UFO Mail - No 161 - 2013

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO-Mail
Issue: 161
Date: June 20, 2013
Publisher: Skandinavisk UFO Information
Country: Denmark
Language: Danish

This issue of UFO-Mail, published by Skandinavisk UFO Information, features several articles focusing on skepticism towards UFO claims, alleged government cover-ups, and the commercialization of UFO phenomena.

Gummi-alien gav fængsel (Rubber Alien Led to Arrest)

This article, written by Kim Møller Hansen, details an incident in China where a farmer, referred to as Mr. Li, was detained by police for five days for fraud and disturbing public order. His 'crime' was fabricating a story about a UFO encounter where he claimed to have seen five aliens descend from an object while setting traps for rabbits, and one alien was killed near a rabbit trap. He created a rubber alien using rubber, chicken wire, and glue, took pictures, and posted them online to convince people that aliens exist. The story, which gained international attention through outlets like The Telegraph, is presented as a rare instance of someone being arrested for creating a fake alien. The author contrasts this with other alleged scams in the UFO community, such as Ray Santilli's Roswell alien autopsy video.

The article also touches upon another suspicious story from May 2013 concerning a small skeleton that was initially presented as alien but later suggested by DNA analysis to be human. The author speculates that this might be a media stunt orchestrated by Steven Greer to promote his documentary 'Sirius'. The magazine expresses skepticism towards Greer and his organizations, having previously covered his activities in UFO-Mail nr. 145.

Hedeslag på Islands Brygge (Heatstroke on Islands Brygge)

Kim Møller Hansen also reports on his experience attending an Exopolitics Danmark conference titled "UFOs and Nukes" held at Kulturhuset Islands Brygge in Copenhagen on June 8, 2013. He contrasts the atmosphere with a previous Exopolitik Danmark conference he attended in 2012, which he described as having an "intense self-satisfaction" reminiscent of a Scientology seminar or a prayer meeting. The 2013 conference, while still on a beautiful sunny day, had a more relaxed atmosphere, though the reviewer found the two main presentations to be "far out" and lacking in pedagogical value.

The main speakers were American Robert Hastings and British Timothy Good, presented as international authorities on UFOs and nuclear weapons. Hansen admits to having read their books and visited their websites, which should have prepared him, but he was still surprised by the "nonsense" presented. He notes that both speakers appeared to believe their own claims.

Timothy Good presented a slideshow that he described as a historical overview of the UFO phenomenon, asserting that "UFOs have always been here." Hansen found the presentation slow, boring, and reminiscent of presentations from 40-50 years ago, suitable perhaps for a housewife's meeting in rural England, but outdated for today. He criticizes Good for presenting old, often blurry, images without factual information and for being a strong fan of George Adamski.

Robert Hastings, on the other hand, is described as more energetic. He presented documents that are reportedly missing from his book, 'UFOs and Nukes: Extraordinary Encounters at Nuclear Weapons Sites,' and revealed he is working on a documentary film about the subject. Hastings has interviewed over 140 former US Air Force (USAF) personnel about their UFO experiences between 1962 and 1996, particularly concerning nuclear weapons sites. He believes UFOs are alien spacecraft that have been monitoring Earth's activities, especially nuclear weapons development, since the first atomic tests. He suggests that the US government is hiding this knowledge out of fear of admitting that aliens have been systematically monitoring and occasionally manipulating their nuclear arsenal.

Hansen expresses skepticism about Hastings' claims, noting that while the testimonies are anecdotal, Hastings considers them valid due to the witnesses' former positions of trust and security clearances. Hansen argues that these testimonies, even from credible sources, do not prove the existence of alien spacecraft, only that military personnel, like all people, observe unexplained phenomena.

He criticizes Hastings' book for its length (602 pages) and its chronological approach starting from the 1940s atomic tests. While acknowledging the extensive work in collecting interviews, Hansen feels that the focus on witness testimonies is sometimes lost in extraneous details. He finds the testimonies themselves trivial, often involving security guards seeing or hearing about night lights. He also notes the absence of reproductions of military documents in the e-book edition, preventing readers from assessing their value. Hansen suggests that readers seeking more grounded explanations for events at US nuclear weapons installations should consult Tim Printy's articles in the online magazine SUNlite.

