Dr. Melba Ketchum Schedule To Speak About Sasquatch Dna On October 1, 2011

[Guest spunout]

What's the journal?? An addendum of Batman Comics??

[Guest herosmom]

Betcha batman and alfred could get us some dna results!

[Guest slimwitless]

So...did anyone catch Jeff Meldrum or Ian Redmond at the bigfoot conference in Texas?

[Guest]

Well, Paulides said if the paper wasn't out she wouldn't make her appearance. I feel bad for the conference organizers. It put them in a tough spot.

[Guest]

Ummm, ummm, ummm....I had no choice but to plus Parn's comment because you can't argue with the truth, and that about summed it up.

[Guest]

Well, Paulides said if the paper wasn't out she wouldn't make her appearance. I feel bad for the conference organizers. It put them in a tough spot.

Right but why would she commit to something like this at all then? She had to know that the paper would not be out in time; it's not like she woke up this morning and realized she couldn't go because of the paper. It really does put them in a tough spot... Either they've known that she wasn't coming and didn't say anything, or she completely screwed them over and left them holding the bag today. Not sure which one is worse.

[Guest]

Ummm, ummm, ummm....I had no choice but to plus Parn's comment because you can't argue with the truth, and that about summed it up.

Yup, same with me lol...

[Guest Dudlow]

Truly a disappointment all the way 'round. I'm about ready to don my monk's frock and return to the monastery.

- Dudlow

[Incorrigible1]

Bigfoot fans, step away from the high ledge. Put down those razors, and flush the depressant drugs.

Disappointment and frustration run through the length and breadth of bigfootdom. It's not as we've never seen things like this before. Expect the worst, pray for the best, and take what comes in stride.

[Guest Dudlow]

Wise words, indeed, 'incorrigible1'. I feel so much better. Now, if I could only stop crying... sob... boo hoo....

- Dudlow

[Guest]

Bigfoot fans, step away from the high ledge. Put down those razors, and flush the depressant drugs.

Disappointment and frustration run through the length and breadth of bigfootdom. It's not as we've never seen things like this before. Expect the worst, pray for the best, and take what comes in stride.

Fine, but next time I'M JUMPING!

[Guest]

I arrived at the conference just about the time Ketchum was to speak. She wasn't there; instead, Troy Hudson spoke. He said that he had been in contact with Ketchum on and off for a week. She informed him she was having to devote time to the paper (perhaps to comply with her reviewers---my impression) and maybe could not make it to Honobia. When it became apparent that she was too tied down to go, they arranged to have her interviewed on camera for the conference.

Her interview was basically of the DNA process and nothing we've not heard from her before. She did say that nine labs were involved in blind tests (if I remember right, she said the labs were told beforehand the samples were from humans). To make things more disappointing for attendees, there were several stops and starts of the video presentation due to technical clitches. (Hudson pointed out that Ketchum didn't mind anyone filming her presentation as long as it does not end up on Youtube.)

At one point Paulides stepped up and vouched for Ketchum's expertise. He said all DNA labs he contacted prior to Ketchum were not interested because they did not believe Bigfoot exist. He said Ketchum was different because she was "open minded" and was not afraid to (I paraphrase) "figure out things on her own." He was asked when the peer-reviewed article would be published (or accepted-- sorry, I was taking notes and not recording) and he said paradoxically, maybe less than two months and it was 99% done. (!?)

When asked how many other Bigfoot organizations had submitted samples to Ketchum, he seemed reluctant to offer up all the organizations and only mentioned his outfit (he had a booth in the back), the Erickson Project and one other. As for samples submitted, he made no mention of any "Sierra shootings" or any "steak sample." (He mentioned only saliva, hair, and bone, if I remember, but definitely did not mention the Sierra sample).

He suggested some BF organizations did not submit any samples at all. He implied that such organizations did not want to be part of the study because the results would be an "end game" for them. I took this to mean that the supporters of the idea of a Great American Ape will be decisively refuted by the DNA results.

