binnall of america

9.6.9: BoA:Audio season finale w. John Lear :: Text Preview

2009-09-06T13:41:00.004-04:00

This episode will be posted on Wednesday, 9.9.9 ... we promise !
S4 Audio Recap & Finale Preview coming soon.
Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for fun & surprises leading up to the finale.

This Week: The BoA:Audio, Season IV finale featuring ...

John Lear
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/

BoA:Audio closes the book on Season IV with one of the more enigmatic and infamous figures in the history of UFO studies: John Lear. In this ultra-rare two hour conversation, we'll cover the wild days of the 1980's in Ufology including Paul Bennewitz, Bill Cooper, Bill Moore, the 1989 MUFON Convention in Las Vegas, the alien spaceship that allegedly crashed and was buried because it was too big to move, the concept of souls and reincarnation and how the aliens may fit into that, the incident at the Dulce Base between an ET and the Army, 'human mutilations,' UFO disclosure and when it may happen, 2012 as a scam, interesting things on the moon, the secret space program, undersea connections beneath the western half of America, John's theory on 911 that the planes were holograms & the towers felled via space weapons, Bob Lazar and the Area 51 story, the state of Ufology, Exopolitics, why the 'mainstream' branches of esoterica seem to be so far off from John's theories, George Knapp, Art Bell, why Ufology isn't a 'team sport,' and a shitload more stuff.

To esoteric newcomers, and even many veterans, John Lear is almost mythical and certainly mysterious. A lot of contemporary folks dismiss John's material because of the sometimes outrageous things he says, without realizing (or acknowledging) the massive impact he had on the field, specifically in the 1980's. Both Art Bell & George Knapp have credited him with planting the seed for their future exploits exploring the unknown and, as most people know, Lear was side-by-side with Bob Lazar as one of the godfathers of Area 51. He is most certainly someone who forever altered the landscape of esoterica.

In keeping with tradition, we finish up the season with a stratospheric guest in an interview that will be listened to and enjoyed for years to come.

8.25.9: Budd Hopkins on BoA:Audio :: Text Preview

2009-08-25T18:00:00.008-04:00

This episode will be posted on Wednesday night, late-night, or (more likely) Thursday afternoon.

Check out the BoA Tweeps Page for a 10 minute audio excerpt from the interview.

THIS WEEK: Budd Hopkins, Art, Life, and UFOs: A Memoir, intrudersfoundation.org

The penultimate edition of BoA:Audio, Season IV sees us welcome the legendary and iconic Budd Hopkins to the program. Centering around his recently published memoir, Art, Life, and UFOs, we'll be exploring and discussing his remarkable and epic life. The first half of this nearly 2 hours conversation revolves around Budd's career as an artist and his relationship with his father. Budd will extrapolate on observations made in the memoir about the early influences on his artistic career, artists and their disinterest in politics, Budd's near-fight with Jack Kerouac, why he chose to change mediums from paint to sculpture later in his career, why he dubbed some of his work to be 'failures,' the problem with museums today, and much much more.

The second half focuses, of course, on Budd's pioneering work in the field of abduction research. We'll find out how hearing the War of the Worlds shaped the populace who heard it (including a young Budd Hopkins), why the nature of ET interaction seemed to go from 'contactees' to 'abductees,' the concept of 'confirmation anxiety' and how it effects abductees, his take on the 'ETs as robots' theory, the nature of hybrid revelations to abductees and if it is an ongoing process or a one time thing, some insight into the Shirley MacLain meeting that is detailed in the book, framing the UFO/ET questions for the mass public in this modern time (i.e. Ufology's Public Relations problem), the portrayal of abductions in mass media, and much much more.

It's a riveting interview which aims to capture the massive scope of one man's life: Budd Hopkins, artist & esoteric legend.

***

NEXT WEEK: The BoA:Audio, Season IV finale featuring ...

John Lear
www.thelivingmoon.com

BoA:Audio closes the book on Season IV with one of the more legendary and infamous figures in the history of UFO studies: John Lear. In this ultra-rare two hour conversation, we'll cover the wild days of the 1980's in Ufology including Paul Bennewitz, Bill Cooper, Bill Moore, the 1989 MUFON Convention in Las Vegas, the alien spaceship that allegedly crashed and was buried because it was too big to move, the concept of souls and reincarnation and how the aliens may fit into that, the incident at the Dulce Base between an ET and the Army, 'human mutilations,' UFO disclosure and when it may happen, 2012 as a scam, interesting things on the moon, the secret space program, undersea connections beneath the western half of America, John's theory on 911 that the planes were holograms & the towers felled via space weapons, Bob Lazar and the Area 51 story, the state of Ufology, Exopolitics, why the 'mainstream' branches of esoterica seem to be so far off from John's theories, George Knapp, Art Bell, why Ufology isn't a 'team sport,' and a shitload more stuff.

As I mention during the interview, to newcomers to esoterica, John Lear is almost mythical and certainly mysterious. A lot of contemporary folks dismiss John's material because of the sometimes outrageous things he says, without realizing the massive impact he had on the field, specifically in the 1980's. Both Art Bell & George Knapp have credited him with planting the seed for their future exploits exploring the unknown and, as most people know, Lear was side-by-side with Bob Lazar as one of the godfathers of Area 51. He is most certainly someone who forever altered the landscape of esoterica and, thus, absolutely befitting of the Season Finale spot on BoA:Audio. I hope our awesome listeners enjoy hearing the interview as much as I did conducting it.

Note: There is a halfway decent chance that the posting of this episode will be bumped to the week of Sep. 7th instead of next week. Consider yourself forewarned.

8.17.9: Webster Tarpley on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-08-17T14:19:00.006-04:00

This episode will be posted on Tuesday afternoon. Check out the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details & an 8 minute excerpt from the interview.

THIS WEEK: Webster Tarpley, Surviving the Cataclysm, tarpley.net

Geopolitical genius Webster Tarpley returns to BoA:Audio for a jam-packed session of the program. We find out about the financial crisis, how the geopolitical landscape has changed to an America v. Russia / China one instead of US v. Middle East, why things went from Bush & Co. to Obama & Co. if Bush had such a stranglehold of power, Obama and how he is the banker's puppet (so says Webster), why the solutions offered by the Republicans are just as bad as the Obama plans, what to do to get out of the financial mess for both regular people and the world, 911 & the 911 Truth Movement and why it has gotten derailed (fascinating stuff), and if are we past the point of trying to stop a New World Order.

Yes, it's a political episode, but Webster is really against just about everyone (Obama, Bush, Dems, Republicans, Ron Paul, everyone), so I have a feeling that no matter who you like, they will get stomped on and everyone is equally stomped.

***

NEXT WEEK: Budd Hopkins, Art, Life, and UFOs: A Memoir, intrudersfoundation.org

The penultimate edition of BoA:Audio, Season IV sees us welcome the legendary and iconic Budd Hopkins to the program. Centering around his recently published memoir, Art, Life, and UFOs, we'll be exploring and discussing his remarkable and epic life. The first half of this nearly 2 hours conversation revolves around Budd's career as an artist and his relationship with his father. Budd will extrapolate on observations made in the memoir about the nature of color in nature, artists and their disinterest in politics, Budd's near-fight with Jack Kerouac, why he chose to change mediums from paint to sculpture later in his career, why he dubbed some of his work to be 'failures,' the problem with museums today, and much much more.

The second half focuses, of course, on Budd's pioneering work in the field of abduction research. We'll find out how hearing the War of the Worlds shaped the populace who heard it (including a young Budd Hopkins), why the nature of ET interaction seemed to go from 'contactees' to 'abductees,' the concept of 'confirmation anxiety' and how it effects abductees, his take on the 'ETs as robots' theory, the nature of hybrid revelations to abductees and if it is an ongoing process or a one time thing, some insight into the Shirley MacLain meeting that is detailed in the book, framing the UFO/ET questions for the mass public in this modern time (i.e. Ufology's Public Relations problem), the portrayal of abductions in mass media, and much much more.

It's a riveting interview which aims to capture the massive scope of one man's life: Budd Hopkins, artist & esoteric legend.

8.10.9: Timothy Good on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-08-10T15:34:00.001-04:00

This episode will be posted on Monday evening. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details & surprises.

THIS WEEK: Timothy Good, Need to Know, timothygood.co.uk

Direct from London, England, venerable UFO researcher Timothy Good joins us for an in-depth discussion on his latest book Need to Know as well as a number of elements of the UFO phenomenon which he has uncovered in his lengthy career investigating the phenomenon.

We'll be discussing the early intelligence conflicts between the US and UK with regards to the Swedish Ghostrockets wave of the 1930's, Winston Churchill's failed attempts to find out about UFOs from the MOD, the story of Polish biophysicists and their visit to JPL where they saw remains of a dead alien possibly from Roswell, information that Good has received about alien bases located around the world and what their purpose might be, the ongoing, secret conflict between Earth and alien races, stories of retaliation by UFOs against air planes that challenge them, the concept of "gradual disclosure" of the UFO phenomenon, the MJ-12 papers, Good's role in their publication and what he really thinks was going on back in the 1980's when they were released, and the state of Ufology in general. Plus, of course, tons and tons more.

It's a thought provoking edition of BoA:Audio with a researcher who has uncovered some truly unique information that may have you taking a second look at the UFO enigma.

***

NEXT WEEK: Webster Tarpley, Surviving the Cataclysm, tarpley.net

Geopolitical genius Webster Tarpley returns to BoA:Audio for a jam-packed session of the program. We find out about the financial crisis, how the geopolitical landscape has changed to an America v. Russia / China one instead of US v. Middle East, why things went from Bush & Co. to Obama & Co. if Bush had such a stranglehold of power, Obama and how he is the banker's puppet (so says Webster), what to do to get out of the financial mess for both regular people and the world, 911 & the 911 Truth Movement and why it has gotten derailed (fascinating stuff), and if are we past the point of trying to stop a New World Order.

Yes, it's a political episode, but Webster is really against just about everyone (Obama, Bush, Dems, Republicans, Ron Paul, everyone), so I have a feeling that no matter who you like, they will get stomped on and everyone is equally stomped.

7.21.9: Paranormal Pastor on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-07-21T21:14:00.009-04:00

This episode will be posted on Wednesday night. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details & surprises.

THIS WEEK: Pastor Robin Swope, The Paranormal Pastor

One of the breakout stars in esoterica over the last year, Pastor Robin Swope, better known as "The Paranormal Pastor," comes to BoA:Audio to discuss his research and writings. We'll cover a myriad of esoteric topics, including truly strange paranormal stories shared by missionaries who worked in Africa, the potential dangers of "weekend warrior" ghost hunters and their flirtation with evil forces, what the Bible really says about ghosts, UFOs, and cryptobeasts, phone calls from the dead and soul pillars, the esoteric powers once associated with birthmarks, the infamous Pierre Bernard, Swoppe's role in the Omega Men, ghost stories from his days working at a haunted ambulance bay and his experiences performing exorcisms. Plus, of course, tons and tons more.

It's a wide-ranging conversation with one of the most exciting new voices to emerge in esoterica today: The Paranormal Pastor.

***

NEXT WEEK: No episode, but ...

For the past two years, we've ended the season with episode #31, which would be the episode after this week's show. However, since we've been having such a good time this year and want to thank our listeners for their tremendous support during Season IV, we've decided to add three more episodes to the Season, ending with #34 and making it the longest season of BoA:Audio ever.

However, these aren't going to be just any four guests to end the season. Each Wednesday in August, BoA:Audio will bring you an all new interview with a bonafide A-list name in esoterica. "The Final Four of Season IV" will feature conversations with some of the biggest superstars in the paranormal world. Beginning with ...

IN TWO WEEKS: Timothy Good, Need to Know, timothygood.co.uk

Direct from London, England, venerable UFO researcher Timothy Good joins us for an in-depth discussion on his latest book Need to Know as well as a number of elements of the UFO phenomenon which he has uncovered in his lengthy career investigating the phenomenon.

We'll be discussing the early intelligence conflicts between the US and UK with regards to the Swedish Ghostrockets wave of the 1930's, Winston Churchill's failed attempts to find out about UFOs from the MOD, the story of Polish biophysicists and their visit to JPL where they saw remains of a dead alien possibly from Roswell, information that Good has received about alien bases located around the world and what their purpose might be, the ongoing, secret conflict between Earth and alien races, stories of retalliation by UFOs against air planes that challenge them, the concept of "gradual disclosure" of the UFO phenomenon, the MJ-12 papers, Good's role in their publication and what he really thinks was going on back in the 1980's when they were released, and the state of Ufology in general. Plus, of course, tons and tons more.

It's a thought provoking edition of BoA:Audio with a researcher who has uncovered some truly unique information that may have you taking a second look at the UFO enigma.

7.6.9: Bruce Rux (Vol.3) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-07-06T14:53:00.005-04:00

This episode will be posted on Tuesday or Wednesday. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details & surprises.

THIS WEEK: Bruce Rux, Hollywood v. the Aliens, Part Three of a Trilogy

BoA:Audio concludes our Rux Trilogy with the final installment, subtitled "The Post-Script." In this edition, we'll wrap up our discussion on Hollywood v. the Aliens and find out about UFO-related entertainment offerings of the George Bush & Bill Clinton years, culminating in the publication of Bruce's book in 1997. We'll examine the big picture implications of the "UFO education" program, if it exists, and how it may effect future attempts by those "in the know" to disclose the reality of UFOs.

From there, we'll get Bruce's perspective on how things have shaped up since the book came out, what he thinks of a variey of films and TV shows from '97-'09, including the reality TV boom, and where he sees things headed into the future. Plus, we'll cover some of the stuff that may have fallen through the cracks in previous installments, such as The Manchurian Candidate. We'll also find out more about where Bruce has been these last 9 years and what he may be working on now.

Films & programs discussed in this installment include Capricorn One, ET, Red Dawn, Men In Black, Independence Day, Starship Troopers, Contact, Mission to Mars, Battlefield Earth, Ghosts of Mars, Signs, Stargate SG1, Lost, Steven Spielberg's Taken miniseries, movies based on esoteric events like Fire in the Sky, and a whole bunch more.

It's the conclusion of a remarkable conversation with a truly amazing researcher, Bruce Rux, finishing up our look at what he sees as an ongoing, five decade plus, program aimed at shaping what people think about the UFO phenomenon.

***

NEXT WEEK: Pastor Robin Swope, The Paranormal Pastor

One of the breakout stars in esoterica over the last year, Pastor Robin Swope, better known as "The Paranormal Pastor," comes to BoA:Audio to discuss his research and writings. We'll cover a myriad of esoteric topics, including truly strange paranormal stories shared by missionaries who worked in Africa, the potential dangers of "weekend warrior" ghost hunters and their flirtation with evil forces, what the Bible really says about ghosts, UFOs, and cryptobeasts, phone calls from the dead and soul pillars, the esoteric powers once associated with birthmarks, the infamous Pierre Bernard, Swoppe's role in the Omega Men, ghost stories from his days working at a haunted ambulance bay and his experiences performing exorcisms. Plus, of course, tons and tons more.

It's a wide-ranging conversation with one of the most exciting new voices to emerge in esoterica today: The Paranormal Pastor.

6.29.9: Bruce Rux (Vol.2) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-06-29T13:59:00.007-04:00

This episode will be posted on Wednesday afternoon. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details & surprises.

THIS WEEK: Bruce Rux, Hollywood v. the Aliens, Part Two of a Trilogy

The Rux Trilogy continues into the middle installment of our marathon coversation with Bruce Rux, author of Hollywood v. the Aliens.

In Volume Two (The Program), we'll talk about Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry & The Nine, The X-Files, Doctor Who, The Quartermass Trilogy, the James Bond films, and a ton of other sci fi, UFO, & esoteric films and how these entertainment offerings fit into the UFO "education program" that Bruce sees at work throughout the last few decades. We'll find out if there were similaries or differences in how the UK and the US handled UFOs on film & TV and also how the entertainment coming out of Japan reflected their take on the phenomenon.

We'll also discuss how the Jimmy Carter presidency ushered in a whole new era of pro-UFO films, such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Superman, as well as the anti-UFO films of the Carter era such as Dean Koontz's Demon Seed and Alien, the transition to Reagan as president and how it changed the portrayal of UFOs and aliens in films and TV shows, plus the emergence of "magazine" style programs such as In Search Of.

Covering an absolute wealth of TV programs and films with a UFO bent, we dig beneath the surface and look at what really may have been going on in a variety of sci fi institutions.

***

NEXT WEEK: Bruce Rux, Hollywood v. the Aliens, Part Three of a Trilogy

BoA:Audio concludes our Rux Trilogy with the final installment, subtitled "The Post-Script." In this edition, we'll wrap up our discussion on Hollywood v. the Aliens and find out about UFO-related entertainment offerings of the George Bush & Bill Clinton years, culminating in the publication of Bruce's book in 1997. We'll examine the big picture implications of the "UFO education" program, if it exists, and how it may effect future attempts by those "in the know" to disclose the reality of UFOs.

From there, we'll get Bruce's perspective on how things have shaped up since the book came out, what he thinks of a variey of films and TV shows from '97-'09, including the reality TV boom, and where he sees things headed into the future. Plus, we'll cover some of the stuff that may have fallen through the cracks in previous installments, such as The Manchurian Candidate. We'll also find out more about where Bruce has been these last 9 years and what he may be working on now.

Films & programs discussed in this installment include Capricorn One, ET, Red Dawn, Men In Black, Independence Day, Starship Troopers, Contact, Mission to Mars, Battlefield Earth, Ghosts of Mars, Signs, Stargate SG1, Lost, Steven Spielberg's Taken miniseries, movies based on esoteric events like Fire in the Sky, and a whole bunch more.

It's the conclusion of a remarkable conversation with a truly amazing researcher, Bruce Rux, finishing up our look at what he sees as an ongoing, five decade plus, program aimed at shaping what people think about the UFO phenomenon.

6.22.9: Bruce Rux (Vol.1) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-06-22T16:34:00.006-04:00

This episode will be posted on Wednesday evening, sorry for the slight delay. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details & surprises.

THIS WEEK: Bruce Rux, Hollywood v. the Aliens, Part One of a Trilogy

In his first interview since 2000, Bruce Rux, author of the mindblowing Hollywood v. the Aliens, joins BoA:Audio for an extended conversation that we're calling "The Rux Trilogy," a three episode arc that totals nearly six hours of material.

In Volume One, also known as "The Prelude," we discuss Bruce's thesis that the government has been using films and television shows in a concerted effort to shape the public's understanding and feelings on the UFO phenomenon. We'll cover the basic tenets which Bruces believes to be at work with the UFO phenomenon, including ET greys as robots, ancient astronauts, mind control used in abductions, and a Mars connection. We'll then move into the beginnings of this "education program" with the 1938 Orson Welles' War of the Worlds, the few thoughtful UFO related films of the early 1950's, the 1952 D.C. Nationals UFO flap, the wave of silly UFO movies which began in 1953 ("coincidentally" right after the Robertson Panel), and the change towards thoughtful TV programming in the early 1960's.

This is truly one of the signature interviews for BoA:Audio, Season IV, as we welcome an amazing researcher who has never appeared on a podcast before and hasn't done an interview in nearly a decade.

***

NEXT WEEK: Bruce Rux, Hollywood v. the Aliens, Part Two of a Trilogy

The Rux Trilogy continues into our middle installment as we continue our marathon coversation with Bruce Rux, author of Hollywood v. the Aliens.

Here, in Volume Two (The Program), we'll talk about Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry & The Nine, The X-Files, Doctor Who, The Quartermass Trilogy, the James Bond films, and a ton of other sci fi, UFO, and esoteric films and how these entertainment offerings fit into the UFO "education program" that Bruce sees at work throughout the last few decades. We'll find out if there were similaries or differences in how the UK and the US handled UFOs on film & TV and also how the entertainment coming out of Japan reflected their take on UFOs.

We'll also discuss how the Jimmy Carter presidency ushered in a whole new era of pro-UFO films, the anti-UFO films of the Carter era, the transition to Reagan as president and how it changed the portrayal of UFOs and aliens in films and TV shows.

4.15.9: Marie Jones & Larry Flaxman on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-06-15T20:03:00.007-04:00

This episode will be posted on Tuesday evening. I think we'll end up settling in to Tuesdays as the post day for the remainder of the season. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details.

THIS WEEK: Marie Jones & Larry Flaxman, 11:11 The Time Prompt Phenomenon, www.paraexplorers.com

Longtime friends of the program, Marie Jones & Larry Flaxman, return to the show for a raucous edition of BoA:Audio. We'll be discussing the 11:11 phenomenon and the esoteric elements of numbers in general. A sampling of such numerically themed topics include the 23 enigma, the odd popularity of 666 in China, and the remarkable number of religious connections with the number 3. We'll also cover the Pythagoreans, 2012 and other "hot" dates in esoterica, Information Theory, Littlewood's "law" about miracles & numbers, the strange Lincoln/Kennedy connections, synchronicities, and much much more.

The dynamic duo let their hair down and really cut loose during this fast-paced, laughter-filled, and esoterically-rich edition of BoA:Audio that you do not want to miss.

***

NEXT WEEK: Bruce Rux, Hollywood v. the Aliens, Part One of a Trilogy

In his first interview since 2000, Bruce Rux, author of the mindblowing Hollywood v. the Aliens, joins BoA:Audio for an extended conversation that we're calling "The Rux Trilogy," a three episode arc that totals nearly six hours of material. In Volume One, also known as "The Prelude," we cover Bruce's thesis that the government has been using films and television shows in a concerted effort to shape the public's understanding and feelings on the UFO phenomenon. We'll cover the basic tenets which Bruces believes to be at work with the UFO phenomenon, including ET greys as robots, ancient astronauts, mind control used in abductions, and ancient astronauts. We'll then move into the beginnings of this "education program" with the 1938 Orson Welles' War of the Worlds, the few thoughtful UFO related films of the early 1950's, the wave of silly UFO movies of the mid-to-late 1950's, and the change towards thoughtful TV programming in the early 1960's.

In Volume Two (The Program), to be posted the week of June 29th, we'll continue the timeline and talk about Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry & The Nine, The X-Files, Doctor Who, The Quartermass Trilogy, the James Bond films, and a ton of other sci fi / UFO films as well as how these entertainment offerings fit into the UFO "education program" that Bruce sees at work throughout the last few decades. We'll also discuss how the Jimmy Carter presidency ushered in a whole new era of pro-UFO films, the anti-UFO films of the Carter era, the transition to Reagan as president and how it changed the portrayal of UFOs and aliens in films and TV shows.

In our concluding installment, Volume Three (The Post-Script), to be posted the week of July 6th, we'll wrap up our discussion on Hollywood v. the Aliens and discuss the George Bush & Bill Clinton years, culminating in the publication of Bruce's book in 1997. From there, we'll get some perspective on how things have shaped up since the book came out, what Bruce thinks of a variey of films and TV shows from 97-09 and where he sees things headed into the future. We'll also find out more about where Bruce has been these last 9 years and what he may be working on for the future.

A far more thorough and detailed preview of the complete Rux Trilogy will be posted @ BoA towards the end of the week. Suffice it to say, this is one of the signature interviews for BoA:Audio, Season IV, as we welcome an amazing researcher who has never appeared on a podcast before and hasn't done an interview in nearly a decade.

6.7.9: Clas Svahn on BoA:Audio

2009-06-07T10:29:00.005-04:00

This episode will be posted on Tuesday afternoon. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details.

THIS WEEK: Clas Svahn, Swedish Ufology, ufo.se/english

BoA:Audio once again goes global as we welcome Clas Svahn, head of UFO Sweden, for his first-ever American radio interview. We'll be discussing, in amazing detail, the world of Swedish Ufology. We'll find out about some of the key UFO cases in Sweden's rich history such as the 1808 mass UFO sighting, the 1933 phantom lights flap, the famous Gosta Karlsson case, the ghost lights of 1946, the 1958 Domsten close encounter case, Project Argus of the 1970's, the 1984 Minsk case, the 1999 UFO "crash" in Sweden, and many others. Clas will also give us his first hand perspective on the birth & evolution of UFO studies in Sweden, including how Sweden was a major player in the very early days of the modern UFO phenomenon, the reaction of the Swedish military and government to UFOs, how the media coverage of the phenomenon has changed over the years, and what the everyday Swede thinks of UFOs.

Of the many international editions of BoA:Audio, this one surely will rank among the very best. Clas Svahn showcases the world of UFOs in Sweden, a country who's contributions to the history of Ufology have been all-too-often overlooked.

***

NEXT WEEK: Marie Jones & Larry Flaxman, 11:11 The Time Prompt Phenomenon, www.paraexplorers.com

Longtime friends of the program, Marie Jones & Larry Flaxman, return to the show for a raucous edition of BoA:Audio. We'll be discussing the 11:11 phenomenon and the esoteric elements of numbers in general. A sampling of such numerically themed topics include the 23 enigma, the odd popularity of 666 in China, and the remarkable number of religious connections with the number 3. We'll also cover the Pythagoreans, Information Theory, Littlewood's "law" about miracles & numbers, the strange Lincoln/Kennedy connections, synchronicities, and much much more.

The dynamic duo let their hair down and really cut loose during this fast-paced, laughter-filled, and esoterically-rich edition of BoA:Audio that you do not want to miss.

5.31.9: Tracy Twyman on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-05-31T19:08:00.003-04:00

This episode should be posted on Monday evening, depending on how long it takes to edit. Worst case scenario, it gets posted on Tuesday. Stay tuned to the BoA Twitter feed for ongoing details.

THIS WEEK: Tracy Twyman, Esoteric Jam Session, libertycappress.com

Spellbinding esoteric researcher Tracy Twyman joins us to discuss a plethora of different topics. Tracy provides a look at her remarkable career as an author and researcher of topics ranging from the economy to the Priory of Scion, plus how other researchers have responded to her tremendous output of quality material in such a short period of time. She'll give us her detailed and informed perspective on the present state of the economy, why she thinks things are looking particularly grim for the future, and what she sees as the best ways to fix it. We'll also talk about the moon-based calendar and her theory on how Earth's orbit may have been different in ancient times, the 911 Truth Movement, Tracy's run-in with Muslim extremists, her thoughts on the UFO phenomenon, and much much more.

It's a classic BoA:Audio jam session where the notes go out the window and we let the conversation with Tracy unfold in directions both unexpected and extremely enlightening.

Check out Tracy's books ...

Solomon's Treasure

The Merovingian Mythos and the Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau

Mind Controlled Sex Slaves and the CIA.

***

NEXT WEEK: Clas Svahn, Swedish Ufology, ufo.se/english

BoA:Audio once again goes global as we welcome Clas Svahn, head of UFO Sweden, for his first-ever American radio interview. We'll be discussing, in amazing detail, the world of Swedish Ufology. We'll find out about some of the key UFO cases in Sweden's rich history such as the 1808 mass UFO sighting, the 1933 phantom lights flap, the famous Gosta Karlsson case, the ghost lights of 1946, the 1958 Domsten close encounter case, Project Argus of the 1970's, the 1984 Minsk case, the 1999 UFO "crash" in Sweden, and many others. Clas will also give us his first hand perspective on the birth & evolution of UFO studies in Sweden, including how Sweden was a major player in the very early days of the modern UFO phenomenon, the reaction of the Swedish military and government to UFOs, how the media coverage of the phenomenon has changed over the years, and what the everyday Swede thinks of UFOs.

Of the many international editions of BoA:Audio, this one surely will rank among the very best. Clas Svahn showcases the world of UFOs in Sweden, a country who's contributions to the history of Ufology have been all-too-often overlooked.

5.24.9: Jason Offutt on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-05-24T18:34:00.000-04:00

This episode will be posted on Monday afternoon/evening.
Have a great Memorial Day !

THIS WEEK: Jason Offutt, Darkness Walks: The Shadow People Among Us, http://www.from-the-shadows.blogspot.com/

BoA:Audio returns from our Spring Break with Jason Offutt, author of the truly spooky book Darkness Walks: The Shadow People Among Us. We'll be discussing the Shadow People phenomenon from a number of different angles, including the various reported "versions" of the entities, explanations from Native Americans, religious institutions, and psychics on what the Shadow People are, chilling stories of Shadow People encounters from Jason's book, connections between Shadow People and electricity along with how some people end up "stuck" with repeated "visits," talking shadow people, children and shadow people, and tons more.

It's an in-depth discussion on the fringe world of the Shadow People with Jason Offutt, a researcher who has done an amazing job of chronicling these creatures of the night.

***

NEXT WEEK: Tracy Twyman, Esoteric Jam Session, libertycappress.com

Spellbinding esoteric researcher Tracy Twyman joins us to discuss a plethora of different topics. Tracy provides a look at her remarkable career as an author and researcher of topics ranging from the economy to the Priory of Scion, plus how other researchers have responded to her tremendous output of quality material in such a short period of time. She'll give us her detailed and informed perspective on the present state of the economy, why she thinks things are looking particularly grim for the future, and what she sees as the best ways to fix it. We'll also talk about the moon-based calendar and her theory on how Earth's orbit may have been different in ancient times, the 911 Truth Movement, Tracy's run-in with Muslim extremists, her thoughts on the UFO phenomenon, and much much more.

It's a classic BoA:Audio jam session where the notes go out the window and we let the conversation with Tracy unfold in directions both unexpected and extremely enlightening.

Her website is libertycappress.com

Also, check out Tracy's books ...

Solomon's Treasure

The Merovingian Mythos and the Mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau

Mind Controlled Sex Slaves and the CIA.

4.19.9: William K. Zabel on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-04-19T15:19:00.003-04:00

This episode will be posted on Monday.

THIS WEEK: William K. Zabel, The Columbine Conspiracy, http://www.columbineconspiracy.com/

Marking the 10th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting, we welcome researcher William K. Zabel, who has spent the last decade investigating the event and believes there is more to the story than what the mainstream media is telling us. He'll detail his findings and his theories on what really happened in Colorado on April 20, 1999. Were there more than two shooters, gov't involvement, a cover-up, mind control, or some kind of paranormal influence?

We'll examine all of these possibilities in a mindblowing, thought provoking, and, at times, revelatory interview which may have you looking at the Columbine shooting in a whole new light.

***

NEXT FEW WEEKS: No episodes

It's our Spring Break from the show.

The final nine episodes of Season IV will begin "airing" either on May 11th or 18th.

Stay tuned to BoA for details.

4.11.9: Micah A. Hanks on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-04-11T14:37:00.008-04:00

In light of the holiday weekend, this episode will be posted on Monday.

THIS WEEK: Micah A. Hanks, The Gralien Report

Creator of the ultra-popular blog The Gralien Report, Micah A. Hanks, joins us to talk about a number of ufological and cryptozoological subjects. We'll be discussing the recurring stories and legends of human/ape hybridization, subterranean monsters and the Shaver Mystery, the UFO/ghost connection, alternative explanations for the Travis Walton abduction, the Bigfoot body hoax of 2008, Ufology's public relations problem, presidents and disclosure, the bizarre "bloop" mystery of the deep sea, and much much more.

It's a wide ranging interview which covers a variety of fringe topics in the world of esoterica with rising star Micah A. Hanks.

***

NEXT WEEK: William K. Zabel, The Columbine Conspiracy, www.columbineconspiracy.com

Marking the 10th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting, we welcome researcher William K. Zabel, who has spent the last decade investigating the event and believes there is more to the story than what the mainstream media is telling us. He'll detail his findings and his theories on what really happened in Colorado on April 20, 1999. Were there more than two shooters, gov't involvement, a cover-up, mind control, or some kind of paranormal influence? We'll examine all of these possibilities in a mindblowing, thought provoking, and, at times, revelatory interview which may have you looking at the Columbine shooting in a whole new light.

4.4.9: The 3rd Annual BoA:Audio Baseball Special :: Preview

2009-04-04T14:04:00.011-04:00

THIS WEEK: The 3rd Annual BoA:Audio Baseball Special featuring Richard Dolan, Paul Kimball, Loren Coleman, Adam Gorightly, and Greg Bishop.

For the third year in a row, the stars of esoterica step away from UFOs, Bigfoot, and ghosts and, instead, let their hair down for some discussion on the world of baseball. Among the many baseball related topics discussed, UFO historian Richard Dolan will be talking about his beloved NY Yankees, documentary filmmaker Paul Kimball will muse about the World Baseball Classic, cryptozoologist extraordinaire Loren Coleman will discuss the Masonic origins of baseball, crackpot historian Adam Gorighly will analyze his San Francisco Giants and, somehow, the NBA, and, finally, ufological pundit Greg Bishop will talk about the LA Dodgers and why he hates beach balls & "the wave." Plus tons of other baseball themed discussion.

And, much like last year, we will all share our predictions for the 2009 MLB season. You can be a part of our 2009 MLB Predictions contest (or "the binnall league" as Richard Dolan calls it) and match wits against the esoteric stars of the BoA:Audio Baseball Special by joining up @ the official BoA forum theusofe.com and posting your picks in the official thread for this year's contest.

***

NEXT WEEK: Micah A. Hanks, The Gralien Report

Creator of the ultra-popular blog The Gralien Report, Micah A. Hanks, joins us to talk about a number of ufological and cryptozoological subjects. We'll be discussing the recurring stories and legends of human/ape hybridization, subterranean monsters and the Shaver Mystery, the UFO/ghost connection, alternative explanations for the Travis Walton abduction, the Bigfoot body hoax of 2008, Ufology's public relations problem, presidents and disclosure, the bizarre "bloop" mystery of the deep sea, and much much more.

It's a wide ranging interview which covers a variety of fringe topics in the world of esoterica with rising star Micah A. Hanks.

3.28.9: Philip Spencer on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-03-28T19:21:00.004-04:00

This episode will be posted Monday afternoon/evening.
THIS WEEK: Philip Spencer, The Wildman of Kentucky: Mystery of Panther Rock, www.philipspencer.net

BoA:Audio takes a journey into the strange world of Kentucky's Anderson County, also known as the "Frazier Land," with researcher Philip Spencer. Philip will detail some of the many bizarre sightings and events in the Anderson County area, notably the hotbed of activity around the site known as "Panther Rock." We'll find out about reports of Bigfoot in the area (including Philip's own sighting), learn about the odd "Frazier Mud Track," ponder if there is a paranormal element at work in the area (ala Skinwalker Ranch), hear the "Frazier Howl," discuss stories of "wolfman" and big cat sightings, get Philip's take on the "kill v. no kill" debate in Bigfoot research, and tons more.

It's an episode that shines a spotlight on the paranormal hotbed that is Anderson County, Kentucky, with Philip Spencer, a man who was born and raised in the Frazier Land.

***

NEXT WEEK: The 3rd Annual BoA:Audio Baseball Special featuring Richard Dolan, Paul Kimball, Loren Coleman, and other special guests.

For the third year in a row, the stars of esoterica step away from UFOs, Bigfoot, and ghosts and, instead, let their hair down for some discussion on the world of baseball. Tapings for the special are ongoing right now, but so far we can tease that esteemed UFO historian Richard Dolan will be talking about his beloved NY Yankees, their new stadium, their off-season signings, the A-Rod steroid scandal, whether Joba Chamberlain should be a starter or a reliever, and the rise of the Tampa Bay Rays. Additionally, Paul Kimball will talk about the World Baseball Classic, why he is a huge fan of the concept, and how he sees it as a model for the future of Major League Baseball.

And, much like last year, all of our guests (and binnall) will share their predictions for the 2009 MLB season.

You can be a part of our 2009 MLB Predictions contest and match wits against the esoteric stars of the BoA:Audio Baseball Special by joining up @ the official BoA forum theusofe.com and posting your picks in the official thread for this year's contest.

3.22.9: Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-03-22T02:30:00.003-04:00

This episode will be posted Monday night.
THIS WEEK: Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt, Your Worst Nightmare -- Sleep Paralysis & Supernatural Assault, soulsmack.com

It's another BoA:Audio dual-guest interview, as we welcome Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt, creators of the film Your Worst Nightmare which details the sleep paralysis and supernatural assault phenomena. The duo will explain just what these incidents are, how one seems to lead to the other, what "experiencers" of the phenomenon say happens when they are attacked, has anyone tried to communicate with the attacking entities, what proof do we have that these things are real, what the clergy says about it, how the phenomenon has been erased from the Western world, shadow entitites, OBEs, the Cambodian connection, the "God Helmet," and a bizarre moment of technical difficulties that will either make you laugh or spook you out.

It's a highly entertaining edition of BoA:Audio that covers a ton of ground in an otherwise fringe genre of esoterica: sleep paralysis & supernatural assault.

***

NEXT WEEK: Philip Spencer, The Wildman of Kentucky: Mystery of Panther Rock, www.philipspencer.net

BoA:Audio takes a journey into the strange world of Kentucky's Anderson County, also known as the "Frasier Land," with researcher Philip Spencer. Philip will detail some of the many bizarre sightings and events in the Anderson County area, notably the hotbed of activity around the site known as "Panther Rock." We'll find out about reports of Bigfoot in the area (including Philip's own sighting), learn about the odd "Frasier Mud Track," ponder if there is a paranormal element at work in the area (ala Skinwalker Ranch), hear the "Frasier Howl," discuss stories of "wolfman" and big cat sightings, get Philip's take on the "kill v. no kill" debate in Bigfoot research, and tons more.

It's an episode that shines a spotlight on the paranormal hotbed that is Anderson County, Kentucky, with Philip Spencer, a man who was born and raised there.

3.14.9: Betty Meyler on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-03-14T14:28:00.005-04:00

This episode will be posted Sunday night.
THIS WEEK: Betty Meyler, The UFO Society of Ireland, ufosocietyireland.com

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, BoA:Audio travels across the Atlantic once again, this time stopping in Ireland for a discussion on UFOs of the Emerald Isle with Betty Meyler, President of the UFO Society of Ireland. Betty will detail how her organization came to be formed, why it is a groundbreaking group in the country, unique aspects of Ireland with regards to the esoteric, remarkable UFO reports that Betty has collected from recent times, her thoughts on the relationship between UFOs and the Irish government, media, and military, ancient monuments, mystery mounds, forgotten tombs, and much, much more.

It's a truly memorable edition of BoA as we go international (and holiday themed), examining the world of UFO studies in Ireland with the unforgettable Betty Meyler.

***

NEXT WEEK: Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt, Your Worst Nightmare -- Sleep Paralysis & Supernatural Assault, soulsmack.com

It's another BoA:Audio dual-guest interview, as we welcome Andrew Barnes & Paul Taitt, creators of the film Your Worst Nightmare which details the sleep paralysis and supernatural assault phenomena. The duo will explain just what these incidents are, how one seems to lead to the other, what "experiencers" of the phenomenon say happens when they are attacked, has anyone tried to communicate with the attacking entities, what proof do we have that these things are real, what the clergy says about it, how the phenomenon has been erased from the Western world, shadow entitites, OBEs, the Cambodian connection, the "God Helmet," and a bizarre moment of technical difficulties that will either make you laugh or spook you out.

It's a highly entertaining edition of BoA:Audio that covers a ton of ground in an otherwise fringe genre of esoterica: sleep paralysis & supernatural assault.

3.8.9: Adam Gorightly on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-03-08T20:44:00.001-04:00

This episode will be posted Monday night.
THIS WEEK: Adam Gorightly, James Shelby Downard's Mystical War, gorightly.wordpress.com

Longtime friend of the program, crackpot historian Adam Gorightly returns to BoA:Audio to discuss his new book James Shelby Downard's Mystical War. We'll be covering the bizarre life and times of esoteric researcher James Shelby Downard, as well as a number of his most famous theories and observations. We'll delve into theories that JSD may have been a "literary hoax" created by other esoteric writers and how Adam went about disproving that theory, the Fatty Arbuckle scandal and how it relates to esoteric symbolism, the King Kill 33 JFK assassination theory, Mystical Toponomy, ritual magic, the infamous Babylon Working group and the stories of the creation of a Humunculous, the Revelation of Method, synchromysticism, and a plethora of other heady esoteric material.

It's an interview which sheds light on some of esoterica's darkest corners with the always entertaining Adam Gorightly.

***

NEXT WEEK: Betty Meyler, The UFO Society of Ireland, ufosocietyireland.com

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, BoA:Audio travels across the Atlantic once again, this time stopping in Ireland for a discussion on UFOs of the Emerald Isle with Betty Meyler, President of the UFO Society of Ireland. Betty will detail how her organization came to be formed, why it is a groundbreaking group in the country, unique aspects of Ireland with regards to the esoteric, remarkable UFO reports that Betty has collected from recent times, her thoughts on the relationship between UFOs and the Irish government, media, and military, ancient monuments, mystery mounds, forgotten tombs, and much, much more.

It's another international edition of BoA as we examine the world of UFO studies in Ireland.

3.1.9: Ann Druffel (Part 3) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-03-01T02:09:00.010-05:00

This episode will be posted Monday evening.
THIS WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 3 of 3), Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science, www.anndruffel.com

We wrap up our Ann Druffel "miniseries" with the second half of our discussion on Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science. We'll be covering McDonald's goals for a national UFO monitoring system, the unspoken pressure on McDonald to provide a UFO "breakthrough," how much Hynek may have known about other government agencies investigating UFOs, the Condon Report, in-depth, including the "Low memo" and how McDonald was responsible for that document getting widely released, the reaction of Ufology to the Condon Report and if Ann thinks the UFO field was permanently damaged by the series of events that befell it in the late '60s / early '70's.

We'll also examine the folding of NICAP, and the events that led up to McDonald's death, beginning with his clandestine meeting with "top government officials," the SST Congressional hearings which saw McDonald publicly ridiculed by a Congressman, family issues that plagued McDonald towards the end of his life, and his subsequent suicide and Ann's thoughts on what may have been behind it and the result of McDonald's mysterious death on other scientists who may have been interested in UFOs. Plus, much more in this comprehensive interview.

***

NEXT WEEK: Adam Gorightly, James Shelby Downard's Mystical War, gorightly.wordpress.com

Longtime friend of the program, crackpot historian Adam Gorightly returns to BoA:Audio to discuss his new book James Shelby Downard's Mystical War. We'll be covering the bizarre life and times of esoteric researcher James Shelby Downard, as well as a number of his most famous theories and observations. We'll delve into theories that JSD may have been a "literary hoax" created by other esoteric writers and how Adam went about disproving that theory, the Fatty Arbuckle scandal and how it relates to esoteric symbolism, the King Kill 33 JFK assassination theory, Mystical Toponomy, ritual magic, the infamous Babylon Working group and the stories of the creation of a Humunculous, the Revelation of Method, synchromysticism, and a plethora of other heady esoteric material.

It's an interview which sheds light on some of esoterica's darkest corners with the always entertaining Adam Gorightly.

2.21.9: Ann Druffel (p.2) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-02-21T19:53:00.003-05:00

THIS WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 2 of 3), Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science, www.anndruffel.com

It's the middle portion of our 3-part "miniseries" with esteemed Ufologist Ann Druffel. Over the course of the next two episodes, we'll go in-depth on Ann's book Firestorm and cover the remarkable life and amazing contributions to Ufology by renowned atmospheric physicist James McDonald. This richly detailed interview will also cover a wealth of major events in Ufology's history all of which were experienced and witnessed first-hand by Ann and then re-experienced from McDonald's perspective when she wrote Firestorm, providing priceless perspective on this era of the history of UFO studies.

In this week's episode, we'll find out how Ann ended up writing Firestorm, speculation on how Ufology would look today if McDonald hadn't died in 1971, McDonald as "leader" of Ufology in the late 1960's, how he bridged the gap between science and civilian UFO groups, his visit to Blue Book in 1966 and how he ripped the lid off of what was really going on there, his relationship with J. Allen Hynek, the lost McDonald "small notebooks" referenced throughout Firestorm, McDonald's view of the ETH as the "least unsatisfactory hypothesis," McDonald's trip to Australia and the subsequent political fallout, his feud with Phil Klass, the 1968 Congressional hearing on UFOs, Jim & Coral Lorenzen and APRO, and the Heflin photos. Plus, of course, tons and tons more.

***

NEXT WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 3 of 3), Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science, www.anndruffel.com

Next week, we wrap up our Ann Druffel "miniseries" with the second half of our discussion on Firestorm. We'll be covering James McDonald's goals for a national UFO monitoring system, the unspoken pressure on McDonald to provide a UFO "breakthrough," how much Hynek may have known about other government agencies investigating UFOs, the Condon Report, in-depth, including the "Low memo" and how McDonald was responsible for that document getting widely released, the reaction of Ufology to the Condon Report and if Ann thinks the UFO field was permanently damaged by the series of events that befell it in the late '60s / early '70's.

We'll also examine the folding of NICAP, and the events that led up to McDonald's death, beginning with his clandestine meeting with "top government officials," the SST Congressional hearings which saw McDonald publicly ridiculed by a Congressman, family issues that plagued McDonald towards the end of his life, and his subsequent suicide and Ann's thoughts on what may have been behind it and the result of McDonald's mysterious death on other scientists who may have been interested in UFOs. Plus, much more in this comprehensive interview.

2.14.9: Ann Druffel (p.1) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-02-14T19:05:00.001-05:00

THIS WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 1 of 3), The Tujunga Canyon Contacts, www.anndruffel.com

BoA:Audio's longest interview (nearly 4 hours) sees our first-ever 3-part "miniseries" featuring esteemed Ufologist Ann Druffel, discussing both The Tujunga Canyon Contacts and Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science. It's 800 pages of total text covered in true BoA:Audio style.

In this week's installment, we'll be covering The Tujunga Canyon Contacts from a number of angles. This recently re-issued book, which Ann co-wrote with D. Scott Rogo, was only the second alien abduction book ever written, when it was originally released in 1980. Ann will tell us how she got involved in the case, how the world of Ufology and abductions met in the 1970's, the "contagen" effect of the abductions discussed in the book, Ann's unique and groundbreaking theory on abductions and how she applies other aspects of the phenomenon to her hypothesis, details of the book including how she felt about one of the abductee's inability to break through memory blocks, if abductors had specific interest in people with alternative lifestyles, the alleged "cancer cure" given to one of the abductees by the "aliens," and tons more.

We'll also remember two key figures in Ann's life, her mentor Idabel Epperson, who was head of the Southern California NICAP chapter, and her co-author D. Scott Rogo, noted parapsychologist who was murdered in 1990.

***

NEXT WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 2 of 3), Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science, www.anndruffel.com

In the subsequent two weeks, we'll go in-depth on Firestorm and cover the remarkable life and amazing contributions to Ufology by renowned atmospheric physicist James McDonald. This richly detailed interview will also cover a wealth of major events in Ufology's history, including Project Blue Book, the 1968 Congressional Hearing on UFOs, the Condon Report, and the folding of NICAP, all of which were experienced and witnessed first-hand by Ann and then re-experienced from McDonald's perspective when she wrote Firestorm, providing priceless perspective on this era of the history of UFO studies.

In next week's episode, we'll find out how Ann ended up writing Firestorm, speculation on how Ufology would look today if MacDonald hadn't died in 1971, MacDonald as "leader" of Ufology in the late 1960's, how he bridged the gap between science and civilian UFO groups, his visit to Blue Book in 1966 and how he ripped the lid off of what was really going on there, his relationship with J. Allen Hynek, the lost MacDonald "small notebooks" referenced throughout Firestorm, MacDonald's view of the ETH as the "least unsatisfactory hypothesis," MacDonald's trip to Australia and the subsuquent political fallout, his feud with Phil Klass, the 1968 Congressional hearing on UFOs, Jim & Coral Lorenzen and APRO, and the Heflin photos. Plus, of course, tons and tons more.

In the 3.1.9 episode, dropping in two weeks, we'll be discussing MacDonald's goals for a national UFO monitoring system, the unspoken pressure on MacDonald to provide a UFO "breakthrough," how much Hynek may have known about other government agencies investigating UFOs, the Condon Report, in-depth, including the "Low memo" and how MacDonald was responsible for that document getting widely released, the reaction of Ufology to the Condon Report and if Ann thinks the UFO field was permanently damaged by the series of events that befell it in the late '60s / early '70's.

We'll also examine the folding of NICAP, and the events that led up to MacDonald's death, beginning with his clandestine meeting with "top government officials," the SST Congressional hearings which saw MacDonald publicly ridiculed by a Congressman, family issues that plagued MacDonald towards the end of his life, and his subsequent suicide and Ann's thoughts on what may have been behind it and the result of MacDonald's mysterious death on other scientists who may have been interested in UFOs. Plus, so much more in this comprehensive interview.

2.8.9: Ken Gerhard on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2009-02-08T18:22:00.008-05:00

This week's episode will be posted Monday afternoon/evening.
Sorry for the slight delay, I've been under the weather all weekend.
THIS WEEK: Ken Gerhard, Big Bird / Thunderbird, Bigfoot, and other crytpids, www.tonezone.com/ken

BoA:Audio returns from our Winter hiatus with a nearly two hour interview with cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, author of Big Bird: Modern Sightings of Flying Monsters. In the first hour of the interview, we'll discuss the Big Bird / Thunderbird phenomenon at length, including the 1976 Big Bird flap in Texas, the bird v. dinosaur debate, "lost" Big Bird evidence, the challenge of studying Big Birds as opposed to other cryptids, and lots more.

Then, in the second hour, we'll talk all about Ken's other crypto research, beginning with his multiple investigations into Bigfoot. We'll discuss Ken's odd discoveries while on Bigfoot expeditions, thoughts on why the government might cover-up Bigfoot's existance, the kill v. no kill debate, Bigfoot burying their dead, and speculation on a post-discovered Bigfoot world. Plus, we'll find out about Ken's trips to Belize to study the crytpids Sisemite & Dwendi and Ken will detail his investigation into the Texas Chupacabras story of recent years.

It's a jam packed edition of BoA:Audio, returning from hiatus with a wealth of crypto goodness.

***

NEXT WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 1 of 3), The Tujunga Canyon Contacts, www.anndruffel.com

BoA:Audio's longest interview (nearly 4 hours) sees our first-ever 3-part "miniseries" featuring esteemed Ufologist Ann Druffel, discussing both The Tejunga Canyon Contacts and Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science. It's 800 pages of total text in true BoA:Audio style.

In Part One, premiering next week @ BoA, we'll cover The Tujunga Canyon Contacts from a number of angles. This recently re-issued book, which Ann co-wrote with D. Scott Rogo, was only the second alien abduction book ever written, when it was originally released in 1980. Ann will tell us how she got involved in the case, how the world of Ufology and abductions met in the 1970's, the "contagen" effect of the abductions discussed in the book, Ann's unique and groundbreaking theory on abductions and how she applies other aspects of the phenomenon to her hypothesis, details of the book including how she felt about one of the abductee's inability to break through memory blocks, if abductors had specific interest in people with alternative lifestyles, the alleged "cancer cure" given to one of the abductees by the "aliens," and tons more.

We'll also remember two key figures in Ann's life, her mentor Idabel Epperson, who was head of the Southern California NICAP chapter, and her co-author D. Scott Rogo, noted parapsychologist who was murdered in 1990.

In the subsequent two weeks, we'll go in-depth on Firestorm and cover the remarkable life and amazing contributions to Ufology by renowned atmospheric physicist James McDonald. This richly detailed interview will also cover a wealth of major events in Ufology's history, including Project Blue Book, the 1968 Congressional Hearing on UFOs, the Condon Report, and the folding of NICAP, all of which were experienced and witnessed first-hand by Ann and then re-experienced from McDonald's perspective when she wrote Firestorm., providing priceless perspective on this era of the history of UFO studies. Much more detailed preview forthcoming next week.

12.29.8: Nick Redfern & Greg Bishop on BoA:Audio :: Double Episode Preview

2008-12-29T02:44:00.008-05:00

Special double-episode week. Two shows ... spread out over 4 days.

