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Another busy, busy week. Luckily I managed to find time for the usual madness on top of all the other madness that has engulfed my life. We're in that weird twilight of Summer, one of my favorite times of year. It's always nice to step back and savor it.
A heartfelt thanks to all of you who wrote in expressing well wishes for my father. I'm happy to report, he's out of the hospital now, but still battling the foot issues that took him out of action in the first place. So, we're not out of the woods yet, but it is improving. Thanks again for your kind words and thoughts.
This week, we look back at the past week's Coast to Coast AM episodes, including a memorable vampire guest, Noory shocking me, and Hoagland depressed as hell. We look ahead to Joe Eszterhas's appearance on "Ian" and Philip Carlo's C2C return. We dip into the mailbag for my take on the new Fall TV season and "Worker in the Light". We look back into C2C history at "An Evening of Commentary" and classic Art Bell Open Lines. And, of course, we give you the scoop on Jet Li's Noorless, only in Hot Newz.
If that wasn't enough, we're rolling out info on the first 5 weeks of BoA : Audio, Season Two guests. In this first batch, we've got 911, JFK, UFOs, Exopolitics, Mediums, the Afterlife, Latin American Ufology, and the Chupacabra. And that's just in the first 5 weeks of Season Two.
But enough of my yakkin', let's boogie ...
The Week That Was
When I last jumped ship last week, we were awaiting word on The Noor's pop-in to finish out the week. It turned out to be J. Edward Cornelius to talk about the ouiji board. Damn. Sounds killer. I missed this one, but I may have to go back and check it out. Standard Friday into Saturday Open Lines finished out the show.
Saturday on "Ian", IP pulled a fast one on me. Originally scheduled guest Ken Jennings was nowhere to be found. In his stead was Jim Marrs (as the 1st hour pop-in) and Steve Hodel for the full show guest to talk about the Black Dahlia story. The paranoid part of me wants to believe that Ian and company snagged Marrs at the last minute, mere hours after BoA announced him as the Season Premiere guest for BoA : Audio, Season Two. But maybe I've just been listening to C2C for too long.
Irregardless of the circumstances of Jim's appearance, I missed the entire show. Luckily, Lesley did catch it. Here's her rundown from The C2C Rewind : "The one and only Jim Marrs showed up to chat about the trans Texas corridor. Ian seemed very confused and kept asking Marrs about Bush suspending elections and becoming dictator, something that as far as I know and I have listened to Marrs a lot is not one of his beliefs. Sadly the was not enough time for Marrs to explain to Ian the answers to the questions being asked.
I was sad that Marrs got so little time, but not that sad when Steve Hodel turned out to be an awesome guest. Hodel told us all about the Black Dahlia murder and why he believed his father to be the murderer. He certainly seemed to have enough evidence to be proof for me. As Johnny Depp says at Hodel's website 'It's pretty fascinating stuff.' Saturday night on C2C proper, Art Bell had John C. Mankins as the guest. Alternative energy from space was the topic for the evening. Sadly, this episode also fell out of my range for the weekend. Lesley says, "Former JPL/NASA guy, John Mankins was the guest. He was there to talk about solar satellites, space shuttles and such. I just don't care that much about that subject and I thought most of the show was totally boring. I am well aware that many will have enjoyed this show, but it was not my cup o' tea." Sounds like I didn't miss much.
After that lull in the action, on Sunday I managed to catch Art Bell with Philip Gardner. Gardner was pretty good, though very reminiscent of Will Henry and that style of guest. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it didn't really strike me as anything noteworthy. Perhaps the most intriguing element to the show was Art's take on various aspect of ancient secret societies and his overall stance on the subject.
Monday, The Noor was back in action and the show was fraught with terror and hilarity. He began by going ape poop over some dude, Hamid Mir, who talked to Bin Laden and said that an attack was eminent. The Noor managed to find this guy and had him on for the first half hour. Interesting stuff, kinda spooky. Noory trumpeted it like he'd just discovered the cure for Polio, which got kind of tiresome after a while.
He also had Paul Williams on the show after Mir to back up the entire story. Williams may be C2C's last "terror expert" with any credibility left after Quayle and Haggman have jumped on stories like this ad nauseum. He best be careful, lest no one takes him seriously anymore either.
