The Missing Film

Courtesy of 2.bp.blogspot.com

How much of a movie is real? You have the actors, the location, the props, which by all accounts are thoroughly scripted into the film. Nothing is out of place, or shouldn’t be. You have that random car driving across the mountain in the blockbuster film Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings as if it were a UFO…not part of the reality of the film, but there nonetheless. Bravo to the people who discovered it-it almost takes extra-sensory perception to notice something so miniscule. Still, it is there. Just like there is a slight glimpse of a real UFO in one of the 1950s movies (1953 may be exact) about a prehistoric monster who comes alive because of an atomic experiment. Like what happens in Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

Can you spot the car?

The producer, who was given the alias “Frank Miller” by Moseley, asked his friend Skippy to shoot sixteen millimeters worth of film in Alaska for the anonymous film (for obvious reasons). After shooting the film, he decided to reshoot some footage because the weather had improved. During the surf scene, he noticed something bright in his viewfinder, so he looked up, and hovering above was a real UFO that looked like two dinner plates stuck together with a dome at the top and round windows.  

“I think you may have the most sensational sequence of film ever released by a Hollywood studio. And you won’t have to use any special effects after all,” wrote Skippy in a letter to Miller. Even today it would be nearly impossible to spot a real UFO in a film when we have incredible CGI. Heavens, you can insert a UFO into a youtube video with photoshop! But then some people are extra observant.

Of course, no one would make a real hoopla about a car appearing in a film except for the producer, perhaps. That’s not the case with UFOs. The military tries their best to hide the fact that we have UFOs in airspace. They even have a successful disinformation campaign waged against the reality of UFOs and aliens visiting our planet. So when Miller boasted about having genuine footage of a UFO in his movie throughout the media (columnists and trade press), he received some unexpected attention from the military.

“An Air Force major in a natty uniform showed up,” explains Miller, “and said he would like to know more about the film. “

After easily drifting off into a conversation about their time in the military served in the same region in Japan, they left his office for a bar and talked some more over alcoholic beverages.

The Air Force major told him that, “Many saucer sightings  were dreamed up by crackpots and many of the cases involved misinterpretation of various natural phenomena. The Air Force was greatly concerned about the reports, however, and actually had a special division set up to investigate many of the sightings.”

Seems to me that the Air Force has an avid interest in civilians’ activities, from what the major said. The catcher is, when he asked the major what he thought about aliens personally, he admitted he believed there was something to the phenomena. And that we’re being monitored by an advanced civilization from Mars.

But he also asked for the film, because he wanted to test it for authenticity. Miller, who believed that UFOs were nothing more than top secret military craft, was happy to hand it over. Except, three weeks later, the Air Force still had the film in their possession, despite the fact that the major promised to return the film expeditiously. Miller later received only 15 feet of film back from the Air Force and all that remained of the UFO was a speck that hovered for 30 seconds before it took off. Miller was even suspicious that it wasn’t the UFO that Skippy had filmed. Still, it had footage of a UFO, albeit an unconvincing one. And though it may seem that the Air Force did him a disserve by seizing the footage, perhaps leaving 30 seconds of anything was strangely generous of them.  They are notorious for forbidding anything reminiscent of UFOs and aliens from being published in the public domain, let alone in a major film. Still, the producer had rewritten the script in order for the focus to shift to the UFO, which put a wrench in that plan.

Miller was understandably angry and disappointed…as anyone would be. Perhaps the military should have let him use the original footage of the UFO, or flying saucer as it was called in those days, because no one would have really been convinced that it was the real thing anyway. And the audience that watched the version that inevitably came out, didn’t care that the film had a real UFO in it (of course, during the 1950s sci-fi wasn’t as popular as it is today). This was reflected by the fact that it caused no stir and received little patronage. However, Miller did receive academy awards for later projects.

Courtesy of presidentialufo.com

Speaking of missing film, Moseley experienced a disappearance of his own at the Crash Retrieval Conference in Las Vegas in 2009. According to Grant Cameron, Moseley wanted to do an expose on the conference. Something that would have the readership on the edge of their seats and the military curling their toes. That was the military’s nightmare so they sent a purported MJ-12 agent to steal his film.  

