Month: October 2016

On August 12, 1994, the MLB Players Association officially went on strike, cutting short a promising season that seemed destined for greatness just a few weeks earlier. Padres right fielder Tony Gwynn was on pace to become the game’s first .400 hitter since 1941, and many believed that Montreal had laid the groundwork for an exciting new dynasty up north.  

Unfortunately, squabbles between athletes and owners over revenue pulled the plug on these developing stories. Over 900 games were canceled, including the World Series.

Whether you hold the owners, players, commissioner, or any combination thereof responsible for denying fans a championship showdown in ‘94, it’s safe to say that the blame could be spread around. Ninety years earlier, however, calling off the World Series was a two-man job.

1903’s series—the first Fall Classic ever played—had been an enormous upset. In eight games, the National League’s heavily-favored Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the Boston Americans (later renamed the Red Sox), their American League opponents. National League baseball had been wowing spectators since 1876 (and the Pirates arrived six seasons later). In contrast, the up-and-coming American League was only three years old. Nevertheless, Bean Town’s superior pitching ensured a meaningful series victory on behalf of the younger coalition.

That impressive performance still couldn’t silence those who wanted to dismiss the new league as an inferior product, and no critic was louder than New York Giants manager John McGraw.

McGraw’s grievances ran deep. A.L. clubs could steal away key players from National League squads (like his) with the siren’s lure of fatter paychecks—an arrangement made possible by their elevated salary ceiling. Furthermore, in 1903, the organization hit McGraw’s bottom line even harder by giving Big Apple fans another team to watch: the fledgling New York Highlanders, whom we now call the Yankees.

Before debuting in New York City, those Highlanders had already ticked McGraw off during their 1901 and 1902 campaigns, when fans knew them as the Baltimore Orioles (not to be confused with today’s version of the O’s). McGraw was brought in to manage the Baltimore franchise by none other than A.L. president Ban Johnson, who quickly regretted the appointment. Umpires grew fearful of McGraw’s explosive tirades and Johnson retaliated by slapping him with suspension after suspension. Finally, McGraw gave up. Upon bidding Baltimore adieu, he switched leagues to oversee the lowly Giants.

By 1904, McGraw’s new gang had become the most dominant team in baseball. Led by future hall of famers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity, they’d go on to amass a 106-47 record. That the Giants would win the coveted National League pennant soon became a foregone conclusion. Meanwhile, the A.L. race ran right down to the wire, as Boston found itself in a tight, season-long duel with the big-spending Highlanders. For the very first time, there was talk of a New York vs. New York series.

Giants owner John T. Brush made sure that never happened. As early as July 5, while the Boston Americans and Highlanders were still trading blows, sources close to him told reporters that, regardless of who won the American League, his team would most likely sit out the ensuing World Series. On October 6, he confirmed these rumors.

To the surprise of no one, McGraw backed his boss one hundred percent. As he’d smugly reminded everybody a few months prior, the manager felt nothing but contempt for either club. “Why should we play [Boston],” McGraw wondered aloud, “or any other American League team, for any postseason championship? When we clinch the National League pennant, we’ll be champions of the only real Major League.”

Their egos bruised, both rosters now desperately wanted to take a crack at his Giants. On October 9, the last day of the season, Boston nabbed its second consecutive A.L. pennant. With the taste of victory fresh on his tongue, John I. Tyler, the Americans’ president, dared McGraw to step up to the plate. “Dear Sir,” he wrote, “As the Boston club today won the championship of the American League, I challenge your club to play for the championship of the world. Of course, if you refuse to play, we get the title by default, but I shall prefer to win it on the diamond in a series of five games or more.”

Alas, his taunts fell on deaf ears, and McGraw never responded. Meanwhile, when the second-place Highlanders invited the Giants to compete in an unofficial playoff series, Brush gave them an answer—and a pretty brutal one at that. Patronizingly, he asked “Who are these people? We do not know them at all. The Giants do not care to play minor leaguers, so this absurd challenge from a lot of nobodies will be ignored.”

Because World Series attendance wasn’t yet mandatory for pennant-winners, McGraw and Brush comfortably sat on their laurels. That year, a disappointed baseball-crazed nation was denied the pleasure of watching New York’s N.L. club try and back up its trash talk.  

