WIFTBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL _13, 1988, PAGE 5 rThe line between fiction and reality becomes more blurred each day. In recent days I have: * talked to an otherwise devout young man who believes in demons; * met an otherwise reasonable person who has an un- shakeable faith in numerology; * talked to someone who earnestly believes in astrology but thinks that scienceis fake; * read a book written by an otherwise intelligent man who suggests that we Earthlings are under surveillance by another species. The book, Communion, by New York writer Whitley Strieber, contends that perhaps hundreds (thousands) of Earthlings have been taken into space vehicles, prodded, poked, inspected, hypnotized, raped, sodomized, and seduced -and then have been returned home with no memory of theevent. The only part about the book that to me makes sense are the sales figures: given the hardcover and paperback volume to date, Whitley can retire to his cabin in upper new York State and plan a sequel. Not bad for a former writer of suspense and horror books. DidI say former? What sets Communion apart from other UFO books? Whitley has presented a well-written account of his ex- perience, but backs away from making declarations based on it. He says that either he was spirited away on a UFO, orhedreamedhewas. He's notquitesure. In the meantime, hypnotism has brought back his memory of that abduction (or dream). In addition, he has met dozens of other people with similar experiences. Most recall the same creatures. They all had the same real ex- perience, Whitley claims, or they all dreamed the same dream. Either way, this a serious phenomena to which WITH OUR FEET UP by Bill Swan Growing nonsense peopleshoulddevotetimeandenergy. Far be it for me to debunk such stories. That I read Whitley's book to the end illustrates the fascination such stories have. I enjoy such fantasies. I also read science fic- tion. That doesn't mean I believe it. The trick is to enjoy the thrust of 'What If' without getting caught in the sticky fabricofthefiction. Whitley's book has been presented as fact. That alone may tempt many people who should know better to take it seriously. Sowhat is theharm, youask? Well, on the surface, another UFO book will do us no harm. Check the book shelves in your favorite book store or paperback rack: UFO stuff must be selling well these days, which is another way of saying that a lot of people are buying it. And that means in more than the literal sense. That in itself is no harm. But it also may mean that Several events Saturday in downtown festival Hot air balloon rides and a competition between "couch potatoes" are among the many demonstrations and events plan- ned in downtown Whitby on Saturday, April 16, as Business Improveinent Area (BIA) merc- hants stage the Spring Fitness and Outdoor promotion. The day begins at 9 a.m. with the Optimist bike rodeo behind the Whikby firehall, to continue till 4 p.m. Meanwhile, a hot air balloon will provide rides (weat- her permitting), courtesy of Pizza Pizza, in their parking lot throughout the day. Starting at 10 a.m., Lady Di's Slender You Figure Salon at 114 Dundas St. E. will give a demonstration until 11 a.m.; also at 10 a.m., the Town of Whitby will give gardening tips at Dundas and Green St. Below Lady Di's and the "SIender You" demonstration will be a pancake-eating competition at Smitty's, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. And starting at 11 a.m., the i Outdoor Inn at Brock St. N. will give a rock-climbing demons- tration. No site here Whitby will inform Metro- politain Toronto it coesn't have the land to locate a landfill site within its boundaries. That was the decision of Whitby council in response to a letter from Metro asking if Whitby was interested in providing a landfill site to accommodate the garbage needs of Metro. "This is letting Toronto know we won't take their garbage," said councillor Marcel Brunelle. At 11:15 a.m., Kempo Karate will give a demonstration in fronm of the Bank of Commerce; at 11:30 a.m. will begin the "Spring Hat" competition, at the Whitby Corporate Building on Dundas St. E. A Whitby racquetball demons- tration will take place in the -Byron St. parking lot starting at noon when the Ontario County Dairy Princess will also give milk product samples. At 1 p.m., there will be a body building competition and "Couch Potatoes" competition in front of the Bell Canada building. At 2 p.m., Norma Peterson will hold a fashion show. Also tentatively scheduled is jewelry polishing by Durham Goldsmithing. Whitby General Hospital will hold a free blood pressure testing clinic downtown on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., during the BIA "Spring Fitness Festival." The clinic will be set up at the Bank of Montreal. More information on the day's events can be given by calling 666-4189. qk. , à go Arq dý4 m dg:m lz bme ÉQ dgýZ m m m îffl - :ýg= IV Zm JL GORGEOUS TOP QUALITY SOFAS A lot of people are under the impression Rousseau's is too expensive...we're not. For a limited time only, we are offering this exclusive but not expensive quality sofa which is available in a wide selection of fabrics. HURRY, THIS AFFORDABLE OFFER ENDS SOON. Visit Rousseau Heritage House Soon. You'll Find Hundreds of Quality Home Furnishing Pieces at Surprizing Affordable Prices EXCUSVEBUT NOT EXPENSIVE $899. HERfTAGE HOUSE limited A Whitby Tradition In Fine Furniture Since 1929 216 Mary Street, East, Whitby 668-3483 Toronto 686-0061 FURNACE FINANCING FOR ONLY .95 PER MONTH INCLUDES: •Absolutely no interest *Installation and Taxes lu significant numbers of our population can't tell the dif- ference between fantasy and reaiity. (They keep hoping that the fantasyis true.) Couple this with some of the other signs I mentioned at the beginning. Belief in demons, numerology, astrology, witchcraft. These are all ideas straight out of the dark ages. From before the days of enlightened science. From the days of superstition. Yeah, from the twilight zone. The numbers of people who believe in such nonsense is growing. No further indictment of our science education programs should beneeded. Sure, science isn't perfect. No discovery is without its dark side. But the discovery is only part of the human challenge; the bigger challenge is using scientific discoveries to solve problems in everyday life. We're get- ting there, slowly. But the answers to problems here on Earth are 99 per cent perspiration and 1per cent clear thinking. You ain't gonna change your life be playing any set of numbers every week in the lottery; your horoscope won't make your neighbor's dog stop barking; and there may be demons ina barrel of rum, but they all come frominsidethe humanmind. The ideas that grew out of ignorance and superstition of prehistôry and the dark ages can only lead us to ignorance and the dark ages. Nuclear wastes, ozone depletion, Ireland, the Middle East, garbage disposal, -multitudes of problems beset us. Those problems can all be solved -will be solved- be clear-thinking, rational people. There's an old saying that if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem. No creature with almond eyes will step from a spaceship to save us from ourselves. »U là nk