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, December 06, 2012

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today



On this day in 521AD St Columba was born. Columba made the first written record of an encounter with a monster in the River Ness, which has been interpreted by many as the first recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster. Interestingly enough that sighting was made on Jonathan Downes' birthday (give or take a few years), had I not seen Jon's passport I'd have called shenanigans!

And now the news:
  • New species of butterfly discovered in Jamaica
  • Dolphin dies on plane to Singapore
  • Butterfly survival blueprint unveiled
  • A sea monster ... and he’s still a nipper! Monster...
  • Lemur Love: How Daughters Avoid Mating With Dad
  • Botswana to ban hunting over wildlife species decl...
  • Minke whale and bottlenose dolphin sighting
  • Fossey Fund anti-poaching camp attacked - Ranger k...

  • As it's advent I'm going to start posting christmassy songs as the signoff vids just to annoy grumpy people. Today it's Cardiff's answer to Elvis Presley:

    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.


    THIS CHRISTMAS FROM CFZ PUBLISHING GROUP: Death on Dartmoor by Di Francis


    The peaceful beauty of the Devon countryside is threatened when the killings begin. But what or who is responsible for the rising number of victims? 

    A reclusive old poacher, Trapper, could have identified the killer if he hadn’t become a victim himself. 

    Stories abound and legends are revived, and the killings continue. The few people who suspect they have the answer are ignored by the authorities. How many have to die before anyone will listen?

    LIFE WAS SO MUCH SIMPLER IN THOSE DAYS




    DALE DRINNON: Late survival, Global Warming, Sasquatch, Cedar & Willow, Benny's Blog


    New at the Frontiers of Zoology:
    http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/12/kusshi-from-global-warming-and.html

    CRYPTOZOOLOGY ONLINE: On The Track (Of Unknown Animals) Episode 63


    The latest episode of our monthly webTV show from the CFZ and CFZtv, bringing you news on our activities within cryptozoology and natural history as well as the latest cryptozoological, and monster hunting news from around the world. I can't believe that we have done this every month for five years now - 63 episodes. Golly!

    This episode brings you:

    CFZ in winter
    Winter waders
    birdwatching on Northam burrows
    The Crypto Community
    Blogging
    Lynx in Poland
    Bobcat in California
    Unicorns in the press
    Bigfoot genome?
    Bufo melanosticus (Chinese toads)
    Mystery anurans
    Mystery cichlids
    Corinna looks at out of place birds
    New and Rediscovered: New weta
    New and Rediscovered: New hermit crab
    New and Rediscovered: Giant tortoise
    Happy Christmas

    I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

    I was up working until 4:30 this morning so am a little bumbly and woozy today. All sorts of irritating stuff has been happening, but I seem to be getting on top of it all. It is rather nice to be serenaded by the two Chinese toads each morning as I enter my study, it reminds me of listening to them in Hong Kong back when I was a boy. And there is only another fortnight until the days start getting longer again, so everything is OK really...

    We start off the day with our regular visit to Thom the World Poet

    This is totally off-topic, but each month I make a webTV show, and I thought that some of you might be interested

    Alan Davey (ex-Hawlwind) has released a live album

    An insightful ABWH review

    An interesting review of the Lost Broadcasts DVD by The Move

    A video review of the Erik Norlander live DVD/CD package

    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:

    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, his mother-in-law, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?

    OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today



    On this day in 2006 NASA published photographs from the Mars Global Surveyor that suggested the presence of water in a liquid form which potentially could mean extant life of some form.
  • Trial could eliminate fishing discards and improve...
  • India’s ‘Dancing Bears’ Retire in Animal Rights Vi...
  • 12,000 critically endangered Saiga antelope found ...
  • Dolphin Bites 8-Year-Old Girl at Sea World
  • Dog-faced Mangrove Snake Named for Finder – via He...
  • DNA tests to confirm birth of Farne Island twin se...
  • The Brandling Villa Serves Beer And Food For Dogs
  • Hochfest for Reptile and Amphibian Enthusiasts at ...

  • Go on, seeing as it's nearly Christmas: