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S02E03: Raining UFOs; Ectoplasmic Pic (06-Apr-2011, 10pm E)

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10:11 am
April 5, 2011


Nosfer

Rotaredom

Moderator

posts 2954

This week we get to see Chi-Lan and Devin on the same team as they and Bill investigate the Ectoplasmic Pic (Must be Ectoplasmic Awareness Week at SciFi) With any luck, they (Chi-Lan and Devin) will be like matter and anti-matter and cancel each other out. Makes sense that Chi-Lan would be involved in this one since photographs are her expertise…and Bill, too, since he is convinced that the Ghost Writing is still paranormal.

Given precedent and the team members involved, I don't have a very good feeling about this one. Course the only one I had a real good feeling about was the one between S01E12 and S02E01. Even if they manage to explain the photo, I'll bet a glazed doughnut that this is going to turn into a ghost hunt. It looks like FoF is running about 50% ghost investigations now, too. (They are the 0.5 that I added in during the DT writeup)

Meanwhile, Ben, Jael, and Austin go after Raining UFOs which seems to be sparks or lights dropping from below a central, larger light. We may get to see the Flying Monkeys with Flashlights as a test case this week afterall, if not, certainly the RC clown or some sort of RC device.

This part of the episode is reminiscent of one of their very first ones in which they also investigated some sort of UFO…and had their own encounter. The encounter they will have during this investigation looks nothing like what they are trying to solve, though, which makes it much more plausible, right? Proof of further activity in the area.

Drinking Situations:

  • Any time someone's mouth or eyes are wide open. 
  • Double swig if mouth and eyes at the same time. 
  • Triple shot if there is simultaneous handclapping
  • Drain the bottle if this all coinicides with an audible intake of air
  • Passed out on the floor with song birds flying overhead if another team member then gets up, points at the screen and says "Actually, I've actually heard of this one before, it's actually a baby seal, actually."

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4:26 pm
April 5, 2011


Axel Olrik

Investigator

posts 184

I would also submit as an ingestion trigger: 

Close-ups of bobble-headed investigators, nodding enthusiastically at each other's comments. 

I am beginning to suspect they are stock footage.

9:55 pm
April 6, 2011


kevin

Louisville

Investigator

posts 54

Ectoplasm? Really? Didn't Houdini debunk this kind of stuff in the 1920's?

2:17 am
April 7, 2011


Revenant

Hopelessly Locked In A "Fear Cage"

Lead Investigator

posts 1393

I was really impressed with Jael.  Her tribute to the "meow" comedy bit from the movie "Super Troopers" by saying the word "seeding" was awesome.  Super Troopers is one of my favorite comedies, so for her to do that was pretty cool.

Wait..what?  She wasn't doing that?  She was serious?  Oh…

Well then…I guess the moral of the story is to watch Super Troopers.  Whether it's the first time or the one hundredth time…still funny.  Although FoF is pretty funny too…in its own way…

Seeding!  Ok meow….

"Skepticism is not a position, it's a process." -Dr Michael Shermer

8:26 am
April 7, 2011


Nosfer

Rotaredom

Moderator

posts 2954

"We debunked the UFO footage exactly so now let's see if there might really be UFOs."

Next…

"We got pretty close on the ectoplasm pictures but not exact, but we're not here to prove or disprove ectoplasm so let's go home…and by the way, we've shown that the original photos are totally a hoax"

Gotta love the consistency. 

Doncha think maybe a bigger "floater" with more candles might not have gotten more altitude and provided more dripping?  And how stupid would the PD be to fall for an RC Plane in a stall, certainly they would have watched longer and seen it pull out of the stall.

Chi-Lan wondering if it was a satellite that they saw.  Ummm, Helpful SV Tip…if it's that cloudy/foggy out, and you still can see a satellite going left UNDER the cloud bank.  Run to the RIGHT.

Looks like we're down to 4 vids to look at a week.  I guess that's alright, they already know going in which two it will be.

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9:26 am
April 7, 2011


Patrick

Investigator

posts 190

"Chi-Lan wondering if it was a satellite that they saw."

Remember, this is the person who was "impressed" by the alleged poltergeist footage……

10:23 am
April 7, 2011


Nosfer

Rotaredom

Moderator

posts 2954

Patrick said:

"Chi-Lan wondering if it was a satellite that they saw."

