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...




Wednesday, October 28, 2015

TODAY'S BIG CAT NEWS

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.

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  • BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF



    Bigfoot Sighting Had Man 'Absolutely Terrified'
    A new Bigfoot video released by the Paranormal Review is interesting because it provides a full breakdown of the Bigfoot sighting. Unfortunately, the ...

    The Spottsville Monster: Kentucky's Bigfoot – Trailer
    The Spottsville Monster: Kentucky's Bigfoot – Trailer. I really want to see this, I hope Chris McGill updates us when he releases this. I will be first in line ...


    Even more fascinating is every culture's version of the “wild man”: ape-like creatures similar to Bigfoot. (In Europe, they're just “wild men.”) Whether it's ...

    Breakdown Of A Bigfoot Shelter Video
    The Paranormal Review has been on the ball lately cranking out the breakdown videos. Not only does he tackle bigfoot videos, this guy even does ...

    Hale, the Man Who Killed Two Bigfoot — “The NSA Took the Bodies”
    If you follow the bigfoot world, most of you have heard the story of “Bugs” a Texas man who claims to have shot and killed two bigfoot and buried their ...


    Bigfoot believers gathered over the weekend in western New York, convinced the legendary Sasquatch has left its footprints all over the region

    Cavers held captive by Bigfoot creature in West Virgina - BCS
    #bigfootisreal. Welcome back for another Bigfoot Campfire Story. I met a group of campers while on a retreat in WV. As usual I tend to get people alone ...

    THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN FACES HIS DEMONS

    The Gonzo Daily - Tuesday
     
    Today was like something out of Kafka. And no, I don’t mean that I woke up this morning and found that I had mysteriously metamorphosed into a giant beetle. Graham and I arrived at the ever-so-dilapidated building which houses Barnstaple’s Job Centre and the Committee of Affairs, or whatever they call themselves now, but as we have mislaid the letter they sent me I can’t be sure. We were 10 minutes earlier, but the front door was locked. Leaving me leaning on a lamppost like a bipolar George Formby, Graham went in search of another point of ingress, a process which took two or three minutes. He took me in through this side door, and the waiting room was deserted apart from a visibly upset Black Country lass of uncertain years who was waiting for her sister to be interviewed. There was no staff of any kind visible.
     
    For what seemed like ages, but was probably only about 20 minutes, Graham and Josef K, I’m sorry, me, waited. The automatic door from the outside into this peculiar ur-space from the outside world was obviously faulty, and kept on opening and shutting irregularly but over and over again. We tried to make cheery conversation for the sake of the Black Country lass who was by now really quite upset because her sister and husband had been in an interview which should have lasted 10 minutes for over an hour.
     
    Eventually her sister and husband reappeared through one of the doors. Something was obviously wrong, and they bustled outside pushing her sister in the wheelchair.
     
    Then it was time for me.
     
    Would I be able to wait for two or three hours? They asked. Two of the doctors were off sick. “will they be claiming incapacity benefits” I sniggered, and Graham glared at me. Apparently, my leaverty went unnoticed, and I was told that they would make me a new appointment in a few months time.
     
    Seriously for a second. The receptionist from the Job Centre couldn’t have been kinder or more caring. The same can truly be said about the nurse that I saw back in June. But I had worked myself into quite a heavy state about it all. Not that I think that I am in any way fraudulently claiming benefits, or because I have anything that I should be ashamed about. But these days there are so many horror stories going around that I cannot help but be influenced by them. Thank you to everybody who had sent their good wishes. Just be aware that we are going to have to do the whole thing again after Christmas.
     