History wouldn’t repeat itself in 1905. Following 1904’s debacle, both leagues formally agreed to make championship participation non-negotiable. The Giants again won the pennant and, this time, took home a World Series title by beating the Philadelphia Athletics four games to one.

However, as if by karmic retribution, McGraw’s team lost their next four appearances, including a date with the then recently-renamed Red Sox in 1912. Today, over 110 years after the Giants refused to face Tyler’s men, Boston fans are greeted by a red, white, and blue “1904” banner near the entrance of Fenway Park—a tribute to the greatest matchup that never was.   

Amateur astronomers will probably want to make space for this jewelry series from Maryland-based artist Lauren Beacham. Along with her husband Tyler, the designer creates jewelry inspired by celestial objects.

Beacham has a degree in fine art photography and computer imaging, which led her to start making photography-based jewelry. She moved into astronomy-themed items in 2013 and has since made a whole collection. The series of handmade jewelry includes cufflinks, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and more—each featuring an image of space.

For instance, her cufflinks are decorated with Earth, the Heart Nebula, and the golden record from the Voyager Probe. A bracelet and necklace bib features the planets in the solar system (plus Pluto and the sun), and a pair of earrings and a necklace show the phases of the moon.

You can find all her work sold on UncommonGoods.

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Need a little affirmation that there’s still a lot of good in this world? This October 22, volunteers from across the country will come together to help others in honor of “Make a Difference Day.” If you want to get in on the act, Make a Difference Day has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities available to help improve your community or brighten someone’s day. Or, you can also participate on your own time with some of these good deeds—many of which can easily become daily or monthly habits.

1. VOLUNTEER AT AN ANIMAL SHELTER.

Offer an hour out of your week to a local animal shelter. They usually need help walking dogs, grooming animals, and cleaning living spaces, among other things. Some shelters even let kids get in on the action by having them hone their reading skills by reading books to the animals, who appreciate the attention. No time to volunteer? Shelters always need pet food, toys, and other supplies if you’d prefer to make a donation.

2. DONATE UNUSED TOILETRIES.

Got extra toiletries? Maybe you’ve stashed away mini shampoos from hotel stays, or you stocked up the last time there was a good sale. Instead of letting those extras collect dust in your bathroom closet, donate them to homeless shelters or women’s shelters. Give your intended recipient a call first, though—some organizations only accept certain sizes.

3. PLANT PRODUCE FOR YOUR FOOD BANK.

Those of you with green thumbs can dedicate space in your garden to do good for others. Check with your local food banks to see what fresh produce they can accept, and then set aside some square footage—even just a row or a container—and give whatever grows to the food kitchen. Vegetables like carrots, peppers, onions, and tomatoes can go a long way in making a low-cost meal more nutritious.

4. GROW SOME EXTRA BLOOMS.

If you’re more inclined to grow flowers than veggies, you can do good with those, too. Plant a cutting garden, and take bouquets to hospitals and nursing homes to brighten someone’s day.

5. ADD ON TO YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL.

Many energy companies have programs that allow customers to make small donations while paying their bill that go to pay the energy bills of households that have trouble keeping the lights on and the house warm.

6. MULTIPLY YOUR DONATION—FOR FREE!

Many employers will match your charitable donations, usually to organizations that align with their own philosophies. Find out if your employer has a matching donation program—or ask if they’ll start one.

7. LEAVE GOOD READING MATERIAL FOR SOMEONE TO FIND.

I just shared a kind act for Give Your Favorite Book Away #giveabook #choosekindness https://t.co/ZfUdGJQn3s pic.twitter.com/DRUTIGFgwA

— Lit Up (@litupshow) October 7, 2016

You can make someone’s commute or lunch break far more interesting by leaving a good book for them to find. Attach a note with a brief recommendation (and an assurance that the book is meant to be taken and enjoyed) and, if you want to spread the literary love even more, participate in this Kindness initiative by posting your gift and encouraging your friends on social media to join in.

8. MULTITASK WHEN YOU GO ON WALKS.

The next time you head out for a relaxing stroll, take a bag with you and pick up litter and trash along your route. Not only will Mother Nature appreciate the effort, you’ll also make the next person’s walk that much more enjoyable.

