The Barbershop Renaissance

Do you like the smell of perm chemicals and burning hair? Do you want some girl just out of cosmetology school, who gets paid more the faster she pumps out haircuts, cutting your hair? Do you like to listen to women chatter about who's a bitch and how crappy there poor unassuming boyfriend is? If you answered yes to these things you must hate yourself and being a man. Wouldn't you rather go to a place that is friendly, has a nice clean, fresh smell, a person that will take time to get your hair just how you like it and banter with you about things that actually matter in your life? A place that has atmosphere and won't make you lose all self respect for yourself when you walk out. My friends, this place is called a BARBERSHOP!
As a child my father took me to the local barbershop called Bush Wackers it was filled with Playboys, men drinking coffee conversing about the weather, politics, local going ons, women, and money. As I got into my teenage years I drifted away from the manly comfort zone of barbers and into a sea of confusing unisex salons chalked full of stylist who pushed unwanted advice about what haircut THEY thought would look best on me and sell me some costly product I didn't know how to use. A moment of enlightenment struck me one unsuspecting day when I stumbled upon a LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED barbershop that brought back the fond memories of the childhood shop but also maintained a cutting modern edge. The shop was filled with tattoo magazines, men's magazines, a fridge full of beer, cool band poster on the walls and a young, knowledgeable barber gracefully handling the cutting. I fell in love; so much so that I went to barber school and am entering the second year of owning my own barbershop.
Barbering is an ancient art, it goes back as far as 2000 B.C.E. even being mentioned in the Bible; it survived the dark ages and has been passed down through the generations. During the golden age of barbering, mid-1800's to the early 1960's, the barbershop wasn't just a place to get a mighty fine haircut and hot towel straight razor shave but a place to kick up your feet read the paper (or dirty magazine) and find out what was going on in town. Hair tonic and shaving soap advertisements lined the walls extensively expressing “Visit your barber every 7-10 days”. Barber chairs where quality furniture crafted from porcelain, wood, and steel. Shops smelled of spicy bay rum after shave, hot shaving cream and savory hair tonics; smoking wasn't just allowed it was encouraged even going as far as selling cigars and cigarettes in the shop! It gave off an atmosphere more like a saloon filled with story telling and knee slapping. Attracting young and old alike, it was a place a man could really relax and enjoy the company of other men.
Many people believe the fall of the barbershop came with Beatle mania - this was more of the final nails in the manly sanctuary's coffin. The barbershop down fall actually started around the turn of the 20th century when Gillette very successfully marketed the safety razor has a more economical easier way to shave rather than visiting the barber for a straight blade shave. In those days a barbers main income was the hot towel straight razor shaves. Of course they took a further blow during the Great Depression when personal spending hit an all-time low. After the dramatic decline in male population due to major wars such as World Wars I, II and The Korean War - not to mention most of western civilization being caught up in the paralyzing grip of unhygienic long haired hippieisim - the barbershop became an out dated scene. Most barbers didn't want to learn new styles or change styles during this time because it wasn't just a change in fashion but a change in society. Western religions became too confining, divorce started to become common, casual sex and drugs became the norm, life was about self actualization and freedom of self expression; the world no longer belonged to “The Greatest Generation”. When short hair came back into style in the 80's, the predominately female reared generation X'ers where ushered into over priced pricy salons or even worse, soul sucking corporate greed driven unisex chain salons - furthering the impression of barbers being old, crusty relics from a past era.*
In the past decade and a half barbershops have seen a small revival, most of which being from none English speaking and are associated with ridiculously cheap haircuts. However a small number of young men driven by an interest in their grandfathers lifestyles are attempting to restore the barbershop to it's glory days while maintaining a modern distinction. We are railing against the greedy corporate giants and overly feminized salons. We are keeping up with new style trends as well as classic retro styles - doing our utmost to provide good, inexpensive haircuts without sacrificing the tradition of the barbershop. Since barbers, for the most part, do only mens haircuts we are more inclined to know the little tricks to get mens hair in tip top shape. A barber should be able to do a clipper or shear haircut but the mark of a real barber is the ability to do a proper hot towel straight razor shave. If you have never had a barber shave, DO IT NOW! Every man should have another man hold a razor to his throat at least once, it is surprisingly more relaxing than it sounds and is great for hangovers! The barbershop isn't just a the place to get a manly haircut but a priceless place to flap your gums with other guys. On more than one occasion I've seen cars sold, houses rented, and jobs found. It really is an informal community meeting place. It is and always has been a great place for men to be men and all that entails.

