Subscribe to Gonzo Weekly http://eepurl.com/r-VTD Subscribe to Gonzo Daily http://eepurl.com/OvPez Gonzo Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/287744711294595/ Gonzo Weekly on Twitter https://twitter.com/gonzoweekly Gonzo Multimedia (UK) http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/ Gonzo Multimedia (USA) http://www.gonzomultimedia.com/ 3 Dear Friends, Welcome to another one of the "Hello, Good Evening and Bollocks" moments that happen whenever I don the persona of Roger Mellie, and step up to my weekly editorial crease. This week I am trying a little experiment. Pollyanna. My ex-wife's favourite book when she was a Pollyanna is a best-selling 1913 novel by child was the sickly sweet story of Eleanor H. Porter that is now considered a 4 "Hello, Good Evening and Bollocks" classic of children's literature, with the title her wealthy, but stern and cold spinster Aunt character's name becoming a popular term Polly, who does not want to take in for someone with the same very optimistic Pollyanna, but feels it is her duty to her late outlook. The title character is named sister. Pollyanna's philosophy of life centres Pollyanna Whittier, a young orphan who on what she calls "The Glad Game," an goes to live in Beldingsville, Vermont, with optimistic and positive attitude she learned 5 from her father. The game consists of finding trying a little experiment. something to be glad about in every situation, no matter how bleak it may be. It originated This has been a pretty horrid year so far, both in an incident one Christmas when for me personally, for my family and as far as Pollyanna, who was hoping for a doll in the events on the world stage are concerned, and missionary barrel, found only a pair of so I am trying a little experiment. What if I crutches inside. Making the game up on the adopt the Pollyanna Principle myself? As an spot, Pollyanna's father taught her to look at aside here, I was appalled to discover that the good side of things—in this case, to be within the world of psychosociology there glad about the crutches because "we didn't actually is such a thing. need to use them!" The Pollyanna Principle (also called There is also, by the way, a film, which I am Pollyannaism or positivity bias) is the glad to say that I have never seen even tendency for people to remember pleasant though when I was about twelve I didn’t half items more accurately than unpleasant ones. fancy Hayley Mills who later on became the Research indicates that, at the subconscious mother of one of my favourite guitarists. But, level, the mind has a tendency to focus on the as I so often do, I digress. optimistic while, at the conscious level, it has a tendency to focus on the negative. This When we were first together, she told me subconscious bias towards the positive is such glowing things about the book, but I often described thus! will be the first to admit that I thought that it was a sickly sweet, overwritten dreck of the Christ on a Bike!! I didn't say, when I first first order and never bothered to read it read that, and certainly not whilst necking again. However, I have spent much of my back half a pint of cheap vodka with an life writing about the effect in the global unlovely sneer on my face. zeitgeist of good and bad vibes, and so I am 6 So, I have spent this week doing my best to be positive, and trying to work out whether Lady Gaga, Colin Vearncombe, Primal Scream, Yoko the annoying bint in Porter's book actually Ono, Status Quo, ELO, Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, had a point or not. And believe it or not, it Daevid Allen, Daevid Allen Weird Quartet, Barbara Dickson, Strange Fruit, Friday Night Progressive, has worked! Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Signe Toly Anderson, Jon Bunch, Francis "Frank" Finlay, CBE, Sir Michael Well, my outlook is usually particularly Terence "Terry" Wogan, KBE, DL, Maurice White, dour. My glass is neither half full nor half Joe Dowell, Inner City Unit, Brand X, Gregg Kofi empty, but has been pissed in by an epileptic Brown, Nucleus, Captain Beefheart, Third Ear Band, mule who has then taken it upon himself to The Selecter, Genre Peak, Mick Farren and Jack Lancaster, Rick & Adam Wakeman,A Dixie Dregs, kick it down the stairs and tread on my foot John Brodie-Good, Paul Kantner, Dave Bainbridge, at the same time. Roy Weard, A J Smitrovich, My Dad's LPs, Mr Biffo, Yes, Hawkwind, Pete Sears, Xtul, The Beatles, Jimi But this week I have made a serious effort to Hendrix, John Lennon, Elton John, Neil Nixon, Ross be positive, and particularly to only write Bolleter, Tengwar positive and life affirming things (well possibly not life affirming things) in my daily blog posts. And guess what? I