So, who was that elusive, duplicitous agent who stole our idol’s film? No one really knows, all that is known is the sequence of events that took place. Nick Redfern had been taking photos of Moseley with Lisa Davis when he ran out of film, and handed the camera back to Moseley so he could fill it again. Moseley went to put a new role of film in the camera, put the camera down for a minute, then opened it. The film was gone except for a single 10 inch strip. 

                                                   Courtesy of presidentialufo.com

                      

In fact, perhaps it was a cooperative effort because everyone in the room was laughing as he went around interrogating them. Which must have been awkward, perplexing, and infuriating to Moseley. I mean, these were probably people he respected, but he couldn’t trust any of them. And they probably didn’t trust him either because his was a liminal trickster who had connections in Project Blue Book. 

Two Men from Venus

Valiant Thor and His Comrades Courtesy of gratisenergi.se

Two Men from Venus

Seems that Star Trek is not the only place where you’ll find peace loving, athletic, tall blond extraterrestrials. So is Venus, apparently, and they want to produce offspring with L.A women, according to Moseley. It all started when he was visiting a cousin who was a major anonymous producer in Hollywood for obvious reasons. It is there that he met the freelance set consultant Manon Darlaine. Although she was an expert in studios decorations, she was very connected in the UFO community and was up on the latest UFO news, especially news connected to Hollywood. She wanted Moseley to meet a Venusian named Venutio, better known around Hollywood as Mr. Wheeler, the one who expressed interest in Venusian and L.A women genetic compatibility. And whether or not he found out that answer remains an elusive question. See, after Wheeler played the good samaritan, engaging in activities such as helping local police solve crimes, he disappeared altogether.  

And whilst the wildest vagrants and criminals visited the L.A Times, it was Venutio the Venusian that Journalist Mortimer Bane remembers most. At first, Bane really didn’t want much to do with Venutio and his Venusian companion when they first visited his cubicle to sell their story. He was perfectly skeptical as a journalist ought to be especially when dealing with paranormal phenomena.  And especially if you work for the L.A Times. He asked them to produce some sort of proof that they were who they said they were before he threw them out. Venutio gladly accepted the challenge and scratched the tip of his desk with his thumb. Apparently, that was enough for Bane to believe his story was credible.  

When Moseley heard of Bane’s account, as is his proclivity, he dismissed Bane as a kook. That is until, weeks later, Darlaine called him about a lab test done on the scratch. Seems that it was impossible to make that indentation with a human fingernail.  According to the results, it would take 1700 pounds to make that kind of indentation into the metal. Not even acrylics can do that.

 

                                           Valiant Thor Courtesy of the Ashtar Command Crew

When I read that article, I must admit, I also thought about the infamous  Venusian,Valiant Thor (as I’m sure many people have).  Thor was a guest at the White House back in 1956 and he and his crew were the first human extraterrestrials officially reported by government officials.  According to the story, he was offering President Eisenhower some advice on how to run the world more efficiently. In fact, some of it was right on the money since it did portend to a plausible global economic collapse due to multiple wars. Well, we’ve had a couple recently, and the global economies are on the brink of collapsing. He also offered solutions to improve the health of humanity, but President Eisenhower felt that it wasn’t a profitable enterprise, so they set their sights on Germany which was, ironically, more open to new ideas.

Are Venusians physiologically different than earth humans? Yes, indeed they are. If they are real in the first place, and even though they can pass as earth humans. Various sources out there, including this book, say their eyes are a little bit widely positioned on their face, their ears are smaller than earth humans, they have six fingers, 24 teeth, no finger prints,  they’re hermaphrodites, and Thor has no belly button whatsoever, even though his comrades do. Not so sure about Venutio, and who knows how he would have gone about procreating with L.A women.   But there are physiological differences and these are, apparently, the Nordics that contactees talk about. The so called angels, if they are that. Is it inconceivable that angels would be here, among us? Perhaps among us right now, helping humanity during this fragile period in human history in which we’re in danger of extinction due to global warming or nuclear wars (among other things)? Personally, I feel the time is ripe for that sort of intervention. 