Also, voting is now open in the 2008 Zorgy Awards.
If you enjoy programs like these upcoming ones, please vote for Binnall of America as "Top Podcast." Thanks !

THIS WEEK: BoA:Audio looks at 2008: The Year in Ufology with our special guests Nick Redfern & Greg Bishop (of UFO Mystic fame) taking part in BoA:Audio's first true dual interview. Both good friends of binnall, the conversation quickly turns into a roundtable discussion on the past year of UFO stories, both large and small, and spans over 3 hours (hence our splitting of the interview into halves).

On Tuesday, 12/30 (or thereabouts), Part One covers the first six months of the year, beginning with Nick and Greg trying to talk binnall down after he laments the series of UFO flops that was 2008. Then we discuss the Stephenville UFO sighting and subsequent mania, the debut of UFO Hunters, the alleged UN UFO meeting, another UK UFO file release, the Vatican endorsement of aliens, Jeff Peckman & the "alien video," the UK UFO flap from the Summer, and the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska event. Plus, remembrances of influential esoteric names Georgina Bruna, Arthur C. Clarke, and Albert Hoffman.

On Friday, 1/2 (or around that date), Part Two covers the latter half of 2008. We'll dissect the Edgar Mitchell UFO "disclosure," the Bigfoot Body Bonanza of mid-August, the Needles "UFO crash," Blossom Goodchild's UFO non-event, the election of Barack Obama and the subsequent UFO disclosure push, and the folding of Alien Worlds magazine. Plus, we remember Erik Bekjord and Monsignor Corrado Balducci, both of whom passed away this past year. Closing out the discussion, we also reflect on "what's hot" and "what's not" as 2008 comes to an end and what genres may be on the rise in 2009.

***

NEXT WEEK: After the double episode, it will be time, once again, for our annual Winter hiatus, where we recharge our batteries and cultivate new conversations.

Throughout January, we will be taping a whole new batch of interviews for 2009, featuring key figures in various esoteric fields. Details will be forthcoming as the month unfolds. Fresh BoA : Audio episodes will return at the end of January.

As always, thanks for your support and we hope your 2009 is off to a rousing start.

12.21.8: Stanton Friedman on BoA:Audio's Holiday Special :: Preview

2008-12-21T15:17:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: This week's episode will now be posted on Monday.
THIS WEEK: Stanton Friedman, Flying Saucers and Science, www.stantonfriedman.com

It's one BoA's proudest traditions, the 4th annual BoA:Audio Holiday Special featuring the "Father of Modern Day Ufology" Stanton Friedman. Coming on the heels of the publication of his self-proclaimed "magnus opus," Flying Saucers and Science, we discuss a number of elements to the new tome. We find out about Project Blue Book Special Report # 13, the mysterious "lost" Blue Book text, Stan's relationships and thoughts on legendary Ufologists James E. McDonald & J. Allen Hynek, his "feud" with Isaac Asimov, the crash of the nuclear rocket industry, plus big picture analysis like how to solve Ufology's public relations problems and Stan's thoughts on the state of Roswell in relation to mainstream media & science acceptance.

On top of all that, in the 2nd half of the program, we turn the questioning over to the members of the official BoA forum theusofe.com who had their chance to ask Friedman one question each. Via their contributions, we'll find out about his thoughts on the connection between UFOs & altered consciousness, his disagreements with Kevin Randle on Roswell, Ufology in a post-disclosure world, getting the media interested in UFOs, his opinion on what is the best abduction case ever, his feud with Paul Kimball, sabermetrics in baseball, the alleged 1969 Sverdlovsky UFO crash, why he doesn't subscribe to the Corso version of Roswell, the journal article 'Soverignty and the UFO', Project Blue Book Special Report #14, and where the US would be in space if it kept going to the moon.

In total (and in total honesty), it's one of the very best editions of BoA:Audio ever. An episode that will immediately go into our highlight reel and take its place amongst the classic episodes of this program. It's Stanton Friedman on the 4th Annual BoA:Audio Holiday Special and you do not want to miss it.

***

NEXT WEEK: Two Episodes ... Spread Out Over 4 Days ... 2008: The Year in Ufology with our special guests Nick Redfern & Greg Bishop (of UFO Mystic fame) taking part in BoA:Audio's first true dual interview. Both good friends of binnall, the conversation quickly turns into a roundtable discussion on the past year of UFO stories, both large and small, and spans over 3 hours (hence our splitting of the interview into halves).

On 12/30 (or thereabouts), Part One covers the first six months of the year, beginning with Nick and Greg trying to talk binnall down after he laments the series of UFO flops that was 2008. Then we discuss the Stephenville UFO sighting and subsequent mania, the debut of UFO Hunters, the alleged UN UFO meeting, another UK UFO file release, the Vatican endorsement of aliens, Jeff Peckman & the "alien video," the UK UFO flap from the Summer, and the 100th anniversary of the Tegunska event. Plus, remembrances of influential esoteric names Georgina Bruna, Arthur C. Clarke, and Albert Hoffman.

On 1/3 (or around that date), Part Two covers the latter half of 2008. We'll dissect the Edgar Mitchell UFO "disclosure," the Bigfoot Body Bonanza of mid-August, the Needles "UFO crash," Blossom Goodchild's UFO non-event, the election of Barack Obama and the subsequent UFO disclosure push, and the folding of Alien Worlds magazine. Plus, we remember Erik Bekjord and Monsignor Corrado Balducci, both of whom passed away this past year. Closing out the discussion, we also reflect on "what's hot" and "what's not" as 2008 comes to an end and what genres may be on the rise in 2009.

Gian Quasar (p.2) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-12-13T08:36:00.010-05:00

UPDATE: Due to a computer mishap @ BoA HQ, this week's episode will now be posted on Monday evening. Sorry for the slight delay.
THIS WEEK: Gian Quasar (Part 2 of 2), Into the Bermuda Triangle, www.bermuda-triangle.org

The concluding half of our conversation with Gian Quasar begins by covering our greatest source of Bermuda Triangle information: those who have entered its domain, had bizarre experiences, and lived to tell the tale. Gian shares a number of fascinating and terrifying stories of Triangle near-misses. We'll discuss the infamous electric fog which is a telltale sign of Triangle troubles, the Devil's Triangle of the South China Sea, the Great Lakes Triangle, tangential esoteric elements that have been tied to the Triangle such as the Atlantic Ridge & the theories of worldwide catastrophe around 4000 BC. We'll cover the Bimini Road, Edgar Cayce's Atlantis predictions, the Indian vimanas, Martian and Lunar anomalies, and the dreaded three letter word: UFO.

Plus, if it's possible to study the Triangle, the long term positive byproduct of the Triangle disappearances, Gian's role in the resurgance of Triangle popularity, the origins of Gian's unique name, and his impending book on Bigfoot. Plus, as always, tons and tons more. It's another jam packed edition of BoA:Audio which emerge from the fog that is the Bermuda Triangle.

***

NEXT WEEK: Stanton Friedman, Flying Saucers and Science, www.stantonfriedman.com

It's one BoA's proudest traditions, the 4th annual BoA:Audio Holiday Special featuring the "Father of Modern Day Ufology" Stanton Friedman. Coming on the heels of the publication of his self-proclaimed "magnus opus," Flying Saucers and Science, we discuss a number of elements to the new tome. We find out about Project Blue Book Special Report # 13, the mysterious "lost" Blue Book text, Stan's relationships and thoughts on legendary Ufologists James E. McDonald & J. Allen Hynek, his "feud" with Isaac Asimov, the crash of the nuclear rocket industry, plus big picture analysis like how to solve Ufology's public relations problems and Stan's thoughts on the state of Roswell in relation to mainstream media & science acceptance.

On top of all that, in the 2nd half of the program, we turn the questioning over to the members of the official BoA forum theusofe.com who had their chance to ask Friedman one question each. Via their contributions, we'll find out about his thoughts on the connection between UFOs & altered consciousness, his disagreements with Kevin Randle on Roswell, Ufology in a post-disclosure world, getting the media interested in UFOs, his opinion on what is the best abduction case ever, his feud with Paul Kimball, sabermetrics in baseball, the alleged 1969 Sverdlovsky UFO crash, why he doesn't subscribe to the Corso version of Roswell, the journal article 'Soverignty and the UFO', Project Blue Book Special Report #14, and where the US would be in space if it kept going to the moon.

In total (and in total honesty), it's one of the very best editions of BoA:Audio ever. An episode that will immediately go into our highlight reel and take its place amongst the classic episodes of this program. It's Stanton Friedman on the 4th Annual BoA:Audio Holiday Special and you do not want to miss it.

12.7.7: Gian Quasar (p.1) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-12-07T11:05:00.004-05:00

This week's episode will be posted Monday evening.
Sorry for the slight delay.
THIS WEEK: Gian Quasar (Part 1 of 2), Into the Bermuda Triangle, www.bermuda-triangle.org

In our first two part episode of Season IV, BoA:Audio heads to previously uncharted waters (on our program) and an area of mystery once huge in esoterica but now relegated to the peripheral ... the Bermuda Triangle. Our guest will be Gian Quasar, author of the outstanding book Into the Bermuda Triangle, which reinvigorated the Triangle mystery after a decades long spell which saw fading interest in the longstanding esoteric mystery.

In the first installment of our interview, we'll discuss the history of the Triangle, both as a phenomenon and as an enigma of public interest. We'll also discuss some of the most famous (and infamous) Triangle disappearances, like the Carol A. Doerring case, Flight 19, Christopher Columbus' Triangle experiences, the Ellen Austin story, the tale of the USS Cyclops, and many others. In Part One, we'll also cover the government's take on the Triangle, Gian's arguments against the various Triangle explanations put forth by debunkers, and disappearance flaps in the Triangle, including the "December Hex."

It's a richly detailed edition of the program unearthing one of esoterica's "lost" mysteries: the Bermuda Triangle.

***

NEXT WEEK: Gian Quasar (Part 2 of 2), Into the Bermuda Triangle, www.bermuda-triangle.org

The concluding half of our conversation with Gian Quasar begins by covering our greatest source of Triangle information: those who have entered its domain, had bizarre experiences, and lived to tell the tale. Gian shares a number of fascinating and terrifying stories of Triangle near-misses. We'll discuss the infamous electric fog which is a telltale sign of Triangle troubles, the Devil's Triangle of the South China Sea, the Great Lakes Triangle, tangential esoteric elements that have been tied to the Triangle such as the Atlantic Ridge & the theories of worldwide catastrophe around 4000 BC. We'll cover the Bimini Road, Edgar Cayce's Atlantis predictions, the Indian vimanas, Martian and Lunar anomalies, and the dreaded three letter word: UFO.

Plus, if it's possible to study the Triangle, the long term positive byproduct of the Triangle disappearances, Gian's role in the resurgance of Triangle popularity, the origins of Gian's unique name, and his impending book on Bigfoot. Plus, as always, tons and tons more. It's another jam packed edition of BoA:Audio which emerge from the fog that is the Bermuda Triangle.

11.29.8: Neil Gould on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-11-29T01:20:00.013-05:00

This week's episode will be posted Monday afternoon/evening.
Sorry for the slight delay.
THIS WEEK: Neil Gould, Hong Kong / China Ufology & Exopolitics, www.exopoliticshongkong.com

BoA:Audio reaches out, 8,000 miles across the globe, to talk Hong Kong and Chinese Ufology & Exopolitics with Neil Gould, founder of Exopolitics Hong Kong. We'll talk about what the UFO scene is like in that part of the world, including why famous cases don't seem to date back as far as in the US and other parts of the world, the dangers of Exopolitics in China, government, military, media, and public perspectives on UFOs, the latest happenings in Hong Kong with regards to spectacular UFO sightings and ongoing growth of public awareness to the UFO phenomenon. Plus, tons more.

It's a fascinating look from someone on the ground, providing one of a kind perspective on a mysterious realm of global UFO studies.

***

NEXT WEEK: Gian Quasar (Part 1 of 2), Into the Bermuda Triangle, www.bermuda-triangle.org

In our first two part episode of Season IV, BoA:Audio heads to previously uncharted waters (on our program) and an area of mystery once huge in esoterica but now relegated to the peripheral ... the Bermuda Triangle. Our guest will be Gian Quasar, author of the outstanding book Into the Bermuda Triangle, which reinvigorated the Triangle mystery after a decades long spell which saw fading interest in the longstanding esoteric mystery.

In the first installment of our interview, we'll discuss the history of the Triangle, both as a phenomenon and as an enigma of public interest. We'll also discuss some of the most famous (and infamous) Triangle disappearances, like the Carol A. Doerring case, Flight 19, Christopher Columbus' Triangle experiences, the Ellen Austin story, the tale of the USS Cyclops, and many others. In Part One, we'll also cover the government's take on the Triangle, Gian's arguments against the various Triangle explanations put forth by debunkers, and disappearance flaps in the Triangle, including the "December Hex."

It's a richly detailed edition of the program unearthing one of esoterica's "lost" mysteries: the Bermuda Triangle.

11.22.8: George Knapp on BoA:Audio's 100th episode :: Preview

2008-11-22T13:56:00.003-05:00

This week's episode will be posted Sunday afternoon/evening, hopefully.
THIS WEEK: George Knapp, Hunt for the Skinwalker

BoA:Audio celebrates our 100th episode with the massively popular investigative journalist George Knapp. Knapp will discuss the evolution of his journalism career, his investigation into Area 51 and the subsequent fall-out in Ufology, his take on UFO studies, reflections on his research into the Skinwalker Ranch, and the latest news on his coverage of the Needles UFO case from earlier this Summer.

We celebrate our centennial with a bonafide A-list esoteric name in an episode you don't want to miss.

***

NEXT WEEK: Neil Gould, Hong Kong / China Ufology & Exopolitics, www.exopoliticshongkong.com

BoA:Audio reaches out, 8,000 miles across the globe, to talk Hong Kong and Chinese Ufology & Exopolitics with Neil Gould, founder of Exopolitics Hong Kong. We'll talk about what the UFO scene is like in that part of the world, including why famous cases don't seem to date back as far as in the US and other parts of the world, the dangers of Exopolitics in China, government, military, and media perspectives on UFOs, the latest happenings in Hong Kong with regards to spectacular UFO sightings and ongoing growth of public awareness to the UFO phenomenon. Plus, tons more.

It's a fascinating look from someone on the ground, providing one of a kind perspective on a mysterious realm of global UFO studies.

11.15.8: Charles Upton on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-11-15T19:03:00.000-05:00

This week's episode will be posted Sunday afternoon/evening.
THIS WEEK: Charles Upton, seriousseekers.com, Cracks in the Great Wall: UFOs and Metaphysics

In an off the beaten path look at UFOs, we discuss the metaphysical elements of the phenomenon with researcher Charles Upton. Charles will detail the field of metaphysics and how it relates to UFOs, the "Hierarchy of Being," why he feels that demonic elements may be at work behind UFOs, his problems with time travel and reincarnation, his critiques of Steven Spielberg's work and Dr. John Mack's research. We'll also get Upton's opinion on whether or not God will bail out the human race and if the "powers that be" that are doing the Devil's work know that they are performing in service to Satan. Plus, of course, much much more.

It's an edition of BoA:Audio that explores the UFO phenomenon from a whole new angle.

***

NEXT WEEK: George Knapp, Hunt for the Skinwalker

BoA:Audio celebrates our 100th episode with the massively popular investigative journalist George Knapp. Knapp will discuss the evolution of his journalism career, his investigation into Area 51 and the subsequent fall-out in Ufology, his take on UFO studies, reflections on his research into the Skinwalker Ranch, and the latest news on his coverage of the Needles UFO case from earlier this Summer.

We celebrate our centennial with a bonafide A-list esoteric name in an episode you don't want to miss.

11.8.8: Adam Davies on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-11-08T15:49:00.011-05:00

This week's episode will be posted Sunday afternoon/evening.
THIS WEEK: Adam Davies, Extreme Expeditions: Travel Adventures Stalking the World's Mystery Animals

BoA returns to the UK to talk with Adam Davies, author of Extreme Expeditions. We'll be covering some of the adventures that are detailed in his book, including his travels to the Congo to search for the Mokele Mbembe, hunting the Orang Pendek in Sumatra, investigating the Mongolian Death Worm, and other treks around the world seeking truly unique cryptids. We'll also delve into the human side of crypto expeditions, talking about what makes a good team, the political roadblocks to international work, how Adam's family feels about his adventures and much more. Plus, we cover Alien Big Cats, the Seljord Serpent, American Bigfoot, the "kill v. no kill" debate, and, as always, tons and tons more.

This is a jam packed edition of BoA which spans the globe and covers a wealth of cryptozoological topics.

As an added audio bonus, at the conclusion of this week's episode, we've included binnall's on-site mini-interview with Thunderbird researcher Ken Gerhard from the Mass Monster Mash.

***

NEXT WEEK: Charles Upton, http://www.seriousseekers.com/, Cracks in the Great Wall: UFOs and Metaphysics

In an off the beaten path look at UFOs, we discuss the metaphysical elements of the phenomenon with researcher Charles Upton. Charles will detail the field of metaphysics and how it relates to UFOs, the "Hierarchy of Being," why he feels that demonic elements may be at work behind UFOs, his problems with time travel and reincarnation, his critiques of Steven Spielberg's work and Dr. John Mack's research. We'll also get Upton's opinion on whether or not God will bail out the human race and if the "powers that be" that are doing the Devil's work know that they are performing in service to Satan. Plus, of course, much much more.

It's an edition of BoA:Audio that explores the UFO phenomenon from a whole new angle.

11.2.8: Dr. Stephen Rorke on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-11-02T17:46:00.008-05:00

Our interview with Dr. Stephen Rorke can be found here.

TEXT PREVIEW: Dr. Stephen Rorke, spiricomstudy.com, Spiricom: Fact or Fiction?

It's a "Halloween hangover" edition of BoA:Audio, as we welcome emerging instrumental transcommunication researcher Dr. Stephen Rorke, to take a sober look at the Spiricom Story. Stephen provides us with an in-depth examination of the infamous esoteric tale, including the "official" public story of Spiricom, profiling the players involved, why Rorke believes Spiricom to be a hoax, and, if it was a hoax, who was behind it and why. Plus, the true story of Thomas Edison's "attempts to communicate with the dead," who is still perpetuating the Spiricom hoax, where the device is today, and a plethora of more material in this richly detailed episode of the program.

It's a whole new view of an often-overlooked (or blindly accepted) esoteric story.

***

NEXT WEEK: Adam Davies, Extreme Expeditions: Travel Adventures Stalking the World's Mystery Animals

BoA returns to the UK to talk with Adam Davies, author of Extreme Expeditions. We'll be covering some of the adventures that are detailed in his book, including his travels to the Congo to search for the Mokele Mbembe, hunting the Orang Pendek in Sumatra, investigating the Mongolian Death Worm, and other treks around the world seeking truly unique cryptids. We'll also delve into the human side of crypto expeditions, talking about what makes a good team, the political roadblocks to international work, how Adam's family feels about his adventures and much more. Plus, we cover Alien Big Cats, the Seljord Serpent, American Bigfoot, the "kill v. no kill" debate, and, as always, tons and tons more.

This is a jam packed edition of BoA which spans the globe and covers a wealth of cryptozoological topics.

10.3.8: BoA In-House Notes

2008-10-03T19:54:00.002-04:00

Lots of stuff going on at BoA that we've yet to share news about with our visitors. Contained herein is news of BoA's new alliances with ARPAST and the Black Vault Radio Network, my impending adventures at the Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash, and the latest update on BoA:Audio, Season IV ...

BoA & ARPAST

I am now a consultant for Larry Flaxman's ARPAST organization. ARPAST is an group that focuses on the scientific study of anomalous phenomena. Some of you may recall Larry's BoA:Audio appearance back in February (HERE). Other ARPAST consultants include Marie Jones and Nick Redfern.

Ironically, the offer to become an ARPAST consultant came during my lunch in San Diego with Marie Jones. I told y'all I was up to high esoteric business out there. More stuff from the trip will be coming out in the next few weeks & months.

What does a consultant do? Well, I honestly don't know yet. I do know that it took me about two weeks to come up with the bio for Larry, so I'm already worried that my tenure as consultant is on shaky ground. Just kidding, of course, but I hope the good Mr.Flaxman isn't too chagrined at me.

Anyway, I'll keep y'all in the loop as to what comes of this consulting gig and any news from my friends at ARPAST.

BoA on the Black Vault Radio Network

Secondly, I am excited to announce that BoA:Audio has become one of the charter programs on the new Black Vault Radio Network. John Greenewald is assembling quite a number of great programs to be a part of the network and I'm thrilled to be on the ground floor of such a cool new enterprise.

One aspect of the BoA/BVRN alliance is that Black Vault will be carrying and hosting BoA:Audio, acting as a mirror, of sorts, to the hosting done @ BoA. As such, during our peak times for streaming listeners, when BoA tends to slow down, folks will be able to hop over to BVRN and listen to the show there.

binnall @ the Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash

As noted via the BoA homepage, I will be attending the 3rd annual Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash this coming October 17th and 18th.

Last year's event was such a blast that we had special coverage of it on BoA:Audio. This year's scheduled speakers include Loren Coleman, Nick Redfern, Budd Hopkins, Jeff Belanger, Leslie Kean, and Dan Gordon and other special guests. There's refreshments, trivia, exhibits, and other fun stuff. Hopefully, there will also be Red Sox playoff baseball ongoing so that Loren and I can enjoy the white knuckle excitement in the green room.

In addition to attending the festivities this year, I will also be hosting esoteric superstar Nick Redfern @ BoA HQ for that weekend. After the raucous meeting that was the Bishop / Binnall summit from this past Summer, I look forward to spending some down time with Nick while he is here in the Bay State.

I'll have a more complete preview of the Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash here on the binnall blog next weekend.

BoA:Audio, Season IV

Last but not least, I am happy to report that pre-production on BoA:Audio, Season IV is very near completion. I've got six episodes taped already and they run the gamut of esoteric topics, from conspiracy to Ufology to ghost-related material. We'll also be venturing across the globe again to speak with another international UFO researcher and we'll also mark our 100th BoA:Audio episode with an ultra-rare A-list guest appearing on the program.

Given that we've taped the first big batch of interviews, I expect that we'll have a premiere date decided upon by the end of this weekend, along with the official Season IV logo, and some improvements and changes to the BoA:Audio pages that are currently awaiting the commencement of S4.

Additionally, Season IV will also see the debut of the BoA:Audio spin-off series "After Hours" which will feature short cut interviews with the esteemed BoA staff. Over the last three years, I've gotten countless e-mails from people suggesting that the BoA staff be featured on the podcast. "After Hours" will see these requests become reality as we showcase the likes of Lesley, Khyron, Regan Lee, Tina Sena, Richelle Hawks, and Richard Thomas.

On top of all that, I am working on putting together a bit of a promotional tour to hype the premiere of BoA:Audio, Season IV, so stay tuned to the BoA home page for news of upcoming appearances by myself on various other esoteric programs.

8.25.8: Thoughts on the late KDB

2008-08-25T20:09:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately, the sad news of Kent Daniel Bentkowski's passing arrived while I was on vacation and I was, thus, unable to really wrap my mind around it all.

Having done close to 75 or so interviews with all sorts of different esoteric folks, I always knew that the day would come when one of my former interview subjects would die. Despite that, I was really stunned when I heard the news that KDB had passed away. I've been pretty detached from the online esoteric world for a while, so word of his ill health had not reached me during the Summer.

As I said on the BoA homepage, upon hearing that KDB had died, he was truly "a unique and thoughtful researcher with a contagious thirst for knowledge and truth."

***

I'll never forget taping that BoA:Audio interview with Kent back in the late winter of last year. It was March 16th, 2007. I remember it like it was yesterday, because it was one of those rare days when I tape two interviews in one day and on this particular day, there was a horrendous blizzard pounding the Boston area.

Kent was the first guest, at 3 PM, for an hour long interview. Tony Healy was to be taped later in the evening, since he was in Australia.

At the time, we had been going through some serious technical issues with the show, where (as a result of a faulty wire that has since been replaced) whole chunks of interviews ended up not be recorded. Thankfully, this only happened on very rare occassions, but it did happen on this day and was noticed about a half hour into my interview with KDB.

Of course, I was extremely embarassed by this turn of events, but KDB was amazingly cool about it and gracious enough to start all over again and re-tape the first half hour of the interview (while I nervously watched the recording monitor to make sure it didn't happen again).

We ended up talking up until about 5:30 PM that afternoon, a full hour and a half past what we'd originally planned. Part of that was the extra half hour of "lost" re-taped material, but most of it was because Kent had so much information that trying to fit it into an hour was an exercise in futility.

The rest of the evening saw me with less than an hour to prep for the Tony Healy interview, taping that for 2 hours, and then spending the next two hours (something like 9 to 11 PM) out in my driveway, lit by the streetlights, shoveling huge drifts of snow from the blizzard. Quite a day and one I won't soon forget.

On a personal level, I recall that during all of the scheduling for the BoA interview, KDB was beyond polite and accomodationg. He was a class act and a gentleman, possessing a real respect for his fellow esoteric journeymen, which was something that I still appreciate to this day.

***

I'd been thinking a lot about KDB this past Spring. I recalled his passionate belief that Hilary Clinton would be the next President of the US and I was looking forward to hearing his thoughts on the Obama nod and where he thought things would go from there. Unlike a lot of presidential prognosticators, I didn't expect KDB to feed me any bullshit about how things didn't quite match up, I expected a thoughtful answer that actually made me stop and reconsider my perspective on things. Unfortunately, we never did get to re-connect to discuss today's political scene.

Another unplucked thread that I had wanted to return to in the future with KDB was his research into Timothy McVeigh. I'd always felt that Kent knew or thought a little more about that whole story and that since we'd gotten to it at the end of the interview and early in his work, it was criminally under-discussed. It will forever remain a follow-up note in my mind for a future KDB interview that will never be.

