Katty Black

good detective work, detective.
both explanations seem eminently plausible to this investigator and thus i can indiciate no preference for either theory. Members of fringe groups are generally outsiders who struggle in the early years to relate to their peers due to developing at a different rate to the average child [either faster or slower than]. This leads to them drifting away from the pack, often becoming 'outsiders' and developing obscure interests. This idea is reinforced by the fact Searly is obviously involved in some kind of fringe movement, so it seems likely he was either a precocious child or a late developer.

Late development would fit the first theory; a precocious child, the second. A selection of Beefheart's recordings include the sound of a child's voice, laughter or other noises. Could this be a yound Searly we are hearing? If so, the question remains; how did a two-year old fall into Beefheart's circle? How did they become aquainted? Perhaps the pulse/veg dietary regime was installed in the band to allow food to be easily pulped into babyfood as required. Perhaps the captain thought that a toddler held the answers he was searching for in his art and, at this time, was actually taking guidance and direction from the child?

This investigator has been rather distracted from the case recently but intends to shift focus back to it throughout the week.
One thing: I cannot remember if I informed all members of the team of a contact made by email a few weeks back. I received a message from a 'Katty Black' which simply said 'I like this blog'. The similarity to Black Cat is remarkable. Is this someone trying to contact us with useful information regarding to the fabled experiment, or is this someone from the Black Cat team just letting us know that they are aware of our investigation as some form of taunt?

Walt Whatman?

Turbulence

Your last missive gives me the impression that things are beginning to unravel. Are you working from a new base now? A change in situation often allows things to be seen viewpoints hitherto unviewed. Maybe your move will provide you with a different view of the case.Thunder and lightning is filling the sky as I type. Low pressure. Electricity. Turbulence. eight young tomato plants are currently being rained on.

So, the beards are coming to town. It seems our guitar-slinging cowboys are will be active in the UK at a similar time to Costa's Broken Social Scene hitting the Candian road. Is this coincidence? Not if Bob Palindrome's maxim is anything to go by; 'there's no such thing as coincidences; there's only incidences, and they all go in the casefile'. He also used to say 'a casefile is like a good stew; you chuck everything in there, keep a low heat on it and see what rises to the surface'. I always took this as a good metaphor but once I got to know the man I realised that he also meant it literally.

Once I had visted his apartment I soon realised that he would destroy old closed casfiles by boiling them up in a pan of water in his kitchen. This explained the scald marks on his hands I'd previously wondered about. The man, resourceful as ever, used this method of data erasion as it provided him with the raw material for his hobby of making lifesize paper mache sculptures of his favourite birds of prey. The man had these things, hand painted, all over his house. A bald eagle hung above the main doorway, neck craned down and beak out so as to almost peck your left eye out while you waited for the door to open. A pereguin falcon, wings hunched back in a dive pose sat on his bureau acting as a mail holder, envelopes stuffed between the two raised wings. I digress...

Although the dates of BSS and the beard troupe's performance are not the same, they are only a couple of weeks apart. There is the possibility of using winds, possibly the trade winds one of our investigators mentioned earlier, to allow the sound to travel over large distances. This obviously takes time. I am consulting Dr. Epstein on this and am waiting for confirmation, but rough calculations show that it is fairly likely the soundwaves from both touring circuits will collide and interact at some point around the start of august. Perhaps there is some underlying plan for the two soundwaves to mesh in a certain area, interfering with one another in a way similiar to that you tried to achieve with the dual spin sources.

This could be another Black Cat style experiment, done in reverse fashion to the dual particle example. This time, they are starting with two sources, which are intended to meet up in one location. causing some kind of effect or outcome.Due to the butterfly effect, turbulence, it is hard to predict with certainty the when and where or even if of what may happen, but Epstein did say 'it could be possible'. Of course, I may be looking in the wrong direction and this could just be nothing. If, on the other hand, it is the case, then we are dealing with some advanced Obfuscation techniques.

The Nebraska Connection

So many elements have recently been attached to the case that this investigator is wondering where exactly he should be focussing his energies. Should I concentrate on closed-loop systems or be looking underground? Should I be looking for leads relating to Stairs' activities in Ohio or be trying identify large areas in the Detroit region with the potential for large-scale liquid storage/absorption? Should I be looking south of the border or walking the statelines? there are so many angles to this case that a 3D rendering of it would be one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever undertaken by man; up there with the Georgia Guidestones or a planet-sized particle acceleration donut. Perhaps Searly already knows how the case will end and is building such a 3D case model in his bungalow on the outskirts of Boston?

With regard to your planet-sized nut theory, I do not know how feasible this is, or what the capabilities could be, but it strikes me now that perhaps donut law applies to Black Cat. Remember, this was an experiment with an unidentified central location - perhaps this central point is as invisible and non-physical as the centre of a donut and as such may never be found. Perhaps it is, as one investigator suggested, actually in space, and therefore 'empty' by common standards.

