Real Journals
Unlike Jesse Marcel sr, I have real journals. With its starry background, and nice saying, the front cover of this one made it appealing to me. I have many others, going back several years.
I first began keeping diaries (or some semblance of them) in the early 1970s. Lacking real journals, I often wrote in the margins of old notebooks or on the backs of papers. Starting in the late '80s I've purchased planners, and used them as diaries as well. In recent years I've obtained bona fide journals, one after another. Some of the better ones were sent to me by Tamra Orr, a writer with many to spare.
Back in the seventies my diary entries usually recorded only sky observations, and space missions. I regret that in October 1973 I didn't write more about the Mideast war then raging. At least what I did write about it set a precedent.
I should also have written more about school events. Lately, I've become curious about certain events in high school. Although I can recall a great deal without old records, they still might've been very useful, as I'm in facebook groups about my old class, and schools I went too.
posted by starman at 5:17 AM
104 Comments:
It's good that you've kept records. Memories of world events, along with those of personal experiences are important for a person. I saw your one of your high school yearbooks on a website. I'm sure that it was a great experience going to your high school in Manchester. Since you and I are of the same generation, we both remember a lot of the same events in the U.S. and the world as a whole.
Good to see you here Neal. :) Astronomical events and space missions are important, and I was glad I wrote about them. But I should've included more about personal matters. To be perfectly honest, high school was far from a great experience for me. But I like to be a historian, of small matters as well as big (I've shared many photos and memories in my elementary school group and another). It would've helped had diary entries given me a better idea of the chronology.
November 29, 2019
Thanks, Tim. I'll mention this about my high school days: I did not like high school very much. College was definitely more fun; as I've mentioned, I got a B.A. in philosophy from Hendrix College and did graduate work at the University of Florida at Gainesville. I later went to the University of Texas and did graduate work in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. Being in the Air Force was quite an experience; the best and most interesting part of it was the one year tour of duty that I did in Turkey. I got to see many archaeological sites and museums. Later on, as a civilian, I taught English in South Korea and Saudi Arabia. Those jobs were also great experiences. I've kept many photos that were taken in the foreign countries that I experienced. Some are on my FB page in my photos sections.
Back in the late '70s I got my AA and BA degrees without classroom instruction, via the nontraditional (but accredited) Edison college. All I had to do was take CLEP tests at a nearby community college and have them forward the results to Edison, which awarded the degrees. Each test took maybe an hour but usually yielded as much credit as a course lasting a school year. By taking four or five tests in a single day, I could get a whole year's worth of college credit, or almost--24-30 semester hours.
So you didn't like high school very much. I didn't either. Many of the guys were nonintellectual and ostracized me. Most girls were no better. Btw did girls put you down in high school? Some certainly disparaged me. I've told penpals a story about how a female detractor in the yearbook committee objected to inclusion of even a single photo of me. But a guy who was much more favorable demanded it be included--and got his way.
Also, don't you like the saying "Never stop chasing your dreams"?
November 29, 2019
I like that saying about chasing dreams. Most guys at my high school were not intellectuals and most of the girls weren't, either. Some guys thought that I was weird, but I had a set of five pals who were intellectually inclined. We discussed things like astronomy, paleontology, history, and archaeology. I got along well with some guys who were outside of my circle of friends. Many students complimented me for my performances in school plays. There were a few of the girls who liked me; they admired me for my intellect. One girl thought that I was good looking and came to my baseball games. She was a pretty blonde. I played a lot of baseball while I was a kid. My first season was in the summer of 1963; that was the summer after the 4th grade. The last season was in the summer of 1971; it was after I finished high school. I remember one game in which I made a spectacular catch and when my team came in to bat, that girl who liked me said, "That was such a great catch, Neal!" It's great that you got your degrees by taking those CLEP tests. Very few people can do that.
I will say this about that female detractor who did not want your picture in the yearbook: She was certainly stupid and shallow minded.
A long time ago, I saw a picture of several high school kids granted time out from their classes to see a transit of Mercury (1960). They were serious amateurs who had their telescopes set up. What a far cry from my high school! As far as I knew NOBODY shared my interest in astronomy. One guy even refused to have anything further to do with me because I talked about astronomy. A few other kids were intellectual, and we occasionally discussed politics or history. But basically the students, even if very bright, had no interest in intellectual topics.
I'm afraid I never had much talent for any sport, and even less interest.
The girl who didn't want my picture included in the yearbook had a high class rank but was unreasonably negative toward me.
