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...




Monday, May 21, 2018

NESSIENEWS (Caveat Lector)





... scientists is to lead a new investigation of the murky waters of Loch Ness in Scotland next month to tackle the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster.

THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN IS QUITE HAPPY

The Gonzo Daily: Monday/Tuesday
 
I woke up this morning with – what I believe is called - an earworm wriggling about my head. What's worse is that I couldn't work out what the song was. Three irritating hours later I realised that it was a song by Clive Gregson and Christine Collister that I hadn't thought about in years. So I put the album on, and realised with a jolt. what a bloody good band they were. I saw them live in Exmouth or somewhere of that ilk back in 1989, and it was one of the best shows I saw all year. So guess what I am listening to today?
 
I am feeling a little tired today, not because of the gin I ingested last night, but because I was up stupidly late finishing Joann Hodgkin's awesome 'Amateurs in Eden'; the story of her late Mother's marriage to Lawrence Durrell. It is a remarkable, poignant, and eminently readable memoir which plays  games with style and substance as well as telling a remarkable story. I am putting my credit card to good use: I think Henry Miller's 'Colossus of Mourosi' is next.
 
Changing the subject completely, is there anyone reading this who has any experience in coding apps? Even more importantly, if you do, would you be prepared to lend your expertise to us for a few hours? Email me please at jon@eclipse.co.uk.
 
And for those of you who are interested in such things, the Gonzo Privacy Policy is here:
 
 
And the CFZ Privacy Policy is here:
 
 
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:
 
And by the way chaps and chappesses, a trip to the Jon Downes megastore seems to be in order: if you want to make me a happy fellow, you can:
 
buy my novel:
buy the record by the main protagonist of the novel who isn't me in an elephant mask, honest:
buy my single:
 
But for now, here is the news:
 
THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY:  Barbara Dickson - Car...
Interview with ARTHUR BROWN 2017 - Heavy Demons Ra...
THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
ZAPPA NEWS
ROB AND SANDY IN THE NEWS AGAIN
 
 
Gonzo Weekly #287
THE LAST FREAKOUT ISSUE
 
In this progressively poignant issue, Tim Rundall remembers his old friend Boss Goodman, Jon remembers Gerald Durrell, and reads Nelson DeMille, Doug goes to see Steven Wilson, Graham is in the desert talking about Hawkwind and Alan waxes lyrical upon The Hanging Stars.
 
 
#Hail Eris!
 
And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, AND Mack Maloney, AND Friday Night Progressive, the columns from all sorts of folk including Neil Nixon, and Roy Weard, and C J Stone, and Mr Biffo are on hiatus this week although Kev Rowlands AND the irrepressible Corinna are present and correct. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and tiger quolls who have nothing to lose (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have got all fatalistic, 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:
 
Gerald Durrell, Beach Boys, The Beatles, John Lydon, Sid Vicious, Damon Albarn, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Beastie Boys, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Glenn Branca, Margaret Ruth Kidder, Scott Hutchison, Michail Jefimowitsch Alperin, Bessie Camm (née Alderson, formerly Canwood), Matt Marks, Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr., Ashton, Gardner, Dyke & Co., Michael Bruce, Man, Karnataka, Tim Rundall, Dave 'Boss' Goodman, Doug Harr, Steven Wilson, Alan Dearling, The Hanging Stars, Kev Rowland, Galahad, Gary Miller, Gridfailure, Imperial Triumphant, Johan Kilberg's Impera, Hawkwind, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, Nelson DeMille, Trina, Benny Goodman, Ray Charles, Grateful Dead, Iggy Pop, The Doors, Rossini
 
And the last few issues are:
 
Issue 284 (Straqngelove)
Issue 283 (Record Store Day)
Issue 282 (Neil Finn and Fleetwood Mac)
Issue 281 (Carl Palmer)
Issue 280 (Steve Andrews)
Issue 279 (Biffo)
Issue 278 (The Beatles)
Issue 277 (Auld Man's Baccie)
Issue 276 (Dukes of the Orient)
Issue 275 (Martin Gordon)
Issue 274 (Steve Took)
Issue 273 (Live Dead 69)
Issue 272 (George Butler)
Issue 271 (Mark E Smith)
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)
 
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?

