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...

Search This Blog

WATCH OUR WEEKLY WEBtv SHOW

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON

SUPPORT OTT ON PATREON
Click on this logo to find out more about helping CFZtv and getting some smashing rewards...

SIGN UP FOR OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER



Unlike some of our competitors we are not going to try and blackmail you into donating by saying that we won't continue if you don't. That would just be vulgar, but our lives, and those of the animals which we look after, would be a damn sight easier if we receive more donations to our fighting fund. Donate via Paypal today...




Thursday, March 07, 2013

THE YEARBOOK CONTENTS


  • More Cryptozoology: A listing of  certain animals unrecognised by science or of a paranormal nature by Ronan Coghlan
  • Snow Leopard: Spirit of the Mountains by Raheel Mughal
  • The man-eating plant of ye olde England by Glen Vaudrey
  • Possible sighting of unknown ape species, Tibet 2009 Jonathan Jacobs, plus in-depth analysis of the photograph
  • British Snake Catchers and Eccentrics by Richard Muirhead
  • The Amazing Animals of Pakistan by Raheel Mughal
  • The Mpisimbi: An undiscovered but now extinct King Cheetah strain in East Africa by Dr Karl Shuker
  • The ‘Lion’ Of Essex And Other British Big Cat Scares by Neil Arnold
  • Le Gevaudan: The Man behind the Monster by Paul Williams
  • 2012: A Year in the Life of the Centre for Fortean Zoology:  
          CFZ Australia 2012 Report by Rebecca Lang and Mike Williams
          CFZ Canada 2012 by Robin Bellamy
          Bigfoot Forums Annual Report
          CFZ Annual Report by Jon Downes

The yearbook is 260pp long and will once again cost £12.50

NICK REDFERN: Jadoo is Back!


I became acquainted with Jadoo – the first book ever written by John Keel – back in the late 1980s, when a friend in the Fortean field loaned me a copy. Having eagerly read The Mothman Prophecies when I was about twelve or thirteen, I equally eagerly devoured Jadoo. And a damn good read it was too! But, since I never personally owned a copy of the book, I have to confess that, as time passed by and the years progressed, I pretty much forgot about it. Until now. Yep, Jadoois back!
Thanks to the good folks at Anomalist Books, Keel’s book is with us once again. And, yes, you can purchase used, old copies of Jadoo online, but there are very good reasons why it would be much wiser – and far more rewarding – to invest in a copy of the new edition. I’ll explain why, at the end. But, before we get to all that, if you haven’t read Jadoo, you may already be thinking: What’s Nick on about and what isJadoo about? I’ll tell you.
JadooIt’s fair to say that when most people think of John Keel it’s probably in relation to the aforementioned Mothman, the sinister and ghoulish Men in Black, his views on the extraterrestrial vs. ultraterrestrial theory for the UFO phenomenon, and his thoughts on demonology, folklore and mythology. Yes, all of these matters did indeed fascinate (and obsess) Keel for years. But, Jadoo is very different.
In the pages of Jadoo, you will not find tales of the MIB, or of flying, winged nightmares with fiery red eyes. Nor will you find any accounts of dark-suited MIB intent on silencing witnesses to profound UFO encounters. Rather, Jadoo represents the very early years of Keel and his paranormal-themed research and writing, long before he got immersed in the UFO issue and the surrounding culture of Ufology. And a highly entertaining read it is, too.

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES (C...

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.

Ban on discarding dead fish threatens rare birds

CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: On The Track (Of Unknown Animals) Episode 66




The latest episode of our monthly webTV show from the CFZ and CFZtv, bringing you news on our activities within cryptozoology and natural history as well as the latest cryptozoological, and monster hunting news from around the world. I can't believe that we have done this every month for five years now - 66 episodes. Golly!

This episode brings you:

CFZ in winter/spring
Another orange cat
Cutting the forest
The saga of the Huddisford frogs
Mystery slime in Somerset
Stratford butterfly Farm
Mystery centipede
Leaf cutter ants
Mystery duck
Unseasonal weather
Corinna looks at out of place birds
New and Rediscovered: New salamanders
New and Rediscovered: New eelpout
New and Rediscovered: New bat colony

THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN MAKES EXCUSES

Last night was a pleasant one. Jess H and my nephew Ross came around to meet the new cat and play with the dog. A pleasant time was had by all, and (presumably as a result of my being good) my blood sugar went under 8 for the first time. Work is continuing apace on the CFZ Yearbook, and we should have a contents list for you all later today. On The Track is out, and we can now (fingers crossed) edit high definition video. A good day!
 
Today's Gonzo Track of the Day is from The Edgar Broughton Band (with an extra version of the same song featuring me, Andy Roberts (dressed up as Allen Ginsberg) a bunch of small children dressed as frogs and three teenage girls performing the same song at the Weird Weekend in 2010.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-gonzo-track-of-day-out-demons-out.html
 
Our daily visit to Thom the World Poet, and today everything has gone purple
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/thom-world-poet-daily-poem_7.html
 
A peculiar story involving Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and the wife of a famous diplomat.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/link-six-degrees-of-sally-oren-just-one.html
 
 
Sad News: Yesterday, Alvin Lee of Ten Years After died after complications in what should have been routine surgery. Our condolences, love and good vibes go to his family and friends.
 
 
OFF TOPIC: Yesterday I was contacted by a great Italian prog band
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/unreal-city-heroes-of-modern-italy.html
 
OFF TOPIC: Just in case you are interested here is the latest episode of my monthly webTV show
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/03/just-in-case-you-are-interested-in-such.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 same team also do a weekly newsletter called - imaginatively - The Gonzo Weekly. Find out about it at this link:
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/all-gonzo-news-wots-fit-to-print.html
 
* We should probably mention here, that some of our posts are links to things we have found on the internet that we think are of interest. We are not responsible for spelling or factual errors in other people's websites. Honest guv!

*  Jon Downes, the Editor of all these ventures (and several others) is an old hippy of 53 who - together with his orange cat (who is currently on sick leave in Staffordshire) puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon which he shares with various fish. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, his elderly mother-in-law, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?

DALE DRINNON: Cedar & Willow

New at Cedar and Willow, Finishing the current 4-part series:
And starting a new series featuring Rose (Rose Tyler):

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today



On this day in 1944 Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who is according to the Guinness Book of Records the world's greatest living explorer, was born. FUN FACT: Fiennes was almost cast as James Bond for the film Dr No. Having made it to the final short-list of 6 people however he was rejected because his hands were too big.
And now the news:
  • London zoo to create map of city's cats
  • Appeals Court Upholds Polar Bear’s Endangered Spec...
  • Female chimpanzees are more "negative" when commun...
  • CITES must protect highly vulnerable Manta ray pop...
  • New National Nature Reserve created in Mid Wales
  • River Regulation Influences Land-Living Animals
  • Reducing Numbers of One Carnivore Species Indirect...
  • Democratic Republic of Congo's Best Run Reserve Is...

  • Being the world's greatest explorer Fiennes will never give up on something unless completely impossible, and only then after giving it a good try just to be sure. Here he is recently still determined to meet the requirements for the role of James Bond when Daniel Craig leaves: