I started watching a video the other day about the Canadian baby seal hunting/clubbing.
I saw this little baby seal trying frantically to run away across the
snow from this man with a big club. But seals are so slow on land. the
man caught up to it so quickly and swung his weapon down hard.
I clicked the red ’X’ before I saw anything.
But I knew exactly what happened.
I couldn’t help but cry.
My eyes well up even thinking about it again
I’ve always been passionate about the environment, especially wildlife.
and I’ve always known about and been against all these horrendous things.
But to actually see it...I’ve never felt my heart break so hard.
also
I don’t know how many of you guys know about the dolphin slaughter that
goes on in Japan, but this is one of the most disgusting things I’ve
ever seen.
Such primitive, torturous and unnecessary murder of one of the most beautiful creatures on the earth.
here’s a video
(WARNING:
this video is really graphic, seriously. If you don't think you can
handle watching hundreds of dolphins, including baby ones, getting hacked
up alive by some ****s who can’t possibly have any hearts then don't
watch...but this is a good way to educate yourselves about what
actually goes on)
it makes me unbelievably mad. I want to even say murderous. Someone deserves more than jail for this.
I don't think you understand.
how can a human justify doing this?
and in such a cruel and disgusting way.
If there are any Japanese people reading this, PLEASE, comment below and explain this.
maybe
there’s another side to the story...? Or maybe the Japanese public
doesn’t know about this. If you’re Japanese PLEASE POST THIS ON YOUR
PAGE!!!!
please help me and the other activists stop this.
this is just brutal and unnecessary.
I can’t believe this goes on in today’s world
I think the fur trade and a lot of other stuff going on in the world is extremely terrible as well
and I want to do something to stop that too.
But I think my mission is to spread awareness of this massacre and try to stop this from continuing on.
Man, I don’t understand how Japan is so messed up on this stuff.
I love Japanese culture, the food is great, the fashion, the work ethics. It’s all great.
but how can a country so well developed be so horrifically murderous?
this and whaling break my heart more than anything and it’s my mission to do something about it
SO...
I made this special Love Before Glory released shirt all about the disaster you learned about today
the shirt reads ":STOP THE KILLING" in Japanese down the right hand side, and "LOVE BEFORE GLORY" down the bottom
the shirt will be sold for $15 with ALL profits going to Sea Shepherd (www.seashepherd.org) and the amazing work they do (Take me with you!!!!!)
these guys are awesome.
I would really appreciate your support on this guys
something needs to be done, I can’t sit back and cry at videos anymore.
I need to take these bastards on
so please, if you want to buy one, send me a message with your email address and I will send you a paypal request
or you can send a paypal to my account under jaxin_hall@hotmail.com
below is a video by an amazing band called Rise Against
it gets a bit graphic towards the end (from about 2 minutes)
so again if you don’t think you can handle it then don’t watch, but it’s another good education tool.
sometimes it takes something shocking to make you realize how seriously disgusting we humans really are
I think we owe it to the environment to help them out
this is a message I wrote to someone earlier
I hope it puts things in perspective...
"I understand your opinions from the point of view that we've only been in the public eye since last week
but
honestly the big picture is that Austin and I have been working hard
for a long time, not just on OM&M, but in this music scene in
general
I've been in bands and involved in music for a long time
both in New Zealand and here
and Austin's work in Attack Attack and other bands has gotten him to where he is today
he has an awesome relationship with the label we signed to and OM&M
has been a project we've been working on with Rise in mind since the
start
we both work hard and are really passionate about what we do
and it's not like we're getting rich off this haha
quite the opposite
it means we have less time to spend on anything else so we can't have jobs, we have to focus on the band
and we're not making money from the band now
it's going to be a long time before we see anything, and even then, we're no Kanye or Fall Out Boy
haha
we're doing this for the love
for the music and for the friends and fans that support us
we're lucky in that we know the label and they know what we have already, what we're working on, and what we're capable of
so they know what they're getting out of this deal
also, I'm sure they're looking at it from a business point of view
cos, obviously, the industry is a business ultimately
and Austin pulls the numbers
but more than that, I love the music we're writing
it's the music we like, and we're grateful to be able to share it with other people that love it too
I hope you don't feel offended or anything by what we're doing
look at the Almost, Aaron from Underoath's band, same deal, the label knew what he had so they know what the band will do
we do have other songs, jst not recorded to a quality we want to share publicly yet
we have band members we're working with and it's all going well
we just aren't at a point to announce it "officially" because we want to do it right
there has been a lot of "behind the scenes" work on this project, what you see is the result of a lot of hard work and time
I hope you enjoy what we have to offer and want to support us in our journey
if not then I have no hard feelings there
there are bands I don't like and don't support myself haha
sorry this is so long, I'm just passionate and believe in what we're doing
When I was little I read a book called 'Rascal', by Sterling North.