November 29, 2019
That girl had some sort of personality problem. The girl who came to my baseball games was a sister of one of my intellectual pals. She was and is very smart but did not go to college. Instead, she got married shortly after graduating from high school. My father had a telescope that he built. My intellectual pals came to our house and night and we viewed the moon, stars, and planet through that telescope. A friend of my dad often brought his family, i.e. his wife and two daughters to our house to stargaze through the telescope. One of his daughters is now friends with me on Facebook. While I was in high school, the first Star Trek series was on prime time TV. I had various activities; in addition to playing baseball, I also did horseback riding. We had two horses, a palomino and a Shetland pony. I read the works of Plato and Aristotle while I was in high school. While I was playing American Legion baseball, one of the guys on my teams said, "Not many people who read Plato and Aristotle play baseball."
Watching Star Trek got some people (such as my intellectual pals) at my high school interested in astronomy. My intellectual friends from high school days still like astronomy. In this time segment, i.e. the present, the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies have gotten a fairly good number of people in Arkansas (and other Southern states) interested in paleontology. I had a liking for astronomy before Star Trek made its debut and liked paleontology long before the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies. I had an email conversation with a guy who lives in Alabama. He talked about a fossil collecting trip that he conducted near the coast. Getting volunteers for it was easy. Not all of the volunteers were Alabama residents. A couple of people from Massachusetts and one from Rhode Island also participated in the project. They learned about it from the Alabama guy's website and said that they would like to take part in the fossil collecting expedition. He said that he would be glad for them to participate in it, so they came to Alabama and had a great time taking part in the project.
Lol, true, you were a rare mix of athlete and intellectual. Regarding the girl, I don't think she had a psychiatric issue. She just saw me at a bad time when I made a poor impression. Others who knew me understood I was often in a much better state.
The space program, then in high gear in the '60 (post sputnik) got many young people interested in the Universe hence stargazing. At first I didn't care much for Star Trek. I did however watch Lost in Space as a kid. Most of the series was silly but some episodes were good.
November 30, 2019
As for paleontology, or dinosaurs specifically, that was my number one interest as a kid age 6 to 10 or so. An article in an encyclopedia got me interested. A couple of years later, around 1965, I got Colbert's 1961 DINOSAURS THEIR DISCOVERY AND THEIR WORLD from a local library.
I see your point about that girl. I'm glad that you explained it about her. I liked most of the original Star Trek episodes, but some were not so good. You're right; many of the Lost in Space episodes were silly, but some were good. There is a new Lost in Space series; it can be seen on Netflix. It's a lot more sophisticated than the old Lost in Space series. I liked the second Star Trek series (i.e. Star Trek - The Next Generation) more than the first series. I'll mention something about archaeology. During the late 1980's, I was a member of the Arkansas Archaeological Society and took part in several major digs. One of the things that I learned about the A.A.S. was this: It had increased substantially in membership after the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark came out. That movie got a lot of people in the South (and in other sections of the U.S.) interested in archaeology. Two of the digs in which I participated were at a site called Toltec Mounds. When it was first discovered, some people mistakenly thought that the people of the area were a branch of the Toltecs. That was disproved and it became known that they were not Toltecs. The builders of the mounds at the site are called the Plum Bayou culture. We don't know what they called themselves. Some of the participants in the digs came from other states. One was a guy from Connecticut. He and I had some discussions about the various mound building Native American cultures. We talked about the vast trading networks that they developed.
You got an early start in paleontology. I also got started at age six; my parents gave me a set of toy dinosaurs on my sixth birthday, which was on October 9, 1958. Both of us have collections of toy dinosaurs. I put many of mine on my dresser. There is a photo of them in the photos section of my Facebook page. I've heard of Colbert's dinosaur book. The dinosaur encyclopedia by Thomas Holtz is in the public library here in Dover, Arkansas. Steve Duff saw the photo of my dinosaur collection and noticed the poster picture of Kourtney Kardashian on the wall. Kourtney Kardashian has a strong interest in paleontology. She has a college degree; it's a B.A. in theater arts. It's an interesting point that various celebrities are interested in paleontology. It's an extremely popular subject.
Do you remember any of the old Lost in Space episodes? Most were childish but there were two I enjoyed: "Follow the Leader" (around early 1966) and "Hunter's Moon" (about mid '67). Hunter's Moon was definitely one of the better episodes. There was a guest star in that one--Vincent Beck--who played Megazor, the ruthless alien. At one point there was a verbal clash between Billy Mumy ("Will Robinson") and Megazor. "Will" said something ("I was just offering my sympathy") which upset Megazor. "The offer is refused!!..." When I first saw that scene, in September 1967, it seemed surprisingly intense for a kiddie program.