The full show guest was Michelle Belanger, vampire aficionado. Before I dig into the meat of this episode, let me suggest you take a gander at this week's K-Files, where BoA's senior columnist Khyron gives his in-depth take on the interview including the coda, "I'm glad I decided to tune into this particular episode. Its not the kind of interview that I would usually listen to, and although George didn't seem the most able interviewer for the job (I think Ian would have been the better choice), it turned out to be a lot better than I expected."
Anyway, Belanger was all about the vampires and poor Noory seemed like he was struggling to catch up to "what all the kids are doing these days". Thankfully, Belanger managed to slip some interesting tid bits into the conversation, including how Whitley Strieber played an odd little influence into the vampire subculture. Sadly, the Noor tried to make him out to be a vampire legend, but Belanger shot that down pretty quick and I nearly passed out from laughing so hard.
The psychic vampire stuff was pretty good to great, seeing as she brought more to the table than the usual two stories we've heard about the subject before. The whole thing sounded kind of bogus, but it was intriguing nonetheless. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention how the sexual element of vampirism kept coming up, seemingly to innocuous questions by Noory, leaving everyone feeling kinda dirty or grossed out. Overall, thumbs up to Belanger for her info and for The Noor going goth. So long as he doesn't end up going emo, we'll be okay.
When I'm wrong, I'm wrong, and god dammit, I'll admit it. The Noor shocked the hell out of me on Tuesday by having William Birnes, his co-author, on the show and they only spent about 15 minutes plugging their just-released book "Worker in the Light". After all the weeks, months and, some say, years of "Worker" hype, I expected the final climactic push in this episode, an orgasmic display of self promotion the likes of which are only seen at BoA and in Joshua Tree. And ... I was wrong. Kudos, hats off, and a Cheshire grin to the Noor. My respect for you has increased tenfold.
Instead of endless "Worker" discussion, Birnes was talking about Corso and was dishing a lot of interesting info regarding the infamous insider. The entire Corso story is so clouded in obfuscation, that it's hard to wrap your mind around the story, but Birnes's first hand perspective on the events of Corso's rise was excellent. Also excellent, was Birnes teasing information regarding disclosure and his "big picture" perspective on Ufology as a whole. Birnes can be polarizing to many in the field, but I found the interview to be quite enjoyable.
Wildcard Wednesday saw Charles Ostman step in to fill the TBA void. Ostman was ostensibly on to talk about synthetic biology, but it seemed like the entire first hour was spent talking about terrorism. I believe even Noory made a joke about it before going to break. I bailed at that point, because I was tired of hearing the same terror related stuff on the show and also once the episode got off track, I wasn't going to stick around to see if it found its way back. Not the best WW, but a worthy try.
Thursday saw perhaps the most memorable first hour of the show in quite some time. For a little background, earlier in the day the European Space Agency released new picture of the infamous Martian "Face". And they saw no face. Having seen the pictures, I wasn't terribly impressed either way, but I haven't spent my life chasing "The Face" like ... Richard C. Hoagland.
Yes, Hoags showed up in that first hour to respond to this full frontal assault on his body of work. Poor Hoagie sounded like someone just kicked his dog and then kicked him in the gonads. Noory was playing the role of "best buddy", trying to prop up a deflated and demoralized Hoagland. Of course, Hoagland tried his best to spin the story in some way, but there's no other way to look at it than yet another massive blow to "The Face" theory.
What makes it all even worse is that Hoagland has spent the last two years hyping up these very ESA pictures. Part of me feels bad for Hoagie. The entire scenario has gotta suck for him. Then there's that other part of me that remembers his self righteous posturing a few weeks back about how great his stuff was compared to Ufology. All that part of me can say is ... karma's a bitch, Hoagie.
The full show guest was the duo of John Bindernagel and Jeffrey Meldrum to talk about Bigfoot. The unique part of this pair is that they bring the scholarly world into studying the infamous crypto beast. The portion of the interview about bringing Bigfoot into academia was very interesting. The stuff on the importance of Bigfoot prints was also very intriguing. Be that as it may, some of the stuff was old hat, including the story of the dude in the sleeping bag who was kidnapped by Bigfoot, a story I've heard dozens of times already. It's to be expected that these guys were a little dry and they were. They didn't quite ever get the episode kicking into another gear, which is unfortunate, because it seemed to have the makings of a killer episode. I'd give it a "good" rating. The "dual guests" aspect may have been what hurt it the most.
