Saturday, October 24, 2009

Friday, October 23, 2009

Remembering Mac Tonnies, Vol. II

Greg Bishop, Mac and I at our best, from May 21, 2006.

Radio Misterioso.

An excerpt:



Paul Kimball

Remembering Mac Tonnies, Vol. I



I wanted to end Best Evidence with a statement from someone who represented the future of UFO research and thinking. There was no one more appropriate than Mac, who was the best of the new generation of forteans.

Paul Kimball

Mac Tonnies passes away...


My dear friend, Mac Tonnies, has passed away.

There is so much I could say. There is so much I will say in the days to come. But for the moment, all I can say is that one of the many, many things Mac and I shared in common - and something which our mutual pal Nick Redfern, from whom I heard this terrible news, always teased us about - was our devotion to the Smiths. The following was a favourite for both Mac and I...



The last time Mac was in Halifax, shooting some interview segments for a documentary produced by another company here, he and I went out one night for a short drive that turned into a three hour marathon drive to nowhere, as we listened to the Smiths and talked about life, and the universe, and UFOs, and all the others things that you talk about with best friends. About thirty kilometres outside of Halifax, I noticed that the light on the gas gauge had gone on, meaning I was running low. Out in the rural area where we were, at that time of night, there were no service stations open. I told Mac I thought we had enough to get back to town, but then I added, mischievously, that I wasn't sure, and we might have to hoof it, in November. He just looked at me, said "figures that the first time I ever 'ran out of gas' with someone it would be with you on a dark, lonely road in Nova Scotia." We both had a good laugh!


In the days and weeks to come, those are the good memories that I will cherish, and share here.

Mac's light, which burned brightly, but for far too short a time, will never go out.

R.I.P. Mac.

Paul Kimball

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Book of Thoth podcast interview

Jeremy Vaeni - Book Of Thoth Ep. 2- Paul Kimball
Found at bee mp3 search engine


An interview I did a couple of years ago for the Book of Thoth podcast.

Paul Kimball

Department 47 reviews Ghost Cases

A review of Ghost Cases, from an advance screener I sent to Joe Harvat at Department 47.
Paul was good enough to forward me an advance copy of Episode Two of Ghost Cases. I had the chance to watch it Friday night and I have to tell you I really enjoyed it.

Ghost Cases takes a little different approach from what you might be used to on Ghost Hunters. In this particular episode, Paul and Holly visited a rural farm house in which seemingly paranormal activity was making life pretty uncomfortable for its living occupants. I felt Paul and Holly took the time to tell you a little more about what these people were experiencing and how it affected their lives. Like in most UFO cases, the only concrete thing we usually have is the witnesses, and understanding them may give us our best clue to understanding the phenomenon. You also get to know a bit more about the hunters too. You understand that Paul and Holly are just normal people with normal fears and foibles who just happened to be engaged in an unusual activity.

Ghost Cases is not so technology-centric as Ghost Hunters. For example, they are assisted by a psychic in this case - something I believe that Ghost Hunters used to do but abandoned for a more science-based approach. I would certainly like to see a follow-up to the case to see whether the psychic's efforts had any real or lasting effect on the manifestations there.

As a former TV guy, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the production values and videography were quite good - at some points rather artistic. They kept a few miscues in it (people sometimes at a momentary loss for words and such). I liked that. It gave it more of a sense of reality - in stressful situations, sometimes you do struggle for words.

I hope they pick up the show down here. I think it would be a thoughtful counter-point to some of the overwrought shows we get in the States.
Thanks Joe - glad you like it!

Paul Kimball