9. MAKE YOUR EXERCISE CHARITABLE.

Do twice as much good while you’re on that walk. A free app called Charity Miles partners with companies that make charitable donations based on the distance you walk or run, which is tracked via the app. You can choose from a number of charities, including the National Park Foundation, the ASPCA, the Wounded Warrior Project, Habitat for Humanity, and many more.

10. BUY AN EXTRA ITEM WHEN YOU GROCERY SHOP.

Every time you make a stop at the grocery store, pick up an extra nonperishable item or two. At the end of the month, you’ll have a good stash to donate to your local food bank.

11. DRIVE A VETERAN.

Have a driver’s license and a little bit of free time? Volunteer to drive a veteran to appointments at your local VA hospital to get the treatments they need. And that’s just one of the ways you can help our military members—you can also donate frequent flyer miles, help train service dogs, and help build or modify homes for disabled veterans who need customized accommodations.

Parenting is a heck of a lot more complicated than it used to be. For one, raising a child in a hyper-connected world raises a lot of questions about the benefits and drawbacks of technology use. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does its best to offer answers, and has just updated its recommendations on media use for kids.

Today, October 21, the AAP put out two updates, both published in the journal Pediatrics: “Media and Young Minds” recommendations for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers [PDF]; and “Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents” [PDF]. The upshot of both is that parents should approach the screen-time issue with a strategy.

“Families should proactively think about their children’s media use and talk with children about it,” report author Jenny Radesky said in a statement, “because too much media use can mean that children don’t have enough time during the day to play, study, talk, or sleep. What’s most important is that parents be their child’s ‘media mentor.’ That means teaching them how to use it as a tool to create, connect, and learn.”

The new recommendations lift the AAP’s previous ban on screen time for kids under 2 years old, but it still warns parents and pediatricians to restrict media time for very small children.

Other recommendations include:

– For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality and interactive programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they’re seeing.

– For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.

– For children ages 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media, and make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity, and other behaviors essential to health.

– Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms.

– Have ongoing communication about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline.

Older kids and teens are not immune to media influence, the report cautions. Scores of studies have linked childhood consumption of TV and other media to lower self-esteem, unrealistic expectations, and believing harmful stereotypes.

Physician and education expert Megan Moreno co-authored the policy report on media use in older children. “Parents play an important role in helping children and teens navigate media, which can have both positive and negative effects,” she said. “Parents can set expectations and boundaries to make sure their children’s media experience is a positive one. The key is mindful use of media within a family.”

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There’s never been a better time to show off your hometown pride. As the design critics at Co.Design recently pointed out, “infrastructure is now a lifestyle trend.” You can celebrate your favorite city through posters, jewelry, glassware, or now, chess sets. San Diego-based designer Abe Ruiz 3D-prints chess pieces that resemble the iconic skyscrapers of particular cities, Gizmodo reports.

Each set is carefully designed to evoke the specific urban skyline of the city, while also being recognizable as the intended game pieceS. The Chicago set, for instance, uses the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) as its king, while the city’s second-tallest building, the John Hancock Tower, is the queen. The pawns are in the shape of Bertrand Goldberg’s Prentice Women’s Hospital, an architectural treasure that was demolished in 2014.

The pieces are sold in half-sets, so you choose whether you want to buy, for instance, the Chicago pieces in white and the San Diego pieces in black, or a full set of just Chicago pieces. The pieces have a small magnet at the bottom to give them extra stability on the wood-and-metal board. The boards, sold separately, are overlaid with city street maps, but you can also use the pieces on any other metal board if you aren’t dedicated to battling it out for urban domination.

There are sets for Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Diego, with corresponding map boards. All of them are available on Etsy or on Ruiz’s website. They start at $96.

[h/t Gizmodo]

All images courtesy Abe Ruiz Design.

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The people who keep zoos and aquariums up and running don’t get a lot of time in the spotlight, but someone has to take care of the creatures that we come to see. The Telegraph’s latest “day in the life” video follows Kat Dixon, a senior aquarist at the Sea Life London Aquarium, as she explains what exactly she does all day. The video is 360°, so you can move the camera’s vantage point around to see the whole aquarium setup. And yes, she gets to play with the penguins.

