Saucer Smear - Vol 26 No 11 - 1979

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER WRIT
Issue: Volume 26, No. 11
Date: October 1st, 1979
Publisher: SAUCER AND UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
Editor: James W. Moseley

This issue of "Saucer Writ" is a non-scheduled newsletter that provides updates on UFO-related events, discussions, and reader contributions. It covers a range of topics from upcoming conferences and parties to personal accounts of alleged UFO sightings and debates within the ufology community.

News Briefies

The newsletter announces the annual non-UFO non-subscribers party scheduled for Saturday, November 10th, with Dale Rettig of San Francisco as the Guest of Honor. All non-subscribers are invited. The address for the party is 121 69th St., Guttenberg, N.J., and a secret phone number (201-869-8053) is provided for arrival instructions. Plans are also underway for the 1980 National UFO Conference (NUFOC) in New York City, though progress is slow due to high hotel costs. The next issue is expected to announce the conference hall and nearby hotel.

It is reported that former non-subscriber Ed Sanders, once the editor of the 1960s poetry magazine "Fuck You - A Magazine of the Arts," has become an evangelist, according to his friend Tom Adams.

UFOCUS Magazine Review

The latest issue of "UFOCUS," a zine described as potentially funnier than "Saucer Writ," is highlighted. Its cover features co-editors in a flying saucer. The issue is noted for its calm understatement, referring to the recent Cincinnati NUFOC as "an unorganized atrocity....a chaotic mess." Readers interested in "UFOCUS" are directed to write to Jim Harris at Route 4, Lisa Lane, Mt. Carmel, Il. 62863, with the promise of receiving the magazine for free if they say something nice.

Minnesota UFO Case

The newsletter correctly predicted that the recent Minnesota UFO case involving a policeman would become a classic. The officer, Val Johnson, appeared on a TV interview show with Al Hendry of CUFOS, who called it "the most dramatic and exciting UFO experience ever reported." The editors express sincere impression and note that it's about time such lights do something useful.

UFO Book Recommendation

Ronald Spanbauer of the International UFO-Photo Exchange (P.O. Box 172, De Pere, Wi. 54115) has enthusiastically recommended a UFO book titled "UFO Contact from the Pleiades." He believes the saucer photos in the book are the clearest and most authentic ever taken. The newsletter expresses skepticism but encourages readers to contact Ron for details.

Ye Olde Mail Bag

Art Gatti writes about the dualistic nature of "tit memory" in relation to UFO sightings, suggesting that infants might perceive only one breast and that the perception of UFOs might be linked to this early experience. He also mentions the "Easter Bunny" archetype and how, in Mexico, the moon is seen as Bugs Bunny by the Huichol Indians.

HAL STARR, a UFO lecturer, expresses surprise at not having crossed paths with the editor before and invites him to the "UFO '79" conclave in San Diego, promising "hush-hush" revelations. He reflects on their shared time in the UFO business and encloses his lecture brochure.

Rumors suggest that Major Donald Keyhoe will address the San Diego Con. regarding NICRAP and alleged CIA infiltration. The editor confirms his attendance at the San Diego Con. from November 16th to 19th, with reservations at the Royal Quality Inn.

Brad Steiger writes about moving to Arizona, leading into an article titled "Aliens Own Big Chunk Of Arizona."

John L. Carpenter, Gazette Reporter, contributes an article suggesting that billions of dollars worth of Arizona land and property may be owned by aliens, based on federal records. The article notes that ninety foreign entities have reported agricultural holdings of over 22,086 acres.

Gene Duplantier agrees with a reader about too much "back-biting" among "Saucer Writ" non-subscribers and calls for fresh material, avoiding "Zechel fueds and CIA nonsense." Gene has also sent in UFO-related cartoons for future publication.

George Strich finds "Saucer Writ" interesting and informative but notes that many letters are nonsensical. He recalls attending a convention initiated by the editor at the Hotel Commodore in New York many years ago (1967) and welcomes the possibility of a future New York convention.

Tom Benson, a GSW member, expresses happiness to return to "olde '3½ D' UFO theory days" and is tired of the "irrational diatribes" and "political infighting" in the zine, suggesting it's a scheme to prevent cooperation in the UFO field. He notes the editor's dinner with W. Tootsie Zechel. Benson criticizes Gene Steinberg's comments about the 16th NUFOC, calling Steinberg's own previous conference (12th NUFOC in King of Prussia, Pa.) a "greater fiasco." He praises Jerry Black's lecture on the Kentucky UFO abduction case as professional and informative, concluding with "Caveat emptor" regarding Steinberg.

