The Litvak Legacy

Below are ten names of the most educated, respected UFologists alive today. By studying their theories and published works, you will be on the forefront of UFology research.

Jerome Clark: Researcher and writer. He attended South Dakota State University and Minnesota State University, becoming interested in the UFO phenomenon in the 1960s. He initially embraced the interdimensional hypothesis to explain UFOs, but then turned to Extraterrestrial Hypothesis as the best explanation. His focus is on UFO cases with multiple witnesses, or those which leave physical evidence. He is an active board member of CUFOS, and has served as the editor of the CUFOS journal, as well as The Journal for UFO Studies. In the 1990s he published a massive three volume UFO Encyclopedia, which earned him the 1998 Benjamin Franklin Award in the Science category. He has written and co-written several books on UFOs.

Stanton T. Friedman: Nuclear Physicist. He received his BS and MS from University of Chicago, and worked for 14 years on advanced, classified projects such as nuclear aircraft, fission and fusion rockets, and nuclear power plants for space. He is possibly the best-known UFO lecturer in North America, having been the first promoter of the Roswell incident, and the most significant voice of the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis. His written testimony has been used in Congressional hearings, and he has appeared before the UN twice. He has published two books covering his work with the MJ-12 documents and the Roswell incident.

Richard F. Haines, Ph.D.: Research Scientist for NASA from 1967-1988. He received his MA and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Michigan State University. He investigated aviation accidents and incidents for FAA, NTSB, and attorneys. For 37 years he has specialized in pilot sightings, amassing more than 3,000 reports. Other special interests include analysis of photographic evidence and data on Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind. He has written two books and numerous UFO articles.

Bernard Haisch, Ph.D.: Astrophysicist and President of Digital Universe Foundation; Chief Science Officer for ManyOne Networks, Inc; Director of California Institute for Physics and Astrophysics; and editor of numerous scientific journals. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Self-described as a “UFO skeptic, standing somewhere between the majority rejectionist view of mainstream scientific community and the majority accepting view of the general public,” Haisch advocates personal research of phenomenon while suspending judgment.

James A. Harder, Ph.D.: Professor of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering and Professor Emeritus at University of California at Berkeley. Harder received his BS at Caltech, and his MS and Ph.D. at University of California in Berkeley. From 1969-1982 he was the director of research for Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, one of the first civilian organizations to study UFOs. He was the primary investigator on a number of classical UFO cases, mainly related to alien abductions. He is a strong advocate of the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis and the government cover-up theories.

John Keel: Parapsychologist and Journalist. Keel is best-known for his ideas that there is a direct relationship between UFOs and psychic phenomena and demonology. He is one of the most widely read and influential UFologists since the early 1970s. His 1967 book, The Mothman Prophesies—about a strange winged creature reportedly seen in West Virginia by numerous witnesses—was loosely adapted into a 2002 blockbuster.

Bruce Maccabbee, Ph.D.: Optical Physicist. He received his BS in physics from Worcester Polytechnical Institute, and his MA and Ph.D. at American University in Washington DC. He has been active in UFO research since the 1960s, when he joined NICAP. After its demise he joined MUFON and is now state director for Maryland. He was instrumental in establishing the Fund for UFO Research. He is the author and co-author of numerous technical articles and books.

John E. Mack, Ph.D.: Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and Pulitzer-prize winning biographer. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School after his undergraduate years at Oberlin. He graduated from the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute and was Board certified in child and adult psychoanalysis. He was a professor of psychology at Harvard until his untimely death in a car accident in 2004. (We include him in this article of contemporary UFologists, since his work is relevant today.) Mack’s clinical work focused on the exploration of dreams, nightmares, and teen suicide. In 1990 he published his research on alien abduction encounters, concluding, “There is compelling powerful phenomenon here that I can’t account for any other way, that’s mysterious…it seems to me that it invites deeper, further inquiry.”

