THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
March 27, 2016
www.theparacast.com
The Paracast Returns to Explore Nuts and Bolts UFO Research
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, and chat rooms when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for fast updates of the latest episodes and we give free ebooks for long-term subscriptions. We’ve also launched The Paracast+ Video Channel. Check out our new “Lifetime” membership! For more information about our premium package, please visit: Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present Chase Kloetzke, Deputy Director of Investigations and Special Case Manager for MUFON. Chase has a long career that qualifies her as an ace investigator, including a stint as a Master Trainer and Master Instructor with the U.S. Department of Defense. Her background includes assignments with the Department of Homeland Security. Chase is also certified as a private investigator and she is an author of two popular books; “Admissible — The Field Investigators Manual,” with Richard Dolan, and a first of its kind children’s book about UFOs, “Are Aliens Really Real?”
Chris O’Brien’s Site: Our Strange Planet
Chase Kloetzke’s blog: chasekloetzke.com | Chase Kloetzke
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on March 27: Gene and Chris discuss the promises from former Secretary of State and Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to look into the UFO/UAP mystery. But it’s not about the politics; well, maybe a little. In response to the current controversy of a National Enquirer article claiming that another candidate, Senator Ted Cruz, had five illicit affairs, Chris reminds us that this supermarket tabloid actually has a surprisingly positive record for accurate reporting, and cites their coverage of UFOs over the years. Gene complains again about the lack of success in solving the UFO mystery over the years. He points out that, for example, MUFON’s goals indicate they are here to “promote research” rather than actually do the research. Chris voices a long-time conspiracy theory about the origins of MUFON and goes on to discuss his ongoing San Luis Valley Camera Project, and the pr ogress t hat’s being made in making it active.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
Some UFO Field Frustrations
By Gene Steinberg
In early 1971, I was living with my first wife, Geneva, in a small one-bedroom cottage in Charleston, SC. Between jobs, I survived on employment insurance. I sent out resumes, but it would take a few months before I landed a new gig, at a radio station near Philadelphia.
In the meantime, I used the occasion not to sulk over my situation, but to hone my writing skills. I volunteered for a small counterculture newspaper, and wrote sharp criticisms of the local political situation using some personal anecdotes to flesh out my commentaries.
I was also writing material about UFOs for a new magazine, to be known as Caveat Emptor, which reflected the view that things were not quite what they seemed to be. The prevailing view on the part of most people interested in the subject was that we were being visited by alien beings from somewhere out there. The theory, however, lacked proof, and still lacks proof.
The possible connection to other events, considered paranormal and assumed to be unrelated, couldn’t be dismissed. It was not unusual, for example, for other strange things to occur in and around the source of a sighting.
The magazine reached an audience that grew to nearly 1,000 readers that wanted to widen their horizons and consider alternative points of view. One of our readers was John Keel, who wrote an occasional letter with some sharp and satirical remarks, sometimes pointing to what he regarded as the toxic state of the UFO field.
Don’t forget that three of his most important books, “Operation Trojan Horse,” “Strange Creatures From Time and Space,” and “Our Haunted Planet,” were all published between 1970 and 1971, and at least some of his theories were in sync with mine.
When I co-founded The Paracast in 2006, one of the goals was to take paranormal talk radio beyond the conventional emphasis on possible spaceships and contacts with spirits of the dead, and consider other possibilities. We also wanted to be journalists, and not enablers that pander to their audience.
So if you look at our guest list over the years, through more than 500 episodes, you’ll see a wide range of people covering both traditional and nontraditional approaches to these subjects.
Over the years, we’ve had a few notable dustups, as some guests were clearly taken aback over actually being asked a probing question. Evidently that’s a rarity in this business. One guest actually hung up on us, and others came close.
But this approach wasn’t meant as a stunt, a paranormal counterpart to, say, Howard Stern. Rather than just repeat the same old stuff, it was time to shake a few trees to see what fell to the ground.
As you might imagine, I have long been frustrated over the lack of progress in the UFO field, such as it is. You’ll notice that when we interview seasoned investigators, I will respect the hard work they have done, but question the failure to deliver much in the way of useful results.
So, for example, what’s the point of setting up databases consisting of tens or hundreds of thousands of UFO cases if nothing’s being done with that evidence? So, for example, what has MUFON done since its founding in 1969 to get us one inch closer towards finding a solution?
MUFON’s stated goals are summarized from their site:
I. Investigate UFO sightings and collect the data in the MUFON Database for use by researchers worldwide.
II. Promote research on UFOs to discover the true nature of the phenomenon, with an eye towards scientific breakthroughs, and improving life on our planet.
III. Educate the public on the UFO phenomenon and its potential impact on society.
I am quite troubled by the phrase, in goal number two, to “promote research” rather than engage in the research itself. Isn’t that what the membership fee is supposed to cover?
What’s more, while MUFON claims to use the scientific method, implicit in its presentations on the subject is the belief that UFOs are likely spaceships from other planets.
This isn’t to say that MUFON isn’t sincere about what it does. The MUFON officials we’ve brought on The Paracast all exhibit complete dedication to their work. They are really trying to accomplish something meaningful.