“They have all got their own personalities—I can tell them apart just by the way they act,” Dixon says. “We play with them when we’re cleaning their enclosure.”

She also gets to clean out the shark tank. And while that may not sound as enticing to some people, it can sometimes be a treat. According to Dixon, at least one of the sharks, Betty, is “very curious and playful,” and “will always come over and nudge the divers a bit.”

[h/t The Telegraph]

Header image by Pete Stewart via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

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What’s your personality like? Long before BuzzFeed or the Myers-Briggs personality test, there was phrenology—a pseudoscience that used the lumps and bumps of human skulls to tease out the secrets of human psychology.

This skeleton-bedecked snuff box looks creepy, but it served as a handy reference for its 19th-century owner. Part of the collection of the Science Museum, London, it shows three views of a numbered skull on the lid and has a handy-dandy key on the bottom of the box.

The concept behind phrenology makes a certain kind of sense: Since the brain holds the mind, different faculties of the mind must live in certain parts of the brain, or so phrenology’s followers believed. And while that’s not totally off base, they also believed that one could “read” the elevations and depressions of the skull for clues about the capabilities and “faculties” of the brain within.

That’s demonstrated on this snuff box, which shows three views of a skull studded with numbers. Each number on the skull corresponds to an “organ” responsible for a personality trait. Number 18, for example, indicated vanity, so someone with a large or protruding area at that part of the skull would presumably be vain.

There are 27 “faculties” or “organs” overall, each divvied up and named by Franz Joseph Gall, the German physiologist who invented phrenology. The sections cover the entire gamut of human emotion and behavior, from haughtiness and arrogance to poetic talent.

Phrenology may have long since been dismissed as a pseudoscience, but it sure left some creepy memorabilia behind. Take the box in question: Made in France at some point between 1800 and 1830, it also jumped on another trend—sniffing snuff, or fine-ground tobacco. The practice was all the rage in Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries, and spawned not only elaborate snuff-taking rituals but a collecting craze. Today, snuff boxes made of everything from silver to papier-mâché are still prized collector’s items.

Though snuff has fallen out of favor, it’s not dead: You can still buy it in some places, and in the British House of Commons, where smoking is banned, some MPs still take a snort of snuff from the Parliament’s communal box before legislating. Their box isn’t as creepy-cool, though … merely plated with pure silver. (There are snuff boxes in the U.S. Senate, too, but though they’re filled with snuff they’re not used by any Senators today.)

[h/t Lindsey Fitzharris]

Don’t underestimate the importance of taking time between jobs. While the last few weeks in your old position can be a scramble of tying up projects and training a replacement, you’re also expected to hit the ground running and prove yourself in your new post. The stress and scrutiny can be incredibly taxing—even more so when you realize it might be six months or more before you can take vacation at your new company.

“The mistake so many people make is saying they can start Monday after leaving a job Friday,” says Robin Ryan, a career counselor and author of 60 Seconds and You’re Hired. “But building in even a few days—ideally a week—can be so helpful to get you rejuvenated and ready to start your new job.”

Of course, getting (and affording) a week-long buffer isn’t always as easy as asking for it. But there are smart strategies to blow past the hurdles keeping you from some well-deserved R&R.

HURDLE 1: THE OFFER LETTER LISTS A START DATE THAT IS PAINFULLY SOON.

SOLUTION: This is absolutely the right time to talk about start dates, says Ryan, so go ahead and gently push back on whatever date the company suggests. It might be that the hiring manager defaults to setting starts two weeks in the future (to accommodate the usual notice most new hires need to give their old jobs). Or it could be that there’s some pressing project or reason that start date is crucial. You won’t know unless you ask.

“You don’t need to give them an explanation,” says Ryan. “When you accept the offer, say that you’d prefer to start on X date instead and see what they say.” Most companies are more flexible than new employees fear, she says.

HURDLE 2: YOUR DATE IS SET IN STONE.

