Chapter 59: The Whole Deal

Use this section for any discussion specifically related to the chapters posted online of the unfolding biography, "Defying Gravity: The Parallel Universe of T. Townsend Brown
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Paul S.
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Chapter 59: The Whole Deal

Post by Paul S. »

Seems to me we need something to, how do they say it in the fine restaurants...a yes..."refresh the palate" -- to erase whatever lingering aftertaste there might be from this past weekend's unpleasantness.

So.... here ya go:

https://www.ttbrown.com/defying_gravity ... edeal.html

Just, please, Victoria, don't be reminding me in two days that it's Thursday again! :wink:

--PS
Paul Schatzkin
aka "The Perfesser"
"At some point we have to deal with the facts, not what we want to believe is true." -- Jack Bauer
Radomir
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The Argonaut

Post by Radomir »

Well.

Now that is really something to sit back and contemplate.

I had this feeling the arc of the story was leading in this direction, but I couldn't quite hope that there would be direct confirmation of a craft, via someone like Morgan.

Then there is the Linda/Morgan story. Well done, and thank you Paul for such sensitive handling of those poignant days they shared together on the balance point of their respective histories.

Regarding the person encountered in the park, I wonder if Morgan ignoring Linda was part of his attempting to defuse a situation he might have seen developing there--taking the attention entirely off of Linda on purpose? If he knew the guy from rougher times, connecting with him in as familiar a way as possible...just a thought. On the other hand, it might have been just some dude Morgan used to know, and he really did mess up in ignoring Linda. I just tend to think he's far smarter than that, so there must have been more to it. Like when he left her in the NY apartment.

I'm curious what marial art Morgan's original black belt was in, if anyone knows?

More later. And apologies I've been out of touch--especially as it seems there's been a lot going on with the board in my absence.
Victoria Steele
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liked it!

Post by Victoria Steele »

Oh Paul. See! I knew this was going to happen but I really like the way that the situation was resolved for the two of them. They BOTH chose their path didn't they?. He didn't leave her crying, She didn't stiff arm his attempt at making things solid between them. They both took that magic time together to sort out what it was that was important and they BOTH chose different paths. My heart aches because I still believe that he walked away probably going .... "Damn, Damn, Damn" What you say when you know you have made a decision that is going to hurt eventually. And knowing what that lobby looked like, I can see Linda headed for those fancy elevators toward the penthouse, probably crying, I'll bet.

I will not bug you about the next installment. This has given me much to think about. " The Argonaut" A ship which hasn't been built yet. Whew.

And you are really RIGHT Paul, this leaves a whole better taste in my mouth. Of course I am going to want MORE but I sure appreciate the meal, thanks. Victoria

Victoria
kevin.b
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Post by kevin.b »

Jason and the Argonauts, bloody dragons, I am the hobbit.

It's all about GOLDen fleeces?
The dragon will be arriving soon, from the sun, a fiery dragon, and we need to learn how to defeat it, I am positive and negative about this.

That stupid dragon wants all the gold, just so it can sit on it, and it decks itself out in all sorts of jewels, it will take the best of the best, at his best to beat that , good job they set sail.
kevin
fibonacci is king
Chris Knight
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Post by Chris Knight »

The Argonaut.

Perhaps as described in Agnew H. Bahnson, Jr's story, "The Stars are too High."

"This gold-plated spaceship, the Argonaut, flies by "using a gravity adapter..."
Andrew
Qualight Environmental
(http://www.qualight.com, http://www.qualightenv.com, http://www.qualightscp.com)

"If you think the situation is under control, then you don't truly understand the situation."
grinder
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what, what, what, what

Post by grinder »

Gold plated spaceship, the Argonaut ...... Agnew Bahnson ...... what, what, what, what? NEED MORE INFORMATION HERE ANDREW. MY CHIN JUST HIT THE LADDER RUNGS!

Gold ....... and dragons kevin .... as in the line from Buffetts song .... damn ... can"t even remember it now .... what, what , what what.

Paul that last paragragh comes in like a bombing run .......... grinder
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Post by Chris Knight »

Well, Elizabeth has my copy, but if I can remember correctly, it is a story about a group, somewhat private group, separated from the military, that builds a spacecraft capable of some pretty impressive things. They become involved with the government after they begin testing it.

You all know Agnew Bahnson Jr., of course, from the Bahnson Laboratories (that is coming up in the story). It's my understanding that Mr. Bahnson had every intention of building the Argonaut, and as J. Frank King said, that's when they started to look for Townsend Brown.

I wish I had more information, but Elizabeth will have to fill in until I can look through the book again.
Andrew
Qualight Environmental
(http://www.qualight.com, http://www.qualightenv.com, http://www.qualightscp.com)

"If you think the situation is under control, then you don't truly understand the situation."
flowperson
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Post by flowperson »

Paul...I wish I had been as mature in deciding things about the future as Linda and Morgan were being at about the same time that I did get married and began a family... but I wasn't. They were aware that their futures hung on these moments that began in front of the statue of the lion crushing the serpent. I don't know that many people can be that prescient at that age. Thank you for your enlightening pictures.

Hmmm... a gold plated spaceship named the Argonaut, Jason and the Argonauts, golden fleeces, looks like we're deeper and deeper into meaningful mythos here, and of course as Joseph Campbell taught us so well, that's where the true things are that can carry us all into our futures.

flow.... :wink:
Dancing is better than marching
grinder
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going to build it?

Post by grinder »

So Agnew Bahnson planned to build the Argonaut? That was his dream? Must have been because books like " The stars are Too High" are usually the result of someone having an idea of the future and exploring possibilities ..... or .... maybe ...... of saying something that you couldn't say anywhere else.

Elizabeth? Can you find that copy so that we can talk through it. Investigate at least what he chose to write.

But wait. Bahnson was killed in a plane crash? Someone said it was an accident but in this sort of world how could you ever be sure of that? Looking to be more and more dangerous and I am beginning to appreciate Dr. Browns position. IF he was "building " the Argonaut and getting ready to "pull together its crew" How secret would all that have had to be? I just can't imagine anything more important.

And he must have known that this kid sitting next to him in Rittenhouse was pretty damned special or he would never have said what he did. Not only would the saucers fly ... he already knew that ..... but there was time travel involved?

I WANT to believe all of this Paul but you must know that this is a tough piece of meat to chew. Maybe thats why I have the name I do. grinder
Paul S.
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Bahnson's Demise

Post by Paul S. »

As long as the subject has come up...
grinder wrote:But wait. Bahnson was killed in a plane crash? Someone said it was an accident but in this sort of world how could you ever be sure of that?
There have been allegations over the years that Agnew Bahnson Jr.'s death in a plane crash was not an accident. But, unless Mr. Twigsnapper wants to steer me otherwise on this one, I am going with the theory that not every upturned rock reveals a conspiracy.

I met with one of Bahnson's sons way back when I started on this journey, almost exactly four years ago in the spring of 2003. Drove out to Leicester, NC to visit with (the now deceased) Charles Yost, editor and publisher of The Electric Spacecraft Journal. Michael Bahnson, the youngest son, lived nearby and I spent an afternoon with him.

Michael's story goes like this: in 1964 (six years after Brown worked in his lab) Agnew Bahnson -- who was an accomplished pilot -- was planning to fly his own twin-engined plane...somewhere... for his older son's graduation from, I think, college. I gather the trip was longer than Bahnson was accustomed to flying in this particular plane, and it was loaded with more fuel than he was accustomed to carrying.

As Michael explained it, when the plane took off, the added fuel altered it's trajectory, and the landing gear caught an electrical line at the end of the runway. The plane flipped on the wire, and that was the end of that.

You will read in some places that "Agnew Bahnson died under mysterious circumstances," but his family told me it was strictly "pilot error." I guess it can happen to the best of them.

Now then, now that I've dropped that 'Argonaut' bombshell, I guess I should read the book. Have had it on my shelf for years, just waiting for the right moment. If you all wanna read along with me, try alibris.com or abe.com -- that's where I got mine.

Of course, if I'd read the book sooner, I might have gotten the clue that gold can serve purposes other than currency.

Anyway, Bahnson had quite a resume. you can read it here:

http://carolinafirst.unc.edu/distprofs/bahnson.htm

But, of course, that whole part of the story is still more than a decade away from where we are in the Primary Thread.

--PS
Paul Schatzkin
aka "The Perfesser"
"At some point we have to deal with the facts, not what we want to believe is true." -- Jack Bauer
grinder
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killed in 1964

Post by grinder »

Lets see. Bahnsons plane goes down twisted up in a wire at the end of the runway. I can see that. Pilot error. Truly. It could have been an accident.

At the same time ( I don't know what month ......) wasn't Charles Miller living at Ashlawn with the Brown family? Was he as "armed" then Mr. Twigsnapper as you were during Dr. Browns visit to London and Paris in 1956?

My impression was that something must have been very important to keep Dr. Brown in that area for the amount of time that he spent, when you figure his past history of jumping from one place to another.

Perhaps it was a very sad accident. From what I have read Agnew Bahnson was a very special man. With dreams of the Argonaut.

So when he was killed? What happened behind the scenes I wonder? I know that it looks like Dr. Brown had severed his ties with the Bahnson company but perhaps it was not meant to be that ..... permanent? What happened in response to the loss of this man?

and I just wondered if the tall kid in Lindas class suddenly became .... needed .... for future operations? What sort of work was he destined to actually do? and is there a connection?

