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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Tuesday, August 07, 2012

LINK: Serpents in the Waters of Time: Historical Accounts of Sea Serpentry



Even in modern times, stories of sea monsters fascinate us and taunt our minds with incredible possibilities. Could it be that tremendous reptiles–dinosaurs, in essence–could still exist on our planet, and inhabit the darkened waters of our ocean’s depths?

A classic story related by the marine scientist Lionel Walford in 1963 would indicate that something along these lines appears to be the case. In July of the aforementioned year, Walford and his company claimed to have seen a 50-foot-long, undulating serpent-like creature, observed as it swam near the surface only a few miles off the New York shoreline. “It resembled a transparent sea monster. It looked so much like jelly. I could see no bones and no eyes, nose, or mouth. But there it was, undulating along, looking as if it were almost made of fluid glass.”

Read on...

LINK: Reader Report: "I might have shot Bigfoot"

"This took place on my farm near the town of Orick, California on May 30, 2007," reports Jeff S. "It was dark out and I was inside my home watching television. I heard some strange noises outside, so I got up and looked out the back window. I saw a large man covered in black fur run past my yard light. I grabbed the shotgun and ran outside. I heard a ruckus in my chicken barn and started walking over there when I saw a big, dark figure come out of the barn. It started to walk away, so I aimed the shotgun and fired.

Read on...

HAUNTED SKIES: Times (The) 8.11.67


http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2012/08/times-81167.html

I'M THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

Today is one of those strange days when I am in a particularly good mood for no particular reason. I am not even going to attempt to analyse it, but things are really going rather well at the moment. The Weird Weekend is looming (and if this sounds like a cheap attempt by me at plugging our once a year Fortean Festival, you are damn right) but for the first time in years I am not stomping around the house moaning about it. The good Lord is in His heaven, and all is pretty well right with the world (until something goes wrong).

Jefferson Starship have announced that they are being supported by Auburn on their forthcoming UK tour. Corinna and I will be along for some of the shows at least. You will recognise us, cos we will be the ones with video cameras. Yes. We shall be filming at least one of the shows and doing a tour diary for Gonzo Daily..
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/jefferson-starshipauburn-uk-tour.html


New Zealand is one of those places that both Corinna and I have always wanted to visit. I have friends out there, the indigenous wildlife is remarkable, they filmed Lord of the Rings there, and very soon our favourite grumpy old Caped Crusader will be doing some shows there. Rick Wakeman and two species of tuatara. What else could a man want?
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-intimate-evening-with-rick-wakeman.html


I am very fond of Galahad. In recent years heavy rock music has goine in directions that I don't personally like. Much of it seems to be either sexist drivel or blasphemous rants performed either by people who screech or sound like they are a Malayan sun bear which has had a Laryngectomy and a bad hangover. Galahad are the exception. Intelligent lyrics, good singing, great musicianship, tunes...and they rock like ummmmmmmmmmm a very rocky thing. Today we present the artwork for their forthcoming album.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/galahad-new-album-cover-art-revealed.html

And (cue trumpets and drum rolls) here, at last, is the world debut of the video for Merrell Fankhauser's 'Area 51'. I'm rather proud of this. Not only is it the first pop video that I have directed which didn't feature either me, my band, or some mate of mine screaming avant garde nonsense, but I almost got arrested by Special Branch whilst making it. Although Area 51 is in Nevada, it was filmed in North Cornwall outside GCHQ. Worryingly for the state of the nation's security, the base security forces noticed the fat hippy with an expensive camera but failed to notice two relatively small teenagers (one dressed in an alien mask) and a large, bumbling dog with impressive jowls.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/merrell-fankhauser-area-51-dir-jon.html

I have been pootling about the internet looking for stories about the folk on our latest batch of 'Lost Broadcasts' DVDs, and I found this rather nice story penned by the erstwhile drummer of The Move.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/link-bev-bevan-diaries-move-were-way.html

The other day we posted a gig review of Elizabeth Fraser at Bath Pavillion by our very own Davey Curtis. He (very politely) bemoaned the change in style shown by Ms Fraser, and looked back wistfully at the halcyon days of The Cocteau Twins. Stuff from both the Bath gig and the Meltdown show in London soon appeared on YouTube, and I have to say that I don't agree with Senor Curtis at all. These performances are gorgeous...
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/elizabeth-fraser-pearly-dewdrops-drops.html

And that is it for today. Hasta la vista Gonzokids...

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/
On this day in 1937 the actor Dustin Hoffman, was born. Hoffman has had a number of roles in films which have touched on fortean themes including Stardust (magic), Rain Man (wild talents), and Hook (functionally immortal people flying around and such like and there might have been mermaids in it I can't remember and it was pretty dire so I'm not going to watch it again to find out for sure).


And now the news:


Saving endangered amphibian starts with counting t...
New swimming cave cricket species filmed
Wow! 11-Year-Old Cheetah Breaks Land Speed Record
Solomon Islands at centre of "captive breeding"
300 Green turtles die at Cayman Turtle Farm
Brazilian judge halts rail project close to Earth’...
Harlequin ladybirds becoming a major pest
Man fined for selling turtles on black market-Is l...
Injuries, envenomations and stings from exotic pet...
The Folly of ‘Freeing’ Animals
Dirty job: chainsaw teams chop up dead whale
Vampire Bat Bites Help Shield Peruvians from Rabie...
Cape Cod Shark Attack Victim 911 Calls Released
How Elephants Produce Their Deep 'Voices': Same Ph...
Situation Dire for Threatened Rhino Species, Resea...
New Bat Virus Could Hold Key to Hendra Virus
Extinction Risk Factors for New Zealand Birds Toda...



Some of Hoffman's films have included some of the most memorable songs ever used in film, 'Mrs Robinson' from 'The Graduate' is one but here's another that you won't be able to get out of your head all day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz6GzKWiIAs

DALE DRINNON: Bigfoot, wildmen, thunderbird and Yokai


New on Frontiers of Zoology:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/08/here-is-your-thunderbird-stuck-up-on.html

And
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/08/wildmen-and-yokai-again.html

Addtional posting to Frontiers of Zoology from Bigfoot Evidence:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-trapper-in-alberta-canada-took-this.html
And Dale's reply:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/08/postscript-to-trapper-in-alberta-canada.html

KEEPING EMMA OSBORNE A HAPPY BUNNY

Yesterday I had a visit from The Osbornes. The ever lovely and long-suffering Emsy brought me some diabetic-friendly biscuits, which shall make their public debut at the WW.

However, she did ask me if I can ask people to help her with our various CFZ Facebook pages. Please keep the CFZ Mystery Cat group for stories and discussion about... yup, you've guessed it: MYSTERY CATS. And can you keep the CFZ Publishing group for discussions about antique wheelbarrows. Hold on, I think I might have got it wrong there...

Keep Emmy Happy. She does much more CFZ stuff than anyone realises.

CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: On The Track (Of Unknown Animals) Episode 59



The latest episode of our monthly webTV show from the CFZ and CFZtv, bringing you news on our activities within cryptozoology and natural history as well as the latest cryptozoological, and monster hunting news from around the world.

This episode brings you:

CFZ in summer
The Olympic monster
The dark side
Dead Racoons
This is not a cryptid
The master otter
WW2012
Jeanett Thomas RIP
Tom Marriott
Loch Ness Monster
Corinna looks at out of place birds
New and Rediscovered: New frog
New and Rediscovered: New mouse
New and Rediscovered: New snake

KARL SHUKER: Living Statues

http://eclectariumshuker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/living-statues-and-other-animated.html