Earl Jones of OUFOIL states that problems between himself, Rick Hilberg, and Robert Easley were settled before the NUFOC convention. He addresses Bill Retoff, assuring him that they are human and subject to mistakes. Jones also thanks Dr. David Stupple for kind words about the convention.

Denis Corey is mentioned by the editor, who expresses regret if his last letter was not well-received and hopes the next convention will be more to everyone's liking.

Ron Schaffner of OUFOIL comments on the "diminutive attendance" at the 16th NUFOC in Cincinnati, but notes that OUFOIL made key contacts and was impressed by the dedicated researchers. He suggests future NUFOC meetings should be geared towards delegates rather than the general public to accomplish more.

James (former "Captain Jim") Oberg shares a "national scoop": the Cutty Sark whiskey UFO contest had no entrants, and NASA's offer to examine "hard UFO physical evidence" has not been taken up. He announces that he won the Scientific Paper competition with his essay "The Failure of the 'Science' of Ufology," which will be published in "New Scientist." He and his wife will travel to London for a ceremony. The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal is ecstatic. Oberg also criticizes the National Enquirer for fictional quotations regarding "UFOs and Apollo," which Schuessler and Stringfield deny.

Dr. Thornton Page comments on Jim Oberg making significant money from UFOs. He mentions tracking down a "flying jellyfish" with Oberg, which was turned over to NASA Johnson Space Center. Preliminary analysis suggests it is not radioactive, possibly man-made, jelly-like, and contains lead pellets, described as the "size of a standard apple pie." If it is refuse from a UFO, it would be an "Encounter of the Fourth kind."

NSA Controversy

Philip J. Klass sympathizes with Brad Sparks' embarrassment over Todd Zechel's claims and defends his own investigation into Zechel's employment by the National Security Agency (NSA). Klass argues that NSA is a component of the Defense Department and therefore a "military agency," despite being headed by a civilian Secretary of Defense. He challenges Sparks' logic by comparing it to the Army, Navy, and Air Force also being headed by civilians. Klass suggests Sparks should present his evidence to the NSA director rather than issuing "vituperative blasts" in newsletters.

J. Richard Greenwell expresses a desire to become a non-subscriber to "Saucer Writ," citing his credentials of knowing "absolutely nothing about UFOs" and his ability to understand the UFO problem despite this lack of knowledge. He reluctantly concludes that he understands the UFO problem better than anyone else. He comments on the NSA controversy, stating that NSA was established in 1952 "within" the Department of Defense and reports to the Secretary of Defense. He likens the debate to asking if kangaroos are marsupials or mammals, stating they are both. He argues that the DOD is civilian-headed but military in function, making its agencies, including NSA, military agencies. He concludes that the NSA controversy has been resolved and that Phil Klass has not committed crimes against humanity by addressing it.

The editor declares the NSA topic banned from future issues.

Reader Feedback and Reflections

Bill Retoff thanks the editor for "More Tit," finding the letters more reasonable and sane. He appreciated the summary of the year's "Fort Feast" and believes the Minnesota fuzz case could become a heralded victim. He finds August Robert's letter thought-provoking but questions if the "F.S. mystery" will ever be solved, suggesting that even a UFO landing on the White House lawn might not change some people's beliefs. He cites the example of people not believing humans have been to the Moon or that there is a recession or gas shortage. He points to a tabloid headline about scientists revealing aliens on the Moon.

Lama Robert Dickhoff recounts an "astral Trip" on September 3, 1979, at 1:30 a.m., where he saw a brilliant space shuttle, a celestial object with symbols, and was taken aboard a ship towards a mother ship to an unknown destination.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue reflects a strong editorial stance against what the editor perceives as internal squabbles and irrational diatribes within the ufology community, particularly criticizing "back-biting" and "political infighting." There is a clear preference for fresh material and a focus on actual UFO phenomena rather than personal feuds. The editor also demonstrates a skeptical yet open-minded approach, as seen in his comments on the Minnesota case and the UFO book recommendation. The recurring theme of UFO conferences and their organization, along with debates about government agencies like the NSA, are central to this issue. The editor's closing remarks about considering a vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and drinking to it, suggest a weariness with the field's controversies.