NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC HAVE SEEN SENSE

Melissa Bachman (Change.org)

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) – The National Geographic Channel has dropped a woman known as the “Hardcore Huntress” from an upcoming survival show after protests from people who objected to killing animals for sport.

A Change.org petition asking the network to remove Melissa Bachman from the series “Ultimate Survivor Alaska” resulted in more than 13,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. The network responded by dropping Bachman, a lifelong hunter from Minnesota who also produces and hosts wilderness programming and blogs as the “Hardcore Huntress.”

Nat Geo said in a statement: “The National Geographic Channel has carefully considered the public discussion of our series on surviving the wilds of Alaska currently in production and premiering sometime next year. Upon further reflection we plan to eliminate one of the survivalists from the ensemble cast, Melissa Bachman. Hunting is not the focus of the show, and we regret the misinformation that has clouded what we hope will be an exciting adventure series set in the incredible Alaskan landscape.”

Bachman could not be immediately reached for comment.

The petition’s author, Tim Martell of Ft. Myers, Fla., wrote: “When I was young, nothing was more exciting than hearing the magnificent sound of the trumpets of National Geographic blaring on the TV in the other room. … But lately, the famous sound of trumpets has transformed into the sound of bugles. Bugles that sound to mark the death of our precious wildlife that National Geographic once protected. Bugles that sound to mark …. a trophy hunt!”

He called Bachman a “heartless trophy hunter who has killed hundreds of animals without purpose” and urged National Geographic to “distance themselves from her.”

http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/2012/08/31/nat-geo-takes-down-hardcore-huntress-after-protests/

HAUNTED SKIES: An update

http://hauntedskies.blogspot.com/2012/09/haunted-skies-update-4th-september-2012.html

I'M YER GONZO BLOG DOO-DAH MAN

Today is shaping up to be a peculiarly strange one. On the minus side, I am still waiting for some money which should have arrived three weeks ago, but on the plus side, the ever-lovely Jess Heard will be in the office with me this afternoon doing arcane things to the Gonzo website. And this evening the other Jess (Taylor) will be here doing her own inimitable thing. I have to think of a way of delineating between them, otherwise this will get complicated.

I am probably just being nosy, but as far as the soap-opera which is the ever-changing lineup of Yes is concerned, I so want to find out what is going to happen next. Jon Davison seems to be completely entrenched, but everyone is dropping hints that a reunion with Jon Anderson is not out of the question. If it does happen, what will happen to Davison? Will he be discarded? Will there be a spin-off called Jon Davison's Yes? Will there be a band with two Jons? I can't wait to find out.

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/link-new-yes-frontman-im-living-up-to.html

We have two more exclusive pictures of Auburn's Liz Lenten. And it doesn't end here, either, 'cos tomorrow we have some pictures from the band's recent sojourn in the United States. (I hope they behaved better than I have done on occasion in 'The Land of the Free'. I remember once being interviewed by a reporter from Fox News who, for some reason asked me who I thought was the greatest living American. He choked on his microphone when I looked him straight in the eyes, and deadpan, answered "Charles Manson". They have never interviewed me since..)

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/two-more-exclusive-pics-of-auburns-liz.html

I have a very old fashioned view of rock and roll. Once upon a time it was widely believed that rock and roll could actually change the world; a gloriously Quixotic idea that somehow the rhythms, chords and harmonies produced by hirsute young men with guitars could positively effect the collective consciousness of our society.These days most people think that this idea is nonsense, and the concept of good vibes spread by uplifting music is about as popular as a belief in God, or membership of the Flat Earth Society. Well, I am NOT most people. And neither, I suspect, is Michael Des Barres.

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/michael-des-barres-let-it-rock.html

Today, Thom the World Poet takes a pop at International Moneterism. As I have just bought myself an Emma Goldman T Shirt, and am wandering about the house vaguely muttering about Proudhon under my breath, this seems an eminently sensible thing to do.

