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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Bigfoot, the BFRO, Finding Bigfoot, and a look at the evidence.

 Hey kiddos, the Skeptical Okie is back with what I hope is a decent post.  Finally starting to settle back into a regular work schedule, so hopefully I'll be able to start putting these out in a more timely manner.  I noticed that I tend to average about 2 posts a month, and hopefully I'll be able to get up to at least one a week.  And as I am at nearly 1500 views on the blog, I think it is time to celebrate.  So time to do a topic that I have always been fascinated and entertained by.   But first, just so you know, one of the reasons that it does take so long in between posts is mostly due to research, and the nausea and headaches that go along with it when you read some of the things that are involved with these topics.  I hope that you folks are enjoying my little attempts to promote rational thought in the general community.  If you do, or if you have suggestions for improvements, let me know in the comments section, or contact me at skepticalokie@gmail.com .

This week, I'll be revisiting my discussion of the Bigfoot community, Bigfoot in general, and the show "Finding Bigfoot".  I will admit my previous post was rather sub-par  but I do have a defense, namely physical pain combined with minor case of insomnia.  But I feel that I owe it to anyone that enjoys the blog to  make the article as thorough and enjoyable as I can. The other reason I am re-visiting this topic is that the "Finding Bigfoot" crew was only a few miles from my house doing an investigation ( and yes, I do use the term loosely) in a place that I know very well.  No, I didn't interfere with them, though it would have been tempting to do so.  It is a longer than usual article, so I would suggest not trying to read it at work or while watching small children.  I would also recommend having food and water nearby.

Before I really jump into the topic, let me just say that while I find it highly improbable that Bigfoot does exist, I am open to the possibility   If someone actually produces a body or living creature, then I'll be there saying "Damn, they're real."  Given the fact that you can not disprove a negative, then it will remain an open debate until either one walks into a Starbucks and orders a half caff double hazelnut espresso, or until there are no hiding places on the continent, whichever comes first.

Some of you may be saying "How is this guy any different from all the other skeptics out there that have given lectures and written books about Bigfoot and other mysterious monsters?"  The major way I differ from many of the others that discuss unknown creatures in forums such as this, is that  I have spent a large part of my life in the woods and countryside stalking everything from small birds and herbivorous mammals to the large predators.  I have tracked wolves and coyotes through mud, snow, grass, open fields, and woodland. I have tracked animals from kill sites back to their hiding areas or dens.  In my current occupations, I have had to determine what animal has made what track, what occurred  and deduce why.  I have even had to track emus that had been running loose long enough to have raised a clutch of chicks.(Not a fun day.)  I have also had to investigate a Bigfoot running through a trailer park. (It was actually a large naked man on some illicit substance. Try seeing that and not needing brain bleach.)  I am not, and I will emphasize this several times, a wildlife biologist, ecologist, botanist  or any other "ist".  I am simply a man with well over 20 years experience tracking and finding, and identifying animals and an ability to think logically.

Big foot is...?
Sorry, wrong picture :)

From the Patterson-Gimlin film
 First off, exactly what the hell is a Bigfoot?  Basically, it is supposed to be a large, hairy, humanoid creature.  According to the BFRO website, they range from about 3 feet tall to over 10 feet.  According to ourbigfoot.com, they weigh between 600-900 pounds, which is the weights I often hear.  The hair color (and the BFRO (This group would be the Bigfoot Field Research Organization.   You can find their website at http://bfro.net/  ) emphasizes hair, not fur, due to a lack of  guard hairs) ranges in color from black to brown to gray or white.  They are also supposed to be human in appearance  with the head being proportionally smaller in size and the arms longer than they would be in a human.  They are, depending on the reports you go off of, either purely animal in intelligence or else nearly human.  They are supposed to live in forested areas, and like most animals, live near access to water and food.  Some experts (and no, I'm not using the sarcastic quote marks.  I'm afraid I'll wear the key out on my computer.) claim Bigfoot is an herbivore (plant eater).  Others claim they are either omnivores (once again on the BFRO site) or carnivores.  As far as I have been able to find, there is only 1 purely carnivorous primate, the tarsier, which is a kinda cute little guy.

Not quite a Bigfoot.

Alias's
The Bigfoot has quite a few alias's that it goes by.  Some of the ones in North America are :Sasquatch, Bigfoot, Skunk-Ape, Boggy Monster, Hairy Man, and about a hundred other names.  Part of the reason for all these names, and this is just my hypothesis, is that cryptozoologists go through the local native stories, and any that mention a wild man, or a large hairy creature get added to the plethora of names in an attempt to demonstrate that the creatures have been around for centuries, not just since the Patterson-Gimlin film.

History
The history of the Bigfoot is a little unclear. There are numerous legends from Native American tribes that describe wild men or hairy men, but they also have stories that have talking foxes, ravens, and bears.  There is some similarities to Bigfoot, but the same similarities could also be applied to other known creatures.  Some of the languages that the stories originated in are no longer spoken, so it is unknown if there may be additions or omissions made in the translation that were made to make it easier for the English speaking audience to understand.  Remember, these were oral traditions passed down from one generation to the next, so there may have been additions made with every telling, similar to the game "telephone".   According to monstrous.com , one of the earliest reported sightings of Bigfoot was in 986 C.E. by Lief Erikson (yes, the Viking) and the first printed was in a California newspaper in 1870.  According to Wikipedia, in the 1920's, a Canadian newspaperman named J.W. Burns compiled a bunch of legends from the local native tribes that described what he believed was a single type of animal.  He was also the one that coined the phrase Sasquatch.  There have been reported sightings of Bigfoot over the years, starting in the early 1920's.  And yes, to the international readers, I know I'm not addressing the stories of the Yeti or other humanoid creatures in other countries.  Mostly due to the fact that I am trying to keep my posts on a more singular topic and if I were to discuss all the humanoid stories, it would be too long to read comfortably in a single sitting.  Back to the matter at hand.  In 1924, there was a reported Bigfoot attack on a mining camp in Washington state at a place called Ape Canyon.  The sightings were few and far between until about 1958 at Bluff Creek, California.  The gist of the story is that they were building a road through the area, and they discovered some large foot prints.  The story grew from there and began the entire cottage industry of "Bigfooting"  In fact, this incident is the one that gave the creature the name Bigfoot. One problem with this episode is that the crew chief, Ray Wallace, was known to play practical jokes, and after his death in 2002, his family produced a pair of wooden "stompers" that may have been used to create the tracks.  These are essentially large wooden bottom shoes with a mold of a footprint on the bottom, instead of shoe treads.  I say may have, because unless the the person actually comes forward and admits and demonstrates that they did do it, then it is all supposition.  (While doing the research for this piece of information, I ran into a very interesting problem.  The pro-Bigfoot sites state that the stompers couldn't make the tracks and that the family is trying to discredit Mr. Wallace and even offer their own proof as to why.  Cryptomundo claims to have a letter from the nephew of someone that was involved in the case, and that they had info that the public hadn't read.   I did look through Cryptomundo for research.  I think I should get some kind of award for that alone.  The sites that mention this fact that are not crypto sites, simply mention it, state it appears it was a hoax, and that's the end of it.) After the Bluff Creek incident, there are a few quiet years and then it happened.  Yep, the Patterson-Gimlin film.  I'm not going to write much about it, mostly because there have been t.v. specials, books, and podcasts about just this topic alone.  In the off chance that you don't know what it is, I have no idea where you've been for the last 40 years.  You may not know the name of it, but odds are you've seen it.  It is a shaky 8mm film of ...something walking along a river bank.  You can watch it on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Us6jo8bl2lk .  Granted, it's a typical Youtube video, but finding a copy of the original proved to be rather problematic, with a lot of dead links, or video has been removed messages.  People have been trying to debunk it pretty much since it was first shown.  This one film has had almost as much analysis done as the J.F.K. assassination video.  Since then, the number of Bigfoot sightings have been on an increase.  I imagine that since "Finding Bigfoot" began airing, the number of sightings have increased even more.


Territory
I do have some graphics and maps, but after 2 months of digging through the interwebs, either my Google-Fu has failed me, or the map I was wanting really doesn't exist. I was able to find one that does come close, though. If you would look at the  following map,it shows the general territories of the 5 North American Bear species, The Grizzly, Brown, Black, Kodiak, and Polar, (and remember the colors given that Bigfoots come in)  as well as other bear species across the world.
 
