The Crystal Ball

Magazine Overview

Title: The Crystal Ball
Issue Date: September 18, 1984
Content Focus: UFOs, space phenomena, and related investigations.

Editorial and Operations

The editorial begins with a seasonal observation of autumn in Tønsberg. The editor apologizes for the lack of 'klipp' (clippings/reports) in the previous week due to the demanding work involved in the 'Operasjon Oppfølgingsbrev' (Operation Follow-up Letter) project. This project involved labeling, sorting, and statistically analyzing letters to gauge public interest in UFOs. The editor explains the meticulous process, including adding dividers and noting recipient details, to gather useful data. He hopes to share more details about the practical aspects of this operation later.

'Operasjon Nødhjelp' (Operation Emergency Aid)

The editor reports on the response to 'Operasjon Nødhjelp', noting it was good but not as widespread as TV campaigns. However, funds are still needed to cover postage costs, and the editor urges those who can help to do so within the week to avoid financial difficulties. He also mentions needing assistance from two individuals who signed a loan agreement.

Arendal Meeting

A meeting for the Southern department was held in Arendal on September 7th, with approximately 17 attendees out of 70 invited subscribers. The meeting, which cost nearly 500 kroner, aimed to discuss UFO-related activities in Norway and the organization's objectives. The editor sought to identify individuals who could lead the Southern department effectively, suggesting that the leader might not necessarily reside in Arendal. He plans to propose a new department leader at the next committee meeting and inform the national board. The new leader is expected to be announced by early October. The editor also mentions Hans Aass's upcoming surgery and hopes for his swift recovery and return to Arendal activities.

New Telephone Offer

UFO-Rama is set to launch a special offer on a new telephone, available within the week. This push-button device features its main function in the handset and can program up to ten numbers. The editor praises its sound quality, stating it's indistinguishable from Televerket's phones, and offers to demonstrate it. The price is 250 Norwegian Kroner.

Weekly Review and Mail

The editor notes the absence of 'klipp' from ARGUS and plans to complete the current week's round of clippings and mail them the following day. He also inquires about the interest in an emblem pin, mentioning that a prototype is being developed and the price will likely be under 50 kroner. The pin will be made of silver with an etched emblem.

Hessdalen Photo Week

The 'Photo Week' in Hessdalen was described as a damp and challenging experience due to rain and snow. UFO researchers faced wet conditions, and 15 cm of snow fell mid-week. Despite the adverse weather, eight Swedes also visited. Towards the end of the week, the weather improved, allowing for a couple of usable observations. The hope is that spectral images captured will be useful. Arne Pross Thomassen arrived later and is expected to have better luck.

The Meeting

The editor confirms that a previously mentioned, secret meeting was held and was successful, but he cannot reveal details yet, asking for continued patience.

Meeting Activities

As autumn sets in, the editor encourages members to organize local meetings, turning 'minus days' into 'plus days'. He offers loan materials, including still and video films, and suggests that starting meetings can be challenging but becomes easier with practice. He requests brief reports from these meetings to share with the wider group.

Appendix

This week's appendix includes an article from Dr. Frank E. Strange's UFO-JOURNAL (Spring 1981) and the continuation of the summer serial 'UFOs the startling facts'. Readers are invited to submit articles for sharing.

Closing Remarks

The editor signs off, wishing readers a good autumn and encouraging them to stay in touch.

Radio Shock

Radio amateur Chris Harvey was attacked by Julie Beer after an argument over the airwaves. Beer, a female wrestler, physically assaulted Harvey at his home.

Norsk (Norwegian News Snippets)

• Police: Police in Skien have good leads on a burglar who dropped his crutches while fleeing.
• History: 30 years prior, a parent action sought to ban comic books for children under 16, and a censorship proposal was sent to the Ministry of Church and Education.

Laffen (Humor/Commentary)

Swedes are having a sale on meat, with a humorous comment about their pigs.

Tjassa..? (Commentary)

The author found old boots belonging to Göring in an attic and decided to donate them to the Salvation Army for 7000 kroner, referencing a recent media stir.

Arken Funnet? (Ark Found?)

Turkish customs seized four kilograms of alleged Noah's Ark remnants from an American explorer who claimed to have found the ship's remains on Mount Ararat. The explorer underwent police questioning.

