"Armchair critics" and the necessity of research

**This was originally posted on 05 / 16 / 2012 on my old bog.**

Photo by mosoma - Flickr.com

    Throughout the internet most of those who are interested in bigfoot are "armchair critics" or "armchair enthusiasts" -- people who get all of their information from the internet and conduct no independent research of their own. And who can blame them? Some live in densely populated metropolitan areas, far from any wilderness. Others just don't have the time to commit to a field expedition.

    Field research requires not only a large time commitment, but a large monetary one as well. Thermal imagers, parabolic microphones, and HD video cameras are just some of the expensive equipment that is so often vital in conducting a successful field investigation. Not to mention fees associated with the research area, gas and travel expenses to get there, and any other annoying little costs that pop up. And, even if one is fully equipped, there is no guarantee that the area being investigated will render any results. The North American great ape is known to be quite elusive, after all.  For these reasons, among others, I truly respect the average researchers who are out in the forests of North America doing the "grunt work" for the rest of us.

    With that being said, I am proud to announce that if everything works out properly I will soon be joining a local research organization here in Florida. I will not publish any names yet, as nothing is final. However, I feel it is time for this "armchair enthusiast" to take Na-ga to the next level. Independent research, here we come.

    Thanks for reading, and wish me luck!

 - A.Z.