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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!

< * * * >

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.



Seth,
telnet://ricksbbs.synchro.net:23
http://ricksbbs.synchro.net:8080
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