Elskov med Bremser (Love with Brakes)

A couple's romantic encounter on the Orient-Express caused a 40-minute delay in Innsbruck when the woman's foot got stuck in the emergency brake. The train eventually continued to Venice.

Vesuv-Utbrudd? (Vesuvius Eruption?)

Italian authorities deny imminent eruption, but British geophysicist John Duest warns that Vesuvius is 'boiling' and an eruption could occur anytime. While the director of the Geophysical Institute in Naples acknowledges rising temperatures, he states the volcano is far from erupting and any signs would be registered in advance. Duest advises evacuation of the danger zone. The article details seismic activity and ground displacement around Vesuvius since 1982, including recent earthquakes and landslides in Pozzuoli.

Space Sightings

• Gemini 4, 7, and Apollo 11: Astronauts James McDivitt, Ed White, Gordon Cooper, Pete Conrad, James Lovell, Frank Borman, Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Mike Collins reported seeing strange lights or UFOs in space.
• Tupolev 4: A pilot reported flying alongside a pearly, lens-shaped object that disappeared at high speed.
• Tupolev 104: Passengers saw a massive glowing disc that performed abrupt turns and flew in formation.
• Latvia: Three astronomers observed a large, glowing, pulsating disc with a sphere inside.
• South Africa: A farmer and police witnessed a pulsating, colourful globe that landed and then moved away rapidly.
• Boeing 727 (Durban): A pilot saw a bright glowing object take off at tremendous speed.
• Austrian Airline (Litz): A pilot saw a huge funnel-shaped object that zoomed towards the plane.
• Lufthansa 737 (Austria): A co-pilot saw a cone-shaped object with a fiery red tip speeding towards the aircraft.
• Noel Smart's Film: A professional cameraman filmed a round, glowing, spinning object over Enstone, Oxfordshire, that moved at high speed, stopped, hovered, and then accelerated sharply.

UFOs and Secret Weapons

The article questions whether some UFO sightings could be attributed to secret weapons testing, noting the presence of USAF and RAF bases near Banbury, Oxfordshire, where 1200 UFO sightings were logged in 18 months. Police officers reported seeing a yellow cigar-shaped craft near Banbury that moved at high speed.

Warminster Sightings

In Warminster, hundreds of sightings have occurred, including Sally Pike witnessing a glowing golden light that pulsed with crimson light.

Photographic Challenges

Many UFOs are photographed, but the suddenness of their appearance and high speeds often result in fuzzy images with poor definition.

The Crystal Ball Editorial Conclusion

The magazine concludes by posing questions about the truth behind UFOs, their origin, and whether they are hoaxes, natural phenomena, or secret weapons. The editorial states that based on the evidence, it can only be concluded that "somebody knows more about these things than they are prepared to tell."

Illustrations

The issue includes illustrations of various alleged UFO shapes, sketched by the editor, representing photos or illustrations that accompanied UFO reports. Brief condensations of these sightings are to appear on subsequent pages.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings from various contexts (space, air, ground), witness testimonies, and the ongoing mystery surrounding their origin and nature. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting evidence and witness accounts while acknowledging the lack of definitive answers and hinting at potential cover-ups or withheld information by authorities. There's a clear focus on UFO phenomena as a subject of serious investigation and public interest, as evidenced by the 'Operasjon Nødhjelp' and the reporting of organizational activities.

Title: The Crystal Ball
Issue Date: February 1959 (implied by content, explicitly stated for one sketch)
Subtitle: "UFO's: Past, Present, and Future"

This issue of "The Crystal Ball" is dedicated to exploring the phenomenon of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) through a comprehensive catalog of reported sightings, photographs, and artistic renditions. The magazine presents a wide array of visual representations of UFOs, numbered from 14 to 51, with accompanying descriptions that often cite the source of the image, the date and location of the sighting, and the names of witnesses or photographers. The content spans historical accounts, contemporary reports, and speculative interpretations of UFO phenomena.

