton knew their side could not win against a world-class “hockey team.” They chose instead to create confusion and sow doubt. Their tactic was to act like unruly fans and throw hundreds of decoy pucks onto the ice and then take advantage of the chaos. The idea was simply to delay any action in order to protect vested interests in the status quo. They didn’t have to win the game. All they needed to do is disrupt it by turning it into one big “ClusterPuck”.

Scientists were understandably angry and were not always circumspect in their private messages. They did not expect political activists—willing to tap phones and break into computers—to steal their correspondence. Although there was no evidence for any wrongdoing by the scientists, their words were twisted and taken out of context. Emails were published by bloggers and broadcast by media for whom controversy and conflict trumps accuracy. This non-scandal became known as “ClimateGate.”

The actual scandal is associated with the Barton investigation. Last month a blogger called “Deep Climate” demonstrated that, in a cruel irony, the Wegman team actually plagiarized from a textbook written by one of the scientists under investigation. Even worse, they changed the meaning of the text they stole. The supposedly unbiased referees of the game were part of the ClusterPuck.

New evidence continues to mount (see deepclimate.org for updates). Will the media investigate and report the “ClusterPuck” scandal as aggressively as they did for the “ClimateGate” non-scandal? Or is there a journalistic double standard that favors deniers? Stay tuned.

Barbara Forrest on the New Mexico-Louisiana Connection

2010-02-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

From the Louisiana Coalition for Science:

New Mexicans for Science and Reason (NMSR) is one of the most dedicated, effective pro-science groups in the United States. Since 1996, they have successfully defended the teaching of evolution in New Mexico public schools against the Religious Right’s repeated attacks. Two NMSR members, physicists David Thomas and Kim Johnson, also do a weekly radio program, Science Watch, which airs each Saturday afternoon on KABQ AM 1350 Progressive Talk in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Concerned about the attack on science education in Louisiana by the Discovery Institute and the Louisiana Family Forum, Science Watch has done two interviews with Barbara Forrest about Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signing the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA). The first interview, “Statehouse Statue: Creationist Legislation Update,” on March 14, 2009, was intended to update listeners about the Discovery Institute’s promotion of its model “academic freedom” legislation in state legislatures around the country. The audio clip is posted here (14 minutes, 19.5 MB mp3). The second Science Watch interview, “What Hath Jindal Done? Scary News from Louisiana,” on October 31, 2009, reflects the seriousness with which NMSR views what creationists have done to our state. This interview includes an update on the creationist-influenced policy that was adopted in September 2009 by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education governing the filing of complaints about materials used in Louisiana science classes. The audio clip is posted here (11 minutes, 15.3 MB mp3). ...

Thanks, Barbara!

More...

Lackluster Christmas?

2009-12-26T14:08:00.001-08:00

Here's why!
Happy Holidaze, Dave

Major Marcel on the Roswell "Craft"

2009-12-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

The star of the Roswell incident, Major Jesse Marcel, states in this 1979 interview that "It was not a weather balloon, nor an aircraft, nor a missile."

In other interviews, he said "Ive see rockets sent up at the White Sands testing grounds. It definitely was not part of an aircraft, nor a missile or a rocket."
http://www.nmsr.org/roswell.htm

So, it was not an aircraft, a missile, a rocket ... or an interplanetary ship!

Sylvia Browne Coming to Burque

2009-11-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Self-professed “psychic” Sylvia Browne will appear with television personality Montel Williams at the Kiva Auditorium (Albuquerque Convention Center) on December 7th, 2009, at 7:00 PM. Ticket prices range from $59 to $119.

As a public service to the community in these difficult economic times, NMSR is pleased to provide links to the following two YOUTUBE videos. The first shows Browne telling the parents of Shawn Hornbeck that their abducted son is dead.

YOUTUBE #1

(Of course, young Hornbeck was rescued years after his abduction, and is alive and well.)

The second video shows Browne telling a guest of Montel’s that her husband died a watery death, only to learn that the man was a firefighter who lost his life in the Twin Towers on Sept. 11th, 2001.

YOUTUBE #2

After seeing these videos, you will be cured of the impulse to shell out $119 to the likes of Browne.

You're welcome!

I got MY copy...

2009-11-24T07:54:00.001-08:00

of the "Origin of Species" with the specious creationist introduction.

Here's a good writeup from Salon.

The book came with a flyer inside directing readers to this trainwreck of a discussion site.

Meanwhile, I've been having a lot of fun with a Python application for assessing the amount of plagiarism in the introduction.

Gene Franchini on the Intersection of Science and the Law

2009-11-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

In light of the unfortunate death Wednesday of former NM Supreme Court Justice Gene Franchini, I'm including the report of his talk to NMSR in December of 2003, on the intersection of Science and the Law.

Gene was thoughtful, articulate, a patriarch, and a good friend. He will be sorely missed.

Dave Thomas

DEC. 10th, 2003 NMSR MEETING Science and the Law

On Dec. 10th, New Mexicans for Science & Reason heard Gene Franchini (Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Mexico), on "Science and the Law." Gene started by talking a bit about a similar speech he’d given at UNM nearly forty years earlier, titled “Sex and the Law,” and related some humorous anecdotes about that trying experience. Gene then talked about polygraphs, in view of NMSR’s Dave Thomas question “Why is New Mexico the only state in the Union that still allows Polygraphs in open court?”. There’s good news and bad, Gene explained. Thirty years ago, in a case called State vs. Dorsey, lawyers for the defense had their client take a polygraph, and the polygrapher deemed him “innocent.” The court admitted it, for what it was worth. Then, in an Interlocutory Appeal, the Court of Appeals ruled that polygraphs in New Mexico can be allowed, provided they are given by a “qualified” examiner, and provided that the District Attorney can do an independent polygraph exam. It did not go to the state’s Supreme Court, even though the subject was as emotional and controversial then as now.