The book is Sterling's retelling of when he was 11 years old and found a baby raccoon while out in the woods one day.
basically, he raised the raccoon, named it Rascal, and it became his best friend
they had the cutest adventures, like one time Stirling was entered in a pie eating competition at the county fair and half way through Rascal jumped up on the table with him and started eating the pie too! haha
they won, but were disqualified haha.
So anyway, I'm a nerd when it comes to animals, as a lot of people probably know.
Just look at 90% of my shirt designs haha.
I was raised on the crocodile hunter, Sunday night TV One documentaries (does anyone else remember those? before sky came around it was all we had),the Discovery channel, encyclopedias and books like Rascal.
so I became obsessed with the thought of having a wild animal as a best friend
Raccoons are so intelligent, sneaky and cute too so I fell in love with finding one one day and having it as my pet/friend.
I even made a Papier-mâché raccoon in year 3 at school as part of a project that I think may even still be around today, haha.
but alas, I lived in New Zealand.
short of finding a kiwi in the wild or whistling to tuis as they sang from the Coromandel pine trees in the summer, I was S.O.L when it came to a wildlife friend
we don't have animals like raccoons or squirrels in New Zealand. Just birds and introduced pests like ferrets, Australian bush tailed possums and weasels
I raised lambs, goats, lovebirds & budgies (rather unsuccessfully) and hand fed eels in the stream behind my house on the farm I grew up on, but as much as I loved them, they would never be as awesome as an animal I could only see in wildlife books or on TV
America had such awesome animals compared to my little country where birds hold the monopoly on the wilderness.
Bears, skunks, wolves, mountain lions, squirrels, chipmunks, bobcats, snakes!
not to mention Raccoons, of course.
Does anyone remember Milo and Otis??
how awesome was that movie!?
all the animals and the epic adventure, amazing.
So when going to America became a reality I got super excited on the fact that I might actually be able to see some of these guys in real life
So anyway, sorry to ramble, since I've been here I've been looking and looking for raccoons
I know they're around, because everyone here sees them so often that they hate them haha.
I've been here for 2 months.
I've traveled to 13 states.
and I hadn't seen a single raccoon...except maybe 20 dead ones on the side of the road
=(
but they don't count
I search apartment dumpsters at night by wooded areas
every time I drive anywhere I have my eyes peeled for any movement on the sides of the road
and all my friends here try some way or another to help me find them
my friend Austin and I even went to a spot where he swore he sees "at least ten" raccoons every time he goes there
it's right by the river and there's an abandoned house and an overflowing dumpster right in the middle of thick woods...we went with torches, a camera and a hammer...just incase...
...nothing
so I had almost given up hope
I was convinced I had some kind of raccoon repelant curse put on me or something
until last night!
I was sitting on Brendon's porch with my laptop when I looked up and saw 4 little baby raccoons strolling down the road, underneath the cars parked on the roadside.
I nearly died.
haha I don't care if people think I'm lame, I was freakin excited ok?! haha
and no, I didn't have my camera!!
I was so annoyed, and it was too dark for my phone camera
so I followed them down the road, looking would have to do.
but they were gone...until one of them popped his little head out the drain hole in the curb
he just looked at me and sniffed the air, I guess to see if I was scary or not.
I quietly walked to the car directly opposite him and sat down on the road leaning against the tire.
this was it. I'd found one and it was almost exactly what I had hoped for.
he wasn't scared and I guess didn't feel threatened either.
the little guy just sat there staring at me and we shared a moment for about a minute.
Then he just turned around and climbed back down into the drain.
haha
I ran back to the house and got a slice of pizza, tore it up and ran back to the drain hole.
i placed all the little pizza bits around the hole and put a few in the middle of the road, leading towards where I was sitting.
I sat there waiting or the little guy to come back for about 10 minutes when I realized that a much bigger shape was now heading down the road towards the hole.
I guess this was the Momma one, cos she was pretty big
I was sitting very still so I guess she didn't even see me and passed by my by about 3 feet.
she just walked straight into the hole and didn't even acknowledge me or the pizza chunks I had placed all around the entrance.
but almost as soon as she disappeared into the hole her little head popped back out and she sniffed around like "hey...wait a minute"
she reached out with one hand and patted around one of the chunks.
she grabbed it brought it into her nose for a closer sniff.
