kitakaze
Resident DJ/NSA Supermole
Hi, all. I'm Kitakaze and I have a mission. This is me...
My Canadian family calls me Joshua and my Japanese family calls me Joshu. Most people call me Kitakaze, or just Kaze. Kitakaze is Japanese for "north wind." I picked up the name when I joined a soul/rock/house band in the late 90's and toured around North America. I was DJing and producing music underground dance music at the time under the name Northwind. I picked that up one day I was in the eleventh grade sitting one day in class in a daze as my eyes settled on the following passage from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, which we had been assigned to read...
I am a skeptic and regular contributor to the JREF forums and have been since early 2006. I found the JREF four years ago through regular reading of another board called the Bigfoot Forums. Bigfoot I found about twenty years before that as an inquisitive and bookish child in the third grade. In the library of my elementary school on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada I found the books of Canadian Bigfoot enthusiast and writer John Green. They were Year of the Sasquatch and The Sasquatch File...
I was immediately hooked. Those books transported me to another world, dark and mysterious, with chilling wails in the night and shadows moving amongst the trees. The concept of Bigfoot in my mind became this always intangible yet promising symbol of discovery. Fear mixed with wonder at the possible outcome of crossing the threshold to that discovery. I already had a fascination with the study of human evolution and the concept of a real species of possible missing link existing in the forests I had grown up around was deeply enticing to me, and developed into a passion that would accompany me into my adulthood. I read everything I could on the subject and would passionately talk to friends and relatives about these creatures I came to believe existed out there in the untouched wilds. I also had a strong pentient for critical thinking and investigation. It was that combination that lead me through all of the alleged evidence for Bigfoot over the years and eventually here to the JREF. By that time my ardent support for the existence had already developed into a fence-sitting agnosticism and it was not long before I kissed Bigfoot the real animal goodbye and fully embraced skepticism. That skepticism did nothing to lessen my appreciation and affection for Bigfoot as a cultural icon and myth. Nor did it lessen my interest in study how that myth is perpetuated as reality by Bigfoot believers. So it is that for the last several years that posting my contemplations and examinations of Bigfoot evidence and on the groups that look for the elusive beast has been a regular feature in the General Skepticism & Paranormal section of the JREF Forums.
Any regular member of the JREF will know quite well that Bigfoot is a pretty popular topic of conversation here (though the reason why does confound some), with countless threads spanning over hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of talk and debate. Our first thread devoted to the famed Patterson-Gimlin Film, a film from the late sixties purportedly showing a female Bigfoot nonchalantly ambling across a dried up river bed, had 411 pages (hence its nickname as the 411 PGF), 16,432 posts, over half a million views and ran for over three years btween 2005 and 2008. That's a lot of Bigfoot talk. Surprisingly, sometimes it can get pretty heated. You wouldn't think an elusive bipedal ape, often described as a gentle giant, would stir up such passionate responses in people, but it does.
("Patty" the Bigfoot - Patterson-Gimlin Film)
I'm pretty proud of my accomplishments as a JREF Bigfoot skeptic, as well as those of my fellow Bigfoot skeptics here. It was JREF member William Parcher that was first to discover the origin of the costume used in the 2008 Georgia, USA Bigfoot hoax that was seen around the world on CNN and pre-empted Iraq War coverage...
My contributions of note include a detailed examination of the oft-heard claim that Bigfoot is prevalent throughout Native American myths and traditions, as well as an examination of the expeditions for profit organized by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, the head of which famously threatened to sue me over my critical writing on the group. One of my main areas of activity posting at the JREF has been discussing the Patterson-Gimlin Film and debating the finer points as to whether or not it does in fact show a living sasquatch in the wilds of Northern California. I found my self in the company of people who were avid scholars on the mystery of the PGF, such as the aforementioned William Parcher, and others such as Skeptical Greg, LTC8K6 and Correa Neto. The depth of detailed knowledge these men had on the PGF continually astounded me and humbled me. My own knowledge over the years grew but in posting about the PGF, I often ventured into the larger questions implied by the possibilities the film suggested. I would often find myself venturing into just exactly where and how we should be finding Bigfoot as a species while many of my colleagues dissected inconsistencies in the alleged timeline of the film's creation. When focusing on the PGF, I would often discuss the merits of the claims of a man by the name of Bob Heironimus, who in 2004 was tapped by Washington State writer Greg Long as being the man in the suit in his book The Making of Bigfoot: The Inside Story. Mr. Heironimus is the only man that had ever claimed to be the Bigfoot seen in the film, affectionately dubbed "Patty" by Bigfoot enthusiasts, after the name of Roger Patterson's (the man who shot the film) wife, Patricia Patterson. Patterson died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1972. Though little known to many supporters to the authenticity of the film, Heironimus lives only nine doors from the other man known to be present at the time of the filming, Bob Gimlin. Both men are still alive and have lived on the same street in Yakima, Washington since before the film was shot in '67. Bigfoot believers have generally dismissed Long's book as an attack piece on Patterson and Heironimus' testimony as being nothing but lies.