General Bear Territory
One problem I have with the first map is that it seems to ignore some of the black bear populations in the U.S, such as those in Florida.   This territory looks like this:


Now if you would compare those maps to this:


Bigfoot Sightings




Notice a resemblance?  I'm not saying that every sighting is a mistaken bear.  But given how much overlap there is, there is a high probability that many of them are.  In fact, I did find a study that uses bear populations to predict Bigfoot sightings.  You can read the study here .  It does appear that they are hypothesizing that many of the sightings are possibly cases of mis-identification.  As I stated at the beginning, the experts state that they prefer wooded areas, with access to clean water and food.  I know that the maps do not show the exact same areas, but you do need to consider 2 facts.  The first is that I have never stated that every single sightings was actually a bear.  Some could be other people, or large mammals seen at strange angles or difficult light conditions.   Secondly, animals are mobile, they do move around, especially when looking for food, their own territory, and mates, which I know that the same argument can be made for Bigfoot.  


Diet, habits, and other info
If you've seen any show on Bigfoots, then you've have probably heard them discuss the diets or habits of the creatures.  What I want to know is, How the hell do they know this?  I can understand making assumptions on say a T. Rex, or a giant squid.  These assumptions can be based on looking at and analyzing either live specimens or their remains.  They can look at an animals teeth and reasonably come to the conclusion that it was a meat eater, plant eater, or omnivore.  Or they can compare it to similar known animals and unless there are major differences in structure, assume the diet is similar.  They can also look at it's fecal matter, known as scat, (and no I don't mean the musical style) to determine the major type of material that has been consumed.  They can watch the animal to learn their habits and nature.  I do not know the exact process that paleontologists use to determine everything about fossils, but I can assume it is relatively the same thing.  But with these animals, they at least having either living descendants or adequate fossil remains to observe.  With the Bigfoot, so far, there have been no long term or comparative observations made.  So most Bigfooters make assumptions regarding Bigfoots nature using information from witnesses.  Going off of the most common beliefs concerning Bigfoot,  they appear to mostly be omnivorous, eating everything from roots and berries to killing and eating deer.  According to Matt Moneymaker and his crew from the BFRO, coyotes and wolves are a good indicator that there are Bigfoot in the area because apparently, they all hunt the same prey animals.  (By the way, coyotes eat mice and other small animals more often than they eat large animals)  Appropriately for a cryptid, they are elusive and avoid making contact with humans, though given the number of reports, they aren't really good at hide and seek.  As I stated earlier, they appear to prefer heavily wooded areas, with access to water and hiding places.  On the show "Finding Bigfoot", they have come upon structures made out of sticks, and Bobo has often proclaimed  "A Squatch made this".  Thing is, they normally find these in areas that are known to the locals as either hunting or camping areas.  I've made several of these, which are called lean-tos or blinds, when I've been caught out close to dark and it looked like it was going to rain or when I was trying to avoid detection by the animal I was attempting to observe.  I don't always take them down when I'm done, and several weeks or even a year later when I return, they are often still intact.  I know that this section has probably been the worst, but it is also one of the hardest to research and put into a cohesive form, mostly because there are so many differing descriptions on the creatures nature and there is no hard evidence to support any of them.

Bigfoot Theories
 There are numerous theories concerning the origins of Bigfoot out there.  Some of them are pretty out there. The most commonly accepted one is that they are the descendants of an offshoot of the homo genus or they are surviving members of  gigantopithecus,  an extinct giant ape.  Another one I've seen recently is that they are either aliens, escaped alien pets, escaped alien experiments, failed alien bio-weapons, or Earth is a penal colony, and Bigfoot are the inmates. There are so many sites stating this that it would be relatively impossible to list them all.  The funniest one I've heard is that Bigfoot are aliens capable of phasing in and out of this plane of reality, and this is why we have never found a corpse.  I believe these would be cases of special pleading.  When skeptics ask a believer why haven't we ever stumbled on a dead Bigfoot, they claim a body doesn't last long in the wild or that we never find bear skeletons.  Granted, a body will either decompose or be torn apart by scavengers pretty quickly, but there will still be signs that it existed.  A small fragment of hair or bone, feces, a partial or sometimes intact skeleton.  So far, there has been no conclusive evidence of a Bigfoot in these regards.  They will also claim that Bigfoot bury their dead.  Once again, this would leave obvious signs.  Even if they buried them under a stone cairn, the odor of decomposition would be evident, let alone the obvious signs of stones being gathered and stacked.  A grave site is normally fairly obvious, especially one out in the middle of the woods.  If the creatures have an animal intelligence, why would they bother to bury their dead?  If they have near human intelligence, where are the signs of burial?  We can still find evidence of burial sites for the native tribes in America from hundreds of years ago.

How many would it take?
A common question that the skeptics ask the believers is "How many Bigfoot are there?"  In order to maintain a healthy population, without having to resort to inbreeding, and given the wide territory that that are supposed to cover, there would, by necessity, have to be a large number of the creatures roaming all over the country.  According to the BFRO website, their estimates are between 2000-6000 creatures, and they claim this is above the minimum threshold.  The minimum viable population threshold is the point of no return for a species.  According to Wikipedia, if you ignore inbreeding problems, then 500-1000 animals would ensure their survival.  If you take into account the problems associated with inbreeding (and please, no redneck jokes, I'll make those) then the numbers dramatically increase.  According to the same article the median population size would be 4, 169, with no conservation efforts.  And remember, these animals would need to be in relatively close proximity to each other in order to maintain a breeding relationship.  Now, given the number of sightings every year, the wide spread locations, and the numbers needed, if they do exist, then they are either highly migratory, almost nomadic, or highly inbred, if there are not a large number of the creatures.  A major issue with a highly inbred population is that any genetic problems will be amplified because they will not be bred out of the species.  Believers will often cite the rarity of Bigfoot for the reason they haven't been spotted more often by the general public.  The thing is, there are numerous animals with incredibly small populations that we are still able to find on a regular basis.  Aniamlinfo.org has a list of about 36 mammals that have fewer than 1000 individuals remaining.  Some of them are fairly small in dense forest, while others live in aquatic environments.  in both cases, they are difficult to find, but researchers are still able to observe and study them.  Their list is:





  • Baiji (Yangtze River Dolphin)(*P)- ... maybe no more than a few tens of individuals...(Reeves et al. 2003)
  • Vancouver Island Marmot(*P)- ...29...(Vanc. Is. Marm. Recov. Found.2005) 
  • Seychelles Sheath-tailed Bat(*P)- ...50 - 100 individuals...(IUCN 2004)
  • Javan Rhino(*P)- ...about 60...(Intl. Rhino Found. 2005)
  • Hispid Hare (Assam Rabbit)(*P)- ...110...(Kavitha 2001)
  • Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat(*P)- ...113...(Queensland Parks Wildl. Serv. 2003)  
  • Tamaraw (Dwarf Water Buffalo)(*P)- ...the total population is thought to be about 30 - 200...(IUCN 2003a)
  • Iberian Lynx(*P)- ...As few as 120...(FFI Update 2006) 
  • Red Wolf(*P)- ...less than 150 (re-introduced) ...(IUCN 2004)
  • Dwarf Blue Sheep(*P)- ...approximately 200...(Wang et al. 2000)
  • Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey(*P)- ...fewer than 250 individuals...(IUCN 2003a)
  • Kouprey (Cambodian Forest Ox)(*P)- ...generally assumed to be less than 250...(IUCN 2003a)
  • Riverine Rabbit(*P)- ...About 250 adults...(Flux 2005)
  • Malabar Large Spotted Civet(*P)- ...fewer than 250 mature individuals are thought to survive...(Nowak 1999)
  • Saola (Vu Quang Ox)(*P)- ...estimated at less than 250 mature individuals...(IUCN 2006) 
  • Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey(*P)- ...less than 300...(IUCN 2003a)
  • Sumatran Rhino(*P)- ...about 300...(Intl. Rhino Found. 2005)
  • Northern Muriqui- ...less than 300...(IUCN 2003a)
  • Visayan Spotted Deer(*P)- ...a few hundred...(Heaney and Regalado 1998)
  • Hirola (Hunter's Hartebeest)(*P)- ...by 1995 numbers were down to 300...(Kingdon 1997)
  • Addax(*P)- ...may not exceed a few hundred individuals...(Mallon & Kingswood 2001)
  • North Atlantic Right Whale(*P)- ...around 350...(Focus 2004a)  
  • Black-faced Lion Tamarin(*P)- ...as few as 400...(Natl. Zoo Cons. Sci. 2004)
  • Ethiopian Wolf(*P)- ...at least 442...(Sillero-Zubiri & Marino 2004)  
  • Black-footed Ferret(*P)- ...about 500 in the wild...(Focus 2005a) 
  • African Wild Ass(*P)- ...less than 570...(Moehlman 2002a)
  • Vaquita(*P)- ...less than 600...(Oryx 2004d) 
  • Arabian Oryx(*P)- ...Approximately 886 (re-introduced)...(IUCN 2004) 
  • Mediterranean Monk Seal(*P)- ...an estimated 500 individuals...(Karamanlidis et al. 2004)
  • Bactrian Camel(*P)- ...approximately 950...(IUCN 2003a)  
  • Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur(*P)- ...estimated to number between 100 - 1000...(IUCN 2002)
  • Southern Muriqui (Woolly Spider Monkey)(*P)- ...does not exceed 1000...(IUCN 2003a)
  • Golden Bamboo Lemur(*P)- ...about 1000 individuals...(IUCN 2002)
  • Golden-rumped Lion Tamarin(*P)- ...1000...(Natl. Zoo Cons. Sci. 2004)
  • Greater Bamboo Lemur(*P)- ...1000 individuals...(IUCN 2003a)
  • Indus River Dolphin(*P)- ...At least 1000...(Focus/WWF 2001)


