Inside Ufology: January 1989
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INSIDE UFOLOGY
January 1989
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After a brief (four month?) hiatus, we return to our regular column. Due to time limitations, its going to have to be an abbreviated version ... so much happening, so little time...
After much speculation and rumor, Budd Hopkins has confirmed the story of a medical anomaly that might turn out to be an "alien implant." In a speech in Tucson last month, and in answer to a series of questions posed by ParaNet users, Hopkins said that an MRI scan has detected a solid object "on or near the optical nerve" of a female abductee in Georgia. Due to its proximity to the crucial nerve, however, extraction of the object is extremely dangerous and highly unlikely. One prominent ufologist who attended the Tucson meeting speculated that "whatever the object is, it isn't made of metal, otherwise the MRI would have ripped it right out of her." (The M in MRI stands for Magnetic.) SEE: HOPKINS.REP
Another medical anomaly that had fueled the imaginations of abduction fans seems to have been put to rest. You may recall the interest in an article that appeared in the British science journal Nature in September 1986, wherein several geneticists had submitted a photomicrograph of a cell from an unborn fetus. Lodged in the cell was a highly symmetrical object that resembled a crossword puzzle. The accompanying letter basically asked, "What the hell is this?", and called on colleagues for an explanation. Abduction proponents, quick to grab onto any piece of evidence that might lead to a breakthrough, distributed the letter and the photograph through the grapevine, insinuating a resemblance to a computer chip, and have continued to do so until the present. Unfortunately, they were a little TOO quick. Had they picked up the very same journal the very next month, they would have seen that the anomaly has been explained as part of a Diatom skeleton, something quite ordinary and non-alien. That this "mystery" should have been propagated so long after the explanation had been rendered is testimony to the will-to-believe and suspension of good judgement of many in the UFO field. Come on, gang. If we're going to play at Science, let's at least play by the rules. (Credit: Jim Melesciuc, "Bits and Pieces") SEE: CHIP.UFO
Also from Bits and Pieces:
"A petition calling for congressional hearings on ufOs is being circulated by MUFON Deputy Director John Schuessler. Betty Cash is assisting Schuessler with this task. Betty was injured during a close encounter on Dec. 29, 1980, along with Vickie and Colby Landrum. It may be that this drive for congressional hearings resulted from the disclosure of "Falcon's" information aired on UFO Cover-Up Live. In the program Falcon (Doty) stated that the Cash/Landrum UFO was a government test flight of an extraterrestrial craft which got out of hand."
Not-exactly-UFO-related-but-funny-anyway-dept.: Bigfootologist-Dracontologist-Ufologist Jon-Erik Beckjord is finally opening his long-awaited "Cryptozoology Museum." After several false starts, one in a mobile home, the museum has found residence in, of all places, Trancas' Restaurant of Malibu, CA. In his press release, Beckjord was quick to point out that Trancas is "famous in the LA Area as being a good dance spot as well as for being a good family restaurant serving American-style cuisine." He also stated its a hangout for such Hollywood heavyweights as Jan-Michael Vincent. Beckjord says he felt that the coastal area was an "excellent spot" for the temporary museum (a larger facility is planned for a future date) because of reports of Bigfoot in the nearby Ventura mountains, and sea serpent sightings off the coast. When pressed, Beckjord admitted that yes, the famous Bigfoot feces sample (as seen on David Letterman) would be on display, but presumably behind glass so that over-zealous restaurant staffers would be unable to confuse the sample with the house special. The official opening is February 9th, with a pre-opening party scheduled the night before.
The Fund for UFO Research is looking to raise $16,000 for an all-out, no-holds-barred study of the Majestic-12 documents. A proposal submitted to the Fund by MJ-12-ologist Stan Friedman calls for a four-month study, which would involve "travelling to several Presidential libraries, visiting some people who may have important information and writing a full report of his activities." The Fund has already granted Friedman $500 to cover the cost of his Long Distance phone calls over the past year.
Finally, in what may be the most encouraging development of the new year, a heavy-hitter journalist named Howard Blum is tackling the Cosmic Watergate. Blum is author of "I Pledge Allegiance," about the Walker Spy Ring case, and has been nominated for two Pulitzer prizes. According to UFO Magazine, Blum's book will prove that active government investigation of UFOs did not end with Blue Book.
Till next month ... Happy Hunting!
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This edition of INSIDE UFOLOGY is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe, the father of the UFO movement, who passed away Nov. 29th.
