FLASHBACK: In early 2001 I was actively promoting the then upcoming 38th Annual National UFO Conference that I was Hosting and Organizing for a 3 day / 3 night ParaUfological Extravaganza here in Austin at the Original Alamo Drafthouse cinema. It was “The Best UFO Conference nEver!” … it was canceled due to the terrible events of September 11th.

The following article appeared in the 12th issue of Austin Daze - a very Austin publication that has thrived ever since. I don’t recall the author’s name, the article credits him only as “D”… but we met in his East Austin abode and discussed all manner of strange subject matter. His excellent stream of consciousness, gonzo-style approach to his writing was mirrored in the funkiness and fun of our actual meeting. I wonder what he’s been up to since …

So now, presented here for archival purposes, is the text, cover and a PDF of the Austin Daze issue featuring pre-NUFOC event coverage.

- SMiles Lewis

Austin Daze Volume #2, Issue #12 - September 2001 -   pdf

It was late and I was anxious to get home. The day had been rough, and I was looking forward to a hot dinner, a cold brew, a lukewarm shower… and maybe, if I played my cards right, a clandestine midnight romp, a hairdresser with blue eyes and sturdy hips and a taste for decadence. I goose the truck along and curse the length of the road and bop to ‘jamming oldies’, whatever that is.

The Toyota stalls out and rolls to a stop smack dab in the middle of a railroad crossing. Wonderful. Dinner and suds and cleanliness are suddenly a long shot, and the odds on snatch are totally off the board at this point. Then the lightshow commences and the bells start clanging and big pieces of wood with orange stripes begin to descend towards my ride.

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UFOlogy 101 with Mike DeGroff and SMiles Lewis

Tuesday, November 27th - Austin History Center

Explore the fascinating world of UFOs, Close Encounters and Strange Entities through a dazzling array of historic imagery; from ancient cave art, to classical paintings on to the modern era of digital photography and fakery. How do scientific groups like Austin’s Mutual UFO Network and Anomaly Archives investigate these mysterious encounter events? Come join the exploration and discussion of these fascinating topics being presented by Austin MUFON and the Anomaly Archives lending library. This IONS-SAI lecture will be at 6:30 PM at the Austin History Center, 9th and Guadalupe, Austin, Texas. Admission is free. For more information call 512-258-9878.

Mike DeGroff is the current State Section Director for the Travis and Williamson County Chapters of MUFON.

SMiles Lewis is a past leader of Austin MUFON and the Austin UFO Experiencer Support and Study Group and founder of the Scientific Anomaly Institute’s lending library, the Anomaly Archives.

www.AustinMufon.org / www.AnomalyArchives.org