  • Read more:http://www.animalinfo.org/rarest.htm#ixzz2K1t9WxI2

    And this brings to mind a question that I have never heard put to the believers.  How is it no Bigfoot has ever been seen fleeing from a wildfire or been found in the aftermath?  How come they don't start appearing during a drought?  We have film of animals running from a forest during fires, and we find their bodies in the burnt out sections.  During the drought here in Oklahoma, people were surprised to see large numbers of black bears suddenly start showing up everywhere looking for water.  Severe ecological disasters normally cause animals to come out of hiding out of desperation to survive.  Yet during all the California wildfires, no known Bigfoot remains have been found, and no Bigfoot has walked into someones backyard to drink from their swimming pool.

    Bigfoot Hoaxes
    This is a rather confusing part of the Bigfoot story.  Depending on how you look at it, every sighting could be a hoax.  The ones that the Bigfoot community view as hoaxes are the one perpetuated against them.  There have been several notorious ones that come to mind in recent years.  The first is from August 2008 in Georgia.  This is the one where a couple of men had basically a frozen rubber ape suit in an ice chest, claiming it was real.  You can find this one everywhere.  Just Google frozen Bigfoot.  A tragic case is the man in Montana 4 years later in August 2012 that was wearing a ghillie suit trying to prank people.  Unfortunately, he was killed during this prank after being hit by 2 cars.  And the last one that immediately comes to mind can be viewed here.  This was done by Penn and Teller, kind of as a jab at Matt Moneymaker and the BFRO.

    Tracks
    If you've been a believer, or in the skeptical community, or even watched enough television, you seen someone holding up a plaster cast of a footprint.  A question that I've often had is, why is there normally only one or two prints, even along a river bed.  Also, how is it a track that is supposed to be several days old can leave a very distinct cast, complete with toe prints and lines, while one that is supposed to be relatively fresh will look like a clump of nothing.  How do they know it's not just a natural depression or a human walking barefoot through the woods on a nature hike?  I've done it quite often.  Tracks will be sharp and crisp for a short while if the conditions are right.  However, they quickly erode, loosing their features until they are indistinguishable from the rest of the terrain. Wind, rain, snow, other animals, even leaves moving across the surface will accelerate the process.

    D.N.A. evidence
    This has recently been in the news, and also n the "Finding  Bigfoot" show.  Today, on February 4th, 2012,  I found an article that they had tested a D.N.A. sample taken in Russia that turned out to belong to a North American Black Bear.  You can read the article here.  Then there is Dr. Melba Ketchum.  She claims to have sequenced Bigfoot D.N.A. from samples sent to her.  The article from Sci-tech Today can be found here.  There are a few issues with her claim.  I want to see how many you can find.  Leave your answers in the comments section, and we'll discuss them in a later article.  For a hint, listen to the Monster Talk Podcast "Ketchum if you can"

    Other possibilities for the evidence
    Some of the other evidence that has been presented are hair and blood samples, which fall under the D.N.A. category, but I thought I would take a minute and deliver some possible alternative ideas as to the origins.  There was one man that had set a board with nails on his cabins porch to deter anyone from ransacking the place.  When he returned to prep the cabin for use, he found hair, and I believe a bit of flesh attached to the board and nails.  Unfortunately, due to it being out in the weather for several months, the D.N.A. had been broken down to the point that it could no longer be tested.  The show made it sound like Bigfoot was there, but using Occams Razor, the most likely circumstance is that a bear walked up on the porch and stepped on the nails. Lately the BFRO folks have been presenting hair as proof.  they do this after a cursory visual inspection.  Once again, using Occams razor, which is more likely, a possibly mythical creature leaving a piece of hair behind, or a bear, bovine, or even a wild pig leaving hair behind.  For those that are unfamiliar with it, Occams Razor is a logic exercise that basically states when there are several competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.  It doesn't always work, but it is a good rule of thumb.

    "Finding Bigfoot" and the BFRO
    O.k., now for the cream of the crop in the Bigfoot movement, the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Research Organization) and the show "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet.  The BFRO is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 by a man named Matt Moneymaker that claims to use scientific methods to investigate Bigfoot reports.  (If you were going to run a non-profit, wouldn't you change your name from Moneymaker to something else?)  This is a group of believers that go out to investigate reported sightings of an unknown animal with the intention to prove that Bigfoot exists.  This is so horribly wrong when doing research in a scientific manner.  When doing scientific research, you don't go with the intention of definitively proving something exists.  The intention of research is to see if something does or doesn't exist.  Basically, you use science to answer a question, not reinforce your beliefs.  This means you shouldn't let any bias that you have influence the way you conduct your research.  Your results are your results, regardless of if they are the ones that you hoped they would be or not.  Granted, all people have a bias, but the scientific method, when properly applied, is designed to reduce the effect of these preconceived notions.  The show "Finding Bigfoot"  has a main cast of 4 people.  First and foremost is Matt Moneymaker, founder of the BFRO.  Second is James "Bobo" Fay, who seems to be a small, shaved Bigfoot himself.  His normal line is "If I like it, a Squatch will like it too."  He's also the only one that goes by a nickname.  Third is Cliff Barackman, the small guy with the goatee.  That's about all I have on him.   Finally, the token "skeptic" Ranae Holland, who is a research biologist.   

    Matt Moneymaker                     James "Bobo " Fay                       Cliff Barackman                      Ranae Holland
    In the show, these Bigfoot hunters go to various towns, talk to people that believe they have seen a Bigfoot, or had an experience with a creature they couldn't identify,  pick several of them for further investigation, go to the sighting location, attempt to recreate it, one of them camps out and looks for the creature either overnight or for several days, and they do a group overnight investigation, all the while showing their bias that Bigfoots exist.  O.K., let's break this down.  Step 1, Talk to witnesses.  This is fine.  You need information to begin your research, so find it.  Step 2, Pick witnesses to further investigate.  Somewhat correct but the way they choose the one to is slightly skewed.  Yes, you need to use the best evidence available, but to only use the ones that fit with an already formed hypothesis is called cherry-picking data.  Basically they are finding the information that fits their preconceived notions the best instead of looking at all the data.  They need to look at cases that have other possible explanations, which most do.  Step 3 Go to the location.  This one is rather hit and miss.  I've seen several times when Ranae and Matt have had very different opinions concerning the "evidence" and eventually Matt will tell Ranae that she has no idea what she's looking at, especially concerning tracks.  To be honest, I don't see it either, but given that I'm watching it on a television instead of actually being there, I can not make a definitive conclusion.  Step 4, Recreate the incident.  I'm actually fine with this.  This can give the investigators a better idea of what the witness might have seen.  The main problem I have is that someone invariably states something along the lines of  "You definitely saw a Bigfoot.  It can't be anything else."  Rarely is another hypothesis given.  But sometimes watching them do this is funny as hell.  Bobo normally plays the role of Bigfoot, mostly because he's the largest member of the quartet.  A problem with this is that witnesses are notoriously unreliable.  When someone is scared or caught off guard, what they think they see and what is actually there may be two different things.  Step 5, While further interviewing witnesses, 1 person camps out looking.  This one is borderline proper.  Yes, they are actually looking for evidence, but once again with the bias that the creature exists.  Lastly, they do a group investigation in a predetermined area that they feel will give them the best results.  In and of itself, this is fine.  The problem is their methodology, which deserves it's own section.  