What else did Valiant Thor discuss during his meeting with Eisenhower? Find out in the interesting link below:
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/47john_lear/02files/Valient_Thor_01.html

The Forbidden Planet Article Review Part I

James W. Moseley wrote some very engaging articles, I highly recommend reading these informative, humorous peaces which are available on FATE magazine's website. I’m not going to talk about all the articles but I will discuss a few of them including this one, The Forbidden Planet. UFO Hunters’ fans will be pleased to know that I procured a coveted interview with Pat Uskert on my facebook page (the wonders of modern technology). UFO Hunters was the History Channel’s hit show that beat Jon Stewart’s ratings during its 3 season run.

 The Forbidden Planet Part 1

In this article The Forbidden Planet, Moseley shares some background information on himself and how he first entered the UFO field. He mentions that once his mother died, his world suddenly became cold and he started to rebel against society. As I mentioned in the previous blog, he rebelled against his authoritative father, General George Van Horn Woseley, a famous right wing anti-Semite figure in politics, by engaging in independent activities such his real estate pursuits, his antiquarian activities, and his gonzo journalism. This clash with his father translated to his relationships in the UFO community with autocratic, serious personalities who were fodder for many of his controversial articles and activities.

His antiquarian pursuits began with a magazine advertisement for Ken Krippine’s anthropological research club. Soon he was trekking the Amazon with other rich anthropological researchers in Krippine’s search for a lost city. It is on these jungle adventures that he began his huaquero hobby and where he first noticed the readability of the Nazca Lines from air.

 Curious about its history, Moseley he went to a local parish in the vicinity of the infamous Nazca pampas and inquired it. The local parish priest gave him a booklet entitled “Mystery on the Desert” by archaeologist Maria Reiche.  Maria Reiche, a German born mathematician who studied the Nazca pampas for 50 years, came to the conclusion that the Nazca Lines were an astronomical calendar which aligns with the constellation Orion. She also theorized that a large variety of delineated surfaces and wide lines required an enormous amount of labor.

 He later gauged Krippine for his opinion of the Nazca (or “Nasca” as it is sometime spelled) Lines.  The various forms… monkeys, fish, hummingbirds, spiders, sharks, orcas, and lizards, he surmised could have been created by native Peruvians with the help of aliens because ancient Peruvians didn’t fly planes in antiquity. Ken Krippine had borrowed this idea from Frank Scully's book Flying Saucers and Moseley would later detail this theory in his FATE magazine contribution which appeared in their October 1955 issue.  Erich Von Daeniken would go a step further in his book, “Chariots of the Gods,” and theorize that the Nazca Lines were an actual runway for flying saucers, despite the various animal forms they created which stretched for miles.  The huge success of the book “Chariots of the Gods” spawned the “ancient aliens” movement and theories based on aliens being among us in ancient times and perhaps created us to mine for gold. As a child, I did marvel at the ornate detailing of massive ancient structures such as the Nazca Lines and pyramids and how they were built by the sheer willpower and creativity of ancient people. Those feats do seem like the supernatural was necessary in order to build them. The artists were worthy of Michelangelo acclaim at least. But does it really mean that humans were helped by alien entities? Does it really require the help of aliens?

Or are the ancient structures the result of engineering by very limited people who are barely out of the stone age and not using mechanical tools (let alone computers)? Somehow the ancient pyramids, Puma Pumku, the statues on Easter Island, and Stonehenge had to be engineered in such a way that massive slabs of rock fit perfectly together. But how was it all achieved? Maybe one of UFO Hunters detectives, Pat Uskert, can help us solve this mystery. Or at least give us his opinion.

The Forbidden Planet 2- Pat Uskert Interview

Melinda Carly

Hi Pat, I'm writing blogs about James W. Moseley. I was wondering if you could grant me permission to use one of your quotes regarding the Taj Mahal and human potential. It's nice to hear different points of view rather than just relying on one (ancient astronaut theory).  But I want your opinion on the Nazca Lines first. Thanks.

