Updates!

First things first: I now have my ticket back to Japan for October of this year! I will be spending 8 days in Taiji to document and help shut down the worlds largest live captive dolphin trade and slaughter. It's a somber achievement, because though I have finalized my plans for this campaign there are some horrible images and experiences that await me once I return. The past 6 months of my life have been almost entirely dedicated to this campaign, and now that I have my ticket and the support of so many awesome people, organizations and companies I can breathe a little easier. I want to take this time to send a HUGE thanks to Healthforce Nutritionals for not only providing me with amazing, raw, vegan nutritional products but also for putting me to work for them and helping me get one step closer to my financial goal. Japan is an incredibly expensive place, and even a short 1 week trip could cost a few thousand dollars!

I've had several fundraising projects going on recently, but one that I'm wrapping up right now is my 1 week photo exhibition of the Japanese tsunami here in Richmond, VA. Studio Two Three offered to host my exhibition in their awesome gallery in downtown Richmond, and the turnout and support I received was amazing. There are plenty of fundraisers I could be doing right now that could potentially be more financially rewarding, but the opportunity to share our story, talk about the dolphin protection campaign and connect with people on a personal level is something that I value very deeply.

I'm planning a few more photo exhibitions here and there, and hopefully doing another Bike to Protect ride next month if I can find the time. Again, if you'd like to donate or order a t-shirt there is a button on the side of this blog that allows you to do so. Please remember to phone the Japanese embassy and let them know you don't agree with the dolphin slaughter that happens in Taiji! Also, if anyone you know is thinking of going to a dolphinarium or a swim with the dolphins program please encourage them not to! Remind them what they're supporting every time they visit these places!

Thank you all so much for your support!

For the animals,
Mike XVX

Bike to Protect! Part 4: The Ride

Bike to Protect! Part 3

Bike to Protect! Part 2

Bike to Protect! Part 1

I'm preparing for a 70 mile ride next month! I challenge people to donate $1, .50, or .25 for every mile I do!



Bike to Protect: Part 1 from Because We Must on Vimeo.


Donate with your Credit, Debit or Paypal account!

A weekend in Manhattan

I just got back from a long weekend in New York. Staying in a swanky hotel, driving around in Escalades and limos, and getting interviewed for a Discovery Channel documentary about the Tsunami in Japan. Don't ask me how I end up in situations like these, because I truly don't know.

It was all a pretty strange experience, usually when I travel I do it on a shoestring budget and cut corners every chance I get. In this case it was the exact opposite, it was all so incredibly excessive and flashy that it made me quite uncomfortable. I was visiting some family in the Tahoe area when I first got the call about the doc, and though I was on vacation at the time I agreed to be involved in this filming because I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about the porpoise slaughter in Otsuchi. So a limo picked me up on Thursday and drove me the airport in Reno, had a lay over in Phoenix for longer than I would have liked, and then continued on to Newark airport where I was met again by a car service. I was driven to the Hampton Inn, which is a somewhat fancy hotel in Soho and met up with one of the other SSCS supporters, Tarah.

Tarah thankfully had gone out earlier to get me food from a raw place nearby, and though the portions were meager I was happy to have it. The next morning we were met by Eric, the producer for the show, had a strange complimentary breakfast at the hotel, and headed out to the studio to film our interviews. Hung around in a loft-style studio for the day, wearing a brand new shirt that I had just bought at American Apparel because I had nothing "nice" to wear, and got to catch a glimpse of the high-stress and forced-smile industry that TV can be. We met some nice folks though, including Paula Zahn who seemed genuinely interested and concerned about us. The whole process took all day, so by the time we came back to the hotel that evening it was time for Tarah to leave. My flight wouldn't be leaving until Saturday evening, so I hung out with Tarah till she had to go and started to make some plans of my own.

That night I walked a couple miles across Manhattan to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Red Bamboo that I'd be hearing about. There was a line out the door, so I waited for an hour or so before I was seated, and was treated to some delicious vegan fine dining. After walking back I made some calls back home, figured out some plans for the next day and went to bed.