The barbershop is not for everyone; if you have long hair (over your shoulders), if you are easily offended, or are so homophobic you can't have another guy cut your hair, you shouldn't go to a barbershop. I don't want to sound like an testosterone filled chauvinist but if you are interested in rediscovering the barbershop do some research on yelp, google, or ask one of your macho friends to find a local shop - you won't be disappointed.

*Interestingly enough barbershops in the African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and rest of the none English speaking world never really experienced such a ruination. Seems to only have happened in the overriding white English based community.

Ten Barbershop Tips (in no certain order)

Be specific! Just a trim, a little shorter, or clean it up are subjective terms that mean something different to you and your barber. A half inch off or left will help us give you the hair cut you really want. A quick clipper approximation #2=1/4 inch #4=1/2 inch #6=3/4 this should help you describe your haircut

Don't ask to be turned toward the mirror. We use the mirror to see if there are any dark sport left by our clippers; it's a tool
Come in with clean hair. Nothing pisses off a barber faster than stinky foot smelling matted hair

Join in. We are all here to associate with each other feel free to ad your 2 cents to the conversation

Sit Still. If you are over the age of 7 and do not have palsy you have no excuse not hold still for 20 minutes

Do not ask about, talk about or even bring up Sweeny Todd, we are trained professionals not actors in a musical and really it wasn't very funny the first time we heard it let alone the 100,000th

Just ask. We should be able to do any kind of haircut you want all you have to do is ask.

Don't tell us how good your last barber was. If they where that good why aren't you there now?

Are you sure you want it thinned out? Unless you are going for a spiky style having your hair thinned just makes it stand up straight and it's still thick at the roots so it won't be any cooler.

Trust your barber

Anthony

Ps. I know I can not spell or punctuate correctly

Young Dubliners Show Review for Submerge Mag

Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term Celtic rock? Hopefully not U2, maybe Flogging Molly but more accurately you should think of Young Dubliners. After all they are one of the most influential Celtic rock bands from the United States. After five years of skipping over the Sacramento area on tour the southern California based Irishmen brought there flavor of traditional Irish folk and modern rock to Harlows Night Club Thursday Night. I had the privilege of witnessing it first hand. After arriving a few minutes late and getting over the shock of a large portion of the crowd looking about the right age to have gone to high school with Betty White, we found the merrymaking in full swing. To fully appreciate the pub like Irish folk instrumental jam the Young Dubliners had broke into, I ordered a shot of Jameson with a Guinness back from the more than obliging bartender. Watching local Irish rockers The Black Eyed Dempsey jump and bounce on the dance floor to the guitar driven punk rock inspired song “The Foggy Dew” really gave the room a Pogues vibe. Lead singer Keith Roberts made the casual announcement that since they haven't been to Sacramento in so long they would be playing songs from all eight of there albums. Young Dubliners showed a softer side with a few heart felt acoustic ballads like “In The End”. A great deal of the lyrics off there new album Saints and Sinners speak out against how bad things have gotten internationally without losing the profound belief that things can and will get better. Traditional folk instrumental pieces such as “Ashley Falls” really allowed the well seasoned musicians space to showcase there individual talents; specifiably allowing fiddle player extraordinaire Chaz Waltz some room to show off his chops. Not since Gilles Apap has such fine fiddle work been laid down; Waltz solos are a perfect blend of classical training and folk improvisation not to mention he plays in a intense Johnny Ramone style power stance! Touring with the five piece rock n roll group was famed Uillean piper (electric bagpipe) and pennywhistle master Eric Rigler. On some of the darker power ballads he was able to make the already ominous bag pipes sound a little spookier with a slight delay on it. You might know Rigler for his work on such small movie soundtracks as Brave Heart and Titanic. The accomplished piper treated the audience to the theme song of Brave Heart which I assume is the equivalent, for people of Celtic decent, as an American watching Jimmy Hendrix shred “The Star Spangled Banner” at Wood Stock. Traditional Irish folk songs “Molly Malone” and “Seven Drunken Nights” really brought a bounty of dancers and hip shakers to the floor and ending the show with the Dropkick Murphy's-ish power song “The Rocky Road To Dublin” set the small but enthusiastic crowd on fire. After the great set and a few more Guinness I had a chance to chat with Keith Roberts. Through a barely understandable Irish accent he first apologized for coming to Northern California and having allergies. After I apologized for arriving fifteen minutes late, he assured me with a sly smile that those precious early minutes of the set where indeed the best part. Roberts did inform me that Young Dubliners planned on making Sacramento a regular stop on there touring schedule, “We are in the same freaking state for gods sake” he excitedly barked. Hopefully these words will hold true because an evening spent with the Young Dubliners is an evening well spent. Make sure to catch there next Sacramento performance and you to will fully understand what Celtic rock means.

