Saucer Smear - Vol 32 No 05 - 1985

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER SMEAR
Issue: Volume 32, No. 5
Date: July 1st, 1985
Publisher: OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SAUCER AND UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
Editor: James W. Moseley

This issue of Saucer Smear, a non-scheduled newsletter, delves into various UFO-related topics, offering a critical and often skeptical perspective from its editor, James W. Moseley.

Your Editor Meets the Space People

James W. Moseley recounts his recent travels in the western USA, including a visit to Clear Lake City, Texas. He describes a tour of the NASA installation and a dinner party attended by Dr. Thornton Page and his wife Lou, super anti-saucerer Jim Oberg, and NASA's Karl Henize, who is soon to become an astronaut with the 'Spacelab II' mission. Moseley also hints at a mysterious ninth personage present at the party, details of whom will be revealed later.

Disparaging Information in the 'Star Wars' Editorial

Moseley addresses skepticism regarding his previous 'Star Wars' editorial, which suggested a connection between President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative and UFOs. He defends the information as coming from a 'usually reliable source in Washington, D.C.' The editorial was based on interpretations of the New York State 'Boomerang from Outer Space' case and the English Rendlesham Forest case. However, Moseley presents Jerry Clark's letter as offering the most reasonable explanation for the 'Boomerang' case. Regarding Rendlesham, Moseley expresses strong skepticism, calling it 'one of the most overblown, ludicrous accumulations of half-baked evidence' he has encountered.

Critique of the Rendlesham Case and Related Publications

The issue critically examines the Rendlesham Forest case, referencing an article from the defunct British zine 'Probe Report' by Ian Mrzyglod and Martin Shipp. This article, which revisited the site, concluded the case did not warrant further investigation due to mundane explanations for alleged phenomena. Moseley contrasts this with the book 'Sky Crash: A Cosmic Conspiracy' by Brenda Butler, Dot Street, and Jenny Randles, expressing suspicion about the authors' motives and methods, particularly regarding Brenda Butler's reliance on local information and the potential fabrication of tales.

He highlights 'Art Wallace' (pseudonym for Larry Warren) as a key source for Rendlesham material, noting that Warren's identity has been revealed and that MUFON's Walt Andrus has stated Warren would likely fail a lie detector test regarding his descriptions of UFO occupants. Moseley points out the inconsistency of MUFON publishing a drawing of the Rendlesham craft by Betty Luca under 'Art Wallace's' direction, while not mentioning Warren's failed tests.

Moseley also mentions an audio tape by witness Colonel Halt, dismissing it as potentially fabricated or made anywhere. He urges governments not to alter policies based on this case and to wait for more substantial evidence.

Fiasco Near Frisco: NUFOC Convention Report

Moseley reports on the 22nd annual National UFO Conference (NUFOC) held in Fremont, California. He served as master of ceremonies. Key speakers included Kal K. Korff and Bill Moore. Moore presented a thesis suggesting Frank Scully's 'Roswell' stories were fabricated by Silas Newton, leaving Roswell as the only case Moore takes seriously. Moseley, however, believes the Roswell object was likely a mundane weather balloon.

Korff's lecture aimed to position himself as an objective researcher. Moseley also attended a meeting of the Bay Area Skeptics, where he discussed mundane explanations for UFO cases he investigated. He emphasizes that while his cases had simple explanations, it doesn't preclude the existence of truly mysterious ones.

He criticizes Korff's organization of the NUFOC, particularly the failure to notify the ufological press and the choice of a hotel that no delegates stayed in. Despite these flaws, Moseley acknowledges Korff's effort in saving the NUFOC from extinction and expresses gratitude. Next year's NUFOC is planned for Phoenix, Arizona.

The annual 'Ufologist of the Year' award was presented in absentia to CUFOS treasurer John Timmerman, recognized for his sincere and sensible contributions to the UFO movement. However, the award plaque was not ready in time for the convention.

