• Re: Hope Everybody Had A Great World Contact Day!

    From quadi@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 16, 2026 05:42:12
    It was just another day. I didn't encounter any aliens.
    As I live in Canada, the only ice they need to be afraid of is the kind
    you can slip on.

    John Savard

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Charles Packer@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 16, 2026 07:41:10
    On 16 Mar 2026 02:27:47 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8

    It is indeed a day that seems to have been sung into existence.
    Perhaps by the political wing of SF?

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tony Nance@3:633/10 to All on Monday, March 16, 2026 08:45:46
    On 3/16/26 3:41 AM, Charles Packer wrote:
    On 16 Mar 2026 02:27:47 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8

    It is indeed a day that seems to have been sung into existence.
    Perhaps by the political wing of SF?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Contact_Day

    " World Contact Day was first declared in March 1953 by an organization
    called the International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB), as a day on which
    all IFSB members would attempt to send a telepathic message into space.
    ... "

    The song Ted linked to was released (by Klaatu) in 1976.
    The Carpenters version Ted linked to was released in 1977.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Charles Packer@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 07:51:03
    On Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:45:46 -0400, Tony Nance wrote:

    On 3/16/26 3:41 AM, Charles Packer wrote:
    On 16 Mar 2026 02:27:47 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8

    It is indeed a day that seems to have been sung into existence.
    Perhaps by the political wing of SF?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Contact_Day

    " World Contact Day was first declared in March 1953 by an organization called the International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB), as a day on which
    all IFSB members would attempt to send a telepathic message into space.
    ... "

    The song Ted linked to was released (by Klaatu) in 1976.
    The Carpenters version Ted linked to was released in 1977.


    The funny thing about World Contact Day is that although it /may/ have
    been declared by the International Flying Saucer Bureau in 1953,
    it didn't become public knowledge until it showed up in a song
    in 1976. My search of newspaper archives shows coverage of the
    formation of the Bureau in late 1952 (and the immediate formation
    of sister organizations in Australia and Canada). However, there
    is no mention at that time of anybody celebrating a day of
    collective mental telepathy aimed at extraterrestials. I have
    so far not located any mention of the day apart from its reference in
    the song.

    The source cited by the Wikipedia article is a 1967 essay by
    the founder of IFSB Albert K Bender /saying/ that his organization
    created the day in 1953: https://archive.org/details/flyingsaucerread0000jayd/page/81/mode/1up
    Since he also claimed, in the essay, to have contacted
    extraterrestrials by telepathy, I think we can classify everything
    else he said as "unreliable narrator."

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tony Nance@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 08:53:27
    On 3/17/26 3:51 AM, Charles Packer wrote:
    On Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:45:46 -0400, Tony Nance wrote:

    On 3/16/26 3:41 AM, Charles Packer wrote:
    On 16 Mar 2026 02:27:47 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8

    It is indeed a day that seems to have been sung into existence.
    Perhaps by the political wing of SF?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Contact_Day

    " World Contact Day was first declared in March 1953 by an organization
    called the International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB), as a day on which
    all IFSB members would attempt to send a telepathic message into space.
    ... "

    The song Ted linked to was released (by Klaatu) in 1976.
    The Carpenters version Ted linked to was released in 1977.


    The funny thing about World Contact Day is that although it /may/ have
    been declared by the International Flying Saucer Bureau in 1953,
    it didn't become public knowledge until it showed up in a song
    in 1976. My search of newspaper archives shows coverage of the
    formation of the Bureau in late 1952 (and the immediate formation
    of sister organizations in Australia and Canada). However, there
    is no mention at that time of anybody celebrating a day of
    collective mental telepathy aimed at extraterrestials. I have
    so far not located any mention of the day apart from its reference in
    the song.

    The source cited by the Wikipedia article is a 1967 essay by
    the founder of IFSB Albert K Bender /saying/ that his organization
    created the day in 1953: https://archive.org/details/flyingsaucerread0000jayd/page/81/mode/1up
    Since he also claimed, in the essay, to have contacted
    extraterrestrials by telepathy, I think we can classify everything
    else he said as "unreliable narrator."

    Yep.

