The door’s open & the lights are on
You asked, and I listened! Welcome to Room 225 Fisher, the Ron Tammen chat room. Room 225 was Ron Tammen’s dorm room number with his roommate Chuck Findlay. The night Ron disappeared, Chuck returned to the room to find the door open and the lights on, which is the basis for our tagline.
Think of yourselves as the official field testers. If there are things that you’d like to have changed, let me know. I’m still learning, and I presume I’ll be making a few tweaks along the way. If, at some point, you think one room isn’t enough and you’d like to have more chat rooms, organized by topic, I have some ideas about that too. But let’s start with this, and see how it goes, OK?
What’s the chat about?
Any musings you have about Tammen-related subjects are fair game, including Ron, his family and friends, hypnosis, MKULTRA/ARTICHOKE, the CIA and FBI, blood tests, fingerprints, the fish in the bed, being gay in the ’50s, Miami’s handling of the case, etc. Anything. Questions are great too. I’m already envisioning an AMA (ask me anything) chat every so often. And, because we do live lives outside of this blog site, interesting stories about your day are OK, as are photos of your pets. Lastly, comments about the chat room itself and whether or not it’s working for you are also welcome.
Who can enter the chat?
Currently, anyone can chat during our field test. If you have trouble signing in, please let me know.
Are there rules?
Oh, fersure. My two overarching rules are 1) Treat others the way you wish to be treated, and 2) If you wouldn’t dream of saying something to a person’s face, don’t say it here. Here are my specific rules for participating in the chat, many of which begin with the words “don’t” or “no”:
- It’s OK to disagree, but please be respectful of one another.
- Don’t say bad things about anyone.
- Please keep your comments rated PG-13.
- No name calling.
- Absolutely no bigotry or hate speech.
- No politics.
- No religion.
- Don’t spam people either.
- Don’t break the law.
What happens if someone breaks one of the rules?
It’ll vary. Take number 3, for example. To help keep conversations suitable for most audiences, I’ve created a list of words or phrases that aren’t permitted in the chat room. If someone types one of the banned words, it’ll automatically be omitted. As for the other rules, I’ll exercise my right to remove a comment or to even ban the commenter, if necessary. If it’s really, really bad—number 9, for example—I may feel the need to notify the police. But, oh my gosh, those would be REALLY extreme cases. We’re just a small blog site of Ronald Tammen fans. I don’t envision us having many problems.
What’s your name on the chat?
My name on the chat is ronaldtammen, since that’s the blog’s URL. I tried to change it, but the platform tells me I can’t. So if someone named ronaldtammen is talking to you, it isn’t Ron. It’s only me.
Any suggestions before I begin?
If you’re using a browser’s private setting, it doesn’t like that. You need to have a regular browser window open for your comment to post.
When can I start?
How about now? What’s on your mind?
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the chat are not necessarily those of the site owner.
Latest message: 5 days, 14 hours ago
Jewels : I'm sure someone's brought this up before, but did anyone ever float the idea that the pillow didn't get in the case because he maybe got a call from Richard at the same time as making the bed. Then perhaps had to leave right away for song practice instead of finish?2023-05-30 11:55:31 Jewels : Just saw your last few posts and I'll dig into those in a bit. In the meantime I'm working on creating a timeline of the "official" story vs stuff you've dug up that is new or contradicts it2023-05-30 11:50:05
ronaldtammen : I'm going to continue digging before I discuss specifics, but I'll fill you in as soon as I'm able.2023-05-25 12:55:29 ronaldtammen : I think I've found another potential author of the Feb 6, '57 mkultra proposal on hypnotic messengers--the one that I thought was written by Louis Jolyon West. Would it throw a monkey wrench into our current theory? Oh, sure. But we're seeking the truth, so the occasional plot twist is welcome.2023-05-25 12:51:21 ronaldtammen : Hey, I think I figured something out: if anyone has tried commenting but gotten an error message, I think you need to open a regular browser window, and not a private window. Note that this app isn't collecting personal data.2023-05-19 09:28:19 ronaldtammen : I think the "25" refers to a specific consultant, and I think I know who. (The last # is the number of docs they have for them, I think.) I'm now looking to see if I can find the IDs of the people we're most interested in. This won't be easy but I think it would be so worth it if it works. #end#2023-05-19 06:21:11 ronaldtammen : Here are the notes I'm trying to decode: 
