Art Bell

[VictoriaPandora]

Holy Crap! Literally....

On the other hand, I'm almost embarrassed to say "look what I found fallen in the back of a cabinet above my stove"!! Thank goodness I only use the new stuff in the front of the cabinet!! No expiration date, any thoughts on whether it's still good? Ha ha ha! I was afraid it might explode when I found it, but I thought our vaguely loveables might want to see a bottle of Ramona's infamous "Pizza Punch". Love the dedication to Ramona on the back. It was really great on pizza in its time. Now to put on a hazmat suit to dispose of it.

Hey, if the main ingredient is vinegar I bet it's still perfectly edible.
Cute, I'd never even so much as seen the bottle before.

[cweb]

Exactly.  Forget coming back on the radio - if Art would just bring back Pizza Punch, I would gladly say, "All is forgiven, Art."

These are the new demands!

Any basil really. I grow like 7 varieties of basil, the best being Thai and the real Genovese Italian basil. Genovese basil rocks on hamburgers.

Spicy Globe Basil fan, here.

Ever grow Purple Ruffles Basil? Fun stuff, but the seed is pretty weak genetically.

[SredniVashtar]

I can't tell if you're intentionally misrepresenting the process of reasoning to bolster your baseless/illogical conclusion, or if you just don't understand empirical reasoning.

You wouldn't recognise empiricism if it was served to you on a skewer with Bearnaise sauce. I don't know where your reasoning faculties are located, but coming from an individual who needs to stand close to a fire extinguisher for fear of his trousers incinerating at the very mention of St Heather (God bless her, and all her works!) I think we can probably guess. Don't use words and concepts if you don't understand what they mean. And don't use them to justify your half-arsed theories.

There's no evidence that Art has lied about his story.  None.  If any evidence came to light that he lied about it, that would falsify his story.  The only unfalsifiable theories here are the ones that paint him as a liar, because they're all based entirely on subjective interpretations of circumstances rather than objective facts.  Which, yes, renders them worthless.

Let me walk you through this one: Just because you can't prove something is false is not sufficient reason to believe it's true. The universe is really a speck on the back of a pink tortoise called Godfrey. What do you mean that's silly? Prove me wrong! An invisible (to everyone else, but not to me) heliotrope rabbit visits me at night and tells me that the world is controlled by shape-shifting Care Bears. Prove me wrong! Bertrand Russell's teapot? Again, prove me wrong. Try a bit harder, please, because this is bloody poor.

Taking the facts at face value - facts which also happen to be consistent with each other, btw, is logical, not credulous.  Concluding that all of the stalker incidents were fabricated/staged over a course of months, that false police reports were filed and publicly posted, and that the neighbors and Heather are part of a fairly involved conspiracy to manufacture an excuse that he didn't even need if he just wanted to quit - that's the epitome of "pathetic credulity."  There isn't one breath of evidence to support that convoluted read of the situation.  On the other hand, all of the existing facts and statements and testimony from multiple parties including the Nye County Sheriff's Office, all conform to the stalker story we've been told.

So this is clearly a case where "when you hear hoofbeats in Central Park, think 'horses' not 'zebras.'"

I'll let you think about zebras if you want. You were probably trampled by a purple one the other day and that accounts for your shoddy thinking. People do crazy things all the time:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stonehouse

All you are giving me as 'evidence' are secondary sources and your willingness to believe them. A neighbour hears a gun. Big fucking deal. Art wants something 'documented' but not investigated. Big fucking deal. Art's grazed knees. For. Fuck's. Sake. I am not attempting a 'convoluted' read of the situation either. I'm saying that there isn't much there. I am not advancing any conspiracy, I'm knocking one down, in fact. One of your problems (of many, I'm sure) is that you don't pay much attention to what you read, and pick out the bits you disagree with. A typical radio listener, in fact.

Cynicism and patronization are not valid substitutes for a rational argument, fyi.  If abiding by Occam's razor is "naive and credulous" then let's just throw out everything we've learned since the Dark Ages, because all of us witless stooges who have been basing our conclusions on the preponderance of objective data must have been sprinting down the wrong road for centuries...  :

You sound like those fucking idiots who think they are being smart by asking an atheist to prove that 'atheism is true'. I'm picking holes in what you are saying (and it's like shooting a sitting bird here) not advancing an idea of my own. Pay attention, dear.