    "Finding Bigfoot" methodology
    I will admit to watching the show on occasion.  Most of the time, it's just for background noise, and sometimes I use it as my own version of MST3K.  I do end up yelling at the screen an awful lot though.  What I'm going to discuss in this section is the methods used on the show "Finding Bigfoot" during their night investigations and explain how they might or might not work.
    Animal calls:  Each member of the team has various calls and screams that they do in order to either attract a Bigfoot, or to solicit a response.  Yes, this is used to attract animals such as deer and coyotes.  With the deer, you use a deer call, with predators, you use the call of a wounded prey animal.  The problem with using this method is, no one knows what a Bigfoot sounds like, or what their food sounds like.
    Damsel in distress:  Ranae goes out into the woods and pretends to be in trouble.  The theory is that a Bigfoot will be curious about a human female by herself, and will come and investigate.  The problem is that they are assuming the creature has either near human intelligence, or a poor survival instinct.  Or needs a date.
    Recorded children's voices: Once again, they make an assumption that the creature will be curious about humans and come and investigate.  Same problems as the damsel in distress.
    Sound Blasting:  This is where they take a high powered stereo and play various animal calls at a high volume.  The problem with this is that extremely loud sounds will normally drive any fauna in the immediate area away or into hiding.  Even large predators like cougars and wolves will flee from a loud sudden sound. 
    The Rave:  Exactly what it sounds like, a disco ball and loud music.  The problem is the same as sound blasting, and they seem to be making the assumption that Bigfoot are stoners.
    Loud campers:  A large group of people around a campfire, singing, playing music, joking and laughing.  The problems with this are that most wild animals will avoid a fire at all costs, unless they are nearly dieing of hunger and loud noises will drive them away.
    Running with torches while yelling: Yep, they go running through a forest at night with lit torches (and to the British readers, I don't mean an electric torch) yelling at the top of their lungs.  Once again, animals avoid fire and loud noises.  And forests are flammable.
    Children for bait:  They had a small troop of Girl Scouts out in the woods at night around a campfire.  the idea once again is that the creature would be curious about small kids, and I guess they combined it with the damsel in distress  method and childrens voices.  Again, fire = bad to animals, and loud noises aren't popular in the animal kingdom.
    Roman candles:  Bobo shot off some roman candle fireworks to attract a Bigfoot.  And again, loud noises, fire and animals don't mix.  And trees are flammable.  (Does the forest service need to put warning labels on all the trees?)
    Rabbit and glow sticks:  A rabbit in a cage surrounded by glow sticks.  I don't really have the foggiest what the hell they were thinking on this one.  Weird enough to work?  The problem is that while animals will investigate things that are out of the ordinary, they will do so at a distance, and be very alert to anything that might be a threat.
    Fireworks: Bobo sets off a bunch of black cat fireworks.  Urg.... everything is wrong on this one.  I'm beginning to thing he might just be a pyromaniac.  Or else just enjoys explosions.  But then again,who doesn't enjoy a nice evening in the great outdoors, trying to set it all ablaze?
    Normal Method:  Their preferred method of trying to find a Bigfoot is to split up into 2 groups, and travel in opposite directions.  They are wearing what looks like starlight cameras on large rigs attached to their bodies.  They also use infrared cameras, which are difficult to determine an exact species with.  All you can see are large blobs of various colors, based on body heat.  They also use 2 way radios for communication.  A major problem, at least the way the show portrays it, is that they spend a lot of time stomping through the area, and chatting back and forth on the radios.  They also do their calls and what they call wood knock.  They believe that Bigfoot communicate in part by hitting a tree with a branch, so they do the same to elicit a response.  I think this is just a way for them to work out some aggression.
    They've tried a couple of other things, but I think you've got the general idea of what they do and how they think. 
    Animal watcher: This is not a method I've seen them use on "Finding Bigfoot", but instead, it is the method I use, and most wildlife biologists that I know use.  First, gather your evidence and talk to witnesses.  Use this and environmental factors such as availability of food, water, and shelter to determine where the animal is likely to appear or travel.  Look for animal trails, which are normally used by several species. Then determine if any of the tracks belong to the species you are trying to observe.  Find an area that you can observe the site from without being seen, including putting up a blind, or even using a tree stand.  Anything to remove yourself from the animals line of sight.  Then you wait. And wait.  And sometimes wait some more.  It can take days or weeks of observation to finally see the animal.  Then you can take your notes, attempt to capture, or even take samples.

    The End???
    I know that the show is edited to make it fit into the time slot and to make it as entertaining as possible.  I also know that there are people out there that are looking for these creatures, and disprove their own ideas about its existence, but rarely do they make it on t.v.  It's not as entertaining for someone to do the actual research and at the end of the show say "Well, after all of our observations and tests were made, we have come to the conclusion that the animal Mr. and Mrs X saw ransacking their house last April has in fact turned out to be a small Grizzly Bear."  (Or maybe Bear Grylls?)  To me, the evidence for a large, hairy humanoid creature is pretty thin, unless you count some people I know.   As Carl Sagan stated "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".  Aside from some poorly shot pictures, some very shaky films, badly cast or questionable prints, and uncertain testimonies, there is little real evidence for such a creature alive today.  Given the number of animals needed to maintain a healthy breeding population, or even to maintain their numbers, the number of nature lovers, campers, and hikers, and the number of people with decent cameras in their phones, someone should have gotten a very clear picture, or even film, of one.  Take into account the number of people that hunt, or carry a firearm for protection and someone should have shot one by now, especially in Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana   Also, with the loss of available habitat, and encroachment by humans into the wilder parts of the country, someone should have found one, or at least the corpse of one that doesn't have a "Made in China" tag in it.  I think it would be amazing if one were to actually turn up, but I'm not going to buying tickets to see one at a zoo any time soon.

    I hope that you enjoyed the article as much as I enjoyed the research and writing of it.  Remember, you can leave a comment here on the blog, or email me at skepticalokie@gmail.com .  You can also find me on FaceBook at the Oklahoma Skeptics Society page.  I do try and post there as often as I can, so like us, and I'll keep you informed on all the goings on.  Now that the shameless plugs are out of the way, if you have any suggestions for future topics, or questions feel free to get in touch with me.  Thanks for reading, and remember, Be good, Be skeptical, and Be yourself.

    The Skeptical Okie



    Monday, January 21, 2013

    Gun control, Executive Orders and the second amendment

    Hello everybody!  How is everyone doing this week?  Normally I try and keep the mood light, and try and have some fun and hopefully make you laugh as you think.  Unfortunately, this topic is everywhere, and with the recent tragedies, there is no way to make light of it without coming across as a real dickhead.  Gun rights issues are fast becoming a sore topic across the country and all forms of media.  And the rest of the world is watching us to see what we do, and how we handle the issue.  I know that many other people who have a larger following, and more influence, have already spoken their piece on the topic, and that pro gun control is normally a Liberal issue, while anti gun control is a Conservative talking point.  I feel that I may offer a slightly different view point from either side, so I am going to attempt to write what I hope is a rational and thought-provoking article based on some of the statements that I have been hearing from people in the community.

    A little side note here.  Even before I actually decided to write on this topic, I knew it was a divisive one.  I did not truly understand how difficult a subject it is to research.  There are statistics everywhere, but as they say, they nice thing about statistics is that you can make them mean anything you want. Also, there has been very little research actually done on guns and gun violence.  Yes the actual hard numbers are there, but what lead to the shootings, how many were at multiple shootings at the same location, how many were done by people with mental health issues, how many were truly accidental, how many were with legally or illegally obtained weapons?  This is information we need to find out in order to make an informed decision.  Hopefully, with this subject no longer seeming to be taboo, we will be able to starting putting everything together to form the bigger picture that is so badly needed right now. -Skeptical Okie


    The 2nd Amendment Argument
    O.k., I know that gun control is a big issue in this country, and probably always will be.  There is no easy, or complete answer.  Full out ban is impossible, and registration is also nearly impossible, due to the number of guns that are already out there, locked away and forgotten in cellars, attics and storage buildings.  What we need to do is forget political affiliation, and actually sit down at the table and have a discussion concerning firearms.  Right now, all sides are using the tragedy at Sandy Hook for their own purposes, and making the deaths of more than 2 dozen human beings into a stepping stone for personal agendas.  I do not want to use anyones death as a soap box for my personal views on guns and gun violence.  And before anyone says "Oh another Liberal minded Skeptic/atheist skinny jeans wearing, soy latte sipping bastard that wants to take everyones guns away"  just so you know, I am probably in the minority of the skeptical and atheist community in that I do own guns, and I do hunt.  I do admit that guns are a large part of our culture and history in this country.  I feel that as long as owners are responsible, careful, and knowledgeable about their weapons that will help to minimize recent events. (and yes, all guns, unless made to be non-functional, are weapons, even antiques.) Unfortunately, many Americans have such a cavalier attitude towards guns, even going so far as to refer to them as "toys",  that they have no problem showing them off to acquaintances and even strangers, much like you do with a new watch. At my current job, which firearms are NOT allowed inside of the building unless you are a law enforcement officer, I have seen people show off Glocks, Smith & Wessons, Berretas, and other handguns, claiming that the Oklahoma open carry law allows them to take the weapon anywhere they want, even into government buildings that normally have young children inside and are posted "No Firearms Allowed".  Actually, the open carry law does give businesses the right to allow entry to anyone carrying a gun, and I can not think of any government building that allows anyone other than law officers to have firearms on the property.  These same people will also claim 2nd Amendment rights to carry their guns with them at all times.  These are often the same people that demand a literal interpretation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  The problem is that, for the most part, they have never actually read either one.  Neither version of the 2nd Amendment actually states that individuals have the right to carry a gun just because they want to.  There are at least 2 ratified versions that I was able to find.  They read as follows:

    As passed by the Congress:
    A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
    As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State:
    A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
    This is from Wikipedia. Notice that in the version that was passed by Congress, certain words are capitalized, whereas in the States version, no capitalization.  This can be interpreted in several ways.  One way is that the capitalization puts emphasis on those particular words, implying a more government backed militia and state (i.e. the country)  The second versions therefore would not have that same emphasis.  A second interpretation , and honestly more likely, is that because this was written before the era of cut and paste, there were copying errors.  But in either case, note the word "militia".  Basically, the 2nd Amendment was written to ensure that the people would have the means to defend the country, if they were needed.  This was also before we actually had a full time, professional standing army.  Remember that the army that won the Revolutionary War was made up of mostly farmers, businessmen, and outdoorsmen.  Very few had served in an army, or had any military training.  This was a provision to make sure that there were trained fighters for defense.  In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5 to 4 decision, made the interpretation  that the 2nd Amendment gave the right to own firearms to all citizens.  This is fine, and yes, I do support a persons right to own a firearm.  My problem is that a lot of the conservative, fundamentalist talking heads seem to think that people need to stock up on guns to protect the country....from itself.  They are nearly implying that before long, it is going to come down to firefights in the streets to defend your right to "Keep and Bear arms", which would be ironic to say the least.  This is a sticking point that is going to require people to grow the hell up, sit down, and actually work on the problem, instead of playground name calling and tantrums.

    Gun Control
    Also, just because it is called gun control, that doesn't mean that guns will be banned.  Gun control is just a generic phrase generally used concerning any and all legislation that deals with gun laws.  Gun control may be limiting the number of large caliber weapons, limiting the amount of ammunition able to be purchased at one time, or limiting the size of the magazines.  Unless you are planning on mounting an assault, or are a deer hunter that happens to be a terrible shot, these types of restrictions really shouldn't have much of an effect on most normal, honest gun owners.


    The Executive Orders
    In other politically charged and conspiracy fostering news, President Obama has recently signed 23 Executive Orders concerning guns.  People have been posting and saying that they will only allowing certain groups to own guns, the complete destruction of all guns, only certain styles or calibers will be legal, and basically a lot of other paranoid statements.  With about 30 seconds of searching, I have actually uncovered all 23 and I will now reveal them for the world to see!


    Pulling from Newsmax and Slate.com, they are as follows:

    1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background-check system.

    2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background-check system.

    3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background- check system.

    4. Direct the attorney general to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

    5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

    6. Publish a letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

    7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

    8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

    9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

    10. Release a Department of Justice report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

    11. Nominate an ATF director.

    12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

    13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

    14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

    15. Direct the attorney general to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun-safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

    16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

    17. Release a letter to healthcare providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

    18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

    19. Develop model emergency-response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

    20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

    21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within Affordable Care Act exchanges.

    22. Commit to finalizing mental-health parity regulations.

    23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

    I personally didn't see "destruction", "ban", or any other buzz words that have been thrown around lately, did you?  The Executive Orders  of President Obama do not automatically "ban" guns or actually appear to do any thing at all. The orders are actually more of a "to do" list.  These are suggestions on courses of action that he hopes to take to try and resolve what is actually a serious problem in the United States.


    Causes of Death
    O.k. kiddos, and now for math.  I know, math sucks, math's boring etc, etc.  Here is the thing.  There have been a lot of numbers thrown out recently concerning the number of people killed by guns, and the number of people killed by hammers, cars, etc.  Then people go on a rant about "X number of people are killed by automobiles, so why not ban cars, or require people to register them?"   Actually, you do resister your car, and you have to have a license to prove that you can operate it safely, which a wouldn't be a bad idea for guns either.  I know in Oklahoma, you have to have to have passed an approved hunters safety course to get a hunting license, but just need a drivers license and the money to buy a gun.  Sorry to go off on a tangent like that, and now I'm back.  According to the F.B.I., more people were killed with hammers and other blunt object than rifles.  But a hell of a lot more people were killed with handguns than any other weapon.  The F.B.I.'s numbers for 2011look like this:

    Murder Victims
    by Weapon, 2007–2011



    Weapons 2007 2008 2009 2010  2011
    Total 14,916  14,224  13,752    13,164     12,664
    Total firearms:10,129 9,528      9,199        8,8748,583
    Handguns7,398      6,8006,5016,1156,220
    Rifles453380351367323
    Shotguns457442423366356
    Other guns11681969397
    Firearms, type not stated1,7051,8251,8281,9331,587
    Knives or cutting instruments 1,817 1,888 1,836 1,732 1,694
    Blunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.)647603623549496
    Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.)1 869 875 817 769 728
    Poison 10 9 7 11 5
    Explosives 1 11 2 4 12
    Fire 131 85 98 78 75
    Narcotics 52 34 52 45 29
    Drowning 12 16 8 10 15
    Strangulation 134 89 122 122 85
    Asphyxiation 109 87 84 98 89
    Other weapons or weapons not stated 1,005 999 904 872 853

    This information comes from the F.B.I.'s website.  The total deaths by various firearms were over 8,000 people in 2011 alone. I'm not even going to touch on the number of injuries, mostly because someone will point out that nearly everyone has smashed a finger with a hammer, but not everyone has been shot with a gun.   Like I've said, this is not an easy problem to work with.  For some people, it may be easier to ask one of the popes for advice on sex than to discuss any gun issues.  I am not advocating total gun control, nor am I saying we should look the other way and hope it all goes away.  What I am suggesting is everyone sit down, shut up, and listen to all sides, and see if we can't work out a solution that is beneficial to everyone.  But then again, that's the problem with compromise, no one gets everything that they want.


    Assault rifles
    I believe the main reason that the focus is on assault rifles is partly due to what they are, "assault" weapons.  Not home defense weapons, not target shooting weapons, not hunting weapons, and not hang on the wall weapons.  I have heard people say "They want to get rid of them because they look scary".  O.k., I can sort of see that.  But do you really need a 30 round magazine (also called a clip, but magazine is the correct term) of hollow point or full metal jacketed bullets?  Do you really need a weapon that looks like it was used in the raid on Osama bin Ladens compound?  And why does everyone focus on the rifles?  Nearly 5 times as many people were killed with handguns, they are easier to conceal, and because you can get much closer to a person before it becomes obvious, you don't need to aim quite as much as you do with a target that is 150 to 200 yards away.  I understand having a gun for personal and home defense, but unless you have military or police training, and even they make mistakes, it is all too easy to shoot the wrong person.  Just skim through the internet, and you'll find dozens, if not hundreds of stories of people shooting what they think is an intruder, and it turns out it is a family member or friend.  Not only that, but think about actually squeezing that trigger.  Not a lot of people can actually do that.  How many people have been shot with their own gun?  There are several studies, one of which is mentioned in NewScientist, that seem to point to a correlation that people that have guns are more likely to be shot.  This is not definitive, but it is food for thought. 


    Hitler/Obama Meme
    Lately, an internet meme that has probably popped up in everyone's Facebook feed is comparing Obama to Hitler.  It runs along the lines of Hitler declared a gun ban while surrounded by children, and then shows a picture of Hitler and another one of Obama, both surrounded by children, and allows the viewer to draw their "own" conclusion.  There is an old adage in debates.  When you compare your opponent to Hitler, you lose.  People are worried that Obama is going to magically slip around the legislative and Judicial branches of the government and affect totalitarian rule?  There is a reason that out government is divided into the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches.  This is a means of checks and balances that prevents each branch from becoming too powerful.  In case anyone has already forgotten, think back to early in 2012 when the health care bill was really being pushed.  That action had all 3 branches of government involved and they debated and argued, the Supreme court made rulings, the representatives and senators all had a say, and now it is basically sitting there until it goes into effect in 2014, for the most part.  If there was that much angry discussion over health care, imagine any Executive decisions concerning guns.  It'll make the Health Care debates look like a night out with friends.


    The A.T.F.
    Now I think we need to talk a little about the ATF.  This governmental agency is the one in charge of dealing with alcohol, tobacco, and firearms.  However, their ability to do their job is severely hampered.  They have not had an actual director in 6 years, they have the same number of agents they did in 2004, and they can't create a national gun registry.  There is a good article done by the NY Times that can be found  here .   And there was another one on NPR that you can find here .  The main bureau that is supposed to have this sort of access, and yet, they have so much bureaucratic red tape to deal with and so many restrictions, that they are rendered completely impotent.