Now, enough about me and my background. I mentioned a mission, didn't I? Let me tell you about it.
Since about just over a year ago my frustration with the unending nature of the PGF debate built to the point where I had decided to myself that I wanted to meet with the still living principle characters at the center of the PGF story. I felt convinced that little more could be accomplished without going to the source of the controversy. In our research of the PGF we discovered much that led me to support the veracity of Bob Heironimus' claim of being Patty. We had discovered images unseen by the Bigfootery community showing Heironimus on film taken by Patterson, as well as images showing Patterson and Gimlin using Bob Heironimus' horse. In later questioning Gimlin would come to admit that he had used Heironimus' horse, but was simply breaking in the horse for the man at the time.
Most of all I felt that it was crucial for me to meet with Bob Heironimus and Bob Gimlin, if I could. The last two men alive that were there when the film was shot (allegedly in Heironimus' case). This was made difficult by the fact that I had been living the last six or seven years in Tokyo, Japan. I recently returned for an indefinite period to Vancouver Island while keeping my home in Tokyo. During this time back on the west coast I intensified my efforts to meet these men, including trying to arrange attendence to a celebration held on behalf of Bob Gimlin called the Yakima Bigfoot Round that was held May 15th-16th, 2009. I was denied access to the event, as was anyone who had posted any online comments critical or questioning of the film's authenticity. You can see images from the event here...
While long being noted for refusing to do interviews regarding the PGF, in recent years Mr. Gimlin has begun to embrace his celebrity within the world of Bigfootery, and often appears as the guest of honour at Bigfoot conferences and get-togethers. A concerted effort has been made by Gimlin's followers to shield him from questioning by informed skeptics of his claims regarding the PGF's authenticity...
(image by mangler)
After losing that chance to see and possibly talk with Gimlin myself, I focused my efforts on making contact with Bob Heironimus. It wasn't a simple matter of just going to a phone directory and looking him up. Since the release of Greg Long's book in 2004, Bob's number has been unlisted. After doing some digging, last year I was able to find an email address for Bob's wife Glenda that I hoped was in use. I sent a message detailing who I am and my desire to meet with Bob. After receiving no reply, I became convinced that my email was not seen by Bob's wife. It looked as if I was not going to be able to get my meeting. Then in the January of this year a young man by the name of Lucas joined the JREF Forums claiming to in contact with Bob Heironimus. At the time I was away from the forum for a couple of weeks while my laptop was being repaired. Lucas' claims met with inevitable skepticism and he posted infrequently. When I returned to the forum and saw Lucas' claims, I immediately sought out contact with him. Over a protracted period of time I attempted to verify Lucas' claim and asked him to serve as a liason in getting me in touch with Bob.
It was during this time that I was able to find Bob's phone number with the help of fellow JREF Bigfoot skeptic, William Parcher. I was able to get six digits of Bob's number, which reduced the list of possible candidate numbers to ten. William reduced the list to six possibilities. I then waited for Lucas to get results in connecting me with Bob. After giving up on that possibility, I took the six numbers, tried them all and finally succeeded in reaching Bob. After talking with Bob, I learned that only very recently had his wife, Glenda, found the email I sent her last year. Many revelations resulted with me finally contacting Bob and my investigations into the PGF went into overdrive. You can follow the developements since I first contacted Mr. Heironimus by going to the thread we have devoted to his claim here...
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=5680677#post5680677
It was at this point that an idea that I had for some time was beginning to coalesce in my mind. I had decided to take my writing at the JREF and turn it into something more productive and with more impact. I decided that I was going to write a book, tentatively titled Woods & Wildmen: An Inside Look at the Wild World of Bigfootery. Woods & Wildmen was a term I came up with a few years ago meant to reflect the adult roleplaying nature of Bigfootery, and was a play on the famous roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. I had envisioned my discussions with Bob Heironimus to be the basis for a chapter within Woods & Wildmen that I would call Nine Doors Apart in reference to where Heironimus and Gimlin resided. I further envisioned creating various media projects, including a possible documentary.
