CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: Still on the Track: 10/28/12

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...

Sunday, October 28, 2012

CRYPTOLINK: Is Bigfoot a Protected Species?

Is Bigfoot a protected species? Well, in New York, an enthusiast has stated to the press that the species is on the protected species list.

The rationale behind this declaration is that the mysterious beast has no designated hunting season; therefore, by law, the species falls under the protected list. According to the Huffington Post, enthusiast, Peter Wiemer, has verified this with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in a telephone conversation.

Of course, the DEC has denied that this declaration is true, and the department also denies the existence of the beast. However, in an email, the DEC told Wiemer that there is no open season on the beast, but none may be taken either.

The DEC also encourages believers to track down the beast in order to prove that it exists. However, shooting it is still not legal. The only state that allows for Sasquatches to get shot is Texas. The law allows shooter to do it on first site with no questions asked. Go figure!

Read on...

SHERI'S BLOG: Day 2 - Saturday

We have a visitor this week. Sheri Myler, a student from the North of England is doing a week's placement with us. She is already very keen on cryptozoology and eager to learn. I confidently predict that she will be an asset to the cryptozoological community in years to come. However, we decided to put her to work, and each day she will be blogging about what she has been doing...

After the writing of yesterday’s blog, was the morning de-briefing/ tea-break and, then, the animal feeding rounds. There is an odd sense of joy I get from handling worms, although, I do feel mean dropping them into the tanks as they struggle against the water and the fish nibbling at them. At least the pike eats them quickly.

We then completed the proof-reading of yesterday’s journal, before looking at how to change files, to make them into a format more suitable for the production of e-magazines. At first, this seemed like it would be quite difficult, but actually turned out to be relatively simple. Following this, we began work editing the new book on big cats, by Dr. Karl Shuker and the new version of George Eberhart’s cryptozoological encyclopaedia.

There was an amount of animal handling done, during this time, in the form of Spider, the ginger cat, monopolising my lap. Though I’m not sure it’s what my university had in mind while teaching me handling techniques.

Even though this office focused element of the job is not as exciting as other elements, it is still an important part of being a cryptozoologist and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn it and begin to be a contributing part of the cryptozoological community.

Before retiring for the night, there was a second car-ride in search of big cats and, again, none were seen.

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.

USA SIGHTING: Texas

NEWSLINK: More on Idaho Mountain Lion

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES (CFZ)

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.

I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

Sunday, last night the clocks went back

I had an extra hour on my back

being pushed out of bed by a jowly dog

when I should have been sleeping like a log

but week now out of my pen

spurts crappy poetry once again

and as I have written many times,

it amuses me to write bad rhymes.

If I was in London this afternoon I know where I would be

alongside my wife, and dog and mother-in-law and the intern called Sheri

We'd all be at Club Artyfartle, we know its worth a look

it's organised by Acton Bell and Helen McCookerybook

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/club-artyfartle-this-afternoon.html

And now we have an interview that's not too out of place

cos its with a bloke called Chris Squire who plays some groovy bass

with what band I hear you ask, I wonder can you guess

for many years he has been the kingpin dude with Yes

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/link-im-enjoying-music-as-much-as-i.html

Peter McAdam is a funny guy, his surreal take on life

is something sure to entertain myself, my dog and wife

each day this week we have posted up a stream of exclusive pix

proof the 9 Henrys were around back in 1066

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-daily-henry-1066-and-all-that.html

Texas Thom the World Poet is a feature of this blog

just like me bitching about the Government or praising my fat dog

and once again we can present a poem just for you

this one's about coffee (sort of) and lots of other stuff too

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/thom-world-poet-daily-poem_28.html

She may have retired from music, but she's still a groovy chick

so when on YouTube I came across a movie of Grace Slick

I decided that I just had to repost it just for you

so here, my dears, is a multi part Grace Slick interview

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/grace-slick-interview.html

It is sad when one has to report when a muse has sadly died

I found the following piece of news which Facebook had supplied

Marillion's Kay has passed away, and I have just one wish

to send Gonzo condolences to her family, the band and Fish

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/10/rip-kayleigh.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?