    Mental Health and Gun Issues
    A subject that has come up several times is the state of mental health care in the United States.  There seems to be a growing trend of people with some form of mental instability being able to go out and legally buy a gun, and then commit a heinous act with said gun or guns.  These problems may be depression, schizophrenia, paranoia, anger management issues, or even a psychotic break.  Many people are going about, functioning normally, but actually may be suffering from one or several of these problems.  we have gotten better at diagnosing them, but only if someone notices.  A major problem with that, is that these problems often seem to lead to the person being, if not out right anti-social, then viewed as a loner, or quiet, or withdrawn.  This makes it hard for people to realize that there may be something deeper going on.  Issues like this really need to be addressed during the debates over gun rights.  One problem is, does a person with schizophrenia have any less of a right to own a gun than some one that doesn't suffer from the same mental illness?  What if they are on medication, and they take it as they are supposed to?  Does this change anything?  What if the mental illness was brought about by a case of extreme circumstances, and the person has made a full recovery?  As I stated before, these questions and others do need to be addressed before much longer.

    Guns and Crime
    In attempting to determine whether most guns used in crimes were legally obtained, stolen, or bought illegally, and if crime rates increase or decrease in an inverse proportion to the number of conceal/carry permits or an open carry state, I came on a disturbing trend.  There seems to be no data out there that people can agree on.  mostly it seems to depend on your political leanings or how you feel about guns.  I have seen numbers that say most guns used in crimes are legal, illegal, and stolen, depending on where you go to look.  The same for the carry laws, proponents give one set of data, while the opponents give another.  Once again, we need to have cold hard facts, not skewed by personal beliefs if we are to make an informed choice.



    Arming our Teachers?
    And finally to talk about schools.  Yes, right now almost everything is going to come back around to the shooting in Newtown.  There has been talk about allowing teachers to be armed while in class.  I do not think that the answer to gun violence is more guns.  In Texas, there are people offering free classes to teachers for conceal/carry.  My main issue is that a couple of 8 hour courses is not going to prepare someone to actually face someone else with a gun, especially when the second person has already shown a complete disregard for human life.  Most teachers are not former military or police, they haven't had the psychological and physical training to handle instantaneous life or death decisions.  Another issue is, what if the kids happen to steal or "borrow" the gun?  At the school I taught at for a brief period of time, that would be a major concern.  Yes, police on duty at the schools would be a good idea, but most municipalities resources are already stretched thin as it is, and they don't have enough officers for regular duties, let alone to have one stationed full time at a school.  Most schools wouldn't have the funds to pay for armed security either.  Once again, there is no clear answer.

    I know that this is a murky topic, and for some people it is an emotional one as well.  I hope that I have been able to provide some unbiased information, or at least made you think a little about the rhetoric that is being spouted by both sides right now.  Unfortunately, when it comes to firearms in the United States, there is no right answer.  Hopefully, there is a best answer.

    The Skeptical Okie

    Tuesday, January 8, 2013

    Girl Scouts for abortion? No! And.. a 10 foot squid.

    Hello friends, and how has everyone been?  Hopefully you all successfully survived the Mayan Apocalypse, Christmas, and New Years.  It was a little tight here in the Skeptical Okie hidden bunker, but after evicting the conservatives and Rekai masters, there was plenty of turkey and Twinkies to last the end of the world.  We survived, but our pants didn't make it.  Just a couple of things to talk about this time.  Actually, I've got several, but as each one will be fairly long, I decided to cover each one as an individual topic.

    But first, some really cool science news!
    Captured deep beneath the waves: 10ft squid filmed in natural habitat
    That's right, they actually caught a giant squid on film.  Granted, it was only 10 feet long, while they can possibly grow up to over 50 foot, but still, pretty cool!  They basically had to film it in near blackness, mostly because they appear to avoid light sources.  I really can't put into words how interesting this is, but I hope that more research on these animals is on the way.

    The second topic I was wanting to write about is a good demonstration of why critical and rational thought is important.  I recently saw on FaceBook a post that basically states that the Girl Scouts of America are funding abortions through Planned Parenthood.  In an October 1, 2004 press release, Nina Boggia stated "Healthy living is a big part of Girl Scouting.  We want to raise awareness about girls' health, so we're also partnering with local hospitals and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to promote cancer education."   From what I can find on the official Girl Scouts website, found at www.girlscouts.org , they are no longer in a partnership with them.  The Girl Scouts have quite a few partners across the corporate and governmental sectors. 
    Their corporate partners are:










    Their governmental partners are:




  • Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
  • U.S. Department of Education (DOE)
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
  • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI)
  • U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)



  • The Girl Scouts also have programs for minorities, girls with incarcerated mothers,  rural communities, and an anti-violence campaign.  So far, nothing to ruffle anyones feathers right?   Not quite.   According to an article on snopes.com, Indiana state rep Bob Morris issued a statement concerning the state recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts.  What his statement boils down to is that the Girl Scouts are a radical group trying to push abortions on everyone, and promote female sexuality.  He even stated that he did a little internet research and even though neither the Girl Scouts nor the Planned Parenthood websites said they were partners, and they even denied it, they had entered into a "strategic affiliation".  What the hell this unholy union is supposed to accomplish, Representative Morris never quite makes clear.  He goes on to make a lot of other claims and complaints.  Most of them are patently false.  For the entire article, which will not let me copy and paste, look here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/girlscouts.asp    There are also the rebuttals from both the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood.  just for reference, the recognition passed unanimously.  Part of this rumor stems from the fact that Girl Scouts did partner with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, who has donated money to Planned Parenthood.  I guess it's a homeopathic donation. The conservatives tend to focus on Planned Parenthood and abortion.  Yes, they do provide help with abortions, but they also give help on:  Birth Control, general health, men's sexual health, the morning after pill, Pregnancy, Relationships, Sex and Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, STD's, and Womens Health.  So yeah, they are a truly evil and morally reprehensible organization fully capable of bringing about the downfall of western civilization. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

    I have heard a lot of the conspiracies concerning the Girl Scouts use the words "radical" "feminist", and "liberal".  I think these are the conservative code words for "intelligent", empowered", and "modern".  Yes, the Scouts do promote women's health issues, including sexual health.  Unfortunately for some of these girls, this may be the only way they get the information that can help them make informed decisions concerning their own sexual practices, from abstinence to contraceptives.  I know that, as the father of a 16 year old girl, these are topics most parents really don't want to broach or think about.  Yes, the Colorado Girl Scouts did allow a transgender boy (he lived his life as a girl, and identified himself as a girl as long as he could remember) to join which Fox News did make it sound much worse than it was.  The Girl Scouts are inclusive, pretty much regardless of sexual orientation, and in some cases, physical gender.  I myself am a male Girl Scout.  I know how that sounds, and no, I only wear the sash and skirt at official events.  I kid, at least about the sash and skirt.  I actually am an adult member, and I am not the only male, even here in the buckle of the ultra conservative bible belt.  But without the education some of the girls get from their troop leaders, they could easily make bad decisions that possibly affect them for the rest of their lives, especially as some of them have no other female role model that they can ask questions.

    And finally, the coupe de resistance, the cookies and where the money goes.  Some of them are especially addictive, (I'm partial to the peanut butter and chocolate Tag-a-longs) and some people do eat way to many at this time of year.  I've been known to eat an entire box at 1 sitting.  The cookie sales are the troops best known means of fund raising.  They have to pay for their camps, outings, and any activities or philanthropy projects.  A percentage goes to the troops, the councils, service units, and the bakeries get the rest.  The sales aren't just about fund raising either.  They help teach the girls to speak to people, how to be an entrepreneur, and how to manage money.

    I know that I've put a lot of info out there, and I haven't covered nearly everything, but I still recommend whenever you hear someone spout off and they use the words "Conspiracy", "radical" "liberal" or "real truth"  do some research on your own.  Not only will you be better prepared the next time, but you might learn something you weren't expecting.

    So until next time, I'll put the usual rigmarole here.  feel free to leave any comments or questions here on the blog.  And always remember, be good.  Next time, Bigfoot Hunters, Part 2!

    The Skeptical Okie












    Thursday, November 29, 2012

    War on Christmas....Bull $h!t

    Greetings friends.  First off, I'd like to apologize for the last post.  It goes to show that just like drunk dialing, you shouldn't insomnia blog.  I wrote that while suffering from insomnia due to pain in my knee, and I will re-post a better version of it.  Secondly, Christmas is fast approaching (it's been here for several months going by the displays in the stores) and for those looking to get their favorite bloggers a gift, but don't know what to get them, I would like a nemesis.  They don't have to be anyone fancy like Lex Luthor or Magneto.  It could be the Skrull or The Hand foot soldiers.  I'm easy to please.

