August 24, 2009
Peter Gabriel- a true genious!!!
So its been sometime since I have sat down and written anything. In the past I have usually just written thoughts, and happenings on the adventures that I find myself on.
Usually tour adventures as I haven’t done many personal travels recently.
I have always tried to shy away from the word “blog” as I wouldn’t consider myself anything as such (a blogger- yeah right!). My writing is really a way to keep my friends and family up to date with my where a bouts and happenings and that is really the extent of it.
I am hitching a ride from New York City back up north on the Greyhound bus today which actually has been out-fitted with wireless internet. Us poor folk like to travel in style eh.
It’s been a little over 2 weeks since I left Montreal to head out west with my friend Helene whom was in California doing a drawing class.
California is a pretty special place when it comes to climates, and geography. Its one of the only places in the world where you can be in the snow and then be at the beach in the same day. I was fortunate enough to grow up, and spend a good 10+ years of my life on the coast of California.
The coast of Cali is really like no other. In the Southern part of the state you have the flat, warm, and sandy Hollywood type beaches and then once you get to around Santa Barbara, CA the geography of the coast changes to a more rocky, cliffy type beach which progresses the farther up the coast you go. Once you reach the San Fran area its some of the prettiest scenery that the mind has seen with hills, cliffs, and Redwood forest working its way right to the water.
On this most recent trip Helene and I made our way to the Academy of Sciences in San Fran. It’s a pretty new complex for that area which is done with as many green technologies as possible. The entire roofing system is green with many different plants, and mosses growing on top and then there are these neat looking bubble vents which air condition the entire complex. No energy used for the air flow in this complex.
Inside the Academy there is an entire Rainforest ecosystem replicated with live birds, and butterflies flying around plus frogs, lizards, fauna, and an albino alligator in displays.
Unfortunately when we were there the Planetarium was closed.
I enjoyed the Academy a lot especially the green design of the building however in Montreal there is the Bio-dome which is actually bigger and has 4 different ecosystems. There is a rainforest exhibit with little monkeys running around plus an arctic, prairie, and Alberta boreal forest ecosystem plus right across the street is the insectarium and botanical gardens.
Next stop on the agenda would be Muir Woods located 10 miles north of the Golden Gate bridge. A couple of years ago while traveling through this area with the Bouncing Souls Kate took us on a little field trip and it was something I will never forget. Muir Woods is home to some of the biggest, oldest, most prestine redwood tree’s in the area. Some of these tree’s are 1000’s of years old and are still growing strong. When you enter a forest as such your mind, and body can sense the change in the air, the energy, the beauty and a calming sensation automatically takes over you where life seems to cease. Redwoods are such majestic trees, and so huge however when your up next to one and you rub the bark its some of the softest flakiest bark I’ve touched.
While we were in the area there was a huge forest fire in the Santa Cruz mountains south of San Fran. Forests naturally are fire resistant and in most cases fires actually help the forests out. What is not natural though is logging, clear cutting which erode the soil, make open space within the forest which actually invite and help fires progress.
After our time in the “city” we made our way to Santa Cruz, CA which was a home of mine for 3+ years. Santa Cruz is located about 70 miles south of San Fran directly on the coast of the Monterey Bay. SC is a place that I am glad to have lived and glad that it was my first time being on my own after leaving papa bear’s den.
The bay area is a pretty unique area when it comes to it climate. It’s in the middle of California on the coast which makes for some of the brightest blue days however once that temperature lowers and mixes with the temperature of the ocean off the coast a thick fog/ ocean haze takes over the surrounding area. You can leave the house in the mid afternoon time with a temperature of 32 C and once evening comes it can drop down to 15 C. In a matter of only a couple hours this drastic change is what makes the bay area “the bay area”/
Santa Cruz is home to one of the most famous surf spots in the surfing world this place is named Steamers Lane and is known for its “right ride”. It’s a wave that comes in hugging the cliffs of the Santa Cruz coast which means you can only go right to avoid ramming into the cliffs to the left.
Before we headed to Steamers Lane we drove along the coastal rode to a beach named Natural Bridges because of the 2 huge rock formations in the water which have their centers carved out making natural bridges due to years off water/ wave erosion. Just inland from this beach is a monarch butterfly migration stop located in a little ravine away from the Ocean and her salty mist. I remember a certain time period when I would grab my bike, strap on my headphones to Strike Anywhere’s- Change is a Sound, ride down to Natural Bridges to check out the butterflies and watch the sunset.
