Wednesday, January 08, 2020
JANUARY 2020: A MESSAGE FROM THE CFZ
Everything has gone wrong over the last month, and all of our carefully laid plans came to nothing. We had intended to have a series of bits of seasonal tomfoolery featuring Wally the comedy rhinoceros and some cultural shout-outs to Mr Biffo and all the other jolly nice chaps at Digitizer. There were supposed to be several episodes of On The Track Xtra and – as always – there was supposed to be a jolly episode of On The Track on January 1st.
But this didn’t happen. Why?
Corinna was taken into hospital suddenly, and only a day or two after she was released, Mother died. With the ensuing complications of both of these, I do hope that you will excuse us for not having either the time or the inclination to make silly videos featuring rhinos.
Sad, but true. But here, in an unexpectedly brief little video, I explain what happened, what is going to happen next, and – together with Mike Davis – sings a song which manages to mix the ethos of Stray Cat Strut with the content of an A-Level physics lesson, and still manages to make it about Mother, Paul Whitrow, and all the other friends of the CFZ who have gone before in recent years.
Normal service will be resumed as soon as wassname.
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 MuirheadBIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF
Regular readers will know that in recent years we have migrated the two specialist Study Groups – Mystery Cats (curated by Carl Marshall and Olivia McCarthy) and Lake and Sea Monsters (curated by Sally Watts and Richard Muirhead) – to their own standalone blogs, although when there are postings, notifications of them can be found here on the main blog.
Now, we are doing the same for the BHM Study Group, curated by Glen Vaudrey and Nathan Jackson
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.
- NEWSLINK: 'Feline leukomyelopathy' causing neurological issue in Florida panthers
- NEWSLINK: Woman born at an animal sanctuary has such a bond with big cats, she sleeps among the cheetahs
A NEW POST FOR PATREON PEEPS
Attention everyone who supports us on Patreon.There is a new video for you, over and above the one which I have just posted for everyone to enjoy. It will be your only chance to see the version of On The Track that Charlotte and I edited early in December before all the unpleasantness happened.
And yes, you can sign up to our Patreon for as little as $1 (about 80p) a month. Come on in chaps, the water’s fine!
https://www.patreon.com/CFZ
THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN HAS NO TIME FOR RAVERS
The Gonzo Daily: Wednesday
Today I wish to mark the passing of Mr Fudge, a much loved guinea pig who had graced the Phillipson family for five and a half years. Blessings to you little one.
And whilst on the subject of mourning, Mother's Funeral will be at Barnstaple Crematorium at 9:40 on Friday 17th. All are welcome. No flowers please but donations in her name Dementia UK. https://www.dementiauk.org/
Thank you to all of you who have sent kind words and prayers to us following Mother's death and Corinna's most recent bout of illness. They are very much appreciated. Please forgive us for keeping a low profile at the moment.
Peace.
YER 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.
STREAMING BEEFHEART
ZAPPA: Hot rats sessions worth an investment
A SONG FOR MOTHER
YES TO EUROPE
THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Genre Peak - Hell on the...
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 eleven 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 #371/2
THE NEW YEAR ISSUE
And in this first issue of the new decade we say goodbye to Mother, and to Paul Whitrow. Alan hikes the Pennine Way, Doug eulogises Terry Hall, and Jon remembers a night with Dr Strangely Strange, Mad Iccy looks at the ups and downs of 2020, while Graham looks at the last 12 months of activity on Planet Hawkwind.
Hail Eris!
And there are radio shows from Mack Maloney and Friday Night Progressive AND Canterbury sans Fronieres AND Merrell Fankhauser, but no sign of Strange Fruit this week, there is a column from Kev Rowland, but Mr Biffo, and C J Stone, and Neil Nixom abd Roy Weard, 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:
Joan James, Paul Whitrow, Lee Pring, Rick Wakeman, Hawkwind, The Beatles, Elton John, Marillion, Pet Shop Boys, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Dr. Strangley Strange, Richard Freeman, Friday Night Progressive, Canterbury San Frontieres, The Merrell Fankhauser Show, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Amelia Cabeza de Pelayo Patterson (also known as Amy Patterson), Garrett List, Art Sullivan (born Marc Liénart van Lidth de Jeude), Thomas Paulsley LaBeff, Kelly Fraser, David Michael Riley, Alta Sherral "Allee" Willis, Ubirajara Penacho
dos Reis, Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert), Robert Edward Creech, Francisco "Patxi" Andión González, Kenneth Lynch, OBE, Arty McGlynn, Neil James Innes, Norma Cecilia Tanega, Gerry Beckley, The Waterson Family, The Fall, Richard Wright and Dave Harris - Zee, Chasing the Monsoon, Icarus Ruoff, Doug Harr, Terry Hall, PAART, Alan Dearling, Pennine Way, Calderdalee Valley, Kev Rowland, Disen Gage, Dvne, Entering Polaris, Eunomia, Back From Zero, Fomalgaut, Fuchsia, Tony Klinger, Jonathan Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, Thom the World Poet, Goodreads, The Internet Archive, Agatha Christie, Joan Aiken
And the last few issues are:
Issue 371-2 (New Year)
Issue 369-70 (Christmas)
Issue 367-8 (Register to Vote)
Issue 365-6 (Rick Wakeman)
Issue 363-4 (Focus)
Issue 361-2 (Martin Springett)
Issue 359-60 (Robert Hunter)
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 and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention Archie and the Cats?
NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Wednesday
ON THIS DAY IN - 1642 - Astronomer Galileo Galilei died in Arcetri, Italy.
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk
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CRISPRed fruit flies mimic monarch butterfly, and ...
Koala epidemic provides lesson in how DNA protects...
Pictish carved beasts 'unlike anything found befor...
Norfolk RSPCA centre saves 50th seal with injuries...
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)
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk
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)