Dark Matters Radio, Tuesday April 30th

Okay, just this once

I think I'm crazier than the people claiming UFOs and aliens are here checking out Earth.  Siriusly, I must be a nut because I have been talked into appearing on Don Ecker's radio program this coming Tuesday, April 30th to discuss the recent film Sirius starring "Commander" Steven Greer (yes, you read correctly, "commander").  

I have seen the Sirius film and it lived up to absolutely nothing it was hyped as being.  Tune in to Dark Matters Radio http://www.dqrm.com/ on April 30th to hear all about it.

I'll be joining the ever politically incorrect Don Ecker and a cast of characters including David Biedny (aka Angry Human) and Lance Moody.  Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!  Just for this one time only though, kids.  Life without UFOs and the nuts, fanatics, and delusional fruitcakes that go along with them has been very good.

Sirius-ly Skewed

Early Test Results on Humanoid Released

Greer releases alleged test results on humanoid body he claims is extraterrestrial

UFO believer Steven Greer has released new information about the Atacama Humanoid that has been played up as being an authentic extraterrestrial body.  Make no mistake about it, Greer has stated as fact in radio interviews and in print that the humanoid (pictured above) is indeed an extraterrestrial being.

Alleged test results released today state that findings show the humanoid is "male" and survived for a period of "6 to 8 years" post birth".  No other information about the testing has been released.

The obvious question here is that if this an extraterrestrial, how does anyone know it to be male?  The real problem here lies within the carrot being dangled by Greer and the film Sirius; if the humanoid body testing concludes it not to be human in origin, this does not equate it to being extraterrestrial.  Any number of new life forms are found on earth in a given year from rain forests to the oceans. If the Atacama Humanoid is proven to be an undocumented life form, it would be incredible but again does not immediately mean it is extraterrestrial.

Greer has already advertised that the area the humanoid body was found in has UFO activity.  So by this default logic the humanoid surely is extraterrestrial.  This is like saying everyone who lives near a gravel quarry must own a lot of rocks.  Greer's attempt to tie supposed UFO activity in the area and the humanoid body into one convenient package is nonsensical.

Sirius is some serious trouble if it doesn't live up to the hype, and not many are expecting it will.

05/01/13:  Someone asked where Greer had claimed this now clearly human body was extraterrestrial.  Not only did Greer make this proclamation on radio, he also made it in the film Sirius where Greer states, while describing a skull fracture on the body, "That's how this ET being was killed."

Sirius-ly?

Alleged Alien Body in Film Nothing New

Dr. Steven Greer's upcoming film Sirius is looking more like Alien Autopsy II

than any sort of startling revelation

If at first you don't succeed, rinse and repeat.  Recycling tidbits from alleged UFOs and aliens is nothing new.  Remember the alleged piece of Roswell debris and how many times that was passed off as authentic?  How about Alien Autopsy and word from the producers that there was another film that hadn't been released?  In all, these and other wild claims have spawned a number of clones and rip offs.

It should come as no surprise then that the alleged alien being promoted in Steven Greer's upcoming film Sirius has a similar history.  The good folks at The Huffington Post, among others, have pointed out that this alleged alien body already made the rounds ten years ago.

Found in October 2003, a local was digging around in the ruins of a Chilean ghost town near an old church when he discovered the remains wrapped in a white cloth.  The remains were sold a few times before winding up in the hands of a Barcelona businessman named Ramon Navia-Osorio, who also happens to head a UFO organization.  Rumor is that Greer discovered the creature during a trip to Barcelona.

Navia-Osorio had the remains examined by several experts, including a forensic medical specialist who concluded the remains were that of a human fetus.  But this information apparently did not refrain Greer from promoting supposed DNA evidence and making a sensationalized trailer for the Sirius film.

Greer used Kickstarter to raise the money for the film and testing and called it "the highest documentary crowd funding in history."  The film will premiere April 22, 2013 and can be purchased for streaming.