Unfortunately while Helene and I were in this area it did not coincide with the monarch migration so we did not to get the tree’s and branches covered with what would look like leaves but actually be the monarchs. Oh well
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
and so it goes
July 20, 2009
Sitting here in the upstairs dressing room part of the Sputnikhalle venue in Munster, Germany where we are playing this evening, and where we spent the day off yesterday.
Thus far we have played 4 shows and now have 6 left until the end of this leg of the tour. I must say that I have enjoyed each and every show as I do for most of them. It’s what you call being a fan. However being directly involved in the show and with these dudes as “the band” sometimes there are certain things in which you look at differently. Since we have been here I have had some thoughts about how involved or not involved some of our Europian “behind the scenes” people are.
So last night we all sat in front of the bus for a couple hours while we watched Barney entertain us all with a drinking game he volunteered to play. The name of this game is called Centurion. The mission of the game is to drink 100 shots of beer in 1 hour 40 mins. 1 shot of beer every minute. You have to sit in the same seat, and not pee or you would be disqualified. If Barney was to pull this off there was a $150 in prize money. At 10:00 PM we started the Centurion festivities . I was the “official” poured which meant every minute for 2 hours I had to pour Barney a shot of beer for him to work his way up to being a Centurion. Out of any of us the only person that I know could pull this off would be Barney and it was something he was definitely into due to the prize. Off days of tour can be pretty fun! At about shot 30 we could all notice a change in Barney and from then on it just went downhill, or uphill which ever you may. Chris documented each shot with his camera and looking back at those pictures is quite something. The first picture Barney just looks like himself but as the shots continue his face/ expressions in the pictures definitely start to change/ melt drastically. At around shot 80 Barney was definitely officially hammered and had mentioned the urination feeling a couple of times. The quotes and one liners coming from him during this entire mission were unbelievable and had most of us almost on the ground laughing. Well a couple of hours later Barney had officially become a Centurion and was for sure feeling this alcohol. At shot 100 it was then offered to him for every 10 more shots he would received 20 Euro’s from Jord so Barney who likes to bet/ gamble chose to keep em coming. He made it to 110 in a definite drunken state and kept it going to 122 until he finally called it quits. Amazing!! Truly something to see, witness, and take in. Watching Barney get up with 10 + beers in hs stomach with out peeing and finally walk away to take a pee was something else as well. This was our day off in Munster, Germany. Centurion!!!!
July, 31, 2009
Sitting here at Dulles Airport after spending a week here in DC with Helene on a layover from my Frankfurt to Montreal flight.
Tour ended last week in Stuttgart, Germany and now Propagandhi is taking 2 months off due to a lil Propagandhi entering this world next month. Our adventures will continue in Oct with a tour of Western Canada/ Northwest US.
Last Monday when I landed here in DC I exited the plane, walked thru customs where I was greeted with a “welcome back” and thought to myself “welcome back to where?”. I guess having a US Passport will get you a welcome home greeting. Aahh. Thanks US of A.
One thing I noticed while I was walking up to customs was outside a couple of border/ customs guards with a couple of German Shepard dog next to this flat trailer storage trailer with separate compartments. The only thing I could really think was this was the dogs kennel and is where these American “soldiers against war/ terrorism” sleep every night.
Now I definitely have many issues with mans domination over animals in which I will go into in a bit but I also thought that both officer and dog were to have a certain bond with one another. Meaning these canines would accompany their masters home after a day of protecting the homeland. I guess not? Thanks for the sniffing and keeping the country clean now back to your trailer.
After being “welcomed” back home I then proceeded to the baggage check which was jam-packed with travelers waiting to retrieve their bags before continuing on. Out of nowhere I see 3 custom/ border guards with a dog come zig zagging thru a huge line of travelers very hurriedly with no word of warning. Each person continued just standing where they were waiting for their bags while these border guards and their dog went about their business of sniffing out every single person in the line. No warning. No discussion. No permission. Everyone including myself were to sit their obediently and let this animal and its handlers invade our space searching for what exactly.
My thoughts other then being completely frustrated with this invasive act were this: What if you have just arrived from a completely foreign land, you don’t know any English, and at some point in your life you have had a horrendous traumatic encounter with a dog? This is highly possible! Trauma is a real thing and when the brain has been affected by something deeply it will do whatever it can to protect itself and its human body.
Now a dog coming to close to someone who possibly has had a horrific experience with an animal as such could potentially cause someone to freak out which would not be good for that person or the dog next to them who has been trained to be aggressive in threatening situations.