Pat Uskert

The Nazca people believed the ancient lines were necessary for some reason. One theory is that they believed in energy lines running outward from energy points. We can only speculate about why they made these lines. The ancient UFO runway idea is a relic from Erich von Daeniken’s "Chariots of the Gods." Do we really believe UFOs need huge runways? Are these the same UFOs that can hover and change direction at any moment? My guess is that the Nazca Lines were used for spiritual and religious purposes. The same way the natives of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) put all their resources into carving giant statues, eventually exhausting their own trees. And the Aztecs sacrificed humans to fuel the sun. The Nazca drew giant lines and animal figures to perhaps launch their own souls into heaven or to appease the gods. These were the acts from a different paradigm. They lived in a different social reality. We can't really know what they were thinking.

Melinda Carly

What do you think about the Ancient Alien craze started by the series Ancient Aliens?

Pat Uskert

This ancient astronaut craze is nothing new. And I can't believe there is such a resurgence. Von Daeniken's book made a huge splash in the 70s. Fascinating book, excellent speculation, but some 30 years has passed and absolutely none of it can be proven. In fact, archeology only seems to be finding more and more evidence that ancient humans were simply incredible. As intelligent as we are today, but without the electronics and lasers.

Melinda Carly

Tell me more about the Taj Mahal. You believe it pokes holes in the ancient alien theory?

Pat Uskert

I visited the Taj Mahal last year on my first trip to incredible India. The Taj Mahal is but one example of the perfection of human engineering centuries before power tools, bulldozers, lasers, etc. Whatever has been suggested as necessary to build ancient sites from pyramids to Puma Pumku. But as we can see from the Taj Mahal, that it is simply not true. The Taj Mahal alone completely smashes all ancient alien arguments. The main argument of the ancient astronaut theorists seems to be that ancient humans did not have modern tools, could not drill and cut stone, and so aliens were involved. I’ve watched David Hatcher Childress proclaim with astonishment that indigenous Americans could cut stone at perfect 90 degree angles. Really? He really believes only aliens could make 90 degree angles? David hasn’t been to the Taj Mahal. Strangely, the Taj Mahal is completely ignored by ancient astronaut theorists. Is it ever on Ancient Aliens, I wonder?

Melinda Carly

What in particular about the Taj Mahal disproves the ancient alien theory?

 Pat Uskert

 It was carved entirely out of a type of translucent marble, so it absorbs the light around it, almost like a pearl. It changes color throughout the day and shimmers under the moon and stars. It is mathematically perfect. Its marble pieces are each polished and fit together with perfection. Its towers are perfectly balanced, leaning outward. It has fine netting, exquisitely carved out of marble…marble mosquito netting. The marble was all cut, carved, and polished to perfect smoothness. It is a wonder of the world. And was entirely designed and constructed by humans in the 17th century without electricity, machines, or computers. A huge human achievement which completely demolishes ancient alien arguments just by standing there in its perfection. But it wasn’t built by humans alone - 1,000 elephants were used. They used elephant power.

Melinda Carly

So you're inferring that we were sophisticated enough back then to build all the ancient sites?

Pat Uskert

My point is, if humans can make the Taj Mahal without electricity, machines, computers four hundred years ago, then we could have done it 4,000 years ago. Human intelligence has not changed. The human brain has not changed physiologically in the past 10,000 or even 50,000 years. If anything, we have lost some intelligence if we are being baffled by the engineering of our ancestors.

I encourage people to do their own research and not just swallow the Ancient Alien Kool Aid. Even better, travel and see the wonders of the world for yourself. See the Cologne Cathedral, marvel at its size. It was built by humans. See the great wall of China, built by humans. See the thousands of staircases of the Himalayas climbing into the clouds – all built by humans. Answer, aliens?   No, we homo sapiens are a truly amazing being. If we can stop all our fighting and pettiness and put our minds to creating a good world, we can do amazing things.