    Peace…
     
    THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Ducks Deluxe, Coast t...
    "We Did It, Mom": Frank Zappa’s Roxy The Movie Pre...
    Legendary bands Toto and Yes perform at the Greek ...
    THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
    40 years solo for guitarist Steve
     
    Gonzo Weekly #153
    www.gonzoweekly.com
     
    Martin Barre, Jethro Tull. Marbin, Gail Zappa, George Harrison, Joe Deninzon, Stratospheerius,Transmetropolitan, Digitiser, Mr Biffo, Roy Weard, Dogwatch, That Legendary Wooden Lion, Hawkwind, Jon Anderson, Mack Moloney, and Yes fans had better look out!
     
    The latest issue of Gonzo Weekly (#153) is available to read at www.gonzoweekly.com, and to download at http://www.gonzoweekly.com/pdf/. It has Martin Barre on the cover and an interview with him inside. As well as Doug’s interview with the famous Jethro Tull guitarist, he also interviews Joe Deninzon from Stratospheerius,Jon interviews Dani from Marbin, John B-G celebrates the life of Gail Zappa, and Corinna sneers at some more tacky pop memorabilia, Mack meets Nick Redfern, plus we
    welcome A J Smitrovitch as a regular contributor.... We review volume two of Transmetropolitan, and Xtul are back in the deep woods. Neil unearths a hidden gem, Thom waxes all poetical like, whilst the legendary Roy Weard continues his regular column, C J Stone does his, and Mr Biffo has more of his regular slices of insanity from the world of Digitiser 2000, and there is a radio show from Strange Fruit, one from Friday Night Progressive and another from Mack Moloney. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and pademelons wanting a snooze (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who stayed up too late last night, 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:
     
    George Harrison, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Black Sabbath, Blur, New Order, Gong, Marillion, System 7, Steve Hillage, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Cory Wells, Frank Watkins, John Edward Jennings, Brand X, The Raz Band, Johnny Winter, Alexis Korner, 13th Floor Elevators, Nucleus, Spirits Burning, The Pirates, Martin Barre, Joe Deninzon, Stratospheerius, Dani Rabin, Marbin, John Brodie-Good, Gail Zappa, Andrew May, Roy Weard, A J Smitrovich, My Dad's LPs, Mr Biffo, Hawkwind, Sea Shepherd, Dave Brock, Xtul, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Mark Laff, Generation X, Robbie williams, Michael Jackson, Hacienda Club, Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Uriah Heep, Ray Davies, The Mamas and Papas, Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones, Bobbie Gentry, Yes, Billy Sherwood, Steve Howe, Alan White, Joey Molland, Tony Levin, John Lennon, Neil Nixon, Virginia Belmont's Famous Singing & Talking Birds, Kartikeya
     
     
    Read the previous few issues of Gonzo Weekly:
     
    Issue 152 (4th Eden)
    Issue 151 (Corky Laing)
    Issue 150 (Roger Dean)
    Issue 149 (Tony Palmer in Space)
    Issue 148 (Wally Hope)
    Issue 147 (Thom the World Poet cover)
    Issue 146 (Bee and Flower cover)
    Issue 145 (Dave Brock cover)
    Issue 144 (Percy Jones cover)
    Issue 143 (Billy Sherwood cover)
    Issue 142 (Daevid Allen and Spirits Burning cover)
    Issue 141 (Rick Wakeman cover)
    Issue 140 (Jaki Windmill cover)
    Issue 139 (Raz cover)
    Issue 138 (Galahad cover)
    Issue 137 (Chris Squire cover)
    Issue 136 (Neil Nixon cover)
    Issue 135 (FNP cover)
     
    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.com/…/all-gonzo-news-wots-fit…
     
    * 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 56 who - together with an infantile orange cat named after a song by Frank Zappa, and a small kitten 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, and sometimes a young lady called Jessica. 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 the infantile orange cat, and the adventurous kitten?

    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.


    NEWS FROM NOWHERE: Wednesday

    ON THIS DAY IN 1965 - Pope Paul VI issued a decree absolving Jews of collective guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 
    And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • These social bees farm and eat fungus or die
  • Big monkey voice 'means less sperm'

  • Dogs 'can trace origins to Central Asia'

  • 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)