Then, the Legislature got into the act with new laws about polygrapher qualifications, which included being age 18, having a high school diploma, and passing an exam. Gene doesn’t know if any polygraphers have ever taken the “exam.” That’s because, since Dorsey, only two cases have seen polygraphs used, and both of these were grand jury proceedings, not trials. The law hasn’t been repealed mainly because there have not been any cases going to appeal. The good news, Gene said, is that the state legislature back then added a self-repealing provision to the law. New Mexico’s Polygraph Law will self-destruct on July 1, 2006, unless new legislation is enacted.

Gene then discussed his views on science and the law in general. In the introduction, I had pointed out one difference of science and the law. As opposed to the detailed examinations of science, jurors are supposed to take a “big picture” approach, and are not allowed to even examine transcripts of trial testimony, as this might promote too much emphasis on too few details. There’s hope, Gene said - science and the law are “closer than you think.” This is mainly due to the explosion of technological advances like DNA fingerprinting. The old pre-eminence of eyewitness testimony is losing ground to scientific evidence. But, with new tools come new potentials for abuse - is an X-ray of the contents of a sealed truck, for example, an “unreasonable search and seizure?” (In practice, X-rays might be used to establish probable cause before getting a warrant.)

But if Science and the Law are getting along better now, it certainly wasn’t like that in the past. The aim of the Law is attainment of Justice, but there is no simple formula for obtaining it. That’s why you “practice” the law - because you can never get it right, he joked. Gene talked about how James Madison appointed Thomas Jefferson’s friend, John Marshall, to the Supreme Court, and how Marshall’s now-accepted view that the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of the Constitution (a power never mentioned in the Constitution itself) scandalized Jefferson. Indeed, Jefferson never spoke to Marshall again. One of the eccentricities of our system of justice is its incredible inertia. “Nothing is quite as slow as the Law,” Gene said. In much of Europe, Code (or Civil) Law is practiced; there, the Law is based on broad principles, and the details are not all that important. Decisions are often rendered by law professors from the universities. In England and America, however, the Common Law system has evolved along a quite different path. In Common Law, it is the details - individual cases decided by judges - that establish Case Law for all. Gene likened it to a big pile of dung - you try to find a patch that’s not too smelly, and use that for piling on.

The Latin term used for “standing by that which is decided” is Stare Decisis - when courts follow precedent decisions. Really bad decisions can themselves be repealed, but the system has a huge amount of inertia, and changes but slowly. Stare Decisis is like the Killyloo Bird, Gene said - because it flies backwards, it knows where it’s been.

Gene then discussed ways to deal with bogus science in the courtroom. Sometimes judges can rule on whether certain evidence is even admissible. By and large, however, the jury has the responsibility of assigning weight and credibility to witnesses and evidence. Overall, they get it right, Gene said, but there certainly are exceptions.

Gene ended his talk on a cautionary note, advising listeners to keep an eye on nominees to the Supreme Court. There’s a difference between “innocent” and “not guilty,” and this difference is being questioned by some Court hopefuls such as Texas legislator Priscilla Owens, who argues that the burden of proof belongs to defendants, not the state.

NMSR thanks Gene Franchini for a delightful presentation.

Google Goes Woo-Woo

2009-09-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Google frequently uses its icon for good - for example, you might see the "Google" home page splash image displaying a telescope, and clicking on that telescope image would zip you to a Google search for the 400th anniversary of Galileo's introduction of the telescope.

Google has used its splash images to honor composers, scientists, writers, events, holidays, and more. All good.

But now, they're pandering to the Paranormal crowd. First, on September 5th, with a nudge to search for "Unexplained phenomenon".

And just 10 days later, another bow to all things wacky, this time with "Crop circles" on September 15th:
I ask, what good is this doing? Other than giving George Noory or Richard Hoagland a cheap thrill? Sheesh!

C'mon, Google. With great Power comes Responsibility. Use yours for good.

Math Literacy - We're in BIG Trouble

2009-09-15T19:03:00.001-07:00

Here's a chicken display from the Isleta gas station I saw this week. If you're hungry for Potato Wedges, don't get the dozen. Get two six-packs instead, and save yourself 17% !

No wonder the economy is tanking.

UFO's - the Space Age Mythology

2009-09-04T13:02:00.001-07:00

CSI (the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry) is holding a UFO conference in Tucson, October 9th-11th. The title of the conference is "UFO's - the Space Age Mythology."

Speakers:

James McGaha, David Morrison, Robert Sheaffer, and Dave Thomas

Conference Schedule:

Friday, October 9 Catalina Ballroom 1:30PM, Opening Remarks (McGaha); 2:00PM, A Short UFO History (McGaha); 3:00PM, ET Life, Finding It (Morrison), 4:00PM, The Betty Hill Story (Sheaffer)

Saturday, October 10 Catalina Ballroom 9:00AM, Roswell (Thomas); 10:00AM, Mexican UFO Wave (Sheaffer); 11:00AM, Moon and Mars Artifacts (Morrison); 2:00PM, Lights in the Sky (McGaha); 3:00, Physical Evidence (Sheaffer); 4:00PM, The Trained Observer (McGaha); 5:00PM, Aliens Among Us (McGaha).

Sunday, October 11 Catalina Ballroom 9:00 AM, Aztec / Socorro (Thomas); 10:00 AM, The End of The World in 2012 (Morrison); 11:00 AM, Panel Discussion; 1:00 PM, Pima Air and Space Museum (optional).

To find out more: visit "UFO's - the Space Age Mythology."

If you like baseball - or even if you don't...

