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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Friday, June 12, 2020

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.

"HERE WE GO AGAIN" SAYS THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

The Gonzo Daily: Friday/Saturday

https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk

I am glad to say that my discussions with North Devon District Hospital have borne fruit, and Corinna will not be discharged until early next week At the earliest. I know that they need beds and all that, and I do feel guilty for making a fuss, but I truly do not think that she should be discharged today, which is something that was on the plate until a couple of hours ago. In a complete change of subject, an old friend of mine and the CFZ died last night. I am not going to go into any more details until I am sure that is nearest and dearest have all been informed, but sufficient to say that Corinna and I were both very fond of him, and are feeling very sombre today.

Changing the subject again, those of you who are devotees of PG Wodehouse will, of course, know Lord Emsworth, the delightfully dotty and borderline senile protagonist of the Blandings Castle novels. For the last 40 years I have been thinking of Lord Emsworth as an old man. In fact he is two years younger than me. I’m sure there is a moral in there somewhere, but I have no idea what it is…..

I never really knew what it meant, but keep on trucking!

https://baboon.wixsite.com/website-1

Like so much else in our uncertain world, you might have thought that the new Gonzo Web Radio website was never going to arrive. Well, there were times that I felt the same way. However, I’m happy to say that a beta version of it is now available for your perusal. It is even optimised to work on both computers and phones. Check it out at the address above, and let me know what you think in the comments.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will probably have noticed that the Gonzo Multimedia websites have changed and are in a process of flux, so there are no individual sales links at the moment. But check out www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk for a thing of wonder. The Gonzo Books site is now pretty well done, although there are still nine authors who need personal pages. You can find it ay www.gonzopublishers.com and there is also a new CFZ Publcations website at https://baboon.wixsite.com/website then tell me what a clever fellow I am. It even has a haiku to explain why some links are not finished:

"These links do not work,
now but they will do so soon,
we apologise"

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:
https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/p/a-prayer-flag-lung-…

Blessed be.

https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/…/thom-world-poet-dai…
THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/…/gonzo-track-of-day-…
GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Frank Zappa - Packard Goo...
https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/…/frank-zappa-en-pass…
FRANK ZAPPA: En passant
https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/…/erik-norlander-erik…
ERIK NORLANDER: Erik joins the board of Moog
https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/…/steve-howe-news.html
STEVE HOWE NEWS

THE GONZO PRIVACY POLICY
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/p/privacy-policy-this-…

And the CFZ Privacy Policy is here:
http://tinyurl.com/y7b9rlog
And, yes,
http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/p/privacy-policy-this-pr…

AND OTHER STUFF FEATURING VARIOUS GONZO CONTRIBUTORS:

Our webTV show:
https://www.facebook.com/OnTheTrack/posts/632561497117057
And if you fancy supporting it on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/CFZ

And by the way chaps and chappesses, a trip to the Jon Downes megastore may seem to be in order:
https://gonzotesting.blogspot.com/…/a-notion-of-shopkeepers…
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 #389/90
THE RUSSIAN ABOUT ISSUE
www.gonzoweekly.com

In yet another singularly non-standard issue for singularly non-standard times Kev Rowland meets Daria Kulesh, Alan meets an artist cqalled Pip Pickles, Jon explores the Trigan Empire, Alan collates covid-19 stories from around the world and Mad Iccy has a little chat with the legendary Richard Dudanski, the man whom Jpe Strummer dubbed 'Snakehips', famous from stints in PiL and the 101ers.. And is there more? You can bet your arse there is...

And there are radio shows from Mack Maloney and Friday Night Progressive, AND Merrell Fankhauser, but no sign of Strange Fruit this week, there is a column from Kev Rowland, although C J Stone, Mr Biffo, Neil Nixon and 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:

The Trigan Empire, Devendra Banhart, Marc Bolan, Jethro Tull, Bart Lancia, Steve Hackett, Chris Squire, Grimes, Elon Musk, Brian May, Bob Geldof, Iggy Pop, Elton John, Alan Dearling, Covid Connections Part 3, Fiona Earle, Sam Wilkinson, Friday Night Progressive, The Merrell Fankhauser Show - Rockin and Surfin And Merrell Interview!, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Robert "Bobby Digital" Dixon, Klaus Selmke, Wilbur James Cobb, Saturn, Mory Kanté, Steven “Thee Slayer Hippy” Hanford, William "Bucky" Baxter, Leonard Niehaus, Carlos César Sánchez Hernández, Robert J. Kulick, Brendan Bowyer, Evaldo Gouveia de Oliveira, Donald Arthur Albert Weller, John Amutabi Nzenze, Robert Northern, Joey Image (born Joey Poole), Majekodunmi Fasheke, popularly known as Majek Fashek, Rick Wakeman, The Fall, The Mitchell Trio inc John Denver, Barrie Guard & David Cunningham, Dave Bainbridge, Eliza Carthy, Bad News, Icarus Ruoff, Richard Nother aka Richard ‘Snakehips’ Dudanski, Kev Rowland, Daria Kulesh, Pip Pickles, Tony Klinger, “Oh.” (Olivia Hadjiioannou), Arrowbridge, Cast the Stone, Clif Magness, Cronaxia, De Profundis, Martin Springett, Thom the World Poet

..And the last few issues are:

Issue 393-4 (Daria Kulesh)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-393-4.html
Issue 391-2 (Little Richard)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-391-2.html
Issue 389-90 (Ian Anderson)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-389-90.html
Issue 387-8 (A Guy called Gerald)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-387-8.html
Issue 385-6 (Tony Henderson)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-385-6.html
Issue 383-4 (London Remixed)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-383-4.html
">Issue 381-2 (Greta)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-381-2.html
Issue 379-80 (Andrew Weatherall)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-379-80.html
Issue 377-8 (The Future)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-377-8.html
Issue 375-6 (Big Sean)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-375-6.html
Issue 373-4 (End of the World)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-373-4.html
Issue 371-2 (New Year)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-371-2.html
Issue 369-70 (Christmas)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-369-70.html
Issue 367-8 (Register to Vote)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-367-8.html
Issue 365-6 (Rick Wakeman)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-365-6.html
Issue 363-4 (Focus)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-363-4.html
Issue 361-2 (Martin Springett)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-361-2.html
Issue 359-60 (Robert Hunter)
https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-359-60.html

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:
http://www.gonzoweekly.com/pdf/

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: Friday/Saturday

ON THIS DAY IN - 1099 - Crusade leaders visited the Mount of Olives where they met a hermit who urged them to assault Jerusalem.

And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk


  • Whales are dying, but numbers are unknown. Coronav...
  • Wildlife experts find hope amongst the ashes on Ka...
  • Ancestor of all animals identified in Australian f...
  • Pablo Escobar's hippos may help counteract a legac...


  • 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)