Anthony

Ps. I know I can't spell or punctuate correctly

Silent Comedy Show Review for Submerge Mag

Photos by Adam Plantz

Do you ever feel like you missed out on an era? The era portrayed in such films as Casablanca or Gone With The Wind. Do you ever feel like you should have lived in a time when people dressed up to go out on the town and drank highballs? Well Wednesday night Shady Lady Saloon, with the help of musical guest The Silent Comedy, brought that generation back to life. Granted I saw far fewer men in full suits, women in flapper dresses and far more tattoos in the room then I would imagine the 1940's but the spirit was alive. The classic speakeasy look of Shady Lady paired perfectly with the O Brother, Where Art Thou threads of The Silent Comedy. Their digs were complete with slacks, vests, pork pie hats, and mustaches; the mustaches were so glorious a walrus would turn away in shame. Shortly after this brilliant display of fire and mixology by one of the owners, musical entertainment of the night, The Silent Comedy took the stage. These fellas didn't waste any time with the first song “The Prince”. It had dark over tones of swamp blues, an obvious New Orleans Dixieland jazz influence, matched with raspy rock n roll vocals and a stomp beat that rattled the walls. In fact, the stomping beats these guys laid down the entire night had so much power the main vocalist Joshua Zimmerman brings his own box to stand on because he “put his foot threw so many stages”. The very next song slowed the tempo way down, lead guitarist Jeremiah Zimmerman took over the microphone and played keyboard on the track. Jeremiah's vocals gave a nice Billy Joel quality while the rest of the band brought an ominous folky gospel tent revival vibe to round out the song. The rest of the night continued this way; they would “bring you down and pick you back up”. The entire saloon jumped, stomped, and danced to the original bluesy devil inspired rock roll songs such as “Moonshine”, “Poison”, and “49”. We all swayed and locked arms to the slow sad melodies of indie folk, slightly country ballads like “All Saints Day” and “Regrets”. Tim Graves, who also played guitar and shared vocals duties, brought a lot of the bluesy feeling with damn impressive harmonica playing. Implementing advanced precision harmonica technique called tongue blocking; actually using your tongue, while playing, to block out notes. The three part singing harmonies by brothers Zimmerman and Graves was magnified by the other three band members shouting lyrics in the background. Giving an exceptional two tone amphitheater texture to some of the vocals. Between songs set off a musical fire drill, they exchanged instruments and spots on stage. On any given song one of the band members might be playing; acoustic guitar, slide guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, violin, concertina (a small accordion), keyboard, harmonica or drums. Finishing off the night was piano driven gospel inspired song “The Well”. It was nothing short of the church scene in Blues Brothers. People were dancing, singing, and generally being over come by the power of the soulful music. The Silent Comedy draws from influences from across the board, time periods and genres, culminating to something along the lines of a Killers, Muddy Waters, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Django Reinhardt sound. Not to mention an intensity in their live performance that rivals some of the top punk rock bands. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Silent Comedy's new album Common Faults on itunes or at there next Sacramento appearance.