SOLUTION: If your new position absolutely has to start on a certain date, because of a big work event or pressing project, you might want to shorten the notice you give your current company. While two weeks is the standard across all industries, some managers will welcome the chance to cut your notice short, says Ryan. Position it as a request rather than an ultimatum, though, or you risk souring your relationship with the company. “You want to do everything you can to be gracious and nice on the way out,” says Ryan. “You never know if you might want to return there some day or use a reference from there, so you don’t want to burn any bridges on your way out the door.”

HURDLE 3: YOU HAVE A VACATION PLANNED JUST A FEW WEEKS LATER.

SOLUTION: Be upfront with the hiring manager. While most companies won’t want you to plan time off in the first few months of a new post, it’s not uncommon to have a long-planned wedding or family reunion already on the books. It could be that the hiring manager wants to push back your start date to the other side of that vacation—which will naturally give you a week between gigs. Or the hiring manager may ask you to go ahead and start now, then enjoy the time off as planned—and vacation a few weeks into a new gig is almost as good as R&R beforehand. This is another situation where Ryan recommends being both gracious and upfront. Hiring managers are human, after all, and they’ll understand that you don’t want to cancel traveling to your sister’s wedding just to accommodate a start date.

HURDLE 4: YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS A PAYCHECK.

SOLUTION: Before you think a week off is out of the question, tally up your PTO and look at your company’s employee handbook. If your employer pays out for unused vacation or sick days, you may have money coming your way that can offset the days off. If not—or if you decide to be super-responsible and put that chunk of change towards savings goals—well, then you might have to shrink your time-off dreams. A week can do wonders, says Ryan, but even a long weekend helps. Can you afford to have your last day be a Wednesday or Thursday, to give yourself four days to recharge? Losing a day or two of pay may be worth the mental break before you dive in on Monday.

Forecasters expect the season’s first snowfall to blanket parts of the Northeast and New England this weekend, potentially leaving a wintry coating on some towns in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire by the morning of Sunday, October 23. The snow is expected to cover areas that are just past the peak of fall foliage, potentially inconveniencing tourists in the area but likely making for some gorgeous scenery once the skies clear out.

Ironically, the origin of the impending snowfall is the record-breaking heat wave earlier this week—a great symbol of how wacky fall weather can be. Folks who live east of the Rocky Mountains know that summer doesn’t give up easily. Lurking behind the initial cooldown of autumn is often an “Indian summer,” a term given to an unusually toasty heat wave that builds up for a couple of days during this seemingly odd time of the year. Temperatures across huge swaths of the United States earlier this week climbed to levels you’d normally see in August; some towns in the southern Plains cracked 100°F, and daily high temperature records fell as far north as New York City.

Fall heat waves don’t last very long, though, and this one was no exception. The same low-pressure system that dragged cool, Canadian air back down over the U.S. and pushed away the heat will also be responsible for the snow that will likely fall this weekend. Weather models consistently show a strong, wavy jet stream snaking its way across North America, creating strong lift that will allow the low-pressure system to gather strength as it marches toward New England.

 
The storm this weekend will sort of resemble a nor’easter that we’re so used to seeing during the winter months. The system will bring gusty winds and widespread precipitation across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states over the next couple of days, giving areas in an increasingly severe drought several inches of much-needed rain.

Once that storm reaches New England, however, the winds spiraling around the low-pressure center will allow subfreezing air to cross the Canadian border into New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. This intrusion of chilly air will force the rain to slowly change over to snow on Saturday night and Sunday. The Weather Prediction Center expects more than half a foot of snow across higher elevations of northern New York, with smaller totals around lower elevations nearby.

A few inches of snow is hardly an issue in this part of the country, even this early in the season. No matter how winter-minded folks are, though, the first snow of the season can be a challenge for drivers trying to navigate potentially slippery roads. Many trees still have their leaves—and this will be a wet snow—so weaker tree branches and limbs could fall if they can’t handle the additional weight of the snow. This could pose a danger to vehicles, homes, and power lines.

Even though it feels like it’s too early to start talking about snow, the second-to-last week of October is, on average, when New York’s Adirondacks record their first measurable snowfall of the year. The normal date for the year’s first snow around Lake Placid and Saranac Lake is October 21. The average first snowfall doesn’t occur until the beginning of November in northern Vermont and New Hampshire, but in years past they’ve had measurable snow as early as the beginning of October. If this snowfall pans out as expected, it will be nothing unprecedented or even all that bothersome to local residents. Plus, the white snow contrasted against the colorful trees will make the storm noteworthy for its beauty.