2009-09-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

... you might enjoy Jim Belshaw's recent column on "Baseball — A Love Story",

and also, John Fleck's post that inspired Jim's piece, "8-?-2",

Summer's almost over, but you can still catch the smell of a hot dog in the air, and hear the crack of bat on ball. Time's a wastin'!

Cheers, Dave

Blogging Batholiths, Part 2

2009-07-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten enough time to get the photos web-ready after returning from Batholiths.
(see Blogging Batholiths: Part 1 for a summary of the 1st 8 days of the adventure.) Day 9 starts off with our free day, in which we chose to hike up to the gorgeous falls in Hagensborg, BC.

Jump To:

Day 9 (Friday July 17th)
Day 10 (Saturday 18th)
Day 11 (Sunday 19th)
Day 12 (Monday 20th)
Day 13 (Tuesday 21st)
Day 14 (Wednesday 22nd)
Day 15 (Thursday 23rd)
Day 16 (Friday 24th)
Day 17 (Saturday 25th)
Guest Photos

Day 9 (Friday July 17th)

The school sits in front of the trailhead to the falls.

A loooong boardwalk takes you to the woods behind the school.

Hiking to the falls, we found more splendid Batholiths up-close and personal.

Pnina Miller makes the steep ascent at the upper falls.

The view of Hagensborg from the Falls was spectactular...

and provided a great view of (surprise!) Batholiths!

Here I am, trying to get that perfect MySpace image...

Pnina gets a pic for Facebook...

Did I mention that the falls were spectacular?

More Facebook action...

Grad students Alex, Tim, Gray and Conrad also climbed up to the falls.

This tree near the school is the archetype for the word "Gnarly."

Later in the evening, Galen regales team members with tales of his difficulties with an "eco-saboteur." You can find Dr. Hole's letter to this self-appointed activist, along with links to several related news stories, here. Galen had to risk life and limb in order to repair the damage and make the shot happen - the only safe way to dispose of the explosives once they'd been set in the hole. In the end, even the sandhill cranes claimed to be in danger turned out to have left the island a month before.

The nightly meeting - all hands.

At 11 PM, several team members prepare to "feel" one of the seismic detonations. We definitely felt this one, at a distance of only a hundred or so meters. At greater distances, the rumbles are quite difficult to detect with the senses.

Day 10 (Saturday 18th)

Now that the shots are done, it's time to gather the instruments and collect some Data. Here is grad student Tim collecting a Texan/geophone station.

Some stations require three Texans for vertical, N/S, and E/W directions of motion. Others are vertical only.

Here I am, collecting stations. Pick-ax? Check. Safety vest? Check. Rain hat? Check. Compass? Check. GPS? Check. Clipboard and pen? Check.

At last, some rain. It's usually much rainier than was the case for our deployment.

Ron Clowes of UBC shows that even Principal Investigators (PI's) get their hands dirty on a project like this.

With the instruments back at the hangar, it's finally time to get some DATA. We batch process 45 Texan digitizers at a time.

Pnina scans returning digitizers into the computer. Every digitizer has a unique serial number, which is required to connect its data to the actual location for the station.

This is what it's all about - seismic data. These squiggles will eventually reveal what lies hidden beneath the Coast Mountains.

Day 11 (Sunday 19th)

On our way to drop off the hikers to pick up their stations, we stop at Grandma's in Anahim Lake for some gas and strong coffee.

The team awaits the arrival of local guide Archie.

Again with the mandatory mosquito spray.

Erin and Shelbie get last minute instructions from Prof. Hole.

The hikers leave. We'll find them several kilometers down the way.

On our way to the pickup point, we found several of the teams from the other field center at Puntzi Lake. Here, 'Panda' dresses to prevent mosquito bites.

Dr. Hole with team members Tiffany and Ari, from the Puntzi Lake center.

One of several heavy-duty vans used to retrieve the thousands of sensors and digitizers.

The mosquitoes are really big in British Columbia.
How big? Well, big enough to provide food for insects like this dragonfly.

Evidence of recent glaciation is everywhere.

Near the pickup point, "The Slide" is a massive scree pile.

6 PM: the hikers, backpacks full of Texans and geophones, make their triumphant return.

The lodge we stayed at, the Coast Mountain Lodge, is run by Holly and Fraser. They have a few bikes for guests to use, and I was able to get a little riding in every day.

Day 12 (Monday 20th)

Work beckons, so off I ride to the hangar...

... where the amphibious plane has returned with some of the boat team deployers.

With every instrument returned, the data must be downloaded, and then the batteries removed. Time for some grad student help!

The After Party is this evening. Time to use our car to round up some equipment, like a guitar, and a digital projector, which we obtained at the fishery. This stunning batholith is across the street from the fishery. There are dozens of them all up and down the Bella Coola valley.

Back at the hangar, the grad students are making headway on the de-batterizing...

Meanwhile, outside the hangar, Phil washes off some filthy dirty geophones.

There is a large bear trap just up the road from the hangar.

The After Party at last. Holly and friends grilled some fresh salmon, and I rolled out a brand new parody song, "Ba Ba Ba, Ba Batholiths" (sung to the tune of the Beach Boys' "Ba Ba Ba, Ba Barbara Anne")

Day 13 (Tuesday 21st)

Our last day in Hagensborg starts with another all hands meeting.

Time to gather up everything. It all must be returned to Socorro, NM.

Every attempt was made to retrieve all the human artifacts used for the seismic stations. Here are the survey stakes.

Packing the van for the 5-hour trip up the Hill to Puntzi Lake, and the shipping trailer.

The requisite Group Photo. Timers at the ready!

We say goodbye to an empty hangar, now an ex-field center.

One last run to Bella Coola and the harbor.