CRYPTOLINK: Home of Naga Seri Gumum under threat

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. 
MALAYSIA’S Tasik Chini is a poster-worthy example of the need to balance the pursuit of socio-economic development with environmental care and conservation.
Nine years ago this month, Unesco conferred World Biosphere Reserve status on Tasik Chini, in Pekan district, Pahang, underlining the lake’s rich biodiversity, including “species characteristic of the extreme lowlands ... of considerable conservation interest due to their diminishing low land habitats elsewhere within Peninsular Malaysia”.
Tasik Chini became the first site in the country to be given such prestigious international recognition under Unesco’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. The other is Crocker Range in Sabah, which received the same status in 2014.
A biosphere is a region of land, water and atmosphere where living organisms and the results of their activities create a single, self-sustaining ecosystem. Up to 2016, there were 669 biosphere reserves in 120 countries.
Tasik Chini is formed from a string of 12 connected water bodies covering over 200 hectares, surrounded by 700 hectares of freshwater swamp and swamp forest.
Usually between August and September, the lake is transformed into a floating garden with thousands of white and pink lotus flowers covering the surface. These iconic lotus plants (Nelumbo nucifera) and fishing are the main ecotourist attractions.
The lake is endowed with a rich diversity of flora and fauna — home to 87 species of freshwater fish, 189 species of birds, 51 low forest species, 15 freshwater swamp forest species, and 25 aquatic plants.
Studies have shown that many habitats are endemic or unique to Tasik Chini.
About 800 Orang Asli from the Jakun tribe, and also some Semai, live on its shores, and they depend on the lake for livelihood and water supply.
For Tasik Chini, the Unesco recognition is already special enough. But the fabled lake has more. Among the famous myths and Orang Asli legends, the lake is home to a dragon, the Naga Seri Gumum (Malaysia’s answer to Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster.) As well, an ancient Khmer city is said to rest at the bottom of the lake.

BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF




Boy Scouts troop leader Jeff Newhard said his troop woke up to footprints near a campsite after hearing noises. Advertisement. Service dog, pregnant ...


Dave Shealy has devoted his life to studying the elusive skunk ape — the Florida Everglades' version of Bigfoot. He and his brother, Jack, own the ...

CRYPTOLINK: "Loch Ness monster ‘SPOTTED’: ‘Nessy’ pictured in freezing ENGLAND canal" Hmmmm

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. 


Footage captured the moment what appears to be a sea creature pokes out of the water in a canal in Gloucester.
Josh Hawkins, 25, who filmed the Nessie-like object yesterday, said: "I was watching the FA Cup final and I looked out the window and saw it.
"It looked like it was moving.
“I thought it looked like the Loch Ness monster."
loch ness monster sightingSWNS
NESIE? An IT worker claims he saw the Loch Ness Monster – 500 miles from home
Legends around Loch Ness claim that the great lake contains a huge monster.
Many videos and photos have surfaced of the monster throughout the years, without any concrete sightings.
The IT worker called his friends over to see if they could identify the mysterious creature.
Josh added: "We were asking each other what we thought it could be. 

CHARLOTTE ON THE HOLSWORTHY MARK SHOW

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.




NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Monday/Tuesday

ON THIS DAY IN -  1471 - King Henry VI was killed in the tower of London. Edward IV took the throne. 
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • Tweezers and talcum powder: butterfly wing transpl...
  • Flies enjoy having sex and will resort to alcohol ...
  • Cows could be largest mammals on earth if extincti...
  • First genetically engineered coral created to help...


  • 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)