2023-05-19 06:14:53 ronaldtammen : Anyway, I think I've identified two people so far, and I'm now attempting to ID more. This has nothing to do with mkultra's 149 subprojects, btw, which used a different numbering system. I'm looking into how paid consultants were tracked by the CIA's financial folks.2023-05-19 06:06:42 ronaldtammen : (fun, not fund)2023-05-19 06:01:40 ronaldtammen : So, even though everyone's names are redacted, wouldn't it be fund if we could still identify people by their number at the top? We'd need to use the identifying language that surrounds their redacted name in tandem with the identifying number at the top to make the connection.2023-05-19 06:00:49 ronaldtammen : This makes a lot of sense, since the surviving mkultra docs came from the financial folks, and the financial folks needed to keep the consultants straight. After all, the consultants weren't consulting for free.2023-05-19 05:55:30 ronaldtammen : So lately, I've been focusing on those cryptic notes at the top, righthand corner of many mkultra docs--the ones that lead with the letters A/B. (I'll share one in a second.) Altho I don't know the full meaning of every letter/number, I think the second-to-last number refers to a given consultant.2023-05-19 05:52:50 ronaldtammen : As I\'ve been combing thru mkultra docs, sometimes I\'ll find something I want to share, tho it\'s not enough for a full blog or fb post. This is where I\'ll be sharing tiny/occasional mkultra discoveries for anyone who happens by. Of course, other topics are still fair game too. #1 of series2023-05-19 05:47:55 Me again : Agreed, I'm just not sure hypnosis was how they were going about it...seems like the McGill Uni studies were more effective in that regard2023-03-03 08:31:16 ronaldtammen : Could be...although I do think things were going on in the world of hypnosis in the mid-to-late 60s. I think they were still doing the Manchurian Candidate/assassin stuff...(e.g., Sirhan Sirhan), though I don't believe we'll ever know the full truth.2023-03-03 08:27:04 Me again : Yeah, I think by 65 they'd (mostly) concluded amnesia needed to be induced with a hammer, not hypnosis, and it wasn't going to get any major personality changes, either2023-03-03 08:19:33 ronaldtammen : Remember that it was around his retirement from Miami that he felt the need to get a PO Box in town and not use his regular, boring mailbox at home. So he was up to *something*...still not sure what though.2023-03-03 08:18:23 ronaldtammen : Interesting...so perhaps less interest in his hypnosis/drugs background and more interest in his psychological/biological background. Maybe...2023-03-03 08:16:30 Me again : Or "where would it be least disruptive to test this biological or chemical agent on a population of X size"2023-03-03 07:56:00 Me again : Could be something mapping adjacent, like "We suspect this guy is KGB, here's his psych profile, where would he go in X city?"2023-03-03 07:54:52 ronaldtammen : As for DRD, thanks for the info. Makes sense, tho it doesn't sound like Switzer's bailiwick. I haven't heard back yet from the Federal Research Division about the 1965-67 annual reports. I'm wondering if they may have gotten into other topics besides mapping, etc....things more up his alley. tbd?2023-03-03 07:25:05 ronaldtammen : Not sure what to do about whatever's going on...but glad you keep finding a way in 👍2023-03-03 07:16:34 Jane Doe : Anyway, I realized the DRD was an old-school version of what we call geolocating now. The news outlet bellingcat.com has a lot of insight into geolocation, as they help track lots of criminals, warlords, extremists, etc2023-03-03 06:58:31 Jane Doe : Apparently I need another name change 🙄2023-03-03 06:58:17 Betty Rubble : 👍2023-02-28 06:20:54 ronaldtammen : Didn't know that about Riverside or DARPA. I couldn't believe that either about clearing out the space for more researchers plus designating LOC info USAF classified. At least they've produced annual reports. I've requested copies of 1965-1967 to see what kinds of research they were conducting then.2023-02-27 10:33:41 Betty Rubble : Also, it amuses me to imagine Switzer in Riverside, what I've heard is the present-day meth manufacturing capital of the US2023-02-27 10:21:54 Betty Rubble : That part of the book pissed me off - all the old wood pulp newspapers they destroyed so they could have space to figure out where to drop H-bombs? 