Last night, while listening to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska LP, I picked up on the following points in the song Highway Patrolman, which I feel echo elements of our case...

The song tells the story of two brothers from Ohio and involves a scene where the patrolman of the title chases a suspect in a Buick through Michigan, deliberately allowing it to escape over the Canadian border as it is being driven by his brother.
Hearing this sequence of events unfold in the song immediately made me think of the case: The chased Buick and activity in Michigan and Ohio having particular resonance, along with an escape over the Canadian borderline.

This brings to my mind the idea that perhaps Searly was 'allowed' to 'disappear' intentionally by at least one individual or some small splinter group within the larger operational group. This would imply different members of the group had/have different agendas. The most likely explanation for this is, as suspected, that both an independent group and the military were working in the same area of operation; either working to the same aim but with a different agenda, or working in a similar field with different aims.

I am leaning toward the idea that either the military started the operation, recruiting help from academia circles who, somewhere along the way, began to use the operation for different ends to the military's intention, or the Michigan craft club started proceedings which the military subsequently became aware of and infiltrated for their own purposes. Of course, the two groups could have had the same idea independently at the same time. Perhaps this is the case and Project31 is related to the Black Cat experiment[s] in this way.

As explained here, the Nebraska LP is actually made from the Boss' own 4-track home recordings rather than been done in a studio. Such an approach ties in with Costa's recroding methods, as heard on the mixtapes so far discovered. The song is set in the '60s but was actually written and released in the early '80s, which would have been an influential period for members of the Michigan soft-core, many of them being in the adolesence at this point. More details of the song's content can be found here. As explained here, the song was used as the basis for the film 'The Indian Runner' released in 1991, again a likely period of influence for Project 31 members.

Springsteen hails from New Jersey, which falls within the bounds of our theorised North-eastern donut of activity and is a likely candidate to have had influence on members of the Michigan group at a critical period prior to the project's beginnings. With Neil Young being from Canada and Dylan from Duluth, it would seem that we are looking in the right area, musically speaking. Even Monk hails from North Carolina, which borders on the South-eastern edge of our theorised donut of activity. I'm sure even this great jazz pianist has held a harmonica to his lips on occasion.

Dispatches

Latest dispatches from secret source below (just received)Items 4, 5 and 12 seem particularly of interest:

- i recommend rounding your troops for a similar conversation, and a brainstorm session for how to prepare for what lies ahead.
- just sayin.i love the color palette and obvious softness.
- i am blocking my two latest projects today and will show them tomorrow.

The reference to two projects – one presumably is project 31 / soft Michigan. Is the other project Black Cat?Also the reference to throwing dirty laundry in the laundry room and closing the door – I take this to refer to the fabric of soft Michigan being concealed. I wonder if the soft Michigan project actually involves some mechanism of contracting space in order to fit an area the size of a state in a small room? This would mean the soft core may have achieved what the military failed to contemplate – while they proposed hiding a city or a state either on or under a great lake, the soft core may have thought further out of the box, and squeezed a state into a cupboard.

Is this too hard to believe? Which side would Kozyra be on in this? He is the only supposed magician I know of in the case so far. But then going on recent thoughts from your contacts Kingsbury PI and Palindrome, perhaps the magician is definitely not the guy saying ‘I’m a magician’??But then on the other hand self-publicity / lack of disguise can be the best disguise of all. Shouting ‘I’m a magician’ is in that vein a good way of ensuring nobody believes you.

Further thoughts on the case so far

Many of the links between Searly and the Michigan group seems to involve de Leon, Vandeloo, Vermott and James/Robert Long.

Were these people Searly's go-betweens? His trusted messengers? I am increasingly leaning toward the theory that Jack Vermott and James/Robert Long are psedonyms for Jack Vandeloo and Jose de Leon. The only traces of Long and Vermott are entirely connected to appearances of de Leon and Vandeloo - it seems they are aither a tightly-knit group (excuse the pun), or two people with aliases. The similarity between the names Vermott/Vandello and de Leon/Long incline me toward the latter explanation, something which I believe we should take into consideration when viewing the wider picture.

Also, while trying to indentify the mid-point between Costa and Regan during Black Cat, it struck me that the only known link between the two individuals is Paul Kozyra. Kozyra is their go-between, the middle-man, and most likely was found at the mid-point between the two during the experiment in question. It occurs to me that in all likelihood Black Cat was Kozyra's gig and Regan and Costa were possible collaborators but more likely pawns in his game. Perhaps by looking more closely at Kozyra we will reveal the required knowledge of Costa/Regan and more importantly, the details of Black Cat.

I must hurry now as I am due to fly to Boston in a couple of hours to pick up the scent of Searly, starting at the library.

Reply to Kojak asa400

A mid-point is a mid-point, and to me, all three which you propose seem equally valid. The idea of a euclidian mid-point is extremely interesting, given that we have already been told that a certain part of the Soft Michigan project involved moving things underground - hollowed mountains, submerged cities etc. Could it be that a city was submerged for the purpose of being utilized as a hard-to-find (possibly unfindable) operational centre? This deserves deeper investigation, literally.

