Cultural anthropologist and expert in indigenous cultures with degrees from Yale and Harvard, Bill Gladstone talked about being the lead researcher for Rod Serling's TV special In Search of Ancient Mysteries, as well as discussed America's fascination with doomsday theories and whether the country was reaching a tipping point in the 2012 aftermath. While working on the Ancient Mysteries show (which first aired in 1973), he traveled the world and investigated a number of Erich Von Daniken's claims, which he found to be somewhat exaggerated in certain cases, such as when he was in Cusco, Peru. However, while in Cusco, he learned of an archaeologist who had a collection of skulls from 600-700 years ago which showed evidence of laser surgery.

There are many ancient mysteries out there that aren't all explainable by the 'ancient astronauts' theory, he commented. While there may not have been ET beings visiting the ancients, "there is intelligence throughout the universe which is accessible," he said, adding that his research into the Mayan calendar indicated that the Mayans didn't create the calendar by themselves, and must have had a way of accessing information that comes from the Akashic Records or "the source." He spoke of his friendship with the late Jose Arguelles, who first brought attention to the Mayan calendar and 2012. The real idea of the calendar, Gladstone explained, is that it marks the end of a 26,000 year cycle, and at the scale, we'll be experiencing the change for a number of years to come. The change is about switching from material-oriented success to more spiritual values, he continued.

While many people embrace the idea of doomsday, and enjoy pondering their possible destruction, Gladstone prefers not to focus on this. He believes civilization is on the cusp, and what happens over the next 20 years will determine if we are facing a dire end-of-the-world as we know it, or if we're going to have breakthroughs, tap into higher realms, and create a more equitable way of sharing resources on the planet. Will enough people wake up in the next five years, and evolve in their consciousness, in order to deal with the pressing issues the planet faces?, he pondered.

Current Events

First hour guest, author Howard Bloom reacted to various stories in the news including the finding that the average person checks their smart phone 110 times a day. While that sounds excessive, there is a difference between use and abuse, and most of that is of a practical nature, related to checking for the time, text messages, and phone calls, he said. Bloom also commented on the government shutdown, and the problematic nature of partisan politics. "If our politicians are rocking the boat so badly they threaten to capsize it," countries like China that own a large amount of US debt could take over and become the foundation for financial security in the world, he cautioned.

News segment guests: Catherine Austin Fitts, Steve Kates "Dr. Sky"