During the Q&A session, both Hastings and Good claimed to have had multiple UFO sightings (Hastings: 6, Good: 4) and that Good has had telepathic contact with aliens. They also believe crop circles are related to UFOs and that different alien races abduct humans for experiments.

UFOer og atomvåben (UFOs and Nuclear Weapons)

This section is a review of Robert L. Hastings' book, 'UFOs and Nukes: Extraordinary Encounters at Nuclear Weapons Sites.' The review reiterates Hastings' central thesis: UFOs are alien spacecraft that have been monitoring Earth's nuclear activities, particularly since the first atomic tests during the Cold War. Hastings posits that their crews have been observing superpowers' nuclear arms race and continue to monitor US and Russian weapon stockpiles. He argues that the US government is concealing extensive knowledge about UFOs due to fear of admitting that aliens have been systematically monitoring and occasionally manipulating their nuclear weapons over decades.

Hastings' claims are based on interviews with over 100 former USAF personnel conducted over 35 years, focusing on incidents at ICBM launch sites between 1962 and 1996. While Hastings acknowledges that these testimonies are anecdotal, he emphasizes the witnesses' former high-level positions and responsibilities concerning weapons of mass destruction. The reviewer, however, remains unconvinced, stating that these testimonies, regardless of the source, only prove that military personnel observe unexplained phenomena, and that their senses are as fallible as anyone else's.

The review criticizes the book for its length and the inclusion of tangential discussions that detract from the core arguments. The reviewer also notes the absence of reproduced military documents in the e-book version, hindering an independent assessment of the evidence. The review points to Tim Printy's work in SUNlite as a source for more conventional explanations of UFO-related incidents at nuclear facilities.

Roswell og Area 51 (Roswell and Area 51)

This brief section announces that copies of the newly released publications 'Roswell' and 'Area 51' by Kim Møller Hansen are still available in the SUFOI shop. The price is 89 DKK per copy, and they are also available as e-books.

Undskyld, aliens! (Sorry, Aliens!)

This article reports on a story published by the British tabloid The SUN on June 8, 2013, titled "Flying saucers over British Scientology HQ." According to the SUN's sources, passengers on three aircraft landing at Gatwick Airport observed UFOs. Pilots reported seeing "two flat silver discs," and air traffic control personnel observed six UFOs on radar before they disappeared. The incident occurred near Scientology's UK headquarters in East Grinstead, West Sussex, on December 30, 2012, and lasted for seven minutes.

The article notes that The SUN, despite the seemingly serious tone, received a letter from Scientology's lawyers. Subsequently, The SUN published a retraction and apology: "After receiving a letter from the Church's lawyers, we apologize to all alien life-forms for linking them to Scientologists." The reviewer finds this apology particularly noteworthy.

Læs ufo-beretninger på www.ufo.dk (Read UFO Reports on www.ufo.dk)

This section directs readers to the website www.ufo.dk to read recent UFO reports submitted to SUFOI, specifically under the 'Observations' section.

UFO-Mail udgives af Skandinavisk UFO Information (UFO-Mail is published by Skandinavisk UFO Information)

This is the standard publication information for UFO-Mail, stating that it is published by Skandinavisk UFO Information. It includes copyright information for SUFOI 2013 and details regarding the use of copyrighted material, allowing news media to quote from signed articles with proper attribution, but requiring written agreement for full reproduction. It also mentions that printing and photocopying of UFO-Mail content is subject to Copydan fees.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of UFO-Mail revolve around skepticism towards sensational UFO claims, the debunking of hoaxes, and the critical examination of UFO researchers and their methodologies. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, questioning extraordinary claims and highlighting instances where UFO phenomena are presented as media stunts or commercial ventures. There is a clear emphasis on distinguishing between anecdotal evidence and verifiable facts, and a tendency to view alleged government cover-ups with suspicion, suggesting that the lack of transparency might stem from a desire to avoid embarrassment or to dismiss unsubstantiated claims rather than to hide genuine alien contact.

The magazine also touches upon the intersection of UFOs with other controversial topics, such as nuclear weapons and religious organizations like Scientology, often framing these connections as attempts to sensationalize or exploit public interest. The overall tone is one of debunking and rational analysis, encouraging readers to approach UFO reports with a critical mindset.