I guess she decided she liked it cos she stuffed it into her mouth and hopped back outside her hole.
like a 3 year old kid at a party table she started grabbing bits and stuffing them in her mouth.
one hand stuffing a piece in, the other hand grabbing another one.
I was so happy.
I decided I should let her know I was there, and whats more, that it was me that had the pizza for her.
maybe we could be friends!
so I threw a piece over closer to her.
I guess she hadn't realized I was there til then cos she froze.
I got a little worried, everyone tells me raccoons are mean and a lot have rabies, so I was just hoping she wasn't one of those ones.
but she just kinda looked at me like "did you jut throw that to me, or at me?"
she grabbed the bit I threw and a couple more then just hopped back in the hole.
I sat there for maybe another 5 minutes just to see if they'd come back
but they didn't so I thought I'd leave them alone.
I was satisfied, and I had accomplished one of the main goals of my trip
so now I'm going to go back as often as I can, right on dark
armed with marshmallows or pizza, and this time a camera with a flash, and wait to see if they come back
hopefully I can get them into a routine and show them I'm nice
I'd love to be able to hand feed one
maybe they'll like me enough to climb up on me like I've heard stories about from other people
that would be amazing!!
haha
so I will keep everyone updated on that
I just wanted to explain the deal with why I'm so nerdy and obsessed
and share my little moment from last night =)
the search continues....
No momento ouvindo: Little Bit of Life
Por: Craig Morgan
Data de lançamento: 2006-10-31
and thanks to those of you who think I have put on weight from eating this delicious food all around me, that's really nice of you to try and point out
but actually I have been working out and I have lost weight and toned up a little, thank you very much
I actually made a metal detector go off and I wasn't even carrying any metal objects
it was just my personal guns
awesome.
so the Warped Tour is long and hard (that's what she said)
but I'm having the time of my life
the guys I'm with are so so rad and we have a lot of fun
my name is now "Jixin" cos that's how they think I say it haha
and the phrase said the most time in any given day by a long way is "Jixin?...Yees"
haha
our drive from Colorado to St Louis, Missouri was really long
17 hours straight
the roads go on straight forever
and so do the flat plains
it's so weird to me to be able to see that far without seeing the ocean or anything
America is so BIG!
and it seems there's a lot of road works going on around the states right now
so the ride can be a little bumpy
on our way from Colorado to Missouri we stopped at this little gem
El Reynaldo's
this was gooooood mexican food
totally in the middle of no where, they're the best ones
and even though I wasn't in New Mexico any more, I needed a breakfast burrito
I got cheated out of one in New Mexico by about 30 seconds, a shirt and a pair of shoes
stupid American hygiene rules
and this is actually how excited I was to get it...
haha not really
Face just sucked at taking photos and was making me laugh
but it was really good
me gusta
every time we go to Wal*Mart I'm excited about the selection
except the ONE time I decide I want juice
there's selection all right, if you want a ONE GALLON jug of juice! haha
so I'll just stick to an old favourite
Bring on St Louis!
SL was sweet
not super hot, a WHOLE lot of kids, and one of my favourite bands was jumping on the tour
Jack's Mannequin
so so good
I watched him play and sang along to every word
Jordan, I wish you were there dog
I was thinking of you the whole time, it was awesome
just as good as I imagined
but our generator blew in the RV so I had no way to charge my camera
I was gutted as
BUT! I did have my phone camera to snap this young lady sporting one of the Chiodos shirts I made
choice bro!
haha I'm trying to bring that back
off to Kansas
Kansas was a fun day
Travis from Gym Class Heroes got arrested today
haha
he punched some dude in the middle of the GCH set for dropping the N-Bomb on him
so that was crazy, but the rest of the day finished out pretty sweet
I headed back to the RV for some AC when the sky went black in about 10 seconds
it was crazy
and this crazy cloud formation, which I was sure was slowly spinning into a funnel, was freaking me out
then crazy crazy thunder and lightning everywhere
I tried to take pictures cos I was kinda excited, but then Duug Fresh was all, "uh oh, inside now man"
just then so much rain dropped so hard and within 10 seconds the wind was blowing so hard that the rain was going sideways
we hucked into the RV just in time
3 porta-potties went flying across the car park and we all just kinda looked at each other in awe of this huge storm from outta no where
I was really scared
too much Discovery Channel means I know Kansas is right in the middle of Tornado alley!
the guys were scared too
Reggie said it might have been one of the biggest storms he'd ever seen
it was IN-TENTS!
speaking of tents, we realized, our merch guy was getting blown away and probably drowning
not to mention the merch itself getting destroyed so the guys were getting up the courage to go
not me
I wasn't goin anywhere
"I've seen the Wizard of Oz!, this does not end well!"
but just as we were about to walk out the door Cheapy, merch guy extraodanaire, burst in with a mouth like a drunken sailor
he was not impressed at our lack of courage
so we gapped it out to (the remains of) our merch tent and gear
it was torrential rain and constant over head forked lightning and thunder
I was freaking out cos it's so flat I felt like I was the highest object
and that's what lightning hits!
