[meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss
From: Richard Montgomery <rickmont_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 10:59:28 -0700 Message-ID: <EDFDDDD836D94921A9F9EE91FFDBC8AB_at_bosoheadPC> Greg Hupe makes a huge point....when I first read the name Greg with no initial or last name, momentarily I was, well very very confused until I figured it out. Richard Montgomery ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Hupe" <gmhupe at centurylink.net> To: "meteoritelist" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2011 9:55 AM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > Hello All, > > I have a request to make of people posting to this List, IMCA List or > elsewhere. Since there are multiple members with the same first name, (ie. > Carl, Dave, Eric, Mike, Bob, Greg, among others), can posters please > include the last initial or complete last name of the particular person > they are referring to. I think this will help people reading these posts > now months or years later not get confused as to who the post is about. > > Thank You! > GregH > > ==================== > Greg Hupe > The Hupe Collection > gmhupe at centurylink.net > www.LunarRock.com > IMCA 3163 > ==================== > > -----Original Message----- > From: Stuart McDaniel > Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2011 12:47 PM > To: Shawn Alan ; jasonutas at gmail.com ; Linton Rohr > Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > > Sounds like someone owes me a Mifflin replacement since I have a piece of > this rock from Carl myself!!! > > > Stuart McDaniel > Lawndale, NC > Secr., > Cleve. Co. Astronomical Society > IMCA #9052 > Member - KCA, KBCA, CDUSA > -----Original Message----- > From: Greg Catterton > Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2011 4:07 AM > To: Shawn Alan ; jasonutas at gmail.com ; Linton Rohr > Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss > > Ok. I cant keep this quite anymore... Screw the lies and secrets. I think > the truth should be out there. > About Joes "awesome" stone... > > He told me personally and we also talked over email about it... he found > it > on the same persons property that someone else had already stolen a stone > from. > > Yes, I know this because he told me directly. No second hand BS. > > He lied to everyone and even had a totally BS story published about his > finding it under a bridge. > > So please, before anyone else goes to say how Joe fed his family, took a > trip to disney world and what not, he lied about finding it and thats the > true story behind the "Kerchner Stone" > Yes, his family ate, but what about the person whos land it fell on? Ask > her > how her family trip to disney went... > > Joe, sorry man, but it had to come out at some time. > > I took public one person who stole material from Mifflin, anyone else care > to out the other? I dont know the whole story, so I will let others tell > that tale. I know many on this list know of Joes lie and also the other > person... but I honestly doubt ANYONE will come forward on this. > > > Greg Catterton > www.wanderingstarmeteorites.com > IMCA member 4682 > On Ebay: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/wanderingstarmeteorites > On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WanderingStarMeteorites > > > --- On Sun, 5/8/11, Linton Rohr <lintonius at earthlink.net> wrote: > >> From: Linton Rohr <lintonius at earthlink.net> >> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss >> To: "Shawn Alan" <photophlow at yahoo.com>, jasonutas at gmail.com >> Cc: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com >> Date: Sunday, May 8, 2011, 3:29 AM >> Ahoy there, Jason, Shawn and list. >> Intriguing situation, Jason. Thanks for sharing. >> And like you Shawn, I'm glad I got my beautiful little >> slice from Joe. I didn't see all that much "drama" in it, >> though. He put in a lot of work, and found enough to be able >> to both keep some and sell enough to feed his family. That's >> just plain cool, in my book. Thanks Joe! >> Linton >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shawn Alan" <photophlow at yahoo.com> >> To: <jasonutas at gmail.com> >> Cc: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> >> Sent: Saturday, May 07, 2011 8:38 PM >> Subject: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss >> >> >> Jason and Listers, >> >> >> This is a very interesting post in the since I have to say >> something doesn't add up. One an anonymous finder contacts >> Carl and has him send cash to a PO box..... Red flag. Two >> the phone number is disconnected..... Three the transaction >> was done in cash. I have to say with those three elements >> this would have to be a scam, someone got had. If this was a >> legit sale wouldn't it have been done in the correct ways >> via pay pal not some undercover 007 style, sending cash in >> the mail to a PO BOX? >> >> As for testing goes, cant Carl Agee do a terrestrial age >> analysis and also have a cre done which can prove or >> disprove this theory that someone is suggesting that Mifflin >> has two litholgies, which I have to say isnt the case and >> that these stones are not related to Mifflin in anyway from >> the evidence presented by Jason. >> >> Now the question is who was the scammer. I have to assume >> that one this scammer knew what they were doing and somehow >> was or is connected to the meteorite collecting world or >> they are really smart and picked up how to scam