Saucer Smear - Vol 27 No 01 - 1980

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER GHOUL
Issue: Volume 27, No. 1
Date: January 1st, 1980
Publisher: SAUCER AND UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
Editor: James W. Moseley

This issue of "Saucer Ghoul" is a non-scheduled newsletter dedicated to its editor, James W. Moseley, who is described as having a dual interest in archaeology and ufology. The publication focuses on UFO-related news, discussions, and reader contributions.

1980 National UFO Conference in New York City

The newsletter provides details about the upcoming 1980 National UFO Conference in New York City, scheduled for Friday, June 20th, and Saturday, June 21st. The chosen venue is the Doral Inn at Lexington Ave. and 49th Street, with a ballroom capacity of 450. Special "bargain" convention rates are available for hotel rooms at $49 per night for a single and $61 for a double, with reservations to be made directly with the hotel's Sales Manager, Trudy Cohen. Advance tickets for the two public sessions (Saturday afternoon and evening) are priced at $15, with tickets also available at the door for $15 for both sessions or $10 per session. A tentative list of speakers includes Stanton Friedman, Betty Hill, Phil Klass, Art Ford, Rick Hilberg, and Bob Easley. Stanton Friedman may present his documentary film "UFOs Are Real." A traditional "closed session" with free admission for delegates is planned for Saturday morning. The organizers hope to host a banquet dinner on Friday evening at "Windows on the World" atop the World Trade Center.

Misc. Ravings

This section features various short pieces and reader contributions. Walt Greenawald, a California engineer, has developed a UFO questionnaire for non-subscribers, with the results to be compared to a poll of MUFON members. Riley Crabb's "Journal of Borderland Research" is cited regarding a lawsuit involving the Integratron and the International Church of Christology, with a mention of a potential conversion of the Integratron into a "Gay Disco Bar." Allen Greenfield, a publisher of "Waiting in the Wings," is noted as being on the move and currently in Atlanta, though his address is unknown.

News Briefies

The editor, James Moseley, appeared on the Candy Jones radio show on December 19th, alongside Fortean researcher Art Ford and Timothy Greed Beckley. Kenneth Behrendt is thanked for a cartoon on page 4. Jennings Frederick is reported to be resigning from the field of ufology.

A news clipping from the Thursday, October 18, 1979, DALLAS TIMES HERALD is included, with the headline "Refugees thriving, but fear 'men in black'" and a sub-headline "Aliens fail to show at school."

Missives from the Masses

This section comprises letters from readers offering their opinions and commentary:

• Bill Nash expresses enjoyment of the "Saucer Pit" section, appreciating the humor.
• Jim Harris reflects on the 1970s as a "deplorable decade" and notes a shift in ufology from psychic theories to extraterrestrialism and conspiracy paranoia.
• Margaret Sachs nominates Weldon Burge for "Saucer Fool of the Year" for his assertion that non-lunatics are non-subscribers.
• Bill Lutters thanks Moseley for back issues of "Saucer Clit" (a previous title) and praises Moseley's "wit" and "open mind with a sense of humor" approach to ufology, suggesting Moseley could become the "Larry Flynt of Ufology."
• Tom Benson corrects the information that NICAP has gone out of business, providing their current address in Washington, D.C. He also poses a scenario about the FOIA releasing data on crashed saucers and alien bodies, suggesting it might lead to expanded defense budgets and questioning whether UFOs are interdimensional rather than physical spacecraft.

Criticism of UFO Research and Skepticism

• Bill Sheaffer humorously suggests a classified CIA secret: Jim Oberg has grown a beard, mimicking Stanton Friedman, possibly out of envy.
• The dispute over Stanton Friedman's UFO poll and the Cutty Sark contest continues with a letter from Gary Posner, M.D., of CSICOP. Posner questions the methodology and definition of "UFO" in a poll cited by Friedman and suggests that the most likely origin of true UFOs would be "outer space." He also asks if this open-mindedness excludes him from Friedman's category of "noisy negativists," noting that Klass, Oberg, and Sheaffer share similar views.
• The editor, James Moseley, contemplates growing a beard to gain more authority in the field of ufology.

Stanton Friedman's Critique of the Cutty Sark Contest

Stanton T. Friedman, a nuclear physicist and lecturer, writes a detailed critique of Jim Oberg's winning entry in the Cutty Sark UFO Essay Competition. Friedman asserts that Oberg's claims are demonstrably false and that his article exemplifies "pseudo-science of antiufology" practiced by CSICOP members. He criticizes the judges (Christopher Evans, Patrick Moore, and Bernard Dixon) not for bias in favor of Oberg, but for a bias against anti-UFO papers. Friedman points out that the judges were aware of the contestants' identities and affiliations, and that Evans, Moore, and Dixon have a history of hostility towards UFOs. He argues that Oberg's paper should have been disqualified for distorting and confusing the UFO picture and not being scientific. Friedman cites 1979 poll data from "Industrial Research and Development" and Gallup polls to counter the claim that only a small fraction of scientists accept UFO reality, showing increasing ratios of believers to non-believers over time and across different age and education groups.

Other Contributions and Commentary

• Tom Lind awards the "Keyhoe" to "Skylook" publication and gives honorable mention to reporter Nelson Bland of the Mount Olive (N.C.) Tribune for a quote describing an erratically moving light in the sky.
• A headline announces "Psychologist Testifies for Aliens."

UFO Researcher Questionnaire

A "UFO RESEARCHER QUESTIONNAIRE" is included, designed by Walter H. Greenawald. It requests personal background information (age, sex, education, career, earnings, ethnic and religious background, political views, psychic capabilities) and UFO background (years involved, hours per week, accomplishments). It also asks about surveillance, interest in UFOs, whether the respondent has seen a UFO, their opinion on the origin of UFOs, and whether they believe the U.S. government is still studying UFOs. Respondents are asked to return the completed form to Walter H. Greenawald at his Woodland Hills, California address.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the promotion of ufology as a legitimate field of study, the organization of UFO-related events like conferences, and the critique of skepticism and perceived bias against UFO research within scientific and media circles. The editorial stance, as expressed by James Moseley and supported by many contributors, is one of open-mindedness, a sense of humor, and a critical approach to both pro-UFO and skeptical viewpoints, while strongly advocating for the scientific investigation of UFO phenomena and challenging what they see as unfair dismissal by mainstream institutions and individuals.