Steve Warner's Dark City

[Ms. C]

You definitely can do an excellent show even with a guest whose tale is way out there. 
Your guest did speak in a  coherent manner ... no babbling and had an answer for each question you asked.  Now, do I believe in what he is trying to sell .... hmmmm, NO, but Steve your interviewing skills and respect for him really was outstanding!
Thanks for the entertainment!   

[GeoNemesis]

I just listened to Steve's show with Dr. Aquino to prepare for tonights MITD show. Dark City is a good show and I just wish Steve had more time with his guests.

Thank you Steve!

[Lilith]

Gosh bateman, just got finished listening to you interview Mark Sargent.  The two of you sounded so interested and engaged in the subject matter, that the show would have had my ears glued to my speakers, no matter if I adhered to the flat earth theory, or not.  Great Show as always !!!!!

[astroguy]

I'm in the middle of listening to the Hoagland interview from  2013.  He was just as rude then (refusing to let Steve ask a question) as he was a few weeks ago.  Perhaps more-so.  Now I don't feel so bad for the one time I was on Timmy's show that I spoke over him a whole two times.

[Tarbaby]

Listened to Mark Sargent show. What a loon. This guy makes hoagland look perfectly sane. Solid and respectful  interviewing skills, Steve. I spent a few minutes trying to decide if the guy was completely nuts and delusional or was hoaxing us. I decided on the latter.

[jjsmooth]

I spent a few minutes trying to decide if the guy was completely nuts and delusional or was hoaxing us. I decided on the latter.

I actually spent some time looking at southern hemisphere plane flights. Took me all of 5 minutes to find direct flights between South America and Australia, between Australia and Africa, and between Africa and South America. All times were fully consistent with expected distances based on a globular earth. No need to go through a North American city. So Mark Sargent is clearly lying about several of his claims.

Why he's lying is a tougher question. I think his angle is getting youtube hits. I'm no expert on youtube, but hits translate to money, right? It always boils down to cash.

[cweb]

I actually spent some time looking at southern hemisphere plane flights. Took me all of 5 minutes to find direct flights between South America and Australia, between Australia and Africa, and between Africa and South America. All times were fully consistent with expected distances based on a globular earth. No need to go through a North American city. So Mark Sargent is clearly lying about several of his claims.

Why he's lying is a tougher question. I think his angle is getting youtube hits. I'm no expert on youtube, but hits translate to money, right? It always boils down to cash.

Steve grilled him a bit on the money issue. It doesn't seem like Mark is going for money, at least for now. He was a bit tentative about selling stuff.

Is it possible he's just building a base to get merch? Perhaps. We could speculate all day on motives. I guess we'll see over time.

[Tarbaby]

Yes. As for Motivation I was thinking a vaguely pathological predisposition for paranoia coupled with a shrewd desire to carve a unique Miche for recognitionOn the Internet. Like hoagland he has a bizarre tendency to misinterpret causal connections. and, like Hoagland, he is glib, well spoken and cogent. Yet given all that is steadfast refusal to accept the truth makes me suspect a hoax.
  All I could think of was a rather recent view of Earth from one of our spaceships as it turned around and photographed Earth hanging in black space, a tiny blue droplet… A round droplet.

[bateman]

I just listened to Steve's show with Dr. Aquino to prepare for tonights MITD show. Dark City is a good show and I just wish Steve had more time with his guests.

Thank you Steve!

My pleasure - thank yeeewww for listening. When you say more time with the guests, do you mean longer shows?

[bateman]

I actually spent some time looking at southern hemisphere plane flights. Took me all of 5 minutes to find direct flights between South America and Australia, between Australia and Africa, and between Africa and South America. All times were fully consistent with expected distances based on a globular earth. No need to go through a North American city. So Mark Sargent is clearly lying about several of his claims.

Why he's lying is a tougher question. I think his angle is getting youtube hits. I'm no expert on youtube, but hits translate to money, right? It always boils down to cash.

Might be as simple as that. "This is designed to make me money!"

[bateman]

Steve, why don't you have a youtube channel?

