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george knapp interview questions..

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FletcherMunson said:
All I am saying is that when you have an instance of a journalist having a longstanding relationship with a subject, it can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, Mr. Bigelow trusts Mr. Knapp enough to grant interviews and stories, and to allow a great book about the Skinwalker Ranch. On the other hand, the relationship seems to have hampered the flow of additional information about the ranch. That's troublesome because it could be a sign of things to come with Mr. Bigelow's other endeavors -- especially the space exploration/colonization projects.
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Looking wider, this seems to fit into a wider pattern involving paranormal events. Authorities become involved at some point in the early state and then it is farmed over to a private entity where information can be safely hidden but a controlling hand can still be exerted where necessary. Who will commission Bigelow Industries to build the rockets and other systems to get into space? Who has enough money to be a viable partner to allow Bigelow to maintain a foothold in that area of interest. ---> NASA. Who controls NASA, the military.
 
FletcherMunson said:
I understand your point, Mr. Steinberg, and it troubles me with the government, as well.

The scenario you put forward about Mr. Knapp losing access to information versus presenting what he had is a good one. I was just wondering aloud how far that line stretches when it comes to such potentially explosive information.
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When the journalist in question deems that what they can get out of divulging the information outweighs what they can get from with-holding it. There is possibly elements still holding him back, either personal or professional, perhaps tangible proof is in short supply. Maybe when he gets close to retiring Mr Knapp will see the scales tipping in the opposite favour?
 
Decker said:
But Gene, that is how it is supposed to work! That is their JOB.

Decker
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Whilst I agree with your sentiment, did you never pull a favour or do one for someone that would make their life easier in your previous careers? You can still be seen to be doing your job without doing it to the fullest extent/ exact interpretation of the law.

It can also work in the opposite way for reporters, especially if the politician under question knows they have information that could cause problems in the future, they get better seating, I higher priority when asking questions, special interviews etc.

In all trade-offs, both parties constantly assess the current situation and make calculated risks, it just comes down to knowing the right time when to play the cards you have been dealt.
 
goggsmackay said:
Yes, wasn't Chris gonna ask and see if Ray might release a photo or two? I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ray is getting on in years and none of us are immortal - what would happen to all the research and data if Ray were to die suddenly? Has he made arrangements for such a thing?

I don't want to get morbid and certainly hope Ray is around long enough to finally present publicly the fruits of his labours but there are a few researchers in his position, i.e promising to one day release amazing data from years of research but what happens if they die without a will detailing what should be done with their work?
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To me, this is THE number one priority for ufology. Potentially hugely valuable data locked in cupboards and boxes gathering dust and waiting to be thrown out when the person dies and the executors clean the property without realising the importance of the collateral contained therein.

Until we get a mindset change from the making money side to the altruistic / sociological side then the subject will be hampered and continue to suffer.

When we talk about full disclosure from a government, we should look to our own as well, some are just as bad IMHO.
 
I liked the interview. But I agree with the others who were disappointed that Knapp won't release the documentary at Bigelow's request.
 
Liked the interview: 2 things left out that I would have wanted to hear:

1.- If Knapp is aware of the allegations —made by 'Chip' in a previous show— that the NSA is involved in the security of the Skinwalker ranch (along with that, the claim that by now most of the security cameras are kept turned off).

2.- The fact that the FAA's webpage, on its section concerning UFOs, directly instruct the public to report any possible sightings to Bigelow.

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ATpubs/ATC/atc0908.html
 
I too was troubled by George Knapp's defense of 'poor' Robert Bigelow. He has to post security 24/7 at the Skinwalker Ranch? Well, the last time I checked, Robert Bigelow is a billionaire. I am sure Bigelow himself is surrounded by security every day . That kind of money is chump change to him. One thing I am sure of, billionaires don't like to answer difficult questions from the common people(reporters). It's probably the main reason you don't hear much from this guy. Knapp has to dance around from asking probing questions so he doesn't lose whatever access he has to Bigelow. I think Knapp said it best... Bigelow spends money on this kind of research and he expects results. Unfortunately, those results are for his eyes only.
 
