CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: Still on the Track: 08/18/13

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, August 18, 2013

DALE DRINNON: Wildmen. Benny's Blogs

New at Frontiers of Zoology:

http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2013/08/wildmen-update.html

New at Benny's Other Blog, The Ominous Octopus Omnibus:

"A Tale of Two Tigers, Both Talking"

http://bennypdrinnon.blogspot.com/2013/08/talking-tigers-with-captain-marvel-and.html

http://bennypdrinnon.blogspot.com/2013/08/captain-marvel-meets-weretiger.html

Best Wishes, Dale D.

SHERI THE CFZ INTERN: Day 9 – Friday

Last night’s sleep was not very good. This was perhaps, in part due to going to bed at about 4 in the morning. However, I feel it was mostly down to how freezing cold it was. I put on more and more layers as the night went on and yet more just after sunrise. I got up at around noon and went into a house crammed with people. After breakfast there was some time to rest and eat lunch before heading to the hall to set up the tunnel of goats. Then, I ate again.

At around 6 we all went down to the hall to ensure that everything was right for the evening. This first day didn’t officially start till 7pm. Although the first talk, by Richard Ingram, started a little late, it also finished early. This gave people a little more time for food and alcohol. I didn’t eat till a little later. The burgers there were delicious and as enjoyable as each of the talks. Ronan Coghlan is an amazing lecturer, but my favourite talk was by Lars Thomas.

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES

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 took the plunge and started a 'Watcher of the Skies' blog of her own as part of the CFZ Bloggo Network.

THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN'S WEEKEND GETS WEIRDER

It's Sunday so again it's time

to do the Gonzo blogs in rhyme
but there is a limited factor, friend
it's the middle of the Weird Weekend

so I hope you all will be placated,
'cos although the rhymes will be truncated
the blog posts from this tired freak
are present and correct this week

Another visit to our old friend Thom the World Poet.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/thom-world-poet-daily-poem_17.html

Today's Track of the Day is by The Beach Boys
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-gonzo-track-of-day-beach-boys-dont.html

Stephen Stills interview: 'We’re still here, haha haha ha!'
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/stephen-stills-interview-were-still.html

Face to Face with Rick Wakeman: Brian May
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/face-to-face-with-rick-wakeman-brian-may.html

Eric Burdon is on the road again
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/eric-burdon-is-on-road-again.html

Oliver Wakeman explains the different Yes keyboardists styles
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/oliver-wakeman-explains-different-yes.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) and two very small kittens (one of whom is also orange), 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?

WEIRD WEEKEND 2013: Richard Ingram

LIZ BITAKARAMIRE: Day Two At Weird Weekend 2013

We got off to an amazing start with a vegetarian fry-up for breakfast. Starting with amazing food is always a good plan. Becky at Higher West Town B&B is a great cook. I also had some of the best coffee of my life. The coffee in Devon must be stronger than up north because it just took two small cups and I was as wired as a rock star on acid.

While Paul rested up I decided to use my artificial energy wisely and set off to the village and Jon's house to see if I could be of assistance. Everything, however, was in hand, so instead I got to catch up with old friends again and make a couple of new ones. I also met Prudence for the first time and she is as adorable in the fur as she is in her pictures.

We discovered Atlantis in Bideford in the afternoon, of all places next door but one to Asda. This, of course, is notthe Atlantis but a children's nautical theme park, which if I'm honest, I wish I wasn't passed the age restriction to enjoy. Adults can sample the lovely food, though, which was consolation enough.

Next was Hartland Quay. Words cannot describe the beauty, hence the pictures.

We're still in shock with the road widths in this part of the world and how it can be justifiable to set the speed limit on such dangerous stretches at 30 and 40! But we are still in one piece.

And lastly, we come to the talks themselves. I made it to all of them and all of them were very interesting. My favourites have to be Ronan Coghlan on the church and evolution (what he said made perfect sense to me and was refreshingly unbiased) and Lars Thomas on the natural history of trolls.

The volunteers in the canteen are to be applauded. I didn't sample much of the food last night but the crumble was heavenly.

So for reasons that must be obvious, I'm really rather looking forward to day three. And in about to have my third coffee just because I'm daring....