Remembering here Mr. Twigsnappers gentle caution that all things are connected. Like pictures of family displayed on a nightstand. grinder
Victoria Steele
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dragons come to call

Post by Victoria Steele »

Sudden unexpected death. Buffett called it when "Dragons come to Call"

http://www.rocknet.com/aug96/yeager03.html

"All of the good aspects in Buffett's life are sung about in "Jamaica Mistaica," but that's not all. We are reminded that no matter how good things are, "The dragons come to call," which will cause us to be "dodging cannonballs." The message here is simple enough to understand -- enjoy what you have, but watch out for those who don't care if they step on you and ruin your fun."

And I wonder just how many "cannonballs" Dr. Brown was dodging? And in his world I have a feeling things were downright dangerous. And kevin makes a point of mentioning the Red Dragon ....... interesting, thats for sure! Victoria
ladygrady
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deceptively simple

Post by ladygrady »

Your last chapter Paul was deceptively simple.

But it was not all that simple and it brought our all the things that were actually building up in the background, all the while this young couple tried to deal with their own possibilities. There obviously from that last section was MUCH happening in Dr. Browns life. Linda can be forgiven for not seeing it. She was in love and to be wise enough to know better than to ask questions about his future schedule and then without a fuss give him the green light to go ahead with what she probably sensed was a major importance to him. At least now I hope she is comforted over the fact that he didn't give her up for the floozy down the street .... imagine what he had been offered. Not just a chance of a lifetime, that doesn't even come close to describing it.... a chance in the history of man. At least she must know that she was up against a player that had to have all of the aces.

And what does this mean for your story Paul? How are you going to go forward to try to tell what else has happened in this program?

Obviously it is one of the most closely held secrets of all time. How successful can you possibly be with this sort of disclosure? Wrapped in a gold cover and called " the Argonaut" It would be too fantastic to believe but you know, you can see at least the possibilities and perhaps thats all that is needed?You can judege the possibility of it all actually happening by just looking at the people surrounding Dr. Brown and the movements that they make. He might be invisible but how can you erase his effects ? No, something was DEFINITELY going on.

And I have learned to be very careful to watch what Mr. Twigsnapper says and when he says it and his last message screamed of oil, spies and danger even amongst lovely girls horses roses and silver and though he might have been talking about Gertrude he also I think linked Gertrude with Linda and then said again " all things are connected" So yes. I am watching this all very carefully. grady
Elizabeth Helen Drake
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all things connected

Post by Elizabeth Helen Drake »

Its early for me here so I might not have my head screwed on straight. I have decided to try to get a running headstart on some of the challenges around here.

Oh, first. Andrew you mentioned that I have your copy of " The Stars Are Too High" by Agnew Bahnson and yes you are right!~ BUT WHERE?

now here is the difficulty. Ask Paul. We have stacks of stuff in our "offices" ( He might have more ordered stacks" I HAVE PILES. Oh, I go through things on a constant basis, weeding out the stuff that happens to be actual trash on a regular basis, so no, its not insignificant stuff I have piled inches deep here ... its all good stuff notes in notebooks ( I have been trying to at least get things .... captured ... but you have to understand. Paul and I have been at the recieving end of a firehose of information here, Just trying to capture it ....

I am making excuses why I can't put my hand write on that little book. And if it was just notes I would have found it by now.... but you see ... it was IMPORTANT and so I put it somewhere SAFE.... and that REALLY worries me because now I have to find where I hid it.

Just giving you an idea of how my mind is working and also warning you that all kinds of things might just bubble to the surface as I search through all of these note and papers because you know how things reach up and force you to "stumble upon them." Just a fair warning.

Andrew I will find that book. And MAYBE I will find the bottom of my desk!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Helen Drake
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not even in the book yet ...

Post by Elizabeth Helen Drake »

I am not even in the book yet and I am finding more vibrating golden threads .........

http://carolinafirst.unc.edu/distprofs/bahnson.htm

Theres this statement about him from the piece on him that Paul offered above.

A keen student of world affairs, Bahnson was disturbed by mankind’s inability to find a lasting peace. In 1959, he wrote a science fiction novel, "The Stars Are Too High," that a reviewer said called attention "to the danger of permitting scientific advances to move ahead of the now-necessary brotherhood of man."

Notice the time. 1959. Dr. Brown has already "moved on" from the Bahnson lab and is .... I believe ... living in Alexandria Virginia.

But look at that statement above, ISN'T THAT EXACTLY THE THEME OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING?

the danger of PERMITTING scientific advances to move ahead of the NOW NECESSARY Brotherhood of man. Again Paul. I think we are seeing an echo of what Dr. Brown is getting ready to do in your coming storyline. He is placing himself as a "delaying mechanism" in that "progress of man" ... trying to buy time for the " brotherhood of man" to catch up. I don't mean that he is acting as a negative influence regarding information that was already out there and sound but .... he could with hold information ... that would cause a technological breakthrough. He could " put it away" to be found later when the meeting points of technology and brotherhood are one? If that is the case and if that was HIS agenda .... then how far from that compass point are we? When is the meeting point?

Oh sheeze .... so what is the chance of that do you think. At what point do those two entities ..... merge? Elizabeth
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