    Speaking of Christmas, before the season got under way, I began to think that the first person to utter the phrase "War on Christmas" needs to be hit with a can of cranberry sauce.  Up until last night, I had escaped hearing this horrible term.  Then, a local T.V. news personality, Kelly Ogle (I think, there is about a dozen Ogles on different channels here in Oklahoma.  I think all the stations have a clause in their F.C.C. contracts stating that an Ogle must be on their news crews at all times.) said the damn phrase, quoting Fox News (remember them, fair and balanced, kinda like loaded dice).  While Fox News obviously leans towards the Christian ultra conservatives, Mr. Ogle is at least a moderate conservative.  He has a segment on channel 9 called "My 2 cents" where he can basically rant about a topic in the hopes of garnering a response.  Normally, he does lean towards historical "Oklahoman Ideals" meaning the republican side of the issue.  What set me off last night was the whole War on Christmas shtick.  It was played out last year, but just like Christmas music at the malls, it's being played again this year.  Mr. Ogle talked about an exhibit in Germany of Christmas trees that was taken down for fear of offending the Muslim community.  They have put up an electronic holiday tree in its place.  Then he stated "It's called a Christmas tree, get it right" or something to that extent.  People are already complaining about the holidays being influenced, corrupted, or destroyed by other cultures and beliefs.  First off, to Mr Ogle, I would like to say, if you're going to be a stickler about it, a christmas tree should actually be called either a Yule Tree or Weihnachtsbaum, the German word for christmas tree.  The Christmas tree was originally used in Germany in roughly about the 1800's with evidence in the form of woodcuts dating back to the 1400's.  They gained popularity with the nobility in other countries in the early 19th century.  If you want to skip a bit of history, don't worry about the next 2 paragraphs, and you can jump back into the main issue.

    Thing is, while christmas trees were gaining favor in the European countries, christmas itself was an illegal celebration in the United States.  The people that banned christmas?  Can anyone guess?  You with the ball cap, and you'd better have enough gum for everyone.  No, not the Jews.  No, not the Muslims, and no not the Buddhists.  No, not the Pastafarians either.  It was the Christians.  The Protestants to be exact.  They felt that christmas celebrations were an excuse for drunken, immoral revelry and they also had a poor view of saints in general. so rather than let people cut loose and have fun, they banned it.  It was banned until 1820 in the U.S. and wasn't a federal holiday until 1870.  This means that unlike today, you were expected to be at work on christmas day. 

    The history of Christmas, and especially the (and I love being able to say this about a religious figure) evolution oof Santa Claus (Kris Kringle St. Nick, St Nicholas, Father Christmas, the man has more alias' than a two bit drug dealer) is actually fascinating.  From this point on, I'll just refer to the fat red man as S.C., unless mentioning a specific historical character that is responsible to his make up.  St. Nichols (the "actual" man) was born in Patara, which was a Greek country, on the southern border of modern day Turkey.  (Hint hint, he's probably not white)  He protected poor children from basically being sold into slavery and helped sailors.  To this day, he is still the patron saint of archers, sailors, children and pawnbrokers.  There is also a little bit of a Norse god in our idea of S.C.  Not just any god, but the big bad daddy of all the Norse gods, Odin.  According to tradition, children would leave their boots outside full of food for Sleipnir, Odin's 6 legged horse (can you imagine trying to put horseshoes on that thing?) and as a reward for their generosity, Odin would leave candy or toys for the children.  Dutch folklore has St. Nicholas dressed in a red cape over his bishops alb ( the nearly dress that they wear).  He has an assistant named Black Peter that carries the book of St. Nicholas.  Good kids get candy and toys, bad kids run the risk of being caught by Black Peter, who happen to carry jute bags (think burlap sack) and cane rods for that purpose.  There are also British, Scandinavian, and German traditions in out modern day S.C.  Thomas Nast, the political  cartoonist from the mid 1800's, is the man responsible for the image that we have now of Santa Claus.  His first picture appeared in 1863 in Harper's weekly.  Even though S.C. began as a christian bishop, in out modern times, he has become a secular figure and representation of christmas.

    I know it was a bit of a tangent, but I think it was worth it.  Back to the "War on Christmas" bullshit that I started out on.  The Christians have actually been waging their own war on christmas by trying to have Santa Claus removed from christmas.  They feel he is taking the Christ out of Christmas and convoluting the "reason for the season".  And I have heard several people use the old Santa/Satan comparison.  You know, they both have the same letters in their names (but I don't recall C L A U S being in conjunction with any form  of satan), both wear red outfits, and one person actually said both have little children sit on their laps. (WTF??????)  The thing is the christmas holiday was originally incorporated by the christians to entice the pagans to follow their beliefs.  From what I've gleaned from several sites and researchers, if Jesus did exist, and was born when the bible says he was, he was born in the spring or early summer.  (The shepards with their flocks in the fields?  You don't pasture sheep in the winter, and you really don't stand out their all day watching them in freezing weather.)  The three wise men, (I really want to make a three stooges joke, but I'll be nice) which are a staple in every nativity scene, didn't find Jesus until he was 5.  Almost every aspect of the holiday, outside of the name, comes from pagan rituals.  (Sorry, another tangent, back on task.)  I don't know why the christians are claiming that there is a war on christmas when I saw christmas goods for sale back in September.  They had this stuff out before Halloween for fucks sake.  (By the way, I'm not against christmas, I enjoy the holiday, and my family, meaning my wife and son, does celebrate it in a secular fashion)  I have already been hearing the music on the radio (these, for the most part, I don't care for, I was made to sing them every year at every family gathering as a child) and seen ad flyers for christmas sales.  I can't blame Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, athiests, agnostics, Shinto, or other cultures for being pissed that the American christian version of christmas seems to last for 3 FLAMIN MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!  I have personally seen ( and I know this is an anecdote) someone of the Jewish faith say Happy Chanukah and get yelled at by another customer to "Get it right, it's Christmas, not some made up holiday!"  Personally, if I walk into someones house or business this time of year, and I see a menorah on a table, even though I am an atheist, I simply think "Cool", because it gives me a chance to learn about a culture I didn't grow up in.  I don't get upset if someone says Happy Kwanzaa.  Hell, half the time, I'll say it back.  I really don't even get too perturbed about the crosses, and mentions of the bible and Jesus everywhere.  Most people that I know of different faiths don't have a problem with the displays.  Normally the people that raise the most hell about christmas displays are politically correct folks that are trying to keep from offending anyone. 

    So as I try to tie all these various topics together in a coherent manner, I have come to realize that, in a way, there is a war going on.  It is a war by christians trying to dominate and sublimate other cultures and beliefs out of an almost inferiority complex, which stems from the "persecution complex" that christian leaders seem to instill in their followers.  If they want to follow their own edicts and "love thy neighbor" (which seems to happen way too much in some circles), they should give equal exposure to other traditions that other cultures have at this time of the year.  Or at least proportional to their respective faiths.  Remember, contrary to the tirades of certain leaders, we are NOT a christian nation.  We are the melding pot of the world, made of of many cultures, beliefs, faiths, and non faiths.  E pluribus unum, From many, one.  So the next time you hear someone say that there is a war on christmas, simply agree, nod your head, and say "Yup, and the Christians started it."

    Okay kiddos, I'm going to wrap this one up before I stress myself out too much.  If anyone has a comment, you know what to do, leave one in the comment section.  Thanks for hanging with me on this rant, and as a special holiday gift, everyone gets 5 cool points, and if you leave a comment, you get 20.  These can be used at most bars and pubs, just let them know how many you have, and they'll let you know what you can get.  Until next time, be good, be skeptical, and have fun!  Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas (or Xmas if you're from Futurama) Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Chanukah, or whatever holiday greetings you feel appropriate.  And feel free to tell me about your holiday traditions, either personal or cultural.  I'm always interested in learning about other traditions.  And if you're a secular humanist, how do you either celebrate or deal with this time of year?

    The Skeptical Okie

    Monday, November 19, 2012

    Crocoduck, Bigfoot, and church as a punishment?


    Hey everyone, how's it going?  Now that the elections are over, I've decided to emerge from my bunker in an undisclosed state in a hidden location.  I'm assuming that because we aren't at war with Iran and the industries haven't been de-regulated, Obama must have won.  Things have been hectic and interesting here at the Skeptical Okie secret base.  To those that are from Oklahoma, this will make sense.  To everyone else, I'll try and explain.  Recently, I was at my local Wal Mart (yes I know, evil big corporation shutting out mom and pop stores, bad practices, etc, but it's the cheapest place for miles around, and the closest.) and I ran into someone that remembered my grandpa.  My grandpa used to make a bit of extra pocket money by witching for water wells.  Witching wells is called dousing by the rest of the world.  I used to go with him on a few of these jobs, and he "taught" me how to do it.  Basically, he put 2 willow rods (because willow is attracted to water) in my hands and told me to feel for the water.  I watched what he did and noticed he was tensing his arms, so I did the same thing.  He thought I had the gift.  Remember, his daughter, my mother, thinks she can heal sunburns by touching them.  Anyway, this gentleman at Wal Mart remembered me (I haven't changed much in appearance) and told me he had just bought a quarter section and needed to put in a well.  He wanted to know if I would come out and witch it for him.  As we are living on a single paycheck right now, there was a lot of temptation.  I looked at him and told him no, I couldn't.  I didn't go into an explanation of why, mostly because he would just tell me I'm wasting my "gift", and yes, I've heard it before.  The major issue I really wanted to point out is that most of the state sits on top of the Ogallala aquifer, and if you drill down enough, you'll hit water.  I've had a few run ins with our local ghost hunters too, but that story is for another day.