haven’t lost my temper once. I haven’t felt suicidal, IT’S A LEGAL MATTER BABY and I haven’t threatened to climb the water tower in the middle of the village and pick A lot of the time the pictures that we include off total strangers with a semi-automatic in this publication are unique to Gonzo rifle. (Ummm, there is no water tower in the Weekly, and used with the photographer’s permission. However, this magazine is free, middle of the village and I don’t have a and at least at the moment only available semi-automatic rifle). online, and so in our opinion we are covered by a recent decision by the European But it is surprising how my mental health Courts of Justice. and day to day existence has changed Websites can link to freely available content dramatically for the better once I stop without the permission of the copyright haemorrhaging bad vibes, and shouting and holder, the European Court of Justice says. waving my arms about. The court's decision came after a dispute in Sweden between journalists and a web company that had posted links on its site to But I am left with the question. Obviously it online news articles. would be better for the world in general if everyone were nice to each other, and if A Swedish court had asked the EU court to everyone exuded good vibes, and everyday consider whether this broke copyright law. in every way got better and better. But can I Some of the pictures in this magazine are really cope with the strain of being nice for hotlinked to other websites where they are day after day until I finally shuffle off this freely available. It is our opinion that we are mortal coil? I would like to think so, but it covered by this ruling. So there! would probably be a much easier prospect if Of course if someone objects to our using everyone else that I have to deal with during their material we will be good fellows and my peculiar and arcane existence did the take it down, unless (and this is a big same thing, and I very much doubt whether unless) we feel that it is not in the public that’s gonna happen. interest to comply. But normally we shall not stand on However if I can do it………. ceremony. If you want to read more about this decision go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology- 26187730 7 Richard Freeman, THE GONZO WEEKLY (Scary stuff) all the gonzo news that’s fit to print Dave McMann, (He ain't nothing but a Newshound-dog) Orrin Hare, (Sybarite and literary bon viveur) This is quite simply the best magazine you Mark Raines, will ever find that is edited by a mad bloke (Cartoonist) (and his small orange cat), and produced Davey Curtis, from a tumbledown potato shed on the (tales from the north) outskirts of a tiny village that nobody's Jon Pertwee heard of in North Devon. The fact that it is (Pop Culture memorabilia) published with Gonzo Multimedia - Dean Phillips probably the grooviest record company in (The House Wally) the known universe - is merely an added Rob Ayling bonus. (The Grande Fromage, of whom we are all in awe) NAMING THOSE RESPONSIBLE and Peter McAdam (McDada in residence) This issue was put together by me and Captain Frunobulax the Magnificent, (who is, in case This is the nearest that you are ever going to you didn't know, an insane orange kitten on the get to a posh weekend colour supplement from verge of adulthood) ably assisted by: the Gonzo Daily team. Each week we shall go through the best bits of the week before, and if Corinna Downes, there aren't any we shall make some up, or (Sub Editor, and my lovely wife) simply make our excuses and leave (you can Graham Inglis, tell the editor once did contract work at (Columnist, Staff writer, Hawkwind nut) the News of the World can't ya?) Bart Lancia, (My favourite roving reporter) This weekly magazine is free, and will remain Thom the World Poet, so. It is published by Gonzo Multimedia in (Bard in residence) conjunction with CFZ Publications, or is it the C.J.Stone, other way round? We’re actually not that sure. (Columnist, commentator and all round good Contact us with bribes and free stuff: egg) Jonathan Downes, Kev Rowland, Editor: Gonzo Daily (Music and More) (Kiwi Reviewer) Editor: Gonzo Weekly magazine Lesley Madigan, The Centre for Fortean Zoology, Photographer par excellence Myrtle Cottage, Douglas Harr, Woolfardisworthy, (Staff writer, columnist) Bideford, North Devon Jessica Taylor, EX39 5QR (PA and laughing at drunk pop stars) Telephone 01237 431413 Fax+44 (0)7006-074-925 8 It is simple; my name is Jon and I'm the editor of the Gonzo Multimedia daily online bloggything, and wot what a long, strange trip it is gonna be… I keep on thinking that I ought to have some sort of a mission statement in each issue, but it is more than a little difficult to do one.