My 2 year old nephew, Teagan

The talent runs deep in our family.

The Unbelievable Friday Five.

Unbelievable...
that an Indian woman accused of being a witch was tied to a tree and beaten by a mob, with television footage of the incident aired in India on Friday.

that someone can get a tenure track postion in a university’s English Dept. without ever teaching an English class or publishing a word.

that gas prices are pushing $4 a gallon and the media are pitting Obama and Clinton against each other like a Micheal Vick dog fight.

that an 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes.

that the US still won’t boycott the China Olyimpics.

Walmart is Cancer

Here's a nice little video showing Walmart's spread throughout the US.



Stop shopping at Walmart. It's bad for you, your state, your country and your world. Stop it. Stop it now.

House of Blues - Myrtle Beach, SC 03/22/08

Sai - Guitar/Percussion/Vocals, Me - Bass/Percussion/Vocals, Dan - Percussion, Jim - Sax, Sunny - Didgeridoo/Percussion

Few more pictures of the Thorn Sherpa

Little by little. Piece by piece.

Strange Tandem Bike from Thorn

I'd have to face foward or I'd lose my luch.

Today Sucks

I got Dingo in 1994 from the local pound. When I saw her, I reached into her cage and she immediately darted under the stainless steel table. Her little head peeked out and she growled like the biggest five pound puppy ever. I grabbed her by the back of the next and decided that she was the puppy for me. Fourteen years later, I can say she has been a wonder dog. My shadow. When I’d throw a Frisbee and Aussie (The Australian Shepard pictured below who died about a year ago) would run, jump and catch it, Dingo stayed by my side. “You’re crazy if you think I’m running after that thing,” I sure she thought. Dingo was the smart one. She knew she’d still get a treat even if she didn’t run after a ball or a disc. She figured out that if my arm hung over the side of the bed or chair that rubbing against it would get me to pet her. And there is a lot more. Over the past year, she's been living with my parents because I thought I'd be traveling right now. I took her to the Vet. today for the last time. She will be missed. A lot.

Dingo

Meat and Aussie.

The Roof of the World is Burning: Free Tibet.

I’m not sure why I’ve had such a strong connection with the plight of the Tibetan people over the years. Maybe because it’s the lack of help that my government is willing to give. Of course, Tibet has nothing for the US (read: oil) so why would we get involved and help? Oh, perhaps we should get involved because it is a fact that the Chinese government has committed genocide, murdered millions of monks, nuns and laypeople, destroyed Buddhist artifacts and temples over the last 50 years.

I say there should be a multi-country boycott on the Beijing Olympics and the US should lead and just maybe, the rest of the world would realize that we all aren't a bunch of morons like our current leader. It's time to step up, US government officals, and show the world that we aren't as bad as they think we are.

The latest news:

A video from AlJazeera


DHARAMSHALA, India (AFP) — The Dalai Lama vowed Tuesday he would resign as leader of Tibet's exiles if violence back home worsened, just hours before his aides said 19 people were killed in new demonstrations.

The Buddhist leader, speaking in the Indian city where his exiled government is based, insisted he was opposed to the violence that erupted in Tibet last week, which saw Chinese shops and banks torched and smashed.
Click here for the rest of the article.

The image above can be found at ashwinibhatia.com

Video From the 2008 Wing Fling

During our setup.


Worth the Drive

Wing Fling 2008

Getting the stage set and plenty of beer for the bands.



The calm before the storm.


It's not a party without porta-johns.


It's not a party without people and line went on and on.


And they came.


The boys from Green Shack killing it.


My nephew, Travis, making the family proud.


Labeling Deloris also kills.


Sai getting his pre-game strut on and Dan on his iphone, as always.


Sai (left), Dan (middle), Me. Waiting.


The wait's over.



Sai's wondering if this crowd makes his ass look big.



When on stage, the more the merrier.



Rawkin'


Sai Collins



Dan Maggio



Sunny Cordilleras




It was a good day.


Thank you and good night.

Free Tibet

A person can be jailed in China for possessing an image of the Tibetan flag or a picture of His Holiness the Dali Lama, as seen here. In 1999, I was lucky enough to see the Dali Lama speak in Central Park, NYC.

Article from Thaindian News
Dharmasala, March 10 (IANS) Over 100 Tibetan refugees, including Buddhist monks and activists, began a march from here to Tibet Monday, the 49th anniversary of Tibet’s uprising against the Chinese rule of the peninsular region. The marchers, who are protesting Chinese rule in Tibet, included representatives of five Tibetan NGOs based in India and about 70 monks, attired in their traditional robes.

As the protestors set off, thousands of Tibetan refugees gathered in this hill town in Himachal Pradesh to see them off. Sergia Delia, a member of the Italian Parliament, flagged off the protest march.

The marchers are likely to reach Delhi in the next 20-25 days, said a spokesman of one of the participating NGOs.

“The marchers could then take any route across the 4,000-km-long Indo-Tibet border to enter Tibet,” the spokesman said.

India is home to some 100,000 Tibetans, many of whom fled their homeland along with their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama, head of six million Tibetans, has a government-in-exile based in Dharamsala.

Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern Is Insane

As a matter of fact, studies show that no society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades. So it’s the death knell for this country. I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam, which I think is a big threat.
Transcripts can be read here.
Listen:

2008 Budweiser Wing Fling Is Offically SOLD OUT!

If you read this post then you know that the band I play in is playing the 12th Annual Budweiser Wing Fling here in Wilmington. And now you know that is it sold out. All 5500 tickets gone. It's going to be a good time. I'll be sure to post pictures.

The musical line is as followed:
11am-11:45am - DJ Complete (Austin)
12:30pm-1:15pm - Green Shack
1:45pm-2:30pm - Labeling Deloris
3pm-3:45pm - Sai Collins and the Getaway Drivers (The band that I play in)

Bookstore Cat

Possibly the most well read cat in all of France--definitely Paris and without a doubt the Tea and Tattered Pages bookstore.

Thorn Sherpa

Yay! My Thorn Sherpa frame arrived today. It only took 8 days to get here from SJS Cycles in Somerset, England. The frame is beautiful and I'm still gathering the components. The wheels I had built are Sun Rhyno Lite rims with Shimano XT hubs (9speed), DT Swiss spokes and together with the frame, it's starting to become a very nice expedition/touring bike. More updates will follow.

Link to the latest incarnation of the bike.