In retrospect, it was a pretty solid week, notably with the Ian hosted Marrs interview (for it's unique historical value), the Belanger and Birnes episodes, and Thursday's historic Hoagland pop-in.
The Week That Is
For starters, we've got The Noor kicking it old school with 1st hour pop-in Linda Moulton Howe. She's got some story about a jet at the bottom of Lake Superior and some mysterious object next to it. Sounds fascinating. Standard Friday into Saturday Open Lines follows.
Saturday on "Ian", IP has infamous Hollywood screenwriter Joe Eszterhas on to talk about, what else, Hollywood. For those of you out of the loop, Eszterhas was the screenwriter for Basic Instinct, Showgirls, Flashdance, and a bunch of other movies. He also wrote Basic Instinct 2, but let's not hold that against him. I expect a top notch episode here, with great stories of Hollywood schenanigans.
Saturday night on C2C proper, Art Bell brings back Paul Moller of Sky Car fame. Moller seems to pop up every year or so to give an update on his Sky Car. Kind of a one note guest. I grew bored with the Sky Car three years ago, so I don't expect much here.
Sunday night on Coast, Art's guest is Jon Klimo on the show to discuss a variety of aspects of the afterlife, including channeling, extra dimensions, and other stuff. Art really digs this stuff, so I expect it to be good to great.
Monday, one of the C2C hardcore fans' favorite guests, Philip Carlo will be on the show for another true crime edition of Coast. Carlo is a professor the criminal mind and a bad mother shut your mouth. He's usually all full of piss and vinegar about criminals and those who populate the wrong side of the law. Noory usually brings out the best in him, so this should be a great episode.
Tuesday, Kevin Todeschi is the guest and the topic will be old C2C stalwart, Edgar Cayce. Noory's a hardcore Cayce fan, so I expect he'll be in hog heaven with this one. I'm not so much a Cayce fan, but I'll check it out.
Wildcard Wednesday is at half mast this week, as C2C just hasn't bothered posting any guests or dates after Tuesday's show. Could this be a sign that there is internal strife inside C2C HQ over whether or not to dub the TBA "Wildcard Wednesday" as I've been begging for the last month ? Possibly.
Some good stuff on tap, including Ezsterhas and Carlo. One more strong guest on Wednesday or Thursday and it will be another very solid week.
BoA : Audio
As promised, hyped, and teased, here's the latest info on the first five weeks of BoA : Audio, Season Two ...
9.30.6 : Jim Marrs ... The Terror Conspiracy
10.7.6 : Paul Kimball (Part 1 of 2) ... UFO Documentary making
10.14.6 : Paul Kimball (Part 2 of 2) ... Exopolitics & Ufology
10.21.6 : Dennis Spaulding ... "My Search for the Afterlife"
10.28.6 : Scott Corrales ... Chupacabra & Latin American Ufology
We should have at least two more teasers to come @ binnallofamerica.com, including one that will have some soundbites from each of the guests for our first batch of episodes. Of course, in-depth previews will roll out as the episodes begin to air.
If, for some reason, you missed out on our first BoA : Audio, Season Two teaser, you can still hear it and download it HERE.
Next Week : BoA : Audio, Season Two kicks off with Jim Marrs, author of the new book "The Terror Conspiracy". We'll be discussing 911, new revelations in JFK assassination research, NYC on the 5th anniversary of 911, the birth and evolution of the 911 Truth Movement and its strange rivalry with Ufology, Hurricane Katrina, FEMA camps, the '08 election, and potential scenarios for the future of America. Plus tons more.
The esoteric audio event of the season is just one week away. Don't say we didn't warn you.
binnall report mailbag
Letter #1
So have you read Worker in the Light yet ?