I heard of the newer Lost in Space but haven't seen it.
I recall a number of original Star Trek episodes, which I didn't bother to see until about 20 years after the series premiered. What was your favorite?
November 30, 2019
My favorite of the first Star Trek series episodes in the Menagerie; it was in two parts. The Enterprise visited a planet where the inhabitants could deceive visitors with the power of illusion. Christopher Pike had been the captain of the Enterprise when the starship made its first visit to that planet. My favorite episode in the later series of Star Trek is Q Who?. That character called Q propels the Enterprise into a remote region of space. The crew of the Enterprise encounter those beings called the Borg. The Borg pursue the Enterprise and Q decides to teleport the starship far away from the Borg. He saves the Enterprise from disaster. I've seen those two Lost in Space episodes that you mentioned. They are very profound.
I probably saw that Star Trek episode you mentioned but don't remember it well.
Do you remember the plot in "Follow the Leader"? The spirit of an alien warrior took over the body of Prof. John Robinson.
Of the original cast members, two are deceased. Guy Williams, who played Prof Robinson, died in 1989, Jonathan Harris passed around 2005. The others--Billy Mumy, Angela Cartwright, June Lockhart, Marta Kristen and Mark Goddard--are still alive. Did you know btw, that Marta Kirsten ("Judy") is the daughter of a German soldier who died late in WWII? I think Williams' original name was Catalano (Italian ancestry). Harris originally had a Russian jewish name and was from NY, as was Catalano.
We're about to be hit by a snowstorm today....
December 1, 2019
I remember the plot in Follow the Leader. Gregory Morton did the voice for Canto the Space Alien. When Professor Robinson was possessed by the space alien, he was going to throw Will over a cliff. As we know, Angela Cartwright played as Penny on Lost in Space. His sister Veronica Cartwright, was in the TV series Daniel Boone. I did not know that Marta Kristen's father was a German soldier who was slain in World War II. Jonathan Harris had done Shakespearean acting on stage before got on TV.
I understand Marta Kristen was born in February 1945. Probably because her father was a German soldier, the mother may have wanted her to live elsewhere rather than bear the stigma in Norway. An American couple adopted her. No doubt you noticed, btw, that Marta Kristen did hardly any acting in Lost in Space. She usually had next to no role. I guess some cast members are there just because of good looks.
Do you remember when (in Follow the Leader) Prof Robinson began to chew out Smith for being late for breakfast? ("Don't you touch that fork Dr. Smith...") He also snarled at his wife. ("Because I said so! Are there any objections Maureen??") And later when "Penny" said she had never seen dad so bossy and so mean?
So do you recall Vincent Beck ("Megazor") in the Hunter's Moon episode?
December 1, 2019
I noticed that Marta Kristen did very little acting in Lost in Space. Looks are most likely what enabled her to be on the show. I remember the scene where Professor Robinson got angry at Dr. Smith for being late for breakfast. Megazor was a cold hearted character in the episode called Hunter's Moon.
I remember an episode titled The Dream Monster. There is a space alien called Sesmar; he is played by John Abbott. Sesmar has an android named Raddion. The Robinson family become victims of Sesmar's deception. He drains their emotions. Major Don West and Dr. Smith rescue the Robinsons from their dilemma.
Offhand, I don't remember the dream monster episode. Do you recall an episode--possibly the only one in which Cartwright played a major role--in which "Penny" talked to a strange voice in a cave and even brought a book to read to it?
Yes, Megazor was cold hearted. He told "Will" he didn't have parents but was born in an incubator--an "advanced model"--in which feelings were removed from him at stage three of the incubation process. Something like that. Will then said he felt sorry for Megazor, who got angry, and blew up when Will said he was just offering his sympathy. "The offer is refused!!!"
December 2, 2019
I remember the episode about the voice in the cave. It was a life force which was not incarnated. The title of that episode is My friend, Mr. Nobody. You're right; Angela Cartwright played a significant role in that episode. I remember Megazor blowing up; he had quite a temper.
Silly as LIS usually was, it could get clever and humorous. Do you remember the end of Hunter's Moon, when Prof Robinson was talking to Will? Something like "Your mother may have some defective thoughts of her own." He was, of course, alluding to Megazor's view of human ways.
Just prior to that, after Robinson fooled Megazor and beat him in a fight, the Zon robot appeared and told him "You've earned 100 points for your cleverness Earthman. Care to try for another 400 for a crack at the throne?" Robinson replied that he had "two many earthly defects to be a good ruler of your civilization."
As for that voice in the cave. I don't remember much of the plot. How did it turn out?