As long as there have been legends of mysterious ape men roaming the woods, there have been people determined to find them. Traps, cable TV shows, and continent-wide organizations exist for the sole purpose of locating Bigfoot. But for all the time and energy spent tracking the elusive creature, the proper protocol on what to do on the off-chance it’s found remains unclear. Should Bigfoot hunters play dead? Lure it to civilization with beef jerky? Shoot it between the eyes and deliver it to their local taxidermist?

Before setting off on your next Bigfoot hunt, you might want to check with your state’s wildlife department. It’s true that Sasquatch is legendary, but the cryptid still receives hypothetical legal protection in some parts of the country.

The first place to outlaw Bigfoot slaughter explicitly was Skamania County, Washington. In 1969, two years after the release of the controversial Patterson-Gimlin film, the county found itself caught in the heat of peak Bigfoot fever. Believers flooded the Pacific Northwest with plans to track down the stealthy beast—and, as the Board of County Commissioners soon noticed, many visitors brought dangerous hunting weapons with them. Not only did this pose a risk to potential Bigfoots, but it also threatened the residents living in these supposed Sasquatch hotspots. More concerned with the safety of the latter than the former, the commissioners passed an official ordinance [PDF] stating that slaying Bigfoot was a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

By 1984 the Bigfoot craze had settled down and legislators recategorized the intentional murder of Bigfoot as a gross misdemeanor punishable by one year in prison and/or a $1000 fine. The same amendment also named Bigfoot an endangered species in Skamania County and declared all land within their borders to be a “Sasquatch Refuge.”

Not all places hold such a humanitarian attitude toward the mythical monster. In Texas, for example, it is perfectly legal to hunt and kill Bigfoot. At least that’s according to L. David Sinclair, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s chief of staff, who responded to an email about the legalities of Bigfoot hunting in 2012. He wrote:

“If the Commission does not specifically list an indigenous, non-game species, then the species is considered non-protected non-game wildlife […] A non-protected non-game animal may be hunted on private property with landowner consent by any means, at any time.”

Because Bigfoot isn’t recognized as an official species by the state of Texas, hunting one is technically allowed (with the proper license and permissions, of course). California takes the opposite approach when dealing with cryptids: The state keeps a record of non-game mammals in the California Code of Regulations. If any animal is missing from that list, as is the case with Bigfoot, that means it can’t be hunted legally.

Oregon follows a similar policy to California’s in that any animal not classified under Oregon wildlife laws is considered “prohibited.” Like the rest of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon has a long history of alleged Sasquatch encounters. “[We] receive periodic reports of Bigfoot sightings,” Michelle Dennehy, wildlife communications coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, tells mental_floss. Instead of going after Bigfoot with a gun, Dennehy suggests a legal (and tongue-in-cheek) alternative for trackers planning their next expedition.

When it comes to capturing Bigfoot, a super-sized live trap is the way to go. According to Dennehy, “The cage trap should be large enough to allow Bigfoot to have sufficient space to turn, stand, and lay naturally and of sufficient strength to prevent escape.” An extra-large cage from Havahart, the brand she recommends, is only big enough to contain a bobcat, so Bigfoot hunters will likely need to have a trap custom-made. Because Bigfoot falls under “prohibited” status, transporting, selling, or exchanging the animal is against the law in Oregon. The best course of action for any Bigfoot hunters who find success on their mission would be to call the wildlife department and allow state officials to handle it from there.

There’s one more major factor that makes killing Bigfoot a bad idea no matter where in the country you find yourself: If the hirsute victim is deemed to be more human than ape, the crime could count as manslaughter. Skamania County, Washington addressed this possibility in their Bigfoot ordinance of 1984, saying: “Should the Skamania County Coroner determine any victim/creature to have been humanoid, the Prosecuting Attorney shall pursue the case under existing laws pertaining to homicide.” And if the target turns out to be just a person in a Bigfoot costume (which, let’s face it, is more likely than the alternative) the consequences wouldn’t be any less severe. Just something to keep in mind if you had your heart set on collecting a Sasquatch trophy.

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