There's an ongoing thread on the UFO UpDates List, this week, "STS-48 Time Stamp Myth Exploded". It has several people - including the man who has done the most research on the STS-48 mission, Lan Fleming - discussing his results. Results based on extensive examination of the video and the time code that is on that footage.

Since STS-48 was a NASA shuttle mission - guess who comes to bat to try and "debunk" Mr. Fleming's conclusions that there are problems with some bogus time code? You guessed it - NASA's favourite 'spokespuppy', James Oberg. Oberg does a magnificent job of attempting, and I say "attempting", because anyone with a shred of intelligence can see how badly the spokespuppy plops down.

When it comes to dealing with anything that he feels he has to defend NASA on, Mr. Oberg seems to follow a formula, and follows that formula almost religiously.

First, deny whatever it is and tell the person to go and ask for information from experts in that area, to explain it. When the question is posed to him because he is supposed to be the expert, he tries to pull some sleight of hand and obfuscate by concentrating on some obscure part of the situation.

With the STS-48 thread he brings some scientific research and numbers, from the vault, concentrating on the Azimuth, Yaw, Tilt and Aspect of the craft instead of concentrating on a missing 6 or 7 seconds of visual information.

Then, when that one doesn't work quite up to snuff, he makes stuff up - as he said in one reply to Lan Fleming... "The count is mechanical gear turns, and since during fast motion some cogs can slip on the gears, it's possible to wind up with slightly off-count results."

Excuse me?

Cogs can slip on gears?

Uh, I could be a little off base here, but in my world, cogs that slip on gears get replaced because it's kinda important that they all work. When they don't, you end up with accidents happening - and I could be wrong here, too -but I kinda think NASA frowns on accidents happening. So, when that doesn't work, he finally does what every other good skeptibunker does, he ignores the question - stating that the person needs to do some more research!

The reason that this particular post garnered my interest is that I am intimately familiar with Time Codes and how they relate to information contained on video and audio tape. And, Lan Fleming has come across some interesting anamolies. The STS-48 videoimage shows a 6 to 7 second discrepancy based on the time code, and what the image should be. That's a lot of time, particularly when properly generated time codes like SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture Technicians and Engineers) is used, because they measure in hundredths of a second and time code is based on sync.

According to Mr. Oberg, the time code generated for the shuttle missions comes from an external generator. The problem with any external generator is that the code can be adjusted. Wheras when it is generated by the synchronization of an external source, you can't adjust that code.

This is not the first time that NASA's spokespuppy has avoided answering the question, it's merely the most blatant example of him following the formula that he's become famous for. James, you blew it again.....

But that's just my take on it.....