December 2, 2019
Btw we're now getting hit by snow and other precipitation here. CT wasn't fully spared the storm which clobbered so much of the West. How's AR doing?
December 2, 2019
I remember that end of the episode called Hunter's Moon. There was some humor to it. The episode about the voice in the cave, i.e. My friend, Mr. Nobody, was peculiar. That entity was difficult to define. It was very close to the end of the episode when the robot identified it as a "cosmic force". The being finally manifested itself with a physical appearance at the end; it appeared in the sky in the shape of a galaxy. Major Don West and Dr. Smith were at the area in which the cave was located. Smith caused a large explosion by hurling some explosive down in a hole. That caused part of the cave's roof to collapse. The being with the strange voice thought that someone was trying to harm Penny. West and Smith got out of the area, though it was a close call, and so did Penny. The Mr. Nobody being began causing winds and a storm-like phenomenon. That finally stopped when Penny begged for Mr. Nobody to cease what he was doing. Smith had taken some diamonds from the area and he threw them forward, saying that Mr. Nobody could have them. From an overall perspective, I would say that it was among the sophisticated episodes of Lost in Space.
Arkansas has not had snow yet, but the temperature is very cold. The wind chill factor is adding to the severity.
Thanks very much for the info on that LIS episode. Do you remember another one in which the landing site was taken over by a female supremacist and her lackeys? Hardly a favorite episode of mine...
Among the silliest was "the great vegetable rebellion." Remember when a good looking alien turned out to be malevolent and a homely one good?
December 3, 2019
Unfortunately I'll have a shoveling chore this morning....
December 3, 2019
The chore was worse than I expected. Good thing the worst is behind us.
December 3, 2019
I remember all three of those episodes. The one about the female supremacist is titled The Lackeys. Francine York played as Niolani. That one is not one of my favorites, either. I agree; The Great Vegetable Rebellion was extremely ridiculous. It wins a blue ribbon prize for silliness. The Golden Man is the one about the two space aliens with contrasting looks, the ugly one being the hero and the other being the villain.
That must have been quite a task shoveling the snow out of the driveway. Snow has not hit Arkansas yet, but I will not be surprised if we get it soon.
Even Hunter's Moon had a silly scene, where Smith and Will were looking around at the camp perimeter, and met a rock monster.
There was another episode, about a robot who comes to the Robinsons' and tries to replace their robot. But I don't recall the whole plot.
December 3, 2019
You're right; that particular scene was silly. I recall that episode about another robot, but I don't remember many details about it.
There was an episode called Deadliest of the Species, which had some silliness. A female robot arrived and the Robinsons' robot fell in love with her. Some androids were pursuing her.
One strange thing about LIS is that, although it basically seemed like a kiddie show, some of the talk was rather sophisticated Examples: "You will be relegated to the status of an inactive bystander." "The list of your defects is too long for rectification." "Pursuant to such an impossible contingency." The last, btw, was spoken by Megazor when Robinson asked what he would get if he won the hunt.
December 4, 2019
I'm glad the snowstorm is behind us.
Getting back to LIS. Did you notice that at first the robot seemed very impersonal but later because more "human"? In one silly scene Will was trying to organize a play and the robot said on his own "Because baby,it's cold out there."
December 4, 2019
I have a hunch that Arkansas will soon get some snow. You're right; the robot became more like a human as time went on. I remember that scene where the robot made the remark about it being cold outside. Another silly scene was where the robot got drunk.
The robot got drunk??! How? If I remember right it once said to a hispanic guy it didn't drunk fermented beverages.
December 4, 2019
Btw do you remember the scene where Smith and West wound up on some hot place, where they got a big chunk of ice in exchange for work?
December 4, 2019
It was tricked into getting drunk; as I recall, some oil spiked with liquor was put in the robot. I remember the episode about the hot place. They were in a situation that was definitely not fun.
Yeah, I remember West said "How do they expect us to survive in this heat?"
Btw to my knowledge, all but two of the original cast members are still alive. Guy Williams died in 1989, Harris around 2005 (or 2002?). But the others are still alive, even Lockhart, though she she's now very old.
Did you see any of the interview of Billy Mumy on youtube? How Irwin Allen turned down his proposal for an LIS sequel c 1980?
December 5. 2019
June Lockhart is still alive and you're right; she is quite old. She is now 94. I've seen some interviews with Billy Mumy on TV; I need to see some of the ones on YouTube. I watched the Lost in Space movie in 1998. Jonathan Harris died in 2002. Bob May, i.e. the robot, died in 2009. But all of the other cast members are still living.
