Saucer Smear - Vol 26 No 06 - 1979

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER WIT RIDES AGAIN
Issue Date: May 30th, 1979
Volume: 26, No. 6
Publisher: SAUCER AND UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
Editor: James W. Moseley

This issue of "Saucer Wit Rides Again" is a non-scheduled newsletter that delves into various aspects of the UFO community, featuring a mix of news, personal opinions, and letters from prominent figures. The publication appears to be a platform for spirited debate and commentary on UFO research, personalities, and events.

Misc. Ravings

The newsletter announces the upcoming 16th annual National UFO Conference (NUFOC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 14th. Sponsored by OUFOIL, the event will feature public lectures by OUFOIL members on diverse topics such as "The Kentucky Abduction," "Exobiology and Alien Life Forms," "The Nature of Ball Lightning," "Strange Encounters from the Ohio Valley," "Black Holes: Interstellar Subways?", and "The Relationship of UFOs to Parapsychology." The editor, James W. Moseley, serves as the Permanent Chairman of the NUFOC and will preside over the "closed session" and may speak at the open sessions.

The editor also recounts recent social visits to notable non-subscribers, including Gray Barker in West Virginia, and members of the "Washington, D.C. ufological hard core" such as Willard McIntyre, Phil Klass, Bob Sheaffer, and Dr. Bruce Macabee. A significant piece of news is that a minor-league movie company is considering making a film based on Gray Barker's book, "They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers," with production slated for the Fall. The editor humorously notes the possibility of an actor playing his own role.

Additionally, the newsletter reports that Todd Zechel is rumored to be withdrawing from the Washington, D.C. scene to write a book about his UFO research. Zechel has reportedly had a falling out with Bill Spaulding of GSW and resigned as Research Director.

Vox Populi (Letters to the Editor)

This section features a collection of letters from various individuals, offering a range of perspectives and engaging in lively debates.

Dr. Thornton Page of NASA writes with a humorous, albeit controversial, take on the presence of women in saucerdom, expressing a "male chauvinist" view and questioning the growing number of female non-subscribers. He poses a question about the fraction of female non-subscribers over the last 10 years.

Dave Reissig suggests titling the next issue "Daughter of Saucer Wit" to avoid being labeled a "male chauvinist pig."

The editor notes the disagreement between Dr. Page and Dave Reissig on the spelling of "chauvinist," siding with Reissig.

John Keel, using a pseudonym, expresses his boredom with the "lilliputian conflicts" among ufologists like Klass, Oberg, and Zechel. He suggests that the editor and Gray Barker should retire from "faking photographs and whipping up false documents designed to advance the Great Flying Saucer Hoax" and wishes the editor runs out of gas in the Bermuda Triangle.

Jerome Clark of Fate Magazine quotes a letter from a "certain raver" who frets about his "intellectual crimes" and his view that UFOs are real, criticizing Philip J. Klass. The raver describes Clark's perspective as a "mystical world-view" and "surrogate faith," and equates critics of atomic energy and eaters of natural foods with those "desperately seeking an escape from reason."

Ronald Spanbauer writes regarding an alleged UFO film taken at the Clarksburg, W. Va. airport, accusing the editor and Gray Barker of playing a game and stating he will not engage further in photographic information discussions.

An anonymous writer admits to filching copies of the newsletter from a non-subscriber and wishes they had the courage to become an official non-subscriber, fearing they would be cut off from their "dose of raunch" to which they are addicted. The writer praises the newsletter's "back-biting, name calling, mud slinging, sophmoric double entendres and scatology" and likens reading it to cliffhangers, posing questions about various ufological personalities.

Lucius Farish comments on Oberg's reference to Stanton Friedman as an "EX nuclear physicist," suggesting it's misleading and implies Friedman doesn't know his field. Farish draws a parallel to Oberg himself being an "EX Air Force officer" and questions the logic.