UFO Catalog: Visual Evidence and Case Files

The core of the magazine is a detailed presentation of UFO imagery and associated case information. Each numbered entry provides a brief description, often referencing books or other publications where the original image or account appeared. Notable entries include:

• #1-3: Photos by George Adamski and Carl Hart Junior, with descriptions of Venusian flying saucers and large craft over Texas.
• #6-7: Photos from South Africa, referencing "FLYING SAUCERS: Fact or Fiction?"
• #8: An object depicted on the "Bayeux Tapestry" from 1066.
• #10: A photograph by Stephan Darbishire near Torver, England, noting an indistinct outline possibly caused by ionization.
• #13: A cigar-shaped mother ship releasing smaller flying saucers, photographed by George Adamski.
• #14: A craft from Howard Menger's book, "FROM OUTER SPACE TO YOU."
• #15: A photo from the cover of "FLYING SAUCERS" magazine, August 1960.
• #16: A sketch of a "monstrous egg-shaped" UFO over Loch Raven, Maryland, from "FLYING SAUCERS."
• #17: Based on photos of a UFO seen over the Island of Trindade, Brazil, during IGY research by Navy officers.
• #23: A photo by Jim Nelson of the "Witicha Eagle," with thousands reportedly seeing a mysterious "ball of light" and military planes later denying radar sightings.
• #24-27: Reports of UFOs near Orlando, Florida, and Pearson, Georgia, including observations by Dr. Valentine.
• #28: A strange shape witnessed and photographed by astronaut Aldrin during the Apollo 11 lunar mission.
• #30: A UFO seen alongside a U.S. Marine Corps jet fighter during the Korean conflict, described as having an aluminum upper side and a dark bronze underside.
• #33: An object claimed to have been seen by two young men who followed it from Michigan City.
• #35: A highly regarded UFO-plus-occupant photo, referenced in "AGHARTA: THE SUBTERRANEAN WORLD" by Dr. Raymond Bernard, suggesting an occupant in a space suit with an antenna.
• #39: A UFO that A.H. Matthews supposedly boarded, described as a Venusian craft interested in Nikola Tesla's experiments.
• #41: A drawing from an 1896 "San Francisco Call" daily news report, depicting a craft seen by hundreds in Sacramento and San Francisco.
• #42: An encounter by Beauford E. Parham in South Carolina, where the object spun and made a hissing sound, causing a car engine to slow down.
• #47: A photo of a model of the disc craft seen by Kenneth Arnold over the Cascades, Washington, in 1947, which brought flying saucers into the limelight.
• #50: A series of sketches illustrating thirty separate UFO sightings.
• #51: A list of "UFO TYPES MOST COMMONLY REPORTED."

Bigfoot and UFOs: A Potential Connection

Page 15 features a "Skeptical Eye" column that discusses the phenomenon of Bigfoot (Sasquatch). It notes increased sightings in Michigan and Ohio and quotes "white hunter" and Bigfoot expert Peter Byrne, who dismisses recent Midwest reports as "rubbish." The article highlights that Ohio is among the leaders in UFO sightings, suggesting a possible connection: "This is why they materialize in densely populated areas, yet disappear without a trace." John Jernigan, leader of the Extraterrestrial Intelligence Researchers of Columbus, Ohio, proposes that UFOs might be responsible for ferrying Bigfoot around, explaining their elusiveness.

Special Announcements and Research Initiatives

The issue also includes a "Special Announcement" about the translation and availability of Dr. Strange's book, "Stranger At The Pentagon," in German. Additionally, a section titled "VISIT TO A STRANGE PLANET" details the work of a small group called the Vehicle Internal Systems Investigative Team (VISIT). This group, composed of engineers and scientists from the Johnson Space Center, aims to study unidentified flying object phenomena to understand the physics and technology of potential spacecraft from distant planets. Alan C. Holt, VISIT secretary, states their purpose is to stimulate ideas about advanced propulsion systems, emphasizing that they are not trying to prove UFOs exist but believe they are observed phenomena that cannot yet be explained.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the visual documentation of UFOs through photographs and sketches, the historical context of sightings (dating back to 1066), and the exploration of potential explanations or connections to other unexplained phenomena like Bigfoot. The magazine appears to present a wide range of reported evidence, from official military observations to anecdotal accounts, without necessarily endorsing any single theory. The editorial stance seems to be one of documenting and presenting the available information on UFOs for the reader's consideration, with a particular focus on the variety of shapes and forms reported.