Melinda Carly

Why have we stopped creating astonishing feats such as the pyramids throughout the world?

Pat Uskert

I just read the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, written over 1.5 thousand years ago. It was like talking to man a today, but something was different. He seemed even smarter than most of the people of today just more in tune with life, less distracted. It was humans like him, intense, highly intelligent, less distracted by toys and television and shopping, that designed and built ancient sites.

Melinda Carly

Do you think that ancient man could have possibly been more intelligent in the antiquarian period?

Pat Uskert

I'm living in a small village in Slovakia, at the moment. And I am amazed by the resourcefulness of the people. They all grow their own food, make their own wine, their own honey, fix their own cars, pick their own wild plants and mushrooms. They know how to build their own homes.  I am a "modern man" from California, and I am like a useless buffoon here with my laptop. It's given me a good insight into how resourceful we must have been long ago. Farmville is a great example of that. I'm in a real village where people really know how to plant and farm. It is not a game. Modern children couldn't plant to save their lives. Who is more intelligent? Which is the human that will survive?

Melinda Carly

So what role do the ETs play if any? Just visiting? You did mention seeing a UFO yourself on UFO Hunters.

Pat Uskert

I think the best researchers will simply say "we don't know." When it all comes down to it, we really don't know. I don't like to add my opinions and theories, because the truth is I don't know, and I am only adding more noise to the topic.

Melinda Carly

What conclusions have you formed about the aliens in your investigations? Who or what are they?

Pat Uskert

The ETs could be all kinds of the things. They could be our engineers. They could be our progeny, visiting us from the future. They could simply be observers from another place that have nothing to do with us. There are many theories. It could be they are us, very similar to us, but have branched off because we have become just too weird and warlike, fighting among ourselves and bombing each other, while they explore worlds in peace. Really can't say. One theory is that we used to be interstellar and amazing. Part of a giant intergalactic community. We are the ancient alien, not somebody else. We built our space ports, we had technology to fly to the stars, and we lost it tens or even hundreds of thousands of years ago. We are the remnants of a great space-faring civilization that has lost its way and we still look to the stars. UFOs are other civilizations’ craft coming and going, docking at the old places they did thousands of years ago. But we have become a backwater, a ghost town. I like that theory. But it's mostly imaginative speculation. No better than the ancient alien theories that I spurn.

Melinda Carly

 I like the part about them visiting us from the future. Who knows, after we've colonized other planets.  Is there a theory for that?

Pat Uskert

I don’t know if there is a name for the theory. Maybe it’s up to you to think of one.

Melinda Carly

What  in particular do you spurn about the ancient aliens theory?

Pat Uskert

Ancient aliens theory is not fact. It is a great theory, that's it. Fun to think about, but we belittle ourselves if we honestly think we don't have the intelligence to build pyramids. We defeat ourselves and it's a dangerous philosophy - to believe we could not possibly have done it. We don't have the capability.

I believe just the opposite; each and every one of us has amazing capabilities. Each of us is potentially an explorer of worlds, or discoverers of some new medicine, or creators of some new technology if we develop that potential. However, if we squander it, believing we need the help of aliens to get anything done, we give our power away. Each of us is the amazing alien, traveling through space on our giant spaceship earth.

Melinda Carly

On your facebook page you write that the History Channel won’t give the fans another UFO Hunters season. It’s such a shame because you and Bill Birnes were such a great team. Have you done any projects together since the last UFO Hunters season?

Pat Uskert

I’m glad we looked like a great team on TV. I got along great with Bill and I would love to work with him again. Right now he’s doing his own projects -writing, TV appearances, etc. He is an amazing person. Bill completely changed my life. Before I met him and his wife, Nancy, I couldn’t believe I had the power to do something big, like get a show concept on TV. It was just out of my realm of possibilities. But sure enough, together we made it happen. I learned from Bill that each of us has tremendous power if we focus and apply it. Rather than sitting around and wishing about doing something, get out and do it. If you want to write a book, don’t just think about it, begin taking the steps to make it happen. And eventually it will come to pass.

