New Trickster Realm Article: Bigfoot Fever and the Skeptics

My new Trickster's Realm for Binnall of America is now up. This one's on the twenty -seven bigfoot threads on the JREF.

Steve Bass: "Is Bigfoot An Alien?"

The Bigfoot UFO/alien connection is a controversial topic. I'm always glad to come across articles that discuss this idea. Bass wonders if Bigfoot isn't an alien, in his piece on American Chronicle: Is Bigfoot an Alien? Other writers wonder if Bigfoot isn't a fairy of some type, like Patrick Harupur. Lisa Shiel, of course, writes about Bigfoot as a paranormal creature. I've written some articles on this topic as well; Bigfoot and High Strangeness for one.

Here's something I liked on Bass's article:

The National Institute for Discovery Sciences, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, conducts ongoing research at several locations in the United States, one in Utah that is referred to as the Skinwalker Ranch. Dr. Colm Kelleher, PhD, a biochemist and molecular biologist, was one of the lead researchers at this location. In his book Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah, he reports that numerous anomalies have been recorded at the ranch. These included visits to the area by numerous types of UFO-like and Extraterrestrial phenomena, such as lights in the sky that alternately flew through the sky and hovered, giving the impression of intelligent control and operating much like an aerial surveillance and observation platform, as well as actual sightings of saucer-like craft and entities. Sightings of a creature closely resembling the Sasquatch was also observed and monitored at the ranch. Both Extraterrestrials and the Sasquatch were observed appearing through portals in the air. Witnesses have reported that they have sometimes had glimpses through the portals of landscapes different than that in which the witness stood, appearing almost alien in origin. These anomalies have been recorded extensively by research scientists.

Giant Squid Inside Building!

I love this! French artists created this; you can read more about it here.

Two Chupacabras

Tonight's Monster Quest was about Chupacabra. One thing I've noticed about MQ is that they avoid the darker side of things, or maybe conspiratorial side of things is a better way of putting it. What I mean is, when I first heard of Chupacabra in Puerto Rico ten years ago or so, I was on it! I was fascinated by the stories; and I kept returning to one possible explanation for Chupie sightings: some Dr. Evil experiment gone horribly awry. We're getting into some odd territory here, but there are American military and government bases there that are very secretive, a history of high strangeness and UFOs. The Chupacabra activity just came up from nowhere; suddenly, there they were. (Not quite actually; there is a history of goat sucker and vampire type beings in the folklore of the region.)


I remember seeing this image just about ten years ago. It was one of the first available on-line of the Chupacabra; the story I read that accompanied this image was that a school custodian found it and photographed it. I don't remember if that was in the U.S. or not; though I think it was, an L.A. school. This screams "fake" very loudly; but it is interesting that it looks a bit like the Texas chupies.

The Chupacabra stories "jumped" from Puerto Rico after a couple of years to Florida, and Mexico, . . . I remember years ago hearing Art Bell say there was a case in Oregon! No matter where the Chupacarbra attacks occur ed -- Florida, Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc. -- the description of the being stayed the same. And the description made sense, given the types of attacks. A strong being, bi-pedal, that could leap or jump quite high, seemed to have speed, luminous eyes (ethier because it seemed to be nocturnal, or the red glowing eyes are an added bonus to the overall Fortean high strangeness of the creature), these seemed to match the kind of creature that could be capable of desanguinating the poor victims. Strong, fast, lithe.


This image has been around for some time as well. The reports from Puerto Rico ten years ago say the creature looked like this.

Roughly eight years later, stories of Chupacabra started to come from Texas. But what's strange is that the description of this so-called Chupacabra differs quite a bit from the "original," -- yet the animal deaths caused by this Texas creature appear to be the same as teh ones in Puerto Rico, etc.

Well, MQ found that the Texas Chupie seems to be a dog/coyote/possibly wolf hybrid. With mange. Maybe. But what's strange is that it isn't just one creature like this, but a few, and from different areas. The fangs are strange as well. It doesn't add up, but there it is.

With the Texas Chupies, it could be that the hybrids, because they're hybrids, contaminated each other with mange, or . . .I"m just speculations. More like thinking aloud here, since I'm no wildlife expert and really don't know. What we do know is they exist; and, the animals they killed were killed in a weird enough way that only raises more questions. The fact that these UADS parallel the earlier Chupacabra deaths just adds to the mystery. It isn't enough to say the Texas creatures are "just" canine hybrids of some kind, which seems to be the case, for there are added elements of high strangeness that makes this a Fortean mystery.


The Texas chupacabra. Image from:maryvisbal.blogspot.com
/2007_12_01_archive.html

It could be that these Texas canines have nothing to do iwth the deaths at all; and the 'real" Chupacabra remains hidden.

So, is the Texas "chupie" the Chupacabra? It doesn't seem like it, yet the fact the victims seem to have been killed in the same way is curious.

New BF Thread on JREF: Bigfoot Body in Georgia!

Okay, as pompous and full of myself as this sounds, I wouldn't be surprised if a few skeptibunkies at JREF are intentionally putting up BF threads over there just to see if I'll play. Who knows, who cares, here's their latest:

Bigfoot Body in Georgia! This makes 26, no, 27 I think, threads over there!

Trixie Belden and Bigfoot

I found this while searching for something else: a Trixie Belden story titled Trixie Belden A Sasquatch Mystery. I've never read it; I really wasn't a Trixie fan, much more of a Nancy Drew kid. I wonder how it turns out? Probably that the Sasquatch was really a man in a suit to scare off the city folk or something.

26 Bigfoot Threads on the JREF

Yet another new one! I know, at this point it's possible that they're on to me and are just trolling and getting these threads up on purpose. Wouldn't put it past them. Then again, they are an obsessed bunch! Still, it's fun.

Check menu on right for all 26 links.
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
This new one:
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=119109

New! Bigfoot Thread on JREF!

This is too good! Yet another and new Bigfoot thread on JREF! The new one is called "Is Bigfoot an Alien?" This makes twenty-five threads on the James Randi Forum about Bigfoot!

Check menu on right for list and links.

New! Bigfoot Thread on JREF

This latest thread on the JREf is tilted "Bigfoot Audio Scam?" which brings the count up to 24, I think. Wowza. (Check menu on the right for list of links.)

Update to Running JREF Bigfoot Threads

The newest thread on Bigfoot from JREF is from a little over a week ago: Fox News and Bigfoot. Check the menu on your right under heading "JREF Bigfoot Threads." I think this makes 21, 22 maybe, thread on how BF doesn't exist.

The Daily Grail Interviews Nick Redfern

New interview with Nick Redfern at The Daily Grail.

Not only does he have a new book out; There's Something in the Woods, but this is what he says about his new book on UFOs, due out next year:

I’m doing at least one more UFO book – a very controversial one due to be published next year that may actually unsettle a lot of people –

What, Body Snatchers wasn't controversial enough? Looking forward to that one!

Biscardi and Other Non-Lights

The Blogsquatcher has a post about Biscardi and like minded so-called Bigfoot researchers who are doing BF research a disservice. We are not well served by many of the "leading lights" of bigfootery discusses Steve Kulls thoughts on Biscardi. I don't think genuine Sasquatch researchers consider Biscardi a "leading light" but unfortunately, the media does; they love stuff like this, and that's what the public gets to see. It becomes a meme; the skeptics jump all over it; and, like the Wallace faked footprints and the ridiculous "bigfoot is dead" nonsense that came out of that in the media, it becomes a part of the mainstream's ideas about Bigfoot. (I really had someone, who knew of my interests in Bigfoot, say to me when Wallace died "So did you hear they found out what Bigfoot was?")

When it comes to UFOs and the circus like atmosphere that's one aspect of UFOlogy, I don't get so irritated about this kind of thing. It's an innate part of the phenomena, I always say. When it comes to Bigfoot research, it bothers me a bit more. It's not because I think BF is strictly "flesh and blood," because I don't. And since, believing that, there's a paranormal Trickster aspect to Bigfoot, the Biscardi's and other fools shouldn't be surprising. Maybe it's simply a matter of chauvinism; Bigfoot is closer to us than aliens. Of course, we don't know that either. Another reason is the attitude, and actions, the disregard, for nature, the environment, and the locals in areas by these clowns. The same thing could be said of, say, the Contactees, for example, who gravitated to Giant Rock in California, but I don't see it the same. For the most part, no matter how misguided one may think abductees UFO witnesses, and Contactees were, or are, they were genuine seekers.

I feel the same about ghosthunters (the very term ghost "hunters" bothers me) who lug tons of equipment around, clanging about, shouting at ghosts to reveal themselves or else and waving religious items, usually crosses, in their misty faces.

Maybe it's just a case of manners and intent.

New BF Thread On JREF: "Did The Skeptics Kill Bigfoot?"

This makes 19, or maybe 20, threads on the James Randi forum (JREF) about Bigfoot. This time they think the perceived lack of Bigfoot interest and reports is due to their hard work in skepticism. Oy.