I ran back to help Reggie with the heads case but he ran past me yelling "don't help me! don't help me! this is my quest!"
whatever you say dude
all yours
so I helped Seth with the Drum case and we bailed to the trailor and shelter
so we did survive, just
we were all pretty silent for most of the rest of that night
soaked, out of breath and uncomfortable sitting in wet underwear on wet lino floors from our feet but still sweating and feeling the heat
hahaha, a terrible combination
and then we had another 17 hour drive to look forward to
the next day we arrived in Dallas, Texas
this was a really big show, a LOT of kids were there
Duug smashed his stick and it flew way up in the air and somehow landed head up in a plug socket just behind him
I was impressed and the Beat Union drummer was so stoked so I took a picture haha
then while the guys did the fan thing...
I did the loading thing
except that someone decided to park in the artist only area right in behind our trailor so there was no way I could load in the gear I had just sweted my ass off, in 44 degree celcius weather, lugging back there
so I made sure they couldn't go anywhere either
=)
The next day was the 4th of July
America's Independence day
we were in Austin
Face and I went for a walk around to find food
I didn't take my camera cos we were meant to be gone for only 10 minutes then go back
I was gutted cos we ended up meeting up with Fred, from the Color Fred and formerly Taking Back Sunday, and went out for dinner
it was awesome
Fred is one of the nicest dudes and we had awesome talks over dinner
then he took us to a bridge where there are all these bats flying around, it was rad
then we walked along the river and found a spot as it got dark to watch the 4th of July fireworks
Oh man, I don't think you understand how amazing this fireworks show was
I think I've seen less amazing Olympic opening ceremonies
seriously!
it was intense! IN-TENTS!
and then we all walked back cos the Higher were playing at a bar and then Andrew W.K was doing his Wapred Tour 4th of July party
it was an awesome awesome night
God Bless America.
the next day we played in Houston
it sucked
it was the worst day weather-wise
it was 128 degrees Fahrenheit
ridiculous
and so so humid
I just sweated all day
we all did, it was gross
but the show must go on
A Day To Remember warmed up the crowd for The Higher...
while Seth gave the dudes a pre show pep talk
and then Reggie and I went and watched Paramore play
Hayley is just as cute in person, seriously
I met her really quickly before we went out to party one night
so I'll keep you posted for when we set a date for the big day
it's coming, she just doesn't know it yet
but I saw it in her eyes
she's keen
mint
haha
and the sun set on a huge crowd as Paramore closed another day in the Texas sun
we then drove to a mall outside of Houston
we were meant to go to Louisiana but the fates stepped in and we didn't end up having time to get there so we just chilled
it was nice
I got some sweet new kicks
and then we headed to Memphis, Tennessee
because it was one of the last nights before I left for Ohio the guys took me out to dinner at Olive Garden
they told the people there it was my birthday haha so half way through the meal they came and sang me the Olive Garden 'happy birthday' song hahahhaa
so the last day was Atlanta, Georgia
it was hot there too, but there were lots of cool people and fun things to do so we kicked it and had fun
it was my last day so I said my goodbyes and gave hugs to my new friends
the last 3 weeks had been so awesome, I wish they didn't have to end
but Ohio was putting on the pressure so I had to leave
so that was the end of my leg of the Warped Tour 2008
what an awesome bunch of people
what an awesome time
Thank you Reggie, Face, Seth, Duug Fresh, The Badass Kidd and Cheapy
you guys are all so awesome
can't wait to hang again
yees
so that Brings me to Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
I feel really alone here and I've never been alone
But I gotta get through this, like Daniel Beddingfield says
so when I get bummed out on stuff or I need to think I go to the park by my house and watch squirrels
I'd never seen a squirrel before
they're awesome
they have heaps of personality and they're so cute
and there's a little pond with ducks in it there too
they're pretty cool
they liked to listen to the stories I told them
"....and then aaaaall the duck's in the land could fly!..."
haha look at the white one at the very front
he's stoked on the story haha
really they just thought I had food
my slushy would have to do
also, I had Whitecastle for dinner
has anyone seen that movie, Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle or something?
it's lame, but that's where they go
so I went
haha it's not good
the burgers cost 55c each haha
cos they're smaller than the palm of a child's hand hahaha
look at this...
enough said hahaha, yuck
so that brings me to today
life isn't amazing
but there are some awesome people here in Columbus helping me get through and getting me motivated to get shizz going
let's do this
happy thoughts, happy thoughts....
