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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Sunday, January 28, 2018

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.

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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.

  • ARTICLE: Capturing big urban cats
  • NEWSLINK: MP's Tiger Conservation Losing Teeth as ...
  • ARTICLE: Do big cats really prowl the Australian b...
  • NEWSLINK: 6 tigers venture out of Pilibhit reserve...
  • VIDEO: The screams of an in heat mountain lion



  • NEWSLINK: 9 Healthy Lion Cubs Killed At Zoo In Swe...
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    THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN ON THE WAY TO LONDON

    The Gonzo Daily: Monday/Tuesday
     
    As you will know if you read my Sunday post an hour or so ago, In am doing tomorrow's post early 'cos Graham and I have to catch a train from Barnstaple at an ungodly time, and go to the teeming Metropolis for two days of interviews. The idea of getting through London in my wheelchair, even with dear Graham pushing me is a horrible one,but it has to be done. The bloke who said that "the man who is tired of London is tired of life" was not speaking for me, chums. If you want to know what it is all about read this story in the Daily Star:
     
     
    See you on Wednesday, darlings
     
    ciaou....
     
    Forgive me for always banging on about our webTV show, but it matters a lot to me, and I would be grateful for as many people as possible to see it, and spread the tidings of it far and wide:
     
     
    And if you fancy supporting us on Patreon:
     
    But for now, here is the news:
     
    THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY:  Pink Fairies. the sna...
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
    JON ANDERSON'S DAUGHTER OPENS GALLERY
    RICK WAKEMAN NEWS
    DUTCH GARDENING CLUB REVIEW
     
    Gonzo Weekly #271
    THE MARK HIS WORDS ISSUE
     
    Gonzo Grande Fromage Rob Ayling talks frankly about his friendship with Fall leader Mark E. Smith who died this week, Alan concludes his surrealistic exposition featuring Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Nico and Alice Cooper amongst others, Neil explains all about Sharon Tandy, and Graham brings us up to date with Hawkwind as well as going into the studio with The Space Pharaohs Arizona’s leading Hawkwind tribute band. And meanwhile, Jn talks about the end of the world!
     
    Hail Eris!
     
    And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, AND Friday Night Progressive, but Mack Maloney is absent this week due to problems beyond our control. The columns from all sorts of folk including Neil Nixon, Roy Weard, C J Stone, Mr Biffo are on hiatus this week, but we do have the irrepressible Corinna. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and southern dibblers who have gone for a snooze (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have probably got hangovers and have decided to have a little rest, 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!!!
     
    This issue features:
     
    Paul McCartney, Jack White, Erykah Badu, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart,Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Hugh Ramopolo Masekela, Preston Shannon, Terry Evans, Mario Guccio, James Walter Rodford, Derrick Coleman, Naomi Parker, Lari White Cannon, Ursula Kroeber Le Guin, Jeremy Inkel, Mark Edward Smith, Barbara Dickson, Jessica Lee Morgan, Rick Wakeman, Billion Dollar Babies, Tangerine Dream, Rob Ayling, Alan Dearling, Gala Dali, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Jeff Fenholt, Sharon Tandy, Kev Rowland, Eigensinn, Empire, Engst, Enslaved, Entheos, Gnaw, Hangman, The Fright, In Search of Sun, In-Defilade, Hawkwind, Space Pharaohs, Metallica, Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, The Who, ELO, Pink Floyd, Neil Nixon, Bill Fay
     
    And the last few issues are:
     
    Issue 270 (Eric Clapton)
    Issue 269 (Narnia)
    Issue 267-8 (Happy New Year)
    Issue 265-6 (The Who)
    Issue 264 (John McLaughlin)
    Issue 263 (The magic Band)
    Issue 262 (DikMik)
    Issue 261 (Leonard Cohen)
    Issue 260 (Amsterdam Squat Festie)
    Issue 259 (Out come thee Freaks)
    Issue 258 (The Devil's Jukebox)
    Issue 257 (Judge Smith)
    Issue 255/6 (John Lennon)
    Issue 254 (Mr Biffo)
    Issue 253 (Dana Gillespie)
    Issue 252 (Cropredy)
    Issue 251 (Scott Walker)
    Issue 250 (Jamms)
    Issue 249 (Bill Bruford)
    Issue 248 (The Selecter)
    Issue 247 (Don Airey)
    Issue 246 (Steve Hackett)
    Issue 244-5 (Summer Special)
     
     
    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!
     
    You can download the magazine in pdf form HERE:
     
    SPECIAL NOTICE: If you, too, want to unleash the power of your inner rock journalist, and want to join a rapidly growing band of likewise minded weirdos please email me at jon@eclipse.co.uk The more the merrier really.
     