The next morning I was greeted by sunshine, which was refreshing to see because the previous day had been cold and rainy. I packed up my bag, checked out of my hotel, and began my trek across town. I hopped on the C train and rode it up to central park, and then on to my ultimate destination; the American Museum of Natural History. The building was bigger than I could have ever imagined, and even all the info on the internet said it would take a few hours to see everything. I only had a limited time before I had to be back at the hotel, so I got a move on. I got into line for tickets which are normally $16, but when I finally got to the counter the womyn handed me one before I gave her my card. I said "how much?" and she replied "don't worry about it" and gave me a subtle wink. I thanked her, grabbed the ticket and went straight for one of the entrances fearing that someone had made a mistake and was going to try and stop me any second. They didn't, and I proceeded to explore the many floors and many many exhibits that the museum had to offer. I was really impressed by the size, I hustled through and it still took me over 2 hours to see everything.

By the end of it I was exhausted and starving, so I jumped back on the C train and headed south again. This time I ate at a restaurant called Vegetarian Paradise 2, which just happens to be 2 doors away from Red Bamboo. The food again was amazing, and this time I was afforded the luxury of being one of the few people in the place at the time. After that I decided it was too nice of a day to get back onto the subway, so I took a stroll across town again and back to the hotel to wait for my car. On the way back I saw a pug sniffing a broken and discarded umbrella. Thoroughly inspecting it inside and out, shoving his head into it, biting it, and then eventually peeing all over it. I stood and watched as the pug's humyn laughed and they both walked off together. I had a good laugh myself.

Picked up by a black Escalade at the hotel, and had a terrifying drive across Manhattan and Brooklyn to JFK airport. The whole time I was in the back clutching the door handle, and not saying much at all as we weaved in between traffic. The entire time the driver shouting "don't worry!! I'll get you there on time!!!". I also should mention that immediately when I got into his car I had to pee so freakin bad, but I figured it wouldn't take long for us to get to the airport. Being stuck in traffic and feeling like I was going to burst was excruciating, and when we finally got to the airport I thought I was home free. I went up to the first Delta employee I could see to ask where the bathroom was, and he informed me that I would have to go through security first before I could get to one. I was DYING at that point, literally ready to explode. I had to use 6 different ticket machines because none of them would read my passport, then wait in line to check my bag, and THEN had to put my bags on the conveyor belt and walk through the security check before charging ahead straight towards the nearest bathroom. Never been so relieved in my life!

Had a somewhat of a depressing flight home, reliving everything over and over again is not helping me at all, and I need to really take a break this time. The Tahoe vacation was supposed to be my time for solace, but it was cut short by a trip to noisy Manhattan. Though I can't complain about having the opportunity to share our story with millions of people, I do need to take some time for myself.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support. Hope to see some of you soon.

Love,
Mike XVX

For those who have no voice: volunteering with SSCS in Japan

"the flag is soaked in bullshit and lies, and the decrement of a million dead" -Struggle

So as some may know already, I've left for Japan to help put an end to the largest slaughter of cetaceans in the world. Carisa, Marley and myself left Vancouver, BC in the early morning hours of March 8th and caught our flight to Osaka, Japan (with a layover in Beijing, China). It was an exhausting 15 hour journey, filled with questionably vegan plane food and by far the most disgusting airplane bathroom I've ever had the opportunity to use. If I had scanned the room with a black light I would probably have been blinded by the fluorescence, just to give you a mental picture.

We landed in Osaka on the 9th, and immediately located the car rental building (rent-a-cah, if you will). Unfortunately they didn't have any Prius' at the airport location, so we rented a car to drive out to another and exchanged for one. Having to drive all the way across Japan would be a lot more affordable in a hybrid car. Drove about 9 hours the first night, slept in the rental car at a rest stop in the Japanese Alps in some freezing cold weather, and finished up the drive to take us to Otsuchi, Japan.

A couple weeks ago the hunting boats in Taiji were docked and put away for the rest of the season. The reasons are unknown to us, but I assume that the constant Sea Shepherd presence played a role in it ending early this season. So now our plans have changed, and we've driven over 1,000km to Iwate and a small coastal town called Otsuchi to document the largest Dall Porpoise slaughter in the world. Around 7,000 Porpoises are slaughtered here annually, and we won't be satisfied until that number is reduced to ZERO. As of this moment, the dolphins in Taiji seem to be safe, so now our focus will be put here.