Looking back at our conversation, one of the things that really stood out to me about the KDB BoA interview was his amazing take on pop culture and hidden messages. That topic was really right in his wheel house and I always felt that it was only a matter of time before we reunited on the show to solely focus on that aspect of his work, as he'd teased that much of it was just in the beginning stages. I'd actually been waiting for him to catch up with me on Lost so that we could really dig into that whole mythos at some point on the program.

Ironically enough, that may be the ultimate segue to the legacy of KDB. With his passing, we lose out on a great deal of potentially great esoteric nuggets and insights. Kent had really just started cooking with his material over the last few years and the momentum clearly was pointed upwards for him. He's someone that looked to be a fixture in the online esoteric world for years to come and, sadly, now that stream of illumination runs dry.

***

My heart goes out to the folks in esoterica who were much closer to Kent than I was. My friends at Red Ice, who had interviewed him countless times. Lesley, who had a strong connection to KDB via her blog The Debris Field. And the many others who had interviewed, corresponded with, or read KDB's voluminous work. If my brief interraction with Kent is any indication of the relationships he had with all these folks, this loss is of profound sadness, I'm sure.

And, of course, my heart goes out to the family and friends of Kent, who surely miss his seemingly boundless energy and love. You are all in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you can take solace in knowing that KDB is no longer in pain and in a much better place than we all are now.

To KDB, I say thanks for the fond memories and cool avenues of discussion. I hope to see you again, someday, when I join you in that better place. And then we can laugh about the sad, twisted esoteric world that we've left behind.

8.20.8: San Diego pics

2008-08-20T15:36:00.008-04:00

Some pics from my recent vacation to San Diego ...

binnall, Bishop, Kimball summit

***

binnall on a boat

***

binnall on the sky cart @ San Diego Zoo

***

Shrunken head display @ San Diego's Museum of Man

8.2.8: BoA on Vacation

2008-08-02T17:57:00.010-04:00

Hello out there, my friends, just wanted to let y'all know that I am presently in San Diego on my annual trip to the West Coast. I arrived here on Friday and will be staying until August 17th.

Hoping to relax, read some books for future BoA:Audio guests, meet up with Greg Bishop and Marie Jones (both of whom live in the area), check out some esoteric sites, take in a Padres game, and do some other fun stuff.

As such, we will be putting BoA "on ice" for the first half of the vacation, from August 2nd to the 11th or so, and then we'll resume our usual postings after that. All of our writers will be skipping one edition of their respective columns as a sort of "mandatory" week-off to help them all avoid burnout and give them a break as well. So, the content at the site will be kind of light for most of that 2nd week of my vacation, but that is to be expected during the Summer months anyway, whether I was in Boston or San Diego.

That said, I will probably utilize this BoA blog to provide some updates on what I am doing while here in San Diego, so be sure to stop by BoA for occassional news on my adventures in SD. I'll be sure to post a note on the main BoA page if I update the blog. Also, of note, my usual fast turnaround on e-mail response will be slower than usual, but I have good internet access and ought to be able to write people back within a few days or so.

Big thanks to my brother who provided me with the means to make the trip and also a place to crash, which makes the whole excursion workable within my limited financial means.

7.17.8: BoA:Audio season finale preview

2008-07-17T14:46:00.016-04:00

Season III Audio Wrap Up & Finale Preview ::
MP3 or Streaming Audio

THIS SUNDAY (7.20.8) : The season finale of BoA:Audio, Season III featuring ...

Jacques Vallee,

jacquesvallee.net,

Messengers of Deception & The Alien Contact Trilogy

An episode nine months in the making, it's the season finale of BoA:Audio, Season III featuring the iconic Jacques Vallee.

In this nearly two-hour conversation, we'll be covering a plethora of topics related to Vallee's groundbreaking research. Among the topics discussed: the impetus for the "Vallee renaissance" of the last year, an in-depth examination of the problems with the ETH theory of UFOs, Vallee on contemporary Ufology & the media, and how UFO studies have changed over the last 20 years.

Additionally, we'll have a thorough look at a number of highlights and themes found in Messengers of Deception and the Alien Contact Trilogy including Vallee's prescient research on UFO cults, why proving UFOs are real is no longer relevant since the public already believes they exist, use of scientific equipment on UFO investigations, the "six social effects caused by belief in UFOs," specialization in Ufology and why Jacques thinks that has changed for the better, the French close encounter wave of the 1950's, and classic scholars whose work mirrored contemporary Ufology.

We'll also find out what Jacques meant by his famous quote "I'm certain that UFOs are reality, but I'll be disappointed if they turn out to be only spacecraft from outerspace," Occam's Razor and UFOs, sincerity of witnesses, the paradox of UFOs breaking the perceived "non-involvement" policy that many in Ufology claim they adhere to, cattle mutilations, the nature of government UFO documents, and Ufologists driven by the need for vindication.

And, as always, tons and tons more.

7.16.8: Finale previews coming tomorrow

2008-07-16T21:30:00.001-04:00

Wouldn't you know it ... the day after I posted the finale schedule, three family members from Canada arrive for a visit, along with a simultaneous visit from my two cousins from California, all of this drawing the various aunts, cousins, and even grandma to the BoA homestead on Monday and Tuesday night.

Luckily, I managed to finish editing (and writing the recap for) the finale yesterday afternoon while they were all out sightseeing. And, they all left this morning, so peace and quiet has returned to BoA:HQ for now.

The preview songs have been picked, now it is just a matter of shaking off my slight hangover from last night and mustering the energy to get creative. I expect that I will dive head-first into the audio previews later this evening and have them posted tomorrow @ BoA.

The actual posting of the finale is still on schedule for this coming Sunday, 7.20.

7.13.8: BoA:Audio season finale: status report

2008-07-13T14:58:00.005-04:00

Just popping in here with a status report on the season finale of BoA:Audio, Season III.

Since we were delayed by 3 days with our posting of the penultimate episode with Linda Moulton Howe, along with Summer distractions that we haven't faced before (but are this year since we are going so late into July) and an uptick in my off-site work for the month, the final schedule for the season finale is as follows ...

Wednesday, 7.16.8 :: text preview / audio recap of Season III & audio preview of finale

Sunday, 7.20.8 :: official release of the season finale w. Jacques Vallee

I've edited a quarter of the interview so far and it is outstanding and illuminating already. The editing of the remainder of the show ought to be done by Monday evening.

In truth, we probably could have rushed out the episode in time for release by Tuesday, but I much prefer to take my time with the final edit of the interview, ensuring that it sounds the best that it can. And I also need the additional time to put together the season recap and finale audio preview (something we haven't done since Season Two).

I believe that the release of the final episode of the season should be placed in the proper context as the culmination of 9 months worth of 31 episodes and that the additional "buffer zone" of a few extra days does just that.

Hopefully, our listeners won't mind the slight delay, especially after they've heard the interview. Trust me ... it's worth the brief wait.

7.5.8: Linda Moulton Howe on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-07-05T20:08:00.008-04:00

This week's episode will be posted Monday night. Sorry for the delay, it's been a hectic weekend.

THIS WEEK: Linda Moulton Howe, earthfiles.com, Ufology

The incomparable Linda Moulton Howe comes to BoA:Audio for a truly unique episode of the show. LMH details her entrance and evolution in the world of high strangeness, an in-depth recounting of her infamous meeting with Richard Doty in 1983, whether she regrets entering the "earth mysteries" field, why she keeps researching high strangeness, her perspective on being a prominent woman in Ufology, where she sees the field going in the future and much, much more.

It's an episode of BoA:Audio that must be heard to be believed.

***

NEXT WEEK: The season finale of BoA:Audio, Season III featuring ...

Jacques Vallee,

jacquesvallee.net,

Messengers of Deception & The Alien Contact Trilogy

Detailed text & audio previews forthcoming this week.

6.28.8: Bill Guggenheim on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-06-28T16:24:00.012-04:00

THIS WEEK: Bill Guggenheim, www.after-death.com, After-Death Communications

An examination of the newly-emerging field of After-Death Communication (ADC) research with the man behind the genre, Bill Guggenheim. We'll talk about how he got interested in ADCs and decided to being researching the phenomena. We'll cover ADC experiences in-depth, including precisely what they are (and why the definition matters) and a thorough examination of the 12 types of ADCs. We will also find out the reaction to Bill's ADC research by other esoteric communities and how he answers the critics of ADCs who claim they are "grief induced hallucinations." Plus, Binnall shares his two ADC experiences with Bill, and, of course, tons more.

BoA:Audio breaks new ground as we explore this emerging paranormal milieu in a deeply personal edition of the show.

***
NEXT WEEK: Linda Moulton Howe, www.earthfiles.com, Ufology

The incomparable Linda Moulton Howe comes to BoA:Audio for a truly unique episode of the show. LMH details her entrance and evolution in the world of high strangeness, an in-depth recounting of her infamous meeting with Richard Doty in 1983, whether she regrets entering the "earth mysteries" field, why she keeps researching high strangeness, her perspective on being a prominent woman in Ufology, where she sees the field going in the future and much, much more.

It's an episode of BoA:Audio that must be heard to be believed.

***
IN 2 WEEKS: The blockbuster BoA:Audio Season III finale with an undisputed icon in the world of the esoteric. Guest to be announced on 7.2.8 or thereabouts.

6.21.8: Bill Birnes (Part 2) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-06-21T19:26:00.003-04:00

THIS WEEK: Bill Birnes (Part 2), ufomag.com, UFO Hunters & Ufology

The second installment of our marathon conversation with Bill Birnes centers around UFOs, as a whole, and the field of Ufology. We'll find out if Bill ever gets burned out on UFOs, his theories on what is behind the phenomena and how much the government really knows about flying saucers, plus Bill's thoughts on the disclosure movement. We talk about the present online esoteric scene, notably the emergence of the podcast genre, and the troubles of "gatekeepers" in Ufology. We also discuss staple BoA:Audio issues like women in Ufology and young people in Ufology.

It's an ultra-hot edition of BoA:Audio that is sure to generate a buzz in the esoteric scene.

NEXT WEEK: Bill Guggenheim, www.after-death.com, After-Death Communications

An examination of the newly-emerging field of After-Death Communication (ADC) research with the man behind the genre, Bill Guggenheim. We'll talk about how he got interested in ADCs and decided to being researching the phenomena. We'll cover ADC experiences in-depth, including precisely what they are (and why the definition matters) and a thorough examination of the 12 types of ADCs. We will also find out the reaction to Bill's ADC research by other esoteric communities and how he answers the critics of ADCs who claim they are "grief induced hallucinations." Plus, Binnall shares his two ADC experiences with Bill, and, of course, tons more.

BoA:Audio breaks new ground as we explore this new paranormal milieu.

6.14.8: Bill Birnes (Part 1) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-06-14T11:34:00.016-04:00

This episode will be posted Monday evening.
Sorry for the delay.

THIS WEEK: Bill Birnes (Part 1), ufomag.com, UFO Hunters & Ufology

The first installment of a marathon conversation with Bill Birnes, one of the stars of the History Channel's UFO Hunters, noted esoteric author, and publisher of UFO Magazine. We'll have an extended bio/background, where Bill takes us through his evolution in the world of esoterica, from discovering the Philip Corso story to how he ended up at the helm of UFO Magazine, with lots of side roads explored along the way. Plus, we'll talk about UFO Hunters, how it came about, how Bill feels about being the center of the marketing campaign, how much network influence is cast over the show, and his answer to critics who say that "UFO Hunters is not Ufology."

It's a tremendous edition of BoA:Audio with a guest who really fits perfectly into our long-form style, where Bill is allowed full and unfettered answers to a variety of questions.

NEXT WEEK: Bill Birnes (Part 2), ufomag.com, UFO Hunters & Ufology

The second installment of our marathon conversation with Bill Birnes centers around UFOs, as a whole, and the field of Ufology. We'll find out if Bill ever gets burned out on UFOs, his theories on what is behind the phenomena and how much the government really knows about flying saucers, plus Bill's thoughts on the disclosure movement. We talk about the present online esoteric scene, notably the emergence of the podcast genre, and the troubles of "gatekeepers" in Ufology. We also discuss staple BoA:Audio issues like women in Ufology and young people in Ufology.

It's an ultra-hot edition of BoA:Audio that is sure to generate a buzz in the esoteric scene.

6.7.8: Marie Jones on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-06-07T17:10:00.008-04:00

Good news ! My voice has sufficiently recovered and we will continue onward with BoA:Audio this week. I've already taped the intro to the episode, hope to tape the outro later tonight, and should have the episode up @ BoA no later than Sunday morning / afternoon ... guaranteed. Thank you for your patience last week when things were so touch and go.
THIS WEEK: Marie Jones, www.mariedjones.com, Supervolcano

BoA:Audio goes off the beaten esoteric path as we examine the world of supervolcanos and calderas with Marie Jones. Marie gives us a sweeping overview of what calderas are and where they can be found, the infamous Toba eruption 75,000 years ago, the Yellowstone caldera that has many in esoterica buzzing, and which area poses the most danger, should a supervolcano erupt. We'll also "war game" a caldera eruption to find out how extensive the damage would be and how, if at all, people can prepare for such an event. In addition to that, we have some bonus discussion on women in Esoterica and the rise of the ghosthunting fad.

It's an informative and informal edition of BoA:Audio with one of the fastest rising and most respected researchers in the paranormal world today: Marie Jones.

NEXT WEEK: Bill Birnes (Part 1), ufomag.com, UFO Hunters & Ufology

The first installment of a marathon conversation with Bill Birnes, star of the History Channel's UFO Hunters, noted esoteric author, and publisher of UFO Magazine. We'll have an extended bio/background, where Bill takes us through his evolution in the world of esoterica, from discovering the Philip Corso story to how he ended up at the helm of UFO Magazine, with lots of side roads explored in between, including what annoys him most about the Corso critics. Plus, in this first half, we'll cover a number of areas related to UFO Hunters, like Bill's reaction to THC's vast marketing of the show centered around him, aspects of how the show gets made, how much influence the network has on the content, and Bill's response to critics who say the show is not "real Ufology."

It's an often-times frank discussion with one of the most influential people in the UFO world today and a genuine A-list guest: Bill Birnes.

5.31.8: Marie Jones on BoA:Audio preview

2008-05-31T14:41:00.014-04:00

6.2.8 UPDATE: Well, it is Monday afternoon and I'd say that my voice is at about 75%. At this point, it would be another day (at least) before I'd be able to tape an even decent intro / outro for the episode without my voice breaking up completely.

As such, I am going to just hold the episode back until this coming Saturday (6.7.8). I don't want to short-change Marie by putting the show out mid-week and have her interview get lost in the shuffle as we roll out the subsequent episode only a handful of days later.

Thanks for your patience on this matter. Believe me, I am probably the most frustrated by this turn of events as it has really tweaked our schedule for the close of Season III.

6.1.8 UPDATE: It's Sunday evening and my voice is still gone, though slightly improved. I will wait it out through tomorrow and see where we are at. If I cannot pull it off by Monday afternoon/evening, we will just hold the episode until next weekend, when I am fairly certain that my voice will be back. Thanks for your patience !

5.31.8: My voice is really gone this weekend, so we can only hope that this episode will be posted on Sunday night at the earliest. If my voice has not returned by Sunday afternoon, we'll have an update here re: when the episode will be posted. Thanks for your patience.
THIS WEEK: Marie Jones, www.mariedjones.com, Supervolcano

BoA:Audio goes off the beaten esoteric path as we examine the world of supervolcanos and calderas with Marie Jones. Marie gives us a sweeping overview of what calderas are and where they can be found, the infamous Toba eruption 75,000 years ago, the Yellowstone caldera that has many in esoterica buzzing, and which area poses the most danger, should a supervolcano erupt. We'll also "war game" a caldera eruption to find out how extensive the damage would be and how, if at all, people can prepare for such an event. In addition to that, we have some bonus discussion on women in Esoterica and the rise of the ghosthunting fad.

It's an informative and informal edition of BoA:Audio with one of the fastest rising and most respected researchers in the paranormal world today: Marie Jones.

NEXT WEEK: Bill Birnes (Part 1), ufomag.com, UFO Hunters & Ufology

The first installment of a marathon conversation with Bill Birnes, star of the History Channel's UFO Hunters, noted esoteric author, and publisher of UFO Magazine. We'll have an extended bio/background, where Bill takes us through his evolution in the world of esoterica, from discovering the Philip Corso story to how he ended up at the helm of UFO Magazine, with lots of side roads explored in between, including what annoys him most about the Corso critics. Plus, in this first half, we'll cover a number of areas related to UFO Hunters, like Bill's reaction to THC's vast marketing of the show centered around him, aspects of how the show gets made, how much influence the network has on the content, and Bill's response to critics who say the show is not "real Ufology."

It's an often-times frank discussion with one of the most influential people in the UFO world today and a genuine A-list guest: Bill Birnes.

5.24.8: Bill Chalker (Part 2) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

2008-05-24T11:30:00.008-04:00

This episode will be posted on Sunday afternoon.
THIS WEEK: Bill Chalker (Part 2), theozfiles.blogspot.com, Australian Ufology

Our ultra-long distance conversation with Australian Ufologist Bill Chalker continues. In this installment, we'll cover the history of Australian UFO studies from both a civilian and government perspective. We'll hear about the fascinating story of Edgar Jarrold and, also, Bill's examination of the official Australian UFO files. We'll discuss the media's coverage of the UFO phenomenon in Australia and how the general public feels about Unidentified Flying Objects in the land Down Under. On top of all that, we talk about the world of Chinese Ufology, something that Bill has been investigating for the last few years, and get a glimpse into this mysterious area of UFO research. All that and, of course, tons and tons more.

Standing alongside our examinations of South Africa and France, it's another eye-opening look at the world of UFO studies across the globe.

NEXT WEEK: Marie Jones, www.mariedjones.com, Supervolcano

BoA:Audio goes off the beaten esoteric path as we examine the world of supervolcanos and calderas with Marie Jones. Marie gives us a sweeping overview of what calderas are and where they can be found, the infamous Toba eruption 75,000 years ago, the Yellowstone caldera that has many in esoterica buzzing, and which area poses the most danger, should a supervolcano erupt. We'll also "war game" a caldera eruption to find out how extensive the damage would be and how, if at all, people can prepare for such an event. In addition to that, we have some bonus discussion on women in Esoterica and the rise of the ghosthunting fad.

It's an informative and informal edition of BoA:Audio with one of the fastest rising and most respected researchers in the paranormal world today: Marie Jones.

5.17.8: Bill Chalker (Part 1) on BoA:Audio preview

2008-05-17T17:01:00.003-04:00

This episode will be posted on Sunday night, late night.
THIS WEEK: Bill Chalker (Part 1), theozfiles.blogspot.com, Australian Ufology

BoA:Audio returns to Down Under for a lengthy conversation with Australian Ufologist Bill Chalker. In this first installment, we'll be discussing the history of the UFO phenomenon in Australia, from Aboriginal times to key pre-1947 cases to noteworthy sightings from the UFO boom of the 1950's to the explosion in abduction research of the 1990's and onward. We'll hear about key cases like the 1954 "Sea Fury Incident", the Father Gill case, and the Mundrabilla case of 1988. Bill will also describe, in-depth, his forensic investigation into an alleged abduction that spawned the book "Hair of the Alien."

It's another international showcase for BoA:Audio as we continue our investigation of the global aspect of Ufology.

NEXT WEEK: Bill Chalker (Part 2), theozfiles.blogspot.com, Australian Ufology

Our ultra-long distance conversation with Australian Ufologist Bill Chalker continues. In this installment, we'll cover the history of Australian UFO studies from both a civilian and government perspective. We'll hear about the fascinating story of Edgar Jarrold and, also, Bill's examination of the official Australian UFO files. We'll discuss the media's coverage of the UFO phenomenon in Australia and how the general public feels about Unidentified Flying Objects in the land Down Under. On top of all that, we talk about the world of Chinese Ufology, something that Bill has been investigating for the last few years, and get a glimpse into this mysterious area of UFO research. All that and, of course, tons and tons more.

Standing alongside our examinations of South Africa and France, it's another eye-opening look at the world of UFO studies across the globe.

5.10.8: SMiles Lewis on BoA:Audio preview

2008-05-10T14:59:00.016-04:00

We hope to get this episode out by Sunday afternoon. If not, it will have to wait until Monday evening. 1,000 apologies, we're swamped this weekend.
THIS WEEK: SMiles Lewis, smileslewis.com, Esoteric Jam Session

One of the big players behind the scenes in esoterica, the prolific SMiles Lewis joins BoA:Audio for a two hour jam session on all things esoteric. We cover a host of paranormal topics from a number of different angles, notably the UFO scene, UFOs in general, 911, and the growth of the 911 Truth Movement. SMiles will take us back to the zine scene of the 1980s and early 90s and talk about the explosion and evolution of esoterica on the internet. We'll also find out about SMiles's various projects which span the spectrum of esoteric media and, of course, tons more.

It's an all out jam session with one of the oftentimes unsung key figures in today's esoteric scene.

NEXT WEEK: Bill Chalker (Part 1), theozfiles.blogspot.com, Australian Ufology

BoA:Audio returns to Down Under for a lengthy conversation with Australian Ufologist Bill Chalker. In this first installment, we'll be discussing the history of the UFO phenomenon in Australia, a plethora of key cases from Australian UFO history, and an in-depth look at Bill's forensic investigation into an alleged abduction that spawned his book "Hair of the Alien."

It's another international showcase for BoA:Audio as we continue our investigation of the global aspect of Ufology.

5.3.8: Carl Feindt on BoA:Audio, preview

2008-05-03T21:41:00.003-04:00

This episode will be posted Sunday evening.
THIS WEEK: Carl Feindt, waterufo.net, The Water-UFO Connection

After appearing on BoA:Audio for a brief interview that generated a lot of buzz last Fall, Carl Feindt returns to the program for an in-depth discussion on the water-UFO connection. We'll be exploring why Carl decided to investigate this aspect of Ufology, interesting trends and fascinating insights that he has gained from his research, cases that he does not think are related to UFOs, the international aspects of the phenomenon, sea monsters, radar and sonar cases, UFOs. v. USOs, "Water Wheels", the Eltanin, Shag Harbour, and a ton more aquatic-themed esoteric material.

We plumb the depths of the UFO-water connection as BoA:Audio returns from our Spring Break with all new episodes.

THIS WEEK: SMiles Lewis, smileslewis.com, Esoteric Jam Session

One of the big players behind the scenes in esoterica, the prolific SMiles Lewis joins BoA:Audio for a two hour jam session on all things esoteric. We cover a host of paranormal topics from a number of different angles, notably the UFO scene, UFOs in general, 911, and the growth of the 911 Truth Movement. SMiles will take us back to the zine scene of the 1980s and early 90s and talk about the explosion and evolution of the Internet and esoterica, and all SMiles's various projects which span the spectrum of esoteric media and, of course, tons more.

It's an esoteric jam session with one of the oftentimes unsung key figures in today's scene.

4.26.8: New BoA:Audio Podcast feed

2008-04-26T13:55:00.011-04:00

After what seems like forever, we've finally gotten our in-house podcast feed up and running.

You can access the new feed @ http://www.binnallofamerica.com/podcast.xml

Just add that to your podcasting software or iTunes and you will be back on track with BoA:Audio. The new feed has our complete archive of Seasons III, Two, and One on there right now.

A search of iTunes for "binnall" will bring up both our old and new podcast feed. You can tell the new feed because it has our latest episode up already (Tom Shachtman) and will have the BoA logo as a picture ::

We are working on getting the old feed removed from iTunes soon to avoid confusion. We'll also be going back over the BoA:Audio archive and switching all the podcast links over to the new feed so that newcomers will be up to speed.

As such, the old feed will not be updated any longer (except for perhaps a mini soundbite alerting folks to the new feed) and the new feed will be where you can get the latest episodes.

Thanks for your patience while we were working on this. It took longer than expected, but we wanted to be sure that we got it right and had a reliable in-house feed that will be accessible at all times.

As usual, your feedback is appreciated. We're still working out some of the minor kinks in the new feed, but it is working very well on iTunes right now and will be 1000 times more reliable than our old feed.

All new BoA:Audio episodes will return next weekend, May 3rd/4th. Preview forthcoming @ BoA sometime next week.

4.5.8: Tom Shachtman on BoA:Audio preview

2008-04-05T15:13:00.014-04:00

Note: Due to some slight technical issues, the release of this episode has been delayed to Monday afternoon / evening. 1000 apologies.

THIS WEEK: Tom Shachtman, "Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish"

BoA:Audio goes off the beaten path as we explore the Amish culture with our guest Tom Shachtman, author of Rumspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish. We'll be discussing Shachtman's in-depth research into the Amish and their rite of passage known as Rumspringa, how it serves to strengthen the Amish community, why 80% of those going through Rumspringa end up joining the religion, their unique educational system, their use of banning as a means of discipline, how farming by the Amish is diminishing which has resulted in their mixing more with the mainstream, how the Amish feel about the tourism that surrounds their enclaves, Rumspringa's evolution over the years and how Shachtman sees it changing going into the future. And, of course, tons more.

It's a rare glimpse into the mysterious Amish world that exists within America's borders.

NEXT TWO WEEKS : No episodes

It's our Spring Break from the show.

New episodes will resume either on April 26th or May 3rd.

Stay tuned to BoA for details as April unfolds.

3.29.8: 2nd Annual BoA:Audio Baseball Special ... preview

2008-03-29T15:06:00.007-04:00

As noted in the preview, this episode is massive (probably clocking in close to 3 hours). I expect it will be posted late night Saturday night or our now-usual Sunday afternoon-ish.

THIS WEEK : 2nd Annual BoA:Audio Baseball Special ... featuring Paul Kimball, Loren Coleman, Richard Dolan, Adam Gorightly, and Greg Bishop.

It's our massive 2nd Annual BoA:Audio Baseball Special, featuring a collection of esoteric all stars kicking back and talking about baseball. Paul Kimball, Loren Coleman, Richard Dolan, Adam Gorightly, and Greg Bishop return to the program as we get their thoughts on baseball off-season news, how things are looking for their respective teams, various side tangents and minutia, and, upping the ante this year, collect a set of playoff predictions from each guest.

