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...

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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...




Wednesday, August 13, 2014

TODAY'S BIG CAT NEWS

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 are publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. 

The worldwide mystery cat phenomenon (or group of phenomena, if we are to be more accurate) is not JUST about cryptozoology. At its most basic level it is about the relationship between our species and various species of larger cat. That is why sometimes you will read stories here that appear to have nothing to do with cryptozoology but have everything to do with human/big cat interaction. As committed Forteans, we believe that until we understand the nature of these interactions, we have no hope of understanding the truth that we are seeking.

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  • FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES


    What has Corinna's column of fortean bird news got to do with Cryptozoology?

    Well, everything actually!

    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.





    BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF



    Lake Tahoe Bigfoot Sighting Zoomed in and slowed down
    Lake Tahoe Bigfoot Sighting Zoomed in and slowed down. Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2014. Kevin Smithe, Video Curator. Lake Tahoe Bigfoot ...

    Veteran Texas Bigfoot Researcher Speaking at Upcoming Paranormal Conference
    Bigfoot Evidence Matt K.
    Luke has been an avid field researcher for nearly two decades, and he really knows his bigfoot. If you're going to be in the area, you should definitely ...

    Interview with a Bigfoot Witness
    A True Encounter with Bigfoot (Richly illustrated by DredFunn) ... WITNESS: Listen to this Man's Story of a Bigfoot in Ohio · interviews ...

    The Paranormal Review: Bigfoot Sighting in Ohio Breakdown
    Bigfoot is a familiar word today around the world. Since the middle of the last century it indicates a mysterious giant primate of North America, who is ...

    Rick Alters A Cease and Desist Letter
    I'm sitting here laughing my ass of right now. You remember that incomplete cease and desist letter Rick Dyer "emailed" to me? First of all, I still

    BREAKING: This dad is saying that Bigfoot threw a rock at him. Here...
    First, let's again acknowledge how impressive it is that this man gets choked up just thinking about this story and his family's reaction to it. Without 

    Bigfoot Prints in Oklahoma
    Sasquatch bigfoot Oklahoma prints found near north canadian river blaine county satchmo. WATCH Sasquatch Faces Found During Research 

    Did you know that there's a place in California called "Bigfoot Alley?"
    Here's a unique sighting report that happened in the redwoods in Crescent City, CA. With a sighting like this, it's not wonder they call it "Bigfoot Alley". 

    THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN SHOULD NOT DRINK BROWN ALE

    The Gonzo Daily - Wednesday
     
    I feel like Henry V on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt.
     
    O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
    The brightest heaven of invention,
    My garden for a stage, Forteans to act
    And various hippies to behold the swelling scene!
     
    Yup, it all kicks off tomorrow. This will be my fifteenth Weird Weekend, and the first at the Small School in Hartland...
     
    And two other things:
     
    This is really becoming a superb year for butterflies. Another European swallowtail has been seen, this time in South Devon, and a meadow fritillary (another European species) has turned up in Milton Keynes, although that is probably not a natural vagrant.
     
    And finally an administrative thingy. I am not into recriminations and things which will further mess up my karma any more than it already is, so I will simply say that Matthew and Emma Osborne are no longer anything to do with me, the CFZ, or Gonzo Weekly, nor are they likely to be again. Make of that what thou wilt.
     
     
    The latest issue of Gonzo Weekly (#90) is available to read or download at www.gonzoweekly.com. It has the legendary Steve Bolton on the cover and an interview with him inside, in which he casually drops more names than I have ever heard in an interview before, including Keith Richards and Dr John, as well as his first band Atomic Rooster and the currently reformed 6foot3. We also have Tony Palmer remembering his friend Felix Dennis and a feature about the reissued edition of Palmer's 'The Trials of Oz'. Gentle Giant fans will find a critique of the new box set of 'The Power and the Glory', critiqued by Doug Harr. There are also new shows from the wonderfully eccentric Jaki and Tim on their Submarine, and from the multi-talented Neil Nixon at Strange Fruit and from M Destiny (hopefully fully recovered from his recent illness) a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and long nosed potoroos (OK, no weird little marsupials, but I got carried away with things that rhymed with OOOOS) than you can shake a stick at. And the best part is IT's ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!
     
    Read the previous few issues of Gonzo Weekly:
     
     
    All issues from #70 can be downloaded at www.gonzoweekly.com if you prefer. If you have problems downloading, just email me and I will add you to the Gonzo Weekly dropbox. The first 69 issues are archived there as well. Information is power chaps, we have to share it!
     
