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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Monday, March 02, 2020

MICHIGAN MERMAN

18th Century encounter.

now read on.....

CFZ Members Newsletter #53

Dear Friends,

For those of you not in the know, at the beginning of each month we send out a newsletter to all members of the CFZ. The most recent (which went out yesterday) included articles on OTT, changes at the CFZ, the way forward, octopuses on land, a bipedal fish, a strange creature,  Patreon, Richard Muirhead's new book, my new novel and record, a new book on vampires, Notes and Queries etc.

The infrastructure of the Centre for Fortean Zoology has changed rapidly over the last few years and truthfully doesn’t look like its going to stop changing anytime soon.

The newsletter costs a quid a month (or the equivalent in your currency) and is delivered straight into your inbox by a plethora of tiny invisible elves, or email if you prefer it that way.

You can sign up for it here: http://tinyurl.com/jtsq7ew

If you want to view a sample issue click here: http://tinyurl.com/pw7rw9l

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

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.


On the Track (of Unknown Animals) Ep 112 (Bigfoot, O.O.P Flamingos, giant turtles, cave fish etc)



Here we have the 31st 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: • Wally in hospital • Corinna at the NDDH • Washington bigfoot • An explanation • The last year at Loch Ness • A cult? • Dune buggies on Dartmoor • Jon annoys his wife • The case for UK flamingos • Cave fish in general • The world's largest cave fish • New information on prehistoric giant turtles • The Father of all the Turtles • Leatherback turtles in cold climates • 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...

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.


THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN RETURNS TO SOME SEMBLANCE OF NORMALITY

The Gonzo Daily: Monday/Tuesday
Well, nobody can say that I don't do my best. Sadly, however, things do not always go the way that I planned. Yesterday, everything that I had to do was dependent on something else, but I managed to do everything on the right order, and produce the required end results. One of theswe was finishing the latest episode of OTT ready for broadcast today. I set it to mix down and master overnight, having done the few edits necessary after watching the beta version with Corinna, but there was a glitch whilst I was in the arms of Morpheus, and I have had to set the media computer to remaster this morning. So things are running a little behind schedule which is a bummer. This afternoon we go back to the hospital, so keep your fingers crossed.
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 www.gonzopublishers.com is now pretty well done, although there are still nine authoors who need personal pages. You can find it ay www.gonzopublishers.com and 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"
Life is still not easy, Corinna is still not well, my right foot is still painful, even though the infections appear to have gone, and with all this and everything else that I am having to deal with at the moment, not ignoring the emotional fallout from mother’s funeral only a few weeks ago, everything is delayed. We will get there in the end, but remember us in your thoughts and prayers, please. On which point, thank you so much to all of you who wrote to us giving kind words about Corinna and/or condolences for Mother. I will be writing back to you individually, but there were a lot of messages, and my time is embarrasingly limited at the moment. So, if you are one of the kind people who did so, please don't take offence that you have not had a reply.
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.
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 #379/80
THE "BETTER LATE THAN NEVER" ISSUE
www.gonzoweekly.com
In this totally tardy issue we say goodbye to Andrew Weatherall who provided the soundtrack to so much of our lives. Alan chews the fat with Tom Vague, Jon eulogises the new Star Trek: Picard series and reads about Dr Strangely Strange, Iccy chats to Xentos ‘Fray Bentos’, Steve explains how to look after butterflies wherever you are, we have the latest from The Gardening Club, Graham brings us up to date with Hawklwind, and we join PAART with their animal rescue mission. And much more...
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 Mr Biffo, C J Stone, 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:
Star Trek: Picard, Patrick Stewart, Watchmen, Dr. Who, Deep Purple, Mick Jagger, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Howe, Billy Bragg, Morrissey, Andrew James Weatherall, Alan Dearling, Friday Night Progressive, The Merrell Fankhauser Show - Psychedelic Dreams, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Victor Abimbola Olaiya, Paul English, Christophe Desjardins, Sonam Sherpa, Jon Ivar Christensen, Henry Gray, Pearl Lavinia Carr, Bashar Barakah Jackson (aka Pop Smoke), Cavan Grogan, William Charles "Buzzy" Linhart, Jcob Thiele, Mike Lilly, Rick Wakeman, Gerry Beckley,The Waterson Family, The Fall, Richard wright and Dave Harris - Zee, Chasing the Monsoon, Steve Andrews, Green Gonzo, Butterflies, Moths, Icarus Ruoff, Unhappy Fly, Xentos ‘Fray Bentos’, PAART, Jonathan Plesset, Tom Vague, Kev Rowland, Regal Worm, Roger Davidson Quartet, Roz Vitalis, Sam Bevan, Tony Klinger, Hawkwind, Rockfield Studios, Jonathan Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, Thom the World Poet, Dr Strangely Strange, Iain Sinclair, Adrian Whittaker,
John Lennon
...And the last few issues are:
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
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?

Gonzo Weekly #379/80

Gonzo Weekly #379/80
THE "BETTER LATE THAN NEVER" ISSUE
www.gonzoweekly.com

In this totally tardy issue we say goodbye to Andrew Weatherall who provided the soundtrack to so much of our lives. Alan chews the fat with Tom Vague, Jon eulogises the new Star Trek: Picard series and reads about Dr Strangely Strange, Iccy chats to Xentos ‘Fray Bentos’, Steve explains how to look after butterflies wherever you are, we have the latest from The Gardening Club, Graham brings us up to date with Hawklwind, and we join PAART with their animal rescue mission. And much more...

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 Mr Biffo, C J Stone, 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:

Star Trek: Picard, Patrick Stewart, Watchmen, Dr. Who, Deep Purple, Mick Jagger, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Howe, Billy Bragg, Morrissey, Andrew James Weatherall, Alan Dearling, Friday Night Progressive, The Merrell Fankhauser Show - Psychedelic Dreams, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Victor Abimbola Olaiya, Paul English, Christophe Desjardins, Sonam Sherpa, Jon Ivar Christensen, Henry Gray, Pearl Lavinia Carr, Bashar Barakah Jackson (aka Pop Smoke), Cavan Grogan, William Charles "Buzzy" Linhart, Jcob Thiele, Mike Lilly, Rick Wakeman, Gerry Beckley,The Waterson Family, The Fall, Richard wright and Dave Harris - Zee, Chasing the Monsoon, Steve Andrews, Green Gonzo, Butterflies, Moths, Icarus Ruoff, Unhappy Fly, Xentos ‘Fray Bentos’, PAART, Jonathan Plesset, Tom Vague, Kev Rowland, Regal Worm, Roger Davidson Quartet, Roz Vitalis, Sam Bevan, Tony Klinger, Hawkwind, Rockfield Studios, Jonathan Downes, The Wild Colonial Boy, Martin Springett, Thom the World Poet, Dr Strangely Strange, Iain Sinclair, Adrian Whittaker,
John Lennon

...And the last few issues are:

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
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/9FE5CEE9E8C/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.

NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Monday/Tuesday

ON THIS DAY IN -  1836 - Texas declared its independence from Mexico and an ad interim government was formed.
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk.
  • Is the Bible right? Newly discovered fossils show ...
  • Slow And Steady Could Win The Race Against Extinct...
  • Weak Arctic ice sees 56 polar bears descend on Rus...
  • Seahorse breeding project aims to recover endanger...
  • Endemic mountain amphibians deserve more attention...


  • 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)