Brian in San Jose, California It begins ! Many of you may recall about 9 months ago, when Noory had his much hyped pay-per-view special. I seemed to get at least 2 or 3 e-mails a week from folks asking if I'd seen it yet. Finally, after saying I would catch it "soon", I was forced to watch it in order to appease BoA readers.
To be honest, though, I haven't even been to the bookstore yet. I expect to go this weekend. I'll be interested in how many copies are there and what section the book is kept in. Of course, I will buy it. And, I will read it. When that happens, sadly, is up in the air. I've already got a ton of books "to be read", but it'll go in the pile.
Letter #2 :
binnall,
Looking forward to the new Fall TV season ?
Ed in East Lansing, Michigan
Of course, Ed. Everyone knows I am a child of television. For starters, I enjoyed last night Office very much and also dug My Name Is Earl. I'm looking forward to 20 Good Years (with Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow) as well as 30 Rock. Studio 60 sounds decent, but it is up against wrestling, so I will have to catch the reruns on Bravo.
Then there's Lost, which I discovered this Summer and absolutely love. Sadly, I will have to give up on Survivor, as it is scheduled against Earl and Office. I may sample one of the other Lost-esque new shows (Jericho, The Nine), but I'm afraid they won't be any good. Heroes looks halfway decent, so it may get the Tivo sample.
All in all, not too many new shows looking good, other than the two new NBC sitcoms. As far as awful shows, I sampled "Till Death" and it is pretty dreadful.
Questions ? Comments ? Send them to tbinnall@hotmail.com
This Week in C2C History
9.22.2005 : Perhaps the most ambitious episode of C2C in all of '05. Consisting of six guests, each given a half hour, talking about an assortment of topics. Dubbed "An Evening of Commentary" by Noory (and "C2C Jam Session" by me), it was a critical success and a theme episode that many hope to see return in '06. Here's my take on a small portion of the '06 Jam Session : "You know I caught the Alex Jones and Richard C. Hoagland hour. C2C magic if ever there was. AJ was on to talk about Katrina and the upcoming Rita. Total Jones madness here and awesome stuff from the NWO watchdog. Kudos to Noory for mentioning Tom Flocco, a Rense / AJ denizen who deserves a shot on the big stage. What's next, Sherman Skolnick ? (Oh God, I hope so.)
RCH was dubbed "clean up" guest by Noory in an awful sports analogy that made no sense. He tried to get Hoags to give him props for it, but RCH essentially no sold it. The big news of this Hoags appearance was that he was teasing a major blog post for the next day (today). It sounded like he was going to lay down some insane accusations against people and he said he had the closest thing to a "smoking gun". I heard him say that about Roswell two years ago, so I'm not holding my breath 9.22.1999 : Open Lines back when they meant something, "Open lines finishes out the program tonight. Art talks about Anthony Hopkins and his love for his movies and a caller has tips on the cat experiment with the buttered toast strapped to the cat's belly." (artbell.com cd rom)
9.22.1998 : Duck and cover ! Y2K is on the way !! "Art reads a fax from a listener regarding the Y2K problem. The listener is a military retiree and Art reads a letter he received that seems to be a cry for help from any retiree who has the talent to assist the military in this computer crisis." (artbell.com cd rom)
End Notes
That does it for this week's edition of the binnall report. Thanks for joining in on the fun. I'm off to spend the evening discussing esoterica, BoA, and C2C with BoA legend Joe Vee, who remains back in the Boston area. Joe wishes to pass along word that he'll be stopping "Wrath of Joe" for the time being until another seasonal period to be determined. He also is quite amused by the latest news about the Martian Face.
Plugs : Tomorrow @ binnallofamerica.com. Another Season Two Teaser and Hoags to Hoags AM is updated. Sunday, it's Lesley's C2C Rewind @ The Debris Field and smoker dave is updated. Monday, Ralph Molesworth's Tall Tales. Tuesday, Lesley's Grey Matters. Wednesday, Khyron's The K-Files. Thursday, Hot Newz. And, Friday, we do it all again with a BoA:A, Season Two pre-show hype laden binnall report.
binnallofamerica.com ... it's what the cool kids are doing now.
Once again, thanks to all the great readers and listeners and supporters of BoA. I hope your weekend is swell and your week stress-free. Until we meet again, this is binnall ... signing off.