Rick Hilberg writes that he is getting out of a home quicker by stopping reading the publication. He discusses the upcoming NUFOC in Cincinnati and his own shift towards skepticism regarding "saucers." He advocates for UFO conventions to invite both skeptics and believers to rationally discuss their differences, arguing that skeptics are an integral part of the UFO phenomenon and that excluding them is a disservice. He believes that incorporating dissenting views would make conventions more intellectually stimulating and "honest."

Todd Zechel offers a tongue-in-cheek analysis of David Schroth's fixation with the Easter Bunny, suggesting it stems from a sheltered childhood fantasy world that crumbled, leading to anger and attacks on figures like Dr. Hynek. He concludes that the Easter Bunny lives in children's hearts and minds, and that adults can move past such childhood beliefs.

Martin S. Kottmeyer, an MEBON investigator, reports on recent developments, including G. V. Haroutunian's book "Earth: Tax Write-off of the Gods" and theoretical arguments for the existence of the Easter Bunny using "sophisticated extraterrestrial technology." He mentions "BUNNYCAT" reports, a MAD Magazine expose, and "Bunny" encounters, noting physical evidence and a "high-strangeness 'Bunny-man' series of reports from 1967." Kottmeyer also clarifies MEBON's organizational affiliations, stating they have merged with BBW and retained ties with APRON and Hamster, but renounced relationships with the Fungus Mutilations Study Group and the CIA, suspecting the latter of covering up "fairy corpses."

Tom Benson writes to the "Son of Saucer Wit" Editor, questioning if Jim Oberg and Stanton Friedman have been "chased out" of New Jersey by Moseley. He also discusses Japanese scientists' proposal that genetic sequences in bacterial virus particles could be messages from other worlds. Benson notes the spread of a "Moseley 'X'" virus strain in UFO/Saucerology, with non-subscribing being an acute symptom.

Peter Jordan recounts a bizarre incident in Flapton, New Jersey, in 1967, involving a seven-foot winged creature that terrorized children, mispronounced "Jung," and interacted with Barbara Walters. The creature, described as "too tall" and "Italian looking," spoke "flawless English" and identified itself as a "credit analyst."

Kenneth Behrendt writes about the failure of his new UFO research organization, UFOSCAN, which collapsed after receiving only a dozen responses to press releases. He expresses frustration at not finding a "bizarre abduction case" and laments the lack of interest from people wanting a free journal and no dues.

Philip J. Klass Letter

Philip J. Klass writes to Jim Moseley regarding a statement by Todd Zechel in a previous issue (Vol. 26, No. 4). Zechel claimed that Klass had taken his "anti-Zechel conspiracy underground" by enlisting help from the Air Force Office of Information (SAFOI) to redirect Zechel-related inquiries to his office. Klass vehemently denies this, stating his efforts have always been public and that he has not persuaded anyone in the USAF to refer inquiries to him. He suggests Zechel is referring to an incident where Alan Hendry of International UFO Reporter contacted SAFOI, and Captain Doug Kennett, unable to help Hendry directly, suggested he contact Klass. Klass finds it curious that Hendry, who had corresponded with him, then asked for his phone number. Klass notes that instead of contacting him, Hendry informed Zechel, leading to a protest letter to the USAF Inspector General. Klass points out that Captain Kennett, despite this, was recently selected as the outstanding military public affairs officer and promoted to Major.

Klass also notes that Zechel has finally admitted to serving in the Army Security Agency, which Klass had previously revealed, and that Zechel's claims of working for "civilian intelligence agencies" during his Army service are dubious.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the ongoing debates between UFO believers and skeptics, the personalities within the ufology community, and the organization of UFO conferences. The editorial stance, as reflected in the publication's title and the editor's contributions, appears to be one that encourages open discussion, even if it involves sharp criticism and humor. The publication seems to thrive on controversy and the airing of diverse, often conflicting, viewpoints within the UFO field. There's a clear engagement with the personalities and internal politics of ufology, often presented with a satirical or critical edge.