    According to one of the co-writers of the song
    (Per http://www.klaatu.org/trackfacts/track_facts_12.html )
    "
    The idea for this track was suggested by an actual event that is
    described in "The Flying Saucer Reader", a book by Jay David published
    in 1967. In March 1953 an organization known as the "International
    Flying Saucer Bureau" sent a bulletin to all its members urging them to participate in an experiment termed "World Contact Day" whereby, at a predetermined date and time, they would attempt to collectively send out
    a telepathic message to visitors from outer space. The message began
    with the words..."Calling occupants of interplanetary craft!"
    "



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Cryptoengineer@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 13:55:49
    On 3/16/2026 3:41 AM, Charles Packer wrote:
    On 16 Mar 2026 02:27:47 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8

    It is indeed a day that seems to have been sung into existence.
    Perhaps by the political wing of SF?

    I suspect it may be a stealth PR campaign to gin up interest for
    the Spielberg movie 'Disclosure Day', which comes out June 12.

    pt



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Cryptoengineer@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 14:14:53
    On 3/17/2026 1:57 PM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
    In article <10pc4j5$33pm7$2@dont-email.me>,
    Cryptoengineer <petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
    On 3/16/2026 3:41 AM, Charles Packer wrote:
    On 16 Mar 2026 02:27:47 GMT, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8

    It is indeed a day that seems to have been sung into existence.
    Perhaps by the political wing of SF?

    I suspect it may be a stealth PR campaign to gin up interest for
    the Spielberg movie 'Disclosure Day', which comes out June 12.

    pt



    A 50 year stealth PR campaign. Impressive!

    This is what happens when one fails to read an entire thread before
    replying.

    pt

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Scott Dorsey@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 18:31:34
    Charles Packer <mailbox@cpacker.org> wrote:
    The funny thing about World Contact Day is that although it /may/ have
    been declared by the International Flying Saucer Bureau in 1953,
    it didn't become public knowledge until it showed up in a song
    in 1976. My search of newspaper archives shows coverage of the
    formation of the Bureau in late 1952 (and the immediate formation
    of sister organizations in Australia and Canada). However, there
    is no mention at that time of anybody celebrating a day of
    collective mental telepathy aimed at extraterrestials. I have
    so far not located any mention of the day apart from its reference in
    the song.

    A lot of important holidays don't get attention until something happens to bring attention to them.

    For many years, people in my office had never heard of the tradition of bringing in doughnuts on Oliver Heaviside's birthday, but now they realize
    how important this celebration is.
    --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tony Nance@3:633/10 to All on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 19:48:47
    On 3/17/26 6:31 PM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
    Charles Packer <mailbox@cpacker.org> wrote:
    The funny thing about World Contact Day is that although it /may/ have
    been declared by the International Flying Saucer Bureau in 1953,
    it didn't become public knowledge until it showed up in a song
    in 1976. My search of newspaper archives shows coverage of the
    formation of the Bureau in late 1952 (and the immediate formation
    of sister organizations in Australia and Canada). However, there
    is no mention at that time of anybody celebrating a day of
    collective mental telepathy aimed at extraterrestials. I have
    so far not located any mention of the day apart from its reference in
    the song.

    A lot of important holidays don't get attention until something happens to bring attention to them.

    For many years, people in my office had never heard of the tradition of bringing in doughnuts on Oliver Heaviside's birthday, but now they realize how important this celebration is.

    Brilliant!



    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From quadi@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, March 19, 2026 06:17:24
    On Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:51:03 +0000, Charles Packer wrote:

    The source cited by the Wikipedia article is a 1967 essay by the founder
    of IFSB Albert K Bender /saying/ that his organization created the day
    in 1953: https://archive.org/details/flyingsaucerread0000jayd/page/81/mode/1up
    Since he also claimed, in the essay, to have contacted extraterrestrials
    by telepathy, I think we can classify everything else he said as
    "unreliable narrator."

    On the Internet Archive, at

    https://archive.org/details/Space_Review_Volume_2_number_3_1953_07

    one can find a contemporary source which refers to World Contact Day, so
    there is indeed evidence that it actually happened in 1953 online.

    John Savard


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)