It's a time for BoA:Audio to stop, smell the roses, and remember that there's life beyond the esoteric. We hope you'll join us.

NEXT WEEK : TBA

To be taped on Friday morning. Preview to follow shortly thereafter.

One word tease: Rumspringa

3.21.8: Gildas Bourdias on BoA:Audio preview

2008-03-21T21:44:00.005-04:00

THIS WEEK : Gildas Bourdais, French Ufology

BoA:Audio returns to Europe for another look at international Ufology as Gildas Bourdais joins us for an in-depth discussion on the French UFO scene. We'll be talking about its history and evolution, official government sponsored French UFO studies through the years, the Cometa report, media coverage of UFOs, the attitude of the everyday public with regards to UFOs, a re-examination of percentages of unknown UFOs, the release of French UFO files in March '07, the state of French Ufology today, and tons more.

***

NEXT WEEK : The 2nd Annual BoA:Audio Baseball Special

For the second year in a row, previous BoA:Audio guests return to talk about all things baseball. Paul Kimball, Loren Coleman, and others, to be announced later, join the program to discuss some of the hot baseball stories from the off-season, including the Mitchell Report, the Roger Clemens saga, and the change of power at the Yankees. Plus, we'll look ahead to the 2008 season and get predictions on who will win each division & wildcard spots, the AL & NL titles, and the World Series winner.

It's a lighthearted and off-topic edition of BoA:Audio as we celebrate the start of the 2008 baseball season.

3.14.8: Jeff Belanger on BoA:Audio preview

2008-03-14T19:29:00.007-04:00

PODCAST FEED UPDATE :: We're still working on the in-house podcast feed, sorry for the delay. For now, your best bet is to just grab the MP3s straight from BoA when the new episode is posted. Thanks for your patience.

THIS WEEK : Jeff Belanger, "The Ghost Files"

BoA:Audio returns to the ghost realm with an A-list name from that genre, Jeff Belanger, creater of the online juggernaut "Ghost Village." We'll cover a number of gems from his latest book "Ghost Files", including the various theories on what ghosts are, the commercialisation of haunted locations, Jewish exorcisms, Jeff's global travels investigating haunted places, dealing with skeptics, the evolution of orbs, and other fun stuff. We'll also examine big picture issues like the explosion in popularity for ghost hunting and esoterica on the internet.

It's a fun, loose, and, at times, frank discussion with a researcher at the very top of the wildly popular field that is ghost research.

***

NEXT WEEK : Gildas Bourdais, French Ufology

BoA:Audio returns to Europe for another look at international Ufology as Gildas Bourdais joins us for an in-depth discussion on French Ufology. We'll be talking about its history and evolution, official government sponsored French UFO studies through the years, the Cometa report, media coverage of UFOs, the attitude of the everyday public with regards to UFOs, a re-examination of percentages of unknown UFOs, the release of French UFO files in March '07, the state of French Ufology today, and tons more.

3.7.8: Dr. Bob Curran on BoA:Audio preview

2008-03-07T22:58:00.011-05:00

PODCAST FEED UPDATE :: We're hoping to have a new, working, podcast feed up @ BoA by this time next week. For now, it appears that the old podcast feed is working and has been updated. As always, though, your best bet is to just grab the MP3s straight from BoA when the new episode is posted.

THIS WEEK : Dr. Bob Curran, "Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms"

Author of the outstanding book "Lost Lands, Forgotten Realms",
Dr. Bob Curran joins us, direct from Northern Ireland, for a discussion on the historical background and cultural significance of a number of mysterious places, including The Otherworld, Green Island, Atlantis, Lemuria, Davy Jones Locker and the Flying Dutchman, Shangri La, Shambala, The Kingdom of Prestor John, El Dorado, The Fountain of Youth, the Library of Alexandria, and many more.

This captivating conversation provides an enlightening look at many famous and infamous esoteric locations, while also providing insight into what factors helped shape these locations and gave rise to their prominence in our collective lore.

***

NEXT WEEK : Jeff Belanger, "Ghost Files"

BoA:Audio returns to the ghost realm with an A-list name from that genre, Jeff Belanger, creater of the online juggernaut "Ghost Village." We'll cover a number of gems from his latest book "Ghost Files", including the various theories on what ghosts are, the commercialisation of haunted locations, Jewish exorcisms, Jeff's global travels investigating haunted places, dealing with skeptics, the evolution of orbs, and other fun stuff. We'll also examine big picture issues like the explosion in popularity for ghost hunting and esoterica on the internet.

It's a fun, loose, and, at times, frank discussion with a researcher at the very top of the wildly popular field that is ghost research.

2.16.8: Cristo Louw on BoA:Audio preview

2008-02-16T17:12:00.009-05:00

NOTE: This week's audio will be delayed, just a bit, as I've got a few things going on here on the homefront that have kept me very occupied this afternoon / evening, so our schedule has been pushed up by a day or so. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience. We expect to post the episode on Sunday night.

THIS WEEK : Cristo Louw from South Africa's UFO Resource

An ultra-ambitious episode of BoA:Audio, as we call nearly 8,000 miles away to Cape Town, South Africa for the first American interview ever by Cristo Louw, head of South Africa's UFO Resource (SAUFOR). Cristo shares a variety of fascinating UFO stories that have happened in South Africa over the last century or so, including key cases like the 1989 UFO shoot down over Botswana and the Bainbridge Incident. We find out about famous South African contactees like Elizabeth Klarer and Carl van Vlierden. We also discuss the history of UFO studies in South Africa and how it compares to its American counterpart. Looking at big picture influences on the field, we discuss the role of the government, the military, and the media in shaping the UFO culture in South Africa.

It's a tremendously educational edition of BoA:Audio featuring a ton of international UFO material from a continent often overlooked in the global UFO picture.

***

NEXT WEEK: TBA on Sunday

I'm torn on which episode to roll out next weekend, so I'll ruminate on it some more tonight and decide tomorrow evening, when I put together this week's episode. Details will be posted in the usual spot, at the bottom of the 2.16.8 episode page.

2.8.8: Larry Flaxman on BoA:Audio preview

2008-02-08T23:59:00.001-05:00

THIS WEEK : Larry Flaxman from The Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team

BoA:Audio enters the ghost genre with Larry Flaxman, founder of the Arkansas Paranormal and Anomalous Studies Team (ARPAST). We'll discuss the ins and outs, creation and evolution, and research methods of the ARPAST group. We'll get Larry's critical thoughts on EMF meters, EVPs, orbs, and some of the problems with today's ghost hunting groups. Plus, we'll have lots of big picture discussion on the ghost hunting field, its explosion in popularity, and the plusses and minuses of the rapidly growth of that esoteric genre.

It's a new area of coverage for BoA:Audio, but we manage to retain our same flavour of in-depth esoteric discussion.

***

NEXT WEEK : Cristo Louw from South Africa's UFO Resource

An ultra-ambitious episode of BoA:Audio, as we call nearly 8,000 miles away to Cape Town, South Africa for the first American interview ever by Cristo Louw, head of South Africa's UFO Resource (SAUFOR). Cristo shares a variety of fascinating UFO stories that have happened in South Africa over the last century or so, including key cases like the 1989 UFO shoot down over Botswana and the Bainbridge Incident. We find out about famous South African contactees like Elizabeth Klarer and Carl van Vlierden. We also discuss the history of UFO studies in South Africa and how it compares to its American counterpart. Looking at big picture influences on the field, we discuss the role of the government, the military, and the media in shaping the UFO culture in South Africa.

It's a tremendously educational edition of BoA:Audio featuring a ton of international UFO material from a continent often overlooked in the global UFO picture.

1.26.8: BoA:Audio update & In-House Notes

2008-01-26T12:18:00.000-05:00

Ahoy hoy, my friends. Yes, it is my birthday. I'm an old fuck now. Forgive me if I start to forget stuff or develop incontinence.

BoA:Audio returns next week (2.2.8)

The 2.2.8 guest will be UFOMystic's own Greg Bishop. We'll be doing an in-depth look @ 2007 in Ufology, from the O'Haire story in January of '07 to Japan's UFO "disclosure" in December of '07 and all the big stories in between. This is definitely a loose edition of the show, more like a conversation, where Greg and I give some big picture analysis to the top UFO stories of 2007 and what they really mean in the long run for the UFO scene. Plus, at the end there is some discussion on Lohn John Nebel and contactees. In total, the interview runs well over 2 hours, so it's a big one and the perfect episode to kick off the 2nd half of Season III.

I was weary of doing a 2007 recap episode, but then searched around online and couldn't find any good '07 Ufology recap, at least from the perspective that I wanted to tackle, so I think this episode will be enjoyed by UFO aficionados who listen to BoA:Audio.

After the 2.2.8 episode, we already have a bunch of new stuff taped, including a couple of interviews dealing with esoterica's field du jour: ghost hunting. We'll explore this red hot genre with a science based ghost researcher and an A-list name in the ghost field. Despite not being a huge fan of that aspect of esoterica, I enjoyed both interviews immensely and we really took a nice look, from afar, at what has become esoterica's break-out field over the last few years.

In addition to that, we've got a massive interview with a fairly new player on the international UFO scene. This guest will be giving his first ever American interview. Chances are that you haven't heard of him yet, but I'm hoping that this interview will help to establish him on the American Ufology map. As an added teaser, I'll say that the interview establishes a BoA beachhead on a whole new continent, where we have yet to venture in our quest for global esoteric guests.

Plus, we've got an assload of interviews that are in the finalization phase, so I expect to be taping pretty regularly for the next month, at least. More details to follow in the days and weeks to come.

binnall on Spooky Southcoast

As mentioned last week, I was an in-studio guest on the Spooky Southcoast radio show, which emanates from WBSM, here in Massachusetts. Having done all my previous interviews on podcasts and running my own podcast, it was nice to see "how the other half lives" and the inner workings of a terrestrial radio show.

You can find my appearance, complete with MP3 download and Streaming Audio capabilities HERE. I was only on briefly @ the beginning of the show and then quite a bit during the 2nd hour. My good friend Chris Balzano was also a guest.

I should also mention that I spend some time this past month giving the SSC website a complete makeover and trying to develop into a more user-friendly site, with a completely work-able archive (something they didn't have before) and MP3 downloads for each episode. So if you check out the site, you'll probably notice a heavy BoA influence, since I am the one who designed it.

BoA:D.C. is coming in February

I don't have too much to report about our exciting new project, BoA:D.C., except to show off the logo. I expect to really be diving into work on it this coming week, so we should have more info soon. I can say that it will be cool and it will be unveiled in February at some point.

Other Stuff

Not much else going on, really. I want to give kudos to the great BoA staff who have been doing the bulk of the updates @ BoA this month while I have been working on gathering up new interviews for BoA:Audio. Lesley, Khyron, Regan, Tina, and our newest columnist Richelle, have been rolling out some awesome material week in and week out. You definitely want to check out their columns @ BoA.

I'm looking forward to the return of Lost on Thursday. I probably won't have the detailed "Lost Thoughts" that I did last season, but I may find a way to slip some thoughts onto the blog somewhere.

Till next week when the show resumes, this is binnall wishing you a great week and signing off.

1.24.8: Is Bigfoot on Mars ?

2008-01-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to theusofe.com member redsonsuperman who inspired this satirical side-by-side analysis.

The stunning news of a mysterious "figure" found on a Mars rover picture has captured interest around the world and created fevered speculation in the world of esoterica.

A careful analysis of the picture brings us to a stark question that is being asked in whispers throughout the paranormal universe ...

Of course, such a bold inquiry brings with it a plethora of additional questions which have wide ranging ramifications in esoterica.

Such as ...

Will this new evidence inspire the "dream team" pairing of Loren Coleman and Richard C. Hoagland ?

Would Bigfoot's fur coat help protect it from harsh Martian winters ?

Can Bigfoot survive in the desert like climates of Mars ?

Are reports of red-haired Bigfoot around the world actually documented sightings of the Martian Bigfoot ?

How does the Martian Bigfoot fit into the cryptoterrestrial theories of Mac Tonnies ?

Did Bigfoot build the Face on Mars ?

Is Bigfoot behind the NASA cover-up of the structures of Cydonia ?

Was the demise of the Beagle 2 probe a result of a Bigfoot attack ?

Does Bigfoot travel between the planets or are Earth-bound Bigfoot separated from their Martian brethren ?

Don't be surprised if the mainstream media glosses over the obvious Bigfoot on Mars connection. This information is far too mind blowing for Joe Six Pack in Middle America to handle.

We are truly through the looking glass, here, people and the picture is Bigfoot on Mars.

1.19.8: BoA on SSC and In-House Notes

2008-01-19T11:51:00.000-05:00

I'm heading down to Southeastern MA tonight with my friend Christopher Balzano. He'll be the guest on the Spooky Southcoast radio show on WBSM AM in Fairhaven, MA. The show airs from 10 PM to Midnight (ET) and you can find listening information on their site.

I've recently become acquainted with the SSC crew, as I've spent the last couple of weeks giving their website a full re-design (to be unveiled on 1.26.8), and they've asked me to join in on the episode tonight, so I may pop-in at some point during their broadcast, though I'm not sure how extensive my involvement will be.

I'll have details post-show for folks who may want to check out my appearance or the Spooky Southcoast program, in general.

BoA In-House Notes

BoA:Audio returns on 2.2.8. Our guest will be ufomystic's own Greg Bishop for a lengthy discussion on the past year in Ufology. We'll talk about all the major UFO stories from 2007 and what they mean to the big picture of Ufology. More details next week, when we roll out a more formal preview.

We're right in the thick of production on new episodes of BoA:Audio. We've taped the Greg Bishop episode and another episode covering a new topic, for us, ghost hunting. I'm also taping an interview with a major name in the ghost genre next week as well, so we'll be delving into that realm for a bit during the 2nd half of Season III. Plus, I've been very busy tracking down new and exotic international guests for interview to air sometime in the not too distant future.

I'm also in the beginning stages of a new project that we are tenatively calling "BoA:D.C." I'll have more information on that very soon, but for now I can just say that it will be a different genre for BoA and will open up the franchise to a whole new audience to discover our off-kilter brand of esoteric entertainment.

1.2.8 : Happy New Year & In-House Notes

2008-01-02T16:28:00.001-05:00

Yeah, a little late with the New Year well wishes, but that's life. I hope you and yours had a great holiday season. Now ... onto 2008.

Khyron is still off for the holidays, so I figured I'd pontificate some here @ the binnall blog to fill some space @ BoA on the second day of the new year.

Upcoming @ BoA on Friday is the debut of our newest columnist Richelle Hawks who will be penning the weekly missive Medusa's Ladder. I'm thrilled to be kicking off 2008 @ BoA with Richelle's debut. She's a tremendous writer and I'm looking forward to seeing what she brings to the site week in and week out.

Saturday will see our annual look back at the past year @ BoA, as we did in 2005 and 2006. I'll save my big picture reflections on BoA for that piece.

One thing that I will discuss here is the revival of the binnall blog in 2007. At the risk of breaking the 4th wall too much, I would classify it as a modest success. On the one hand, I did manage to stay updating the blog throughout the year, but it has kind of melded too much into just a BoA:Audio preview and In-House Notes page. I will be doing my best to change that in '08, hoping to add more Feature Articles here and revive that part of BoA that has gone kind of dormant since around 2006 when the audio series starting taking away most of my time.

To that end, I am working on a couple of new pieces. One may turn into a multi-part affair where I look @ Ufology in 2007 and the other is a newfangled conspiracy theory that I have invented but don't really believe (you'll understand when you read it). I'm hesitant to even put a date on when those may be available for mass consumption, but I'd say within the next 10 days they ought to be more fleshed out.

Presumably by Sunday, we'll finish our annual "scrub down" of BoA, updating the general pages and tinkering with the look of the site. You may noticed this with the addition of the longer section for "Last 10 Updates" on the front page. Hopefully it will add to a feeling of freshness as the year begins to unfold.

On the BoA:Audio front, there's not much to report, aside from general inquiries being put out to various prospective guests. I am hopeful to be taping some stuff next week, but that depends on how quickly folks react to my requests. I will say that we have high hopes of continuing the international flavour that BoA:Audio has enjoyed in December with the UK's Nick Pope and Nick Redfern. I'm also trying to twist Lesley's arm and get her to do her first ever interview, but she's a tough negotiator, so I can't make any promises just yet.

I'll leave you with a plug for the BoA forum (known as theusofe.com). I don't do enough to promote it, which is unfortunate, since we have a great gang of folks that hang out there and post about esoterica, pop culture, BoA, and current events. It's definitly as off-kilter as BoA, as our current logo suggests. So check it out, register (it's free) and join in the discussion.

12.28.7 : Nick Redfern on BoA : Audio, preview

2007-12-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

NOTE :: As a result of holiday delays, this week's audio will probably be posted on Sunday afternoon / evening. 1000 apologies and thanks for your patience.

THIS WEEK : Nick Redfern, "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter"

Ultra popular former BoA : Audio, Season One guest Nick Redfern returns to the program to help us close out 2007 and talk about his latest book, "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter". We'll discuss the personal elements to "Memoirs", Nick's big picture thoughts on what is really at work behind paranormal phenomenon, some fascinating perspective from Nick on present day Ufology, the deification of Roswell and how it could inadvertantly be devastating for the field. We get Nick's thoughts on handling new story leads, his field work in Texas looking for ghost lights, his two trips to Puerto Rico and how they changed his thoughts on the Chupacabra. Plus, the synchronicity theme of "Memoirs", UK field research v. US field research, the "lost mysteries of esoterica", questions from BoA staff and listeners, and tons more.

It's an enlightening two hour conversation with one of the fastest rising superstars in esoterica, Nick Redfern.

***
NEXT WEEK : No Episode

BoA : Audio will be on our annual winter hiatus.

Throughout January, we will be taping a whole new batch of interviews for 2008, featuring key figures in various esoteric fields.

All new BoA : Audio episodes will return at the end of January.

12.21.7 : Stan Friedman on BoA : Audio, preview

2007-12-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

THIS WEEK : Stanton Friedman on the 3rd Annual BoA : Audio Holiday Special

Ufology legend Stanton Friedman returns to the program for our third annual BoA : Audio Holiday Special. Stan will be talking about his new book "Captured : The Betty and Barney Hill Experience", Ufological history, and science v. UFO studies.

We give Stan the floor for the first half hour as he goes over, in tremendous detail, a variety of elements to the Betty and Barney Hill abduction case including the role of the case in getting people interested in the UFO phenomenon, the importance of Dr. Simon to the veracity of the case, and why the Star Map aspect is key to the whole story. There's also a great discussion on Ufological history, especially the immediate post-Condon period of UFO studies and why things seemed to go so wrong for Ufology from there. Stan talks about the incorrect assumption by skeptics regarding repeatability as tantamount to studying UFOs, esoteric elements to the Hill case, his interest in pilot shoot-downs of UFOs in the 1950's, his next book which he dubs his "magnus opus", and, of course, tons more.

It's our fourth interview with Stan, his third holiday special on BoA : Audio, and another classic interview to stand alongside his previous visits to the show.

***

NEXT WEEK : Nick Redfern, "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter"

Ultra popular former BoA : Audio, Season One guest Nick Redfern returns to the program to help us close out 2007 and talk about his latest book, "Memoirs of a Monster Hunter". We'll discuss the personal elements to "Memoirs", Nick's big picture thoughts on what is really at work behind paranormal phenomenon, some fascinating perspective from Nick on present day Ufology, the deification of Roswell and how it could inadvertantly be devastating for the field. We get Nick's thoughts on handling new story leads, his field work in Texas looking for ghost lights, his two trips to Puerto Rico and how they changed his thoughts on the Chupacabra. Plus, the synchronicity theme of "Memoirs", UK field research v. US field research, the "lost mysteries of esoterica", questions from BoA staff and listeners, and tons more.

It's an enlightening two hour conversation with one of the fastest rising superstars in esoterica, Nick Redfern.

12.14.7 : Nick Pope on BoA : Audio preview

2007-12-13T15:22:00.000-05:00

NOTE :: Much like last weekend, this week's audio will almost certainly be delayed, due to a variety of circumstances. So ... expect the show to be posted on Sunday evening or so. 1000 apologies and thanks for your patience.

THIS WEEK : Nick Pope, Former Head of the British MOD UFO Project

One of the most frequently requested guests over the last two years finally comes to BoA : Audio, as the venerable Nick Pope joins the program. In this conversation, we'll discuss a myriad of topics, including but not limited to: his role in investigating UFO reports for the Ministry of Defence, what's become of his post in the last few years, the unique circumstances to his meteoric rise to fame in esoteric and mainstream circles, how extensive his interraction was with US/UK UFO groups and other international officials during tenure as MOD UFO investigator, the 1993 Cosford incident, the UK UFO files, what became of the "best cases" that Nick investigated, the media firestorm surrounding his comments from last November, his thoughts on 911, Ufology v. Science, and tons and tons more.

Having heard countless interviews with Nick over the years, we aimed to bring some new questions and new points of view to the table. The result was an enlighting discussion on Ufology, including exploration of some of our favorite topics like the sociology of the UFO field and the international nature of UFO studies, amongst other heady topics.

His website is http://www.nickpope.net/

***

NEXT WEEK : The BoA : Audio Christmas Special

We usually don't announce the guest until the episode is taped and this episode is scheduled to be taped on Wednesday 12.19, to air over the weekend of 12.22/23, just in time for the holidays, so we'll hold off on revealing the guest's name.

But, long-time BoA : Audio listeners should be able to figure out who the guest will be, as '07 will be his third year on our holiday festivus.

Full preview to be rolled out next week.

12.7.7 : Jeremy Vaeni on BoA : Audio preview

2007-12-07T20:58:00.001-05:00

NOTE :: Due to a hectic weekend, there's a very good chance that this week's audio will be delayed until Sunday afternoon / evening. Thanks for your patience.

THIS WEEK : Jeremy Vaeni, "Culture of Contact"

Prolific estoeric pundit Jeremy Vaeni joins BoA : Audio for a freewheeling hour and a half long interview. We'll be discussing the evolution of Jeremy's abduction experience, his theory on what the abductors are all about, his film "No One's Watching An Alien Abductee's Story", his entry into the field of esoterica and his take on Ufology from an abductee's point of view.

Plus we'll cover his trip to the X-Conference this past September, his book "I Know Why the Aliens Don't Land", disclosure, young people in Ufology, and policing the UFO world. In addition to all that, we have some laughs about angels, ass shots, and Alfred Webre's 911 theories. And, of course, tons more.

Jeremy's website is www.valiens.com

***
NEXT WEEK : Nick Pope, Former Head of the British MOD UFO Project

One of the most frequently requested guests over the last two years finally comes to BoA : Audio, as the venerable Nick Pope joins the program. In this conversation, we'll discuss a myriad of topics, including but not limited to: his role in investigating UFO reports for the Military of Defense, what's become of his post in the last few years, the unique circumstances to his meteoric rise to fame in esoteric and mainstream circles, how extensive his interraction was with US/UK UFO groups and other international officials during tenure as MOD UFO investigator, the 1993 Cosford incident, the UK UFO files, what became of the "best cases" that Nick investigated, the media firestorm surrounding his comments from last November, his thoughts on 911, Ufology v. Science, and tons and tons more.

Having heard countless interviews with Nick over the years, we aimed to bring some new questions and new points of view to the table. The result was an enlighting discussion on Ufology, including exploration of some of our favorite topics like the sociology of the UFO field and the international nature of UFO studies, amongst other heady topics.

His website is www.nickpope.net

11.30.7 : Keith Chester (Part 2) on BoA : Audio preview

2007-11-30T16:15:00.000-05:00

THIS WEEK : Keith Chester (Part 2 of 2), "Strange Company : Military Encounters with UFOs in WWII"

Our conversation with Keith Chester continues as we discuss why the Foo Fighter sightings probably weren't St. Elmo's Fire, Foo Fighters and radar, similarities and differences between Europe and the Pacific with regards to aerial phenomena, post-war information gleaned about the Foo Fighters, and the potential for German UFO technology.

We'll delve into big picture questions like Keith thoughts on the Foo Fighters as a whole, how the Foo Fighter phenomena fits into the theory that nuclear testing attracted the UFOs, what did the government really think the Foo Fighters were, and the trials and tribulations of finding witness testimony to the Foo Fighter era. Additionally, there's we talk about Keith's mentor Len Stringfield and his role in shaping Ufology. Plus, of course, tons more.

You can check out more info on "Strange Company" @ the Anomalist Books website.

***
NEXT WEEK : Jeremy Vaeni, "Culture of Contact"

Prolific estoeric pundit Jeremy Vaeni joins BoA : Audio for a freewheeling hour and a half long interview. We'll be discussing the evolution of Jeremy's abduction experience, his theory on what the abductors are all about, his film "No One's Watching An Alien Abductee's Story", his entry into the field of esoterica and his take on Ufology from an abductee's point of view.

Plus we'll cover his trip to the X-Conference this past September, his book "I Know Why the Aliens Don't Land", disclosure, young people in Ufology, and policing the UFO world. In addition to all that, we have some laughs about angels, ass shots, and Alfred Webre's 911 theories. And, of course, tons more.

Jeremy's website is www.valiens.com

11.23.7 : Keith Chester (Part 1) on BoA : Audio preview

2007-11-23T15:22:00.000-05:00

THIS WEEK : Keith Chester (Part 1 of 2), "Strange Company : Military Encounters with UFOs in WWII"

The first half of a massive interview with Keith Chester about his excellent book "Strange Company", detailing the often overlooked but critically important Foo Fighter era in Ufology. In this installment, we cover the surprising variety of actual Foo Fighter objects that were reported to be seen, how the Allied Forces investigated the Foo Fighters, notable figures from that era, ten key Foo Fighter cases discussed in detail, and the explosion of the Foo Fighter story on American shores. And that's just Part One.

It's an intensely thorough edition of BoA : Audio, where you're almost guaranteed to walk away having learned something new. A must-hear episode for any serious student of Ufology.