No momento ouvindo: The Everglow
Por: Mae
Data de lançamento: 2005-03-29
A lot has happened in this last week
and I had a bunch of people tell me how long my blog was last time haha
so I'm just gonna put up a bunch of pictures and explain them
this is a hawk eating something on top of a lamp post in Pasadena, CA
this is right after I got arrested for possesion...even though I don't even smoke.
long story..
and here's a sweet Mexican dude on a horse
if I ever need to know what day of the week it is, I just look at Seth's socks
he's good like that
I bought some good as Oreos in a resealable pack and some lady took them
the lady behind the counter told me to just go grab another pack so I did
then when I walked out side the lady that took them realized she took them and gave them back
so I got 2 for the price of one
mint
then we arrived in Arizona
it was really, really hot
But that didn't stop Family Force 5 from being amazing!
so so good
then I forgot what day it was, so I asked Seth...
"Thanks Seth", I said and went to watch Relient K
The crowd were having a great time
except the black guy in the green headband I guess
so Matt sang some happier songs about Khaki pants and his girl's ex boyfriend
and the guitarist played some sweet xylophone
and Matt flopped out his guitar and jammed a little tune about not really liking who he used to be
but being stoked on who he is now
and everyone was really happy for him
then the Higher had to play so we went to their stage
a crazy Japanese ska band was playing called Oreskaband
they were crazy but really good and one of the girls told me she didn't like eating whales so I let her live
it was so hot in Arizona
this thermometer is in the shade behind the stage
it's in Celsius even!
but Andrew didn't care, he was just excited about the new Batman movie
Face too, but in a less excited more "it's too hot" kind of way
Then Duug Fresh went crazy and Reggie rocked out in his teenyest shorts
the lady behind was in a really bad mood
so Face did some ballerina moves to cheer her up
after that we all piled into the RV and headed to New Mexico
Face was missing his girlfriend so he put on some secret videos he made of them together
and we all went to sleep
"what day is it now Seth?"
New Mexico was hot and not that cool so I couldn't be bothered taking photos until night time
we all had a big BBQ and I met some nice people
some crazy people
and some weird people too
Jeffree Star...
The Color Fred's Fred...
and the Norma Jeans...
and Alesana showed me how to play beer pong
except I would have been cheating cos I only had root beer
then our RV broke down and we had to go to some sketchy ass mechanic in Gallup, New Mexico
seriously, go to www.maps.live.com and punch in Gallup, New Mexico
and you'll see how 'in the middle of no where' it is
this is the office...
so I walked around in Reggie's jandals cos I didn't own any
and I found a sweet llama
and some sweet skulls and broken down old vehicles
then the Snap-On lady said it was time for us to leave
we didn't know where Juan or Pablo or whatever his name was (the mechanic guy) so we had to just go
Tom said that was cool
so we drove through New Mexico to stay the night somewhere
I love the scenery around NM
the guys here laugh at me for it cos it's just desert
but I like it
we found a hotel and hung out in nowheresville, New Mexico for a while
so our trip continued
I did manage find Jake Gyllenhal's truck
so that cheered me up a bit
then we went into Wal*Mart again
haha it's so ridiculous, I can't get over it
look how big it is!
and the they have guns for sale
"Can I hold a big gun?" I asked
"sure hun, which one you like?, you want one with a scope?"
amazing
I must be really out of the loop with the news...
then we went to get food
we were gonna go to Carl's Jr, but it looked like a rip off
so we went to Applebee's instead
everyone was happy with that
I got a quesadilla
it was sweet
then I saw an awesome prarie dog
Reggie said they're good luck so he bought a lottery ticket
and every single one was a winner!
so he bought another one and he won $50!
"does anyone know what day it is?"
then we arrived at Salt Lake City, Utah
The Kidd was excited
The Higher jammed some sweet tunes
and there were pretty mountains all around us with snow on them!
I watched Story of The Year
they're so damn good
then Dan jumped in the crowd for a surf
and then he jumped back on stage and they all jumped in the air
Bye Salt Lake
we stopped at a gas station and I saw this sweet deal of a drink for only $1.29!
with a deal that good I would have been an idiot not to get it
then it was Doug's turn to show us home movies he made
Good morning Denver, Colorado
this guy loved the higher and sang along very intently
then we hung out lots and I stopped taking photos cos I was too lazy to carry my camera around
but there will be more soon from me
I nearly died last night
I know this blog has been a long time coming but I really haven't had a lot of time around the internet to keep in touch properly with anyone, sorry!