Anthony

Ps. I know I can't spell or punctuate correctly

The Expendables interview for Submerege Mag

To call The Expendables a reggae rock band is an understatement. They have been playing there own unique blend of music for nearly fifteen years. Growing up in Santa Cruz, California instilled many different musical influences in them; everything from reggae, punk rock, surf, and 80's metal. I guarantee you have never heard a reggae song with blast beats and an Iron Maiden style shred solo in the middle of it. According to The Expendables, “We surf, skate, party and play music”. This laid back attitude has taken them from playing frat parties to their own nationwide headlining tours to support on amphitheater tours with international acts such as 311 and G. Love & Special Sauce. The Santa Cruz locals have also had the privilege of sharing the stage with such bands as Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, NOFX, Pennywise, Fishbone, Ziggy Marley and Kottonmouth Kings. Guitar Hero World Tour even used their song “Sacrifice” off the Gettin Filthy album as a playable song. You'd think after four records and countless tours, the four piece would be ready to take it easy, but no, “idle time is not an option”. March of this year saw the announcement of their fifth album Prove It along with a nearly two month summer support tour. Paul Leary of Butthole Surfer's and El Hefe of NOFX grabbed the reins as producers on the new record, “bringing a vibe to the studio as only two punk rock guitar legends could...they dug our weirdness”. And for anyone out there that thinks The Expendables have lost there originality, they have this to say: “We are bringing something new to the table, while still staying true to the sounds that make us who we are.” I recently had the chance to chat with Adam Patterson, the back bone of any good band; the drummer.

Hey how's it going?

Pretty good, we had a night off last night, I partied pretty hard. I am extremely hung over but stoked to do this interview.

[Laughs] I understand. So The Expendables have been together since 1997

Yeah we where just 16 year old kids from Santa Cruz messing around with different types of weird music. We didn't get serious until around 2000 when we recorded our first record.

Santa Cruz is known as being one of the surf and skate capitols of the world. What was it like being a sixteen year old kid coming up in that music scene?

Oh man it was a lot of fun, there were always shows going on, plenty of good local bands to play with. It was really a great time to be a band. There was always a big band coming through; NOFX, Strung Out, Less Than Jake or 311. We actually became friends with some of those bands and have been lucky enough to tour with them. Not to mention people in Santa Cruz are super respective to all styles of music. It was really a good time.

Speaking of 311, I see you guys got to do an amphitheater tour with them last summer, how crazy was that?

It was wonderful they showed us an entirely different side of touring we had never seen before. The level of professionalism is crazy, they basically set up a musicians city everyday. The amount of preparation they do everyday just to put on a good show is amazing. It's a lot different doing our own headlining tour this summer. [Laughs] We try to carry the same professionalism but much smaller venues.

How did you guys fit recording an album into your busy tour schedule?

Actually the first part of last year (2009) and the last part of the year before (2008) were incredibly busy but we got to take the last six months of 2009 off to record the album and get ready to do some heavy support tours. We aren't used to having time off, it was kinda hard to stay focused. Since we had been writing the new record over the last 3 years we only had to take a few months off to finish it and really focus on doing the best job we could. Which is why we brought in the producers we did. And I think we accomplished that, it's my favorite album to date. I think it's our best representation of the band and what we are capable of.

I was reading the album credits and saw you had Paul Leary of Butthole Surfers and EL Hefe of NOFX produce the album

We met Paul threw Pepper, he came to a show in Austin in a few years back, and we spent the next two years talking with him. When it came time to actually get a producer he was all in, he likes our weirdness. El Hefe had contacted our label, Stoopid Records, looking to work with one of the bands and we are huge NOFX fans so we jumped on that as quick as possible. We got along well and wrote a song together, “Donkey Show”, it turned out really good. The album also features some of our friends from Slightly Stoopid as well as G. Love

The new album, Prove It sounds slightly more general rock than your previous releases

People have been telling us we lost our dub(reggae) sound. We are a guitar driven band, always have been. I feel like we did a little of everything on this record. We did a six minute metal songs, a few punk songs, a seventeen minute dub song and pretty much everything in between. We're a weird band we like to play every type of music.

Pick up you copy of Prove It at The Expendables live show May 30th at The Boardwalk or June 1st at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus.

