Autumn and Rowan
Photo by Oregonbigfoot.com member Noel Walker |
HI EVERYONE!
It's been a long time since I've been able to produce a newsletter.
Too many things have been happening... like being about 2 years behind on work and trying to get caught up despite the fact that I have a rambunctious, teething toddler (a.k.a. "Littlefoot" or "The psycho Ewok") running around.
I figured it was time to crawl out from under my rock and back into your mailbox, though. You've all been very patient with me while I try t o wrap my life around the motherhood thing and I appreciate it.
There have been some crazy things going on in the bigfoot world lately. We'll get to those in a moment.
Because time is still not on my side, I've decided to change the format of the newsletter a bit. Previously, the newsletter had many, many different sections and trying to organize it all took the better part of about 20 hours worth of work. Since my 16-hour workdays have been cut down to about 16 minutes a day now, it's necessary for me to cram as much as I can into as little time as I can. Hence, the new newsletter format. I'm just going to rattle in your ear and stick the links in here where appropriate. Please pardon the stream-of-conciousness - it's just easier this way. We'll give this a shot and see how it goes. :)
This photograph is posted under the Fair Use doctrine of Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 107 for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. Copyright 2008 SearchingforBigfoot.com |
First, I'm going to briefly address the Georgia boys and their claim of a "Dead Bigfoot Body in the Freezer" that's at the top of everyone's mind today. While this is old news to some, many Oregonbigfoot.com readers have been emailing me asking for details. CLICK HERE for a complete rundown of the events thus far and an in-depth look at the claims, the evidence, the questions and the characters involved. And yes... my opinion of the whole thing.
The press conference is scheduled for 12 noon, today. Apparently, only "accredited press personnel" will be allowed to participate. Biscardi's latest words on the subject: "We'll release the DNA analysis, and we'll have the body right next to the two boys ... then you can see it's real, that it's not all bullshit."
Dr. Jeff Meldrum, among others (including yours truly), isn't buying it. It stinks, and not like dead bigfoot. Anyway, read more about it, including my analysis of what may be a similar stunt Biscardi pulled almost three years ago to the day.
Next, I want to talk a little bit about what's been happening over at Oregonbigfoot.com...
Because time is something I have little of nowdays (do I sound like a broken record yet?), I've decided that the only way that I can possibly stay on top of things is to delegate some of them. *grin*
As such, I've been working on a backend for investigators to help assist in the backlog of reports that have come into the website. There are currently 680 reports from all across the country that haven't been published or investigated yet. I regularly send some of these reports to researchers in other states that I know and trust (like Craig Woolheater of TexasBigfoot.com), but that method takes too much time as well.
So here's how I'm handling it. The backend is in progress and will be finished soon (or whenever Rowan lets me finish it...). We will be hand-picking investigators from around the country. These are folks that I have gotten to know well and people who I know will represent OB in a way that is in keeping with the ethics that are so important to me - especially when it comes to treating witnesses with respect and protecting their confidentiality.
My goal is not to become a large "organization" with a multitude of investigators whom I don't know and can't vouch for. More than that, I have too much on my plate as it is to be interested in managing people all day long. OB is all about a tight-knit community effort. (If you're a participant in the members forum, you already know this... it's full of wonderful, kind, friendly people. There's no back-biting, no arguing, and everyone's respectful... you'd hardly recognize it as a bigfoot forum, except for the fact that we talk about bigfoot all the time! *grin*)
I realize that some folks may be interested in becoming investigators. Before you send an email saying "Pick me! Pick me!", please keep the following in mind: The vast majority of investigators will be chosen from the ranks of those who are involved in our OB member community. Through our members forum, I get a chance to interact with members on an ongoing basis and really get to know them. That's the only way I really feel comfortable having someone represent us. So, if you're interested in investigating, its best to get involved sooner rather than later. (Of course, there aren't any guarantees that we'll need an investigator in your area. And if you're a pain in the butt/high-maintenance, that doesn't bode well either. *grin*)
The good news about bringing investigators on is that our reports will receive much more in-depth and timely attention. And for those of you who just like to sit around and read reports til your eyeballs are ready to fall out (I'm looking at you, Woody), it'll mean more eyewitness accounts to go with your morning Wheaties.
SO. That's that, then. Onto the next thing.