But here is my first entry to my USA tour diary
So, my Mum, the Poof and I drove out to the airport to send me on my way
it was really hard to say goodbye to Courtney
I know I'll see her again, but it was still sad knowing I wasn't gonna have her to play with everyday
we kinda became a bit of a team so I really am missing her
I flew out on Thursday at 5pm intending to arrive on Thursday at 11am
I felt a little bit like I was jumping in the Delorian
"great SCOTT!!"
12 hours on a plane...awesome haha
thanks to the people who sent me really nice texts and calls and stuff
I really did appreciate it
the flight was ok
The inflight entertainment on Qantas is pretty good
I just watched Family Guy and they had Summer Heights High too! haha
so I watched that a little and tried to sleep
I woke up to the pilot telling us we were about to start decent into Los Angeles
for some reason we had to land away from the main terminal and catch a bus to the main bit
it was kinda crazy and stepping off the plane onto the tarmac it was like walking into a wall of heat
I got my bags all fine and walked out on the street to wait for my ride
I didn't have a phone to call so I just sorta looked around and hoped they'd call out to me
but I didn't see anyone
"What's goin on ma brutha?" an African American gentleman called out as he strolled up
he was wearing a white shirt with a black tie and holding a clipboard
I knew he was gonna try hustle me for money, so I was prepared and determined to play dumb...and poor
he was actually really nice though and let me use his phone and I got to talk to my guys who were only a couple minutes away
I jumped in the van
all the guys were really nice and super friendly so I was really relieved
so we were headed off for food when I saw this...
I've heard so much about it so I was stoked to finally get to go there
I remembered Calvin saying something about a secret menu and one of the guys remembered something about a burger called the "Flying Dutchman" so he ordered that
I just got a cheeseburger combo, with a root beer for the drink
I love root beer
The Flying Dutchman ended up being a cheeseburger, but without the bun hahahaha
awesome
So we headed off to Pomona
the first venue for the first day of Warped Tour
it was hot
We had to unload all the merch and count it and make an inventory for it
it was a bigger job than I though and the hot California sun didn't make it much easier
we had finished up and were able to take a break and start makin some food
we had some sweet burritos and hung out a bit I spent most of the night talking to people about Flight of the Conchords and the difference between NZ and Australia
I was meant to be working for Kill Brand clothing the first day but none of the shirts arrived on time so I got to have the first day off to do what I wanted
it was great actually because it was so damn hot that first day that I nearly died as it was just walking around
I drank water actually the WHOLE day I never once found myself without a bottle of water in my hand
I spent the day between merch tents with new friends I'd made the night before
I met up with the guys from a band called The Higher at their signing
they're really cool guys so afterwards we just walked around and watched a few bands
I saw Angels and Airwaves
they were terrible haha
I was really excited to see them but, man, what a let down
they were loose as and Tom can not sing at all haha
but it was kinda cool to see Mr Delonge in the flesh
Norma Jean were amazing
From First To Last was ok too
Reggie and I watched a band called The Maine, they were pretty sweet and really nice guys too
so we stayed and watched them for a bit and Reggie bought me a pizza
it was the best damn cheese pizza I've ever had
American food is amazing to me
alot of people from NZ told me they didn't like it
but man, I love it
so we kicked it
it's funny cos if you stop in one place for long someone comes up and asks for a photo with Seth (the singer)
as soon as that happens a line of people instantly forms haha it's crazy
so we did that a few times and then wandered off and watched Say Anything while the sun set
their amps blew up in their first song so the singer just ended up playing 2 songs on his own with just his guitar and then they had to stop
but the sunset was pretty through the palm trees and we wandered back to the AC of the RV to end day one
it was a good day but I really wasn't ready for the heat
but on to San Fransisco
I woke up at about 7am the next day as we were driving though San Fran
wow
what a beautiful city
I slept past the Golden Gate bridge which kinda bummed me out but the Bay Bridge ran across the water behind the venue
Warped was on a huge pier going out into the water
it was an awesome venue and a really nice day
there was a nice breeze coming in off the water so it wasn't nearly as hot and uncomfortable as Pomona, still hot, but nice
The Kill merch came this time so we set up our tent and hustled some pretty sweet deals
I met some really cool kids and had an awesome time
then I saw this chick walking past wearing the TDWP shirt I designed...