But I ask you to listen to our interviews with such investigators as Phyllis Budinger, a recipient of MUFON’s Ufologist of the Year Award and Chase Kloetzke, MUFON’s Deputy Director of Investigations and Special Case Manager.
They have been on the front lines in UFO research for a number of years. Their approaches, by and large, are fair and reasonably impartial. But I’m sure you’ll notice my thinly veiled feelings of frustration when I question them about what they’ve actually discovered.
MUFON claims to be the world’s largest UFO organization, although some organizations outside the U.S. are said to be far bigger. Regardless, I wonder just what they have accomplished in 47 years aside from serving as an outlet for public information. Are we any closer to a solution now than we were in 1969, two years before I wrote my first editorial on the subject for a brand new magazine?
But there may be hope. Several new projects to establish UFO detection systems have huge potential. Next year, the CubeSat for Disclosure satellite is scheduled to be launched into low-Earth orbit, where it will take photos and measurements for an expected three months. If successful, it may be the first of many such ventures.
My co-host, Chris O’Brien, continues to work towards setting up a network of cameras in the San Luis Valley to detect possible paranormal activity in a notorious hot spot of strange activities. There is also the UFODATA project, designed to set up a network of UFO detection systems in various sites around the globe.
We live in a world where you can place a powerful personal computer in your pocket. These projects all take advantage of the fact that sophisticated technology has finally become relatively affordable. What would once require budgets in the millions of dollars can now be accomplished for thousands. It’s the great equalizer, and it means that more people can actually do work that may actually accomplish something meaningful towards solving the UFO mystery.
There may also be a very slight hope that progress will be made on another front, that of learning more about what the U.S. government knows about the flying saucers.
So in a recent appearance on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” late night TV show, Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton dropped by for a chat. During that segment, she was asked about her positive feelings about discovering what the government knows about UFOs.
Clinton repeated a promise first made by her husband, President Clinton, when he was running for office, that they’d see what was going on. The former President has claimed that he didn’t find anything significant, but his wife now promises that, “I’m gonna do it, again.”
However, the promise to reveal what she discovered was tempered with a condition, “Unless it’s a threat to national security, I think we ought to share it with the public.”
I will not take bets, however, as to what might happen should she be elected President. I’d like to be proven wrong, but I suspect we will, as in the past, hear nothing more about UFOs unless the reporters in the White House Press Corp decide to press the issue.
Copyright 1999-2016 The Paracast LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
March 27, 2016
www.theparacast.com
The Paracast Returns to Explore Nuts and Bolts UFO Research
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, and chat rooms when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for fast updates of the latest episodes and we give free ebooks for long-term subscriptions. We’ve also launched The Paracast+ Video Channel. Check out our new “Lifetime” membership! For more information about our premium package, please visit: Introducing The Paracast+ | The Paracast — The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio.
This Week's Episode: Gene and Chris present Chase Kloetzke, Deputy Director of Investigations and Special Case Manager for MUFON. Chase has a long career that qualifies her as an ace investigator, including a stint as a Master Trainer and Master Instructor with the U.S. Department of Defense. Her background includes assignments with the Department of Homeland Security. Chase is also certified as a private investigator and she is an author of two popular books; “Admissible — The Field Investigators Manual,” with Richard Dolan, and a first of its kind children’s book about UFOs, “Are Aliens Really Real?”
Chris O’Brien’s Site: Our Strange Planet
Chase Kloetzke’s blog: chasekloetzke.com | Chase Kloetzke
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively to Paracast+ subscribers on March 27: Gene and Chris discuss the promises from former Secretary of State and Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to look into the UFO/UAP mystery. But it’s not about the politics; well, maybe a little. In response to the current controversy of a National Enquirer article claiming that another candidate, Senator Ted Cruz, had five illicit affairs, Chris reminds us that this supermarket tabloid actually has a surprisingly positive record for accurate reporting, and cites their coverage of UFOs over the years. Gene complains again about the lack of success in solving the UFO mystery over the years. He points out that, for example, MUFON’s goals indicate they are here to “promote research” rather than actually do the research. Chris voices a long-time conspiracy theory about the origins of MUFON and goes on to discuss his ongoing San Luis Valley Camera Project, and the pr ogress t hat’s being made in making it active.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
Some UFO Field Frustrations
By Gene Steinberg
In early 1971, I was living with my first wife, Geneva, in a small one-bedroom cottage in Charleston, SC. Between jobs, I survived on employment insurance. I sent out resumes, but it would take a few months before I landed a new gig, at a radio station near Philadelphia.
In the meantime, I used the occasion not to sulk over my situation, but to hone my writing skills. I volunteered for a small counterculture newspaper, and wrote sharp criticisms of the local political situation using some personal anecdotes to flesh out my commentaries.
I was also writing material about UFOs for a new magazine, to be known as Caveat Emptor, which reflected the view that things were not quite what they seemed to be. The prevailing view on the part of most people interested in the subject was that we were being visited by alien beings from somewhere out there. The theory, however, lacked proof, and still lacks proof.