LIS had a high proportion of young cast members and not just the kids. Mark Goddard was pretty young but like Lockhart he's pretty old now.
Isn't it remarkable how diverse the backgrounds of the cast members was? I think Cartwright was from the UK. Harris was the son of Russian jewish immigrants who lived in the Bronx. Williams was also from NY but of Italian ancestry. His real surname IIRC was Catalano.
I heard that Williams was really living it up during his last days, after he moved to Argentina. His Zorro character was popular there and he was treated like royalty.
December 5, 2019
I agree; that was a diverse cast in terms of ethnic backgrounds. You're right; Angela Cartwright is originally from Britain. She and her family moved to the U.S. As I've mentioned, her sister Veronica played on the TV series Daniel Boone. Guy Williams had a great time in Argentina during his last years. In addition to playing as Professor Robinson and Zorro, he also had some guest roles on various TV series. For example, I saw him on some episodes of Bonanza. Mark Goddard played on the soap opera The Doctors for a while. Jonathan Harris had a role on the Bill Dana show before he played as Dr. Smith on Lost in Space.
I remember a Bonanza episode with Guy Williams in it. But don't you think Prof. Robinson was his best role, the one he's best remembered for, at least in the US?
Were Angela's parents in show biz, so the kids already had a foot in the door so to speak? What about Mumy's background? I don't know about that. But I heard he wasn't very successful in acting after LIS. A guy into actors said few child stars succeed as adults.
In the interview, Mumy said he cried in '68 when he heard LIS was being cancelled. After three years the other cast members had become like family to him.
December 6, 2019
I agree; Professor Robinson was the best role played by Guy Williams. Angela Cartwright's parents must have had some type of connection with show business. She had some child star roles prior to playing as Penny on Lost in Space. One was in the movie called The Sound of Music; Angela played as one of the Baron von Trapp's daughters. Billy Mumy had a few roles after LIS; he played as Lennier on Babylon 5. As we know, that was a spin-off from the second Star Trek series. I watched very few episodes of Babylon 5. Billy Mumy was in a movie titled Bless the Beasts and the Children. That movie is not especially well known.
People in Latin America held Williams in high esteem because of his role as Zorro. But I concur; Prof. Robinson is considered his best role here and probably in Europe too. Back around 1972, somebody said that in Ireland LIS was a big hit, on all the stations (every day?). Of course by then it was passe here (!) but still what Williams is best known for.
Did you hear that during the filming of one episode Williams was on a golf course in Santa Monica and played a brief role via telephone?
Williams was the first cast member to die, three decades ago. Goddard and Lockhart sure outlived him, though he got to live like royalty in the last decade or so of his life.
I assume that, whenever the cast wasn't in a studio, or were outside, they filmed in some desert or semiarid area of California.
So Angela had a role in The Sound of Music, even before LIS. Her parents must have been in show business, or pretty influential. How else can you explain it? Kristen might've been considered a stunning beauty but not Cartwright. Somebody had to have "pulled strings" for her--presumably her parents.
I don't recall watching Babylon 5, and am not familiar with Lennier. What sort of role was that?
December 6, 2019
Lost in Space was a big hit in Europe and also in some Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon. I did not know about the role that Williams played by telephone. The major function of Lennier on Babylon 5 was serving as a diplomatic aide to Delenn, who was played by Mira Furlan. I agree; someone pulled strings to get roles for Angela Cartwright.
Of all the old shows I remember from the '60s (including "Batman" and "The Wild, Wild West") none captured my imagination quite like Lost in Space. Sometimes the silliness of scenes made me ashamed to be seen watching it, but it had a kind of hold over me, a certain mystique. As you no doubt noticed, LIS was heavily influenced by UFO reports. The "Jupiter 2" was an Earthly UFO. The unspoken assumption, it seemed, was that UFOs are real and before long we'd have them and travel in space ourselves.
December 7, 2019
I also watched Batman and The Wild Wild West, but like Lost in Space more. It and Star Trek were my favorites. You're right; UFO reports influenced LIS. There was a sci fi show in the 1970s called Land of the Lost, but it was far less popular than LIS or Star Trek.
What was Land of the Lost about?
December 8, 2019
Land of the Lost was about a man named Rick Marshall and his two kids, a son named Will and a daughter named Holly. The three get teleported into an alternate universe. They are on a planet which has a huge number of dinosaurs. The Marshalls also encounter some highly intelligent and advanced beings called Sleestak which walked upright in a bipedal way. However, the Sleestak are somewhat reptiloid in their features. They are not the nicest creatures to get to know. The Pakuni are primate-like. They are not as smart as the Sleestak, but are nicer. Land of the Lost started in 1974 and lasted until 1977.
Do you remember other programs back then, like Quincy and Family? Any favorite episodes?
Back around 1969 there was a TV series called Land of the Giants or some such. Remember that? In one episode a young (giant) girl behaved sadistically toward the main cast but ended up getting spanked for using matches in the fake town they were in.
December 8, 2019
I remember Quincy and Family, but I did not watch it. I saw a few episodes of Land of the Giants. I recall that episode that you mentioned. There were various shows that I watched, including Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, etc. In the last part of the 1970s, a show called Facts of Life appeared and it lasted for nine years. I watched it quite a lot. That show was about four school girls named Blair, Jo, Tootie, and Natalie.
I never watched most of those shows. What happened in Facts of Life? Btw I'm in an fb group called Introverts over Fifty.
December 9, 2019
In Facts of Life, Blair, Jo, Natalie, and Tootie were friends at a private school. They got into some trouble, and were put out of their dorm. However, a woman named Mrs. Garrett allowed them to stay in her house. She was an official of the school. So they got to stay in school. Otherwise, the girls would have had to go home and face their parents. Those girls had a lot of learning experiences. They grew up on the show.
Neal, do you remember a '60s TV series about a futuristic submarine, starring Richard Basehart?
December 10, 2019
I just recalled the name of the program--Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
December 10, 2019
Yes, I remember that show. Irwin Allen created it. David Hedison also starred in the series.The name of the submarine was the Seaview.
I remember Hedison in that show, and the name of the sub. Do you remember one episode in which the crew recovered a flying saucer and opened it to find a humanlike alien ?
Is Hedison still alive, by the way? If I remember right he had a role in the movie "The Enemy Below."
December 11, 2019
Robert Mitchum had the lead role in that movie.
December 11, 2019
Hedison died very recently; it was during this year. I remember the episode in which they encountered the UFO. The name of it is The Sky is Falling. Btw Doug McClure was also in the cast of The Enemy Below.
I must have missed Hedison's obit. I didn't remember the name of that Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode but recall at one point the alien asked what material the wall of the sub was made of and was told it was "steel, which can withstand the pressure of the sea."
What role did McClure play in The Enemy Below?
December 12, 2019
McClure played as Ensign Merry; it was a minor role. He had more significant roles in The Land that Time Forgot, Warlords of Atlantis, The House Where Evil Dwells, and The People that Time Forgot.
I assume you also watched other '60s shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. What were your favorite episodes? I remember a Twilight Zone episode about a car whose owner must tell the truth, even the crooked used car dealer. I thought it was hilarious.
December 13, 2019
I watched those shows. My favorite episode of The Twilight Zone was Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? I have two big favorite episodes from The Outer Limits. One is ZZZZZ; it is where Regina the Queen Bee turns human. Joanna Frank is in that episode. Another of my favorite episodes of The Outer Limits is Cold Hands Warm Heart. William Shatner plays as an astronaut who has dreams about a space alien that he saw on Venus.
What was the plot in Will the Real Martian Please Stand up? William Shatner's role in Cold Hands Warm Heart was before Star Trek wasn't it?
Btw how was the Venusian environment depicted in that episode?
December 13, 2019
Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up starts with two state troopers investigating what was apparently a UFO crash in a pond. They follow some tracks that go in the direction of a small café. There are two people from other planets at the café, one from Mars (posing as a human named Ross) and the other from Venus (posing as a human named Haley). It turns out that Ross is a Martian scout sent ahead of the Martian fleet that is planning to invade Earth. Haley soon informs Ross that the Venusian fleet has intercepted and wiped out the Martian fleet. He lets it be known that an invasion of Earth will occur, but it won't be from Mars; it will be from Venus.
The Venusian environment is portrayed as being extremely inhospitable in Cold Hands, Warm Heart. In the episode, the astronaut orbits Venus and perceives that it is not suitable for colonization.
Since about 1962, researchers have known Venus has a broiling, uninhabitable environment. It's not surprising that producers of an early/mid '60s show were aware of this. It contrasts with the '50s tales of Adamski and others about "Venusians."
Do you remember any other episodes of The Twilight Zone, for example the crooked used car dealer who had to tell the truth?Or the young lady who set off on a trip across the continental US?
One episode I recall is the former nazi officer who returns to Dachau. Remember that one?
December 14, 2019
You're right; that episode is formatted in a way that is consistent with scientific facts about Venus. I don't remember those episodes of the Twilight Zone. I may watch them on YouTube. While I was a kid, I read comic books and novels about Venus having life on it. They were entertaining fantasies, but not realistic.