Peter A Sturrock, Ph.D.: British Scientist. He studied mathematics at Cambridge University where he earned his Ph.D. Much of his career has been devoted to electron physics, particle accelerators, plasma physics, solar physics, astrophysics, and scientific interference. He was appointed professor of applied physics at Stanford University, where he is now professor emeritus. Gaining interest in UFology, and curious about the general attitudes toward the field, Sturrock conducted two major surveys involving more than 2,500 scientists. Upon learning that a majority of scientists favored better research of UFOs, Sturrock helped establish the Society of Scientific Exploration to provide a forum for the subject. His studies have since been published.

Jacques Vallee, Ph.D.: French-born Computer Scientist and Astronomer. After receiving his BS in Mathematics and his MS in Physics, he came to the US 1962 and began working in astronomy at the University of Texas. He worked at MacDonald Observatory on NASA’s first project making a detailed informational map of Mars. He then received his Ph.D. in Computer Science at Northwestern University, where he was a student of renowned UFologist, J. Allen Hynek. Initially he promoted the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis, but later modified it, introducing the Multidimensional Visitation Hypothesis. His exploration of the commonalities between UFOs, cults, religious movements, angels, ghosts, cryptid sightings, and psychic phenomena contributed to his change in ideas. He was the model for the UFO researcher in Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and served as a consultant on the set. He has authored numerous books and articles on various subjects, including UFOs.

An antique is an object which belongs to a past era valued for its artistry, craftsmanship, rarity and age. The term originates from the Latin word “antiquus” which means “old” or “ancient”.

Antique experts and collectors have different factors in considering or defining antique, but a common denominator is the age of the items. An object has to be made from an earlier period than the present. Moreover, an object has to be at least 100 years old to qualify as antique.

Other antique experts and collectors regard a hundred year old object not antique enough compared to an item that is at least 300 years old. An antique item in one country may not be considered antique in another country at all. Thus, defining what antique also varies from person to person or from place to place.

Aside from the age of a piece, some antique experts would only describe an object as antique if it is made of the highest quality and features a striking ors one-of-a-kind design.

Antiquing Defined

Antiquing is the art of antique collection. It involves the process of shopping, identifying, negotiating, bargaining and buying so called antique items. Antiques may range from pieces of furniture such as a table, chair, desk, or dresser among others; a piece of jewellery; kitchen pieces such as tableware, dinner sets or pots; sculptures; paintings; maps; coins; stamps; books; other home pieces such as clocks; and carpets as well. Antique furniture is one of the most commonly collected items because of its practical uses.

Antiques can be made of varied materials such as fabric, wood, porcelain, ivory or glass. Antiques are sold in antique shops all over the world. The internet is also a rich source of information for antique collectors. Several websites pertain to antiques which are useful for antique collectors, both old and new.

Antique collection depends on the interests and preferences of antique collectors. Some antique collectors prefer to collect antiques of a specific period only. Mostly, devoted antique collectors spend considerable time and money to acquire a piece to add in the collection.

Antiquing is indeed an expensive hobby but other antique collectors purchase antiques for potential resale and antiquing also refers to the process of making an object appear antique.

Antiques and its Purpose



Antiques are significant artefacts of the past which help historians and archaeologists from understanding the earlier period of human history. All antiques are valuable because these objects represent the past. However, some are considered priceless because they are vital in the recognition and education of the history of a specific place in a specific time so these antiques are placed in museums. Other antiques can be bought in various antique shops for the satisfaction of antique collectors. Antiques are also considered heirlooms hence, also priceless.

Monetary Value of Antiques

The value of antique depends on the number of items available in the market, the condition of the item, and the amount that collectors would pay for it.

Antique appraisal, or the process of determining the value of antiques, is essential to every antique collector. Finding a qualified antique appraiser requires meticulous research. Antique appraisers have different specialization on antiques. An appraiser whose forte is on antique ceramics may not be able to provide valuable details on antique jewellery.

It is also important to note that some pieces of antiques are recommended for antique restoration while others are more valuable as they appear to be. A professional antique restorer provides expert help in determining what needs to undergo essential restoration to add more value to the antique and restore it to its original appearance and function.