ufology said:
I'll have to check out Knapp's book, but in the meantime I suggest that the phenomena at the ranch could be explained as a special-ops training ground that includes a combination of traditional methods and new technology....The observation towers, cameras, military trained guards, fences, and all the strange phenomena all add up to a training ground of this type, and I further suggest that the reactions to these exercises are monitored as part of the evaluation for process. It's all quite interesting.
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Ufology--that is quite an interesting theory you raise, and also strikes me as plausible. I agree that, when you think about the ranch in isolation, your view that it is some sort of special ops training / testing ground is more plausible than a paranormal / ufological explanation. However, considered in the totality of the circumstances--Bigelow collecting UFO sightings through official FAA referrals, funding para-science institutes (not just NIDS), and being obsessed with space exploration--while your theory remains plausible, it does not have the unifying power of the Bigelow-as-possessed-pawn-of-ultraterrestrials-in-league-with-the-government-theory I was hinting at. Which one is correct? I cannot say. Perhaps even neither.
 
Ufology: It has been quite a while since I read Hunt For the Skinwalker, but I seem to remember the idea you're floating about special-ops training as at least being mentioned in the book, and then argued down in some manner. But I could be wrong about that.

Nevertheless, I agree with you that this special-ops training theory is very plausible and probably, at the very least, an aspect of the true situation at the ranch.
 
ufology said:
I'll have to check out Knapp's book, but in the meantime I suggest that the phenomena at the ranch could be explained as a special-ops training ground that includes a combination of traditional methods and new technology, including active camouflage and other high-tech tools e.g. laser holography, sonic projectors, and non-lethal EM weapons. If you've read Alexander's book on UFOs you'll recall that he included a few pages on psychological warfare, and a case of how a local legend was exploited by these special-ops people that made it appear that the enemy was being hunted by a mysterious creature that drained their blood. Have I mentioned that Alexander was also a part of NIDs? The observation towers, cameras, military trained guards, fences, and all the strange phenomena all add up to a training ground of this type, and I further suggest that the reactions to these exercises are monitored as part of the evaluation for process. It's all quite interesting.
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That is certainly a valid argument for bradshaw ranch which as far as I know is the only place under the protection of the us forest service with a keep out sign on it. I've read some articles where...assuming the authors weren't using hyperbole...the security rivals area 51, much like sherman ranch I suppose.

But being that bigelow owes the ranch and it is not u.s. property I'd think whatever is going on there in terms of research would be more to the benefit of mr. bigelow to do with as he wishes including selling that info to the u.s. at a later time. If it was used for u.s.special ops training I don't think that even mr. bigelow would be in the loop. The feds would probably throw even more unaccounted money at him, or grab it from him and sic the IRS on him if he complains.

Unless one would want to argue that bigelow is a front for the gubernment (spl?) :)
 
I have been meaning to get George's book for ages and now I've ordered a copy from Amazon. The case being what it is, I'm expecting a good read.
 
Christopher O'Brien said:
What more do you want? Alien saliva and/or other bodily fluids?
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FWIW, I really liked his answer to my question about the loss of the history and personal stories of the men and women who have worked on secret projects over decades. I expected a rather short answer, but, he went in depth and even veered off into remarks about the late Ben Rich death bed comments.

As for Skinwalker ranch, I agree with some of the others that there must be something more going on there than the simple harassment of the caretakers by looky-loos. To have the type of security Bigalow has in place means only one thing, extreme danger. What the form that danger takes is up for much speculation. Also FWIW. Could Knapp and Bigalow be reluctant to open up more about Skinwalker because Bigalow thinks it might hurt his chances for more success in his space ventures?
 
Fantastic interview. Very upfront, and to the point. He gave excellent replies to everyone's questions, including my own.

I liked Gene's response to people's frustration with Mr. Knapp's responses pertaining to Mr. Bigelow. As Greg Bishop
has said many times, there's a way the game is played. Either learn to play, and get something, or walk away empty handed.

Bigelow is playing by "Big Boy's Rules". The person or persons in the power position gets to make the rules. Don't like it?
Then get in a power position. That's reality.

Ufology's special ops hypothesis has merit. But people always make the mistake of thinking the human activity, and "other"
activity are mutually exclusive of each other. As Nick Redfern has shown in his research and investigations, factions of the
government have been involved in the study of high strangeness phenomenon for quite some time. Who's to say that they
haven't been able to "weaponize" certain aspects of it. That there aren't "agreements" between human and non-human agencies.

