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...




Friday, October 11, 2019

CFZ CANADA UPDATES

The Centre for Fortean Zoology was founded in the UK in 1992 - nearly 20 years ago. Over the past two decades it has expanded to become a truly global organisation. We opened our American office in 2001, our Australian office in 2009, and in 2011 - we were proud to welcome CFZ Canada, curated by Robin Bellamy to the CFZ global family.

Don't Kill Our Sasquatch

LAKE AND SEA MONSTER NEWS

The hunt for Lake and Sea Monsters is probably the most iconic branch of Cryptozoology. Following our successful Mystery Cat and BHM Study Groups, we feel that these sightings should also be archived and published in a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. Curated by Sally Watts and Richard Muirhead.

  • LOCH NESS EN PASSANT
  • LAKE ERIE MONSTER
  • 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.








    CRYPTOLINK: Oregon chupacabras

    A word about cryptolinks: we are not responsible for the content of cryptolinks, which are merely links to outside articles that we think are interesting (sometimes for the wrong reasons), usually posted up without any comment whatsoever from me. 




    You know how when you were little growing up in San Antonio and your tia would yell at you to get inside when it got dark or la chupacabra would get ...

    BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF



    Some Mormons seriously believe that Bigfoot is Cain from the Bible btw.
    Hey I have a question about seminary teachers. Are they legitimate teachers who also teach religion, or are they random volunteers from the church ...
    Bigfoot Hunting In Wyoming [WATCH]
    The Yeti Crew made their way to Wyoming to search for the best Hide-N-Go Seek player this world has ever seen, Bigfoot (Sasquatch). As described ...
    A North Carolina man says he found fresh tracks from what he thinks is Bigfoot. Joe Scarborough is an electrician. Last week he was working on a ...
    (WCNC) A man claims footprints found in a wooded area near Casar, North Carolina are not human nor animal but possibly evidence of Bigfoot.
    CASAR, North Carolina (WCNC) – A man claims footprints found in a wooded area near Casar, North Carolina are not human nor animal but possibly ...

    THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN WAITS AND SEES

    The Gonzo Daily: Friday/Saturday
    Well, ladies and gentlemen, once again we are at the end of another week. And once again it has been another confusing and complicated one. Just to give you a snapshot of who is where (as we don’t have that weird clock thing from the Harry Potter books).
    Mother is still in hospital, and is likely to remain so over the weekend, at least. Sarah and Corinna went to see her yesterday, but she had relapsed again. She is still stable however not in any condition to come home as yet. Corinna is still feeling poorly, but her new medicine seems to be working to a certain extent at least. Graham is in America, Mount Hood the last time I heard. Carl and I are doing our best to pick up the slack.
    We haven’t got a date yet for Corinna’s various medical appointments and her operation. And although Volume Two of Kev Rowland’s book, and the long awaited volume of connected editions of Animals and Men are both now available, I am well behind schedule with the other things I am supposed to be working on. But they will happen as soon as they can be done. I think that is all, but I’m more than slightly punch drunk at the moment, so I won’t bet on it.
    Please remember us in your thoughts and prayers.
    PS Max has just livestreamed about twenty minutes from Moscow Aquarium. And they have Baikal seals, YAY! For those of you not in the know, these are the only true species of freshwater seals in the world.
    ER EDITOR SEZ: THE DIGITAL PRAYER FLAG
    You guys have been doing massive amounts of praying for Corinna. I believe that the outpouring of good vibes transmitted electronically, being a little like a Tibetan prayer flag. Find out more:
    Blessed be.
    THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Fairport Convention -...
    LEONARD COHEN: RTÉ Concert Orchestra to take the...
    WHOLE LOTTA FRANK
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
    FAIRPORT CONVENTION NEWS
    THE GONZO PRIVACY POLICY
    And the CFZ Privacy Policy is here:
    And, yes,
    CHECK OUT THE GONZO STORES:
    UK
    US
    AND OTHER STUFF FEATURING VARIOUS GONZO CONTRIBUTORS:
    Our webTV show:
    And if you fancy supporting it on Patreon:
    And by the way chaps and chappesses, a trip to the Jon Downes megastore may seem to be in order:
    Meanwhile I continue to pretend that I am a popstar, because now I have sold eight whole copies of my new album Coldharbour. If I continue at this rate I will get a silver disc sometime at the beginning of the next millenium. Coldharbour, by the way, can be found here: https://jondownes1.bandcamp.com/releases
    I think it is really rather good, but then again I would say that wouldn't I?
    AND THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE GONZO MAGAZINE:
    Gonzo Weekly #357/8
    THE CRIMSON ISSUE
    In this remarkably disciplined issue Doug goes to see King Crimson, Alan goes all psychedelic at O.Z.O.R.A in Hungary, Mad Iccy meets Roddy Radiation of The Specials, we go on patrol with PAART, Bart goes to see Yes et al in the Royal Affair, Jon has his PIP Assessment, and Graham brings us bad news about Ginger Baker
    Hail Eris!
    And there are radio shows from Mack Maloney and Friday Night Progressive AND Strange Fruit, there are columns from Kev Rowland and Mr Biffo, C J Stone, and Roy Weard, but Neil Nixon and the irrepressible Corinna are on hiatus. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and antichinuses who have lost their shoes (OK, nothing to do with tiny marsupials who are searching for their footwear, 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:
    Personal Independence Payments (PIP), Leonard Cohen, Adam Cohen, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Prog Awards, Thom Yorke, Sinead O'Connor, The Rolling Stones, Yes, Asia, Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy, Richard Freeman, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Canterbury Sans Frontieres, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Richard Theodore Otcasek, Edward Joseph Mahoney, Ida Laila, Daniel Dale Johnston, Jeffrey Craig "Jeff" Fenholt, Dalibor Andonov, Anthony Paul Mills, John Cohen, Mick Schauer, Larry Wallis, Harold Mabern, Jr., Yonrico Scott, Robert C. Hunter, Rick Wakeman, Gerry Beckley, The Waterson Family, The Fall, Richard Wright and Dave Harris - Zee, Chasing the Monsoon, Doug Harr, King Crimson, Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team (PAART), Alan Dearling, O.Z.O.R.A. Festival, Steve Hillage, Miquette Giraudy, Youth, Raja Ram, Basil Brooks, Naxatrax, BaBa ZuLa, Zion Train, Raja Ram, Eat Static, Mad Iccy (Icarus Ruoff), Roddy 'Radiation' Byers, Kev Rowland, Wayfarer, Witchskull, Witchsorrow, Yesternight, Kenny Mitchell, Greenrose Faire, Tony Klinger, Hawkwind, Ginger Baker, Jonathan Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, Joan Aiken
    And the last few issues are:
    Issue 357-8 (King Crimson)
    Issue 355-6 (Elfin Bow)
    Issue 353-4 (Melanie S Jane)
    Issue 351-2 (Royal Affair)
    Issue 349-50 (Experimental Sonic Machines)
    Issue 347-8 (Gary Duncan)
    Issue 345-6 (RDF)
    Issue 343-4 (Auburn)
    Issue 341-42 (America)
    Issue 339-40 (Kev Rowland)
    Issue 337-38 (Zee)
    Issue 335-36 (Raz)
    Issue 333-34 (Nepal)
    Issue 331-32 (Scott Walker)
    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 60 who - together with a Jack Russell called Archie, an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, three other cats, 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 elderly mother-in-law, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention Archie and the Cats?

    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 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.



    NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Friday/Saturday

    ON THIS DAY IN -  1881 - David Henderson Houston patented the first roll film for cameras.
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • 'Bee saviour' sugar cards could save starving inse...
  • Harbour porpoises needlessly dying in UK waters, s...
  • Holy Pleistocene Batman, the answer's in the cave
  • Crabs, lobsters and shrimp now have a family tree ...
  • Scientists find cocaine in shrimps in Suffolk rive...


  • 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)