CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: Still on the Track: 11/13/12

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...

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

ECOLINK: David Attenborough: I would never have been a naturalist under today's fossil laws

Sir David Attenborough said laws which stop the collecting of fossils and eggs are 'a disaster waiting to happen' for the future of British naturalists.

Sir David Attenborough - Previously a senior manager at the BBC, Attenborough went on to present nature programmes for more than 50 years.

Read on...

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.

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.

NEWSLINK: Adopted cub

NEWSLINK: Tiger adopts cubs

SIGHTINGS USA: Bobcat in Washington State

NEWSLINK: Australian cryptozoology course

THE FIRST COPY OF THE JOURNAL OF CRYPTOZOOLOGY HAS ARRIVED

(and has been checked over by our highly trained staff)

I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

Good morning culture lovers. I was up to a ridiculous hour last night (4:30am to be precise) wrestling with problems converting Dr Shuker's new book to a suitably embedded pdf file. So I overslept this morning and we are running a little bit late. The other day I interviewed the ever interesting Erik Norlander, and will be running it as a three parter starting this week. I am scheduled to interview Helen McCookerybook this afternoon about the latest incarnation of Club Artyfartle. The rayburn ran out of oil yesterday, and so - until a new consignment of heating oil arrives - all the animals from the kitchen are stacked up in my study, which because of all the fishtanks, is the warmest room in the house. Life gets better and better.

We kick off with our daily visit to the home of Thom the World Poet

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/thom-world-poet-daily-poet_12.html

I am embarrassed to say that Graham and I have been so busy that we STILL haven't managed to find time to edit the Auburn and JS footage from last month in Southampton. However, in the meantime here are some ever-so-slightly groovy shots of Liz and the boys on stage

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/acoustic-auburn-live-on-stage.html

I think Peter McAdam is one of the funniest people around, and I cannot recommend his book The Nine Henrys highly enough. This week we shall be running a series of Henrybits that are not found in his book about the nine cloned cartoon characters who inhabit a surreal world nearly as insane as mine...

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/henry-vs-nick-clegg.html

Richard Barbieri ex of Japan and Porcupine Tree is just one of the artists celebrating the Roland Synthesiser story...

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-roland-synth-story.html

Erik Norlander writes: "I published a little blurb on our ASIA Featuring John Payne Facebook page yesterday in honor of our American Veterans Day holiday. I thought you might find it interesting for the Blog as well:"

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/erik-norlander-story-behind-military-man.html

One of the legendary YES line-ups reconvenes with Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, and Jon Andersonall In the Studio to get really Close to the Edge, one of the pinnacles of progressive rock and the #1 seller, on its 40th anniversary the week of November 26.

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/yes-close-to-edge-40th-anniversary-11-26.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?