    To make sure that you don't miss your copy of future issues make an old hippy a happy chappy and subscribe
    http://eepurl.com/r-VTD
     
    As well as the Gonzo Weekly, there is a daily service called - wait for it - The Gonzo Daily, and you can subscribe for free HERE:
    http://eepurl.com/OvPez
     
    *  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: www.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 54 who - together with an orange kitten named after a song by Frank Zappa puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon which he shares with various fish, and sometimes a small Indian frog. 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 kitten?

    RED EYE-GLOW - A NEW EXPLANATION?

    Karl Shuker recalls a unique instance of red eye-glow that may be relevant to both cryptozoology and the paranormal.

    Read on...

    Largest marine reserve ever - 72 hours left!





    In days, US President Obama could create the world's largest marine sanctuary, but a powerful fishing lobby is trying to stop this ocean-saving plan. Let’s build a tidal wave of support before it’s too late and deliver it straight into the White House. Sign now to create an Ocean of Hope, and tell everyone!

    SIGN THE PETITION
    750,000 of us and building, but the fishing lobby is ramping up efforts to kill this in the final 3 days -- let's hit a million before the consultation closes! Here's the email -- 

    Dear Friends,

    Right now, the US government is receiving public comments on whether or not to create the world's largest Marine Protected Area in the Pacific Ocean. But President Obama is under enormous pressure from a powerful fishing lobby to water down the plan.
     
    We can’t let that happen -- majestic whales, turtles and fish stocks are all disappearing. Scientists say the best way to save our oceans is to protect large swaths from exploitation so that marine life can recover. Four years ago, we played a pivotal role persuading the UK government to create a massive marine sanctuary in the Indian Ocean, and the UK Foreign Ministry cited our campaign in its announcement. Now, if we all speak out, we can create a reserve the size of Mexico!
    If we send Obama a tidal wave of global public support now, we will empower him to counter opposition and help save our oceans for generations to come. Sign the petition below and tell everyone -- let's deliver one million voices before the official consultation closes in 72 hours:

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/ocean_of_hope_loc/?bakVxfb&v=43735

    The reports are dire: in less than 4 decades, our oceans could be completely fished-out and coral reefs might be dead within our grandchildren's lifetime! This new plan alone won’t be enough to fix the problem, but it could start turning the tide against global ocean destruction -- it will not only double the worldwide oceanic area that is fully protected, but also encourage other governments to follow suit.

    Obama says he is willing to use executive action to implement the plan, but a powerful fishing lobby is trying to sink it with misleading propaganda. They say the sanctuary will hurt their business, but 95% of the fishing they’re talking about happens outside of the protected zone. Other interests want to keep the area open for future drilling and mining, which could be disastrous.

    The comment period is only open for three more days. If we build a million strong global petition now and deliver it straight into the White House, flood the official consultation with support, and run a poll that shows massive public support near the site, we can drown them out.

    With the greatest ownership of ocean in the world, the US now has a tremendous opportunity in the Pacific. Let's drown out the opposition, and lay the foundation for protecting our oceans from exploitation. Sign the petition below, and forward it to friends and family:

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/ocean_of_hope_loc/?bakVxfb&v=43735

    Our oceans are being decimated by a myriad of threats. But time and again Avaaz members have rallied to save our precious marine life. We have helped secure massive ocean sanctuaries before and plans to protect tuna and whales. We can win this!

    With hope,

    Danny, Luis, Lisa, Andrea, Ricken, Ana Sofia and the whole Avaaz team

    MORE INFORMATION:

    Pacific fishing interests oppose Obama’s plan to expand marine reserve (Washington Post)
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/06/30/pacific-fishing-interests-oppose-obamas-plan-to-expand-marine-reserve/

    Several Nations Announce Massive Marine Reserves in the Pacific (National Geographic)
    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140617-pacific-marine-reserves-ocean-environment/

    Obama Calls For Major Expansion Of Pacific Ocean Preserve (Law 360.com)
    http://www.law360.com/articles/548854/obama-calls-for-major-expansion-of-pacific-ocean-preserve

    Mr. Obama’s Ocean Monument (NYTimes)
    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/18/opinion/mr-obamas-ocean-monument.html

    NEWS FROM NOWHERE - WEDNESDAY

    ON THIS DAY IN 1961 - Berlin was divided by a barbed wire fence to halt the flight of refugees. Two days later work on the Berlin Wall began. 


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  • AND TO WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK...
    (Music that may have some relevance to items also on this page, or may just reflect my mood on the day)