This applies more strongly to the baseless accusation that Art Bell is a liar.  You're the one making the allegation; it's up to you to prove it.  But you can't, because even with 20+ years of public history to draw upon, nothing in that vast body of evidence demonstrates that Art Bell is a liar.  The data speaks for itself.  Say what you will about the man, "emotional," "impulsive" or what have you, he's never been known to be a liar.

'George gets it'. Really, you walked straight into that one. If I was being kind I'd say that I expected better of you, but then I'd be a liar too.

I hope that this little exchange might prove beneficial to you in the end, but I'm not a miracle worker. Once again, pay attention. I am not saying he is a liar, I'm saying that he hasn't backed up what he has said. On the one hand we have an elderly man with a proven record of flying the coop on the slightest pretext; a man who had shown all sorts of odd judgement over the last few months; a man who doesn't have anyone - seemingly - who can offer him sensible, impartial advice; a man who was making noises about scaling back his involvement in the show after only a few weeks, and who sounded increasingly jaded with it as time went on. On the other hand we have a 'police report' that doesn't expose him to criminal charges. And grazed knees. OK, you've got me convinced.

The several months of intermittent incidents he reported at his home - some of which happened live on the air, the testimony of his neighbors to the police, the police reports themselves, Heather's confirmation of her phone call to the police...we have all of the corroborating evidence that we could reasonably expect to have, and it all supports his story.  I'm not saying that you have to believe it, just that disbelieving it is a position unsupported by a single objective fact.  Some people mighty call that "unintelligent" or "pathologically cynical."

I prefer to simply describe it as "irrational."

That is just repetition for the sake of it, but at least it gave you a chance to type Heather's name again...doubtless with one hand. She had no right to report something she had no direct experience of, for one thing. To me that sounds a bit like Art handing off responsibility to someone else, in the same way as he is doing with his radio show.

You wouldn't know corroborating evidence if it humped your leg. 'Intermittent incidents' make it sound much more than it was. 'Testimony' from neighbours amounts to hearing a gun go off. Well done, Perry Mason, you rest your case.

[Claudius]

Quit PM'ing me please. I've told you before I don't do PM's.

I've never PMed you... Are you seeking professional help?

[SredniVashtar]

smackdown. The Senda kitten thoughtfully rebuked. Good post.

Yes, the seal of approval from one of BellGab's biggest 'tards - praise indeed. I'm sure you're used to hearing this (from the day of your birth on), but you are one hell of a tiresome fucker and I wish you'd go away. I suppose you need to make sure that you keep up your posting quota, otherwise you might be in danger of not posting at least 1000 times every fucking day, so it's a bit much to expect solid gold from you every time. Even so, the tiresome and repetitious shit that you pinch out on a regular basis does jar my sensitive nature. 

[Claudius]

Yes, the seal of approval from one of BellGab's biggest 'tards - praise indeed. I'm sure you're used to hearing this (from the day of your birth on), but you are one hell of a tiresome fucker and I wish you'd go away. I suppose you need to make sure that you keep up your posting quota, otherwise you might be in danger of not posting at least 1000 times every fucking day, so it's a bit much to expect solid gold from you every time. Even so, the tiresome and repetitious shit that you pinch out on a regular basis does jar my sensitive nature. 

I'll save him the trouble of replying to you:

"Yeah and I bet you think Art owes you too!"

[Ciardelo]

I'll save him the trouble of replying to you:

"Yeah and I bet you think Art owes you too!"

Thanks. I couldn't have said it better myself.

ETA: Actually, I would of said something about Srendi being such a Senda kitten, but too late now.

[Richard Groyper]

I read a book about sociopaths which stated the largest presence of these types were in corporations (the top) and politics.  I think if you have two talented people and can only promote one it would be the one who you feel the most comfortable with or who you can control or who will not turn against you, etc, etc, etc. 