😛 And I'm pretty sure DARPA is/was based out in CA, created by Ike in 58ish, so...2023-02-27 10:20:20 ronaldtammen : Here's a history of that division at the LOC, which was called the Defense Research Division in 1966, when Switzer retired. Was that what he planned to do before changing course and moving to Riverside, CA in 1968? «link» 2/22023-02-27 07:33:25 ronaldtammen : I found another interesting reference in Nicholson Baker's book concerning the Library of Congress and how they helped the USAF with Cold War bomb research. When Switzer retired, he told the Miami Student that he planned to move to DC, where he would have access to materials in the LOC. 1/22023-02-27 07:29:14 ronaldtammen : Welcome, Betty Very sorry for all the trouble you experienced getting into the chat. If anyone else has problems posting, please let me know: rontammenproject@gmail.com2023-02-26 10:31:19 Betty Rubble : Now I'm brain-dead and going to play the ridiculous, pop-culture-reference-filled computer game Holy Potatoes A Spy Story2023-02-26 10:13:26 Betty Rubble : Is it working NOW?2023-02-26 10:09:00 ronaldtammen : Btw...I'm keeping a list of the app's weird little buggy typos and will pass them along to the developer. Like the slanty line thing it keeps doing. That's not me, that's the app.2023-02-26 04:22:42 ronaldtammen : My guess? Slippery slope. If they gave us the title, then we would know it was Hull, and then we might be able to figure out the names of his two principal research assistants....which I think we already did.2023-02-26 04:02:11 ronaldtammen : The below link is to the doc that they approved for release on Jan 5, 2016. You can see where Cmdr. Robert J. Williams\' name is unredacted. But you know what is so weird? How Clark Hull\'s book is NOT unredacted. I mean...what did they think that we could learn from that title??2023-02-26 03:53:48 ronaldtammen : My favorite line on that image is the one that says Case Number: F-2014-02547. That was my case number. I\'d submitted my request on August 1, 2014, and that\'s the number they\'d assigned to it. Kinda cool.2023-02-26 03:47:23 ronaldtammen : A little more on the I&I memo, which the CIA has posted in their Reading Room: here's the introductory info on the I&I page. 
2023-02-26 03:44:53 ronaldtammen : And here's the coolest part: it's the version with Cmdr. Robert J. Williams' name unredacted. That bit of information is thanks to US, you guys. It's because of my FOIA request seeking the names of the people on that doc back in God knows when. You're welcome, America😊2023-02-25 14:11:45 ronaldtammen : I found it this time. The CIA won\'t let me link to it-- I get an error 404 message on their site-- but if you go to the CIA Reading Room and conduct a search for \"hypnotism,\" the doc titled I&I pops up in the number one spot2023-02-25 14:06:29 ronaldtammen : In one part, he talks about how things can change with the CIA regarding the availability of FOIA docs, which got me to thinking about the I&I memo that I think St. Clair Switzer is mentioned in. So I tried to find it in the CIA\'s Reading Room again. (I\'d tried once before with no luck..)...2023-02-25 13:57:53 ronaldtammen : Hey, I've been reading the book "Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act" by Nicholson Baker. It's well-written and it focuses on his research on America's alleged activities in biological weapons during the Korean War...so it pertains to MKULTRA.2023-02-25 13:54:24 ronaldtammen : Thanks, sis 😁2023-02-25 13:13:15 Suzie Thomas : Just want to say how much I love reading everyone’s comments. It’s nice to know there are others who appreciate Jenny’s research as much as I do. Such interesting throries2023-02-25 13:07:04 ronaldtammen : Hi all--one of our readers is having some technical difficulties with the chat form. 👎If you're not able to submit a message, please email me at rontammenproject@gmail.com. And if everything is working fine for you, please let us know that too.