Somebody invented a spray that repels bugs. And attracts Bigfoots.
Bigfeet? Bigfooti? Whatever.
Anyway, I think I would rather have a mosquito muckle onto me than an 8-foot-tall ape man.
This spray supposedly has a musky, outdoorsy smell that’s not offensive to Bigfoot, but different enough that the hairy monster would be curious and come check you out. If you want anything more than that, you’ll presumably have to buy it dinner and shower it with compliments.
When faced with the question of how she knows it works, inventor Allie Megan Webb laughed and said: “I guess I could ask how do you know it doesn’t work?”
We don’t. Science!
Spray or no spray, Bigfoot almost certainly does not live in Portland, as he probably can’t afford it. The city is, however, home to the International Cryptozoology Museum, which has some interesting Bigfoot-related items and is worth a visit.
Perhaps farther north in the state, the spray would be more effective in attracting a live one.
Speaking of which…
What we’re talking about
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is advising President Donald Trump to open Maine’s relatively new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument to “active timber management,” according to a leaked memo. That term is often used to describe commercial logging, but park service regulations don’t currently allow for commercial forestry at recognized monuments, so it’s unclear exactly what Zinke is suggesting. Trump had asked Zinke to review 27 national monuments declared under previous President Barack Obama. U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, said in a statement he thinks Zinke’s recommendation “strikes the right balance” between preservation of nature and jobs, while the head of the Natural Resources Council of Maine called Zinke’s assertions about lingering timber harvest concerns “a gross distortion of the record.”
It’s another City Council night in Portland, so follow the BDN’s Jake Bleiberg on Twitter for updates and visit bangordailynews.com for results and context later. Items up for debate tonight include whether the city should joining a growing number of communities to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day and whether Portland should join a nationwide lawsuit against makers of prescription painkillers.
In the latest installment in Troy R. Bennett’s weekly series on Portland history, we learn about how the Abyssinian Meeting House, now Maine’s only Underground Railroad stop recognized by the National Park Service, came to be. See the video here.
Speaking of history, if you want to learn what local people ate in the 1700s, mark Oct. 10 on your calendar. That’s when the Tate House Museum on Westbrook Street is hosting a talk and demonstration by Susan McLellan Plaisted about how they made bread, cheese and beer in the 18th century. Space is limited, and tickets are $12 apiece for non-members. Call 774-6177 or email info@tatehouse.org to reserve a spot.
Tweet of the day
From CBS 13 meteorologist Charlie Lopresti:
The Big Idea
Scientists are using underwater drones with laser guns as one way to control a scourge of nasty sea lice that’s killing off salmon and costing the global aquaculture industry up to $1 billion a year. The cut in supply of farm salmon has driven up wholesale prices of the popular fish by as much as 50 percent, according to the Associated Press.
Got any interesting story ideas, suggestions or links to share? Email us at jbleiberg@bangordailynews.com or skoenig@bangordailynews.com, or tweet @JZBleiberg or @SethKoenig.
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