NEXT WEEK : Keith Chester (Part 2 of 2), "Strange Company : Military Encounters with UFOs in WWII"

Our conversation with Keith Chester continues as we discuss why the Foo Fighter sightings probably weren't St. Elmo's Fire, Foo Fighters and radar, similarities and differences between Europe and the Pacific with regards to aerial phenomena, post-war information gleaned about the Foo Fighters, and the potential for German UFO technology.

We'll delve into big picture questions like Keith thoughts on the Foo Fighters as a whole, how the Foo Fighter phenomena fits into the theory that nuclear testing attracted the UFOs, what did the government really think the Foo Fighters were, and the trials and tribulations of finding witness testimony to the Foo Fighter era. Additionally, there's we talk about Keith's mentor Len Stringfield and his role in shaping Ufology. Plus, of course, tons more.

11.23.7 : New BoA merchandise update

2007-11-23T15:08:00.000-05:00

We've run into a couple of minor snags converting the new merchandise images to the Cafepress storefront. Half of our new stuff is all set and ready to roll out. I'm waiting on our artist to fix a couple of minor issues with the other half of the merchandise and we ought to have the storefront all set up and ready to go.

I expect that the whole line will be unveiled either late night tonight or at some point during the weekend.

Until then, here's a sneak peek at one of the four new designs ...

This kewl image will be available on a plethora of items, ranging from a wide variety of T-shirts and sweatshirts to mousepads, caps, BBQ aprons, tote bags, and, of course, the thong.

Stay tuned to BoA for further updates.

11.16.7 : BoA : Audio's Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash special ... preview

2007-11-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

THIS WEEK :: Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash special ... featuring Loren Coleman, Chris Balzano, Carl Feindt, Don Ledger, and Chris Styles

On site interviews from the Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash esoteric double-bill. Loren Coleman covers the Dover Demon, Bridgewater Triangle, and the VT shooting. Chris Balzano discusses his work exploring Massachusetts paranormal folklore and phantom clowns. Carl Feindt details his work looking at Unidentified Subermerged Objects, Don Ledger tells us about his research into Black Triangles and Shag Harbour, and Chris Styles gives us an update on what's he's been up to since last Spring's BoA : Audio appearance plus his thoughts on being so closely associated with one specific UFO case. Plus, Don Keating joins us, post-conference,to talk about the white Bigfoot and Ohio cryptozoology.

Six guests in total. Easily a dozen different topics covered. Over an hour and a half of esoteric audio, caught on-the-fly direct from the proceedings in Watertown, MA.

NEXT WEEK : Keith Chester (Part 1 of 2), "Strange Company : Military Encounters with UFOs in WWII"

The first half of a massive interview with Keith Chester about his excellent book "Strange Company", detailing the often overlooked but critically important Foo Fighter era in Ufology. In this installment, we cover the surprising variety of actual Foo Fighter objects that were reported to be seen, how the Allied Forces investigated the Foo Fighters, notable figures from that era, ten key Foo Fighter cases discussed in detail, and the explosion of the Foo Fighter story on American shores. And that's just Part One.

It's an intensely thorough edition of BoA : Audio, where you're almost guaranteed to walk away having learned something new. A must-hear episode for any serious student of Ufology.

OTHER STUFF :

2007 Zorgy Awards :: BoA : Audio has been nominated for Paul Kimball's prestigious Zorgy Awards in the category of Top Podcast. Please vote for our humble program, listed as "Binnall of America". You can vote here : 2007 Zorgy Voting Page. Thanks for your support.

Also, BoA's Lesley sees her blog "The Debris Field" nominated in two categories, so feel free to throw some love her way as well. She's up for "Best Paranormal Blog" and "Best Website [news summary]".

New BoA Merchandise :: I'm happy to report that the BoA Line is nearly complete. Our target date to roll out the new stuff on the Friday after Thanksgiving, known affectionately as "Black Friday". As teased @ the end of the last few weeks of BoA : Audio, we're moving away from straight BoA related stuff and into more general paranormal friendly items that, we think, help to convey a message that any hardcore esoteric enthusiast would want to display.

Stay tuned to BoA for the grand unveiling around the end of next week.

11.9.7 : Greg Reece on BoA : Audio preview

2007-11-09T01:45:00.000-05:00

THIS WEEK :: Greg Reece, UFO Religion

BoA : Audio goes beyond the lights in the sky with Greg Reece, author of "UFO Religion". In this tremendously deep episode, we discuss belief systems associated with the UFO phenomenon, ranging from the dichotomy of "nuts and bolts Ufology" v. the "lunatic fringe", the contactee movement, UFO cults, mainstream religions with UFO elements within them, and how UFO revelations may affect Christianity. We'll be talking about the paradox of the ancient astronaut theory along with the paradox of Ufology v. Science. Plus, Greg's problems with abduction research, how UFOs get blamed for everything paranormal, "new gods" v. "old gods", fear as the driving force behind Ufology, and, of course, tons more. This interview covers a myriad of big picture questions with regards to Ufology and belief that will provide a wealth of food for thought.

***

NEXT WEEK :: Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash special ... featuring Loren Coleman, Chris Balzano, Carl Feindt, Don Ledger, and Chris Styles

On site interviews from the Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash esoteric double-bill. Loren Coleman covers the Dover Demon, Bridgewater Triangle, and the VT shooting. Chris Balzano discusses his work exploring Massachusetts paranormal folklore and phantom clowns. Don Keating talks about the white Bigfoot and Ohio cryptozoology. Carl Feindt details his work looking at Unidentified Subermerged Objects, Don Ledger tells us about his research into Black Triangles and Shag Harbour, and Chris Styles gives us an update on what's he's been up to since last Spring's BoA : Audio appearance plus his thoughts on being so closely associated with one specific UFO case.

It's the closest you can get to being there, as BoA : Audio brings you this fantastic mix of esoteric audio taped on location at the festivities.

11.2.7 : Danny Hennigar on BoA : Audio preview

2007-11-02T19:10:00.001-04:00

This Week :: Danny Hennigar, the Oak Island Money Pit Mystery

BoA : Audio revisits our Summer expedition as Danny Hennigar joins BoA : Audio to discuss the Oak Island Mystery. We are going to explore this over 200 year old esoteric landmark, including how it all started, how it has evolved over the years, the popular theories as to what is at the bottom of the Oak Island Money Pit, the famous Oak Island side stories like the death of Robert Restall, Nolan's Cross, and Borehole 10x. Plus we are going to find out the latest news on what is going on @ Oak Island today. And, of course, tons and tons more. This is a richly detailed edition of BoA : Audio, covering an often over-looked realm of esoterica: Oak Island.

Danny's website is www.oakislandsociety.ca

Next Week :: Greg Reece, "UFO Religion"

BoA : Audio goes beyond the lights in the sky with Greg Reece, author of "UFO Religion". In this tremendously deep episode, we discuss belief systems associated with the UFO phenomenon, ranging from the dichotomy of "nuts and bolts Ufology" v. the "lunatic fringe", the contactee movement, UFO cults, mainstream religions with UFO elements within them, and how UFO revelations may affect Christianity. We'll be talking about the paradox of the ancient astronaut theory along with the paradox of Ufology v. Science. Plus, Greg's problems with abduction research, how UFOs get blamed for everything paranormal, "new gods" v. "old gods", fear as the driving force behind Ufology, and, of course, tons more. This interview covers a myriad of big picture questions with regards to Ufology and belief that will provide a wealth of food for thought.

Greg's website is www.uforeligion.com

10.26.7 : Karyn Dolan on BoA : Audio preview

2007-10-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

It's been another crazy week here @ BoA HQ, though that has something to do with a little thing called the World Series, baby! As noted here at the beginning of the month, the Red Sox being in the playoffs causes a serious work stoppage here @ the HQ, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm sure that I will have much more to say about the Sox in the Series sometime next week, after it all winds down.

As such, there is a very good chance that this week's episode of BoA : Audio will be posted at some point after the Saturday night Red Sox game has concluded. Probably Sunday morning-ish.

Anyway, onto the preview for the 10.27.7 episode ...

This Week : BoA : Audio welcomes one of the Summer of 2007's breakout esoteric stars, Karyn Dolan, host of the podcast series "Through the Keyhole". We'll be discussing what made her decide to enter the UFO field, the dynamics of being the spouse of a UFO researcher, various aspects of her podcast series such as how she decides what guests to have on the show, women in Ufology, Exopolitics, the pros and cons of UFO conferences, the fragmentation of UFO studies, potential desensitization of children to the UFO phenomenon, plus tons and tons more.

Karyn Dolan's website is keyholepublishing.com

Next Week: BoA : Audio revisits our Summer expedition as Danny Hennigar joins BoA : Audio to discuss the Oak Island Mystery. We are going to explore this over 200 year old esoteric landmark, including how it all started, how it has evolved over the years, the popular theories as to what is at the bottom of the Oak Island Money Pit, the famous Oak Island side stories like the death of Robert Restall, Nolan's Cross, and Borehole 10x. Plus we are going to find out the latest news on what is going on @ Oak Island today. And, of course, tons and tons more. This is a richly detailed edition of BoA : Audio, covering an often over-looked realm of esoterica: Oak Island.

His website is oakislandsociety.ca

Other Notes: Since last week, we've edited all but one 3 hour episode of BoA : Audio, so from here on out, we expect our usual musical previews to be back up and running. I presume that we will go back and put together some musical previews for the Jim Marrs and Karyn Dolan episodes as well.

Plus, the docket of to-be-taped interviews is growing fast. We've lined up some spectacular names for the December / January episodes that you'll be hearing before you know it.

Stay tuned, the madness has just begun.

10.19.7 : Jim Marrs on BoA : Audio, Season III preview

2007-10-19T20:34:00.000-04:00

It's been such an insane week here @ BoA HQ that a lot of the pre-season hype has fallen to the wayside. Instead, we'll leave you with this text preview of tomorrow's BoA : Audio, Season III premiere with our special guest Jim Marrs ...

For the third year in a row, BoA : Audio kicks off its new season with legendary esoteric researcher Jim Marrs. This time around the bend, we'll be discussing Psi Spies, which was re-released this past Summer with a wealth of new material.

In our conversation, we discuss the US Army Remote Viewing program, its birth, evolution, and demise. We delve into the weirder elements, like international Psi spy confrontations, the Enigma file, the curious case of Phobos II, and how the UFO phenomenon fits into the Psi Spy story. We'll also the controversy within the RV community, once the Psi Spy unit disbanded, and how the field has changed since moving into the private sector. Plus, thoughts from Jim on the past year in Ufology & the 911 Movement, and, of course, tons and tons more.

Jim Marrs website is www.jimmarrs.com

Next Week :: TBA tomorrow. We're still fine tuning the schedule.

Other Notes :: As of this writing, we literally have the next 8 weeks of BoA : Audio, Season III taped. I've fallen somewhat behind on the post-production end, hence the lack of teasers, schedule, or even a Hot Newz this week. That said, I'd rather have this problem than the problem of having nothing to follow up our season premiere.

I know Hot Newz will be back next week and I'll be spending most of Sunday and Monday editing the episodes we have taped already. Hopefully we'll be caught up with the behind the scenes work by mid-week next week.

I'll have much much more to say about all this tomorrow on the Season Premiere of BoA : Audio, Season III. Talk to you then !

10.17.7 : Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash recap

2007-10-17T21:28:00.000-04:00

As we previously previewed here in the blog, this past weekend,
October 12th & 13th, I was in attendance at the 2nd annual Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash in nearby Watertown, MA. The big esoteric double bill lived up to and beyond my expectations, featuring a bevy of fine researchers from a variety of paranormal fields, an eclectic mix of local talent, some of whom are on the verge of bursting onto the national scene, and a healthy crowd of interested people.

The weekend was so entertaining that it has actually taken me a few days just to unwind and begin to get going on a recap of the festivities. 1000 apologies for the length of this report, but I wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything out.

In order to maximize readability for this big feature, we moved it over to the BoA homepage. The full report can be found here : Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash report.

10.13.7 : Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash Pics

2007-10-13T04:53:00.000-04:00

Stories & recap to follow soon.

binnall & Loren Coleman

***
Chris Styles & binnall

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binnall & Matt Moniz of "Spooky Southcoast"

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binnall & Chris Balzano of "Mass Paranormal Crossroads"

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binnall & Don Keating

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Carl Feindt, Don Ledger, and binnall

10.7.7 : binnall report

2007-10-07T19:56:00.001-04:00

We're a little behind schedule this week, as I've been pretty much enthralled by the baseball playoffs and when the Red Sox games are on, all work must stop. Hopefully this will be a trend that will continue throughout October. Sorry to see the Cubs get eliminated yesterday, they were my pick from the National League.

Anyway, we've got a few interesting items in this week's report. There's some more info on the upcoming premiere of BoA : Audio, Season III, a fairly in-depth preview next weekend's esoteric double-bill that is the Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash, some brief Coast Notes, and the usual Pop Culture Thoughts coupled with End Notes.

BoA : Audio, Season III ... 10.20.7

Less than weeks from today, 10.20.7, the underground esoteric sensation, BoA : Audio, returns for our landmark third season. I'm happy to report that in about one week's time, we ought to have all of the next six weeks worth of programs locked in and ready to roll out throughout October and November. December will most likely be the month which sees the return of many favorites from season's past, culminating in our annual Christmas Special, with you-know-who.

As noted in this space a few weeks back, our Season Premiere will "air" on 10.20.7 with the venerable and legendary Jim Marrs, discussing the re-release of his book "Psi Spies" plus his thoughts on the last year in Ufology and 911 research.

Once again, I'm going to hold off on naming names just yet, but will say that amongst the episodes to be aired will be an in-depth discussion on an infamous and long-running esoteric mystery, along with the first ever interview from a newcomer to the field of Ufology who's new book serves as a refreshing look at the UFO field from a reputable outsider. We'll also be featuring our first "theme" episode of the new season as well as an interview covering an often overlooked, but critical, era in UFO history.

The audio preview for the new season will serve notice that BoA : Audio is coming back in a big way. We expect to have it up and running around the end of next week as we wind down the days until we storm the internet airwaves again.

Stay tuned ...

Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash preview

I am now 100% confirmed to be in attendance at next weekend's esoteric double-bill that is the Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash in nearby Watertown, Massachusetts, next weekend (October 12th & 13th). Having spoken with conference organizer, John Horrigan, I've been assured that BoA will be allowed nearly unfettered access to the event, allowing your humble correspondent some really cool behind the scenes insight into the festivities.

This second annual event is New England's largest paranormal conference. It's the perfect opportunity for the many esoteric enthusiasts in the area to convene, discuss the paranormal, and have some fun. Last year's version was a pretty big success and generated a ton of buzz, so I expect that this year's installment will be more of the same. From what I understand, tickets are still available, but are going fast, which is always a good sign.

Without any further superfluous discussion, let's take a look at some of the esoteric happenings scheduled for this jam packed weekend ...

Friday night's Mass UFO Show kicks off @ 7 PM and features an interesting crew of UFO researchers. For starters, former BoA : Audio guest Chris Styles will be discussing the famous Shag Harbour UFO case. Don Ledger will be talking about the "black triangle" phenomenon. Carl Feindt will be there to talk about the USO (Unidentified Submarine Objects) enigma, one of the UFO field's less discussed peripheral mysteries. Nancy Talbott will be covering the Crop Circle phenomenon. And, the event's host John Horrigan will be revealing, for the first time ever, his footage from the Roswell 50th anniversary, including what has been dubbed the "controversial press conference". The night will be co-hosted by Matt Moniz, who has been involved in a number of key UFO cases over the years.

I'm looking forward to meeting Chris Styles after talking to him, at length, on a number of occassions last Spring. All of the presentations sound interesting, but Carl Feindt's session on USOs piques my interest the most, since that phenomenon remains on the edge of most UFO discussion. It should be an enlightening evening all around.

Saturday night, beginning begin @ 6 PM, is the Mass Monster Mash, which is devoted to a mix of cryptozoology and ghostly type stuffs. The big draw is, of course, esoteric superstar Loren Coleman, who has done a ton of research on the various mysteries in New England and will be talking about the Dover Demon in what is billed as a "rare Boston appearance". Other presenters include Jeff Belanger, discussing poltergeists, Don Keating covering the Ohio Bigfoot, and Karen Mossey talking about EVPs.

Additionally, Tom D'Agostino, author of "Haunted Rhode Island", Kristyn Gartland, a member of the TAPS franchise from "Ghost Hunters" infamy, and Chris Pittman, Bridgewater Triangle expert, are also scheduled for appearances in roles billed as "Special Guests" for the Mass Monster Mash.

Another special guest will be my friend Christopher Balzano, of Massachusetts Paranormal Crossroads, who has three new books that are set to roll out starting in early 2008. He's also been waiting patiently for me to get him a copy of that After Dark article I wrote about our trip to the Bridgewater Triangle last April, so I can finally cross that off my "to do" list.

On top of all that, the esoteric radio show "Spooky Southcoast" will be broadcasting from the event throughout the weekend. I've heard a lot of good things about SS over the past few months, so it should be cool to hear their show and see them doing it in person. Along with the speakers and special guests, there will also be "a trivia contest, souvenirs, concessions, exhibits, a slideshow, and a Q&A session" scheduled for both nights of the conference. Sounds like a killer weekend of esoterica and entertainment.

As long-time BoA readers may recall from my previous writings, the real thrill of an event like this is seeing the people in attendance. Despite how pervasive BoA has been on the national stage, I'm not a big socializer in the Massachusetts pararnormal scene. So there is a pretty rich community here in the Bay State that I have yet to explore and I'm really looking forward to meeting some of the regional talent that has done a great job of investigating our local mysteries. Hopefully, some of these meetings will bring about some new avenues for BoA to explore in 2008 and beyond.

Ticket Information :: Prior to this past week, the Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash made tickets available only via pre-order on the web, but now their site is saying that "a limited number of tickets will be sold at the door". Be forwarned that only 200 tickets, total, are available, so if you are planning on attending, you better act quick before there is no more room available. Tickets are a mere $25 per night, which makes this event emminently affordable for people want to attend, especially since most other conferences take place on the West coast and require a plethora of expenses.

All information on tickets & directions can be found @ the appropriate websites : Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash

Should you decide to make it to the big event and you see me, feel free to say hello. I'll be lurking somewhere in the building.

Coast Notes

Not much to report here, other than we'll be getting a full dose of Richard C. Hoagland on Tuesday (10.9) evening. Sir Hoags will be joined by Mike Barra and they will be talking about their forthcoming new book "Dark Mission : The Secret History of NASA". Despite all my misgivings about RCH, I'm looking forward to both this interview and his new book. When Hoagland is talking about Mars or NASA conspiracies, he is pure gold. It's when he gets into the yawn-inducing hyperdimensional theories or jumping on the bandwagon whatever esoterica's mystery du jour is, that's when I have a problem with him. Hoagland's been beating the NASA conpsiracy drum for a long time, so I expect some really solid material to be on the horizon and, thus, the Tuesday episode should be killer.

The other big note for the upcoming week is that Jim Sparks will be back on C2C on Thursday (10.11), after setting the esoteric world afire with his two previous appearances on Coast that straddled the beginning of 2007. Of course, those interviews were with Art Bell, not The Noor, so I'm not sure what to expect here. Sparks is a polarizing figure in contemporary Ufology and it will be interesting to see if this interview will cover new ground or end up as a rehash of the previous two strong showings from Sparks.

Pop Culture Thoughts / End Notes

My attention to the new Fall TV season was diverted this week, as baseball playoffs began. When there is a triple-header of big games on back-to-back days, I find it hard to get excited about the latest offerings of scripted programming and bad reality TV. That said, I'm nearly through with all the shows that I decided to sample so far this season. Next week, I expect to have a pretty thorough look at what I liked and what sucked.

Speaking of which, I assume that next week's binnall report will arrive sometime around Sunday (10.14) evening, since I will be very busy @ the Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash on Friday and Saturday night.

That about does it for this week's installment. Have an excellent week, my friends. I'll catch you on the flip side next weekend.

- TB

10.7.7 : Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash preview

2007-10-07T19:54:00.000-04:00

I am now 100% confirmed to be in attendance at the esoteric double-bill that is the Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash in nearby Watertown, Massachusetts, next weekend (October 12th & 13th). Having spoken with conference organizer, John Horrigan, I've been assured that BoA will be allowed nearly unfettered access to the event, allowing your humble correspondent some really cool behind the scenes insight into the festivities.

This second annual event is New England's largest paranormal conference. It's the perfect opportunity for the many esoteric enthusiasts in the area to convene, discuss the paranormal, and have some fun. Last year's version was a pretty big success and generated a ton of buzz, so I expect that this year's installment will be more of the same. From what I understand, tickets are still available, but are going fast, which is always a good sign.

Without any further superfluous discussion, let's take a look at some of the esoteric happenings scheduled for this jam packed weekend ...

Friday night's Mass UFO Show kicks off @ 7 PM and features an interesting crew of UFO researchers. For starters, former BoA : Audio guest Chris Styles will be discussing the famous Shag Harbour UFO case. Don Ledger will be talking about the "black triangle" phenomenon. Carl Feindt will be there to talk about the USO (Unidentified Submarine Objects) enigma, one of the UFO field's less discussed peripheral mysteries. Nancy Talbott will be covering the Crop Circle phenomenon. And, the event's host John Horrigan will be revealing, for the first time ever, his footage from the Roswell 50th anniversary, including what has been dubbed the "controversial press conference". The night will be co-hosted by Matt Moniz, who has been involved in a number of key UFO cases over the years.

I'm looking forward to meeting Chris Styles after talking to him, at length, on a number of occassions last Spring. All of the presentations sound interesting, but Carl Feindt's session on USOs piques my interest the most, since that phenomenon remains on the edge of most UFO discussion. It should be an enlightening evening all around.

Saturday night, beginning @ 6 PM, is the Mass Monster Mash, which is devoted to a mix of cryptozoology and ghostly type stuffs. The big draw is, of course, esoteric superstar Loren Coleman, who has done a ton of research on the various mysteries in New England and will be talking about the Dover Demon in what is billed as a "rare Boston appearance". Other presenters include Jeff Belanger, discussing poltergeists, Don Keating covering the Ohio Bigfoot, and Karen Mossey talking about EVPs.

Additionally, Tom D'Agostino, author of "Haunted Rhode Island", Kristyn Gartland, a member of the TAPS franchise from "Ghost Hunters" infamy, and Chris Pittman, Bridgewater Triangle expert, are also scheduled for appearances in roles billed as "Special Guests" for the Mass Monster Mash.

Another special guest will be my friend Christopher Balzano, of Massachusetts Paranormal Crossroads, who has three new books that are set to roll out starting in early 2008. He's also been waiting patiently for me to get him a copy of that After Dark article I wrote about our trip to the Bridgewater Triangle last April, so I can finally cross that off my "to do" list.

On top of all that, the esoteric radio show "Spooky Southcoast" will be broadcasting from the event throughout the weekend. I've heard a lot of good things about SS over the past few months, so it should be cool to hear their show and see them doing it in person. Along with the speakers and special guests, there will also be "a trivia contest, souvenirs, concessions, exhibits, a slideshow, and a Q&A session" scheduled for both nights of the conference. In total, it sounds like a killer weekend of esoterica and entertainment.

As long-time BoA readers may recall from my previous writings, the real thrill of an event like this is seeing the people in attendance. Despite how pervasive BoA has been on the national stage, I'm not a big socializer in the Massachusetts pararnormal scene. So there is a pretty rich community here in the Bay State that I have yet to explore and I'm really looking forward to meeting some of the regional talent that has done a great job of investigating our local mysteries. Hopefully, some of these meetings will bring about some new avenues for BoA to explore in 2008 and beyond.

Ticket Information :: Prior to this past week, the Mass UFO Show / Mass Monster Mash made tickets available only via pre-order on the web, but now their site is saying that "a limited number of tickets will be sold at the door". Be forwarned that only 200 tickets, total, are available, so if you are planning on attending, you better act quick before there is no more room available. Tickets are a mere $25 per night, which makes this event emminently affordable for people want to attend, especially since most other conferences take place on the West coast and require a plethora of expenses.

All information on tickets & directions can be found @ the appropriate websites : Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash

Should you decide to make it to the big event and you see me, feel free to say hello. I'll be lurking somewhere in the building.

9.29.7 : binnall report

2007-09-29T22:47:00.000-04:00

Rounding out the month of September, this is the binnall report. Kind of short one this week, hitting on BoA : Audio, Season III, Art Bell's one off guest host spot on Friday night, a mini-preview of the Mass Monster Mash / UFO Show coming up in a couple of weeks, and some Pop Culture Thoughts as well.

BoA : Audio, Season III ... 10.20.7

Not all that much to report on the BoA : Audio front as of now. We've taped another interview this past week ,one more will be taped this coming Monday, and hopefully we'll get three or four others down on tape before the Season III premiere on 10.20.7 with our special guest Jim Marrs. I'll refrain from naming names just yet, until we figure out the schedule for the first few weeks.

This is kind of a "hump week" while we are in the midst of production, so I don't have much tangible news to share with you. Things are percolating at a fairly decent clip. That said, I've gotten a lot of interesting guest suggestions and returning guest suggestions so far, so feel free to keep them coming.

Bell Returns Again

C2C founder and all around demigod, Art Bell, returned from his quasi-retirement for a guest hosting shot on Coast this past Friday night (9.29). As expected, it was quite a lot of fun. Right from the beginning, things had that familiar feel to them. Art has a way of melding his introduction with the C2C theme music and dragging that mix out for so long that it just becomes awesome. For that brief moment, all is right with the world.

Bell started things off with perhaps the C2C line of the year as he said he wanted to answer the question that everyone was asking. Then he announced that he missed radio and was coming back to host five time a week. A beat skipped. And then he laughed, because ... it was a joke. The sad part of it is that the humor was derived from how many C2C listeners and die hard Bell heads surely lost their shit when they heard him say that, only to be disappointed that he was jesting.