I know that this is all speculation, but it was always interesting to me listening to Karla Turner (still have to get around to reading
her books). In a couple of her talks, she discusses this type of crossover. She also talked about what she called "UFO virgins", people
who prior to their experience had nothing to do with UFOs, the paranormal, etc. She related how they talked about seeing and
experiencing things that we're now familiar with from John Lear and John Grace (aka Valdamar Valerian). The underground bases,
human bodyparts in vats, etc.

Could it be psy ops? Yep. "Other"? Yep. "Both"? Yep.

I'll have to agree with Vallee, Keel, Turner, & Redfern on this. The actual core of what's going on is going to be so friggin bizarre, out there,
and horrifying, relative to the average person's experience and worldview, no one's going to "believe it". And even if they did, society
hasn't been given the tools to cope with any of the high strangeness that various witnesses report. Can you imagine this stuff being a part of
your everyday life? Most people understandably couldn't deal.

I'm really starting to see this as the primary reason for a lack of disclosure. It may actually be for people's own good not to know about any of this.

I keep hearing Tommy Lee Jones from"MIB I":


Thanks Chris and Gene for a great interview.
 
ufology said:
For the time being, this Earthly explanation seems far more likely than a hyper-dimensional or ET presence, or other paranormal mythology. One might be tempted to counter with the question of how we would explain the mythology prior to all the activity on the ranch, and in response I'd simply defer again to Alexander's account of how the local mythology is exploited by these special-ops specialists. Does that mean there's nothing to the mythology? Not necessarily. But that's not the issue here. The question is what's going on at the ranch now, not a hundred years ago or more when native superstition alone was sufficient to explain the mythology.
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I think it's important to look at the whole story in its three timelines as you map them out: the original folklore from Indigenous culture; the wild tales of the previous owners with instantaneous mutilations, that never harm humans but 'melts dogs' as goggsmackay says (will Chris O'Brien ever learn to pronounce his name right?); and finally the NIDs' era, as documented by Knapp & Co.

The first two time periods can only be considered that 'word of mouth' proof that spreads like peanut butter over time, getting stickier and stickier until it becomes myth, or hardens into acceptable proof depending on your vantage point. Just how many in goggs' list are part of these eras of myth? Certainly the remainder are just too incredible and do make a great screen for something that may indeed be very experimental. The whole story is very reminiscent of the Area 51 plotline - no need to explain, confirm or deny what's really going on, just let quasi-believable people spin tales, let books be published and keep the public distracted with salacious tales of the paranormal.

The Bigelow period is like all of these unique stories told by an Oracle of one, or two only. Be it Marley Woods, Ray's well documented craft or Skinwalker, the Oracle seems to be the only one able to verify these very extraordinary experiences, or provide a connection between these wild tales and the eager audience. So more mystery but little meat, in fact scant pickings of tangible proof, but a story built on top of previous myth.

It certainly begs the question as to what's really going on. All I know is everytime we talk Skinwalker on the Paracast I wait for that familiar moment where O'Brien starts painting the picture of the dog-headed man having a smoke, while casually leaning against a tree, probably waiting for the moon to come out. Now there are two dog headed figures smoking - maybe they're on a date?! I love those moments.
 
@Burnt State - well thanks for picking up on the name pronunciation but I have to report that it gets pronounced incorrectly even in Scotland - quite regularly so I am very used to it. It is indeed a strange spelling. Just like the 'O' in "O'Brien", 'Mac' means 'son of' so someday I need to look at the family tree/genealogy thing and work out this Mr Kay we are all son's of in my family!

I am happy to report that as of the episode just recorded, with Blake Cousins, the name thing has been well and truly nailed by Gene and Chris. It's gonna be an episode we think people will like, with some humorous surprises. Guaranteed to generate much forum discussion we think. Watch this space as they say!

Smoking dog-men, that one is forever struck in my head. I'm actually interested to know if the faces looked like a particular breed of dog - in my mind it's something like a Golden Retriever face but who knows, it could be a bulldog!
 
For some reason I kept seeing a black wolf like mutt - but I'm probably just seeing my dog's face cause he keeps stealing smokes from where my partner keeps hers hidden in the cupboard. I've really got to get him to give up that habit.
 
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