"The Men Who Stare at Goats"

**HarryPalmer** · 09-09-2009, 18:41

Now the subject of a film starring George Clooney.

Formerly a book and a Channel 4 documentary.

The basis of all this is the manual of the "First Earth Battalion" authored by "Lieutenant Colonel Jim Channon."

Couldn't be a walt at all?

Quotes from the manual:

Always allowing for diversityâ€¦ we can share the ways that humans are all wonderfully unique. The uniform must serve the soldier's given task but must equally serve to share the most precious gift we each have to share â€¦ our personality.

The First Earth Battalion hereby declares its primary allegiance to the planet.

BATTLE TUNING

Using traditional and New Age ideas:
Rise
Yogic cat stretch
Primal scream and leap
Belgian waffle
Ginseng tab regulator
Speed [ amphetamines] or morning thunder tea [EN6]
Karate kata
Primal low frequency lights
Paced primal rock [music] in our ears

"LTC Channon"

Manual of the First Earth Battalion

**FNC1A1** · 09-09-2009, 18:43

Just picked up the book a few days ago, having a go at it. An odd read, no opinion yet but it sounds strange enough to be fairly true

**oldgoat** · 09-09-2009, 19:47

Hoof, for a minute there I thought someone had planted a video device in my home.

Sorry, I've seen some wackey titles in my time but this one is a biscuit.

**theslayerofmen** · 09-09-2009, 19:48

cracking write up today in the times. very coen bro. by all accounts.

**Werewolf** · 09-09-2009, 19:52

Saw the documentary and read the book: turns the Weird up to 11.

The Ivans had a similar "Psionic Warfare" program.

**trowel** · 09-09-2009, 19:59

Read the book twice two years ago. Absolute bollocks!

**osta** · 09-09-2009, 20:02

Read it about a year ago, very strange. Not to sure if its true or not, very interesting though.

Osta

**kangorrilapig** · 09-09-2009, 20:06

Excelent book.It's amazing the b/s that people bought in the cold war!The idea that a man can stop a goats heart by looking at it,'Distance Reading' etc.Another example of people with too much authority desperate to sustain it by perpetuating a mythological silver bullet.Of course the Soviets had a much better programme,so this was essential to counter it etc,etc.

**Bowser-Mong** · 09-09-2009, 20:17

Thought by the title of the thread this was some kind of pervy issue. I know of a couple chaps from Wales who have made eyes at sheep and........... but enough of that.

**HarryPalmer** · 09-09-2009, 20:27

I'd be surprised if Colonel Channon did a day in any army.

Did he say he did 15 months in Vietnam? The average tour was 12.

I don't know if Channel 4 ever followed up his bona fides. He produced a photo of himself in uniform (which can be brought in army surplus shop stateside along with decorations etc) and displayed a CIB. His throwaway comment that military personnel have trouble being "cunning" speaks volumes.

**Andy_S** · 10-09-2009, 07:08

SNIP
I know of a couple chaps from Wales who have made eyes at sheep and........... but enough of that.
SNIP

Enough indeed. But IIRC, one of the martial arts masters in the book possessed a skill that would surprise even the keenest courter of sheep:
He could stare at a hamster and it would explode.

I am not sure what the military application of this is at present, but were the Talib ever to unleash a squadron of Jihad rodents against Bastion, we would know who to call.

**Sparky2339** · 10-09-2009, 07:13

Goats. :D

I was thinking it was another Masonic thread...

Och well...

**tropper66** · 10-09-2009, 07:14

I had a pint in The Goat Major

**Sparky2339** · 10-09-2009, 07:16

Originally Posted by tropper66

I had a pint in The Goat Major

You had a pint in , or put a pint "into"...?

**mon_colonel** · 10-09-2009, 07:32

There was a documentary a few ago about the CIA's MK Ultra mind control programme with actual footage released under the Freedom of Information Act and it was pretty spooky ( pardon the pun) stuff, partly run by a Green Beret Colonel Michael Aquino a convicted kid fiddler and leader of a Satanic cult ( if you Google his name it throws up some interesting stuff) alot of which consisted of the feeding of LSD to troops and telling them to walk through walls and other such stuff, it also featured a Royal Marine unit being given LSD without their knowledge whilst on an exercise and filming the effects, the officer was in tears , marines laughing a couple were stuck up trees, its sounds amusing but to watch was quite disturbing.........especially when it said because they were testing effects on troops ability to fight on acid the dosages given had led to long term brain damage or suicide in a number of cases.
The programme also featured the "death stare" again with actual test footage but nothing much happened results wise.