Perhaps we need a sticky re: tough questions for guests vs. entertainment as this issue is one we return to over and over, roll me over in a barrel over niagra falls, please.
So as not to be nauseatingly repetitive this is also an opportunity to talk about the idea of who can speak with authority about UFO's.
Sentry has it right - the show is about entertainment by and large, with differing guests getting different approaches. And we have established many times that maintaining a weekly guest roster means you can't get out the scalpel every week to filet them. If the listeners want to complete some minor research and explore their own issues - well then that's what the question bank's for. It's the best way for friends of hosts to get a little more grilling. After all, you can't make it your prime directive to rip new ones for people you work with outside the show. It's a courtesy thing. But nothing stops us from taking Robbert Van der BLT to task with well scripted questions, right?
As to moving forward in paranormal and Ufological studies I think it's mostly about the quality of the guest, the seriousness with which they approach the topic and what they are bringing to the table. With some guests we get some gleaning into possibilities, but rarely anything more than that. After all, as we've heard related on the show recently many times, who can actually speak with authority about UFO's? Only guests fully immersed in the field critically, historically and very seriously offer much insight IMHO. And does anyone even have a handle on the subject at all, really? It's slippery stuff - always has been.
Rutkowski is one of those guys who has made it a serious quest, and while we had a great show with him, you'd need another two or three hours to get into more critical, insightful talk to start to crack open his own opinions and what he's learned.
I see the Paracast as a historical event. Over the years it has provided a brilliant history of ufology often with the actual, real live participants in the field. It's also roamed over many subjects, with some not so serious or credible guests, and we've had some good spicy laughs with wildy unbelievable tales. It's a stone soup, with many different recipes. Take it or leave it, but complaining about a free service on a topic with no real possibility of conclusions does not move the pursuit any further at all. Might as well yell at the sun for coming up each morning. A better use of energy, I've discovered, is to ask better questions and hope that they spin on the air. (though still wish we coud have heard Rutkowski's take on recent debunking of the Yukon mothership - perhaps next time...)