In the course of my investigations, the scope of them began to increase and I started contacting more figures within the Bigfoot community. While pursuing a lead on a rumoured confession of hoax to be released by Roger Patterson's widow's attorney upon the event of her passing, I came into contact with Tom Biscardi, a well known Bigfoot hunter and central figure of 2008's Georgia Bigfoot hoax. Biscardi was alleged to be the source of the rumour. While Biscardi denied any knowledge of the rumour, he did share with me very interesting testimony of why he knew for a fact that the PGF was a hoax. Not long after this, my mission in my mind took definite shape...
My Mission is to turn the PGF controversy upside-down and put to rest all doubt of the film being a hoax.
Up until recently, I had little hope that such a thing was achievable, but recent events have come to give me good reason to consider the contrary. I now think this can be done. My mission is to vindicate Bob Heironimus as a pathological liar in the eyes of Bigfoot enthusiasts, or failing that, disprove his claim. My desire is to take people with me on my journey to achieve my goal. My plan of attack is to use publicity as a weapon for taking on misinformation. I have a very specific strategy in mind that I will now detail. My plan is to pitch my quest for truth as a documentary to be produced with assistance from or by Discovery Channel Canada. This documentary could either be the wider themed Woods & Wildmen: An Inside Look at the Wild World of Bigfootery or zero in on my None Doors Apart concept. The film would follw me from various locations, including starting in Victoria where I would meet with Canadian Bigfoot researcher and wildlife biologist, John Bindernagel, author of North America's Great Ape: The Sasquatch, to discuss the evidence for Bigfoot, going to Yakima to meet Heironimus, attending various Bigfoot conferences, joining expeditions of various Bigfoot groups, and talking with various Bigfoot experts, such as Jeff Meldrum, and supporters, such as Jane Goodall. I would end with a visit to the Smithsonian to look at he bones of famed Bigfoot proponent and scientist, Grover Krantz.
In an upcoming post, I will detail exact specifics of my application to the Discovery Channel, as well as exactly how JREF members and readers can support the effort to make this project a reality. I want people to feel that they are involved in this quest and have a stake in its outcome.
Lastly, I would like to thank fellow JREF Bigfoot skeptic Drewbot for planting the seed that I am tending now. Thanks, Drew. I think this story has undeniable entertainment value and with the proper planning and conceptualization, along with plenty of support from you, the reader, stands a good chance of being accepted by Discovery.
Kaze's Quest is on!
My Canadian family calls me Joshua and my Japanese family calls me Joshu. Most people call me Kitakaze, or just Kaze. Kitakaze is Japanese for "north wind." I picked up the name when I joined a soul/rock/house band in the late 90's and toured around North America. I was DJing and producing music underground dance music at the time under the name Northwind. I picked that up one day I was in the eleventh grade sitting one day in class in a daze as my eyes settled on the following passage from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, which we had been assigned to read...
I am a skeptic and regular contributor to the JREF forums and have been since early 2006. I found the JREF four years ago through regular reading of another board called the Bigfoot Forums. Bigfoot I found about twenty years before that as an inquisitive and bookish child in the third grade. In the library of my elementary school on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada I found the books of Canadian Bigfoot enthusiast and writer John Green. They were Year of the Sasquatch and The Sasquatch File...
I was immediately hooked. Those books transported me to another world, dark and mysterious, with chilling wails in the night and shadows moving amongst the trees. The concept of Bigfoot in my mind became this always intangible yet promising symbol of discovery. Fear mixed with wonder at the possible outcome of crossing the threshold to that discovery. I already had a fascination with the study of human evolution and the concept of a real species of possible missing link existing in the forests I had grown up around was deeply enticing to me, and developed into a passion that would accompany me into my adulthood. I read everything I could on the subject and would passionately talk to friends and relatives about these creatures I came to believe existed out there in the untouched wilds. I also had a strong pentient for critical thinking and investigation. It was that combination that lead me through all of the alleged evidence for Bigfoot over the years and eventually here to the JREF. By that time my ardent support for the existence had already developed into a fence-sitting agnosticism and it was not long before I kissed Bigfoot the real animal goodbye and fully embraced skepticism. That skepticism did nothing to lessen my appreciation and affection for Bigfoot as a cultural icon and myth. Nor did it lessen my interest in study how that myth is perpetuated as reality by Bigfoot believers. So it is that for the last several years that posting my contemplations and examinations of Bigfoot evidence and on the groups that look for the elusive beast has been a regular feature in the General Skepticism & Paranormal section of the JREF Forums.
Any regular member of the JREF will know quite well that Bigfoot is a pretty popular topic of conversation here (though the reason why does confound some), with countless threads spanning over hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of talk and debate. Our first thread devoted to the famed Patterson-Gimlin Film, a film from the late sixties purportedly showing a female Bigfoot nonchalantly ambling across a dried up river bed, had 411 pages (hence its nickname as the 411 PGF), 16,432 posts, over half a million views and ran for over three years btween 2005 and 2008. That's a lot of Bigfoot talk. Surprisingly, sometimes it can get pretty heated. You wouldn't think an elusive bipedal ape, often described as a gentle giant, would stir up such passionate responses in people, but it does.
("Patty" the Bigfoot - Patterson-Gimlin Film)
I'm pretty proud of my accomplishments as a JREF Bigfoot skeptic, as well as those of my fellow Bigfoot skeptics here. It was JREF member William Parcher that was first to discover the origin of the costume used in the 2008 Georgia, USA Bigfoot hoax that was seen around the world on CNN and pre-empted Iraq War coverage...
My contributions of note include a detailed examination of the oft-heard claim that Bigfoot is prevalent throughout Native American myths and traditions, as well as an examination of the expeditions for profit organized by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, the head of which famously threatened to sue me over my critical writing on the group. One of my main areas of activity posting at the JREF has been discussing the Patterson-Gimlin Film and debating the finer points as to whether or not it does in fact show a living sasquatch in the wilds of Northern California. I found my self in the company of people who were avid scholars on the mystery of the PGF, such as the aforementioned William Parcher, and others such as Skeptical Greg, LTC8K6 and Correa Neto. The depth of detailed knowledge these men had on the PGF continually astounded me and humbled me. My own knowledge over the years grew but in posting about the PGF, I often ventured into the larger questions implied by the possibilities the film suggested. I would often find myself venturing into just exactly where and how we should be finding Bigfoot as a species while many of my colleagues dissected inconsistencies in the alleged timeline of the film's creation. When focusing on the PGF, I would often discuss the merits of the claims of a man by the name of Bob Heironimus, who in 2004 was tapped by Washington State writer Greg Long as being the man in the suit in his book The Making of Bigfoot: The Inside Story. Mr. Heironimus is the only man that had ever claimed to be the Bigfoot seen in the film, affectionately dubbed "Patty" by Bigfoot enthusiasts, after the name of Roger Patterson's (the man who shot the film) wife, Patricia Patterson. Patterson died of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1972. Though little known to many supporters to the authenticity of the film, Heironimus lives only nine doors from the other man known to be present at the time of the filming, Bob Gimlin. Both men are still alive and have lived on the same street in Yakima, Washington since before the film was shot in '67. Bigfoot believers have generally dismissed Long's book as an attack piece on Patterson and Heironimus' testimony as being nothing but lies.
Now, enough about me and my background. I mentioned a mission, didn't I? Let me tell you about it.
Since about just over a year ago my frustration with the unending nature of the PGF debate built to the point where I had decided to myself that I wanted to meet with the still living principle characters at the center of the PGF story. I felt convinced that little more could be accomplished without going to the source of the controversy. In our research of the PGF we discovered much that led me to support the veracity of Bob Heironimus' claim of being Patty. We had discovered images unseen by the Bigfootery community showing Heironimus on film taken by Patterson, as well as images showing Patterson and Gimlin using Bob Heironimus' horse. In later questioning Gimlin would come to admit that he had used Heironimus' horse, but was simply breaking in the horse for the man at the time.
Most of all I felt that it was crucial for me to meet with Bob Heironimus and Bob Gimlin, if I could. The last two men alive that were there when the film was shot (allegedly in Heironimus' case). This was made difficult by the fact that I had been living the last six or seven years in Tokyo, Japan. I recently returned for an indefinite period to Vancouver Island while keeping my home in Tokyo. During this time back on the west coast I intensified my efforts to meet these men, including trying to arrange attendence to a celebration held on behalf of Bob Gimlin called the Yakima Bigfoot Round that was held May 15th-16th, 2009. I was denied access to the event, as was anyone who had posted any online comments critical or questioning of the film's authenticity. You can see images from the event here...
While long being noted for refusing to do interviews regarding the PGF, in recent years Mr. Gimlin has begun to embrace his celebrity within the world of Bigfootery, and often appears as the guest of honour at Bigfoot conferences and get-togethers. A concerted effort has been made by Gimlin's followers to shield him from questioning by informed skeptics of his claims regarding the PGF's authenticity...