The possible connection to other events, considered paranormal and assumed to be unrelated, couldn’t be dismissed. It was not unusual, for example, for other strange things to occur in and around the source of a sighting.
The magazine reached an audience that grew to nearly 1,000 readers that wanted to widen their horizons and consider alternative points of view. One of our readers was John Keel, who wrote an occasional letter with some sharp and satirical remarks, sometimes pointing to what he regarded as the toxic state of the UFO field.
Don’t forget that three of his most important books, “Operation Trojan Horse,” “Strange Creatures From Time and Space,” and “Our Haunted Planet,” were all published between 1970 and 1971, and at least some of his theories were in sync with mine.
When I co-founded The Paracast in 2006, one of the goals was to take paranormal talk radio beyond the conventional emphasis on possible spaceships and contacts with spirits of the dead, and consider other possibilities. We also wanted to be journalists, and not enablers that pander to their audience.
So if you look at our guest list over the years, through more than 500 episodes, you’ll see a wide range of people covering both traditional and nontraditional approaches to these subjects.
Over the years, we’ve had a few notable dustups, as some guests were clearly taken aback over actually being asked a probing question. Evidently that’s a rarity in this business. One guest actually hung up on us, and others came close.
But this approach wasn’t meant as a stunt, a paranormal counterpart to, say, Howard Stern. Rather than just repeat the same old stuff, it was time to shake a few trees to see what fell to the ground.
As you might imagine, I have long been frustrated over the lack of progress in the UFO field, such as it is. You’ll notice that when we interview seasoned investigators, I will respect the hard work they have done, but question the failure to deliver much in the way of useful results.
So, for example, what’s the point of setting up databases consisting of tens or hundreds of thousands of UFO cases if nothing’s being done with that evidence? So, for example, what has MUFON done since its founding in 1969 to get us one inch closer towards finding a solution?
MUFON’s stated goals are summarized from their site:
I. Investigate UFO sightings and collect the data in the MUFON Database for use by researchers worldwide.
II. Promote research on UFOs to discover the true nature of the phenomenon, with an eye towards scientific breakthroughs, and improving life on our planet.
III. Educate the public on the UFO phenomenon and its potential impact on society.
I am quite troubled by the phrase, in goal number two, to “promote research” rather than engage in the research itself. Isn’t that what the membership fee is supposed to cover?
What’s more, while MUFON claims to use the scientific method, implicit in its presentations on the subject is the belief that UFOs are likely spaceships from other planets.
This isn’t to say that MUFON isn’t sincere about what it does. The MUFON officials we’ve brought on The Paracast all exhibit complete dedication to their work. They are really trying to accomplish something meaningful.
But I ask you to listen to our interviews with such investigators as Phyllis Budinger, a recipient of MUFON’s Ufologist of the Year Award and Chase Kloetzke, MUFON’s Deputy Director of Investigations and Special Case Manager.
They have been on the front lines in UFO research for a number of years. Their approaches, by and large, are fair and reasonably impartial. But I’m sure you’ll notice my thinly veiled feelings of frustration when I question them about what they’ve actually discovered.
MUFON claims to be the world’s largest UFO organization, although some organizations outside the U.S. are said to be far bigger. Regardless, I wonder just what they have accomplished in 47 years aside from serving as an outlet for public information. Are we any closer to a solution now than we were in 1969, two years before I wrote my first editorial on the subject for a brand new magazine?
But there may be hope. Several new projects to establish UFO detection systems have huge potential. Next year, the CubeSat for Disclosure satellite is scheduled to be launched into low-Earth orbit, where it will take photos and measurements for an expected three months. If successful, it may be the first of many such ventures.
My co-host, Chris O’Brien, continues to work towards setting up a network of cameras in the San Luis Valley to detect possible paranormal activity in a notorious hot spot of strange activities. There is also the UFODATA project, designed to set up a network of UFO detection systems in various sites around the globe.
We live in a world where you can place a powerful personal computer in your pocket. These projects all take advantage of the fact that sophisticated technology has finally become relatively affordable. What would once require budgets in the millions of dollars can now be accomplished for thousands. It’s the great equalizer, and it means that more people can actually do work that may actually accomplish something meaningful towards solving the UFO mystery.
There may also be a very slight hope that progress will be made on another front, that of learning more about what the U.S. government knows about the flying saucers.
So in a recent appearance on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” late night TV show, Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton dropped by for a chat. During that segment, she was asked about her positive feelings about discovering what the government knows about UFOs.
Clinton repeated a promise first made by her husband, President Clinton, when he was running for office, that they’d see what was going on. The former President has claimed that he didn’t find anything significant, but his wife now promises that, “I’m gonna do it, again.”
However, the promise to reveal what she discovered was tempered with a condition, “Unless it’s a threat to national security, I think we ought to share it with the public.”
I will not take bets, however, as to what might happen should she be elected President. I’d like to be proven wrong, but I suspect we will, as in the past, hear nothing more about UFOs unless the reporters in the White House Press Corp decide to press the issue.
Copyright 1999-2016 The Paracast LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!