I have always loved interviewing people who have made an impact on history and Clinton Riddle was one of these men. Twelve years ago I started a series of visits with him to capture his story. He is part of the great generation and I was happy to visit and speak with him. I took Alex with me on one trip so he could gain an appreciation for this generation of men. These are the videos I made from my visits. You can see more Clinton Riddle videos in the show archive.
Starting Over: A New Phase of the PiFi Show
by ArtisanTony, August 1, 2025
It’s been almost 15 years since I started interviewing people on YouTube. Four years ago, I rebooted the channel as The PiFi Show, not to believe, but to investigate. I saw what happened in 2017, and I knew right then we were entering another carefully managed hype cycle in Ufology.
At the time, it felt like the same machine had kicked into gear again, only more polished. Videos appeared on cue. Veterans with clean media profiles were lined up, ready to speak. So-called whistleblowers were rolled out in sequence, many of them ex-military, many with backgrounds in the intelligence community. It all felt orchestrated. Not accidental. And certainly not organic.
I thought if I could get enough of these people on my show, maybe I could get them to say something real. But I quickly found out: most of them are highly trained. And beyond that, many are under NDAs, whether through formal contracts, professional loyalty, or cultural conditioning. Saying nothing isn’t just a choice for them. It’s a duty.
I kept going anyway.
About three years ago, I laid out my theory about all this in an interview with Mick West. I showed him what I believed was the structure behind the campaign: a pattern of recruitment, training, media prep, and timed disclosures. I believed NGOs were involved. I believed these individuals weren’t acting independently but were strategically deployed. I still believe that.
But when I laid this out, I felt like an outlier. Maybe I still am.
And over time, one thing became painfully clear. Intellectual honesty is rare in Ufology, on both sides. Believers tend to double down instead of self-correct. The intelligence-connected insiders can’t really say anything at all. In fact, their version of honesty is often doing their job, saying just enough to stir the pot, but never enough to clarify anything.
Questions That Matter
These are the questions I'm pursuing now:
- Who or what initiated the 2017 hype cycle? Which NGO or private interest lit the spark?
- Who lobbied our congressional leaders, and for what purpose? Was this “issue” engineered for legislative or political leverage?
- Were our elected officials courted with classified information and pressured to sign NDAs? If so, what does that mean for the public’s right to representation?
We need to have a serious conversation about the role of NDAs in our democratic process. If elected officials are signing secrecy agreements with private entities, they are no longer functioning as representatives of the people. At the very least, there should be legal requirements for them to disclose the existence of those agreements, even if they can’t reveal the contents. Better yet, there should be laws that prohibit private entities from binding elected officials to silence in the first place.
Domestic Influence and the Intelligence Question
Another question that demands investigation is this:
Can U.S. intelligence agencies operate domestically by using subcontractors?
Because it’s obvious, and in many cases, admitted, that people tied to the intelligence community are active in the UFO space, especially on social media. If direct operations inside the U.S. are restricted by law, are those same operations being carried out through contractors, NGOs, or “former” personnel acting on unofficial channels?
If so, it raises serious questions about the legality and ethics of influence campaigns targeting the American public, especially in a domain as psychologically and culturally sensitive as Ufology.
Realism and Motivation
I don’t have any illusions that this will be easy or even successful. The people involved in this space, especially those connected to the intelligence community, are highly skilled at what they do. Finding a true whistleblower, someone willing and able to speak clearly and honestly, is unlikely. I’m not set up for that kind of operation, and I’m not pretending to be.
But if I can bring the right questions into focus, if I can lay out the structure clearly and get this philosophy out in the open, maybe it will start a conversation. Maybe it will spark something in someone else who’s better positioned to take it further. That’s enough for me right now.
That said, if you’re someone with real insight or experience and you want to talk, you can do so anonymously. I’m open to off-camera interviews, voice disguise, or whatever is needed to protect your identity. The goal isn’t exposure. It’s understanding.
Invitation to Collaborate
I’m inviting intellectually honest people to join me in this next phase of the investigation. This isn’t a movement or a campaign. It’s a commitment to objectivity, critical thinking, and a willingness to follow the truth wherever it leads.
If that resonates with you, and you want to help uncover what’s really driving the UFO narrative, you can contact me
I’m especially looking for help with booking guests for The PiFi Show. This will be a paid role on a per-guest basis, ideal for someone who’s organized, professional, and aligned with the mission.
No hype. No dogma. Just clarity.
I award door prizes periodically so you might get lucky! But you have to be present to win so use your YouTube user name. Please keep it short and sweet. You can use this form to suggest questions for a guest, suggest and./or provide hot tips for guest contact info or just to say hello! Spammers will be reported to the CIA for elimination :)
Hello! My name is Tony, aka ArtisanTony on YouTube, and people ask me, what the heck is The PiFi Show?
It's simple! I seek out "People I Find Interesting" and invite them to the show. We have casual but intellectually stimulating conversations about STEM, philosophy, art and even architecture and construction!
If you have an idea for a guest or want to be a quest, contact me here.