👍 Thanks2023-02-25 09:51:38 ronaldtammen : Hi, a BIG thanks to Julie for taking on this project voluntarily. This is going to be an amazing resource for anyone interested in researching Projects BLUEBIRD, ARTICHOKE, MKULTRA, etc. If interested in helping her proof, email: rontammenproject@gmail.com. Thanks~2023-01-24 12:55:28 Julie M : Anyone who's interested in a big project, I've been transcribing the 84-page MKULTRA index to a legible, easy-to-search spreadsheet and am looking for proofreaders. Anyone interested can message Jennifer for more info. Thank you 😁2023-01-24 12:28:04 Julie M : That's an excellent trick WTG Herbie2023-01-24 12:22:01 ronaldtammen : Oops P.S. And it was 7 cats, not 10.2023-01-22 04:13:57 ronaldtammen : Answer: A Street Cat Named Bob. I also wondered about Inside Llewyn Davis, but I guess only 3 cats played Ulysses in that movie. «link»2023-01-22 04:09:06 ronaldtammen : Now that I think about it, I remember a movie about a cat, and in reality, about 10 cats had to play the role. They had one cat who liked to ride around on people's shoulders, one who didn't mind being picked up and held, etc., etc...I can't remember which film tho...I'll see if I can find it.2023-01-22 03:55:33 ronaldtammen : I agree. i feel honored and proud when Herbie does this one thing I’ve trained him to do, which is to trot to his dish for breakfast and to take the long way thru the living room instead of the shorter route. But that’s it—that’s his trick.2023-01-22 03:37:10 Julie M : IKR? 1st, poor kitty😿, 2nd, pretty sure cats domesticated us😼 3rd, $10mil in 1960s money? Isn't that like a zillion dollars today? Finally, there's a recent viral Twitter thread on why Hollywood doesn't use cats, where a show took a whole day to film a scene that should have been 1hr tops …2023-01-22 03:03:21 ronaldtammen : OMG 🙀2023-01-21 13:33:57 Julie M : Herbie is adorbs, as always Which reminds me of when the CIA tried to make cat spies, the story of which always makes me wonder if anyone involved with Project Acoustic Kitty ever met a cat. (Article: «link» )2023-01-21 11:14:38 ronaldtammen : Happy Caturday, agmihtf-ers --😸I just figured out how to add an image to this chat. It needs to be linked to a URL. The below photo of Herbie has its own URL on my Wordpress site. If you have a website of some sort, you can upload your photo and then link to that URL.2023-01-21 10:25:03 ronaldtammen : 
2023-01-21 10:14:32 Julie M : Hi - love reading everyone's thoughts on the blog, so I look forward to chatting with you guys here2023-01-20 07:53:23 Priscilla Wright : Hi, everyone i went to MU and am always interested in new developments.2023-01-18 11:45:12 ronaldtammen : Hi everyone -- so far, I've noticed a couple bugs in the chat application. It doesn't seem to like exclamation points, though question marks (?) are ok. Also, the emoji picker has been acting up sometimes. I've asked the developer about it and he's already working on it. Stay tuned, OK?2023-01-16 12:57:10 ronaldtammen : I notice that the message box doesn't seem to like punctuation...sorry about that2023-01-16 07:20:36 ronaldtammen : Hi Tasa Thanks for checking in2023-01-16 07:17:36 Tasa Tammen : Hi I am the older daughter of Robert Tammen. Ronald's youngest sibling. Curious to see what people's thoughts are 😁2023-01-16 06:59:56 Mark de Wet : Test2023-01-15 22:30:30 ronaldtammen : Sorry Email me at rontammenproject@gmail.com. Your messages are coming through. Let me know what troubles you're experiencing.2023-01-15 19:12:51 Pee Wee : testing2023-01-15 18:54:41 Pee Wee : Great idea2023-01-15 18:53:52 Pee Wee : Ms. Not so technical cannot seem to get beyond the bling when I hit submit.2023-01-15 18:52:53 Pee Wee : What a great idea.2023-01-15 18:51:37 Pee Wee : What a great idea.2023-01-15 18:50:21 ronaldtammen : 😆2023-01-15 18:25:37 suzie : Wishing I could edit. Haha2023-01-15 18:18:59 suzie : Just stopping in to say hi, Everyone Looking firwaex to chatting about all things Ron Tammen with you Thanks for setti vbthis up, Jen2023-01-15 18:17:27 ronaldtammen : Thanks everyone Good to hear from you all. (And thanks, Kathy, for liking the tag line) Can I ask a question...are you being asked for your user names before you write your message or do you just start writing and it somehow identifies you?2023-01-15 16:03:30 Chris : checking into the chat room2023-01-15 15:51:22 Kathy Spicer : Hello everyone. Testing out the chat room. I love the tag line2023-01-15 15:50:09 Stevie J : testing2023-01-15 15:39:40 Dulcima : I wonder if DNA will provide the answer to this case some day.2023-01-15 14:40:31 julie : i remember hearing my Mom discussing this when it happened. i was a little girl who later attended Miami.2023-01-15 13:36:18 ronaldtammen : Hello I'm just testing out the chat room.😀2023-01-15 11:58:18
Room 225 Fisher : Welcome to the chat. What do you want to talk about?2023-01-11 10:37:00