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...




Thursday, February 21, 2019

MENTIGI MONSTER

Remains of monster found on Sumatra beach in 2000.

now read on....

BIGFOOT NEAR MOUNT RUSHMORE

The Hairy One attacks!



now read on.....

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.














BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF



Bigfoot Attacks RV Near Mt. Rushmore
Hello Sir - I recently started reading your site after looking for information on Bigfoot in South Dakota. You asked for real-life encounters. I hope this fits ...

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WATE) - The first-ever Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference set for later this year. Several speakers all under one roof will talk ...

Bobo Shocks Crowd With Bigfoot Answer
A Bigfoot enthusiast at Saturday's Bigfoot Conference at Hastings City Auditorium asked presenter Jim “Bobo” Fay of "Finding Bigfoot" fame if there ...


THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN LEAVES BLOOD ON THE TRACKS

The Gonzo Daily: Thursday
YER EDITOR SEZ:
OK boys and girls, we are approaching another crossroads. There will be no blogs tomorrow, because both Corinna and I have hospital appointments. Mine is just a routine diabetic eye test, but Corinna's will - I hope - tell us what is to happen next in the aetiology and therefore the treatment of her condition. Please forgive us both for retreating into our shells for a couple of days, but I do hope that you understand why.
We would both like to thank the people all around the world who have sent us their good wishes, and included her in your prayers. 
THE DIGITAL PRAYER FLAG
A prayer flag (Lung ta) is a colourful rectangular cloth, often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside and for other purposes. Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags do not carry prayers to gods, which is a common misconception; rather, the Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Therefore, prayer flags are thought to bring benefit to all. By hanging flags in high places the Lung ta will carry the blessings depicted on the flags to all beings. As wind passes over the surface of the flags, which are sensitive to the slightest movement of the wind, the air is purified and sanctified by the mantras.
I believe something similar happens with positive vibes transmitted electronically. And so, please forgive me when I write about Corinna's health problems every day, but I am convinced that these electronic Lung ta and the resulting torrent of good vibes that has been the major contributory factor to the aetiology of her illness so far.
Blessed be.
ALL TODAY'S GONZO NEWS WOT'S FIT TO PRINT:
THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY:  Mary Hopkin - Temma h...
When Prog and Power Unite interview with Ian Jones...
Hawkwind - 1985 GWR Radio Interview
JON ANDERSON IN THE NEWS
THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
For those of you who are interested in such things, the Gonzo Privacy Policy is here:
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?
I do have good news to impart: Lars Thomas' book about the mystery land animals of Scandinavia and the Baltic States has been uploaded, and over at Gonzo the first volume of Kev Rowland's The Progressive Underground is also imminent. And at Fortean Fiction, my latest novel - 'Zen and Xenophobia' - vaguely a sequel to 2015's 'The Song of Panne' - is now available.
! would warn you that if you are of a nervous disposition, or easily offended, you will find parts of my novel both offensive and upsetting. There is sex, violence, drug abuse, occultism, pornography, firearms, politics, religion, and not a little sociology. But there is also love, kindness, faith, and redemption. And it's a cracking good yarn. Or I think so, at any rate. All I would say on the subject before bidding you farewell is Caveat Lector. And I'm not gonna explain what that means, because because if you don't know what that means then you probably shouldn't be reading the book in the first place.
AND THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE GONZO MAGAZINE:
Gonzo Weekly #323/4
THE GONZO ISSUE
In this week's tremendously Gonzo issue of Gonzo, Alan goes back in time to investigate the Gonzoid beginnings of Gonzo as a genre, we welcome a new columnist (a famous film director, no less) but when we put him on a desert island he tells us all sorts of things that we weren't expecting, Carl and Geordie go in search of lost horror movies, Jon rants about the Pet Shop Boys and Robert Anton Wilson, and Graham brings us up to date with Hawkwind. And there is oodles more...
Hail Eris!
And there are radio shows from Mack Maloney and Friday Night Progressive BUT Strange Fruit is on hiatus due to technical issues AND there are columns from Kev Rowland, and C J Stone, BUT Neil Nixon, Roy Weard Mr Biffo, and the irrepressible Corinna are on hiatus.  There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and rock wallabies who've blown a fuse (OK, nothing to do with the relatively small macropods who are having electrical problems, 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:
Pet Shop Boys, Egg Gang, James Brown, Jon Anderson, Richard Wright, ELP, The Clash, KLF, Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Liz Lenten, Richard Freeman, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Atte Toikka, Bruce Kendall Corbitt, Jacqueline Steiner, Ingo Bischof, Yoskar "El Prabu" Sarante, Joseph “Pepe” William Feliciano Smith, Paul Gene Whaley, James Edward Ingram, Sanford Sylvan, Air Commodore Dame Felicity Barbara Hill, DBE, Harold Ray Bradley (aka TicTac), Johnny Lion (aka John van Leeuwarden), Harris Tapio Marstio, Clive Walter Swift, Job Seda, Alex Brown, Bill Sims Jr., Tim Landers, Peter Paul Posa MNZM, Kirill Aleksandrovich Tolmatsky (aka Detsl), Michael David Ledbetter, Giampiero Artegiani, Blaine Cameron Johnson, Albert Finney Jr., Kyle Yorlets, Phil Western, Guy Webster, Olli Lindholm, Joe Hardy,  The Fall, Tony Palmer, Chad Mitchell Trio, Deviants ixvi, Mick Farren, Alan Dearling, Hunter S. Thompson, gonzo-writing, Tony Klinger, Kev Rowland, Crying Steel, Darrel Treece-Birch, Delusion Squared, Dimmu Borgir, Disen Gage, Dark Matters, Carl Marshall, Geordie Jackson, Lost Horror Films, C J Stone, Hawkwind, Wild Colonial Boy, Jonathan Downes, Martin Springett, Thom the World Poet, Robert Anton Wilson, Cosmic Trigger
And the last few issues are:
Issue 323-24 (Irvine Welsh)
Issue 321-22 (Discordianism)
Issue 319-20 (Brix Smith)
Issue 317-18 (Christmas)
Issue 315-16 (Steve Miller)
Issue 313-14 (Hawkwind)
Issue 311-12 (Extinction Rebellion)
Issue 309-10 (Steve Hillage)
Issue 307-8 (Michael Moorcock)
Issue 305-6 (Maartin Allcock)
Issue 303-4 (kOZFEST)
Issue 301-2 (Ringo Starr)
Issue 299-300 (Aretha Franklin)
Issue 298 (Alan in Hungary)
Issue 297 (Shir Ordo)
Issue 295-6 (Robert Berry)
Issue 294 (Bow Wow Wow)
Issue 293 (Stonehenge)
Issue 292 (Rolling Stones)
Issue 291 (Alien Weaponry)
Issue 290 (Frank Zappa)
Issue 289 (Misty in Roots)
Issue 288 (Paula Frazer)
Issue 287 (Boss Goodman)
Issue 286 (Monty Python)
Issue 285 (ELP)
Issue 284 (Strangelove)
Issue 283 (Record Store Day)
Issue 282 (Neil Finn and Fleetwood Mac)
Issue 281 (Carl Palmer)
Issue 280 (Steve Andrews)
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 59 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?

NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Thursday/Friday

ON THIS DAY IN -  1804 - The first self-propelled locomotive on rails was demonstrated in Wales. 
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • Tracking technology to reveal whether food produce...
  • What happens after you take injured wildlife to th...
  • Emerging significance of gammaherpesvirus and morb...
  • Far-ranging fin whales find year-round residence i...
  • Experts disagree with prior study that claimed she...

  • 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)