These splendid falls were just a few meters from the BC Hydro station in Bella Coola.

Half of the PASSCAL team: Bob, Pnina and I at the falls.

Did I mention that the Coast Mountains are strikingly beautiful?

Atop the Hill, we head into mosquito country. Here I am at Nimpo Lake, where I joined the Swat Team there.

Hours later, we arrive at Puntzi Lake. Here, a few of the grad students cool off in the lake, near Barney's lakeside resort.

That evening, University of Victoria PI George Spence leads the all hands meeting at Howdy's Lodge.

Day 14 (Wednesday 22nd)

For some, the day begins with Breakfast at Barney's.

Time to organize the many gigabytes of data collected. Here, the raw data sits in the trunk of our car.

At the Puntzi Lake field center, the crates are unloaded from the vans, and organized for the big trailer.

PIs George Spence and Ron Clowes monitor the loading.

Michelle shows how it's done.

A trailer-eye's view of the unloading.

One Texan was lost, and mysteriously turned up at its location again. Here, we download the last of thousands of such instruments.

This is the commemorative card signed by team members.

The owners of Barney's let us take out some kayaks and canoes. Here is my kayak.

On Puntzi Lake, my kayak adventure leads me to a cute family.

This "island" is just some reeds in the water.

The area is dotted with many unique home-made fence designs.

In the lodge, I discover that "Aie Caramba" is French for "Ay Caramba."

With the PIs tucked away analyzing the data, the grad students come out to play.

It's hard to reconcile dozens of scribbled sheets with reams of serial numbers and station IDs...

Evening is time for a couple of pale ales and some live music. Here, Amorita of UTEP strums some Dave Matthews licks on the guitar.

Finally, a summer sunset comes to the north country.

Day 15 (Thursday 23rd)

The last all hands meeting: PI Steve Harder at right.

The trailer is loaded - so it's time to start the many hours of driving back to Vancouver. The old Gold Rush houses are still named for the number of miles they are from Lillooet, B.C.

More Canadian Rockies action enroute to Vancouver.

In Vancouver, bikes are everywhere.

Vancouver Corner in downtown.

Beaches line much of the UBC Campus. Time for a relaxing sunset.

Day 16 (Friday 24th)

At UBC, a cab waits to take Shelbie to the airport for her return to Virginia Tech.

On the way to to take colleague Willie to the airport, we check out another beach near UBC.

A bald eagle graces the beach.

Here I am on the beach with Michael and Willie. The ships behind us are huge.

At the airport, we espy the as-yet-unlit welcoming sign for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Back at UBC, we find more team members on their ways home. Here, Tina, Gaelle, Erin, and Tim pose for the camera.

At the Student Union building, we found Goddess of Democracy statue, dedicated in 1991. It marks the Tianenmen Square killings during student protests in June of 1989 in China. The caption reads "

"DURING 1989, MILLIONS OF STUDENTS AND
CIVILIANS IN MAJOR CITIES OF CHINA
DEMONSTRATED PEACEFULLY FOR FREEDOM AND
DEMOCRACY. ON JUNE 4, 1989, THE MOVEMENT
WAS CRUSHED BY THE GOVERNMENT. MANY
DIED. THIS EVENT HAD ENORMOUS IMPACT ON
SUBSEQUENT DEMOCRACY MOVEMENTS AROUND
THE WORLD.
ERECTED IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DIED ... JUNE 4, 1991"

On the other side of the SUB, we found the Bike Shop. Here's a model of a bicycle built for seven!

With bicycles rented, Michael and I head downtown. Barriers prevent cars from using streets marked as bike routes as through streets.

While we were taking data up north, a bike lane was installed in the Burrard Bridge. Mike and I try it out on our way to Stanley Island Park.

Having walked across the bridge weeks earlier, when pedestrians and bikes shared a sidewalk, I find the new arrangement much safer for both riders and walkers.

Most of Stanley Park is off-limits to cars. Bikes and pedestrians are everywhere. Here is a blue heron at the park's Lost Lagoon.

An informative poster notes that "Behaviour is adaptive." Shades of unbridled evolution!

Michael Johnson poses on front of the Stanley Park totem poles. These are copies of totems seized by Christian groups trying to suppress expressions of First Nations religious practices in the 19th century.

One of many statues lining the Park.

Part of the seawall, at low tide.

At English Bay, we find a statue of Inukshuk; this is the icon for the 2010 Olympics. An Inukshuk is a pile of rocks intended to act for or represent a person.

On the way back to UBC, we enjoy the city's numerous bike lanes.

After returning the rented bikes, we washed and gassed the car, and returned it too.

After dozens of kilometers on the bikes, we opted for a bus ride from the rental car location back to the university.

Day 17 (Saturday 25th)

Finally, it's our turn to get back home. Mike and I wait for our taxi at the UBC dorm.

At the airport, we fill out our customs cards.

One last bear confrontation.

Next stop, Phoenix. And then Albuquerque!

A last look at the Pacific before heading back to the desert.

Back in Albuquerque, the familiar batholiths of the Sandias beckon. Having met their juvenile cousins in Bella Coola, I appreciate their great age all the more.

Galen's Photos (courtesy Galen Kaip of UTEP)

Galen on the boat.

Seals in the harbour.

A bear up close!

Orcas in the bay.

A foxy fox!

Galen, Audrey and Erin find more falls.

Erin and Phil pass judgment on project saboteurs.

Mike's Photos (Courtesy Mike Johnson of IRIS/PASSCAL)

While Mike, George and Willie spent most of their time at the Puntzi Lake field center, they came over in George's small plane to check out the Bella Coola center.

George at the controls.

A plane's-eye view of the Bella Coola airport/hangar.

George files right over some cool Canadian Rockies glaciers.