    Okay, this story is one that can make you facepalm and hurt a rib at the same time.  Basically, a 14 year old girl in New Zealand (to my NZ readers, is this attitude normal?)  states that homosexuality will bring human development to a standstill, but she doesn't believe in evolution.  Because ducks nest in pairs, they will be more evolved than humans.  Quick, someone get her a biology book, STAT!!!!!!!!!!  I guess someone forgot to tell her that often ducks do take a same sex partner.  Sometimes, they'll try and breed an animal that's a different species. (Crocoduck anyone?  Kirk Cameron may be trying this, though I don't imagine the coupling will be pleasant for either animal, unless a lot of alcohol is involved.  Could you imagine the walk of shame the next morning after that?)  The whole article is found at
    http://now.msn.com/homosexuality-will-put-ducks-in-charge-of-world-teen-says


    I loved this one!!!  In the state of Georgia, Charles Darwin, who has been dead for about 130 years at this point, received over 4000 write in votes against Sen.Paul "evolution is from hell" Broun.  Just goes to show that anyone can run for office in this country.  Granted, Broun still got 209,000, but it was a valid protest that got his attention.  I've been hearing a lot of people saying that they wasted their votes, and a few people ask who Darwin is.  This is one the the rare times that a write in vote like this wasn't a waste.  Broun was running unopposed, so basically either you voted for him, or you didn't vote.  A version of the story can be read at
    Charles Darwin was the natural selection for 4,000 Georgia voters


    I've heard of cruel and unusual punishment, but this one is a little odd.   Judge sentences teen to 10 years of church   Here in Oklahoma, we've got a long history of strange laws (such as you can go to jail for taking a bite out of someone elses hamburger or that sex is only legal in the missionary position.  Who the hell enforces these?)  There is a district court judge who has a habit of sentencing people to church.  Basically it's deferred sentence where they have to attend a religious service instead of A.A.  A 17 year old kid had a few drinks (legal age in the U.S. is 21) got into a wreck that killed his passenger and was charged with manslaughter.  Judge Mike Norman in Muskogee sentenced him to church.  When I was a kid, I know church felt like a punishment, by I always felt like I'd done something wrong BY going.  As I am writing this, I found out that this isn't exactly legal, though the judge is defending his decision.


    Okay, this one ties into the main thought of this post.  I know I've brought up a lot of topics already, and I hope I've given everyone some fodder for conversations.  I'll admit I do watch "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet.  It does spike the old blood pressure, but I like to make it into a poor mans version of MST 3000 ( I like to think I'm Tom Crow).  Keep in mind I found this article first, then saw the fella on Finding Bigfoot.  In Idaho, gold miner William Barnes and scientist Jeff Meldrum are launching a remote control blimp to try and track Bigfoot from the air.  The article is at
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49424363
     I saw Meldrum on a recently aired episode of Finding Bigfoot (from here on referred to as FB to save my poor tired fingers and brain) and I realized that I had read an article about him a day or two before.  The reason I'm bringing up FB is because watching the show, I have come to realize a few things, outside of that odds are bigfoot is highly unlikely to exist.  The first is that the 3 guys, who are believers are always shooting down the solitary female whenever she puts her opinion out there.  Keep in mind, 1 of the men has always been a bigfoot hunter (Bobo, gotta love that nickname), 1 was a computer programmer (goatee guy), I think, and the third guy is Matt Moneymaker.  You would figure if you were running a "non-profit" organization, you would change your last name.  The female is actually a biologist that specializes in wildlife.  I once heard Moneymaker make the comment to her that "She doesn't know what it's like to be in the field".  To earn her degree, she had to spend time in the field tracking and observing animals in their native environment.  Another thought that occurred to me was the locations that they go for their research, and I'm not going to use quotes around the questionable designations for the rest of the article because I'm kinda afraid of wearing the key out.  If you would be so kind as to look at the 2 maps below,

    bigfoot




    black bear



    Not the best comparative maps, but they were the best I could find.  When I can find better, I'll put them in.  The majority of bigfoot sightings are clustered in areas that are also black bear habitat.  I can see how a person could mistake a bear walking upright for a hairy humanoid creature.  Another problem I have with their research techniques is how they actually look for these creatures.  They have a variety of ways that they do this.  One of the most common is sound blasting.  I do have a friend that is a believer, and have discussed some of these with him to find out what the concept behind this was.  Sound blasting, which is basically a boom box (o.k., I'm old, it's a large sound system) playing various animal calls including gorillas, chimps, and large N. American predators like wolves and coyotes.  The idea is that bigfoot, being a primate, will respond to the ape calls, and bigfoot follows wolves and coyotes. (More on that in a minute)  Bigfoot, anecdotally, according to my friend, is also very territorial and can be violent, so it's a good idea to let them know you're there.  Another technique I've seen is the Rave, which is what it sounds like.  Laser lights, loud music.  It's supposed to make the animal curious, and draw them in to investigate. (Yep, you want to have a large, territorial, possibly violent humanoid come to you)  There is also the, what I'm calling, "Damsel in distress".  The female sits alone while the men go off and watch the terrain.  She talks, calls out, and generally tries to entice one in.  Poor gal if it ever happens.  They also play recorded children's voices, claiming that bigfoot are curious about human children. (Is the plural bigfoot, bigfeet, bigfoots?)  They have also basically had a large camp out, complete with a bonfire, people playing music, and singing.  Another method that they've used is where they ran through the woods with torches (for my British readers, I don't mean an electric torch, I mean a flaming pitch type of torch) yelling and screaming.  Who the fuck runs through the woods, at night, with a flaming torch?  Have they never seen the Smokey the Bear commercials?  They normal method is to wear large camera rigs, divide up into 2 teams, go a distance apart and "call" back and forth.  These rigs have lights, and a lot of electronics on them, but they say that bigfoot is sensitive to electronics and avoid them.  They also banter a lot back and forth and over the radios. 
    Another issue with these bigfoot hunters is the tracks.  A lot of the time when they point out tracks, I don't see them, and the biologist doesn't seem to see them as tracks either.  I think this may be more of a case of Pareidolia,  which is when the brain finds patterns that don't actually exist.  Some good examples are seeing a Philly cheese steak in the clouds.  Some other examples are 
                
    Another problem I have with the tracks is that generally a biped will put most weight on the balls of its feet, making that part of the track slightly deeper.  Every time the biologist says she doesn't see what the others do, they jump down her throat. 
    And my major peeve with the show.  Every episode, they will cut in to one of the 3 men describing perfect bigfoot territory, foods, and body types.  I like it when Bobo says "If I like it than a squatch will like it."  I've begun to think he's actually a shaved bigfoot that is sent out into the human population to keep us away, or if he can't, warn the local bigfoot.  I know, it's goofy, but it makes the show a little more entertaining.  What I want to know, HOW THE HELL DO THEY KNOW THIS???  Without a living population, or at least several samples for observation and testing ,there is no way, except for anecdotes, to have this information.  They say that bigfoot are apex predators and follow wolf packs.  They have shown stick structures, kinds like a lean-to, and stated bigfoot must have made it.  Thing is, I've built a lot of those when I've been camping and caught out in a storm.  For the life of me, I can't understand how they can make these claims without proof and documentation. 

    The main reason that this bugs the shite out of me is watching these folks bumble through the woods.  Don't get me wrong, I would love it if someone would actually bring in a live one, or at least a corpse that isn't a frozen costume.  I have spent a lot of my life tracking animals, everything from lost pets and livestock to predators that have killed pets and livestock.  You can't run through the woods making noise, talking on the radio, waving a torch, playing loud music, using laser lights, etc.   When stalking an animal, firstly you need to understand their behavior, even if it is acting abnormally.  Then you either find tracks or spoor, and follow the trail, or you find likely spots, and sit there quietly and see what comes along.  There are a lot of other things about the show I want to talk about, but this post has gotten longer than I intended, and if your still reading it, your eyes are probably getting tired. Until next time, be good, be skeptical, and have fun.

    The Skeptical Okie