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a series of fantasy fiction books about Venus. They featured a guy named Carson Napier.
William Shatner played in an episode of The Twilight Zone, one titled Nightmare at 20,000 feet. A man who is a passenger on an airliner sees weird creatures outside when he looks out the window.
What did those weird creatures look like? Space aliens?
December 15, 2019
Do you remember The Outer Limits episode Galaxy Being? When I first saw that as a kid around 1964 it was scary but when I saw it again as an adult early in this century it seemed ludicrously silly.
December 15, 2019
Those creatures definitely looked like space aliens. I don't remember the episode Galaxy Being. I remember watching an episode called The Forms of Things Unknown. In that episode, two women kill a man who has been blackmailing them. But they soon find that he has come back to life. That was accidentally caused by a special type of device that an inventor made. It reverses events. The inventor did not intend to bring the blackmailer back to life. David McCallum played as the inventor.
You don't remember the episode where actor Cliff Robertson (?) seeking to contact alien life, got an alien on his viewing screen and it came out into our world? I remember a kid who also saw it said he was afraid the alien would then come out of HIS TV.
Did the creatures seen by Shatner do anything to him?
December 16, 2019
I don't remember the episode about the alien coming out of the viewing screen. What the space aliens did to Shatner was mental. He was absolutely hysterical. Everyone on the plane was thinking that he was crazy and hallucinating. The aliens did some damage to the exterior of the plane. After the plane had landed, some mechanics noticed the damage that the aliens had done. They were aware that something had been out there.
That reminds me of certain UFO reports, in which ETs interact with a single witness but leave behind some evidence albeit limited.
Do you remember any episodes of the Family show? I never knew the names of cast members but recall a dark haired girl named Annie. One day she tried to make $ by means of a scam routine in which she seemed to accidently break stuff she was trying to sell. In another episode, the son of the family tried to hire an ex-prostitute as a secretary but it didn't work out. The first day at work, she showed up wearing a low cut top, which wasn't appropriate but she said it was "the best I could do."
I recall another episode in which a man surnamed Gantry (who wanted his abused wife and kids back?) tried to terrorize the family to get the attorney father to go along.
What about The Wild, Wild West? Remember an episode in which West wound up in a prison colony and escaped, and the commandant was attacked by a shark while chasing him?
December 16, 2019
You don't remember the Twilight Zone episode about the former nazi officer who returned to Dachau?
December 16, 2019
I don't remember the Twilight Zone episode about the former Nazi officer. I remember a show called Family. I watched a few episodes of it. The actress Kristy McNichol was in it. She has played in a number of movies since then. I watched a movie called The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia. Kristy was in that one. The Wild Wild West was a show that I frequently watched. I remember the episode in which James West and Artemus Gordon escaped from that penal colony. The prison was Devil's Island. Interestingly enough, I was thinking about that episode and the shark attack a few days ago.
Do you remember the Wild, Wild West episode in which wealthy underworld figures were trying to outbid one another for a kind of supergun? If I remember right, at the last minute West succeed in redirecting its fire from Denver to uninhabited desert. The man trying to sell it had warned the US government if it tried to interfere he'd blow Denver off the map.
There was another old TV series-Quincy. Do you remember that one and any good episodes?
December 18, 2019
I remember that episode. The name of it is Night of the Falcon. Robert Duvall played as Dr. Humphries, the villain with the cannon. I remember when the TV series Quincy was on the air, but I never watched it.
Remember "Hawaii five o"(sp?) ? In one episode kids who were model airplane operators used their creations to steal jewels. But they got mixed up with real underworld figures. In another episode a mob family who lost their son vowed vengeance on McGarret. They showed a tomb with "McGarret 1972" on it, and hired a pro hit man. Remember those?
Btw what did you think of the Batman show? I watched it but don't recall very much of it, certainly not with much interest.
December 19, 2019
I remember Hawaii five o; it was a show that I watched fairly often. I remember those episodes that you mentioned. There was one episode in which McGarret caught a serial killer. The name of it is One for the Money. I recall an episode called No Blue Skies. Tommy Sands was a guest star in it. He played the role of a burglar who stole jewelry. I watched the Batman Show but I did not have too much interest in it. I'll put it this way: I don't Batman episodes on YouTube.
I never bothered to watch a Batman episode on youtube either. I've seen vids of several Lost in Space episodes, and others but not Batman.
How did McGarret catch the serial killer?
Did you watch All in the Family back in the '70s?