The incredibly beautiful Hunlen Falls of Tweedsmuir Park were too remote for us to take off several days to hike there, but George's plane was able to fly right over it.

Here's how the Puntzi Lake team spent some of their spare time.

Mike, Michelle and Megan hangin' at Howdy's Lodge on the shore of Puntzi Lake.

PI Kate Miller (UTEP) joins the grad students for some quality Texan preparation.

Phil's Photos (Courtesy Phil Hammer of UBC)

Several sensors were deployed on cliff sides accessible only by boat. Here, Audrey and Todd get another station set up.

Phil took this photo of the cargo vans driving down the Hill at Heckman Pass, the road so infamous it has its own poem:
"Before you drive the Hill, Be sure to finish your Will."

Never mind Facebook. This stunning photo belongs in Life Magazine!

Need more Batholith Blogs?

See Part I of Blogging Batholiths on NMSKEPTIC, or
Blogging Batholiths on Panda's Thumb.

Blogging Batholiths

2009-07-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

I am currently in British Columbia, Canada, participating in the Batholiths Onland experiment.

Nominally, this large group effort involving over 50 scientists and grad students is for "a seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection survey across the Coast Mountains batholith of British Columbia, Canada."

This rather terse description does not really do justice to the project, which has the purpose of discovering why continental mountain ranges are often made of granite instead of basalt. This phase of Batholiths is for performing seismic imaging of the crust and mantle below the Canadian Rocky mountains in British Columbia, one of the largest collection of batholiths (from the Greek bathos, depth + lithos, rock, a large mass of intrusive igneous rock believed to have solidified deep within the earth) in the world. My part of this experiment is as one of six IRIS/PASSCAL scientists assisting with the seismic ranging for the project. This involves deploying thousands of seismic sensors and recorders across British Columbia, and recording responses to several man-made detonations. These responses can then be analyzed to yield, first, seismic velocity profiles; these are then related these to variables such as density or temperature, which in turn are related to chemical composition of the crust and mantle. Many other sources of data are also used, including gravitometric measurements, geochronology, broadband recordings of natural earthquake tremors, and more.

During my discussions with John Hole, one of the project's Principal Investigators (PI's) from Virginia Tech (but a native Canadian, and glad to be working there again), I learned that that basic goal of the project is to locate the "missing pyroxenes." In brief, as the mantle is distilled chemically below the crust, the result is primarily gabbro, a mafic rock quite similar to basalt in chemical composition. Further distillation of gabbro can remove the pyroxene components, leaving what is basically granite which we see in these huge, beautiful batholiths.

But, where do the pyroxenes go? Are they hiding between the crust and the mantle? Are they melted back into the mantle? Why are mountain ranges not always formed from huge basaltic lava flows? Why is there so much granite in continents?

This project will be ongoing for several weeks in July 2009. Here follow some snapshots to show what it's like to work on a "Big Science" project.
Jump To:

Days 1,2 (Thursday 9th/Friday 10th)
Day 3 (Saturday 11th)
Day 4(Sunday 12th)
Day 5 (Monday 13th)
Day 6 (Tuesday 14th)
Day 7 (Wednesday 15th)
Day 8 (Thursday 16th)

Days 1,2 (Thursday July 9th, Friday 10th) - Travel/stay in Vancouver, BC

Vancouver is a beautiful city. We stayed here one day to coordinate with project planners at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Other PI's from Victoria University, Virginia Tech, and several other unitiversities (including UTEP, UQAM, UAlberta, SFU, UM, Williams, Nice, Radford, Ga Tech, Oklahoma, and Cornell) are participating as well.

Vancouver is the most bicycle-friendly city I've seen. Notice the bike lane between the regular traffic and high-occupancy lanes.

Vancouver has several public gardens which citizens are encouraged to tend and harvest for their own use.

Even some sidewalks have bike lanes; this sign is in error, obviously.

This model of the earth is at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

This UBC sidewalk pictograph shows a diagram of seismic ranging in action.

Driving to the first Field Center, we could see the sun well above the horizon even after 9:30 pm.

Our first bear sighting took place late on Friday, en route to Puntzi Lake, BC.

Day 3 (Saturday, July 11th) - Puntzi Lake Field Center

This is Puntzi Lake, location of one of two field centers for the project.

Pelicans come here for the tasty fish.

Grad students and staffers gearing up for some major equipment unloading. The truck was packed full with equipment for both field centers.

Grad student Todd Brown (UA) and PASSCAL staffer Michael Johnson unload crates, while PASSCAL's George Slad observes.

Grad student Amorita Amendariz (UTEP) looks for that next crate.

Dr. George Spence (Center, UVic) helps sort out what goes where.

Dr. John Hole (Va Tech), a horse, and Pnina Miller and Willie Zamora of IRIS/PASSCAL.

The horse stands next to crates of seismic equipment at the Puntzi Lake field center. The experiment is so large that two field centers are being used, separated by ~5 hours travel on steep, winding gravel roads.

Day 3 (Saturday July 11th) - Travel to Bella Coola Field Center

Once the equipment and people for the Punzi Lake center were organized, several vans and cars proceeded West to the next Field Center near Bella Coola. Here I am on the way down "the Hill."

Did I mention that the "Hill" is a very steep, one-lane, dirt/gravel road with cliffs on one side and nothing on the other?

Bob Greschke, of of six IRIS/PASSCAL staff scientists on the project.

This stake indicates one of the surveyed locations for placement of a seismic sensor/recorder. There are thousands of these across the survey area, including some in locations accessible only by boat.

The hangar at the Hagensborg Airport, near Bella Coola, is the 2nd Field Center. We won't unload the equipment until Sunday the 12th.