meteorite >> hunter 101. First of all they knew of Carl, two they knew of >> the fall, three, they knew of what a freshly fallen >> meteorite looks like and four the meteorite in question is a >> real meteorite but not from the same fall. >> >> I think the scammer is one of us or is connected to one of >> us just because of the circumstances of the event and that >> the meteorite is a real meteorite and has fusion crust. If >> it was a non meteoritest, I think it would have been a >> stone, but this was not the case it was a real meteorite in >> the mists of being a fake Mifflin. This is to good to be >> done by some non meteorite collector but again people are >> getting smarter these days to make some cash. But this means >> that this scammer would have to buy a real meteorite to turn >> around to sell as a fake recent meteorite fall. >> >> All I can say is if I came into this situation I would have >> thought the sale would have been a scam right from the start >> with me sending money to a PO box. Also I am glad I didn't >> buy this stuff I was able to buy some from Joe Kerchner >> which that had some drama in its self as well. >> >> My 2 cents >> >> Shawn Alan >> IMCA 1633 >> eBaystore >> http://shop.ebay.com/photophlow/m.html >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss >> jason utas jasonutas at gmail.com >> Sat May 7 21:12:16 EDT 2011 >> >> Previous message: [meteorite-list] Where is everyone? >> Facebook? >> Next message: [meteorite-list] Mifflin, Amiss >> Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ >> author ] >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Hello All, >> >> My story begins in the summer of last year. I saw some >> strange pieces >> of 'Mifflin' on ebay that I thought looked funny. People >> were talking >> about the meteorite having two lithologies, but...the >> slices and >> individuals that I saw looked 'off.' A select few looked >> like >> H-chondrites, and they had the telltale signs of wear that >> freshly-imported Moroccan falls bear: worn edges, exposed >> metal flakes >> on protruding corners (where the fusion crust had been worn >> off due to >> improper packing), etc. >> >> At the time, I did nothing but send a private email to Anne >> Black >> notifying her of my suspicions. I spoke with some other >> prominent >> list-members addressing it, and they all agreed that the >> material >> looked funny, but that nothing could be done about it given >> the >> required burden of proof. >> >> So, I sat on my hands for several months. >> >> Just over a month ago, I saw a piece of the funny-looking >> 'Mifflin' on >> ebay. It looked similar to some pieces that I remembered >> seeing on >> ebay months before, and, being an end-cut, I was able to >> see both the >> stone's funny-looking inside -- and the apparent metal >> grains on the >> stone's exterior. >> >> I used the 'buy-it-now' option to purchase the end-cut, and >> it >> arrived while Peter and I were in Morocco. When we >> returned, I >> promptly shipped the end-cut off to Tony Irving of the >> University of >> Washington; he agreed to analyze the stone posthaste. >> >> The results came back, but Tony wanted to wait until the >> probe was >> recallibrated so that he could run it again to be sure. >> >> Lo and behold, he did confirm that my end-cut was an >> equilibrated >> H-chondrite, with an olivine Fa of 18.6. For comparison, >> Chergach and >> Bassikounou both have Fa contents of 18.4 and 18.6, >> respectively. >> >> University of Madison, Wisconsin performed most of the work >> on the >> Mifflin fall. Between them and the Field Museum, over >> twenty separate >> stones were analyzed. They were all L5. Mifflin is >> classified as an >> L5, with an Fa of ~24.9 +/- 0.2. >> >> I then sent Tony the link to the ebay auction so he could >> confirm that >> the piece that he had analyzed was indeed the piece that I >> had sent >> him. He did. >> >> I purchased my end-cut from Bryan Scarborough (IMCA), who >> purchased it >> from Michael Cottingham, who purchased it from Greg >> Catterton (IMCA), >> who purchased the stone with Carl Esparza from the finder. >> >> Carl told me the following story over the phone: >> He was contacted "out of the blue" by someone hunting in >> the Mifflin >> strewn-field. According to Carl, the finder stated that he >> thought >> there was a "conspiracy against him," because no one would >> offer him >> more than $5/g. and he believed his finds were worth more >> than that. >> So, according to Carl, he then offered the finder $10/g, >> and a deal was >> struck. >> >> But...the finder asked that he not be paid via paypal or >> wire >> transfer; he wanted cash mailed to a P.O. Box. >> >> So, Carl mailed the money to the P.O. Box and the first of >> two 'Mifflin' >> stones was over-nighted to him the next day. It should be >> noted that >> Carl included Greg Catterton as his partner in this deal, >> and Greg >> sent over several hundred dollars to help pay for the >> stones. >> >> Unfortunately, as Carl said over the phone, his old >> computer recently >> died, so he lacks the name and email address of the finder, >> as well as >> the number/address of the P.O. Box to which he sent the >> money. Carl >> is also unwilling to share the bank receipt from the >> transaction which >> would prove that he did make a large cash withdrawal for >> the stones. >> I asked Carl for the finder's phone number, but he told me >> that he had >> recently tried to call the finder, himself, only to find >> that the >> number had been disconnected. >> He was unwilling to share the number with me, regardless. >> >> On the phone, Carl suggested that his source had likely >> ripped him >> off, and he said that he believed that it was the reason >> why he had >> been asked to send the money untraceably, as he did; Carl >> described >> the situation as a "typical scam." >> >> He also suggested that the stones *might* be from an >> unrelated fall -- or could be the result of Mifflin being an >> 'Almahata Sitta sort of >> fall.' >> >> I can't disprove either of those ideas, but they are >> unlikely for the >> following reasons: >> >> 1) Almahata Sitta is a unique event in the history of >> meteoritics. >> Different lithologies have been observed in many >> meteorites, but to >> have individual stones of completely different and >> unrelated meteorite >> types falling separately is unique. Out of the 1,238 >> accepted >> observed falls in the meteoritical bulletin, only one has >> exhibited >> individuals that have consisted of different meteorite >> types (for >> example, H + L, Ureilite + EH, etc). >> >> And it's not that we haven't been looking for similar >> events; with >> each and every fall, multiple stones are analyzed, and the >> simple fact >> of the matter is that they are always similar...with *one* >> exception. >> >> So, Almahata Sitta is an exception. How much of an >> exception? 0.08% >> of meteorite falls are like it. Less than a tenth of a >> percent. >> Possible...but extremely unlikely. We also have to wonder >> about why >> or how this hunter managed to find the only two H's from >> the fall that >> were recognized. Over twenty other stones were studied and >> this >> finder supposedly turned up two or three that were all H's. >> It's 'funny.' >> >> The other possibility that Carl advocated is that the >> stones may actually >> have been found in Wisconsin -- and they may be part of a >> new fall that >> somehow slipped under the radar. He initially suggested >> that they were >> from the fireball widely seen across the Midwest on May >> 10th, but, at the >> time, I had paypal records from Greg that stated that he >> had sent Carl the >> money for the stones as early as April 24th. >> So we ruled out that possibility.. >> >> But, I agree; the stones could theoretically have come from >> a >> different fall. The end-cut that I bought showed no visible >> signs of >> weathering. No oxide, no anything. Given the weather in and >> around >> Mifflin at the time of the fall, we can assume that the >> stones were >> picked up within a week or so of having fallen. No AMS >> reports of >> anything in the region for the given timeframe doesn't >> disprove >> anything since meteorites often fall without much ado, >> but...two falls >> in the same place *at the same time?* >> Granted, it's possible. Not very likely, though. >> >> And you've still got to wonder about why no one else found >> any >> H-chondrites while looking for Mifflin. It's not like >> meteorites were >> laying thickly on the ground. Everyone who found stones out >> there put >> considerable time into hunting -- and they all found only >> L5's. So if >> Carl's source were telling the truth, and he did find the >> stones, it >> seems best to assume that he wasn't hunting in the Mifflin >> strewn-field, because, if he were, he would 1) probably >> have found >> L5's, and 2) other people would probably have found H's as >> well. >> >> The conclusion I draw from this is that the truth has >> become >> well-hidden. What is certain is that I have been refunded >> by >> Bryan, and I know for a fact that Bryan has been refunded >> by >> Michael Cottingham, who has in turn been refunded by Greg >> Catterton. >> >> What I have heard, however, is that Carl has been defending >> the >> legitimacy of his stones, and is refusing to refund Greg >> Catterton. >> >> Regardless of whether the material is Mifflin or another >> meteorite >> (from Wisconsin or from NWA -- it doesn't matter), the >> simple fact >> of the matter is that the material sold by Carl has been >> shown to be >> different from how it was advertised, and as such, he >> should be >> willing to accept its return for a refund. If he wishes to >> get it >> analyzed and sell it to others as a new meteorite, that is >> his >> concern. >> >> I am fairly certain that Bryan, Michael, and Greg >> unknowingly sold the >> material as Mifflin, believing that it was indeed what they >> sold it >> as. >> >> That is my 2 cents. >> >> Regards, >> Jason Utas >> >> ______________________________________________ >> Visit the Archives at >> http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html >> Meteorite-list mailing list >> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list >> >> ______________________________________________ >> Visit the Archives at >> http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html >> Meteorite-list mailing list >> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com >> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list >> > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > ______________________________________________ > Visit the Archives at > http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html > Meteorite-list mailing list > Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com > http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > Received on Sun 08 May 2011 01:59:28 PM PDT |
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