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/thom-world-poet-daily-poem_5.html

Martin Stephenson recently appeared at a Scottish Festival. Herewith a review of said Festival. I was feeling quite loquatious earlier during today's Gonzo Daily, but words have all of a sudden dried up, and I cannot think of anything else to say about the posting except for a host of inane puns on the placename Troon. That would be beneath me.

http://gonzo-multimedia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/link-martin-stephenson-live-at-troon.html

I am getting increasingly fond of the music of Erik Norlander. He is one of the most delightfully lyrical musicians that I have ever encountered, and his compositional skills just continue to get better. Why this man isn't far more widely known, I have no idea.

http://www.therocktologist.com/norlander-erik---the-galactic-collective-live-in-gettysburg.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

DALE DRINNON: A definition of Cryptozoology

New on the Frontiers of Zoology:
http://frontiersofzoology.blogspot.com/2012/09/cryptozoology-introduction-and.html

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/
On this day in 1666 the Great Fire of London was finally extinguished. Most of the old city had been burnt down and six people died but Samual Pepys' cheese survived intact.

And now the news:

Five New Species of Cuckoo Bees from the Cape Verd...
Drought scorches amphibians - via Herp Digest
New Amphibian Species on the Increase- A curious p...
Home alone: Rare baby seal makes splash on local b...
U.S. Fish and Wildlife proposes 4 local salamander...
Fukushima fish carrying 258 times the 'safe' level...
Monogamy and the Immune System: Differences in Sex...
Scientists discover ‘penis-headed’ fish in Vietnam...

Arthur Brown preforms his hit song “fire” before a bemused and frightened audience of children (seriously keep your eyes on the audience this is priceless) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLMjHy12eWo

MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: TWO AUSTRALIAN CRYPTID STORIES - FOR TANIA WOODLIFFE AND WEIRD WEEKENDERS

These two Australian stories from 1903 and 1935 are for Tania especially, being from Australia and all the rest who attended the recent Weird Weekend

MYSTERIOUS QUADRUPED

A strange animal is causing excitement among the residents on the Latrobe River, near Moe, Australia according to the “Daily Mail”. The creature is described as being about 3 ft high, has black hair, a short neck, and long tail. It travels along pantingly, with its tongue out, almost touching the ground.

When first seen it was at a tub of milk at Cosgriff`s farmstead. Dogs were set upon it, when the animal, darting through the woodwork of the gate and tearing it off its hinges, made off to the river bank, and there disappeared. It has been seen repeatedly since, and several shots have been fired at it, but without effect. (1)

Now from the Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton,Qld) of August 1^st 1935:

WEIRD MONSTERS
FURTHER REPORTS
Two from Victoria

“Remarkable Footprints”
Melbourne July 31^st

Victoria appears to be in danger of being overrun with fearsome monsters unknown to science unless something is done about it. Hard on the heels of the reappearance of the Barwon Heads sea serpent near Queenscliff comes a report from Airey`s Inlet of the appearance of a sea monster, which appears to be a younger and smaller relative of the creature seen at Queenscliff.

J.Davis, of Aairey`s Hotel, who saw it lying on the fringe of the surf, said the body was about 10 or 12 ft. long and about 2 ½ or 3 ½ ft. in girth. The head was a light grey in colour, and it had a sparse coat of darker coloured hair. It had big eyes like those of the Queenscliff monster, but there were no stripes on the body. The head was round.

GIPPSLAND STORY

Now from Gippsland, the home of many weird monster in the past, comes the story of a large mystery animal which has been seen by several prospectors in the last few days lurking in the dense bracken undergrowth near Bulumwaal.

The animal is described by E.Curtis, a prospector, as being like a large dark brown grizzly bear, with a cumbersome gait. For some months prospectors and others have been puzzled by remarkable footprints, which have been seen on the sandy margin of creeks and in soft soil. These footprints were five inches wide and marks of a set of claws were clearly visible. At other times a heavy animal has been heard crashing through the undergrowth. (2)

1. The Star February 14^th 1903

2. Morning Bulletin August 1^st 1935

CARL MARSHALL: News from the Stratford Butterfly Farm

With venom up to fifteen times more toxic than a diamondback rattlesnake, the widow spiders (Latrodectus. sp) are one of the worlds most feared genus of spider.

Although they are not particularly aggressive, they have developed a reputation worldwide as a killer species though bites from these spiders have a tendency to be defensive rather than offensive. Effective anti-venom is also readily available, so fatalities from these spiders are actually relativity rare.

Our new black widow (L. mactans) was discovered in Oxhill, Warwickshire in a shipment of furniture last Thursday (Aug 30th).

She is settling in well and we at the Butterfly Farm are very pleased to have her in our bio-hazard enclosure.