Day 4 (Sunday, July 12th) - Bella Coola Field Center

The airport hangar used as a staging area for the Bella Coola Field Center; Canadian batholiths in the background.

More work for the Grad Students! Unloading the vans from Puntzi Lake.

Bob Greschke and Pnina Miller of IRIS/PASSCAL, training the grad students on the proper loading of D-cell batteries into Texans, the beer-can sized recorders used for this experiment. Texans are the nickname for RefTek 125A digitizers; RefTek is based in Amarillo, Texas.

Shovels and equipment for the field deployers. The Moral: Science often involves a lot of real work.

Surveyor Kai Wang of Va Tech loads batteries into Texans.

The array of Crates seems to Grow, and Grow, and Grow...

Bob Greschke and Pnina Miller of IRIS/PASSCAL, posing in front of a huge Batholith. These mountains are so large that it is virtually impossible to take a head-to-toe photograph of people standing in front of them with an ordinary camera.

PIs Ron Clowes (UBC) and John Hole (Va Tech) brief the team on the next day's planned activities.

Evening - time for a trip to historic Bella Coola Harbour.

Day 5 (Monday, July 13th) - Bella Coola Field Center

Prof. Hole with the Monday morning briefing for volunteers and staff.

Chris Andronicos (Cornell) briefed the team on the overall purpose of the project. He noted that the huge granite batholiths in this area crystallized from the mantle about only 60 million years ago, with subsequent uplift occurring in the Miocene (~23 to 5 MYa). Being from New Mexico, I am accustomed to the very old (pre-Cambrian) batholiths typified in the Sandia Mountains; see my friend Jim Belshaw's blog for a stupendous picture of the Sandias). Andronicos said that the relative youth of the Coast Mountain batholiths would help immensely in trying to solve the problem of the missing pyroxenes.

Phil Hammer (UBC) briefs the team on bear safety. Here, he demonstrates typical expressions of people finding themselves being devoured by a bear.

This is a real forest service bear warning sign. Read it all the way to the end!

Phil shows the boat deployment crews the fiords of the area.

Bob Greschke trains team members on proper deployment technique for seismic sensors and recorders.

Grad student Audrey (UQAM) gets schooled on the "Lunchbox", a portable computer used for programming instruments in the field.

Day 6 (Tuesday, July 14th) - Bella Coola Field Center

3:00 in the morning on Tuesday, we PASSCAL staffers are hard at work programming the Texans for the boat crews. These beer-can sized digitizers will collect data at certain times over a period of several days.

5:00 AM, the boat crews arrive at the hangar to pick up their supplies and sensors.

Down at the docks, John Hole supervises loading of the boats.

Amorita and Tina haul crates down the dock's loading ramp to the boats.

Crates of sensors and digitizers wait to be loaded on the boats.

Phil checks the equipment before embarking.

Later in the morning, the hiker crews are trained on sensor deployment.

At the evening briefing, Dr. Hole is joined by PIs Randy Keller (Oklahoma), Ron Clowes (UBC) and Galen Kaip (UTEP). Dr. Hole made the announcement that an environmentalist has deliberately sabotaged some of the blasting equipment, and that the $@%^$ has hit the fan. A pretty one-sided "news" story is available from the Vancouver Sun here.

Day 7 (Wednesday, July 15th) - Bella Coola Field Center

The Hiker deployer teams arrive to collect instruments and digitizers and gear.

More crates. It's always all about the Crates.

Enroute to the hikers' dropoff point. A four-bear morning (plus a fox, who is best friends with a bear. I sense a new cartoon team-up in the forming?).

A roadblock, courtesy of Mother Nature.

Randy Keller (OU) supervises the requisite DEET spray-down before the hikers head into the woods.

A final map+GPS Huddle before the hike begins. The pick-up point is several kilometers away.

Sending off the hikers: Gaelle, Erin, Shelbie, Grey, Alex, Humberto, Andrew (local guide) and Randy Keller (one of two drivers; I'm the other driver).

When geologists say they're "working in the Field," sometimes this is what that means.

Pretty sights on the way to the pickup-up spot.

This is "Scree." Luckily, this is not what the hikers had to traverse. They returned about 8PM, and we all returned to the lodge.

Day 8 (Thursday, July 16th) - Bella Coola Field Center

Now that all the instruments and recorders are deployed, everyone except the Shooters get a couple of days off. I spent part of mine biking and hiking in Walker Island Park.

The "Big Cedars" trail in Walker Island Park.

A bike ride up the road by Nooklikonnic Creek brought me to the quarry; now this is a Batholith, up close and personal!

Here I am, doing hand specimen petrology on a Batholith. It's very pretty white granite, a mere 60 million years old.

Looking down from the quarry.

Sometimes it's OK to take everything for granite.

More Batholithic Closeups at the quarry.

The work involves weekends, 3 in the morning, whatever it takes. But once the instruments are programmed and deployed, we get a little time off. Here I am blogging away at the Lodge in Hagensborg.

The area is home to the Nuxalk Nation (pronounced Noo-hawk). Here is a totem pole next to the restaurant block of Bella Coola, B.C.

The "Bella Coola Instrument Center" is in an aircraft hangar.

Here's a map rendition of the airport facility.

Our hangar host, Mac, with daughter Ariel. They live right next to the hangar, so we tried not to make too much noise while preparing instruments at 3 AM.

Bob and Pnina deploy a couple of extra instruments to assess wind effects on sensor cables.

Here's a geophone about to be deployed. This is a single axis sensor, and measures vertical waves only.

Pnina gets Ariel's help to deploy the last couple of sensors. Never too early to start training that next generation of seismologists!

Coming up Tomorrow: we hike to the Falls, and find some more Batholiths. Evening: several on the team get close enough to feel one of the late-night detonations.

