CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: Still on the Track: 10/19/12

WELCOME TO THE CFZ BLOG NETWORK: COME AND JOIN THE FUN

Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

Friday, October 19, 2012

TRANSPORTING BIGFOOT TO BARNSTAPLE MUSEUM YESTERDAY

CRYPTOLINK: Mystery of giant 'bigfoot' eye found on beach solved....it belonged to a fish after all, scientists confirm

THIS giant eyeball found washed up on a Florida beach last week - which some thought belonged to a Bigfoot - was actually from a swordfish, scientists today revealed.

The huge, bleeding eyeball, was discovered by walker Gino Covacci on Pompano Beach last Wednesday.

CARL MARSHALL: Spreo starlings

Hi Jon,

We thought you might be interested to see our new Spreo starlings Lamprotornis superbus also known as the superb glossy starling, but not to be confused with the greater blue-eared glossy starling H. chalybaeus. These omnivorous, East African softbills show a brilliant iridescence when the sun shines on them earning them one of their common names - the superb starling. A 20cm (8") bird with a black head, glossy blue-green upper parts, rust coloured chest with white vent area, they are truly spectacular, looking kind of like a cross between a starling and a kingfisher. My father John Marshall bought them at the Stafford National Show run by the Parrot Society UK last week. My colleague Emma Bartholomew from the Butterfly Farm recently photographed this species while on safari in Uganda and she commented that they are possibly the most attractive birds she has ever seen.

We agree!

DALE DRINNON: Cedar and Willow

My computer was down yesterday but there WAS this public Service Announcement that came out of Cedar and Willow:

http://cedar-and-willow.blogspot.com/2012/10/breast-cancer-awareness-month.html

WATCHER OF THE SKIES: Today's Fortean bird news

In an article for the first edition of Cryptozoology Bernard Heuvelmans wrote that cryptozoology is the study of 'unexpected animals' and following on from that perfectly reasonable assertion, it seems to us that - whereas the study of out of place birds may not have the glamour of the hunt for bigfoot, or lake monsters - it is still a perfectly valid area for the Fortean Zoologist to be interested in. So, after about six months of regular postings on the main bloggo, Corinna has taken the plunge and started a 'Watcher of the Skies' blog of her own as part of the CFZ Bloggo Network.

TODAY'S BIG CAT ROUND UP

The hunt for British Big Cats attracts far more newspaper-column inches than any other cryptozoological subject. There are so many of them now that we feel that they should be archived by us in some way, so we should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. In September 2012, Emma Osborne decided that the Mystery Cat Study Group really deserved a blog of its own within the CFZ Blog Network.

Here is the latest tranche of news...

NEWSLINK: More on US Ocelot conservation

NEWSLINK: The Zanesville animal massacre revisited...

NEWSLINK: More on lifting of tiger tourism ban

SIGHTING: ANOTHER SIGHTING OF 'BLACK PANTHER' NEAR...

I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

Its friday once again. I am up and about unfeasibly early, because I need to be at Barnstaple Museum as early as we can get there. However, life being life and computers being computers I am already running late. The exhibition in Barnstaple runs until the 17th November, so please pop in if you are in the area...

Our daily visit to Thom the World Poet

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/thom-world-poet-daily-poem_18.html

Michael Des Barres recently appeared at the Little Kids Rock benefit concert. It seemed appropriate therefore to post this link about the gig:

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/link-little-kids-rocks-10th-anniversary.html

Erik Norlander, our favourite prog rock Viking is getting great reviews wherever he goes - like this one from Holland

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/link-erik-norlander-dutch-review.html

As Rolling Stones week draws to an end at the Gonzo Daily, Jon gets all existential on you all, and discussed the Mythologisation Process.

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/rolling-stones-week-mythologisation.html

Exclusive pictures from the Auburn soundcheck in Southampton on Tuesday

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/exclusive-auburn-soundcheck-pics-from.html

And finally for today an insightful review of the ABWH live album

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/link-abwh-review.html

The Gonzo Daily is a two way process. If you have any news or want to write for us, please contact me at jon@eclipse.co.uk. If you are an artist and want to showcase your work, or even just say hello please write to me at gonzo@cfz.org.uk. Please copy, paste and spread the word about this magazine as widely as possible. We need people to read us in order to grow, and as soon as it is viable we shall be invading more traditional magaziney areas. Join in the fun, spread the word, and maybe if we all chant loud enough we CAN stop it raining. See you tomorrow...

The Gonzo Daily is - as the name implies - a daily online magazine (mostly) about artists connected to the Gonzo Multimedia group of companies. But it also has other stuff as and when the editor feels like it. The Editor is an old hippy of 53 who - together with his orange cat - puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?