Remember, this is the person who was "impressed" by the alleged poltergeist footage……


 

If memory serves, didn't she pick that one as one to investigate, too?  Even though they had just debunked one very similar to that last week by pointing out that the dishes were thrown by a baby seal hiding behind a refrigerator?  Or was that the week before last?

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11:29 am
April 7, 2011


Revenant

Hopelessly Locked In A "Fear Cage"

Lead Investigator

posts 1393

Nosfer said:  

Doncha think maybe a bigger "floater" with more candles might not have gotten more altitude and provided more dripping?  And how stupid would the PD be to fall for an RC Plane in a stall, certainly they would have watched longer and seen it pull out of the stall.


 

I know they're in love with their RC plane and all…I mean it does have a little pilot.  And those rows of red and blue lights are both realistic and hawesome.  But…and just throwing this out there…there's been significant advancements in flight in recent years.  We have these things that can actually hover in the air for an extended amount of time and at various heights.  These "helicopters" as they're called…just might be perfect for this type of thing.

Paint a RC helicopter in a flat black.  Rig a metal carriage attached by chains to the bottom of the copter (you don't want your copter catching on fire).  Fill the carriage with chemical goodies (preferably in some sort of time release delivery system).  Wait for night and in 3…2…1…Seeding UFO!

This would explain why the "UFO" was somewhat stationary, explains the "dripping effect (or Jael's Seeding effect)," and it would also explain why the PD would have a very difficult time in seeing it.  In the right conditions and the wrong angle…the glare of the light would help to hide the helicopter.

I don't see what the mystery is.

 

"Skepticism is not a position, it's a process." -Dr Michael Shermer

11:37 am
April 7, 2011


Nosfer

Rotaredom

Moderator

posts 2954

You know, a helicopter is a better candidate than a clown even Laugh 

You make a good point and it is surprising that they would go with the airplane over the helicoper given that we've seen them use a helicopter before.  And they should have already been thinking helicopter given that it was a police chopper.   Well, I guess it's not THAT surprising, but still!

Now, an RC Osprey would have really been neat.

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12:11 pm
April 7, 2011


Revenant

Hopelessly Locked In A "Fear Cage"

Lead Investigator

posts 1393

Maybe Larry took his helicopter and went home… Laugh

"Skepticism is not a position, it's a process." -Dr Michael Shermer

12:33 pm
April 7, 2011


Patrick

Investigator

posts 190

Nosfer said:

Patrick said:

"Chi-Lan wondering if it was a satellite that they saw."

Remember, this is the person who was "impressed" by the alleged poltergeist footage……


 
If memory serves, didn't she pick that one as one to investigate, too?  Even though they had just debunked one very similar to that last week by pointing out that the dishes were thrown by a baby seal hiding behind a refrigerator?  Or was that the week before last?


 She did, and that was when I turned it off and went to bed.  Even though Larry or Ed or Cletus, whoever it was, just said "the dishes are only coming out of the open cabinet, there could easily be a hole and someone is throwing them through.  In fact, the dishes looked exactly like that.  Wouldn't anyone, a ghost included, who really wanted to break the picture pick up the cup and hurl it with all their might at the picture causing the cup to travel in virtually a straight line?  Instead we see this looping arc from the cabinet to the picture.

1:01 pm
April 7, 2011


Nosfer

Rotaredom

Moderator

posts 2954

On a side note, I wonder how much FLIR forked over to be advertised like that, complete with truck and all!

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3:29 pm
April 7, 2011


TheBlackLyon

Investigator in Training

posts 20

Nosfer said:

On a side note, I wonder how much FLIR forked over to be advertised like that, complete with truck and all!


I'm thinking it was more of a tradeoff. FLIR provides to FoF, for free, the equipment necessary to do those experiments in exchange for the free publicity and advertising.

3:41 pm
April 7, 2011


TheBlackLyon

Investigator in Training

posts 20

Nosfer said:

Doncha think maybe a bigger "floater" with more candles might not have gotten more altitude and provided more dripping?  And how stupid would the PD be to fall for an RC Plane in a stall, certainly they would have watched longer and seen it pull out of the stall.