1. It takes forever to upload. 2. I was concerned about some of the music in there. I'll probably set one up now that I only use "podsafe" tracks.

[Maltpointer]

Sargent's a game designer, right?  I think he's basically gaming us all, not sure to what end.  Frankly, all of this would make a heckuva good novel.  Even though he's clearly cutting corners and being selective on what data is relevant or even acknowledged, his narrative holds together.  Especially considering it's such utter bullsh*t.

[Spinner]

Flat Earth. Sheesh!
Maybe I should start thinking of making a living promoting the idea that the stars are jewels embedded on the dome that covers our flat Earth.

[cweb]

Sargent's a game designer, right?  I think he's basically gaming us all, not sure to what end.  Frankly, all of this would make a heckuva good novel.  Even though he's clearly cutting corners and being selective on what data is relevant or even acknowledged, his narrative holds together.  Especially considering it's such utter bullsh*t.

You mean like he's making this all some sort of alternative reality game? That's interesting... Wouldn't be surprising considering his background.

[Maltpointer]

You mean like he's making this all some sort of alternative reality game? That's interesting... Wouldn't be surprising considering his background.

Yeah, something like that.  I just have a feeling he's looking at this exactly as he would a game design, and he's just seeing how far he can push this.  Part of what is fascinating about this guy, to me at least, is how he simultaneously seems very engaged in these ideas but doesn't come across as if he has any personal stake in whether your believe him or not.  Not sure I'm articulating that clearly, but he just reads to me like a guy who's in love with the way he fits the pieces together more than in the actual implications of the notion he's pitching.

Anyway, this podcast was an absolute blast to listen to.  Steve was terrific, as he always is, and Sargent made for a fascinating guest.

[MrHippie]

The brilliant and wonderful Bill Birnes was neutered by his early appearances on the history channels shows which featured him as a constantly blinking and sunglasses wearing UFO dude. The image is the message.

Steve Warners interview with B. Birnes was really great and displayed Bill's encyclopaedic grasp of many subjects and his desire to share his knowledge with us.

And I was shocked ... SHOCKED ... that someone uploaded the Dark City shows to Youtube without permission.

Listening to the FlatEarth show right now and my first reaction is that it reminds me of an intricate joke like
The Church of the Sub-Genius from the mostly pre web 90's

[albrecht]

Yeah, something like that.  I just have a feeling he's looking at this exactly as he would a game design, and he's just seeing how far he can push this.  Part of what is fascinating about this guy, to me at least, is how he simultaneously seems very engaged in these ideas but doesn't come across as if he has any personal stake in whether your believe him or not.  Not sure I'm articulating that clearly, but he just reads to me like a guy who's in love with the way he fits the pieces together more than in the actual implications of the notion he's pitching.

Anyway, this podcast was an absolute blast to listen to.  Steve was terrific, as he always is, and Sargent made for a fascinating guest.

Like some philosophers, lawyers (always,) or theoretical physicists/mathematicians. Not so much about the "truth" but using logic, speculation, math, argument etc to make a coherent model or theory. Maybe not true but defensible or possible? An intellectual thought-experiment, maybe?

[MrHippie]

On part 2 at about 37:30 on the the Bill Birnes show Bill says " people call it the Oz edffect where people dont Grock what has happened to them"

Grock !  Grock !!! ,

Thats it.   Mrs. MrHippie and and I have decided to spend our last years with Bbirnes and Nbirnes. Any body who uses this word in regular conversation is our soulmate.

Sure, it will be a life change. We are straight and not swingers but we are willing to take one for the team,,, so to speak.

So, please expect a note about our arrival plans and  meal requirements.

Kisses and Hugs
MrHippie and Mrs. Dr. Girlfriend the MrHippie.

[Soylentblue]

I had the feeling that Mark Sargent was grinning from ear to ear as he was being interviewed on DarkCity.

I bet in a years time he announces that he was pulling one on the public and showing them how gullible they really are when it comes to science.

[BobGrau]

I had the feeling that Mark Sargent was grinning from ear to ear as he was being interviewed on DarkCity.