As for doing more with Bill in the future, only networks can decide that. Networks are the Gate Keepers. They decide what goes on TV and what does not. If someone wants UFO Hunters back on TV, we would love to do it. But the trick would be to convince History or someone to make it happen.

Melinda Carly

So, Pat, what have you been up to since the UFO Hunters series ended?

Pat Uskert

I am currently involved in a new show, now in development. One of the networks is creating a new show about investigating ancient lost civilizations. I can’t give away details yet, but it should be a great adventure into evidence of lost civilizations. It’s a road I just have to go down. 

I am also working on a little travel film about exploring the Slovak Republic. It will be called “Exploring Slovakia: Land of Castles and Mountains.” I hope to get it aired on PBS, and if not, straight to DVD then. The Slovak Republic was once joined with the Czech Republic, forming the eastern bloc powerhouse Czechoslovakia. They separated in 1993 to form Czech and Slovak Republics and everyone seems to have forgotten this other beautiful country with epic castles and snow capped mountains. But everyone knows about the Czech Republic, mainly because of Prague. What they don’t know is that people of Prague and Czech Republic go to the Slovak Republic for vacations. Czechs love Slovakia. It is a huge travel secret and this year made Lonely Planet’s list of “Top Ten Travel Destinations.” The film is in progress, and I invite people to check out the website  www.slovakiajourney.com.

Author's comment:

Giant spaceship earth! Now that’s a beautiful image, thanks Mr. Uskert! While I’m not attempting to disprove the ancient alien theory because I don’t have an opinion either way, I do feel that other theories need equal weight. Perhaps the readers should coin the theory about ancient humans coming to earth as space farers.   Don’t forget to check out his latest projects- the yet to be titled series about evidence of lost civilizations and Exploring Slovakia: Land of Castles and Mountains www.slovakiajourney.com .

UFO Hunters: Military and UFOs (pertinent considering "The Citizens Hearing on Disclosure" took place this weekend).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRMlaDEN11I

The Astounding UFO SECRETS of James W. Moseley edited by Timothy Green Beckley

Two blogs are going to be devoted to this book about the infamous editor/journalist of Saucer News, James W. Moseley. First of all, he was fun and a good writer but I can't squeeze in a summary/analysis of the news articles in this blog. Second of all, this man is huge. One of the book's contributors, Kenneth Arnold, describes him as the last of the 1950s Old Guard of UFOlogists. He was also a pioneer in UFOlogical investigation techniques and managed to have a huge influence on the UFOlogical community at large as the premier UFO Journalist bar none; despite the fact that he was neither a skeptic nor hardcore believer, which left him marginalized. But he was also able to have a monopoly in the UFO community as a witty social commentator who archived history.

 The book itself is a well written book, an entertaining read. It’s certainly not a manual like some books dedicated to various phenomena.  I feel that James Moseley, also known as the Clown Prince of UFOlogy, must have known that UFOlogy needed humor to attract a wider audience. It needed its court jester. After all, there’s a lot of head butting going on between skeptics, hardcore believers, and the government in this community. And sometimes UFOlogy can be hard to swallow, thanks to challenging concepts such as the ancient astronaut theory.

For me, he adds a sober view of UFOlogy, neither too skeptical nor blindly accepting of claims from contactees or even skeptics. He shaked his proverbial UFO colander and shifted through the claims to filter out lies and get to the truth.  Or what he considered to be the truth based on what he considered to be tangible evidence. Perhaps this is what drove people towards his publications.  Or perhaps it was the great amount of controversy he concocted. Everyone loves drama.

Background

James W. Moseley was born on August 4^th 1931 and died on November 16, 2012. His father was the notorious Major General George Van Horn Moseley and his mother was Florence Barber, heiress to the New York City Barber Steamship Lines fortune.  His relatively long life saw him at the advent of modern UFOlogy with Kenneth Arnold, the first person to report a UFO sighting on June 24, 1947, to November 16, 2012. I can’t help thinking how ironic it is that he died before December 21^st. He would, undoubtedly, have had something witty to say about the Mayan predictions that failed to come true.

