Month / August 2015

by Eddie

Something on the Internet is wrong

Not exactly, Master Jones

Not exactly right, Master Jones

Kids at Guildford Grammar School, next time a teacher tells you off for just cutting and pasting from the internet without checking your sources, tell them that the school has just done exactly that.

The above poster, near the Mt Lawley underpass, has an inspirational quote from Benjamin Franklin. Well, almost from Ben.

Or, to be more exact, it’s not a quote from Benjamin Franklin at all. He never said it. Or anything like it.

The closest thing to this quote is from a 1966 educational book, although some people like to find its origin with the Chinese Confucian philosopher Xunzi (312-230 BC). However, since Xunzi wasn’t translated into English until the 20th century, Mr Franklin could not have been familiar with it.

But, if you rely on brainyquote.com for your research, you will find it incorrectly attributed to Ben there.

So kids, now you know. Passing off a quick Google as research is fully approved by your teachers. Go for it.

UPDATE: The school responds here.

by Eddie

Above top secret

It's flying. It looks like a saucer. What shall we call it?

It’s flying. It looks like a saucer. What shall we call it?

In January 1953, the Daily News ran an amused, but very short, article on four Dalwallinu residents who saw a flying saucer. Well, it may have been amusing for the journo, but the authorities took it very seriously.

A letter was immediately sent from Air Force high command to the Commissioner of Police demanding that the cops immediately interrogate the witnesses. The letter also stated that the matter was top secret and that the four individuals must not know it was the Air Force investigating their story.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s go back to the original sighting.

Richard H. and Keith M. were foxhunting just northeast of Dalwallinu. A strange object appeared in the sky, surrounded by a ring of white light. It travelled north for a while, before changing direction to the west.

Richard and Keith were able to watch the alien craft for more than twenty minutes before it finally disappeared from view.

In Dalwallinu itself, Les A. and Kenneth J. also saw something weird, this time around 9.30pm. The flying saucer was once again surrounded by a halo, but even after the craft itself had disappeared the ring of light remained in the sky for several minutes.

Les was an excellent witness, because he was an ex-RAAF pilot, and very familiar with estimating speeds and altitudes of flying things.

Just another mysterious entry in WA’s very own Project Blue Book file.