Another Socorro Saucer?

2009-06-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

I was interviewed recently by the Journal's Troy Simpson for a special web feature called "UFO Over Socorro?". Have a look!

NMSR Gets Mail

2009-06-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

It was just a couple of weeks ago that a rider on our Los Lunas - NM Tech vanpool was doubting that anybody still thought the earth was the center of the universe, and does not rotate - geocentrism.

Then, today, I got Mail:

The Sun, Moon and Stars are going around a STATIONARY Earth!!

Have you seen my website

Moving-Earth DECEPTION!!

http://sites.google.com/site/earthdeception

signed, Bernard Brauer

I've written Bernard back:

Very interesting, Bernard.  I see you mention "geosynchronous satellites".

Can you explain briefly why, in a geocentric system, these satellites don't just plunge to earth, falling 22,000 miles until they impact in a ball of fire on the ground?

This is a sincere question.

Thanks and regards, Dave Thomas

How will Bernard respond?

For that, dear readers, you must come back for the Rest of the Story.

Update - Bernard has Responded. Here's what he said:

Dave,

Wendy's are my favorite hamburgers. Can I get a deal on a franchise? : ~ )

Regarding Satellites, here are the answers:

http://www.realityreviewed.com/Gravity.pdf

http://www.realityreviewed.com/geosat.pdf

The Peace of Christ Be With You,
Bernie

Santa Fe New Mexican's "News" Story - Just a Free Ad for "Psychic Healer"...

2009-06-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

John Knoll of the Santa Fe New Mexican called me last week, asking whether psychics had ever been tested scientifically. I told him that scientific verification of any 'psychic' ability is still lacking, and discussed James Randi's long-standing offer of a million dollars to anyone who can demonstrate paranormal abilities in controlled conditions. However, Knoll ignored everything I said. When his article finally appeared, it turned out that Knoll decided just to focus only on all the wonderful things the psychic will be bringing the valley. Here's what he wrote on June 8th:

"Seventeen miles north of Santa Fe, on the west side of U.S. 84/285, there's a compelling sign that reads: Psychic Healer, with a picture of a dark-haired woman, hands cupped around a crystal ball. Tarot cards flank the woman's image and in smaller red letters, below the crystal ball, the words: 'curandera' and 'espiritista'. Gina, an eighth-generation, psychic healer who prefers to go only by her first name, is the person depicted on the sign. She opened her Pojoaque business May 25 after moving to the area because she 'felt a strong psychic feeling of reaching out to people in the area.' 'Our healing tradition has been passed down to the women of our family,' she said. 'None of the men in my family have this ability. 'I think it's in my DNA,' she said, sitting in her reading room where she holds her healing sessions. 'The energy gets stronger through every generation.' The word 'vision' pops up frequently in her conversation, as does the word 'God.' 'Vision comes through my third-eye chakra,' she said. 'My gift to heal is a gift from God. If God decides to work through me, I can heal. I don't have the power to heal. God is the only healer.' Gina said her first vision came to her in a dream when she was three. Although she didn't want to recount the dream 'because it's private,' she did have this to say about her first encounter with the spiritual dimension. 'I saw a soft, bright light,' she said. 'The most beautiful part was the silence and the peace and energy I felt that connected my body, mind and spirit.' Unlike many curanderas in Northern New Mexico, Gina said she does not use herbs to heal her clients; neither does she delve into the area of exorcising spirits as is often the case with espiritistas. She said she uses the terms: curandera, psychic healer and espiritista as synonyms, all of which mean 'a healer.' Gina's methodology involves Tarot card readings, palm readings and crystal gazing. 'I don't need these to heal, but some people prefer them,' she said. 'I can connect psychically to people without the aid of anything, except God.' Sounding somewhat like a psychotherapist, she said, 'I help people understand their problem by helping them realize what the problem is. Most people don't realize their capacities. I tell them, 'Be who you are. Be what God made you to be.' ' Many people, she said, don't know how to pray. If that is the case, they can drop by her office and she'll give free prayer instructions. For her other services, there is a fee. A crystal ball reading is $65. 'I can see 5 to 6 years into the future,' she said. 'I don't hold back. I tell it all, good and bad. Life isn't perfect. I try to help people understand that.' A Tarot card reading starts at $40, and a palm reading is $30. Until June 15, she has a $25 special on both types of readings. Working by appointment, her telephone number is 988-9941; she said she welcomes people of all faiths and denominations. 'I respect all beliefs,' she said. 'God believes in you, even if you don't believe in him.' ..."

Do YOU think this is "fair and balanced" reporting, or "fairly unbalanced"? Contact John Knoll at johnknoll77@hotmail.com; or better yet, write Howard Houghton, City Editor, hhoughton@sfnewmexican.com.

Source: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/-Psychic-healer--sets-up-shop-in-valley

P.S. How are our Albuquerque psychics doing? Not so hot!

Futurama Will Return!

2009-06-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Good news for fans of Futurama -

Futurama Returns on Comedy Central, but it returns with 26, yes 26 brand new episodes that will be available in the mid 2010 !

Source

We Got (Sudoku) Puzzles!

2009-06-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Puzzlemaster Ross Goeres develops the puzzles, and I've developed some scripts for posting the puzzles right on the Web.

Give 'em a try!

Great Wiley Toon

2009-06-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Brought to my attention by puzzlemaster Ross Goeres:

To read on the connection between this 'toon and "Morton's Demon," read this post at Panda's Thumb.