Anthony

Ps. I know I can't spell or punctuate correctly

Raley Field Beer Festival 5/10

I have been told the mouth of a perfectly happy man is full of beer and Friday night at the 3rd Annual Raley Field Beer Festival I had more than a mouth full. When I decided to attended this festival of intoxication I felt I would need a little back up so I recruited a friend of mine who tends bar at the painfully hip Shady Lady, an amigo that is an honorary beer expert; he drinks a lot of beer, and my wife who is savvy in how to take care of people that “know” to much about beer. As we approached Raley Field I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. Needless to say anticipations ran high but at the sight of the eighty person line to get in my heart sank into my shoe. Surprisingly enough the line moved very quickly which was good because the ratio of douche bag to cool people that live in West Sacramento is weighed pretty heavily towards the douche side. Once inside only one of us (not me) possessed the insight to go threw the line twice to get more free tickets, whatever we shortly discovered you can buy more tickets for a dollar each. Equipped with cups, drink tickets, and a mighty thirst we where like drunks coming off twelve months dry fully tweaking at the sight of all the different beers to try. We all scattered like cockroaches in different directions. Just to calm my shaky excited hands I started off with the commonly found Lagunitas WTF, a brown ale. Not very thrilling tasted a little hoppier than your average brown but I had to get the party started somehow. Trying to make up to my disappointed taste buds I spied a local Folsom brewery I had never heard of, Lockdown Brewing Company Despite the cheesy slogan “home of the Folsom Prison brews” the blonde wasn't bad, dry and clean. Suddenly our entire crew reunited and I honed in on the same stand to assault, Marin Brewing Company and of course all four of us had to try one of the strangest brews of the night ES Chi, a Chinese herb infused ES. The odd stoner hippy who poured this intriguing beverage told me “It's good for you, it'll even you out”. I am not entirely sure what he was talking about but it diffidently was one of the three most memorable beers we tried, it had a vaguely spice grassy tea taste to it. Mr. Suave* commented “It taste like an herb tea and beer mixed together”. Oddly enough this beer does not appear on their website. Less than an hour into this lovely event and already the obligatory drunk fool in a reggae colored California shirt shouted something to the effect of “Let's get F***ed up bro”. This is why even the other states in our own country hate us. Anyway, next we made a stop at Marin Brewing sister company Moylans. The Scotch Ale caught my eye and if I don't say so myself it was a good choice it had a really great woody taste, almost as if it had been aged in oak barrels. As we walked threw the festival I noticed a lot of larger Northern Ca breweries North Coast, Blue Moon, Lagunitas as well as a lot of standard Sacramento stuff Rubicon, Hoppy, Sudwerks etc. I guess it is to be expected but I had hoped for a few more obscure breweries. My point exactly came in the form of the next brewery Sierra Nevada. Being that I grew up in Chico and Sierra Nevada happens to be one of my beers of choice I had to get a Harvest ale. Taste like home, it's my security blanket. By this time I started to feel effects of the inebriating libations. We decided to take our ragtag bunch over to the Ele River stand to try the Acai Wheat. Apparently Acai is a berry native to Brazil similar to the pomegranate. The Acai berry gave a remarkable unique flavor and a texture similar but a little more beer like than a hard cider. Unsurprisingly this was my wifes favorite of the night. The Acai Wheat and the next beer I sampled, Mate Veza Golden Blonde, where the other two memorable beers. The Mate Veza is brewed with the African Yerba Mate tea leafs which naturally caffeinated the beer. I honestly do not remember what it tasted like because I had been drinkin and I could help being completely enamored with the fact they figured out how to naturally caffeinate beer with tea. Not my proudest of moments holding up the line of people behind me trying to get beers while having the poor brewer explain to me three times how they brew it. I still do not understand the process but I do remember really liking it. While I was still trying to throw the Mate Veza down my guilt someone handed me a Two Rivers Granny Apple Cider it tasted like champagne. At this time my pal Mr. Brown Bottle* made the astute observation that “we should probably get something to eat if we are going to survive this”. Watching the worst cover band in the world almost ruined the glorious sausage dog I tried so desperately to enjoy. That broad took shreky to a whole new level, gives me chills just thinking about it. About the time we wondered back to the beer garden area the owner of Rubicon Brewery who also organized the event approached us to ask what we thought of the event and if there was anything we'd like to see improved upon. That kind of approachability really made us all want come back. Around 8:45 less than two hours into our extravaganza a lot of the breweries started to run out of beer. This limited us to some of the more major breweries and to tell the truth I had tried so many beer it all really started to taste the same. I did continue to drink beers but nothing stood out I had North Coast Scrimshaw, the Grandteton Double IPA it had a citrus flavor, at the Fox Cider table they gave me something from behind the counter that my notes call it “kinda amazing” (not sure why), Auburn Ale called Gold Digger the over hoppiness reminded me of Sierra Nevada. I aspired to finish my Gold Digger while watching some drunk girls stumble into people shouting “bitches be crazy!!!” Sensing it might be time to go I made the appropriate decision to have two more samples Iron spring double IPA and Mad River Red Ale. The only notable thing about the double IPA was the pregnant girl they had pouring beer and all my notes say about the Red is “taste like beer”. We all agreed it had come time to call our cab. The only thing I'd like to see changed is better music. Come on if you are going to play covers get a DJ at least they'll play good versions of crappy over played songs. As the event grows in popularity Im sure they will attack more and more breweries therein adding to the diversity of the suds selection.



