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, January 08, 2008

HOWEVER THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS

Now I have got my self-indulgent feeling sorry for myself but out of the way, here is the best news for yonks.

We are proud to announce the publication of three new books:





The first is the 2008 Yearbook. When I first came up with the idea of the yearbook some thirteen years ago, I always imagined that it would be published either just before or just after Christmas each year, but as the faithful stwalwarts who have followed our activities over the years will attest, apart from the first volume (the 1996 YB) which appeared in December 1995, none of the subsequent ones have appeared before April. Until now, that is...

Wayhay! Not only is the 2008 Yearbook out on time (it actually appeared on the shelves last week, but the tragic events of recent weeks stopped me doing anything about it, but it is pretty damn good. The contents are:

INTRODUCTION by Jonathan Downes
A TRIO OF MYSTERY CATS AT LONDON ZOO by Dr Karl P.N.Shuker
THE STRANGE ANIMALS OF SWANSEA BAY by Oll Lewis
PLANET OF THE APE MEN by Nick Redfern
TOWARDS A POSSIBLE CAUDATA IDENTITY FOR THE MONGOLIAN
DEATH WORM: Introducing the 'plausibility method' for identity theory
formation amongst lesser known cryptids by Michael A. Woodley
CATS AROUND THE CAPITAL by Neil Arnold
ZOOLOGICAL CURIOSITIES FROM HARDWICKE’S SCIENCE GOSSIP
PART ONE - 1865-7 BY Richard Muirhead
ON THE TRACK OF ORANG PENDEK? by Nick Molloy
MADNESS, MONSTERS AND MORAR by Lisa Dowley
SOME NEW ZEALAND CRYPTIDS by Tony Lucas
SINGING MICE by Jonathan Downes
ARCHIVE ARTICLES FROM THE 1930s ON SINGING MICE
CFZ ANNUAL REPORT 2007


Everyone who preordered the book will be getting it this week, but it is now on sale HERE for the regular price of £12.50



The second book is Ethna's Journal the first novel by my darling wife. Ethna's Journal tells the story of a few months in an alternate Dark Ages, seen through the eyes of Ethna, daughter of Lord Edric. She is an unsophisticated girl from the fortress town of Cragnuth, somewhere in the north of England, who reluctantly gets embroiled in a web of treachery, sorcery and bloody war...

Well, of course I would have said nice things about it - whatever it was like - because (in case you haven't noticed) I love my wife, and will always support her in her endeavours. However, the book happens to be really good. It is very reminiscent (to me, at least) of Michael Moorcock, round about the time he was writing the Runestaff series, and Ethna - the eponymous heroine of Corinna's book - is considerably more three dimensional a character than Dorien Hawkmoon, and a damn sight more sexy!

I highly recommend that you give it a go. Buy it HERE



The third book, is the latest in the series of `Dark Dorset` folklore books. The synopsis reads:

Much of the intrinsic charm of Dorset folklore is owed to the importance of folk customs. Today only a small amount of these curious and occasionally eccentric customs have survived, while those that still continue have, for many of us, lost their original significance. Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? Why do children dance around the maypole on May Day? Why do we carve pumpkin lanterns at Hallowe'en? What is Wassailing? And who is Father Christmas? All the answers are here! Robert has made an in-depth study of the Dorset country calendar identifying the major feast-days, holidays and celebrations when traditionally such folk customs are practiced. Some of these customs hark back to pre-Christian times, while others are comparatively recent innovations. The list of customs is an extensive one and includes Morris Dancing, Clipping the Church, Well Dressing, Love Divinations, Mumming Plays, Corn Dollies, Broom Dancing and many more besides. Included as a special bonus are thirty tasty seasonal recipes to try out, such as Cattern Cake, Plough Tide Dumplings and Mince Pies, to name but a few.This fascinating, easy to follow compendium is an ideal reference tool for anyone seeking a greater understanding of Dorset's annual customs and rituals and how to enjoy them. Join in and celebrate any day that takes your fancy! We certainly will!

Buy it HERE

Yuck!!!!!!!!!!

After all the alarms and excursions of the last few weeks it is great to get back to some semblance of normality, and get back to working on all the things that I am supposed to be doing. At least, it WOULD be, if it wasn't for the fact that I have a cold! It is not even a particularly bad cold. It certainly isn't 'flu, or what my disgustingly sexist wife calls `man flu`. It's not the tummy bug that is sweeping across the nation, it's just a cold. And I probably caught it from Oliver, so it's all HIS fault.

And I feel horrid!

So there!
I am going to stamp my foot now!

YAH!!!!!

Normal service is, however, slowly being resumed as we speak.