    * 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.co.uk
     
    * 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 58 who - together with a Jack Russell called Archie, an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, and two half grown kittens, one totally coincidentally named after one of the Manson Family, purely because she squeaks, 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 Archie and the Cats?
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    NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Monday/Tuesday (early)

    ON THIS DAY IN - 1521 - The Diet of Worms began, at which Protestant reformer Luther was declared an outlaw by the Roman Catholic church. 
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk
  • Grasshopper problem yields insight into quantum th...
  • Indian police use elephants to evict illegal settl...
  • Study shows genetic differences between uptown and...
  • Oceans under greatest threat in history, warns Sir...
  • Hunter dies in Germany after wild boar he was tryi...
  • The enigmatic endangered whale shark: 22-year-long...
  • Drone photos offer faster, cheaper data on key Ant...
  • A monkey and a virus: One million years together
  • In mongoose society, immigrants are a bonus—when g...


    • 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).
    Posted by at No comments:

    THE HO HO HEN

    The Gonzo Daily - Sunday
    And for no real reason Sunday's notifications are done in rhyme
     
    It's Sunday so again its time
    to do the daily blogs in rhyme:
     
    Those of you who follow me,
    will probably be surprised to see,
    there'll be two lots of blogs today
    cos Graham and I are going away
    to do two days of interviews
    (Its not really what I would choose)
    in London which is horribly far,
    You wanna know why? Read the Daily Star:
     
     
    See you on Wednesday, darlings
    ciaou....
     
    Forgive me for banging on about our webTV show, but it matters a lot to me, and I would be grateful for an many people as possible to see it, and spread the tidings of it far and wide:
     
     
    But now, here is the news:
     
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
    THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY:  Jerusalem - The Hymn
    Gonzo Weekly #271
    RICK SPRINGFIELD NEWS
    PLAYLIST:  SF  – 241 - 14 Jan 2018
     
    Gonzo Weekly #271
    THE MARK HIS WORDS ISSUE
     
    Gonzo Grande Fromage Rob Ayling talks frankly about his friendship with Fall leader Mark E. Smith who died this week, Alan concludes his surrealistic exposition featuring Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Nico and Alice Cooper amongst others, Neil explains all about Sharon Tandy, and Graham brings us up to date with Hawkwind as well as going into the studio with The Space Pharaohs Arizona’s leading Hawkwind tribute band. And meanwhile, Jon talks about the end of the world!
     
    Hail Eris!
     
    And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, AND Friday Night Progressive, but Mack Maloney is absent this week due to problems beyond our control. The columns from all sorts of folk including Neil Nixon, Roy Weard, C J Stone, Mr Biffo are on hiatus this week, but we do have the irrepressible Corinna. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and southern dibblers who have gone for a snooze (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have probably got hangovers and have decided to have a little rest, 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!!!
     
    This issue features:
     
    Paul McCartney, Jack White, Erykah Badu, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart,Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Hugh Ramopolo Masekela, Preston Shannon, Terry Evans, Mario Guccio, James Walter Rodford, Derrick Coleman, Naomi Parker, Lari White Cannon, Ursula Kroeber Le Guin, Jeremy Inkel, Mark Edward Smith, Barbara Dickson, Jessica Lee Morgan, Rick Wakeman, Billion Dollar Babies, Tangerine Dream, Rob Ayling, Alan Dearling, Gala Dali, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Jeff Fenholt, Sharon Tandy, Kev Rowland, Eigensinn, Empire, Engst, Enslaved, Entheos, Gnaw, Hangman, The Fright, In Search of Sun, In-Defilade, Hawkwind, Space Pharaohs, Metallica, Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, The Who, ELO, Pink Floyd, Neil Nixon, Bill Fay
     
    And the last few issues are:
     
    Issue 270 (Eric Clapton)
    Issue 269 (Narnia)
    Issue 267-8 (Happy New Year)
    Issue 265-6 (The Who)
    Issue 264 (John McLaughlin)
    Issue 263 (The magic Band)
    Issue 262 (DikMik)
    Issue 261 (Leonard Cohen)
    Issue 260 (Amsterdam Squat Festie)
    Issue 259 (Out come thee Freaks)
    Issue 258 (The Devil's Jukebox)
    Issue 257 (Judge Smith)
    Issue 255/6 (John Lennon)
    Issue 254 (Mr Biffo)
    Issue 253 (Dana Gillespie)
    Issue 252 (Cropredy)
    Issue 251 (Scott Walker)
    Issue 250 (Jamms)
    Issue 249 (Bill Bruford)
    Issue 248 (The Selecter)
    Issue 247 (Don Airey)
    Issue 246 (Steve Hackett)
    Issue 244-5 (Summer Special)
     
     
    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!
     
    You can download the magazine in pdf form HERE:
     
    SPECIAL NOTICE: If you, too, want to unleash the power of your inner rock journalist, and want to join a rapidly growing band of likewise minded weirdos please email me at jon@eclipse.co.uk The more the merrier really.
     