*Some names have been changed

Anthony

Ps I know I can't spell or punctuate correctly

Peru April 2010; I almost died

I knew I wanted to write about this trip but considering I have the attention span of a three year old and Im constantly driven by paranoid fact that there may be something better around the corner I knew I wouldn't have a hole lot of time to document the trip. And I couldn't ignore the fact that I was meeting my younger brother down there who is effected by the same plague of being a perpetual malcontent with where he is. Not only that but we feed off each other so it become an unspoken competition to see who can be more extreme. So to offset this I decided it would be fun and funny to write a journal of my excursion to South America as if I were posting on facebook. I kept notes in my phone and tried to keep as close to my first reaction to things as I could so I would achieve a honest interpretation of the events. Here's how it went.



I have a life long battle with watching the sun rise. Every time I see
it it makes me sick to my stomach

I'm reading a book, watching three rows away with no volume as a very
small Sherlock homes solves a unlikely mystery. Think I'm showing signs
of ADD...can't stop thinking "wonder what would happen if I opened the
emergency exit next to me

Reading about jay leno. The only thing I hate more than sitting in
Houston right now is jay leno. I need a drink

Quickly coming to the realization I'm the only person that doesn't
speak Spanish on this plane

The minutely updated miles traveled screen 10 inch from my face makes
my ass hurt more everytime it updates...yeah 1300 miles down 1835 to go(punches self in face)

Listening to 2 loud post hippy now yuppie Americans talk about being
loud post hippy now yuppie Americans in the immigration line. I hate
people from my country

Jumped in a car with my brother and a couple he just met 4 hours ago
now I'm gripping my seat with the strenght of 10 men while we zip
around Lima looking for chicken

It took me 20 mins of watching discovery kids channel to figure out it
was recorded in English and dubbed in Spanish

Driving around Lima is interesting lots of very poorly maintained old
Spanish style buildings, trashed 60s version of art deco houses mixed
with very well maintained Spanish style buildings and lots of extremely
modern buildings

My brother and mine new Peruvian friends assure me we are going to the
Restaurant of the best chef in Peru for ceveche

This is the best chevece I've ever had. He has restaurants all over the
world apparently he is there version of Bobby flay

Threw a thin haze of pisco sour I think I understand more Spanish than
I do

There doesn't seem to be any rules for driving here. We randomly stop
and go almost running over pedestrians. I'm scared

The presidents palace in Lima is bitchin lots of army guys with big
guns and an armered truck with huge water cannons on top

The people we are staying with must be rich they have, what I'm pretty
sure is, an indentured servant living in a closet in the back of the
house

The guy that said he would drive us to the airport just pulled up in
front of a store got out and another guy got in now he is speaking in
Spanish to my brother. My brother doesn't seem very comfortable

This is the scariest car ride I have ever been in he uses a horn
instead of turn signals we have caused at least 3 accidents. It's a
real life mr toads wild ride

Got off the plane in Arequipa it is hot and poor. Very poor

Angry mob holding a bunch of Che Guevara flags and a guy shouting into
a loud speaker....I'm gunna go take a picture

Some local guy on the street just asked us if were French cause of our
mustaches

We get stared at a lot here.

The town square in Arequipa is awesome looks like the pics of south
America citys, stone everthing, lots of taxis, people wondering around
trying to sell tourist crap, street food etc

Sitting at a "disco" bar with my brother, the bartender, and a bouncer
that wearing a trench coat at least he keeps staring at me like he
wants to kill me. Rad she just put ice in my gin and tonic

Watching a women in the open air market swat flies away from a freshly
butchered calf head pushing the luck of my stomach drinking a fruit,
raw egg and beer smoothie

Saw somemore old churches in a plaza today. You can only see so much
of this stuff before you just don't care

A note for any Americans that want to travel don't wear northface
anything and don't have a camera around you neck you will get robbed
oh and just look don't goock you look like fools

Planes trains and automobiles 12 hour bus ride to cusco meet up with a
friend from home then 3 hour bus to another town then 2 hour train to
machu picchu

I hate south america stomache hurts so bad bus so cold can't sleep 6
in the morning been up 24 hours no sleep in sight

1 hour nap, shower, and a mouth full of coca leaves I feel amazing I'm
going to go fight a llama

Cusco is cold and poor very poor but at least they have more tourist!

