Saucer Smear - Vol 38 No 08 - 1991

Magazine Overview

Title: SAUCER SMEAR
Issue: Volume 38, No. 8
Date: October 10th, 1991
Publisher: SAUCER AND UNEXPLAINED CELESTIAL EVENTS RESEARCH SOCIETY
Editor: James W. Moseley

This issue of "Saucer Smear" is a non-scheduled newsletter dedicated to ufological journalism. It features a "FLASH" about a rumor concerning "Saucerer Bill Moore" being untrue, with details promised on page 8. The issue also includes important notices regarding subscription list ejection for non-subscribers and the availability of back issues and a book titled "UFO Crash Secrets at Wright Patterson Air Force Base".

The Lawsuits Against James Randi (Part One)

The lead article delves into the "delicate matter" of lawsuits against James Randi, noting that while they may not directly concern UFOs, they are related to the organization CSICOP, which is known for debunking parapsychology and UFOs. The article highlights that James Randi was a leading member of CSICOP when he had conflicts with alleged psychic Uri Geller and others, though CSICOP claims he was not a spokesman. The magazine criticizes CSICOP for its perceived hypocrisy in ignoring alleged questionable activities of its leading members, such as Al Seckel and James Randi.

The publication states that Randi is considered a friend of the editor, with no malice intended. However, "Smear" is committed to reporting the truth. The article details four lawsuits filed by Uri Geller against Randi, two of which were dismissed. It clarifies that these suits are not about spoon-bending but about alleged libel and slander by Randi, which are not protected by freedom of speech.

A significant lawsuit mentioned is one filed on March 2nd, 1989, by parapsychologist Dr. Eldon Byrd and his wife, Judith Byrd, for $39,000,000. This suit involves ten counts, including libel, invasion of privacy, slander, and "injuries to marital relationship." The defendants include James Randi (and aliases), CSICOP, and TZ Publications. The court document is titled "Complaint, Demand for Jury Trial and Exhibit A."

The article quotes a June 1988 interview in "Twilight Zone Magazine" where Randi claimed Eldon Byrd, along with Geller, launched a blackmail campaign and accused Randi of being a child molester, stating Byrd was in prison in Washington, D.C., for child molesting. However, the article asserts that Byrd was never arrested for child molesting and was not in prison at the time of Randi's statement.

The court document also alleges that Randi threatened the plaintiff and that "this publication" carried out these threats, evidencing malicious conduct. It references a CSICOP-sponsored lecture by Randi on May 17th, 1988, in New York City, where Randi allegedly stated that Eldon Byrd had been sought by Washington D.C. police for ten years as the "shopping market molester," used his wife's children to attract other children for molestation, and had pleaded guilty to child molestation, being out on probation. The article notes that sources fail to confirm these allegations.

"Exhibit A" is described as a personal letter from Randi to Byrd, dated June 18th, 1986, which, while private, is included in the lawsuit to shed light on Randi's state of mind. In this letter, Randi refers to "blackmail packets" and calls Byrd "a sleezy and not-too-bright villain, an unprincipled liar, and an incompetent, pretentious Dumbo, who is an embarrassment to those who suffer from association....A clown and a buffoon.....A despicable, cowardly character assassin."

Randi's letter also suggests that Geller orchestrated a plan to drag Randi to New Jersey to obtain "spurious information" on him, create a "blackmail plan," and then leave Randi to face the consequences.

The article then discusses the "blackmail plan" or "blackmail packets," which were mailed around 1985 to dozens of people in the parapsychology field. No money was demanded, and the sender(s) were to "say more if Randi did not 'lay off' parapsychology." The main item in the packet was an audio tape, 20-30 minutes long, allegedly of Randi soliciting sexual acts from males over the phone. This is linked to unproven rumors that Randi is a pederast.

The story becomes confusing regarding how the tape was obtained. Randi claims he was trying to entrap teenagers, but the Rumson police allegedly made the tape and it was improperly given to Randi's enemies in parapsychology. The article notes that Randi has no proof linking Geller, Byrd, or others to the mailing, and he lashed out based on potentially false information from a New Jersey postal inspector.

Concluding remarks suggest Randi has made many enemies. The article questions why Randi has not counter-sued Geller or Byrd, given Geller's wealth and Randi's alleged financial struggles. It also recalls Randi's request for unopened packages to be returned for fingerprint analysis, after which there was no further mention of fingerprints.

The magazine promises more on the Geller lawsuits in the next issue.

Miscellaneous Ravings

This section covers various topics. The Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library in West Virginia has opened a collection of Gray Barker's books, UFO magazines, and correspondence, donated by his executor. The editor expresses that he misses his friend, Gray Barker.

The editor attended a Tim Beckley UFO convention in Phoenix, Arizona, featuring about thirty lectures and workshops. Notable attendees and speakers included "Max" (the Crystal Skull), Nikola Tesla (via mediumship), Kevin Randle (on the Roswell Incident), Larry Warren (on the 1980 landing at Bentwaters, England), Howard & Connie Menger, Bill Cooper, and Harley Byrd.

Bill Cooper is praised as an excellent speaker who predicts U.S. troops occupying the Soviet Union and vice-versa within five years, leading to a "One World" government and the erosion of the U.S. Bill of Rights. Cooper insists there is no proof of extraterrestrial visitation and denies being anti-Semitic or a "super-patriot," though his speech has religious and mystical overtones.

Harley Byrd is viewed negatively. His "workshop" involved a "hymn to peace" and discussions about secret alien-controlled underground bases, which he linked to the Inner Earth. The event reportedly ended with a fist fight.