     
    * 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.co.uk
     
    * 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 58 who - together with a Jack Russell called Archie, an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, and two half grown kittens, one totally coincidentally named after one of the Manson Family, purely because she squeaks, 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 Archie and the Cats?
    Posted by at No comments:

    BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF




    Knox County Bigfoot Update
    Bigfooter Jerry Cline sits down and gives an update on whats going on with Knox County Bigfoot. Featured Reports. City planner sees large upright animal while touring property near Punta Gorda · Possible vocalizations heard by hunters and a biologist in Guana River WMA · While staying in cabins, ...


    Video: Here's the Latest Alleged Bigfoot Footage to Hit the Net
    Here we go again, another month, another video purporting to show the legendary Bigfoot has just hit the internet, this time out of Canada.
    TRUE TO LIFE=Malaysian Bigfoot caught on camera (Video)
    Also, the only country I have heard of that has some sort of official crap about bigfoot is Nepal. They legit have Yeti hunting g licenses, no joke. If any country put a creature that hasn't been proved to exist to science why would they have that on a protection list? If any country did it would at least be on ...


    Posted by at No comments:

    CFZ PEOPLE: J T Downes ISO (1925-2006)



    Image result for j. t downesIt would have been my Father's birthday yesterday. He would have been 93. God Bless you Dad.
    Posted by at No comments:

    Gonzo Weekly #271

    Gonzo Weekly #271
    THE MARK HIS WORDS ISSUE
    Gonzo Grande Fromage Rob Ayling talks frankly about his friendship with Fall leader Mark E. Smith who died this week, Alan concludes his surrealistic exposition featuring Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Nico and Alice Cooper amongst others, Neil explains all about Sharon Tandy, and Graham brings us up to date with Hawkwind as well as going into the studio with The Space Pharaohs Arizona’s leading Hawkwind tribute band. And meanwhile, Jon talks about the end of the world!
    Hail Eris!
    And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, AND Friday Night Progressive, but Mack Maloney is absent this week due to problems beyond our control. The columns from all sorts of folk including Neil Nixon, Roy Weard, C J Stone, Mr Biffo are on hiatus this week, but we do have the irrepressible Corinna. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and southern dibblers who have gone for a snooze (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have probably got hangovers and have decided to have a little rest, 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!!!
    This issue features:
    Paul McCartney, Jack White, Erykah Badu, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart,Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Hugh Ramopolo Masekela, Preston Shannon, Terry Evans, Mario Guccio, James Walter Rodford, Derrick Coleman, Naomi Parker, Lari White Cannon, Ursula Kroeber Le Guin, Jeremy Inkel, Mark Edward Smith, Barbara Dickson, Jessica Lee Morgan, Rick Wakeman, Billion Dollar Babies, Tangerine Dream, Rob Ayling, Alan Dearling, Gala Dali, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Jeff Fenholt, Sharon Tandy, Kev Rowland, Eigensinn, Empire, Engst, Enslaved, Entheos, Gnaw, Hangman, The Fright, In Search of Sun, In-Defilade, Hawkwind, Space Pharaohs, Metallica, Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, The Who, ELO, Pink Floyd, Neil Nixon, Bill Fay
    And the last few issues are:
    Issue 270 (Eric Clapton)
    Issue 269 (Narnia)
    Issue 267-8 (Happy New Year)
    Issue 265-6 (The Who)
    Issue 264 (John McLaughlin)
    Issue 263 (The magic Band)
    Issue 262 (DikMik)
    Issue 261 (Leonard Cohen)
    Issue 260 (Amsterdam Squat Festie)
    Issue 259 (Out come thee Freaks)
    Issue 258 (The Devil's Jukebox)
    Issue 257 (Judge Smith)
    Issue 255/6 (John Lennon)
    Issue 254 (Mr Biffo)
    Issue 253 (Dana Gillespie)
    Issue 252 (Cropredy)
    Issue 251 (Scott Walker)
    Issue 250 (Jamms)
    Issue 249 (Bill Bruford)
    Issue 248 (The Selecter)
    Issue 247 (Don Airey)
    Issue 246 (Steve Hackett)
    Issue 244-5 (Summer Special)
    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!
    You can download the magazine in pdf form HERE:

    SPECIAL NOTICE: If you, too, want to unleash the power of your inner rock journalist, and want to join a rapidly growing band of likewise minded weirdos please email me at jon@eclipse.co.uk The more the merrier really.
    Posted by at No comments:

    NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Sunday

    ON THIS DAY IN - 1547 - England's King Henry VIII died. He was succeeded by his 9 year-old son, Edward VI. 
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk
  • Whodunnit', as Aussie reptiles go extinct: study (...
  • Beetles' bright colors used for camouflage instead...
  • First-ever tagging of Amazon dolphins to boost con...
  • Armored 'Pinecone' Fish's Insides Revealed in Spoo...
  • Genes identified that distinguish mammals from oth...
  • Medium-sized carnivores most at risk from environm...
  • Worm genomes reveal a link between ourselves and o...


    • 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).
    Posted by at No comments:
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