Woseley had a very rebellious relationship with his autocratic father throughout his life.  He quit Princeton after just two years, pursued real-estate deals, antiquarian pursuits, and inevitably UFOlogy and gonzo journalism all as means to rebel against him.  

It is unknown what his relationship with his mother was like. What is known is that his mother died when he was only 19 years old and left him a million dollar fortune. This allowed him to finance his own UFOlogical pursuits such as grave-robbing for Inca pottery and gold in Peru, founding his National UFO Conference  (NUFOC -an unofficial, giant party), and founding Saucer News. In fact, he used UFOlogy as an excuse to party and he never had a real job in his life. Many people were suspicious of this and claimed that he must have been a government silencer and had paychecks cut to him on a regular basis by the CIA. But that was not the case.

Memories from His UFOlogical Colleagues/Friends

His friends share some of their memories of their beloved UFOlogist in this portion of the book. A singular man, he met most of them at his National UFO Conferences, partied with many of them in New York City, and had most of them over as guests at his Key West apartment. So I won’t bore you with those details.

The photo taken by Tim Beckley of the man-in-black

Man-in-Black

Editor/contributor Tim Beckley remembers the time when the assistant editor at Saucer News, Jack Robinson, had a possible run in with a man-in-black. Things were a little weird that day because Robinson had trouble with his phone and files were missing. Even more eerie was the mysterious man across the street in a black suit (with a long, black trench coat), black hat, and black sunglasses-the men-in-black uniform. Since everyone knew everybody in the neighborhood, the man stuck out like a sore thumb. Moseley and Beckley hid out in a car and took a photo of the nefarious stranger who was gone before they had a chance to confront him. Moseley, of course, was skeptical and thought that it could have been a pall bearer or gangster. But as Beckley pointed out, a funeral home was miles away and a gangster in that quite neighborhood was inconceivable. The picture Beckley took is the only one in existence of a man-in-black, if it is indeed a man-in-black. And he actually discusses this encounter in an episode of UFO Hunters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y29mF2aGQGI.

James Moseley's partner in crime Grey Barker

The Straith Letter

Beckley remembers James Moseley as being very skeptical of the infamous contactee George Adamski who claimed to have been in contact with Venusians…so he outted him in Saucer News. On a wildly mischievous day in 1957, he and his pal Grey Barker (with whom he was having a pretend feud in order to drive up viewership for their publications), decided to step it up a notch and forge a government letter from the Cultural Exchange Committee confirming Adamski’s experiences (which supposedly took him to planet Venus and back). They laughed as George Adamski touted this letter for years as confirmation that, indeed, he was telling the truth about his extraterrestrial experiences. Perhaps the lack of a date should have given the hoax away, but Professor Adamski didn’t notice it. When Grey Barker died in 1984, Moseley finally admitted that he concocted the hoax and lost a lot of readers because they were supporters of Adamski. This amusing letter can be found in the book.

Gossip Monger

Every good journalist is also a good gossip monger, and Antonio Huneeus remembers Moseley this way. Moseley used to frequent bars to collect UFO gossip which he included in his controversial and infamous newsletter, Saucer Smears. Saucer Smears, says Huneeus, was the only UFO publication that didn’t concentrate on UFO news. Instead, it concentrated on gossip about the personality of UFOlogists. Appearances in the publications weren’t “technically” scheduled and there was no cost to appear in it, but guests made “love offerings” anyway. According to Huneeus, he could gossip till the day he died-he enjoyed making fun of people.

Moseley poking fun of Phillip Klass's Explanations

The Voltaire of UFOlogy

It is well known throughout the UFO community that Moseley was a witty trouble maker who was skeptical and dismissive of contactees and their experiences. Because of this, Hunneus remembers that many people dismissed him as a skeptic, though he was equally as skeptical of debunkers. Moseley’s dismissive wit and biting sarcasm earned him the reputation of being the Voltaire of UFOlogy. Voltaire, the 18^th century Philosopher who wrote Candid, used to mock the establishment and people of his time. His comments, unfortunately, got him thrown out of many countries.