It drives me mad when they do something like this.

When I am trying to replicate something, and get very similar results with a certain approach, the first thing I do is start tweaking that approach in hope/anticipation that I will be able to produce an exact replica. One would think that if by using a small bag with small candles resulted in a close proximation of the video, then the next logical step would be to use a larger bag with larger candles. As you said, a bigger "floater."

But the FoF'ers instead opt to abandon the experiment and move on to one that utilizes an RC Plane. Good grief!

5:42 pm
April 7, 2011


Revenant

Hopelessly Locked In A "Fear Cage"

Lead Investigator

posts 1393

Post edited 5:43 pm – April 7, 2011 by Revenant
Post edited 5:49 pm – April 7, 2011 by Revenant


John Silence said:

Ectoplasm? Really? Didn't Houdini debunk this kind of stuff in the 1920's?


 

I had to let a little time go by before I approached the ectoplasm portion of the show.  While a profanity-filled rant is fun for me…maybe SV isn't the place for it.  So now…I'm nice and calm.

Ectoplasm!?!  What the f….just kidding.  Here's a few observations:

Bill, my favorite "Lead Scientist," drones on about how the guy behind this is a doctor.  He keeps mentioning it, like it gives this entire thing some sort of credibility.  I've run research labs.  I also love movies like "Mansquito" and "Sharktopus."  So although I know a thing or two about science…it doesn't mean that those movies are nothing more than righteous nonsense.  Ergo…just because someone is a doctor, it doesn't mean that their hobby has to make any sense.

Bill also mentioned that within the doctor's group of people were a few lawyers.  And why would they risk their credibility.  Yes…lawyers are known for telling the absolute truth.  *big dramatic pause ending in any lawyer joke that you like*

Lastly, let us get back to that doctor and the ectoplasm itself.  The doctor, presumably is a man of science.  And ectoplasm, by its very nature is of the physical world.  Anything within the physical realm can be sampled and tested.  Does this doctor provide physical evidence of these events?  He sure does.  He has pictures.  Are you kidding me?  Get a physical sample.  The response?  It disappears when you turn on the light?  Again, are you kidding me?  Ok, fine…lets assign the magical property of being light-sensitive for your ectoplasm.  Grab a sample in the dark.  Can't…it disappears when you touch it.  *sighs*  Fine, there are methods to extract vapor or gas from the environment.  Nothing new here.  Those methods were available to the fine doctor.  Did he use these methods?  Apparently not.

So…you can't touch it, can't see it in the light (except with a flash of a camera), and can't sample it in any earthly way.  And people wonder why I doubt such paranormal claims…

EDIT: What else?  Spelling and formatting…

 

"Skepticism is not a position, it's a process." -Dr Michael Shermer

5:57 pm
April 7, 2011


Axel Olrik

Investigator

posts 184

Or how about a bigger floater with sparklers attached…oops, "pyrotechnics".  Weren't the sparklers the key to the "seeding" effect?

(Okay…Jael insisting on calling it "seeding" was just weird.  Even Ben said "dripping" in response to her comments.  I suddenly felt like I was in third grade…which is how the whole show is starting to feel)

9:25 am
April 10, 2011


Lindy

Guest

Nosfer said:

Passed out on the floor with song birds flying overhead if another team member then gets up, points at the screen and says "Actually, I've actually heard of this one before, it's actually a baby seal, actually."


Hilarious.  Nosfer, you slay me……….actually.

9:51 am
April 10, 2011


Buffy

Investigator

posts 92

It seems like they try very hard not to hurt anyones feelings and this greatly impairs their speaking abilities. I think some doctors were more corruptible back then because people didn't have the scientific knowledge to call out the bs on their claims. I don' think it would be that far fetched for doctor to do this for the publicity in the 1920s.  If he was truly trying to prove the paranormal, like Revenant said, he would have collected samples.

10:47 pm
April 12, 2011


elwyn5150

Sydney, Australia

Investigator in Training

posts 21

I'm kind of surprised they didn't mention that case where Mexican authorities could see UFOs in IR but not by the naked eye.

 

How long before Devlin will develop cancer from excessive smoking and seltzer abuse from this episode?

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