NMSR Gets Mail

2009-05-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ryan writes on May 7th:

Hello. I was reading your article "The Bible Code-Data Mining for God" and thought you might be able to help me out with something. There is a book written by a guy named Don Christie in 2003 called Actual Proof of My Existence signed: God of the Bible. In the book there are quite a few connections shown between not only historical events but various numbers relating to laws of physics. I was wondering what you thought about this? There is quite a bit of stuff in his book so I guess that is part of the reason I find it hard to completely deny. I'm not saying I think the codes in the book mean anything beyond a freakish coincidence, but it seems to me sometimes people are looking to dismiss things like this without actually looking into it. In other words, just because various bible codes in the past have been shown to not be as significant as they were originally claimed to be, does that mean it's not possible that Christie or anyone else might come across something meaningful? Any help would be greatly appreciated. The book can be found at http://books.google.com/books?id=jns-AxK0v6cC&dq=isbn:1591606268 He also wrote a second book called The Master Secret Code which also claims to have found codes predicting many things. You can find a description at http://www.amazon.com/Master-Secret-Code-Don-Christie/dp/1600341098/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b I hope to hear back from you. Ryan

I checked out the second link. Here, I learned that The Master Secret Code works like this:

Pizza Hut restaurants began in Wichita, Kansas (34th state of the union) in 1958. Only one verse in the Bible can spell (PIZZA HUT WICHITA), it is 1Samuel 10:2, (1102) are the numbers, 1102 = 19 x 58, just like 1958 when they opened. 1102 (1 x 102) = 102 (34th state Kansas x 3).
(JACK IN THE BOX INC) can only be spelled in one Bible verse Jeremiah 51:23, the chapter is 51, the year that this restaurant chain began in California in 1951. Use the (J) in (J)eremiah to begin this code.
McDonald’s (restaurants) opened on April 15, 1955 in Illinois (IL). The phrase (APRIL FIFTEENTH MCDONALDS IL) can only be spelled in 2 Bible verses out of 31,102 available verses. One lands right on the 4/15 April 15 date in numbers the 4th book of the Bible in Numbers 15:25, (41525) is the full Bible address with book number 4. It starts with 4/15 or (415 x 25), the full address 41525 = 55 x 755 like the 1955 year.

Now, how could anyone possibly argue with such strong evidence?

Let 'er rip!

Again with the Roswell Archaeologist?

2009-05-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

Metal Fragment "Linked" to Roswell Incident?

KRQE TV13 reports on April 30th, in a piece titled "Metal shard linked to Roswell Incident," that "In 2002, UFO investigators, including some from the University of New Mexico, found small pieces of material near the 1947 crash site of what has become known as the Roswell Incident. The group said it did some preliminary tests that found the mystery material is not native to the Roswell area although it is from this planet. This metal piece is aluminum silicon, they said. ... Investigator Debbie Ziegelmeyer said the groups' find could mean answers for people around the world and also for those in Roswell. 'There are a lot of people out there who are skeptics,' she said. 'Now we have something that may be trace evidence. ...' On Thursday the group gathered to ask the public for help after running out of money for tests. It's asking anyone from the scientific community to help them test these materials to find out their origin. The group wants to have the mystery solved in time for the annual Roswell UFO Festival that's held in early July. ..., ..."

What I'd like to know is - how did the "investigative team" determine that an earthly piece of metal found in the desert is "linked" to the recovery of some debris (most likely remains of a failed balloon-borne US surveillance project) from 1947?

Source: http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/technology/technology_krqe_roswell_metal_shard_linked_to_roswell_incident_200904302156

What is really happening here? This is nothing more than the Sci Fi channel creating a Moment of Publicity for their next Roswell UFO summer special.

Let's hope it turns out better than the last one!

Dave Thomas

UFO Author Dennis Balthaser Caught in Blatant Hypocrisy

2009-05-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

by Dave Thomas : nmsrdaveATswcp.com (Help fight SPAM! Please replace the AT with an @ )

The story began with the publication of the January 2009 edition of Rob McConnell's 'X' Chronicle Newspaper. It ended with UFO author and Roswell proponent Dennis Balthaser coming down hard on me, Dave Thomas, for not checking facts, when in fact it was Balthaser himself who was spreading egregious falsehoods without bothering to verify his claims. Balthaser failed to perform even a cursory examination of his accusations.

Read the complete story at NMSR.

NMSKEPTIC

Coming Soon to a Newsstand Near You!

The Great Debate, August 21st, 11:00 PM MDT

9/11 Debate on Coast-to-Coast AM

August 21st, 2010 11:00 PM MDT

Coming August 21st: Six Papers from the newInstitute of Theoretical and Experimental 9/11 Physics!

Coming Soon to NMSR's new YouTube Channel: 9/11 Explained!

Big Bad Horns, the Musical

THE VIDEO JESSE VENTURA DOESN'T WANT THE WORLD TO SEE!

Introducing the Toyota Tsunami!

Hockey Stick Politics: ClimateGate or ClusterPuck

Barbara Forrest on the New Mexico-Louisiana Connection

Lackluster Christmas?

Major Marcel on the Roswell "Craft"

Sylvia Browne Coming to Burque

I got MY copy...

Gene Franchini on the Intersection of Science and the Law

Google Goes Woo-Woo

Math Literacy - We're in BIG Trouble

UFO's - the Space Age Mythology

If you like baseball - or even if you don't...

Blogging Batholiths, Part 2

Blogging Batholiths

Another Socorro Saucer?

NMSR Gets Mail

Santa Fe New Mexican's "News" Story - Just a Free Ad for "Psychic Healer"...

Futurama Will Return!

We Got (Sudoku) Puzzles!

Great Wiley Toon

NMSR Gets Mail

Again with the Roswell Archaeologist?

UFO Author Dennis Balthaser Caught in Blatant Hypocrisy

Coming August 21st: Six Papers from the new
Institute of Theoretical and Experimental 9/11 Physics!