The editor also attended the 28th annual convention of the National UFO Conference (NUFOC) in Cleveland, Ohio, which was smaller than Beckley's event but successful. Speakers included Antonio Huneeus, Curt Sutherly, Richard Dell'Aquilla, Floyd Murray, and Klark Kent.

Twenty Witnesses See UFO "Portholes"

This article from The Sentinel (Gulf Breeze, FL) reports on a sighting on September 6, 1991, where twenty local residents and tourists witnessed a strange red light UFO over Gulf Breeze. The object, described as large with blazing "portholes," traveled from south to north. It slowed to a hover, performed a 360-degree barrel roll, turned vertical, and accelerated out of sight. Witness Vicki Lyons stated, "On this night what we saw was stunning. It has changed my life!" Another similar sighting with "porthole" lights occurred two nights later, on September 8, 1991.

Missives From The Masses

This section features letters and statements from various individuals:

• Jenny Randles, a British UFO researcher, writes to refute Stanton Friedman's claim that she "totally deceived (my) friends." She states that the BUFORA council was informed of the situation before lawsuits, and she offered to resign. She claims the council supported her and later awarded her life membership. She asserts it is false to allege she misled people by hiding the truth.
• Stanton Friedman responds regarding "Anderson," enclosing a critique of Bill Moore's and John Carpenter's treatment of the Gerald Anderson story. He states the diary stands on its own and that Anderson never claimed it proved anything beyond being interesting. Friedman believes Moore, Randle, and Schmitt are "jumping to conclusions." Regarding defamation, he claims the lawsuit was not based on a letter but on Jenny Randles' defamation of Harry Harris and himself to a newspaper, which he states apologized and settled.
• Kevin Randle writes about the Anderson story, questioning the validity of a lie detector test where Anderson answered "No" to seeing Buskirk after 1947, given they were in the same school at the same time. Randle states that "we have a great deal of information that refutes the Anderson story," including a copy of Anderson's diary with inaccuracies. He concludes that Anderson's tale is "little more than fabrication" unless he provides corroboration.
• Erik ("Gashawk") Beckjord requests that Phil Klass no longer send him anything, describing Klass as "less and less amusing, and more and more vicious." Beckjord recounts an incident at the Ron Reagan TV show taping where Klass insulted him.
• Phil Klass writes that his "top-level intelligence sources" revealed why Cedric Beckjord is successful at spotting "faces on Mars." According to his source, Beckjord's father was an "EBE (Extraterrestrial Biological Entity)" recovered in 1947, and his mother was a Sasquatch captured in 1948. The CIA allegedly cross-bred them hoping for a giant humanoid with a super intellect, but were disappointed, calling the result "EB." When released, "EB" was given the name Erik Beckjord. Klass claims the CIA will not repeat the experiment.
• Dan Cohen responds to Klass's letter, stating that Klass sent him a package after Cohen requested they sever relations and told Klass to "piss off." Cohen believes the package contained tapes of phone conversations that he had told Klass he did not want.
• Chris Rutkowski of Ufology Research of Manitoba writes about the local Manitoba Skeptics' group adamantly denying being a branch of CSICOP. He notes Randi's resignation to save the group's coffers and mentions the group's TV show and their attempt to do a show on Scientology, which was canceled after receiving letters from a Scientology lawyer.
• Michael Dennett clarifies his previous comments about Al Seckel, stating they were not intended for publication and were based on his own interaction, not condoning deceit. He believes people with false credentials ultimately suffer from self-deception.
• Robert Anton Wilson enjoys "Saucer Smear" and notes that he, like many controversial writers, has been accused of being a CIA agent.
• Martin Cannon writes about "The Protocols," calling it a forgery inspired by anti-Semitic and anti-Masonic diatribes. He states that about half the text was cribbed from an 1864 satire, "A Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu," and that the forger rewrote it, attributing it to "Jewish leaders."

Miscellaneous Ravings (Continued)

This section mentions the Fall issue of Dr. Frank Stranges' magazine, "UFO Journal," which features a swastika and Hitler on its cover, related to an article by Bill Moore about the "Nazi flying saucer legend." Stranges is noted as the M.C. of Tim Beckley's Phoenix UFO convention.

Tidbits of Trash

• A document titled "Affidavit: UFOs, Aliens, and 'Ex'-Intelligence Agents: Who's Fooling Whom? The Inside Story of John Lear, Bill Cooper, and 'The Greatest Cover-Up in Human History'. Part One: Lear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Lars C. Hansson is mentioned. A summary is promised for the next issue.
• Hal Starr, former MUFON's Arizona State Director, has retired to Mexico. Ray Maurer will succeed him.
• Two elderly Englishmen confessed to hoaxing British crop circles, but "experts," including Erik Beckjord, are unimpressed.
• A video game called "Majestic/MJ-12" has been located near New York City, copyrighted by a Japanese firm. Research is ongoing into how the Japanese learned of MJ-12.
• Astronomers apparently located the first known planet outside our solar system, raising hopes for finding intelligent life elsewhere.
• Skeptic John Merrell lost a $25,000 lawsuit to psychic Noreen Renier but has made progress on a counter-suit.
• Regarding Bill Moore, a rumor that he was in the County Jail in Prescott, Arizona, on burglary and forgery charges is clarified as being about a different Bill Moore. The "Saucer Smear" editor's Bill Moore is now in Hollywood, California.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the controversies surrounding James Randi and CSICOP, the nature of truth and evidence in ufology and parapsychology, and the reporting of UFO sightings. The editorial stance is one of skepticism towards debunking organizations like CSICOP, a commitment to reporting what the magazine perceives as truth, and a critical examination of figures in the UFO and parapsychology fields, particularly James Randi. The magazine also engages with various correspondents who offer their perspectives and criticisms of other figures and events within the UFO community.