Here's a quick list of some of the stuff that's been added to the members' section since the last time I popped up in your email box. For a complete list, look here:
Uploaded TODAY, 8/15/08: "Christian's Confrontation" An hour-long audio interview with an eyewitness who reports shooting at a Sasquatch last winter while cutting wood in Douglas County, Oregon. (The interview that you are about to hear may be upsetting. It disturbs me anytime one of these creatures is harmed in any way. However, please keep in mind that the vast majority of people who encounter these creatures are not those who dedicate their lives to studying them - they are usually folks who encounter something strange, huge and terrifying in the wilderness and sometimes react with violence born of fear...)
New in EYEWITNESS ENCOUNTERS, my friend Tom has allowed me to post his journal. Tom and his wife have recently moved to a rural area in South Carolina. They were intentionally looking for a remote piece of land in order to pursue Tom's interest in Bigfoot.
They lucked out. Not only did they find the perfect property - a large piece of acreage that backs up to game management land - but the previous tenants were actually moving BECAUSE of Bigfoot activity.
Mom and I received a visit from friend and Oregonbigfoot.com member Noel Walker. During our visit, Noel asked to conduct an informal interview. In this 39-minute interview, I cover topics like how to handle clear photographic evidence, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) in witnesses, philosophical ideas related to Bigfoot research, multiple "types" of Sasquatch creatures, creepiest long-term witness stories, similarities in long-term witness reports and more.
OregonBigfoot.com members Nancy and Bill have returned from another trip to XXXX XXXXX. Read the full report, including tons of track photos and audio recordings of their middle-of-the-night visitors!
Uploaded today: Tim from the bayou area in Texas has sent us these five recordings of long howling vocalizations. What do you think? Talk about it on the members' forum!
Member Rommie sends us a report of her experience at Greenwater near Mt. Rainier. Also, she sent me a sample of what she thought might be hair from the area. Hair analysis included.
Oregonbigfoot.com member Carol, a wonderful gal and great friend, sent a report and audio recordings to share with you!
PHOTOS of tracks in the mud. These are really great pics, with detailed photos of the casts made as well. More photos. These ones show tracks found in the snow. The most fascinating thing about these photos is how the tracks are RAISED, caused by the snow melting around the deeply-compacted snow within the tracks themselves.
New video of BIG impressions in the snow from Canada.
Each year, I go through the database and cull the data for the year. In 2007, I posted the results on the data page. Now that Oregonbigfoot.com has received TWICE the reports that we originally had, I thought it would be interesting to go in and do it again this year, and compare the results. THE RESULTS ARE ASTOUNDING. Particularly in light of the fact that, if Bigfoot is simply the figment of overactive imaginations, the data wouldn't look like this. Have a look... I think you'll be as amazed as I was.
On a rather final note...
Jon-Erik Beckjord passed away on June 22. I guess most of you already new that.
For those who don't know, EB (also known has "He Who Shall Not Be Mentioned") was a major pain in the patoot... King of the Blobsquatches. The Fringe Bigfoot Researcher on Steroids. He liked to harrass people. Yup, me included.
I endured Erik's passionate wrath more than once. He had a penchant for sending emails out of the blue, usually with some scathing criticism therein. Those of us who received them knew that sending a response would only encourage him to reply with a volley of emails that would make your inbox bulge. So I didn't. Eventually, he'd turn his laser-sight on someone else and I'd breathe a deep sigh of relief.
When I discovered he had passed, I felt strangely saddened. It was not only the end of an era of sorts; I couldn't shake the knowledge of how hard he struggled NOT to fit in with the rest of the bigfoot community during his life, how he fought and clawed and picked and prodded, always surrounding himself with turmoil, never peace.
Erik used to name his blobsquatches in the photo captions. "John". "Rene". "Grover". He once named one of his baby blobquatches "Autumn", probably because he'd met my family when I was just a tyke (this during our ongoing encounters in the 70's - he found out about them and tried to make himself at home). It was right there on the website, somewhere near where he called me a "fraud" for being involved with Mysterious Encounters (White Wolf Productions, 2003). I remember rolling my eyes and thinking, "Oh, great. I need this like a hole in the head."
I think about that now and I almost feel fond of that little black blob in the trees. You know you've really "made it" in the Bigfoot world when one of Erik's blobsquatches bears your name.
I received a final email from Erik on February 29 of this year. It said simply,
"Decided to let old stuff stay old stuff.
White Wolf suckered you. Their fault. I will say no more on it.
Erik"
As usual, I didn't respond. My silence worked once more and I didn't hear from Erik again.
I can't help feeling, though, that maybe this time I wish I would have. It was an apology, of sorts, and I never bothered to accept it.
I suppose it's easy to think fondly of someone when they're gone, when they're no longer a threat to your own peace.
I hope Erik has finally found his.
Goodbye, Erik.
BONK.
|