It was on that sly note that the night began. The first hour was really good. Bell went through the usual hoops, updating us on his new kid and wife, giving his take on the news and fielding calls from the fandom. It felt like old times again and was a night of sheer bliss for lovers of nostalgia, especially as those old bumper music gems were busted out.

The highlight of the hour had to be the call from "JC". He was ranting and raving about Senator Craig, which should tell how long it has been since JC has graced C2C. JC hilariously included Noory in some kind of homosexual mafia that was framing Sen. Craig. It was outstanding. He also brought up "food porn" again and went after Rachel Ray, of all people. Gotta love the Rachel Ray reference. Art ended up hanging up on him when he endorsed Lima beans. Seriously. It was wackiness done right.

The guest was Graham Hancock, who was decent, albeit a tad dry. I listened half-heartedly while in a chat with some friends. Some of Graham's stuff was pretty wild and he is still endorsing ayuahasca and talking about that realm of esoterica. There was some nice historical stuff at the beginning of the interview, as well, when they re-hashed "Fingerprints of the Gods". Bell was, obviously, excellent throughout the interview, interjecting at the right points and keeping a loose reign on the evening which allowed for some nice flow.

While Hancock was pretty entertaining and some interesting insights, the true star of the evening was Bell. Along the lines of how I waxed nostalgic last week, a full unfettered Open Lines would have been excellent. I suppose we'll have to wait until Halloween for that, though.

Mass UFO Show / Monster Mash ... 10.12 & 10.13

At this point, I am about 75% sure that I will be attending this esoteric double bill in a couple of weeks in nearby Watertown, MA, which is a stone's throw from BoA headquarters. The UFO show, obviously, features UFO related speakers and discussion while the Mass Monster Mash focuses on cryptozoology, which has a surprisingly rich heritage in Massachusetts. Both nights look to be pretty well put together and should be a lot of fun. Info on it all can be found either at @ Mass UFO Show or @ Mass Monster Mash.

I'll probably do a proper preview next week as we get closer to the festivities. Suffice it to say that the two day affair ought to be a nice mix of a few strong names from the national scene alongside a plethora of regional esoteric talent. Having only really met a few of the local New England folks who delve into the esoteric arts, like the ultra cool Chris Balzano, I'm looking forward to seeing what the people in attendance will be like.

I expect to tape a few soundbites and short cuts over the weekend for use in a future BoA : Audio episode. And, much like last year's CRC IV special, I'm sure that there will be connections made for future BoA interviews down the line later in Season III.

So if you are from the New England area, this is one of, if not the only, big esoteric weekend of the year and you ought to try and check it out. As noted, I'll have a more in-depth preview next week, once my attendance is assured.

End Notes and Pop Culture Thoughts

Despite my claims last week, no Fall TV thoughts just yet. I've only watched a few of the new shows and don't have enough to say about them just yet. I've still got to see the Tivo'd pilots of "Chuck", "Reaper", and "Journeyman". Plus, "Cavemen" and "Pushing Daisies" haven't premiered yet either. So, we're kind of in the hump week of the Fall TV season as well. I've already given up on one show : "Kid Nation", but I'll say more about that next week.

A slight follow up on the BoA : Audio, Baseball Special predictions. Attentive listeners may recall that my preseason pick was, aside from the obvious Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, who made the playoffs alongside the Sox this past Friday. I can't recall exactly who Greg Bishop and Adam Gorightly picked, but I do recall that Paul Kimball picked the Detroit Tigers, who did not make the playoffs. Sorry, Paul. I'll go back and dig into the episode again and find out who the other guys picked and try and update that next week as well.

That's about it, so we'll call it a night here. Have a nice week, my friends.
- TB

9.23.7 : binnall report

2007-09-23T17:29:00.000-04:00

Ah, yes, I have already abandoned "binnall thoughts" in favor of returning to the classic name "binnall report". We just have too large an archive of "tbr" to switch over to a whole new name for essentially the same column.

A little of this and a little of that in this week's column. I'll start rolling out some serious info on BoA : Audio : Season III, we'll talk about Jaques Vallee finally showing up on C2C, Art Bell returning to guest host Coast, and my various Pop Culture thoughts for the week just past.

BoA : Audio, Season III is coming

To be more precise, BoA : Audio, Season III will be premiering on 10.20.7, a little less than a month from today. I'm happy to report that our season premiere guest will be, as always, the venerable Jim Marrs. Of course, I'll have a full preview of the interview as we get closer to the premiere, but the gist of it a lengthy discussion on the re-issue of Jim's book "Psi Spies", which details the US Army's remote viewing program. Along with that, we'll find out Jim's thoughts on the past year in Ufology and 911 research and where both fields seem to be heading.

I've already taped another interview and have several waiting to be scheduled. We're hopeful to have the bulk of 2007's interviews taped before the premiere episode, which should make it easier to produce the show this season. Also, the official logo for Season III will be unveiled sometime around the beginning of October.

Along the lines of guests, I am pulling out a call to any hardcore BoA : Audio listeners to chime in now with your request for returning BoA : Audio guests. We've featured around 50 different esoteric minds on the show, ranging from up-and-comers to bonafide legends. But the question is, who do you to see back on BoA : Audio ? Drop me a line and let me know, as we fine tune the guest list for Season III.

So ... 10.20.2007 ... BoA : Audio, Season III begins with Jim Marrs talking about Psi Spies.

I Want My Jaques Vallee

There was enormous buzz all last week over the re-emergence of Jaques Valle on the esoteric scene with his appearance on Coast to Coast on Monday night. Many websites, that normally gloss over C2C's fare, made a special point of posting news of this big interview. Kudos to C2C for, finally getting some positive buzz out of the hardcore esoteric community. After a Summer that included a disappointing Roswell episode, the infamous Ouija Board debacle, Art Bell "retiring", and six Jerome Corsi appearances, this was a welcome change of pace.

Of course, it wouldn't be C2C without them putting their unique "spin" on the evening, as Vallee was only the solo guest for the first hour of the interview and then was joined by Paul Smith for the rest of the night. The bulk of the discussion with both guests centered around Remote Viewing, so the much anticipated "Vallee on Ufology" topic was tragically cut short. I can't blame Coast for this one, though, as I suspect that Smith probably played a hand in getting Vallee on the show and it does appear that Vallee is more interested in RV than UFOs nowadays.

Regardless of that, the night was so good that my only real quibble lies in the fact that Vallee sounded so much like Dr. Louis Turi that it was distracting. Obviously, we must blame Louis Turi for this. Somewhere in the last 10 years, during Vallee's self imposed Ufological exile, Turi swooped into the "plucky Frenchman" gimmick in esoterica. It's disgraceful and I demand that Turi drop the French accent if Vallee plans on staying in esoterica and doing interviews again.

That first hour was radio majic and Noory did a fine job during the interview, to the point that I can't think of any Noory blunders to poke fun at him about. The rest of the night was also quite good. Vallee had a unique air about him, in that everything he said carried a lot of weight. C2C media whores Richard C. Hoagland and Jerome Corsi could learn a thing or two from the near hysteria that Vallee's appearance caused.

I'm not sure what came out of the interview, regarding Vallee's retirement situation (i.e if it is coming to an end or not). Let's hope that he decides to stick around for a while. The esoteric media has changed and there are many places that would like to have a good chin wag with the esoteric icon.

Bell Returns ... Again

Okay ... who had "99 days" as their pick in the Art Bell Un-Retiring Pool ?

That's right, the mysterious and reassuring creator of C2C, Art Bell will be back from his self-imposed exile on Friday night (9.28) as he guest hosts for The Noor and interviews Graham Hancock. I'm not sure what caused this impromptu guest host appearance for Bell, though the 4th Friday of every month is Ian Punnett's "Mr. Belvedere Fan Club" meeting. Anything that bumps out Noory-hosted Friday night Open Lines is alright by me.

Hopefully this news of Bell's guest hosting spot will help to settle down some of the fervor that his surprising re-re-re-retirement caused in early July. I'm just wondering how many of the guests that Coast trotted out for the "Art Bell Tribute" feel just a wee bit silly, since he will manage to host yet another episode less than 100 days since the tribute. I know I'd be pissed if I worked at Premiere and chipped in $5 for a "Thanks for the Memories" ice cream cake.

Don't get all excited that Bell will be hosting C2C on any kind of regular basis, though. For starters, George Knapp just announced last weekend that he'd be hosting Coast every 3rd Sunday of the month and I wouldn't be surprised if Rollye James is penciled in for some kind of similar deal. With the folding of "Ian" and the creation of "Time Fishing with Art Bell" (or whatever they are calling that archive show), it's highly doubtful that C2C would undergo the logistical nightmare of Bell coming back to do weekends as he did for the past few years. I suspect the earliest we'll see him after Friday will be in late October for Ghost to Ghost.

Be that as it may, mark down the return of Bell as yet another step forward by the critically challenged C2C. First they manage to convince Vallee to appear and then they bring Bell back for a one night shot. Could we be seeing a turnaround @ C2C ? Stay tuned.

End Notes & Pop Culture Thoughts

Next week, I'll preview the Mass Monster Mash, which I hope to be attending in early October. I'll also talk a bit about what I like so far during this new Fall TV season, including the return of Heroes and the debut of Kid Nation. Plus, we'll discuss Art Bell's C2C return. And, of course, other esoteric hijinks.

A look @ my scorecard from last week's Emmy picks ... 2 out of 13. Ouch. I really should get credit for two more, since I wanted to pick Katherine Heigel, but instead picked "don't care". Also, Lost's Terry O'Quinn winning was really close to my pick of Lost's Michael Emerson. So let's call it 4 out of 13, with an asterik.

One prediction that I did make that panned out was the victory by Evel Dick on Big Brother 8. My favorite characters always get eliminated between 5th and 3rd on these shows, so finally seeing my favorite win was entertaining as hell. Congrats to Evel Dick for winning and putting on a hell of a show all Summer.

Quickly now, my pick for Survivor : China is the gay flight attendant or the NYC waitress (if she can get her act together). There, we have it on the record.

Till next week.
TB

9.21.7 : Returning Guest Requests

2007-09-21T23:49:00.000-04:00

Simple question ...

The plan was to bring a few of the guests from the previous seasons back for Season III. Right now, though, I'm kind of back-logged with new folks, so I haven't started talking to previous guests about making a return appearance.

Before I start making calls and sending out feelers, I figured I'd throw it out to the listeners first and maybe they would give me a good indication of who they'd like to see back on the show.

So, either e-mail me (tbinnall@hotmail.com) your requests for return guests or just post 'em in the comments section below.

Thanks.

Details on the Season III premiere will be revealed on Sunday in the binnall report.

9.18.7 : ARN's binnallathon & Blue Rose Report binnall appearance

2007-09-18T23:36:00.000-04:00

Beginning @ 12 midnight tonight and going until 8 PM tomorrow evening, the Anomaly Radio Network will be running a nearly 20 hour binnallathon. This thirteen episode mix was hand-picked by binnall, himself, to provide a nice sampling of what the BoA : Audio archive has to offer, as classic episodes of BoA : Audio will be joining the line-up @ the ARN.

The featured episodes in the binnallathon will be run in the following order :: BoA : Audio's first ever episode with Stanton Friedman @ the 2005 X-Conference, BoA : Audio, Season One episodes featuring Jim Marrs, Peter Robbins, Colm Kelleher, Loren Coleman, Andre Eggelletion, and Gary McKinnon. Following that will be six more episodes, these ones being culled from our Season Two archive, featuring Scott Corrales, Peter Davenport, Stanton Friedman (x-mas special), Tony Healy, Chris Styles, and Brad Steiger.

At the conclusion of the binnallathon, the Blue Rose Report will welcome binnall as their special guest to discuss the upcoming premiere of BoA : Audio, Season III, the world of esoterica and esoteric radio, and all sorts of other hijinks.

The interview will be LIVE from 8 PM to 9 PM (ET) Wednesday evening. It can be heard @ Blue Rose Report or Anomaly Radio Network. We will also be talking callers during the hour. Those interested in chiming in can call (347) 996-3510 between 8 and 9 PM (ET).

So ... Wednesday, from midnight to 8 PM (ET), the 20 hour binnallathon is on the Anomaly Radio Network.

Then ... Wednesday, from 8 to 9 PM (ET), binnall joins the Blue Rose Report for an interview.

So tune in for a massive dose of BoA : Audio goodness as the we kick off the hype for the premiere of BoA : Audio, Season III.

9.15.7 : binnall thoughts

2007-09-15T14:56:00.000-04:00

Wow, three straight weeks of "binnall thoughts". Me thinks we are getting back on track, finally. In this week's missive, I announce both another binnall interview appearance and a new collaboration for BoA. I'll tease you with more information about the upcoming BoA : Audio, Season III. Coast to Coast AM will get some face time as I preview what, on paper, looks to be one of the strongest C2C weeks in recent memory. Rounding it all out, I unveil my Emmy Award picks for tomorrow night's ceremonies.

binnall speaks ... again

Mark your calendars, my friends, as I will be appearing on the Blue Rose Report podcast this coming Wednesday evening (9.19) from 8 to 9 PM (ET). Host Stephen Miles Lewis and I will be discussing the upcoming return of BoA : Audio, the world of esoterica, and all sorts of other hijinks.

The interview will also serve as the kick off to a new collaborative relationship between BoA and the Anomaly Radio Network, which will see classic BoA : Audio episodes joining the line-up of shows on the ARN. That's right, every Wednsday from 3 to 6 PM, BoA : Audio episodes from Season One and Two will be aired on the ARN. I'm very excited to be potentially reaching a whole new segment of the esoteric radio audience and I'm looking forward to hearing from the ARN listeners who will be discovering BoA : Audio for the first time.

I've had a lot of different online esoteric radio networks approach BoA about syndicating the audio show, but I have been leery about working with anyone until now. Positive kudos for the ARN from both Greg Bishop and Adam Gorightly helped assuage any fears I had about granting re-broadcast rights to a third party. Couple that with a lenghty discussion with ARN founder Stephen Miles Lewis, the decision to go ahead with this new flank of the BoA : Audio empire became an easy one.

Having talked with Stephen in the past few weeks, I can see that he is cut from the same cloth as many of my friends in esoterica. He's a straight up dude with an earnest interest in the esoteric. Since the BoA : Audio archive is just sitting there, already being enjoyed by people who have discovered the show, it only made sense to start farming the program out, so that we can reach more people who haven't yet heard of us yet.

So ... Wednesday, 9.19.7 @ 8 PM (ET) ... binnall is on Blue Rose Report.

And ... every Wednesday from 3 PM to 6 PM, classic BoA : Audio episodes will be airing on the Anomaly Radio Network.

As a bombastic way of launching this historic coalition, the Anomalist Radio Network will be airing a BoA : Audio marathon, featuring some of my favorite episodes from the past two seasons. Details on the marathon to be announced shortly.

BoA : Audio, Season III is Coming

The wheels are in motion as I speak. I've got a couple of interviews already scheduled to be taped this coming week, a few more are in the midst of being scheduled,and feelers are out to still more folks who will most likely be joining the guest line-up for Season III. The official logo should be unveiled soon and I expect to announced a premiere date either during my Blue Rose Report interview or in this column next week.

Sometime before the premiere, we ought to have a few teaser previews up and running @ BoA to give you a taste of what is to come when Season III kicks off.

From here on out, BoA : Audio, Season III news ought to be coming at you on a pretty steady clip.

C2C's Best Week Ever

Okay, maybe not "ever" but it may turn out to be pretty damn close. After kvetching all Summer about C2C or just outright ignoring it, I can't help but heap high praise on the line-up they unveiled for this coming week.

To kick things off, on Sunday they have George Knapp guest hosting the program with guest Joseph Farrell. For starters, I had the pleasure of meeting up with BoA legend Joe Vee this past week and he was practically gushing like a schoolgirl over George Knapp, which is the most positive he's been about C2C in months (if not years). Secondly, guest Joseph Farrell comes with a high recommendation from BoA's own Lesley, who endorsed Farrell for last year's 12 Guests C2C Needs. So you've got the combination of a high potency guest host with a critically acclaimed guest, all the makings for a stellar evening.

Monday sees what has the makings of an all-time classic interview, as the reclusive Jaques Vallee comes out of hiding to appear on C2C. The Noor (and just about every other esoteric show on the planet) has been trying to get Vallee ever since he "retired" from Ufology and stopped doing interviews. Personally, this is probably the most stoked I've been for a C2C episode featuring a pure esoteric guest in quite some time. I am slightly worried that The Noor could somehow fuck this all up, but I'm praying that he will just ask the questions and get the hell out of the way so that Vallee can disperse some wisdom. Before start preparing The Noor effigy, lets not forget the C2C appearances of Zecharia Sitchen, who came across more as a bitter old man than some kind of genius. This episode really could only go two ways : best episode of the year material or fundamentally bad disappointment. Either way, it will be a fun ride.

Tuesday, Marie D. Jones & John Savino talk about "Supervolcano". Marie Jones is, perhaps, subject for subject, the top woman in the field of esoterica today. Her co-author is also her father, which should be interesting. And the subject matter is a nice mix of high strangeness and real science. Another strong looking episode.

Wednesday is your usual wildcard Wednesday, TBA. The addition of another A-list esoteric name would probably push this week to the upper echelons of all-time C2C weeks. The week wraps up with Thursday's appearance of Philip Carlo discussing serial killers. Carlo, you may remember, "called out" all serial killers in his last appearance on C2C. He also has a penchant for drifting into foul language when he starts ranting about criminals. His antics are beyond entertaining, bordering on the sublime.

If ever there was a week to break me out of my C2C slump, this may be it.

binnall's Emmy Award Picks

These are really who I want to win, not who I think will win. It seems like it's always the asshats who win and my favorites get shafted.

The full list of nominees can be found HERE.

My picks ...

Best Drama : Heroes

Best Comedy : The Office

Best Actor (Drama) : Hugh Laurie, "House"

Best Actor (Comedy) : Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

Best Actress (Drama) : Mariska Hargitay, "Law & Order, SVU"

Best Actress (Comedy) : Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

Best Supporting Actor (Drama) : Michael Emerson, "Lost"

Best Supporting Actor (Comedy) : Rainn Wilson, "The Office"

Best Supporting Actress (Drama) : Don't care.

Best Supporting Actress (Comedy) : Jaime Pressly, "My Name is Earl"

Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series : The Daily Show

Best Reality Show (Competitive) : "Project Runway"

Best Reality Show : "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List"

Check back next week in the End Notes, when I tally my score of picks.

End Notes

Not much else to say this week, really. Congrats to Evel Dick, who made it to the final two of Big Brother 8 this past week. I've watched tons of reality shows in the last seven years and can probably count one one hand the number of times my favorite contestant made it to the final. It's a gratifying feeling.

Next week, more BoA : Audio, Season III news, my thoughts on whatever C2C episodes I manage to catch, and some other fun stuff, I'm sure.

Have an excellent week.

9.8.7 : binnall thoughts

2007-09-08T16:14:00.001-04:00

Just some quick hits and stuff for the week, talking about my upcoming After Dark article, pre-season hype for BoA : Audio, Season III, next weekend's X-Conference, C2C not having a 911 special, and my Summer obsession that is Big Brother.

binnall's Oak Island adventure coming to "After Dark"

I'm happy to report that the final draft of my "After Dark" article on Oak Island has been finished and sent off to the "powers that be" @ C2C. Despite being much harder than I expected it to be, this piece turned out to be one of the better articles that I have written. It really tries to break through the cookie cutter Oak Island stories and aims to include some new details that haven't been reported elsewhere yet. I suspect that I will get the final sign off on the article sometime early next week and then will know what issue it is in and all that good stuff.

BoA : Audio, Season III update

Starting next week, I'll be sending out the requests for the first batch of BoA : Audio, Season III guests and will truly get the ball rolling on the new season. Probably in about two weeks, I'm hoping to be able to unveil the official logo, some guest names, and a premiere date.

Season III will probably feature a fair amount of returning guests from the previous two seasons. I tried to avoid having return guests for Season Two, which now gives us a pretty big pool of potential folks to have back on the program. I'm looking forward to digging into my rolodex and cherry picking some of my favorite guests for a second go-around in Season III.

Of course, we will have a lot of new folks on the program this season as well. I'm trying to track down some fairly obscure names, along with making a renewed effort in locking some of the people I wanted to interview last year, but proved too elusive.

Overall, I'm looking forward to getting my interview chops back and seeing how Season III evolves. Hope you check it out and enjoy the upcoming new material.

X-Conference III

The third X-Conference is next weekend in Washington, D.C. and, sadly, I will not be attending. I don't have the financial means to make that kind of trip right now and the whole September date for the conference really snuck up on me. I know that they have already scheduled X-Conference IV for April of 2008, so I'm hoping to attend that one instead.

I know that Paul Kimball will be there to present "Best Evidence" and I'm sure he'll have a great time rubbing elbows with the Exopols, lol.

The speaker line-up looks pretty sweet and does make me ornery that I am not going to be there. J. Antonio Huneeus and Gildas Bourdais both sound fascinating and are people I'd like to snag for BoA : Audio, considering our penchant for international Ufology. Daniel Sheehan should also be a great presentation, as will Jaime Maussan, regardless of what you think of his work, he is a great presenter.

If you are able to attend, I give the X-Conference my highest recommendation. It's a great chance to meet some of the big movers and shakers in Ufology, without having to fly all the way across the country for one of the big West coast conferences.

No C2C 911 Special

Color me surprised that Coast to Coast AM decided not to have a special episode, nor any significant coverage, of the 911 6th anniversary this coming Tuesday. Instead, they will feature Dr. Jaysen Q. Rand to talk about Planet X. Meh. I presume the reasoning for the lack of 911 coverage is that "it will be all over the news that day", but that doesn't quite hold water for me. 911, for better or worse, is a huge part of the fabric of contemporary esoterica.

One would think that after last year's critically acclaimed 911 Anniversary Special that C2C would go out of their way to try and capture lightening in a bottle once again. Instead, there will be nary a word about 911 on Tuesday, save for perhaps a 1st hour pop-in or some words from Noory at the start of the program. All this is, of course, hugely ironic as C2C continues to delve further and further in mainstream news and endlessly sounds the terror alarm whenever they can.

Anyway, jeers from me on this decision, although I am a fan of C2C cutting back on the theme episodes.

My Summer Obsession

And, finally, we close out this week with thoughts on what has been my Summer obsession : CBS's reality show Big Brother. I discovered this twisted gem last year and enjoyed it quite a bit (thanks mostly to Dr.Will and Chicken George). This year's installment sucked me in right away. What I really like about the show is that it is ongoing all Summer and you can follow along, live, with what the "hamsters" are doing in the BB house every day. While I don't have the infamously addictive "live feeds", I do follow the major websites that track the BB goings-on and have really enjoyed the 3 hour live feed program that is on every night on Showtime Too. It has been fascinating to see what really goes on inside the BB house and comparing it to how CBS edits the thrice a week prime time show.

Thankfully, though, this year's installment is winding down, they are at the final four contestants this weekend and I can finally start to get my life back. For me, the show kind of peaked on Thursday when there was a double eviction (taking it from six to four people left) which served as the "final battle" between my favorite houseguest "Evel" Dick and my other favorite Eric "America's Player". While both of them said some pretty vile things at times, they were far and away the two most entertaining people inside the house.

Now, only Evel Dick remains of the contestants that I really dig. His daughter is also still in the house, but I find her beyond obnoxious, despite being a fierce competitor. I can only hope that Dick can keep it together for the next few days, win the necessary competitions, and ultimately win the big prize. Best of luck to Evel Dick.

End Notes

I think, for now, we'll stick to the "binnall thoughts" as my primary weekly vehicle for getting information out and pontificating on the world at large. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with BoA throughout a very long and difficult Summer. Hopefully your Summer was better than mine and, collectively, we'll all have a great Autumn.

Until next week, this is binnall ... signing off.

9.1.7 : binnall thoughts

2007-09-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

Just a little update for y'all, since it's been pretty quiet @ BoA for the past month or so, save for the great contributions of our top notch staff. I wouldn't necessarily call this the binnall report, so we'll just roll with "binnall thoughts".

I'm still working on the After Dark piece on my trip to Oak Island, Nova Scotia. I'd say that it is in the final stages and should be finished by the end of the weekend. That's been taking up a lot of my time for the past couple of weeks, especially since the whole Canada trip kind of knocked me for a loop.

Once the article is wrapped up, I can really kick it into high gear for the upcoming BoA : Audio season. I expect that in the next two weeks, we'll start rolling out some info on the upcoming season. It is all very much still on-paper, but I'm confident that once we start production, things will develop fast.

I haven't heard much C2C at all lately, which seems to encompass most of this Summer. I missed the Richard Dolan episode from 8.26, but I'm hoping to listen to the MP3s of it soon. That sounds like one of the better shows of the Summer.

Also, I see that Brad Steiger will be on C2C on 9.4, which should be a killer episode. I'm interested in hearing what he has to say about "Shadow World", as there is quite a buzz about the book right now. I enjoyed the BoA : Audio interview with Brad so much that I wouldn't be surprised to see him back on the show at some point during Season III.

As I noted in the beginning of this little missive, the BoA staff has been tremendous all Summer in providing material for the site. I'll confess to being more than a bit melancholy for the last three months or so. With a few notable exceptions, the Summer of 2007 has been terrible for me. While the initial shock and sorrow of my father's passing has subsided, there is still a lingering feeling of waywardness that I've have, so far, had a very hard time shaking.

I hasten to really call it "depression" as I am not crying or sad per se, more just apathetic about a lot of things. And although we knew my father was very sick and would pass on at some point in the not too distant future, getting used to the fact that it has happened and adjusting to this new world has not been easy. I've also found that I am spending a lot more time with family now than I did earlier this year, which has been nice but also has changed the way I manage my time and thus has thrown my schedule completely out of whack.