The US Border Protection system and really honestly its entire system in general one day needs to be really deeply looked at. There is a very high possibility that it does more harm then good to itself.
Sitting here in the upstairs dressing room part of the Sputnikhalle venue in Munster, Germany where we are playing this evening, and where we spent the day off yesterday.
Thus far we have played 4 shows and now have 6 left until the end of this leg of the tour. I must say that I have enjoyed each and every show as I do for most of them. It’s what you call being a fan. However being directly involved in the show and with these dudes as “the band” sometimes there are certain things in which you look at differently. Since we have been here I have had some thoughts about how involved or not involved some of our Europian “behind the scenes” people are.
So last night we all sat in front of the bus for a couple hours while we watched Barney entertain us all with a drinking game he volunteered to play. The name of this game is called Centurion. The mission of the game is to drink 100 shots of beer in 1 hour 40 mins. 1 shot of beer every minute. You have to sit in the same seat, and not pee or you would be disqualified. If Barney was to pull this off there was a $150 in prize money. At 10:00 PM we started the Centurion festivities . I was the “official” poured which meant every minute for 2 hours I had to pour Barney a shot of beer for him to work his way up to being a Centurion. Out of any of us the only person that I know could pull this off would be Barney and it was something he was definitely into due to the prize. Off days of tour can be pretty fun! At about shot 30 we could all notice a change in Barney and from then on it just went downhill, or uphill which ever you may. Chris documented each shot with his camera and looking back at those pictures is quite something. The first picture Barney just looks like himself but as the shots continue his face/ expressions in the pictures definitely start to change/ melt drastically. At around shot 80 Barney was definitely officially hammered and had mentioned the urination feeling a couple of times. The quotes and one liners coming from him during this entire mission were unbelievable and had most of us almost on the ground laughing. Well a couple of hours later Barney had officially become a Centurion and was for sure feeling this alcohol. At shot 100 it was then offered to him for every 10 more shots he would received 20 Euro’s from Jord so Barney who likes to bet/ gamble chose to keep em coming. He made it to 110 in a definite drunken state and kept it going to 122 until he finally called it quits. Amazing!! Truly something to see, witness, and take in. Watching Barney get up with 10 + beers in hs stomach with out peeing and finally walk away to take a pee was something else as well. This was our day off in Munster, Germany. Centurion!!!!
July, 31, 2009
Sitting here at Dulles Airport after spending a week here in DC with Helene on a layover from my Frankfurt to Montreal flight.
Tour ended last week in Stuttgart, Germany and now Propagandhi is taking 2 months off due to a lil Propagandhi entering this world next month. Our adventures will continue in Oct with a tour of Western Canada/ Northwest US.
Last Monday when I landed here in DC I exited the plane, walked thru customs where I was greeted with a “welcome back” and thought to myself “welcome back to where?”. I guess having a US Passport will get you a welcome home greeting. Aahh. Thanks US of A.
One thing I noticed while I was walking up to customs was outside a couple of border/ customs guards with a couple of German Shepard dog next to this flat trailer storage trailer with separate compartments. The only thing I could really think was this was the dogs kennel and is where these American “soldiers against war/ terrorism” sleep every night.
Now I definitely have many issues with mans domination over animals in which I will go into in a bit but I also thought that both officer and dog were to have a certain bond with one another. Meaning these canines would accompany their masters home after a day of protecting the homeland. I guess not? Thanks for the sniffing and keeping the country clean now back to your trailer.
After being “welcomed” back home I then proceeded to the baggage check which was jam-packed with travelers waiting to retrieve their bags before continuing on. Out of nowhere I see 3 custom/ border guards with a dog come zig zagging thru a huge line of travelers very hurriedly with no word of warning. Each person continued just standing where they were waiting for their bags while these border guards and their dog went about their business of sniffing out every single person in the line. No warning. No discussion. No permission. Everyone including myself were to sit their obediently and let this animal and its handlers invade our space searching for what exactly.
My thoughts other then being completely frustrated with this invasive act were this: What if you have just arrived from a completely foreign land, you don’t know any English, and at some point in your life you have had a horrendous traumatic encounter with a dog? This is highly possible! Trauma is a real thing and when the brain has been affected by something deeply it will do whatever it can to protect itself and its human body.
Now a dog coming to close to someone who possibly has had a horrific experience with an animal as such could potentially cause someone to freak out which would not be good for that person or the dog next to them who has been trained to be aggressive in threatening situations.
The US Border Protection system and really honestly its entire system in general one day needs to be really deeply looked at. There is a very high possibility that it does more harm then good to itself.
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