Miscellaneous Ravings

Several short items are presented:

• Navy and Puget Sound Incident: Tom Burch contributes an article about a glowing object crashing into Puget Sound. Amateur divers found a gold-colored metallic object, which disappeared later, with a Navy ship seen overhead. Ufologists suspect the Navy stole the object, though Moseley notes the Navy's delay in retrieval suggests it wasn't considered important.
• Weslaco UFO Nut: Big Jim Oberg provides a clipping about a UFO enthusiast named Nodrog in Weslaco, Texas, whose followers were arrested in connection with a bomb. Moseley recalls Nodrog's past threats to him and the post office's inability to act on them.
• Cattle Mutilation: A review of Daniel Kagan and Ian Summers' book 'Mute Evidence' concludes that cattle mutilation is not mysterious. It also mentions Dr. Leo Sprinkle allegedly 'salting the mine' during hypnotic sessions, suggesting UFO imagery to subjects.

News Briefies

Moseley announces his acceptance into the Society for Scientific Exploration, despite having only a partial Bachelor of Arts degree, thanks to Dr. Thornton Page. He mentions a pleasant phone interview with Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who is working on UFO problems with the French government and has taken up residence in Phoenix. Moseley also visited the new CUFOS headquarters in Phoenix. He notes the existence of a new monthly newsletter called FOCUS, published by the Fair Witness Project, Inc., with Stanton Friedman and Kal K. Korff as leading lights. Another new publication is mentioned, by John Anthony.

Missives from the Masses

• Jerry Clark (FATE Magazine): Clark expresses skepticism about Moseley's 'Star Wars'-UFO connection story, citing logical problems and suggesting the Westchester hoax began accidentally with daredevil pilots mistaken for a UFO.
• Tom Burch: Burch humorously recalls Moseley's past 'Straith letter hoax' and questions the credibility of Moseley's current 'Story of the Decade'.
• Phil Klass: Klass dismisses Moseley's 'Star Wars'-UFO claim as the wildest he has heard, stating that if there were any basis, 'Aviation Week' would have reported it. He asserts he has direct contacts within the SDI office who confirm no such connection.
• Gene Steinberg: A former UFO researcher, Steinberg compares Moseley's writing to Jack Anderson's and suggests that government knowledge of UFOs might be used to divert attention from other mysteries.
• Tommy Roy Blann: Blann supports the idea of a joint U.S.-Soviet effort to develop an effective defense against UFOs, based on a 'reliable source' in Washington.
• Larry Peters (Bigfootologist): Peters agrees that the U.S. and Russia are jointly working to solve the UFO situation, logically deducing their shared interest due to past encounters.
• Tom Benson (MUFON): Benson states that UFOs are the primary reason for the arms and space races, possibly related to preparations for the final war or Armageddon, and suggests a joint policy decision may have originated at the Yalta Conference.
• Judith Starchild: Starchild praises John Timmerman's letter and views the UFO quest as a long one where answers are perceived individually, acting as a catalyst for human perception rather than solely gathering hard evidence.
• Ken Behrendt: Behrendt offers a psycho-sexual interpretation of Ed Leedskalnin's Coral Castle, suggesting it was a monument to frustrated male libido and that levitation might have occurred during states of extreme sexual excitement.
• Frank Bruckmann: Bruckmann playfully suggests that Moseley and other 'old timers' have been deceiving the public with stories of flying saucers and little green men.
• Gene Duplantier: Duplantier fondly remembers Gray Barker, noting his sense of humor and tendency to write with tongue in cheek, often playing pranks on unsuspecting ufologists.

Crime Watch & Vampire Sighting

The issue includes a brief mention of a crime story ('Crime Watch's top cop charged with grand theft) and a humorous report about police raiding a costume party in San Francisco after a report of a vampire sighting.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are skepticism towards sensational UFO claims, particularly the Rendlesham Forest case, and a critical examination of the evidence and sources presented by various ufologists and organizations. Editor James W. Moseley consistently advocates for rigorous investigation and mundane explanations, while acknowledging that some cases may remain genuinely mysterious. There's a strong undercurrent of questioning official narratives and the motives of those involved in the UFO field. The 'Star Wars' connection to UFOs is presented as a controversial idea, met with both support and strong dismissal from various contributors.