Again, perhaps some of these jobs are soul-rending, demanding long hours of slaving away, fighting the opposition, etc.  Perhaps an affair makes it more bearable.  People also fall into routines with their mates and it can get boring - sometimes people think it's up to another to relieve that boredom and if their spouse doesn't do it, someone else will.  Some people fall in 'love' with a person but find, over time, that they don't really like them on a day in, day out, basis. 

If you make a lousy choice for a partner and feel stuck (for the kids?) maybe work gives you a bit of relief.  I don't know.  I look at other marriages and consider myself lucky.  I don't know how I'd react in their shoes.  People make choices for life and yet life changes them.  I just don't judge the women I've known who do such things, neither do I understand it.  Who knows, maybe their husbands are doing similarly?

The lines are blurred intentionally when referring to political and corporate folks as; "psychopaths." Some present with psychopathic tendencies. Having traits and or tendencies of a serial killer doesn't mean you are, or will become one. I believe recent studies on the brain are being used to disparage successful people. You guessed it; by unsuccessful people. If one is a failure, it makes sense to justify successful people as mentality ill. Therefore, letting one's self off the proverbial hook.

[Kolchak]

That fucker tows you.

[NXOEED]

Lucky for us, no corpse.

As for Art's story for leaving, sorry about that. I was disappointed too, then I went to the store.

....

As far as what people did, welp, I'm old school, I took no part in those endeavors. I will pay for tickets to see the band, maybe buy a shirt, but I am not buying the amplifier for the band or paying for their gas to get to the club. I even mildly addressed that with Heather on a Gabcast.

Good post. That's about how I feel. I was disappointed. There was a period of about two or three days when I was bummed that I wasn't gonna be hearing Art for a while. But I've got friends to see, shows to promote, paintings to finish. Life isn't all that bad. The thing I listen to while I'm doing stuff at night changed into something a bit different. That's not a huge deal to me. I still like it.

As for investing time, energy, and money into promoting the show...

Well, I've been promoting punk shows for half my life. DIY or die. It's everything to me. When the band comes to town, what's mine is theirs. If they need a place to stay, We've got one for 'em. If their gear's been lost or stolen, they can use whatever I've got, if I've got it. If the show doesn't make money (and it usually doesn't), I don't care. It's a blast.

Jumping in and promoting MiTD was something I was thrilled to do. It came as second nature. I do it anyway, all the time, every day. Why not do it for Art? So I did. Nothing about that sucked, for even a second. I don't want my time, money or energy back. I had a blast.

I know most of the world doesn't work this way, and I don't fault them for it, but when my friends and I support an artist, we pitch in and help out any way we can. If a band needs a poster, I'll draw it up. If they need it spread around town, I do a thirty-mile loop on my bike around the city every night, pinning posters to telephone poles. Putting one more up is not gonna put a dent in my plans.

Art's one of my heroes, and Heather's cool. I support the show. So I'm doing it again. I've got a whole new batch of MiTD posters, stickers and buttons coming. I'll be at the world's largest UFO convention in a few weeks handing 'em out and hiding paintings. If you're gonna be there, you should come say hi to me. We should be friends. If you're not gonna be there but would like a sticker and/or copy of the new poster, gimme your address and I'll send you a couple.

If you think I'm lame or an idiot for getting my hands dirty again, that's cool. I want you to have an awesome life anyway. I hope we can be friends some day.

[Richard Groyper]

Dispatch, can you have Art assist me with a flat tire?

[Mind Flayer Monk]

Even so, the tiresome and repetitious shit that you pinch out on a regular basis does jar my sensitive nature. 

This is how I imagine Sredni sounding as he types.

https://www.battlecam.com/video/90811

[SredniVashtar]

You're right in what you said,

Damn straight! You make a solid point.

Oh, hang on, there's more?

...but forget the equally trailer trash tabloid effect where knowns become conflated and take on a life of their own as juicy hypotheses. Well, I've been watching the story unfold like everyone else, and I see absolutely no reason in anything Art's said to doubt his story. Perhaps if I was angry with him for leaving the air I might conflate things, but I've seen no cause for it.

