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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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Monday, January 13, 2020

On the Track (of Unknown Animals) Ep 110 (Mother, Danish blue dog, Boleskine House, Moskvarium etc)



Here we have the twenty-ninth episode of the relaunched webTV show by the Centre for Fortean Zoology, written and presented by Jon Downes and Charlotte Phillipson, their families and other animals. In the new look OTT; we will try to keep the montly episodes to half an hour, but in between the scheduled episodes will be others - OTTXtra. So hold on, its gonna be a bumpy ride. And so far the bumpy ride seems to be a success: viewing figures are noticeably up, and the reactions we are getting seem very positive. This episode contains: • We say goodbye to Mother • An explanation • Loch Ness: Fire at Boleskine House • Loch Ness: Aleister Crowley • The first European blue dog? • Bigfoot vocalisation? • Something Jon and Carl will think is funny • A song • Graham moving fridges about • Max in Russia • Coming next month • Changes at OTT • The team says goodbye until next month _________________________________ Some useful contacts: CFZ Website www.cfz.org.uk CFZ Patreon https://www.patreon.com/CFZ OTT on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OnTheTrack/ Jon on Twitter @cfzjon CFZ Blog Network https://forteanzoology.blogspot.co.uk/ CFZ Publications http://cfzresources.com/publishing/ CFZtv https://www.youtube.com/user/cfztv CFZ Next Generation Initiative https://www.facebook.com/groups/29796...

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.



BIGFOOT 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.


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 Muirhead


  • CHAMP BOOK
  • LOCH NESS WEBCAM
  • A YEAR AT LOCH NESS


  • SCOTTISH WATER MONSTERS
  • THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN SINGS

    The Gonzo Daily: Monday/Tuesday
    And so we have another week. It is, perforce, going to be a little sombre, but that is the way that the cookie crumbles. Like last year, I have managed to damage my foot, so I have an appointment with the lovely girls at Bideford and District Hospital this afternoon. I am presently on one of my irregular Beatles jags, and so whilst writing my blogs at the moment I am obsessively listening to Beatles podcasts, especially those featuring Mark lewisohn. It is strange how a pop group that split up half a century ago still manage to attract such obsessive attention. I am not pointing fingers here, because I am one of those aforementioned obsessives.
    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:
    https://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/p/a-prayer-flag-lung-…
    Blessed be.
    CHECK OUT THE GONZO STORES:
    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 #371/2
    THE NEW YEAR ISSUE
    http://www.gonzoweekly.com/
    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)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-369-70.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
    Issue 357-8 (King Crimson)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-357-8.html
    Issue 355-6 (Elfin Bow)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-355-6.html
    Issue 353-4 (Melanie S Jane)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-353-4.html
    Issue 351-2 (Royal Affair)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CE…/gonzo-351-2-fvxuatzgf.html
    Issue 349-50 (Experimental Sonic Machines)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-349-50.htm
    Issue 347-8 (Gary Duncan)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-347-8.html
    Issue 345-6 (RDF)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-345-6.html
    Issue 343-4 (Auburn)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-343-4.html
    Issue 341-42 (America)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-341-2.html
    Issue 339-40 (Kev Rowland)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-339-40.html
    Issue 337-38 (Zee)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-337-8.html
    Issue 335-36 (Raz)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-335-6.html
    Issue 333-34 (Nepal)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-333-4.html
    Issue 331-32 (Scott Walker)
    https://www.flipsnack.com/9FE5CEE9E8C/gonzo-331-2.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: Monday/Tuesday

    ON THIS DAY IN -  1128 - Pope Honorius II granted a papal sanction to the military order known as the Knights Templar. He declared it to be an army of God.
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • .
  • World's oldest captive white rhino dies in French ...
  • Survey finds gain in endangered red squirrel popul...
  • Secrets of the largest ape that ever lived
  • Moth populations in steady decline in Britain, stu...


  • 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)