In other matters, I will soon be looking for a "real job" (ugh). I had left my previous gig last July to help take care of my dad and now it is time for me to re-enter the workforce. My funds have begun to dwindle and being alone here all the time is not helping me work through things, so I am looking forward to being gainfully employed again. Even though I will enjoy working again, actually finding a decent gig that I enjoy and that pays well will be a hassle, in and of itself, which just adds to the annoyance and stress that has clouded over me since May.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. Labor Day weekend signifies the end of Summer and, as such, I'm hoping that it will also signify the end of this long and painful season in my life. I feel terrible that my usual level of production @ BoA has suffered so much these past few months, but I will be doing my best to see that September marks the turnaround on that front. It must be noted that if it wasn't for Lesley, Khyron, Regan, and Tina, we'd have very little of merit to post at the site this Summer, so I owe them a huge thanks for carrying BoA through this difficult period.

I have expected things to return to normal for a while now, so I won't make any promises regarding that, since normalcy seems rather elusive. I'm sure that as I get my sea legs back and a second wind envelops me, BoA will continue to grow and evolve. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

8.19.7 : Kimball / Binnall Summit post-script.

2007-08-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

Kimball, Zorgrot, and binnall discuss esoterica, world affairs, and beer.

Ahoy hoy ! I have returned from Canada. Big thanks to Paul Kimball, and his great friends, for their tremendous hospitality and friendship during my journey to the Great White North. Paul put up with my antics for nearly 6 days, which may qualify him for sainthood, and his posse members Annie Briggs and Graham Simms proved to be first class people who were a joy to have as part of the experience.

I am happy to report that the Kimball / Binnall Summit was a tremendous success. Unlike the infamous Agra Summit, this meeting of the minds produced quite a few insightful conversations, raucous laughs, enlightening moments, and overall good times. It is far too early to tell the longterm effects this Summit will have on the world of esoterica, but insiders are predicting that it could, indeed, be looked back on as a watershed moment.

The details of my Oak Island exploration will be chronicled in an upcoming edition of C2C's After Dark magazine, due out sometime in the Fall. Until I get the draft of that done and determine the picture situation (with regards to Oak Island specific pics), I will hold off on that material. I expect to find out what can be released sometime this week.

You can get a good taste of the esoteric festivites @ Oak Island from this past weekend over @ Paul's blog, where he posted some clips of the interviews that he and Graham Simms conducted after the conference. Those clips can be found HERE

Paul also posted some fun clips, involving yours truly, @ his blog, which can be found HERE

Here are a handful of the more personal and off-kilter pics of the weekend ...

binnall mystifies Graham Simms as Paul Kimball studies his camera.

binnall and Annie Briggs mug for the camera.

binnall and his pirate friend.

Annie on an ancient merry-go-roud on Oak Island.

The campsite.

Kimball up to no good @ camp.

8.3.7 : binnall report preview

2007-08-03T18:32:00.000-04:00

This week's binnall report will be posted this weekend, I swear. I know, I know, the review has gotten painfully delayed and I'm annoyed and embarassed that it has taken so long, but I'm confident that we'll be on the right track soon. At this point the column is about 70% done. I decided to go back and re-listen to the C2C Ouija episode, since it has been a while and I wanted to give it a fresh look.

Anyway, here's what we'll be covering ...

C2C's Ouija Board Debacle :: A comprehensive look @ the much talked about C2C "special", including the hype leading up to it, the scant good parts about the episode, a detailed hour-by-hour rundown of the special, discussing all the stuff that pissed me off about the show. And, big picture thoughts on the episode and why it was such a disaster.

binnall / Kimball Summit will Happen :: More details on next weekend's monumental binnall / Kimball Summit, which will see me heading up to Canada for an esoteric road trip.

Other Esoteric Stuffs :: Random musings on the world of the paranormal.

8.2.7 : The Kimball / Binnall Summit will happen.

2007-08-02T16:22:00.000-04:00

Our respective handlers and flunkies have finished ironing out the details.

On August 10th, 2007, esoterica's clown prince, binnall, will journey to Canada to meet up with Canada's Ufological merry prankster, Paul Kimball.

It will be ...

An epic meeting of the esoteric minds.

A lengthy road trip of paranormal proportions.

A special BoA international investigation of a classic esoteric case.

A festivus that includes a pirate themed dance. (seriously)

All that and more is on the drawing board for the impending BoA / Kimball of Canada summit.

Here's Kimball with more information :

The world of esoteric and paranormal research and punditry will never be the same after next week's first ever "Kimbinnall Summit" between yours truly and Binnall of America kingpin Tim Binnall.

Tim arrives in the Great White North next Thursday. I'll be picking him up in Prince Edward Island, and bringing him back to Halifax for a weekend of hanging out at Oak Island, where we'll be attending - and I'll be filming - Explore Oak Island Days for a documentary project I'm developing. I think Tim will also be conducting some interviews for a future BoA episode. We'll be camping out near Oak Island with my crew, and drinking good old Canadian beer.

After the Oak Island festivities, I'll be taking Tim back to PEI and hanging out with him for a day or two in his summer retreat there, where we'll come up with all sorts of schemes... and drink more good Canadian beer.

The countdown has begun!

There you go, folks.

I'll be heading up to Canada for more BoA international esoterica @ Explore Oak Island Days.

Kimball and I will be engaged in a lengthy esoteric road trip (in Canada, no less), where we can only hope to either spot a UFO or hit Bigfoot with his car.

To top it all off, there's even something called a "Pirate's Brannigan", which is like a pirate themed dance. Arrrgh. I'll be on the look out for a rum soaked wench, no doubt.

No updates @ BoA from 8.9 to 8.13 (at least), but hopefully we can get it going again after that, provided Canada has the Internet (which I think it does).

7.29.7 : quasi binnall report

2007-07-29T23:46:00.000-04:00

As I've been saying since this bizarre Summer began, the binnall report will be evolving quite a bit in the weeks and months to come. I've noticed that the addition of more lengthy "rants" at the beginning, instead of the "classic" style of just lumping them into 'The Week That Was', was taking a lot of time and pushing the deadline of the column further and further into the weekend.

It all came to a head this weekend when I was forced to cover the C2C Ouija Board "Special". Ugh. This thing was such a debacle of epic proportions that to truly distill the awfulness into text is a daunting task. Try as I might, I kept putting off writing the review, perhaps in hopes that the episode would age better over the weekend. It didn't.

So ... I'll get around to finishing up my blistering review of that sad night of C2C sometime on Monday evening (or so). The Great UFO Debate II preview will be posted sometime on Wednesday before the episode airs. The weekly C2C review and preview is going to be posted now, because it is getting painfully dated as it sits here, waiting for me to stop covering my eyes at the abortion that was the Ouija Board Special.

We're riding along on one spare tire this week folks, but we're still riding ...

The Week That Was

Aside from the Ouija debacle, the only other C2C show I bothered to listen to was the Sunday night show, featuring guest host Rollye James interviewing James Long about NDEs. I found Rollye to be a nice change of pace from the usual hosting fare we get from Coast. Apparently she's guest hosted before, because she mentioned it a few times during the show. She gets kudos from me for mentioning the C2C episode with Art Bell and the blind woman who had an NDE, which is one of my favorite episodes. The interview was good, as Rollye seemed to know the NDE subject pretty well. I'll endorse a follow up guest hosting appearance for her.

Of the episodes I didn't hear, I heard good things about last Saturday's Ian episode with Coleen Rowley, Michael German and Ray McGovern discussing the intelligence community. Also, Monday's interview with Konstantinos was said to be pretty good as well. It should be noted that this episode also featured a 1st hour pop-in from George Takei, leaving me to wonder which Star Trek cast members haven't been on C2C yet. (Shatner, I'd presume has not. Nimoy probably has.)

Other shows that filled out the week were Richard Moody Jr. on Tuesday to talk about earthquakes (no buzz on this one) and Sean David Morton (ugh) on Thursday to make "predictions" and pat himself on the back (with help from Noory).

Linda Moulton Howe and Open Lines were Friday and, on Saturday, Ian had Todd Standing on to discuss Bigfoot, in what was probably a pretty good episode.

The Week That Is

One other really good episode on tap for next week is Sunday night's show, which will be George Knapp interviewing John Lear. I expect this to be one of the better episodes of month, especially since with Knapp at the helm, it's unlikely that C2C can find a way to screw this up. Last year, Knapp hosted two of the best episodes of the year, so I suspect more of the same when he interviews John Lear tonight.

Monday sees Noory interviewing Dr. Charles Grob and Dr. Marilyn Schiltz about hallucinogenic substances. Could be good or boring as hell. Tuesday's guest is Lynn Marzulli discussing UFOs and the Bible. I'm sure Joe Vee is looking forward to that one. Wednesday is the Great UFO Debate II (sure to be excellent), Thursday is TBA (I'm predicting Ed Dames), and Friday is Open Lines.

Sunday and Wednesday are the keepers for the week, hands down.

Coming on Monday ...

C2C's Ouija Board Bait and Switch ... what little was good about it and all the stuff that was bad.

7.20.7 : binnall report preview

2007-07-20T23:30:00.000-04:00

This week's binnall report will be posted tomorrow. I'm about 75% done with it, but want to be sure to give a good once over in the afternoon on Saturday before we put it up.

Here's a little preview of what we'll be talking about tomorrow ...

C2C's Art Bell Tribute Review :: The strong parts and negative parts of the festivus celebrating the creator of C2C. Which two guests "got it", which guest provided the most cringe worthy moment, the episodes unequivocal lowlight, thoughts on the "special topic line", the pacing of the three hours, and overall thoughts on where the episode sits in the pantheon of this year's shows.

C2C's Atomic Ouija Episode Preview :: A preview of the upcoming Coast to Coast AM "Ouija Board Experiment". The guest lineup, my confusion over what will be happening during the episode, two potential ways the show could play out, the esoteric backlash against the Ouija experiment episode and why we shouldn't just laugh at it, and the potential problems as a result of the episode.

Other C2C Stuffs :: A look @ the past week's shows (that I missed), a preview of next week's shows, and a look at the new C2C nostalgia spin off "Art Bell : Somewhere in Time".

End Notes :: Plugs for upcoming BoA material, maybe a preview for next week, and other stuff.

7.16.7 : Larry King's UFO Special

2007-07-16T01:12:00.001-04:00

The Larry King portion of this week's binnall report ...

If you missed it, Larry King had his once-every-three-years UFO special on Friday night. LK featured a bevy of esoteric talking heads, including Stan Friedman, Jesse Marcel Jr., James Fox, Michael Shermer, Buzz Aldrin, Fife Symington, and, drumroll please, George "The Noor" Noory. You can find a transcript of the festivus HERE. Be forewarned that the transcript is awful and riddled with quotes being attributed to "Unidentified Male", which is actually indicative of the episode, itself, as it was a total clusterfuck, full of crosstalk, especially after esoterica's resident douche bag Michael Shermer showed up.

Running through stuff I saw that stood out to me ... Friedman, Marcel Jr., and Julie Shuster, on location in Roswell, kicked off the show to talk about Roswell. I want to hope and believe that Shuster's placement was a decision on the part of the program, and not her, as she was seated in front of a prop alien being lit by a strobe light (seriously). Wow. Way to denigrate Walter Haut's deathbed confession. Whoever thought that alien prop was a good idea for a background piece ought to be swiftly kicked in the grundel.

Also, Larry couldn't seem to get his act together with the cameramen, as he'd hold up a picture or a newspaper headline for the camera and it would take a good 3 minutes or so for the shot to change. It was cable access bad.

I actually changed the channel for a while and when I came back, James Fox and Michael Shermer were on with Friedman and Marcel. Shermer brought some toy aliens to, ostensibly, shit all over Ufology. He and Friedman were really going at it a few times during the show, which served as the lone highlights of the evening. Shermer would ramble on and talk out of his ass and make bold proclamations and then when Friedman would try and rebut his nonsense, he'd talk all over Friedman's response. He also kept dropping the term "probe", as an additional little dig at the UFO folks (what a clown shoe).

I missed Noory's grand entrance, but it looks like he and Larry only really exchanged pleasantries and spoke for probably less than two minutes. Larry did ask the hilarious and pertinent question of "what percentage [of C2C callers] are Kookyville ?" Noory estimated it to be ten percent. I'd say it is more like 33 to 40 percent, though I'm also including outright morons in that equation. (And let's not even start discussing potential Kookyville residents amongst the guests, the "science advisor", and Dr. Morgus.) I was fortunate enough to watch the show with a friend of mine, who is not a harcore esoteric cretin like me. His reaction to Noory was, "Is he wearing a wig ?" I had to explain The Noor's unfortunate reliance on a strange combination of "Just for Men" and shoe polish for his hair coloring needs.

We flipped back over to the show for the final 15 minutes and it just resembled a disaster scene. For starters, they mashed Larry King, Buzz Aldrin, Marcel Jr., Friedman, Shermer, Fox, Symington, and Noory around one table. Poor Stanton was so squeezed out, it looked like he was seated in the coat room. Everything ground to a halt as Buzz Aldrin rambled on endlessly, complete with a cheesy model, to tell some story that never really went anywhere. No one seemed to have a clue what he was talking about, including the folks who put up the graphics, and it ate up the bulk of the time I was watching at the end.

At the close, the final verdict was that Buzz and Shermer were anti-UFO, Friedman and the rest were pro-UFO. James Fox also embarrassingly just pimped his movie non-stop throughout the show and was the picture perfect cliche of the UFO guy with something to sell. (I will give him subversive kudos for managing to get on both this show and Nightline in the past week to schill his movie.)

All in all, it was an interesting hour, more so for the interpersonal dynamics of the show than the actual content. Way too many guests were featured and they could have done without Marcel, Shuster, Fox, and Noory and made for a much better showcase of views. Hell, a straight up Friedman v. Shermer episode would have been boffo. The lack of focus really became a hindrance as they tried to cover Roswell, Phoenix Lights, UFOs in general, and Buzz Aldrin into a 40 minute show replete with 8 or so guests and their requisite intros, outros, and ass kissing.

For all the people who appreciate any mainstream publicity for Ufology that they can get, I suppose it was a good thing. But I've a feeling this was yet another lateral step and that in two or three years, half of these faces and some new ones will return to Larry King and rehash the same conversation once again. The UFO topic should be a monthly one on King (and other programs), but will, sadly, instead be relegated to mothballs until the next flap or anniversary of note.

7.12.7 : She's gone.

2007-07-12T22:57:00.000-04:00

C2C Coastriders forum ...

Time of Death : Approx. 6:55 PM (EST)

http://coast.premiereinteractive.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21214&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=2520

God speed, my sweet dear.

One era ends, a new one begins.

Hope to see you all @ www.theusofe.com

7.6.7 : C2C to shut down Coastriders forum

2007-07-07T01:48:00.001-04:00

I received this e-mail today ...

Dear Coast Riders Member,

We're happy to announce a new daily Coast to Coast email newsletter, which will provide handy recaps, show info, and special audio links, to keep you updated on the show while you're on the go. In order to redirect our resources for this soon-to-launch project, we're closing the Coast Riders Message Board effective Thursday July 12th, 2007. This advance notice is being provided in order for you to save posts and information, and if you like migrate them to another system. Thank you for your participation in the board, which over the years has produced much spirited conversation. We look forward to communicating with you via our exciting new e-newsletter.

Sincerely,
Lex Lonehood
on behalf of CoasttoCoastam.com & Premiere Interactive Services

I'm stunned and saddened. The animated picture above pretty much sums up my point of view, with me (and the rest of the Coastriders) being the midget.

I had plans for this week's binnall report, but they've gone flying out the window (also much like the midget above).

You see, back in October of 2004, I started writing "the binnall report" on the Streamlink message board (back before it became "The Coastriders". From there, BoA was developed and grew up out of my work covering C2C. Eventually, BoA became it's own entity, but I always thought of the Streamlink forum like the old coffee hangout I used to have in high school. And now it's closing down.

I've started writing my reaction to this sad news, but I want to sleep on it, for now, as I'm going throught the five stages of grief over this and it's best to stop and catch my breath a bit. Things are much too crazy as this story just broke hours ago and I've been following the fallout on about 4 different message boards. Plus I wanted to talk about Art Bell retiring and Ian Punnett's show being folded and there won't be time for that @ 2 AM.

So ... binnall report to be posted tomorrow with an in-depth reaction to the C2C Coastrider message board being terminated, plus other stuff, of course.

God speed, Coastrider board. You were the birthplace of BoA and you will be missed.

6.29.7 : BoA : Audio season finale text preview

2007-06-29T17:03:00.001-04:00

This week on BoA : Audio ::

The season finale of BoA : Audio, Season Two promises to be a landmark episode, as we welcome a true icon in the world of esoterica, the venerable Brad Steiger.

In this lengthy and in-depth conversation, we'll be discussing what it was like for Brad to break into esoteric studies, over 50 years ago, at the young age of twenty years old. We talk about the lessons he's learned from all these years studying the paranormal, the evolution of his journey as a researcher, the explosion of esoterica from niche market to veritable cottage industry, his thoughts on the lack of cohesion in esoterica, the role of the media in covering the unknown, the hopefulness of the 1960's, the problem with today's newcomers to esoterica, and tons and tons more.

It's truly the culmination of many of the big picture themes from Season Two, posed to a bonafide first ballot esoteric Hall of Famer, Brad Steiger.

The audio preview of the BoA : Audio season finale is available now on MP3 or in Streaming Audio

Additionally, we have a special BoA : Audio, Season Two audio recap / finale teaser on MP3 or in Streaming Audio

Brad Steiger's website is http://www.bradandsherry.com/

6.22.7 : Lisa Shiel on BoA : Audio :: text preview

2007-06-22T16:18:00.000-04:00

This week on BoA : Audio,

The penultimate episode of Season Two sees Lisa Shiel, author of Backyard Bigfoot, join the program to discuss her first hand research into strange elements of the Bigfoot, including an in-depth look at stick signs and braiding the manes of horses. We'll also be talking about problems with the evolution theory and why the popular Gigantopithicus theory for Bigfoot has serious issues too. Plus, cryptozoology's infamous "natural v. paranormal Bigfoot" debate, UFOs and Bigfoot, Lisa's take on being a woman in cryptozoology, big picture speculation on what the Bigfoot might be, and much, much more.

The audio preview of this interview is available now, either on MP3 or in Streaming Audio

Lisa's website is www.upbigfoot.com

6.16.7 : BoA : Audio to be posted tomorrow ... details.

2007-06-16T23:15:00.000-04:00

At this point, we ought to just start billing BoA : Audio as being posted "on the weekend" or something.

I've kind of lost my voice here, literally. It's more scratchy than anything and seems to come and go as it pleases, but its definitly troublesome and seems to get worse as I talk longer. It started last week, around Wednesday. It sounds like it is getting better, but today was pretty bad.

Being that it is @ the very end of the day now, my voice has taken a beating. And, being that I haven't taped the intro or outro for this week's show, we're kind of shit out of luck for now.

I'm going to get a good night's sleep and will take a stab at it tomorrow morning, when I hope that my voice has been rested enough to do all that talking (which is actually quite a bit, when you add both ends of the program together).

1000 apologies, of course, and thanks for your patience.

A strange observation, but I have been rather sick all month, since about June 1st. I'm beginning to wonder if my body was thrown out of whack by the month long adrenaline rush and overall stress of May and is now just self-regulating and, as such, I am taking a beating here in early June. There may be something to that, me thinks.

That said and aside from the lost voice, I've felt physically better the last two days than I have since around the beginning of the month, so perhaps I am nearing the end of this "course correction".

Again, sorry for the delay and thanks for your patience.

6.13.7 : binnall's running time commentary on "Into the Unknown"

2007-06-13T23:31:00.000-04:00

11:06 pm

It's on ! It's on ! It's on !

And ... so far ... it's rather lame.

More boring than embarassing.

Upon further inspection, Khyron is quite right ... Noory has a face for radio. His awful dye job on his hair doesn't match the age that shows in his face. A more dignified "salt and pepper" look would really do wonders. But, I'm sure his ego won't allow that.

For the record, tonight's "Burning Question" (according to the special) is "Do you believe in ghosts ?" Yeah, that's ... fuckin' lame.

11:08 pm

Noory talks with his hands. A lot.

Joshua Warren is jerking off a pipe. Seriously. You'll know what I'm talking about when you see it and it is awful.

Still wondering why there's a studio audience, though I do like the "in the round" set.

11:12 pm

Here we go, questions from the audience.

So far so good, but it's from a creepy looking self-billed paranormal investigator.

11:14 pm

Okay. Just one question from the audience.

I'd love to see the ones that didn't make the cut for the special.

11:18 pm

Busey is on now. Save the "best" for last, I guess.

11:20 pm

Wow. Busey has been excellent so far.

11:21 pm

Whoops, there he goes.

Nice yelp from Gary.

And now he's babbling.

11:22 pm

Wow. It's almost over already.

11:24 pm

I don't quite know what Khyron was talking about in this week's K-Files. Ice Spiders looks to be a keeper.

11:26 pm

And ... it's over.

Initial thoughts : In a word, "flimsy". It felt like having sex with an escort.

Addendum

I'd say the special is worth checking out, especially since it is so short. But, as noted above, there wasn't much to it.

Detailed review to follow at some point in the not too distant future @ binnallofamerica.com.

6.8.7 : BoA : Audio preview & In-House Notes

2007-06-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

In-House Notes ::

Probably no "binnall report" again this week. I just haven't gotten back into the C2C habit in the last month or so. I literally haven't heard any Coast since 5.5.7 (except for a brief half hour of Art Bell around the last weekend of May or so). I find myself altogether ... disinterested. And I'm finding it hard to get back into the habit of listening to the program after such a long time away.

I'm not sure if that means a hiatus for "tbr", outright retirement of the column, or a morphing of its format to feature less focus on C2C and more focus on other esoteric matters. Either way, I suspect an answer will be forthcoming in the not too distant future.

Rest assured, I will be glued to the TV set next Wednesday night @ 11 PM for Noory's big Sci Fi show, "Into the Unknown", and plan on writing a review of the program soon after it airs.

And, of course, you can always check out Lesley's C2C Rewind for all your Coast recap needs. Lesley does an excellent job of keeping tabs of Noory and company, which makes me feel a lot better about my lack of attention to Coastly matters.

*** *** ***

Text preview for tomorrow's BoA : Audio featuring Chris Styles ::

The man who put the Shag Harbour Incident on the map of Ufology, Chris Styles, joins BoA : Audio to discuss this tremendously strong UFO case. Chris gives us an in-depth look at what went down that fateful night in October of 1967, including what people thought the UFO was and how that contrasted with the government's interpretation of events, the myterious and skeptical Fr. Gafney, and the role of the media in covering the SHI as it happened.

Then we'll fast forward to 25 years later, as Chris ressurrects the Shag Harbour Incident. We'll find out why he decided to investigate it, who and what were the key elements in his investigation, and the fascinating new details he discovered about the Shag Harbour Incident, including a simultaneous secret search, testimony of "beings" working on the downed craft, and Canadian X-Files. This is a richly detailed edition of BoA : Audio, with the man who essentially discovered the Shag Harbour Incident, one of Ufology's best cases.

Chris Styles on BoA : Audio preview :: MP3 or Streaming Audio

6.5.7 : BoA : Audio season finale teaser

2007-06-05T00:11:00.000-04:00

I literally just got off the phone, taping the Season Finale interview for Season Two of BoA : Audio.

Just to be a clown shoe, I am holding off on the name for a few more days.

So ... for now ... I will simply reveal some teasers ...

This hour and a half long interview will serve as the culmination of many of the themes of Season Two, with an absolute, bonafide, hands down, first ballot Hall of Famer in the world of esoterica.

Over the last two years, BoA : Audio has played host to up and coming researchers, leading figures at the top of present day esoteric fields, fringe students of obscure high strangeness, and legitimate legends in paranormal study. But ... we reach beyond all that, in our Season Finale, when we welcome a true icon of esoterica.

6.30.7 ... the season finale of BoA : Audio, Season Two

Guest TBA soon.

6.1.7 : BoA : Audio preview

2007-06-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

No binnall report this week. I'm just not feeling it, because I know what a large portion of the content will be and I just not "there" yet, as far as distilling this past month in text. I expect "tbr" will show up, in some form, early next week, after I get through the work load of the weekend and Monday. For the voyeuristic and morbid folks in the audience, rest assured, I will address my father's passing in tomorrow's BoA : Audio. Speaking of which ...

Text preview for tomorrow's BoA : Audio ::

BoA : Audio, Season Two kicks off the final five episodes of the season, with guest Gary A. David, author of The Orion Zone to discuss the strange correlation between monuments and settlements of the Native American Hopi tribe and the stars of the constellation Orion. We'll discuss the logistics of such a connection, how and why the Hopi settled the way they did, their God, Masau, who just may have been a Grey alien, the "Ant People" who helped the Hopi throughout their history, the lost city inside the Grand Canyon, the global Orion connection, Hopi prophecy for the future and much, much more.

His website is theorionconnection.com

Gary A. David on BoA : Audio preview :: MP3 or Streaming Audio

5.13.7 : a message from binnall

2007-05-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

I've been very quiet the last few days and wanted to pass along some word on what is going on here @ BoA HQ.

I'll spare you the heartbreaking details, but the gist of it is that my father is very, very sick (which is an understatement). He has been in the ICU since last Friday (5.4). Longtime BoA readers will recall his health struggles from a couple of years ago. Someday, when this is all said and done, I will probably write more about my father's illness, but I'm just not in a place to do that right now. Suffice it to say, my attention is almost 100% focused on my dad at this time, as the situation is rather dire.

When things settle down a little bit, this evening, I'll finish getting the audio together and have it uploaded. After that ? Who knows. The BoA staff will still be contributing material, but it may be another week or two before the binnall report and BoA : Audio will be back. I'm sure you can all understand that those two "wings" of BoA require far too more work and attention than I can possibly put into them right now. Don't worry, though, we'll be back in time, this is just a temporary pause.

As is the case in struggles like this, I'll keep taking it day-by-day until this is resolved. I've been living in the moment since we brought my dad to the hospital last Friday. It's been emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausting.

For now, I ask that you keep my father and my family in your thoughts and prayers.