The Art of Selfishness

Achieving a harmonious balance between your work responsibilities and your personal life requires that you become selfish. That’s right, selfish. Stop frowning and wipe that look of disbelief from your face. Let’s look at this concept in more detail by examining the word “selfish” in more detail.

Selfish vs Self-ish

The reason you’re reading this article right now is because you don’t have work-life balance and you’re seeking answers to your dilemma. The other reason you don’t have the balance you desire is because, most likely, you continually put the needs of others before your own. Well, it’s time to stop. You need to learn how to become self-ish. And you need to start right now.

When I speak of selfishness, I’m not talking about the negative sense of the word — about being concerned excessively with oneself, for one’s own advantage without regard to the well-being of others. This isn’t about living your life at the expense of others. Instead, I’m talking about self-ish – about being loving, kind and caring towards yourself.

It’s about honoring the commitments you make to yourself; it’s about taking care of you in all aspects – body, mind, and spirit. Without this attitude of self-care and nurturing, you are of no use to anyone – not to yourself and certainly not to others.

Harry Brown wrote in his book, “How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World,” that if someone accuses you of being selfish, the reality is that they are only upset because you aren’t doing what they selfishly want you to do. Thomas J. Leonard, the late founder of the coaching movement, pointed out that this kind of selfishness is actually neediness in disguise.

By always taking care of the needs of others, you’re denying them the opportunity to be responsible for themselves and their own success. Essentially, you’re enabling their inability to take care of themselves – denying them opportunities to build self-confidence by taking on challenges and working through them.

Getting Started

So how do you stop giving in to the needs of others so that you can properly take care of yourself first? It all starts with making a commitment to yourself and then learning how to communicate your needs to others.

We all know about keeping commitments to others. We show up for meetings, we attend to the needs of our co-workers, our spouse and our children. We’re always there for everyone else. But, when it comes to ourselves, sometimes the follow through is not nearly so spectacular.

For example, if you planned a meeting with someone, would you fail to show up? Of course not. Then why do you do this to yourself? You need to turn this around. You need to take care of your needs and responsibilities first. Everyone has this same responsibility to themselves. It’s time that you keep your commitments to yourself so that you have the time, energy and other resources to help others when and how you can.

You might be thinking, “Well, that’s easier said than done. I can’t say ‘no’ to my boss, my spouse, and, certainly, never to my children.” Yes you can. And, it’s easier than you think.

Do you hate to say “no”? Don’t worry; you’ll never even need to utter that word. Thomas Leonard suggested that you start by never making promises. It’s all about developing a new way of communicating – one that doesn’t harm the relationship between you and others, but just as important, it doesn’t harm you and the commitments that you make to yourself.

Here are some example phrases you might try with your friends, colleagues, or family members:



I’ll get back to you if I get a free moment

I’ll see, but I’m not making any promises

Let me think about it and get back to you

Do you have an appointment? No? I’m sorry, but I’m busy right now, but if you would like to make one … (a great response for those who interrupt your work day)

I’ll come for lunch, but I can’t stay all afternoon.

Let me see; I need to get this finished first.



None of these phrases demand that you say “no.” All gracious in their wording, you’ll never offend others and, at the same time, you don’t need to defend your other work and life responsibilities. You’ll be much happier with how you’re treating yourself and the positive feelings will certainly carry over to other parts of your life.

By being selfish, by keeping commitments to yourself and communicating with others in a way that keeps you responsible to you and your life, and others responsible for their outcomes, you automatically bring more balance into your daily life.

You’re living life on your own terms. By doing so, you’re serving your needs and requirements first so that you can actually be in a better position to help others. Unbelievable as this may seem, it’s actually a win-win situation for everyone when you start to learn how to be more selfish.

Think about what it would mean to you and your life happiness if you learned the art of selfishness. How will your attitude change once you learn to honor your commitments to yourself? How will you feel once you start to communicate in ways that are loving and caring towards yourself, and which empower others to take responsibility for their own needs? Make a commitment to try some of these suggestions. I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the results.