I bet in a years time he announces that he was pulling one on the public and showing them how gullible they really are when it comes to science.

Gullible? I don't see how enjoying the interview equates with believing anything.

[The Neverender]

My girl friend was giving me strange looks when I was listening to the interview... When she started shaking her head I turned it off and finished listening when she was gone... Enjoyed the interview as always

[Faustina]

Is there a new Dark City on tonight?

[Catops]

I actually spent some time looking at southern hemisphere plane flights. Took me all of 5 minutes to find direct flights between South America and Australia, between Australia and Africa, and between Africa and South America. All times were fully consistent with expected distances based on a globular earth. No need to go through a North American city. So Mark Sargent is clearly lying about several of his claims.

Why he's lying is a tougher question. I think his angle is getting youtube hits. I'm no expert on youtube, but hits translate to money, right? It always boils down to cash.

I've encountered people who were completely normal in many respects but also harbored detailed delusions about what seemed to me random, easily refutable claims.  It's like there was some kind of firewall that blocked out relevant rational, factual knowledge from consideration in them.  Jonathan Kay writes a bit about that paradox in his book about Truthers.  We also see a lot of that in the UFO and alien abduction areas.

I should also add that from what I've heard on soundcloud, Steve Warner is doing a truly excellent job at finding and interviewing folks.

[Faustina]

Might be as simple as that. "This is designed to make me money!"

Is this the show that will play on the DMDN tonight?  If so, I think I'm going to skip it.  Not spooky enough of a topic for me, esp. if the guy is just a hoaxster.

[Spinner]

Is there a show tonight?

[astroguy]

Steve, I just listened to the Flat Earth interview.  I have no comments on that -- it's not even worth addressing.  However, towards the end, he suggested you have Crrow777 on.  Please, please do NOT have him on.  He is climbing in popularity these days for reasons I don't understand because of very simple, basic misunderstandings of video, optics, and electronics.  But from what I've heard of him (and I've listened to a lot of his stuff and interviews and read his material), I seriously doubt his sanity.  I worry that continued exposure is like telling someone who has paranoid schizophrenia that the government really does put radio receivers in teeth fillings.

I know you're main aim is to be entertaining and challenge your guests a bit (more-so than many hosts, which I appreciate), but I seriously think that he is delusional and one should not give him more of a platform than he already has.

[chefist]

Steve, I just listened to the Flat Earth interview.  I have no comments on that -- it's not even worth addressing.  However, towards the end, he suggested you have Crrow777 on.  Please, please do NOT have him on.  He is climbing in popularity these days for reasons I don't understand because of very simple, basic misunderstandings of video, optics, and electronics.  But from what I've heard of him (and I've listened to a lot of his stuff and interviews and read his material), I seriously doubt his sanity.  I worry that continued exposure is like telling someone who has paranoid schizophrenia that the government really does put radio receivers in teeth fillings.

I know you're main aim is to be entertaining and challenge your guests a bit (more-so than many hosts, which I appreciate), but I seriously think that he is delusional and one should not give him more of a platform than he already has.

OK...is this literal? Was this a flat Earth argument from the 6th century?

[Jackstar]

the government really does put radio receivers in teeth fillings.

I am sure that they would never use radio.

[aldousburbank]

Steve, I just listened to the Flat Earth interview.  I have no comments on that -- it's not even worth addressing.  However, towards the end, he suggested you have Crrow777 on.  Please, please do NOT have him on.  He is climbing in popularity these days for reasons I don't understand because of very simple, basic misunderstandings of video, optics, and electronics.  But from what I've heard of him (and I've listened to a lot of his stuff and interviews and read his material), I seriously doubt his sanity.  I worry that continued exposure is like telling someone who has paranoid schizophrenia that the government really does put radio receivers in teeth fillings.

I know you're main aim is to be entertaining and challenge your guests a bit (more-so than many hosts, which I appreciate), but I seriously think that he is delusional and one should not give him more of a platform than he already has.

This has the makings of a great show!

[Jackstar]

This has the makings of a great show!

Never go full radio.