(image by mangler)
After losing that chance to see and possibly talk with Gimlin myself, I focused my efforts on making contact with Bob Heironimus. It wasn't a simple matter of just going to a phone directory and looking him up. Since the release of Greg Long's book in 2004, Bob's number has been unlisted. After doing some digging, last year I was able to find an email address for Bob's wife Glenda that I hoped was in use. I sent a message detailing who I am and my desire to meet with Bob. After receiving no reply, I became convinced that my email was not seen by Bob's wife. It looked as if I was not going to be able to get my meeting. Then in the January of this year a young man by the name of Lucas joined the JREF Forums claiming to in contact with Bob Heironimus. At the time I was away from the forum for a couple of weeks while my laptop was being repaired. Lucas' claims met with inevitable skepticism and he posted infrequently. When I returned to the forum and saw Lucas' claims, I immediately sought out contact with him. Over a protracted period of time I attempted to verify Lucas' claim and asked him to serve as a liason in getting me in touch with Bob.
It was during this time that I was able to find Bob's phone number with the help of fellow JREF Bigfoot skeptic, William Parcher. I was able to get six digits of Bob's number, which reduced the list of possible candidate numbers to ten. William reduced the list to six possibilities. I then waited for Lucas to get results in connecting me with Bob. After giving up on that possibility, I took the six numbers, tried them all and finally succeeded in reaching Bob. After talking with Bob, I learned that only very recently had his wife, Glenda, found the email I sent her last year. Many revelations resulted with me finally contacting Bob and my investigations into the PGF went into overdrive. You can follow the developements since I first contacted Mr. Heironimus by going to the thread we have devoted to his claim here...
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=5680677#post5680677
It was at this point that an idea that I had for some time was beginning to coalesce in my mind. I had decided to take my writing at the JREF and turn it into something more productive and with more impact. I decided that I was going to write a book, tentatively titled Woods & Wildmen: An Inside Look at the Wild World of Bigfootery. Woods & Wildmen was a term I came up with a few years ago meant to reflect the adult roleplaying nature of Bigfootery, and was a play on the famous roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. I had envisioned my discussions with Bob Heironimus to be the basis for a chapter within Woods & Wildmen that I would call Nine Doors Apart in reference to where Heironimus and Gimlin resided. I further envisioned creating various media projects, including a possible documentary.
In the course of my investigations, the scope of them began to increase and I started contacting more figures within the Bigfoot community. While pursuing a lead on a rumoured confession of hoax to be released by Roger Patterson's widow's attorney upon the event of her passing, I came into contact with Tom Biscardi, a well known Bigfoot hunter and central figure of 2008's Georgia Bigfoot hoax. Biscardi was alleged to be the source of the rumour. While Biscardi denied any knowledge of the rumour, he did share with me very interesting testimony of why he knew for a fact that the PGF was a hoax. Not long after this, my mission in my mind took definite shape...
My Mission is to turn the PGF controversy upside-down and put to rest all doubt of the film being a hoax.
Up until recently, I had little hope that such a thing was achievable, but recent events have come to give me good reason to consider the contrary. I now think this can be done. My mission is to vindicate Bob Heironimus as a pathological liar in the eyes of Bigfoot enthusiasts, or failing that, disprove his claim. My desire is to take people with me on my journey to achieve my goal. My plan of attack is to use publicity as a weapon for taking on misinformation. I have a very specific strategy in mind that I will now detail. My plan is to pitch my quest for truth as a documentary to be produced with assistance from or by Discovery Channel Canada. This documentary could either be the wider themed Woods & Wildmen: An Inside Look at the Wild World of Bigfootery or zero in on my None Doors Apart concept. The film would follw me from various locations, including starting in Victoria where I would meet with Canadian Bigfoot researcher and wildlife biologist, John Bindernagel, author of North America's Great Ape: The Sasquatch, to discuss the evidence for Bigfoot, going to Yakima to meet Heironimus, attending various Bigfoot conferences, joining expeditions of various Bigfoot groups, and talking with various Bigfoot experts, such as Jeff Meldrum, and supporters, such as Jane Goodall. I would end with a visit to the Smithsonian to look at he bones of famed Bigfoot proponent and scientist, Grover Krantz.
In an upcoming post, I will detail exact specifics of my application to the Discovery Channel, as well as exactly how JREF members and readers can support the effort to make this project a reality. I want people to feel that they are involved in this quest and have a stake in its outcome.
Lastly, I would like to thank fellow JREF Bigfoot skeptic Drewbot for planting the seed that I am tending now. Thanks, Drew. I think this story has undeniable entertainment value and with the proper planning and conceptualization, along with plenty of support from you, the reader, stands a good chance of being accepted by Discovery.
Kaze's Quest is on!
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It also sounds like your standard documentary style of movie. The issue is that you get to know the people and then you don't really want to portray them in a bad light. (At least as far as the hoi poloi at the BF gatherings)