Also do you remember the comedy with Jackie Gleason (The Honeymooners or some such)? Far from a favorite show but I do recall a few episodes.
December 19, 2019
On to a more serious subject: What was the first dinosaur book you read, and when? I got Colbert's DINOSAURS THEIR DISCOVERY AND THEIR WORLD from the library back around 1965. Prior to that I received DINOSAURS AND OTHER PREHISTORIC ANIMALS, originally published I think in 1959.
Did you see the big dinosaur models at the NY World's Fair in 1964 or '65?
December 19, 2019
McGarret set the serial killer up. The serial killer was going to kill someone who could testify against him. McGarret knew who the killer was and nabbed him before he could kill the witness. I occasionally watched All in the Family. There were a few episodes of the Honeymooners, i.e. a part of the Jackie Gleason show.
The first dinosaur book that I read was the How and Why Wonder Book of Dinosaurs. I saw some photos of the huge dinosaur models at the NY World's Fair.
First, thanks for the nice card you sent! :) It was certainly a pleasant surprise.
I remember THE HOW AND WHY WONDER BOOK OF DINOSAURS, but no longer have it. It was softcover wasn't it? I already posted about the other, hardcover book in my fb timeline and in fb dinosaur groups.
Did you see Colbert's aforementioned book, published in 1961?
December 20, 2019
You're welcome, Tim. The HOW AND WONDER BOOK OF DINOSAURS was softcover. I saw Colbert's book. It has plenty of good information on dinosaurs. We got started early with paleontology. Our knowledge of it has grown through the years. The internet has been extremely helpful.
Colbert's 1961 book, DINOSAURS THEIR DISCOVERY AND THEIR WORLD, seemed like a great book down to the time I saw it-- 1965. Very soon afterwards, however, many of its views were challenged. Cold blooded dinosaurs, aquatic sauropods etc soon fell out of vogue.
By the way, did you see McLoughlin's ARCHOSAURIA? Published around 1979, it had more up to date views.
December 21, 2019
Btw the full title of that book is ARCHOSAURIA A New Look at the Old Dinosaur.
December 21, 2019
I haven't seen McLoughlin's Archosauria, but I'll see about having a look at it. During my childhood, I also read a How and Why Wonder Book called Prehistoric Man. It gave me some good basic information on fossil mammals. In addition, I read a How and Why Wonder Book titled Primitive Man. That one had some fundamental facts on palaeoanthropology.
Was the book on primitive man about relatively recent cultures as opposed to those of several thousand years ago? How old were those HOW AND WHY WONDER books? About 60 years? Of course much more in all fields has been learned since then. What more up to date books have you read? Archosauria is about 40 years old. I was considering getting a book on sauropods and one on tyrannosaurs.
I’m sure those books are informative. One thing I’ve learned, though, is the importance of accessing primary sources i.e. original scientific reference material.
December 22, 2019
Did you see Hone’s book on tyrannosaurs?
December 23, 2019
I haven't seen Hone's book on tyrannosaurs, but I need to have a look at it. The book on primitive man covered Cro-Magnon, Neanderthals, and Peking Man but it did not mention Homo habilis or Homo erectus. Of course, a lot of research on palaeoanthropology has been done since the book was written. I got the book in the fall of 1961, which was when I was in the 3rd grade. The book had been published a couple of years earlier. In terms of palaeoanthropology, I've been reading a lot of recent articles, though I need to also get some books on the subject.
My books on tyrannosaurs aren't very up to date, but I still have recent primary sources.
Btw do you have any books on UFOs, other than those I wrote? I have quite a number of them. What about books on Ancient Rome and Greece?
December 24, 2019
I almost forgot--have a great XMass!
December 24, 2019
I have some books on ancient Greeks and Romans. They include Caesar's Commentaries (translated by Rex Warner) and some plays by Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Plautus. In addition, I have a translation (By W.H.D. Rouse) of the Dialogues of Plato. I'm well supplied with books pertaining to the Greeks and Romans. The only UFO books that I have are ones that you also have. I need to get some more UFO books. Have a Merry Christmas!
It's a blessing in disguise that my UFO books are the only ones you have for, as I show, most others are disinformation. That's true even of Friedman's and Randle's books. Hope you're having a wonderful holiday!
December 25, 2019
Yours are the best. I'm having a wonderful day today. My family and I will have a big Christmas meal at noon.
What did you eat at noon on christmas day? Must've been a real feast. :)
December 26, 2019
We had ham and dressing, along with fruit salad. It was delicious.
No doubt it was. :) Btw have you kept any diaries yourself? You may not have the time.
December 26, 2019
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