; Phantoms and Monsters: Pulse of the Paranormal

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Daily 2 Cents: The Huffington Post Eviscerates Ricky D. -- 'Star Trek' Theme Park Coming -- Another 'El Chupacabras' Claim

The Huffington Post Eviscerates Bigfoot 'Killer' Rick Dyer: 'It's Really Easy To Trick People'

"There's no more evidence for Bigfoot than the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. And that's what people have to get through their heads."

It might come as a surprise to some -- especially to Bigfoot believers -- that the man who reportedly made that statement in 2010 was none other than Rick Dyer. Yes, the same Rick Dyer who is driving an RV through the American south, hauling around the remains of what he claims is a Bigfoot that he allegedly shot and killed in 2012 on the outskirts of San Antonio.

The past two years have been filled with announcements from Dyer and his website, promising the public release and display of the actual body of an actual Bigfoot, nicknamed Hank. There have been assurances of big press conferences during which the conclusive results of DNA analysis on Hank would be revealed to the world -- a DNA report conducted by an unnamed university.

Through all of this hoopla, Dyer has pronounced himself -- at every chance he could take -- the best Bigfoot tracker of all time.

If, in 2012, he'd actually killed Bigfoot and decided right then and there to bring the body forward and show it to the world, he might have been instantly hailed as history's best-ever Bigfoot flatfoot. And he would've soaked in two years' worth of accolades from in and out of science, as the discoverer of a new primate species living among us.

But...that's...not...what...happened.

The traveling Bigfoot show -- variously dubbed the "I Told You So" tour and "Time To Believe" tour -- arrived in San Antonio last week -- the scene of the original "crime," if you will -- after its kickoff location in Phoenix was cancelled when Dyer couldn't come up with a venue at which to display the alleged hairy, 8-foot, 800-pound supposed beast.

And this writer was disappointed, because we were there -- in Phoenix -- expecting and hoping to meet Bigfoot, aka Hank, in the flesh or in what's left of his flesh.

Probably the biggest thing going against Dyer's credibility was his previously admitted involvement in a 2008 Bigfoot hoax. That's the kind of thing that doesn't easily go away in the memory cells of the public.

I was one of the people who did the Bigfoot hoax in 2008, and got worldwide notoriety. ... And it turned out to be a hoax with a lot of money off this hoax. I, myself, made a ton of money. We are now looked at as the black sheeps [sic] of the Bigfoot community, and let me tell you something: We don't care.
Bigfoottracker.com is back for one reason only: To convert people who believe in Bigfoot to Bigfoot haters. We are tired of seeing people give their money away for something that's not real.

There's no more evidence for Bigfoot than the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. And that's what people have to get through their heads. I have taken people out to hunt for Bigfoot, and all the time I was thinking in my head, 'Why would someone pay to go out to hunt for something that does not exist?' But people do.

It's really easy to trick people. People that believe in Bigfoot are not idiots -- they're just really naive and they're missing something in their lives, so they want to believe in something that they know deep down inside, it does not exist.

San Antonio's KENS-5 News said they waited to report on Dyer's Bigfoot claims because they wanted stronger proof, but the news team discovered "some hair-raising holes in his story" and decided to share it with their audience.

"If Dyer's name sounds familiar to viewers, it's because he made KENS TV news for other reasons in 2011," said on-screen reporter Joe Conger. "Police arrested him for defrauding folks on eBay for allegedly selling them Corvettes he never delivered."

Conger also reports that Dyer says he originally tracked down and shot, not one, but two of the beasts, and the other Bigfoot that he allegedly shot "was taken by the federal government and never returned."

While the Bigfoot sideshow was in San Antonio, adults could fork over $10 to gaze into Hank's face or shell out $20, which would include a Bigfoot documentary and Q&A session, according to the San Antonio Current.

But, in this continuing saga of mishaps, miscommunications, misleading statements and just good old mistakes that keep following the Dyer-Bigfoot tour, something else happened at the 20-buck event that annoyed many of the paying customers who walked out: Instead of seeing the promised documentary, the audience was treated to the 1987 family comedy -- watch for it, here it comes -- "Harry and the Hendersons."

Dyer blamed it on the Alamo Drafthouse venue, and, of course, the venue said it wasn't their decision, reports the San Antonio Current.

And yet, maybe to true Bigfoot believers easily swayed to give up their hard-earned money, "Harry and the Hendersons" might actually be a Bigfoot documentary. - THP

Believing Bullshit: How Not to Get Sucked into an Intellectual Black Hole

The Big Book of Hoaxes: True Tales of the Greatest Lies Ever Told! (Factoid Books)

Hoax Hunters Volume 2: Secrets and Lies TP


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'Star Trek' theme park coming

Fans disappointed that the "Star Trek"-themed section of a Las Vegas hotel closed can now set their sights on a new tribute to Gene Roddenberry's galaxy of space exploration and adventure.

"'Star Trek' will be represented in force at Paramount Park Murcia, to be located at Alhama de Murcia on the Mediterranean coast about 270 miles southeast of Madrid," according to StarTrek.com. "The wide-ranging project will incorporate condos and office buildings, hotels, malls, a casino, a convention center, gardens, nightlife, and dining areas, an exhibition hall/auditorium and a theme park divided into several sections.

Last week, StarTrek.com posted official concept art of the theme park, and it appears to have a strong Starfleet Academy vibe.

"Plaza Futura will be designed to appeal to 'Star Trek' fans," StarTrek.com said. "3D renderings depict a large futuristic square that will include a Starfleet Spain recruiting center, a 3D simulator ride (which allows guests/recruits to experience adventures in outer space), and a Warp Speed Coaster that will reach exciting heights and speeds and include an underground portion (a wormhole, naturally) and several loops."

No word on whether there will be a Klingon section for those wanting to brush up on their combat skills. But we're hoping for at least one bar to replicate The U.S.S. Enterprise's Ten Forward in case we need to bond with our fellow officers. - CNET

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Couple claims to have killed chupacabra

VICTORIA COUNTY, Texas - Just like Bigfoot, stories about the mysterious chupacabra have been circulating for decades.

A south Texas couple says they have proof the legendary creature exists.

Doug and Lucy Ohrt says their grandson shot and killed a chupacabra on their ranch in Victoria County Sunday night. But a wildlife biologist says it's more likely the creature is an animal with mange.

"My grandson ran and got the gun and shot it at 240 yards, and my grandchildren said, 'oh that's a chupacabra," said Lucy Ohrt.

"They're a mythical creature that most people see but what it really is sarcoptic mange which is caused by a mite that bites the animal and it can be pretty much on any mammal," said wildlife biologist Josh Turner.

Wildlife officials say they get quite a few calls from people saying they've spotted a chupacabra. The name means goat sucker, and the creature is said to suck the blood of livestock. - KSDK

NOTE: People need to STOP killing these hybrids...these are not El Chupacabras. Lon

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