Posthuman Blues

Friend and colleague Paul Kimball has retired his UFO-oriented blog, Above and Beyond (known for most of its lifetime as The Other Side of Truth) -- and I don't blame him. The UFO subject is so riddled with ignorance and distortion -- most self-imposed, no matter how ardently devotees blame the media or government -- that attempting to infuse the subject with the measured calm that typifies Kimball's efforts is, at the very best, an uphill climb. (How to encourage a curious agnostic in reasoned study of the UFO phenomenon when the very term has become near-synonymous with lunatic fringe pursuits such as "expolitics"?)

No doubt certain true believers will welcome Paul's absence; from the beginning, The Other Side of Truth eviscerated popular myths and stalwart misconceptions with a methodical, informed tone that angered pundits on both sides of the fence. Fortunately, as Paul points out, he isn't actually going anywhere -- he's just setting aside his blogging microphone to free up time for other projects. (I sympathize completely, having effectively threatened to quit the blogging scene three or four times since Posthuman Blues' inception in 2003.)

(Paul continues to maintain a presence here. In addition, he continues to write a monthly column for the UK's Alien Worlds, a progressive and welcomingly inclusive zine well worth the cover price.)