DAVE BRAUND-PHILLIPS: WW2012 preparations

Hi Everyone, just a quick message to let you know how my preparations for the Weird Weekend 2012 are going.

All the lecturers are prepared and ready, most of the stalls are arranged and last night I even got my bloody computer to work, all is going well. Just a few moments ago I received am email from the people behind The Hexem Heads film, that we at the Weird Weekend have the pleasure of premiering. I urge you all to come and see it, as it promises to be a very special event!

To get a small taste of the Hexem Heads extravaganza you can view the official trailer:



I look forward to seeing you all there! Go Weird Weekend 2012 WOOP WOOP!!
David Braund-Phillips

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/
On this day in 480BC King Leonidas I of Sparta was killed in the battle of Thermopylae. 300 Spartans, and other troops they picked up on the way to the battle, had faced an army of Persians numbering around 200,000 (although some reports at the time put this number at 2 million) and very nearly won.
And now the news:

Glass Frogs Reveal Surprising Survival Mechanisms ...
Influx of mosquitoes in South West
'Banana' in the bathroom turned out to be boa cons...
Swarm of bees tells Hillary Clinton to 'buzz off'
Bulldog stabbed 500 times by rogue porcupine
Livestock mutilations shake up Gunnison ranching c...
Forensic Tools for Catching Poachers
Scientists Predict Impact of Ocean Acidification O...
3000 new species of amphibians discovered in 25 ye...
CITES warns Thailand to put house in order - Puts ...
Lake Nakuru water rise prompts flamingo exit

This is madness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkWS9PiXekE

HAUNTED SKIES: Times (The) 9.11.67

http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2012/08/times-91167.html

I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO DAH MAN

Today is the sort of English summer day that I had begun to think only existed in my memory. The garden is full of flowers and the birds are singing. Days like this are rare and should be savoured. With only a week to go tickets for next week's Weird Weekend (would you believe #13) are selling fast, but there are still some left if you want to come. You know it makes sense.

On a totally different subject; Graidi Taylor-Rose is due to have her baby today. Our love and support go out to her and Tim, and of course to baby Dougal...

I have been rediscovering Renaissance since I posted about Annie Haslam the other day. And here (to celebrate) is a link to an in depth and rather insightful interview with Annie herself. She is a busy lady and seems to be having somewhat of a errrrrrr renaissance at the moment.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/link-very-insightful-annie-haslam.html

Merrell Fankhauser has had a remarkable career, and I am very proud to have done his latest video. He has presented an eclectic TV show called 'The Tiki Lounge' for some years and there are two Gonzo DVDs showcasing bits from the series. Here is a rather nifty review...
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/various-artists-merrell-fankhausers.html

Asia featuring John Payne are a really stonking live act, and I very much hope that they come to England at some point, so I can wave my arms about, shout "woooo hooo" or "Wayhay!" and otherwise embarrass my dear wife. Live reviews like this one only reinforce this ambition...
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/link-asia-featuring-john-payne-at.html

Erik Norlander is a multi-talented chap - we all know that. I have just been sent a whole string of Israeli reviews for Erik Norlander. The only trouble is that I have no references as to where they come from. If anyone knows, can they tell me...
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/erik-norlander-another-israeli-review.html

I never realised until now quite how popular Michael Des Barres is. Each day I receive what used to be called unsolicited testimonials about him, like this one. (On a totally unrelated matter, Michael is responsible for me and Graham having slight hangovers this morning, as we discovered last night that 'Carnaby Street' and cheap Asda bourbon go rather well together...
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/link-mcjames-likes-michael-des-barres.html

I always like enthusiasts, and this guy who calls himself 'Wisconsin Music Man' (which probably means that he has both x and y chromosomes, likes music and comes from Wisconsin) is obviously a fan of Hawkwind, and I found the way that he tries to explain this enigmatic crew of space bandits rather endearing.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/08/link-wisconsin-music-man-on-hawkwind.html

That's it for today. I am off to enjoy the sunshine..

CFZ NEW ZEALAND: The mystery fly - solved.

After some time, on both the powers that be and my part due to a Mother very ill with Lung Cancer, I have finally received results regarding these flies.No they are not a new species and yes it is a fungal infection, But there was a new type of fungi as well which is interesting.

Read on...

KARL SHUKER: Sex and the single satyr

A few months ago, I spotted in a charity shop the very unusual artefact depicted above at the beginning of this ShukerNature blog post; and after recognising what it was, I lost no time in purchasing it for the princely sum of just £5. It is a replica of a Greek stone bust dating from c.400 BC, which portrays the head of a satyr. Read on...

DALE DRINNON: Cedar and Willow

Latest Cedar and Willow, and its a Doozy:http://cedar-and-willow.blogspot.com/2012/08/princess-aura-of-mongo-nazi-menace-to.html

THE LATEST FROM HEART OF ALBION

Hi Everyone

Just when you thought Heart of Albion was only publishing free-to-download PDFs I've just uploaded details of a 'proper' book to be published in September. See http://www.hoap.co.uk/ and click on the cover of Beyond the Henge.

If you fancy a day out in Avebury (and why not??) then why not come along to the launch at the National Trust shop in Avebury on Sunday 2nd September. I'll be signing copies there between 2 and 4 pm.

Oh yes, and two more of those free-to-download PDFs have appeared on the Heart of Albion website too! Probably the last for quite a while. If you prefer lots of photos and not many words then Taking a Whirlpool Home in a Bucket is just for you. But you'll really have to grapple with all the words (and quite a few photos) in The Process of Reality to work out what the words really mean ;-) And if you make it through to about chapter seven of The Process of Reality then you'll get the best insight I've yet published into how I think about reality! Overall, the ideas in this work stand at the core of much of my other recent writing - even if the 'overt' subject matter of the opening chapters might suggest otherwise...

All best wishes from the House on the Henge Bank here at Avebury

Bob

Reports of blue, orange and other odd-colored lobsters on the rise as crustacean harvest grows

This file photo made Tuesday, June 26, 2012, by Rebecca McAleney, shows a bright orange, left, a bright blue, right, and a calico lobster at New Meadows Lobster in Portland, Maine. Scientists are seeing a boom in the number of blue, orange, yellow and calico-colored lobsters in the past two years, leading them to ask why they’re getting more reports of rare-colored lobsters

Read on...