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, November 27, 2012

HIT PARADE FOR NOVEMBER (CFZ PRESS/FORTEAN WORDS)


UK

1. Haunted Skies Volume Six by John Hanson and Dawn Holloway (2)
2=. Haunted Skies Volume Three by John Hanson and Dawn Holloway (-)
2=. Haunted Skies Volume Two by John Hanson and Dawn Holloway (6)
2=. Haunted Skies Volume Two by John Hanson and Dawn Holloway (3)
5=. Quest for the Hexham Heads by Paul Screeton (5)

5=. The Great Yokai Encyclopaedia by Richard Freeman (6)

7. Karl Shuker's Alien Zoo by Karl Shuker (-)
8=. Weird Waters - The Lake and Sea Monsters of Scandinavia by Lars Thomas (5)
8=When Bigfoot Attacks by Michael Newton (-)
10. Sea Serpent Carcasses: Scotland by Glen Vaudrey (-)

US

1When Bigfoot Attacks by Michael Newton (7)
2. Haunted Skies Volume Six by John Hanson and Dawn Holloway (6)
3. Orang Pendek by Richard Freeman (-)
4. Big Bird by Ken Gerhard (-)
5. Monsters of Texas by Ken Gerhard and Nick Redfern (-)
6=. Haunted Skies Volume Five by John Hanson and Dawn Holloway (8)
6=. Man Monkey by Nick Redfern (10)
6=. The Inhumanoids by Barton Nunnelly (4)
6=. Karl Shuker's Alien Zoo by Karl Shuker (-)
10. The Mystery Animals of Pennsylvania by Andrew Gable (3)

Last month's positions in this pinky colour, which I think is called cerise. Sales have picked up now theOlympics and the Jubilee are over, quite possibly due to all the hard work Emsy has put in on the Facebook Group. Thank you honey.

TODAY'S 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 should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. In September 2012, Emma Osborne decided that the Mystery Cat Study Group really deserved a blog of its own within the CFZ Blog Network.



MATT SALUSBURY: Skull of Barbary lion (maneless li...

DALE DRINNON: Bigfoot, Lake Champlain, Benny's Blog

At Frontiers of Zoology:
 
 
 New at Benny's Blog, The Omenous Octopus Omnibus:

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES (CFZ)

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. So, after about six months of regular postings on the main bloggo, Corinna has taken the plunge and started a 'Watcher of the Skies' blog of her own as part of the CFZ Bloggo Network.

Chromosome ends hold clues to a bird's longevity

KARL SHUKER - MY FIRST WHITE TIGER!


How I rediscovered a precious, seemingly long-vanished memento of my first-ever sighting of a white tiger...

Read on...

I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

The computer problems continue, but life goes on. Corinna is presently working on the new edition of Billy James and Zoot Horn Rollo's book about life with Captain Beefheart, whilst I am still trying to find workarounds for day to day tasks while half my computer is offline...
 
Longtime Jefferson Starship guitarist Mark “Slick” Aguilar is in need of a liver transplant and an online campaign has been started to help him raise funds to pay for the bills he expects to incur because of the operation.
 
PRIDE of Dunfermline Barbara Dickson is now also officially the 'Pride of Scotland' after she picked up a prestigious award in recognition of her achievements.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/link-barbaras-pride-of-scotland-award.html
 
Magick Brothers’ acoustic format provides what is perhaps the most organic setting for Daevid Allen’s surrealalchemical soundscapes. This early live recording is a delightful insight into the modus operandi of this lovely little ensemble. The accompanying video footage makes this already desirable package unmissable!
 
The Atkins May Project is a synthesis of two remarkable talents; Christian guitarist Paul May and former Judas Priest and Holy Rage singer Al Atkins. In this multi-part series we go through the twenty songs which have appeared on their two albums so far, and let Al and Paul tell us the secrets behind the sounds.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/exclusive-song-by-song-with-atkins-may.html
 
Another interesting review for the recently released ABWH live album
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/abwh-german-review-translated.html
 
Our daily visit to the incomparable Thom the World Poet
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/thom-world-poet-daily-poem_27.html
 
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 - imaginitavely - The Gonzo Weekly. Find out about it at this link:
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/all-gonzo-news-wots-fit-to-print.html
 
Jon Downes, the Editor of all these ventures is an old hippy of 53 who - together with his orange cat - puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today


Today is the feast day of Saint Congar of Congarsbury. A minor local saint, known mainly for putting his staff in the ground and it having sprouted into a tree according to legend, however it is in the annual commemoration of him by the good folk of Congarsbury in Somerset that his legacy can be seen. At precisely 2:23 pm the church bells of the town ring out a peel with an unusual rhythm that goes something like “da-da-da-de-da-da”. The townsfolk then gather in the village green and form the processional “Congar line” they then march through the town to the tune of the church bell chanting “Dah! Dah! Dah! Da! Dah” Hey!” in an attempt to drive the Devil out of the town. It is also customary for those not participating in the “Congar line” to leave bottles of wine on tables outside their houses for the brave participants to take crafty swigs from as they pass.

It is from this age old British tradition we derive the modern “Conga” from favoured at office Christmas parties when people have had way to much to drink.

As I've had people accusing me of occasionally putting in random facts I've just made up into these blogs before you can check out Saint Congar's wikipedia page if you don't believe me http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congar_of_Congresbury .

And now the news:
  • Rare Bryde's whale killed by ship in New Zealand's...
  • American Samoa ends shark fin trade & shark fishin...
  • Eating Right Key to Survival of Whales and Dolphin...
  • Headshaking in Horses: New Treatment Has 50% Succe...
  • Secret Service investigates GIANT LIZARDS as 'pote...
  • More on the plight of the WESTERN HEDGEHOG in the ...
  • Cameroon deploys Special Forces to counter poachin...
  • Grevy's zebra moved to Ol Pejeta

  • A version of the conga by early goth pioneers Black Lace: