My First Post - So where do I start

My First Post - So where do I start

So here I am, starting on my first ever blog post.

The chances of anyone reading this is probably very remote, but at least it's out there in ether, waiting to be picked up and read by bored surfers.

So why have I decided to set up my own blog? Well it seems I have ruffled a few feathers at an organisation called the Centre For Fortean Zoology, and I have been banned from posting on their blogs and you tube accounts. Now rather than let them censor my comments, and thus allowing them to not answer my questions, I thought I'd let the world know this organisation is not quite what it seems.

Now the world of cryptozoology is a strange one. The study of unknown and out of place animals, throws up it's fair share of good people, bad people, weird people and those people who are just out to make a fast buck. This blog will act as a place where those difficult questions are asked of those people, and their answers will show us all, in which category they fall in.

I will keep an eye on many of these organisations, and when I see something that catches my eye, I will contact them and post all correspondance with them on here and you can all make your own minds up, by reading their answers (or lack of them.)

Many of you may wonder why I'm using a pseudonym for this blog. I'm doing so, in order to have free reign in watching all organisations, and not allow any affiliations cloud my thoughts. No-one will be immune, and I will cetainly shoot from the hip when I think it's needed.

However I'm not totally anonymous. There are a handful of world famous senior reseachers in this field who do know my identity, and occasionally they will give me a few nuggets of information of things behind the scenes. I will never divulge their identities, but through me they will be able to ensure the public are kept informed, without having their own websites and blogs maliciously spammed by the seriously deranged fringe parts of the cryptozoological scene.

Like my namesake, The Highland Tiger (or scottish wildcat), I'm a tenacious hunter, and I'll always get my prey. Those who wish to fool the public, or not quite tell the full story have been warned.

Unlike some blogs I will NOT censor any comments. All views are welcome, even if I disagree with them. The only exceptions will be those comments of a racist or sexual nature.



So what is the latest spat with the CFZ about? What did I say that upset them enough to remove my posts on their latest Expedition blog? You may be surprised.

Over the last two weeks Jon and Corrinna Downes, the Director and Administrator respectively of the Centre of Fortean Zoology, (Don't you just love those grand titles people give themselves),have been visiting Texas in search of what the press have dubbed the Chupacabra, but which the CFZ have in my opnion, correctly dubbed the "Texas Blue Dog" . This strange hairless canid is a very intriguing animal, and certainly worthy of investigation.

Their expedition blog, http://texasbluedogs.blogspot.com is full of banal articles, with Jon Downes mentioning illness, music and drugs, for about the millionth time on his site. For those unaware of Mr Downes, he has had a colorful past, which to his credit has never hidden. He also has an illness known as Bi-polar, which with medication is totally treatable, and suffers lead a totally normal life to a certain extent. However on occasions he has his "bad days" where depression and paranoia becomes the norm. It's not an illness wished on anybody, but it does explain some of his actions against those who don't follow the CFZ "company line.

But I digress, back to the blog. Amongst the stories of packing clothes, drinking, and visiting friends, there are some great articles. Some posted by Jon, others by Richie and Naomi West, who Jon stayed with in Texas.

One such article showed some images of a a stuffed "blue dog" owned by Dr Canion. It was on this article that I asked a few questions.

So what questions did I ask .

1. Was the animal completely hairless and was there any evidence of hair follicles.
2. Could he post a copy of the biopsy done on the dog.

Both very sensible questions, and neither of them could be construed as anything but a sensible query.

In fact, before Mr Downes threw a tantrum after spotting my post, Richie West kindly answered my first question, and in reply I posted a link to an online video showing an animal with similar characteristics. Richie West then replied to this post agreeing with me.

So, so far, everything was very pleasent and cordial, questions were kindly answered and that was it.

Until Mr Downes realised I'd snuck onto his precious blog site, whereby he promptly removed all my posts in spite, and posted the following comments.

"I have been asked for a written biopsy by one person with a history of online attacks upon the CFZ, Forgive my paranoia, but the inference here is that I and my team have either made this up or are somehow intrepreting the facts for our own ends"


Well there are a couple of points here to address.

1. I actually agree with most of his findings regarding this animal, and my correspondance with Richie West shows this to be so.

2.Whilst Jon Downes describes them as attacks, they were actually questions regarding his website misrepresenting the qualifications of a senior member of his organisation. Qualifications or lack of them, that have since been reworded on both the CFZ website and Wikipedia, and his omitting to mention the actions of another member of the CFZ during a strange sighting at an Irish lake. In fact he even claimed that this person, (a known hoaxer) was NOT a member of the CFZ, even though on the CFZ website this person is shown as not only being a "consultant" but also the CFZ Eire representative.

There are a couple of other instances, where the CFZ claimed credit where credit was not due in a national newspaper, but I'll leave that for another time

It appears that the CFZ are not an organisation that likes to answer difficult questions, and they appear to think the world is out to get them. There was a recent incident when they had problem on their blog site from a "spamming bot", which although their website provider found the techinical problem, and sorted it, they claimed it was caused maliciously by persons unknown. I'm sorry, but I'm not a computer whiz and I'm typing this with one finger.

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean the world is out to get you.

Watch this space...............................................