As you are so fond of saying over there, where's the beef? At the moment there is so little meat on the old boy's story that I'd struggle to scrape together enough to cover a Ritz cracker. In one sense, you could consider it an advantage that we have so little to contradict, but there is also not much to support it. You could claim you were being stalked by Falkie (and, frankly, it would be no more than you deserve for your ceaseless victimisation of that poor man on the Falkie thread!) and we could work out if he'd grifted enough air fare to get him to MO, and various other means of corroboration. In other words we could assemble actual evidence, not the sawdust that obsessive dipshits like Chronaut take for genuine facts. At the moment there is little to separate Art's story from a religious belief: if you are willing to believe it, then believe it you will, regardless of the facts.

We're not talking about day to day assumptions made out of necessity. It's an invalid comparison. You and others seem to be out to find some sort of alternative truth to the story, that Art wanted to quit or made up a story or whatever. To do that, you must make fundamental assumptions, and I'm asking why. There's no inconsistency that I've seen in the story. Why the need for the assumptions?

I made that comparison in response to your sweeping generalisation. I haven't constructed an elaborate story here. My job is easy, I'm picking holes in Art's 'stalker' by asking where the actual proof is. I haven't made a single assumption, in fact. All the assumptions are on your side, viz. that a man you do not know has had a series of experiences that you are unable to independently verify. That you are making these assumptions based on the fact that you have heard him on the radio over a number of years and consider (why you'd make this assumption I cannot tell) that he is to be trusted on that basis alone. Those who question it are saying, 'OK, let's see something solid'. I make no assumptions, you make a bunch of them.

No, I'm saying that everything has been consistent. Look, you can say "he made it up" but you haven't given me anything solid from which to consider that assertion. You're just assuming he made it up because people sometimes make things up.

No, that's a false syllogism. I'm saying that people sometimes do inexplicable things. I am not inferring that he did so simply because of that, but because people often say 'why would he do that, it makes no sense?'. Sometimes people get into something and pursue a lie because it becomes harder to get out of it than to carry it on.

That happened lol. I think it was the first or second retirement in '97 or '98. 

That's not the same situation.

I prefer the version with only one assumption: Art's telling the truth. Past that, he made terrible decisions throughout. He said as much.

Uh-huh. And what was that you were saying about assumptions?

Assumptions are bad things

Ouch! A bit of petard-hoisting going on here, I rather fancy. I bet that burns. Don't worry, I have some cream that can help with that. Just clean off the applicator when you return it.

You leave Burns out of this. If I wanted to discuss 18th century poems about mice, I'd do it in the Politics section. No, I think what you consider to be naïve and credulous is really just an absence of automatic cynicism. To the habitually cynical, nothing can ever be as it seems, a cigar is never a cigar, and everyone is a crook. I can buy into that, so long as I have a reason. But in this case, I haven't been given a reason.

As someone who has witnessed a number of popular entertainers from my youth end up as convicted child molesters I think a bit of cynicism is useful, if not necessary, these days. And, no, for all you dummies out there I am not comparing Art to a child molester. You can believe him. Fair enough, I am not attempting to convince you. But you can at least admit that there is a fair amount there that leaves one scratching one's head a bit. If something isn't really testable then you are entitled to question the validity of it.

Well, that's the funny thing here, some of the more extreme theories involve assumptions about the corroborating evidence itself, i.e. the police reports. First it was that the reports didn't exist, and when they did exist they were fraudulently made or some shit like that. It was ridiculous and stupid. 

No, the eyebrow-raising concerns the fact that he wanted them documented rather than investigated. If I was in full shit-scaring panic mode, with an armed maniac trying to administer lead poisoning to myself and family, I'd probably be asking the boys in blue to take a look at it.

I think they're needlessly perplexed. If I had to pull a gun on someone on my property who appeared to be repeatedly stalking me, I'd freak out. I'd make better decisions regarding the situation, but I'd still freak out. I think anyone would. As far as the mercurial decisions, like we haven't seen him make decisions like that before, "all in" and such.

So you are saying that you accept that Art has a history of making bad, hasty decisions that would baffle a sane human. In the next breath you are telling me that he is also to be implicitly relied upon? OK. I agree with you about the 'freaking out' part. Salman Rushdie had nothing on the hell that Art must be going through right now. I bet he must have been terrified when he was out there throwing snowballs with his daughter.

I see what you did there. You're giving Falkie covert financial advice in the guise of a post to someone else. I'm onto you and your nefarious plots. I suspected you were evil the moment I heard your accent.

As Falkie's manager/agent/ghost writer, I like to make a buck when and where I can. 

[GravitySucks]

Good post. That's about how I feel. I was disappointed. There was a period of about two or three days when I was bummed that I wasn't gonna be hearing Art for a while. But I've got friends to see, shows to promote, paintings to finish. Life isn't all that bad. The thing I listen to while I'm doing stuff at night changed into something a bit different. That's not a huge deal to me. I still like it.

As for investing time, energy, and money into promoting the show...

Well, I've been promoting punk shows for half my life. DIY or die. It's everything to me. When the band comes to town, what's mine is theirs. If they need a place to stay, We've got one for 'em. If their gear's been lost or stolen, they can use whatever I've got, if I've got it. If the show doesn't make money (and it usually doesn't), I don't care. It's a blast.

Jumping in and promoting MiTD was something I was thrilled to do. It came as second nature. I do it anyway, all the time, every day. Why not do it for Art? So I did. Nothing about that sucked, for even a second. I don't want my time, money or energy back. I had a blast.

I know most of the world doesn't work this way, and I don't fault them for it, but when my friends and I support an artist, we pitch in and help out any way we can. If a band needs a poster, I'll draw it up. If they need it spread around town, I do a thirty-mile loop on my bike around the city every night, pinning posters to telephone poles. Putting one more up is not gonna put a dent in my plans.

Art's one of my heroes, and Heather's cool. I support the show. So I'm doing it again. I've got a whole new batch of MiTD posters, stickers and buttons coming. I'll be at the world's largest UFO convention in a few weeks handing 'em out and hiding paintings. If you're gonna be there, you should come say hi to me. We should be friends. If you're not gonna be there but would like a sticker and/or copy of the new poster, gimme your address and I'll send you a couple.

If you think I'm lame or an idiot for getting my hands dirty again, that's cool. I want you to have an awesome life anyway. I hope we can be friends some day.

I wish I could be there... You would be an interesting person to meet.

How big is the World's Biggest UFO?

[Philosopher]

Interesting how in a matter of weeks this thread has gone from unbridled anticipation and pure enjoyment to some sort of terminal, dystopian nonsensicalness.

[Showroom Dummy]

on to questions

1.     what are you studying in school ?
2.     what does your name mean? 
3.     how do you know you are you ?
4.     do you listen to MITD  or OSOM?
5      if you had a choice would you come back as someone else?
6.     are you real?
7.     whats you favorite disco song?

thank you for completing the survey

[GravitySucks]

Interesting how in a matter of weeks this thread has gone from unbridled anticipation and pure enjoyment to some sort of terminal, dystopian nonsensicalness.

You are very observant. We need to rock this house!


http://youtu.be/bJ9r8LMU9bQ

[SredniVashtar]

on to questions

1.     what are you studying in school ?
2.     what does your name mean? 
3.     how do you know you are you ?
4.     do you listen to MITD  or OSOM?
5      if you had a choice would you come back as someone else?
6.     are you real?
7.     whats you favorite disco song?

Questions 1-7: Mind your own fucking business.

thank you for completing the survey

You're welcome.

And now for a survey of my own:

Are you fucking high? Is all that 'snow' in NY really just cocaine flying about in the streets?

[GravitySucks]

Questions 1-7: Mind your own fucking business.

You're welcome.

And now for a survey of my own:

Are you fucking high? Is all that 'snow' in NY really just cocaine flying about in the streets?

Is the tension and animosity that I detect in your recent posts due, in any part, to the absence of your soulmate?  Where is Yorkshire Pud when you need him.

[Mind Flayer Monk]

Are you fucking high? Is all that 'snow' in NY really just cocaine flying about in the streets?

" BurningStarFire 6 years ago
that's not fake snow, it's piles and piles of cocaine."



https://youtu.be/1mqLii-8SPY

[SredniVashtar]

Is the tension and animosity that I detect in your recent posts due, in any part, to the absence of your soulmate?  Where is Yorkshire Pud when you need him.

