OPINION: What did we do before the internet?
Aug. 24—NORWALK — People love to make lists. I love to make lists.
But sometimes people have just too much time on their hands.
Here are a couple of lists that have hit my email lately:
Bigfoot for real?
Since the beginning of 2022, there have been 20 states that have received reports of a Bigfoot sighting. While most U.S. sightings of this ape-like creature have occurred in the Pacific Northwest, all 50 states have received sightings — including Ohio.
So where are you most likely to claim a Bigfoot sighting? BetOhio.com is on the hunt.
The state with the most Bigfoot sightings is Washington (with 707) — perhaps Bigfoot is a holdover from the Seattle grunge scene?
Next up is California (458), because you're likely to see anything in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Florida comes in third (337), as Florida Man is genetically similar to Bigfoot.
Then comes . . . Ohio (318).
Ohio? Where would one see Bigfoot in Ohio except when Michigan comes to play in Columbus? At a rest stop on I-80?
Why The Buckeye State?
Actually, according to Ohio's Country Journal, Ohio's Bigfoot, known as The Grassman, is most likely to be spotted in the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Ohio.
Another hot spot is the state's north-central region. Marc DeWerth — a noted Bigfoot researcher — says he was followed by a Bigfoot coming out of an old Ohio strip mine. Two hikers also saw Bigfoot in Salt Fork State Park.
Think Ohio isn't Bigfoot crazy? Earlier this month, Logan, Ohio, hosted the Hocking Hills Bigfoot Festival with presentations, local cuisine and a meet and greet.
On the weekend of Sept. 9-11, a Bigfoot Basecamp Weekend is planned for Pleasant Hill Lake Park in Richland County, with Matt Moneymaker, host of Animal Planet's "Finding Bigfoot," and Bigfoot investigator Charles Kimbrough, author of "Squatchin' 101." Tickets are $15 per car.
And as Ohio now is offering A, B and C sports betting licenses, it should be noted that there are also A, B and C types of Bigfoot sightings. Class A: The source saw Bigfoot and is sure it was Bigfoot. Class B: The source saw Bigfoot evidence — such as a Bigfoot print aka a big footprint. ... Class C is of the "my friend said he saw Bigfoot" variety.
How about Class D ... Who really cares?
Who killed JFK?
Last month (July 20) marked the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969 ... but did it really happen? With conspiracy theorists continue to claim the event as fake, are the Moon landings one of America's most popular conspiracies?
Well, the guys over at BetKansas.com explored this by revealing America's most popular conspiracy theories across each state. Through the utilization of Google Search Trends over the last decade, the data revealed the states top five most talked about theories.
For Ohio the data found the top five conspiracies to be:
1. — 9/11
2. — JFK Assassination
3. — Denver Airport
4. — Illuminati
5. — Moon Landings
Ranking America's most popular conspiracy theories
9/11, one of the most talked about events in U.S. history, ranks as America's most popular conspiracy.
Theories around the Denver International Airport, Illuminati and JFK assassination all rank high across many states.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon ... but did they really? Since the historical event, conspiracy theorists around the world have expressed their views on why they think it must be fake!
The top 10
1. 9/11 was planned
2. Denver International Airport
3. The Illuminati is real
4. JFK assassination was planned
5. Coronavirus is a hoax
6. QAnon
7. The moon landing was a fake
8. HAARP global catastrophes
9. Area 51 hides aliens
10. Wayfair trafficking
From bigfoot to 9/11 to the moon landing to Area 51 — people have just too much time on their hands.
Don't you love the internet?
Joe Centers is Reflector community editor. He can be reached at jcenters@norwalkreflector.com.