I was so stoked so I got a picture with her
there was actually a few kids wearing it that day so I'm pretty happy with that
I watched The Higher play a few tunes
they were really good and really funny on stage too so I had fun watching them
they were actually one of the only bands I got to see that day
I watched Maylene and the Sons of Disaster for a sec
they were pretty cool, really southern sounding even Dallas' accent haha it's cool
so I watched for a bit til I had to go back to the tent and hustle some more sales
then I found these guys...
haha it was awesome to see some familiar faces
I met Jeffree Star too that day
.....I'll leave it at that haha, Jeff had some pretty sweet kicks though
Kool Aid Reeboks in pink, sweet
we packed up all the shizz and the sun started setting on an really awesome day
I love San Fransisco, what a beautiful place
off to Ventura
Ventura was rad
my camera was dead so I wasn't able to take any pictures but I had a good day
I met more cool people and hustled some more sweet sales haha
it was hot again but not too bad
Jonny from Kill Brand came and hung out a little
he's the man
I saw Scott Penk today too
king hustler himself
so that was cool
I got to see The Academy Is...
they're really good
and The Higher rocked it again
I met Chris from The Colour Fred
he owns one of the Chiodos shirts I made haha
how sweet is that?
I helped the girls from Katy Perry pack up their stuff and they gave me a couple tees
I got offered a job working for them but I was meant to be leaving for Ohio the next day so I had to turn it down
I went back and said goodbye to my New York guys
they're from a band called Sunstreak
awesome, awesome guys
check them out
I went to find the Higher boys who I was gonna roll with for the night and make sure it was all go
and when I got back I realized I had left my backpack in the Streaks van
my passport and everything I use every day was in the back pack so that sucks and I thought I couldn't fly without my passport so I cancelled my flight
there was no BBQ tonight so we headed to Denny's for some food and then finally a good night's sleep
this is what relieved smiles look like on 8 hours sleep spaced across 3 days...
The next day we needed some supplies so we hit up Wal*Mart
I love Wal*Mart
it has actually EVERYTHING you could ever need 24 hours a day
say you needed panties, a santaria candle, cereal and a shotgun at 3am one day
all you need is to pop in to your local Wal*Mart and there it all is
amazing haha
last night we had a BBQ for Kidd's 21st birthday
he's the fill in guitarist for The Higher and he lives near Pasadena in CA so we went back to his house and played some basketball and ate some sweet food
Kidd is the man and his family have been amazing to us
happy birthday dog and thanks
I've made some really awesome friends here
I'm so glad I came out
today we're just hanging out and eating more sweet sweet food
I'm on with the Higher for a few more dates now
tomorrow we hit Phoenix, Arizona
to be honest I'm a little worried cos it's gonna be freakin hot so I've heard
wish me luck
I will write more soon
I hope you guys are all looking after each other
I really do miss you all
but I'm having a ball
cool people, cool times
I used to be so proud to call myself a New Zealander.
When I was in the States it seemed like such a cool thing to be able to say, and seemed to provoke a lot of positive attention and wonder.
Heck, I even bought a tshirt that said "keep New Zealand Beautiful" with a big map of NZ on it to wear on the plane ride over there, and, in case it was too cold to express my Kiwi-ness, a zip hoody with "AOTEAROA" emblazoned on the front.
(that basically means "New Zealand" in Maori)
Nerdy I know but it really meant something to me
But now I walk around in disappointment in what New Zealand has come to mean to me.
Now before you get all "you can't blame the whole country and hate on it for the actions of some people" because that's basically what this is going to say, please understand that I am not saying that every single person in NZ is like this.
But the ones that I inadvertently come into daily confrontation with are the ones who I am referring to and, unfortunately, are the only ones who really count.
New Zealanders who don't cause me grief are either my friends or generally don't interact with me on a daily basis so therefore don't really affect how I feel about what's going on in my life
For example, go to a zoo, put all the animals in one cage, jump in yourself and I'm pretty positive your decision to want to get the hell out of there and consideration of it being a stupid ass idea wont be because of the flamingoes over in the corner
Because obviously they aren't something you need to worry about.
But you're not going to stay in there just for their sake.
"I know that I'm getting attacked by tigers but I can't leave just because of them, the flamingoes aren't bothering me", you know?
Case and point.
So now, on with why I feel this way…
Firstly the 'emo' tag has been blown way out of proportion and context.
I think that 95% of the people who, on a daily basis, take it upon themselves to let me know that I am a "faggot" because I'm "emo" don't even know what 'emo' even means
They've learned a new word and have decided that it's a derogatory label to give to anyone who is any kind of punk.
I've heard industrial goth metalers get called "the emo circus", those dicks were lucky the Goths didn't sacrifice them right there and drink their blood just to spite their stupidity.
Haha I'm only kidding, but seriously at least get it right.
I'm not even an emo kid.
Search for emo definitions all over the net and what you get back are either kids in op shop plaid, with thick rimmed black glasses, or people who cut themselves and hate their existence, preferring to hide behind a thick badly maintained hairstyle and xXx-insert-pseudo-scene-name-here-xXx code names.
Now personally, I know I have never paid less than $60 for a well maintained haircut since being into this style (haha) and I love my life
I have an awesome job, an amazing girlfriend, I'm in an awesome band that has the most fun songs of any band I know, my family is great, I have the best friends and I haven't ever needed to cut myself in order to get the attention I need from the "scene"
and I know what sXe really means (no it doesn't mean sexy, oh dear)
And I don't understand where New Zealanders (and I am talking about a hell of a lot of them, believe me, I know, I get it every day) decided that they were doing the world a service to come right up in my face and call me a "faggot", spit in my hair, threaten me and my friends, throw shit at me, and just generally hate me for being something different from them
I don't walk up to them and go "what a faggot! F**kin' gangster!" or "f**k you Jock Uni drop out!!"
I do have to admit that I am destined for a way sweeter future than they are
I mean I'm sure working for the council sweeping the streets and riding on the back of a rubbish truck do seem like such tempting career paths (gag) but I'm happy continuing on the road to being a successful, happy, actor and fashion designer.
So I should just leave them to karma's fate
But I still feel like I should deal out a little karma of my own in the form of a brick to the back of their heads
And do you notice how they usually wait til they're driving away from you at the lights or as they have already walked past you that they decide to abuse you?
I'm just so sick of being intimidated and ridiculed every single day for identifying myself with the music and fashion of my choice.
So sick that I want to leave this place
I shouldn't have to change my image in fear of getting beaten up everyday.
I shouldn't have to tie my laces a little tighter on my shoes just in case I have to run away from a group of losers who think they're "black American gangsters"
What the hell??? you're from the fricken pacific islands (and in some cases even fricken the middle east!) you retards, you're not 2pac or 50cent
Who the hell are you to ridicule me when you're the one's with the freakin identity problem!
And don't even get me started on the white ones
Two words….
Kevin Federline
My favourite part is when I walk past a "K-fed" and his girlfriend on Queen street and he tries to act all tough as he goes past but doesn't notice his girlfriend is secretly checking me out and giving me the eye and a cheeky little smile
Shame
When I was in America (where all this attitude is supposed to have come from) I didn't get abused once. I interacted with Jocks, skater kids, Wiggers, I (very humbly) walked past real gangsters, Mexican thugs who you know have guns, and everyday people, every single day for a month and not ONCE did I get yelled at or called "emo" or a "faggot"
So what's so different about New Zealand?
There has always been a kind of 'tall poppy syndrome' with this country. Anyone who is trying to make any kind of statement is immediately targeted by abuse and criticism
And it seems that people get great pleasure out of beating up people who are quite obviously smaller and weaker than them
That must be a real measure of someone's strength and character, if they can beat up someone half their size
Have fun spending 80% of the rest of your life in and out of jail you piece of crap
New Zealand needs to get over "emo"
They need to leave it (or more correctly, what they think it is) alone and just let us get on with talking about music and where to get the sweetest jeans from haha
I don't understand why my country has developed so slowly, and why it has such a limited palette when it comes to individuality
But I'm tired of it, and it makes me embarrassed that this is what it has become
And there is no denying that this is the case
I bet some of the people who read this are thinking what an "emo faggot" I am
Why?
Do you know?
Do you really know why you think that?
Cos I'd love to hear your definition of emo, and why I deserve your abuse for it
And why I shouldn't walk up to you and start messing you up for being associated with some kind of music!! Shame on you! What were you thinking listening to music!!!
Loser
And I bet my friends and I even have a wider taste in music than you anyway, and you call us conformist and closed minded followers?
I'm just sick of it
I would much rather go back to America and take my chances there than bother with losers like the kind that decide that I am below them for looking different to what they think is "normal"
I don't need nor deserve the abuse.
So I hate what this country has become for me
What New Zealand has turned into
And how I am treated in a place that I thought I could be proud of
I don't want to raise a family in a place like this
Good one
No momento ouvindo: The Bridge
Por: Letter Kills
Data de lançamento: 2004-07-27
desapontado