STFU. It was a sex game gone wrong, and the stupid sod forgot his safe word. Try telling that to the police though. This is all in the strictest confidence, 'mmkay? 

[Showroom Dummy]

Questions 1-7: Mind your own fucking business.

You're welcome.

And now for a survey of my own:

Are you fucking high? Is all that 'snow' in NY really just cocaine flying about in the streets?

wow      LMAO     thats  hilarious   


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mtC3De5gNs

[GravitySucks]

STFU. It was a sex game gone wrong, and the stupid sod forgot his safe word. Try telling that to the police though. This is all in the strictest confidence, 'mmkay? 

K

[FightTheFuture]

You have to admit, that's a great picture of the ABs!!

[boxman]

So the show was waning big-time even with Art at the helm.  I mean, CRASHING by the looks of it.  Then a stalker mysteriously shows up. 

You'd think the stalker would wanna snuff out Art when people were actually listening to the show a couple months prior.

I dont think you can judge listening numbers based on bellgab activity. The majority of listeners were most likely from affiliates which they kept gaining until the very end.

[littlechris]

You have to admit, that's a great picture of the ABs!!

[Night Train]

Looks like  Aldous Cuckbank and a couple of his (paid) "wingmen", getting ready to hit the night club so Aldous can walk up to hotties and say "I'd like to invite you to participate in the reality of my personal and home life."

Actually, it looks more like he just did that, and wound up drowning from all the drinks thrown in his face.

[Gruntled]

Good post. That's about how I feel. I was disappointed. There was a period of about two or three days when I was bummed that I wasn't gonna be hearing Art for a while. But I've got friends to see, shows to promote, paintings to finish. Life isn't all that bad. The thing I listen to while I'm doing stuff at night changed into something a bit different. That's not a huge deal to me. I still like it.

As for investing time, energy, and money into promoting the show...

Well, I've been promoting punk shows for half my life. DIY or die. It's everything to me. When the band comes to town, what's mine is theirs. If they need a place to stay, We've got one for 'em. If their gear's been lost or stolen, they can use whatever I've got, if I've got it. If the show doesn't make money (and it usually doesn't), I don't care. It's a blast.

Jumping in and promoting MiTD was something I was thrilled to do. It came as second nature. I do it anyway, all the time, every day. Why not do it for Art? So I did. Nothing about that sucked, for even a second. I don't want my time, money or energy back. I had a blast.

I know most of the world doesn't work this way, and I don't fault them for it, but when my friends and I support an artist, we pitch in and help out any way we can. If a band needs a poster, I'll draw it up. If they need it spread around town, I do a thirty-mile loop on my bike around the city every night, pinning posters to telephone poles. Putting one more up is not gonna put a dent in my plans.

Art's one of my heroes, and Heather's cool. I support the show. So I'm doing it again. I've got a whole new batch of MiTD posters, stickers and buttons coming. I'll be at the world's largest UFO convention in a few weeks handing 'em out and hiding paintings. If you're gonna be there, you should come say hi to me. We should be friends. If you're not gonna be there but would like a sticker and/or copy of the new poster, gimme your address and I'll send you a couple.

If you think I'm lame or an idiot for getting my hands dirty again, that's cool. I want you to have an awesome life anyway. I hope we can be friends some day.

You have a very positive attitude regarding MITD and probably everything in your life and would seem to be an asset to those you"re involved with.
Not lame nor idiotic but commendable.

[NXOEED]

You have a very positive attitude regarding MITD and probably everything in your life and would seem to be an asset to those you"re involved with.
Not lame nor idiotic but commendable.

Thank you for the kind words.

[malachi.martini]

You have a very positive attitude regarding MITD and probably everything in your life and would seem to be an asset to those you"re involved with.
Not lame nor idiotic but commendable.

NXOEED might be the closest Bellgab has to an enlightened being. Unlike the true sycophants here who wallow in negativity, project, and bury threads in charmless, empty rebuttals, he's just happy to give. I admire that.

Brig too.