Saucer Smear - Vol 24 No 02 - 1977

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER GNUS
Issue: Vol. 24, No. 2
Date: February 5th, 1977
Publisher: Church of Saucer Worship (CSW) / Saucer and Unexplained Celestial Events Research Society
Editor: James W. Moseley

This issue of SAUCER GNUS is dedicated to the Leaders & Vast Membership of the Church of Saucer Worship (CSW). It is a non-scheduled but all-too-frequent newsletter.

Main Content

Misc. Ravings

The editor urges non-subscribers to publicize the upcoming August 6th annual meeting of the National UFO Conference (NUFOC) in San Francisco. An obsolete address for the Accredited Press is corrected. The editor mentions hearing Dr. J. Allen Hynek and ufologist Jacques Vallee speak at a science-fiction convention in New York City, noting Vallee's 'way out' ideas, which the editor finds align with his own '3½ D Theory'.

A UFO landing case in North Hudson Park, N.J., from early 1975 is recalled. A year later, the editor was involved in a 'psychic fiasco' at the landing site. A recent attempt at a quiet seance to mark the anniversary was thwarted by heavy snow. A semi-anonymous friend interprets a mysterious newspaper headline as the 'Moon people's' response to Rev. Billy Graham's statement about space people looking like humans, suggesting a reciprocal sentiment favorable to organized religion.

Seven Severe Prophecies for the Year 1977

1. Political problems in the Orient will cause severe international repercussions.
2. A high executive of Exxon will be found drowned in a secret underground oil storage tank on his Long Island estate. Renegade Arabs will be suspected.
3. The sun will rise in the East every morning and set in the West every night.
4. A severe winter cold spell will bring snow as far south as the Miami, Florida area.
5. The Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations will make an extremely controversial and generally unpopular speech.
6. Jimmy Carter will become the first president in history to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue during his inauguration parade.
7. Moral standards in the Times Square area will hit a new low, except for a small pocket of Virtue on the 5th floor of the Hotel Woodstock.

Ye Olde Mail Bag

• Dan Cohen, a free-lance science writer, is doing a casual history of the UFO movement and seeks histories of organizations, conferences, and recent UFO publications. He provides his address: 49 Canal Street, Port Jervis, New York 12771.
• Jim Oberg, described as a skeptic, reviews McCampbell's book 'Ufology', calling it a 'turd' that cannot be transformed. He also critiques the Hervey book 'UFOs: The American Scene', finding it irresponsible regarding evidence. Oberg notes a lack of participants for his radio debates on topics like Tunguska and moon hoaxes.
• Captain Oberg is mentioned as having sensational charges regarding the book 'Our Mysterious Spaceship Moon', to be discussed later.
• Steve Elliott of 'Unknown worlds' predicts the demise of 'Saucer Gnus' based on an article in 'Crossroads Quarterly' stating that UFO publications tend to expand beyond their means and collapse.
• Gilbert Ziemba, former UFO investigator, writes from an Illinois penal institution. He has filed a $1,800,000 civil lawsuit against prison officials for causing his publication to cease and is seeking a private attorney.
• Ted Zilch writes from Acapulco, Mexico, about a humorous incident where a fake advertisement for Travis Walton UFO models resulted in over 40,000 orders. He claims the money could not be returned as the envelopes were stolen, and he has since opened a mail-order business selling Ufological artifacts, including a William Spaulding UFO club Director's doll for $29.95.
• Robert Dickhoff comments on Curt Sutherly's work, calling him 'out of this dimension'. He also mentions a recent incident on 158th St., N.Y.C., where a man vanished.
• Bob Sheaffer, a UFO skeptic, discusses his theory that UFOs come from a dimension represented by the square root of minus three. His own explanation for UFO skepticism will appear in Kevin Randle's new magazine, 'Quest'. He dismisses Bob Schiller's remarks about UFO debunkers.
• Janice Croy writes an angry open letter in 'Unknown Worlds' against Robert S. Easley for allegedly making 'perverted lies' and mutilating the English language in his criticism of her editorials.
• Ufologist George Fox offers an opinion on film casting based on Chinese zodiac signs, suggesting movies be built around a particular sign each month.

Other Contributions

• Lou Wiedemann requests a plug for 'Vestigia', a publication about Spooklight experiments.
• Dave Fideler of CSW questions Curt Sutherly's background in the U.S. Air Force and suggests he is a government agent discrediting ETH theories.
• Bob Schiller commends 'Saucer Zoos' and suggests Norman Lear might be inspired to create a TV series based on UFO addicts.
• A semi-anonymous correspondent questions Ray Palmer's acquisition of a 'research editor' who is an Air Force Captain and part of NASA, suggesting Palmer has 'sold out'.
• George Earley discusses his critical columns for 'Official UFO', noting the negative reactions from some writers.
• Bob Zanotti from Switzerland thanks the editor for sending 'Saucer X' and agrees that creeds mock true religion. He inquires if Reverend Kirby J. Hensley and Reverend James W. Mosely are the same person.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently features a skeptical yet engaged tone towards UFO phenomena, often highlighting controversial opinions and personal anecdotes from its readership. The editor, James W. Moseley, appears to encourage a wide range of viewpoints, including those of skeptics like Jim Oberg and Bob Sheaffer, alongside more unconventional theories. There's a recurring theme of internal disputes and criticisms within the ufology community, with various writers attacking each other's work and credibility. The newsletter also touches on broader societal issues through its prophecies and commentary, suggesting a belief in underlying patterns and potential future events. The editorial stance seems to be one of open discussion, even if it involves airing disagreements and presenting what might be considered fringe theories.