UPI.com reports that Bigfoot believers do actually exist… and they aren’t as affected by hoaxes as one might think:

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/08/30/Bigfoot_believers_undeterred_by_hoaxes/UPI-78081220070569/

I say “GOOD.” Hoaxers don’t take into consideration how damaging their actions may be in retrospect. Still, those of us involved in serious research CAN learn from hoaxes (like the one in recent news that we’re all tired of hearing about, of course). That’s why I suggest the following simple criteria that I think all paranormal researchers out there should follow:

STEP ONE: Above all, be careful who you trust. Don’t worry, I’ve learned this the hard way a few times myself, as there are a lot of people who don’t take this kind of research seriously, but come off sounding like they do in order to get “real researchers” involved.

STEP TWO: Also, it’s a good idea to always use criticism; be skeptical when necessary. No really… it’s not a bad thing. Skepticism, for many, is the bane of the true paranormalist’s existence, but for Pete’s sake, I’m a skeptic! That doesn’t mean I don’t believe… it just means that I don’t believe unless I have been given enough evidence. Besides, John Keel famously said that “belief is the enemy”. Therefore, skepticism must actually be our friend after all!  Seeing things this way, you’ll be less likely to rush into anything blindly, which only results in one of two scenarios:

a) You get spoofed, and thus end up being made fun of.

b) You get your arms ripped off by Bigfoot, and thus he beats you to death with your own former appendages.

Ouch…. okay, enough silliness. Just wanted to clear the air a bit.