Saucer Smear - Vol 29 No 10 - 1982

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER SMEAR
Issue: Vol. 29, No. 10
Date: December 10th, 1982
Publisher: SAUCER AND UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
Editor and Supreme Commander: James W. Moseley

This issue of the non-scheduled newsletter 'Saucer Smear' is dedicated to ufological journalism and features a collection of 'Hot Flashes,' a report on a UFO convention in Reno, Nevada, and 'Missives from the Masses,' which includes letters from various figures in the UFO community.

Hot Flashes

The newsletter begins with holiday greetings to its subscribers. The editor mentions that an 'X' on the envelope signifies removal from the mailing list, a process that occurs accidentally during list re-typing. A segment on the Candy Jones radio show in New York is mentioned, which attempted to connect with the shade of magician Harry Houdini and radio host Long John Nebel, featuring magician Melbourne Christopher and Houdini expert Larry Weeks. The editor also reports on his two-hour appearance on Bill Jenkins' talk show in Los Angeles, noting that he sounded more conservative on UFOs than the host. A meeting with Todd Zechel and researcher Bill Steinman is mentioned, with Zechel hinting at a return to the UFO field. The editor also visited Ed Biebel in Nogales, Arizona, who is organizing the 1983 National UFO Conference (NUFOC) in Tucson.

A candidate for 'World's Worst UFO Witness' is presented, quoting a bulletin from the Cambridge (Ontario, Canada) U.F.O. Research Group. The case involves Sid MacKinnon and Nick Benson interviewing Eric, a witness who exhibited contradictions, poor memory, and social difficulties, leading the interviewers to believe no valid information could be obtained.

UFO Convention Report: Reno, Nevada

The editor recounts his experience as a guest speaker at a contactee-oriented UFO convention in Reno, Nevada, held at the Livestock Pavilion of the Nevada State Fair Grounds. The audience was small, averaging between 50 and 100 people. The event was MC'd by Timothy Green Beckley ('Mr. UFO'). Notable absences included Col. Wendelle Stevens and contactee Travis Walton. Dr. Ray Brown also left in disgust.

Among the speakers, Dr. Fredrick Bell, described as a NASA spacecraft checkout engineer and collaborator with Werner Von Braun, claimed to converse with a 'space woman' named Samjase from the Pleiades. Bell lectured on time and space travel, Kirlian photography, Holistic health, ESP, and UFOs, and has invented a time machine.

George Cogan, a self-proclaimed 'nationally known UFO investigator,' conducted hypnotic regressions into past lives in a nearby Holiday Inn. The editor participated, describing the experience as an attempt at mass hypnosis, though he did not go under. Other speakers included Major Wayne Aho, Dr. Frank Alper (a 'space age clairvoyant'), Thelma Terrell, and Robert Short.

The editor presented himself as the only non-'New Age' speaker, arguing that 35 years of the modern UFO era have produced no scientifically-acceptable proof, only evidence, belief, paranoia, and theories. He cited the Don Shallcross contactee case as an example of how UFO claims can fall apart under examination, comparing it to George Adamski's flawed contacts.

Paul Cerny of MUFON is criticized for barging into pre-convention publicity and calling the event a 'charlatan event,' despite Cerny's own belief in the crashed disc syndrome. The editor argues that the 'New Age' research field is populated by neurotic individuals seeking religious beliefs rather than factual evidence, contrasting them with conventional people contributing to the arms race.

Missives from the Masses

This section features letters from various individuals:

• Candy Jones of WMCA Radio calls the newsletter a 'collector's item' and suggests the editor come up with a program idea.
• Richard Ogden, an antagonist, writes that he must retire from the UFO field due to an 'unsound mind' and claims his friend Dr. David Turner was with George Adamski aboard a spacecraft.
• Michael Dennett praises the newsletter and comments on the depiction of Travis Walton in the NOVA documentary, suggesting the word 'probably' was too kind.
• George Earley (Former NICAPer) inquires about Phil Klass' revelation regarding the subscription policy of 'Skeptical Inquirer,' where subscribers are 'all paid.'
• Phil Klass responds to a charge by MUFON's Walt Andrus regarding the NOVA UFO program's bias. Klass states that John Groom, the producer, asked Frazier to recommend the 'handsomest, most photogenic Ufologist,' to which Frazier named Klass. Groom then asked who else should be invited, and Klass replied, 'nobody else.'
• Jerry Clark of FATE Magazine addresses Dave Schroth's criticism, defending his own 'UFO agnostic' stance and challenging Schroth to name mainstream Ufologists who support Billy Meier.
• Dr. Thornton Page of NASA writes about Jim Oberg's new books, 'Red Star in Orbit' and 'Mission to Mars,' suggesting that Oberg's ideas about Mars missions have implications for UFOs and 'Little Green Men.'

Jim Oberg's Response

Jim Oberg writes to non-subscribers to summarize his Gordon Cooper UFO research. He asserts that:

1. The UFO associated with Cooper's Mercury space mission is fictitious.
2. The cover-up of a UFO landing at Edwards AFB, photographed by 'Cooper's men,' never occurred; the report was identified as a weather balloon.
3. The 'fleets of UFOs' over Germany in 1951 could not have occurred as recollected, with no other witnesses remembering the event.

Oberg concludes with "Three strikes and you're out if you swing at those pitches!"

Further Missives

• Prof. Hans J. Petermann criticizes Jim Oberg's remarks on the NOVA UFO documentary and calls for the heads of those who call themselves 'Ufologists' but write nonsense.
• George Montgomery (Former Beat Poet) questions if 'Saucer Smear' has become too 'clique,' suggesting a need for fresh perspectives and fewer 'phony sightings.'
• Jon Beckjord writes from the National Cryptozoological Society, mentioning a reconciliation with Ohio Bigfootologist Dennis Pilichis and confirming the validity of Pilichis' research.

Walt Andrus's Letter to James Moseley

Walt Andrus writes to Moseley, addressing 'scurrilous and false rumors about NOVA's UFO Show.' He criticizes MUFON for circulating an 'open letter' that he claims contains pompous tone, gross inaccuracies, and misrepresentations. Andrus refutes:

• That he lives in Friendswood (he lives in Dickinson).
• That John Groom, the NOVA producer, spent considerable time at his home.
• The idea of Kendrick Frazier mesmerizing the BBC and running a Svengali act on Groom, stating Groom only spoke briefly with Frazier.
• MUFON's complaint about not learning of the show until August 10, 1982, attributing it to MUFON's internal incompetence.

Andrus defends the NOVA show's focus on the Cash/Landrum story, explaining that witness interviews were not possible due to legal advice and that illustrative material was not provided. He also defends his own sections of the show on Apollo, Venus misperceptions, and the scientific method.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue reflects a strong editorial stance against what it perceives as unsubstantiated claims and 'New Age' mysticism within the UFO community. The editor, James W. Moseley, positions 'Saucer Smear' as a voice of relative sanity and skepticism, often challenging the more credulous aspects of ufology. There is a recurring theme of media criticism, particularly concerning UFO documentaries and their perceived bias or inaccuracies. The newsletter also highlights personal anecdotes and debates within the UFO research community, often featuring sharp disagreements and critiques of other organizations and individuals. The overall tone is critical, sometimes dismissive, of those who present UFO phenomena as established fact without rigorous proof, while maintaining a fascination with the subject itself.