Admittedly, the trailer for the film is extremely well done.  However, it looks as though once this film premieres it will quickly become a less than memorable drop in the pan. That is, unless there is solid and independently verifiable evidence presented.  But like a lot of Greer's evidence, including his claims of a military led nerve gas attack on aliens, this is looking more like a grab for dollars than a pure pursuit of one of the greatest mysteries.

04/17/13: A person named David Wilcock appears in the trailer for the Sirius film. For those unfamiliar with Wilcock, he claims to be the reincarnation of Edgar Casey. This is not the type of currency that buys you any sort of credibility.

Pay Up: Morton Owes in SEC Fraud Case

FINAL JUDGEMENT ISSUED IN MORTON FRAUD CASE

Two year case comes to a close as Morton is ordered to pay millions in 'psychic scheme'

Sean David Morton (pictured above) was accused by the SEC of defrauding

millions from investors

How many psychic readings would $11,535,382.18 buy?  Apparently not enough for self proclaimed psychic Sean David Morton to see that would be the amount he is now liable for paying from his involvement in what the SEC called a 'psychic scheme' that Morton used to swindle investors out of millions of dollars.

Judge Katherine B. Forrest today issued a final order of judgement against Morton and other defendants, including his wife Melissa Ann Morton, commanding "disgorgement of all investor funds unlawfully diverted" by The Mortons for their personal use.  You can read the order against Sean David Morton here.

In addition to Sean David Morton being ordered to pay nearly $12mil, co-defendant Melissa Ann Morton was ordered to pay $574,128.23.  You can read the order against Melissa Ann Morton here.

The lawsuit filed by the SEC accused The Mortons of falsifying investor data, illegally diverting funds, and centered around Sean David Morton's false claims of being able to use psychic powers to predict the stock market.  The SEC contends that Morton's predictions were inaccurate and that Morton also lied about investment accounts being audited and certified.  In all, $6mil of investor money was lost with only half of that sum actually being invested.

Today's final judgement order brings an end to nearly two years of litigation that saw The Morton's attempting to bog down the courts with a plethora of inane legal briefings rambling about The Morton's being immune from U.S. jurisdiction even though they reside in the state of California.  The Morton's appeared desperate during the filings going so far as claiming to be ambassadors from something referred to as the Republic of New Lemuria.  The Mortons even provided the court copies of what they alleged were official New Lemuria credentials and claimed they had diplomatic immunity.

Court Issues Judgement Against Mortons

Federal Judge Rules Against Mortons in Fraud Lawsuit

The Mortons fail to appear for a mandatory court appearance and are ordered to pay nearly $12-million in fines and fees for defrauding investors

Sean David Morton (pictured above) and his wife, Melissa Ann Morton, were accused

by the SEC of defrauding investors out of millions of dollars

Sean David Morton's supposed psychic ability failed when he was unable to predict the outcome of an SEC lawsuit filed against him and others for what the SEC called a "psychic scheme" designed to defraud investors out of millions of dollars.

Trouble began for The Mortons when the SEC launched an investigation into an investment group that Morton promised would net large returns based on his psychic predictions of the stock market.  Morton attempted to stop the investigation through litigation and failed, claiming he was being targeted by the government so SEC officials could visit California and go to Disneyland.

The lawsuit, filed by the SEC in March 2010, was slowed down due to a number of baffling, rambling and disjointed papers filed with the court by The Mortons, as well as The Mortons trying to evade being served papers and not cooperating during the discovery process.  Judge Katherine B. Forrest issued an order for The Mortons to appear in court on February 11, 2013 for a summary judgement hearing.

The legal antics didn't end there and continued with The Mortons filing over ten briefs with the courts including a motion for a change of venue and a letter from Sean David Morton alleging that he is "a duly appointed Ambassador" for the Republic of New Lemuria.

The Mortons alleged in an unusual letter to the court that they were not under the jurisdiction of the federal government and claimed to be ambassadors from the "sovereign California republic", yet asked for the date of appearance to be changed because they were unable to travel due to being "financially destitute".  The letter can be read here.