Paulides alluded to the fact that when he is out at rural settings, in country diners, he is often approached by friendly hunters who see his Bigfoot badge and tell him he is wasting his time --- they say he is chasing a myth and old legend. He used this to explain why the DNA evidence is important, in answer to a question from a fellow who said he had seen Bigfoot and asked why was it necessary to have such evidence when so many are seeing the creature. Paulides also suggested that the study of Bigfoot DNA might benefit us, its cousin, via medical advancement.

Paulides offered that he believed most scientists will "ignore" Ketchum's findings. He hopes, however, that some "side-line" scientist or two will be intrigued enough by the study to seriously consider it.

One attendee claimed that Bigfoot was harmless and non-violent. Paulides simply stated that there were several stories of violent Bigfoot. Scott Nelson gladly recounted the Teddy Roosevelt/trapper Bauman camp fire story of a probable bear attack as evidence of the sometimes violent nature of Bigfoot, especially if you are trying to shoot it. Nelson repeated that this story was vouched for by a "president of the United States" and the attendee seemed impressed.

The conference then presented a talk by a retired Forest Ranger who started off talking about a book he read many years ago titled, or subtitled, Book of the Creator which included the other-worldly origin of the half-humans, half-animals we call Bigfoot --- but who are known as Gomes (I think) in the book.

He told us about a recent event nearby, on July 4th, 2011. He said he had allowed a Bigfoot group from Texas to spend weeks during the summer months at a cabin of his in order to study the local Bigfoot population. On this day, a family member went to the cabin and was fired upon by someone with a machine gun. To make a not too long story even shorter, the Forest Ranger said that he learned that the Bigfoot group (he said it was BFRO, Texas branch, when asked) was not there to study Bigfoot, but to hunt and shoot it! He said there is a confession from one member of the group who fired the automatic weapon that hit his family member's vehicle. He confessed he was actually shooting at a Bigfoot (and I guess somehow his bullets must have hit the vehicle). The retired Forest Ranger said all of this information is on file at the Polk County Sheriff's Office. He concluded by noting that Bigfoot are "nice people," apparently in contradiction to Bauman's experience.

After this, the conference broke for lunch. I wondered outside and saw that most people at the site were taking in the festival instead of the conference. I would place the attendance for the conference I attended at maybe 100 or 150. There were a lot of empty seats.

The location was a church retreat. This may have had something to do with Paulides noting he was not an evolutionist. This pleased the Forest Ranger, he said, as he talked briefly about the Book of the Creator (a book that he long ago misplaced or loaned out, and would like to read again if anyone runs across a copy).

I didn't stay for the afternoon sessions. Most of what I had heard I knew about. Honobia is a somewhat remote and beautiful part of Oklahoma.

I had to drive over three hours to get there; on the way I almost ran into a flock of wild turkeys on the road ---- my first thought was "well there goes my rental car deposit!" Fortunately, turkeys can fly.

I hope I have not misrepresented what I saw and heard at the conference. If I did, it is unintentional. And I hope I wasn't too snarky.

Edited October 2, 2011 by jerrywayne

[southernyahoo]

Well, Paulides said if the paper wasn't out she wouldn't make her appearance. I feel bad for the conference organizers. It put them in a tough spot.

The Conference organisers knew the deal,...... feel bad for the attendees that did not get the heads up that she wouldn't be there.

[Guest slimwitless]

Well, Paulides said if the paper wasn't out she wouldn't make her appearance. I feel bad for the conference organizers. It put them in a tough spot.

The logical conclusion is they thought the study would be out by now. I think that's consistent with comments from various participants over the last few months. I have noticed pronouncements of "very soon" and "soon" have dwindled in the last month or so. It sounds like there's been some unexpected "developments". That said, when you really think about what Ketchum is trying to prove, it's not surprising she may have to jump through a few (hundred) extra hoops. I assume someone would have the courtesy to tell us if the whole thing has gone off the rails.

Edited October 2, 2011 by slimwitless

[Guest]

Well Jerrywayne, I appreciate the update.