I have further developments relating to other parts of the case. According to the police forensics report on the Buick which was found crashed in Maine, several types of wool fibres were recovered from the scene, including thirty-one different shades of Merino wool. Now, even a station wagon at maximum occupancy would not allow for this amount of different colours being accounted for by passenger clothing, even if they were all wearing odd socks. It would seem that the Buick had been used as a delivery/transportation vehicle by the Michigan core group for some time.

We are fortunate to have this information as, due to the unofficial nature of our investigations and the way we operate, we do not have approved access for police files. However, one of my underground contacts is able to bribe a certain law enforcement official in his neighbourhood whom he holds sensitive information on. In order to protect my contact, he must remain unnamed at this time. Suffice to say, his inquisitive nature and loyalties to our cause are a great asset. As my old mentor Bob Palindrome used to say, 'being a detective is not something you do; it is something you are'.

In Reply

Midway point between them: I assume you are suggesting midway epicentrally, ie. on the world’s surface, rather than euclidean midpoint which would be somewhere within the earth, at a depth depending on their distance apart, and increasing with distance apart to a theoretical maximum depth if located at opposite sides of the world (midpoint then being the core). Alternatively it could be a non-euclidean midpoint. Or perhaps a point located so as to form a (curved) equilateral triangle upon the world’s surface. This would produce two possible locations, if we knew their positions, dependent upon the latitudinal orientation of the triangle. I think of the supposed right angle triangle formed geographically by Stonehenge, the location in the Blue Mountains from which the stones were taken, and the mysterious island of Lundy (Island of the moon).

Perhaps the third point between Regan and Costa may even be a point in space, eg. a satellite?

To get a fix on this third location I suggest we revisit the instinctive insights of our colleague, centring on the Droitwich area. (The mysterious ‘Droitwich Fix’.)

I feel a new cosmological theory is close, leading to the postulation of a third state to accompany wave and particle, thus mirroring the solid, liquid, gas triplicacy. But is it a liquid zone between the solid particle and the gaseous wave, or is it a hazier state further beyond the liquid of the wave? We shall see.

Mid Point

THE IDEA of a marketeer being an expert in elusivity is not such a paradox when viewed in light of modern marketing techniques.

In the nineties, the due to advances in satellite broadcasting, the population of the general western hemisphere became oversaturated with 24/7 advertising pitches and began to see through the mechanisms of sales persuasion. The marketing industry's response: to go covert - obscure the message; advertise without mentioning the product. Sub-conscious persuasion by evasion and mis-direction - car adverts with no mention of the product, except for maybe a manufacturers logo silently displayed ad the end of the commercial, are a classic example. It is a basic trick of the Obfuscationists, so beware. When they say 'look left', you better look right.

Further thoughts on the case so far: It seems I was presumptuous in my proposal that Kozyra was funding Michigan operations. there is no evidence to suggest this - as yet. One thing that struck me though, in light of the Black Cat experiments occuring in two locations at the same time. Following the theory behind the dual particle experiments I mentioned earlier, it seems possible that the real Black Cat experiment was actually taking place at the midway point between Regan and Costa's locations at the time; Regan and Costa's actions being a by-product of a much larger experiment being carried out somewhere equidistant from the two Obfuscationists. This surely merits some further investigation. If we can pinpoint Regan and Costa's exact locations during the Black Cat experiment(s) then we should be able to indentify the location of the midway point where the possible larger experiment would have taken place.

Black Cat

from investigator's notebook (in reference to duality experiment):

... The Ellena Cortez [or Costa] and Earl Regan story related to an experiment called 'Black Cat'. Took place at the same time put in different hemispheres...Cortez and Regan never met, and by all accounts never had any communication - at least not in any obvious, tangible form.

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Black Cat seems to be related to Paul Kozyra, a Polish immigrant and survivor of WW2. Disgustingly rich...the only link between Cortez and Regan, as a benefactor it seems. Claimed in his lifetime to have a host of extra sensory and paranormal abilities - in some places known as the real life Magneto a la X-Men - but proof of this is wholly anecdotal and is put down to myth building around the man. Earl Regan came up with the Standardised Model for Creating a False Idol. A manifesto of sorts related to his creation of the Melanie Doll.

--Query: are you saying Kozyra was funding the Michigan operation, or possibly some other wing of Project 31? OR was he involved in promoting a false idol, such as Searly - a fake guy for the people to believe in (not that i suspect Searly to be un-real, of course)?--

You surmise that. Regan's idea of a False Idol point to this, but a Standardised Model? Curious. Kozyra was a wealthy man, I'm working on his story at the moment, but it is possible he had a hand in the financing at least. What is funny is that Earl Regan rose from a largely unsuccessful plumber to be a eminent member of Black Cat and a conceptual artists [or 'imaginer' as he was called]. Though as yet I've yet to find any concrete information about Black Cat...