The Mortons later filed with the court blaming their failure to appear on weather conditions on the east coast and that the court had not provided them with ways "to defray the costs of airfare, hotel and travel costs to appear in a jurisdiction that is Foreign/Non-Domestic to the State of New York, New York State, the federal Southern District of New York and to the domicile of the de jure State Nationals of the California Republic."  The document appears to be faxed from what The Mortons refer to as the Republic of New Lemuria.

Since The Mortons failed to appear as ordered by the court, a default judgement was entered against them ordering them to pay nearly $12,000,000.

Sean David Morton was scheduled to give a presentation tonight entitled "How to Secede from the U.S. Incorporated (Everything you always wanted to know about getting the Gov't off your back, but were afraid to ask)".  It is unknown if he would be charging to make anyone an ambassador to the Republic of New Lemuria...

Judge Orders Sean David Morton to Appear

Sean David Morton, Melissa Ann Morton Ordered to Appear for Hearing in Alleged Securities Fraud Case

Sean David Morton (left) and Melissa Ann Morton are accused of defrauding investors out of nearly $6,000,000 in what has been called a psychic scheme.

The wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do grind fine and this is what many investors who were allegedly hustled by self proclaimed psychic Sean David Morton are hoping for. 

On December 20th, 2012, United States District Judge Katherine B. Forrest ordered both Sean David Morton and his wife, Melissa Ann Morton, to stand ready for what appears to be a possible trial. Someone named John Woodie who is listed as an agent of the Mortons is also commanded to appear.  The mandatory appearance is set to take place on February 11, 2013 at 1PM.

The order, which can be read right here (PDF), clearly states that if The Mortons do not appear that a summary judgement will be entered against them and the Securities & Exchange Commission will likely be granted several items they've asked for, including that The Morton disgorge all of their ill-gotten gains from the alleged scam.

Through his newsletter, radio interviews, and workshops, Sean David Morton boasted of using his alleged psychic abilities to predict the stock market and make millions.  After forming an investment portfolio of nearly $6,000,000.00, the SEC began investigating what they allege were staggering losses of funds, misappropriation of funds, falsified investment data, and the failing of Sean David Morton to ever accurately predict the stock market as he claimed.

The case has dragged on since March 2010 after The Mortons filed a barrage of rambling and disjointed legal filings claiming that they were sovereign citizens of the "California Bear Flag Republic" and therefor not subject to the federal court.

In addition the the charges of fraud, The Mortons have also been accused of judicial abuse, failing to appear at depositions, and dodging being served legal papers. 

The SEC's original press release can be found here along with a copy of the complaint filed against The Mortons and other parties.

Jim Mosely has left the planet

James W. Moseley, 1931 - 2012

I'm saddened to hear of the passing of Jim Moseley.  I could get all sappy and woeful about Jim's passing, but he never struck me as the kind of guy who would've appreciated any sort of pity party.

Jim founded the delightful Saucer Smear newsletter.  Never read an issue of Saucer Smear?  How dare you.  Complete your life and go read some Saucer Smear right now.  Take the advice of Jim about his newsletter, "Own a genuine artifact of ufological history!  Line your birdcage for pennies a sheet! Back issues available for the last 46 years! "

Jim also wrote a memoir on his flying saucers days called Shockingly Close to the Truth: Confessions of a Grave Robbing Ufologist.  I spoke to Jim on a few occasions and was honored to have been included in a couple of issues of Smear.

Jim was hilariously unafraid to call a lot of nuts, well, nuts.  This included a variety of UFO and paranormal wackos ranging from Erik Beckjord to Bill Cooper.  Jim produced each issue of Saucer Smear using only a typewriter and copy machine. 

Here is a small sample of the wisdom of Jim Moseley:

"The most hilarious web posting we have read in a very long time comes from Whitley Strieber's "Unknown Country", dated 9/30/05. Linda Moulton Howe is described as "our Dreamland science reporter". We ask - what, if any, are the scientific qualifications of this pleasant but extremely gullible lady?? Inquiring minds would like to know!"-- Saucer Smear, Vol. 52, Issue No. 10

Godspeed, Jim!