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, June 01, 2016

CFZ "PEOPLE": Toby Downes (1985-2000)



Today we remember an old family member who died sixteen years ago today. He had incurable cancer and could no longer walk or eat. My then girlfriend who was a devout Roman Catholic pointed out that it was Ascension Day which I found oddly comforting. Not a day goes by that I don't remember the old boy, and I fondly think of him in the afterlife mentoring Biggles (who dies six years ago this October) in the fine art of tearing open black bags of rubbish. As anyone who knows Prudence and Archie will attest, I am afraid that my companion canids have never been that well behaved. But then again, of course, neither am I.

CFZ PUBLISHING: The 2016 CFZ Yearbook is now out


The world's leading publishers of cryptozoology, forteana and fortean fiction, with over a hundred titles currently in print.


The latest post on the CFZ Publishing Group blog begins as follows:
The CFZ Yearbook is an annual collection of papers and essays too long and detailed for our magazine Animals & Men. The 2016 volume includes articles on...
Click here to read the whole article.

BIGFOOT NEWS IN BRIEF




The Yeti Is Put To The Test Again
A new show examines the myth of the Yeti, as they try to discover possible DNA samples from various sources to prove once and for all the Yeti exists.

Did Bigfoot Kill These Goats? Warning: Graphic (Video)
Intense footage- not for the weak. Investigative report on a goat kill incident associated with the Bigfoot ( Homo Sapiens Cognatus) GLST family unit.


Truckee California Bigfoot Sighting Send In
Influenced by the bigfoot sighting in Payson Canyon, a couple sent me this footage they say is from outside a cabin in Truckee California in July 2013.


THE GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN SLEEPS

The Gonzo Daily - Wednesday
Sixteen years ago today, my old dog Toby, who for fifteen years had been my constant companion and best friend was euthanased. He had incurable cancer and could no longer walk or eat. My then girlfriend who was a devout Roman Catholic pointed out that it was Ascension Day which I found oddly comforting. Not a day goes by that I don't remember the old boy, and I fondly think of him in the afterlife mentoring Biggles (who dies six years ago this October) in the fine art of tearing open black bags of rubbish. As anyone who knows Prudence and Archie will attest, I am afraid that my companion canids have never been that well behaved. Butthen again, of course, neither am I.
It is time, once again, for me to remind you all about this year's Weird Weekend featuring our very own Steve Ignorant, and a whole cornucopia of high strangeness and cerebral silliness. It would make me very happy if I could sell some more tickets..
find out all about the Weird Weekend
buy tickets to the Weird Weekend:
MICK FARREN on Watch Out Kids (1972)
GONZO "PEOPLE": Toby Downes (1985-2000)
THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem
Dave Bainbridge of Iona Interview
THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: My Name is Janet - The...
Gonzo Magazine #184
Mick Abrahams, Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull. The Who, Quintessence, Raja Ram, Lev Grossman, Bruce Springsteen, Mr Biffo, Roy Weard, Dogwatch, That Legendary Wooden Lion, Hawkwind, and Yes fans had better look out!
And once again we have another monumental groovefest for you all,  starting with  the Mick Abrahams  Benefit at The Borderline in pictures, Alan writes about Quintessence and Raja Ram, Doug goes to see The Who, Shosh goes to see Bruce Springsteen, Jon goes to the magickal land of Fillory and bitches about the government. Biffo in the meantime, goes on a ghost train. Bloody hell  we’re great!
And there  are radio shows from Strange Fruit, Canterbury Sans Frontières, Mack Maloney, and Friday Night Progressive. We also have columns from all sorts of folk including Roy Weard, Mr Biffo, Neil Nixon and the irrepressible Corinna. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and pademelons ouyside zoos(OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have escaped from captivity, 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:
Pink Floyd, Stick Men, Prince, Tony Henderson, Pink Fairies, Carl Palmer, Keith Emerson, Corky Laing, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Canterbury Sans Frontieres, Nicholas "Nick" Menza, Herbert Tsangtse "Burt" Kwouk, OBE, The Beatles, Osibisa, Billy Cobham, Wayne Kramer at the Pink Fairies, Al Stewart, The RAZ Band, The Flying Burrito Bros, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Rick Wakeman, Mick Abrahams, The Who, Alan Dearling, Quintessence, Raja Ram, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Shoshannah McCarthy, Roy Weard, Mr Biffo, Hawkwind, The Beatles, Bill Graham, Happy Mondays, Berry Gordy, Neil Nixon, The Butthole Surfers
                                                                                   
Read the previous few issues of Gonzo Weekly:
Issue 183 (Daevid Allen)
Issue 182 (Wally)
Issue 181 (Beatles)
Issue 180 (Beltane)
Issue 179 (Gregg Kofi Brown)
Issue 178 (Viv Stanshall)
Issue 177 (David Gilmour)
Issue 176 (Joey Molland and The Raz Band)
Issue 175 (Larry Sanders)
Issue 174 (Keith Emerson)
Issue 173 (Pink Fairies action figures)
Issue 172 (4th Eden)
Issue 171 (Keith Levene)
Issue 170 (Wildman Fischer)
Issue 169 (Wildman Fischer)
Issue 168 (Wakeman/Bowie)
Issue 167 (Paul Kantner)
Issue 166 (Spirits Burning)
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.

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 - 1533 - Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s new queen, was crowned. 
And now some more recent news from the CFZ Newsdesk

  • The Great Barrier Reef warnings that Australia tri...
  • Study shows sharks have personalities
  • Dancing hairs alert bees to floral electric fields...
  • Tigers seized from Thailand temple over wildlife t...
  • Saving north america's salamanders, newts
  • Slithery new species: Silver boa discovered in the...
  • Cincinnati zoo gorilla shot dead as boy falls into...
  • Harbour porpoises are skilled hunters and eat almo...

  • Antarctic fossils reveal creatures weren't safer i...


  • 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)