Hanging out with a really cool English speaking couple he's Colombian
they met when his family moved to Columbia Tennessee

It's okay I just shit my brains out after everytime I eat

And it started raining and raining and raining.....there houses are
mostly made of mud

Skipping machi picchu to ride dirtbikes to some other ruins. This is
the most excited I've been all trip

You know what's worse than spending all night with dyharia and
throwing up in the sink next to you? Spending all night with dyharia
and throwing up in the sink then having to clean puke out of your
mustache

My brother went to the pharmacy told them I had a fever and was
throwing up and asked for petobismal they said no and gave him
antibiotics for $6! Now that's socialized medicine

Spent all day in bed and the bathroom

Did three haircuts today on a roof over looking a very large hill of
homes and a giant jesus statue behind me. Never would have guessed Id
do that in my life

Peru is a very conflicted place. I'm drinking fruit infused rum in a
hooka lounge listen to a live band play catchuan jazz

A local just explained to me why they hire 25 Peruvians to tear up 100
yards of side walk with picks and hammers. When I asked if it would be
more cost effective and quicker to hire 5 guys with jack hammers he
looked at me like I just punched a baby

I can stand here perfectly still and be as respectful as possible or
run around the streets naked screaming "I am the devil" either way I'm
still loco gringo

Walking by a place that used to be a pagan Inca sacrificial grounds
that the Spaniards stole all the gold from and built a church on. The
Spaniards aren't very well liked here

The lady at the airport asked if we were Italian because of our
mustaches. It's nice not being recognized as American

1 taxi ride, 5 planes, one car ride 32 hour travel time and 40 hours awake I finally made it home

How can I sum up a trip like this. It was the hardest trip I have ever done. There were several time I had to just shut up and hope my younger brother, how lives down there, didn't kill us. I would however do it all over exactly the same even knowing the outcome it all had. As I travel more I find myself slowly coming to the realization the good ole US of A is not an entirely terrible place to live. I still do hate Americans as a group; we are loud obnoxious arrogant people the whole heartedly believe we have life figured out, but America is not a bad place to be.

Anthony

Ps I know I can't spell or punctuate correctly

Virginia is racist

Shine up you muskets and put on your favorite hating minorities shirt Virginia Governor Bob McDonnells has re-instituted April as Confederate History Month something the two previous Democrat governors wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole because of the obvious implications of racism. McDonnells claims he signed the proclamation back into effect; apparently it’s been quietly ignored by Virginia since 2001, for the money, “the move was designed to promote tourism in the state”. Sure the money will be pouring in from tourist flocking to “The Commonwealth” for Klan marches, Nazi skinhead rallies, and cross burnings. Not to mention white sheet, tar, and feather sales will skyrocket! Anonymous supporters of the proclamation stated, Im sure threw a pointy white hood, “This is something we have brought up to the past few governors but were turned down. We just had to bide our time, the south will rise again.” "We cannot avoid our past," the governor said in a separate statement. This is true we do need to know our past to learn and grow from it, which is why both sides of the civil war are taught nationwide from grade school on up. The Republican Governor made a weak attempt to justify this overtly prejudice action by saying, “it was intended to honor the Confederate sacrifice”. However good ole boy Bob is overlooking the fact that the only thing the confederacy means to a lot of people is hate. Don’t get me wrong Im down with the rednecks, most of the kids I went to high school with had Cowboy Up and Ducks Unlimited stickers on their lifted piece of crap American made trucks but the confederacy is synonymous with the confederate flag and the flag is synonymous with racial prejudice. McDonnell dug himself an even deeper hole of desperate justification by saying "there were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues". Really other issues, so it was an issue of lifestyle differences between the north and the south? The south wanted to be able to keep the lifestyle choice of owning another human? Or was it an issue of money? The south did want to have to pay their laborers? Normally we give a month of recognition to things we want to honor; black history, breast cancer awareness, women’s history etc. Slavery is not exactly a shining moment for us. It is really one of the biggest black marks on our history. The confederacy is a very sensitive subject filled with lots of hate and we should not be honoring it with a month of remembrance. This is a huge step backwards for the 160 year battle of civil rights.

Anthony

Ps. I know I can’t spell or punctuate correctly