KARL SHUKER: The man eating tree

http://www.karlshuker.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-madagascan-man-eating-tree-more.html

When the Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula was first made known to botanists in the 1760s, they would not believe that it could actually catch and consume insects - until living specimens were observed in action. Moreover, reports have also emerged from several remote regions of the world concerning horrifying carnivorous plants that can ensnare and devour creatures as large as birds, dogs, and monkeys - and sometimes even humans!When the Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula was first made known to botanists in the 1760s, they would not believe that it could actually catch and consume insects - until living specimens were observed in action. Moreover, reports have also emerged from several remote regions of the world concerning horrifying carnivorous plants that can ensnare and devour creatures as large as birds, dogs, and monkeys - and sometimes even humans!

Read on...

DALE DRINNON: Bigfoot and Benny's Blog

New on Frontiers of Zoology: Jerff Meldrum's take on the Provo valley video of a purported Bigfoot, with my comment on the end:

http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/11/dr-meldrum-on-provo-canyon-video-very.html

Benny's Ominous Octopus Omnibus treats an infamous incident of Wife-beating in the Avengers Superhero group in Marvel Comics:

http://bennypdrinnon.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-wonderful-wasp.html

And his Thelma Todd blog addresses the question of just how many dogs was Thelma photographed with anyway?

http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-girl-and-her-dog.html

FORTEAN BIRD NEWS FROM THE WATCHER OF THE SKIES (CFZ)

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. So, after about six months of regular postings on the main bloggo, Corinna has taken the plunge and started a 'Watcher of the Skies' blog of her own as part of the CFZ Bloggo Network.

• Birds arriving at north-state wetlands
• Damage to colony of rare gulls decried
• The Puffin Charmer
• Palm Harbor veterinarian pushes for better nutriti...
• Second rare bird spotted in Sunderland
• Eagle-eyed visitors at Loch Leven

TODAY'S BIG CAT ROUND UP

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 should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. In September 2012, Emma Osborne decided that the Mystery Cat Study Group really deserved a blog of its own within the CFZ Blog Network.

NEWSLINK: The case against private big cat ownersh...

I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

I rather like the weekends. The telephone doesn't ring, and I can get on with stuff in a relaxed and productive manner. At the moment I am devouring as much of Judy Dyble's back catalogue as I can find on Spotify, because I have fallen in love with the CD 'Talking with Strangers' that she sent me yesterday, and which Gonzo will be releasing in the United States. I am going to keep on about it until everyone in the Western World owns at least one copy, and Harpsong has become the new National Anthem. In other news, we are knee deep in trying to finish Karl Shuker's big cat book (our biggest project yet, being full colour, lavishly illustrated and coffee-table book sized), and I have gone back to reading the anthology of Hunter Thompson's work for 'Rolling Stone'...

And what has Postie brought me this morning? Two Galahad CDs (or to be strictly true, a Galahad CD and a CD/DVD pack) courtesy of the most excellent Stu...
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/whoa-oh-wait-minute-mr-postman.html

Michael Des Barres has announced another gig at The Viper Room. I wish I lived in LA, which is a sentiment that you don't hear me express very often...
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/michael-is-back-at-viper-room.html
And whilst on the subject of the Modish Marquis, I totally cocked up yesterday and got the links to his video interview completely wrong. So let's see if we can do a bit better today. Sorry Michael :(
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/carnaby-street-interview-michael-des.html

Another video blog from the lovely Cathy Richardson of Jefferson Starship
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/another-video-blog-from-cathy-richardson.html

The lineup for next year's HRH Prog Festival has been announced, and contains much of interest to Gonzofolk..
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-hrh-prog-festival-2013.html

Herewith a link to an interesting piece about the mighty Atkins/May Project.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/link-atkinsmay-project-news.html

You know that I can never resist wandering off topic with rambling essays about rock and pop minutae. Today I go in search of a four hour film that everyone says is rubbish!
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/desperately-seekingthe-holy-grail-of.html

Well, I have finally finished reading Pete Townshend's mighty autobiography, Who I am, and a review is imminent. In the meantime, here is the man himself...http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/who-he-is.html

And once again it is time for our daily visit to the omniverse of Thom the World Poet
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/thom-world-poet-daily-poet_10.html

I have to admit that I had never heard of Galahad until, one evening earlier this year my adopted nephew Max and I played their album Battle Scars which arrived together with a heap of other groovy Gonzothings. It was an epiphany, and soon after I interviewed Stu Nicholson, the singer, who is a really nice bloke. Now there is a second album of the year, which is even better. Once again I interview Stu, and feel very privileged to have been privy to the conversation that follows.
http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.com/2012/11/exclusive-galahad-interview-part-two.html

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 Editor is an old hippy of 53 who - together with his orange cat - puts it all together from a converted potato shed in a tumbledown cottage deep in rural Devon. He is ably assisted by his lovely wife Corinna, his bulldog/boxer Prudence, and a motley collection of social malcontents. Plus.. did we mention the orange cat?

ANDREW MAY: Words from the Wild Frontier

News and stories from the remoter fringes of the CFZ blogosphere...

From Nick Redfern's World of Whatever:

• Britain Gone Wild! — A BBC article about exotic animals in Victorian England...

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/

On this day in 1958 the supposedly cursed Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Museum in the United States of America. It doesn't seem to have done them any harm.

If you enjoy history and the paranormal though, and who doesn't, you might want to take advantage of my Paranormal perambulation of Plymouth, the Strange History of Plymouth Tour, as recommended by Andrew May (“There are many ways to learn about the history of Plymouth, but one of the most entertaining—and certainly the most Fortean—is to go on one of the Strange History of Plymouth Tour”). Today sees our final Scheduled tours of the year, at 2pm and 3.10pm from the large metal shrimp near the Mayflower Steps, but private tours can still be booked. See facebook.com/BlackCatPlanning for more information.

And now the news:

Fish 'Bodyguards' Protect Coral from Seaweed Attac...

Giant Pterosaur Needed Cliffs, Downward-Sloping Ru...

Rhino poaching getting worse as 12 rhinos dehorned...

Saber-Toothed Cats and Bear Dogs: How They Made Co...

Shot badgers 'dumped on Ellesmere road'

Crocs have super-sensitive jaws

Rising Seas Caused by Glacial Melting Linked to Ca...

Pine Marten found in Wales – the first in 40 years...

>

The true story behind the curse of the Hope Diamond:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90_SUF-ol-w