We leave in a few hours to visit the killing dock and meet the molesters for the first time face to face. Not really sure what to expect at this point… so far the fisherman have shown some aggression towards other SSCS members, and our friends Scott, Tarah, and Bryan have already been followed around this area extensively by the police. As of now they don't know where we are staying, but assuredly when they figure it out we'll have another set of problems to tackle. I feel an impending doom, and an unspeakable horror waiting around the corner for me today; but I am confident I will act accordingly and take it as it comes.

Thank you all SO MUCH for your help in fundraising. I regrettably have to announce though that we do NOT have enough funds to stay in Iwate for the full 3 weeks like we had planned. This trip is and will be much more expensive because we've had to adapt to a new situation. If you could donate anything at all it would be much appreciated, visit our blog to donate by paypal or credit card:
http://thecoveguardians.blogspot.com
It's about $65 a night in the hotel we are currently in, and we are unsure if there are cheaper alternatives. We've been living off of cheap food from the grocery store, and cutting corners as much as we can. Every dollar we receive literally translates to more time documenting the slaughter, and helping put an end to this grotesque and despicable business.

For those who have no voice*,
Mike XVX

*or at least one that's recognized by humyns

Volunteering with Sea Shepherd in Japan...

Hey everybody,

So for those who don't know, myself and 2 other activists are traveling to Japan this month to volunteer with the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardian campaign. We'll be documenting a dolphin slaughter (among other things) across Japan to help end the systematic murder of cetaceans. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this blog, though I will try to write everyday, so you should check on our groups blog for updates, photos and video of what's going on: http://thecoveguardians.blogspot.com

Wish us luck in not getting killed, arrested or both. AND if you have the means, please donate to our fund because as of now we don't have enough money to stay in a hotel every night or eat everyday. We'll be spending some time sleeping in our rental car and surviving off cliff bars, haha. There's a donation button on the blog and we'll be able to use those funds in Japan.

Thank you all so much for your help and support!

Stand up, fight back!
Mike XVX

Thank you Seattle!

Had an awesome weekend organizing with the Seattle Animal Defense league. They were a huge help and we were able to raise $250 at our screening! A lot of really great local businesses donated raffle prizes such as: Sidecar, Pizza Pi, Chocolate Shoebox, Wayward cafe and many others. Campaign Coordinator Scott West from the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians was able to come out and share with us his experience in Taiji and answer some questions. Thanks so much to Scott and Elora West, SADL, Josh Harper, Wayward Cafe, and all the businesses and individuals who donated and helped promote this screening. We're nearly at our initial fundraising goal!!


Thank you all so much!
Mike XVX

Thanks to everyone who helped make this weekend awesome!

Just got back from an amazing weekend of events down in Southern California for our Sea Shepherd Cove Guardian fundraisers! I'll fill you in the best I can...

After a 30 hour train ride to LA, my friend Tim picked me up in the Healthforce Nutritionals mobile to be my private chauffeur for the events I had planned. The Healthforce van had it all: two beds, a bathroom, a refrigerator a sink and was even powered by Biodiesel!

First off was our screening in Venice on Friday night at an awesome vegan everything store called Eko Zone. Had some delicious vegan donuts, watched "The Cove", discussed the movie and had a pretty energetic and exciting raffle with all kinds of awesome prizes. Band of Mercy and Greenpeace both came out to show their support and wished us well on our trip, which was a huge morale boost! After the event Tim and I camped out in the Healthforce van right where we had parked for the event. Convenient? I think so!

Saturday morning we woke up super early and drove out to Whittier to join in on a demonstration against Pet City, one of LA's most notorious proprietors of puppy-mill dogs. Of the USDA's 12 worst puppy-mills in the country, Pet City buys from 4 of them! Boycott Pet City is leading an awesome campaign against these stores - get involved!

Later that day we were still feeling a bit sleepy, so Tim and I drove down to the beach in the van and had ourselves a nice nap a couple feet from the sand. Slept for about an hour and a half listening to the waves, the ocean breeze, the sea gulls and the occasional person saying "What mountain is that?!" referring to the giant Healthforce decal that wraps the van. It was incredibly relaxing, and when we awoke we had a lovely raw dinner consisting of tomatoes, cilantro, lettuce and snap peas while we watched a beautiful sunset. It was moments like these that really make a day great, and we both took note of that before we left.

That evening we drove down to San Diego to see our friends in From The Depths play a show, and to also promote the screening event I had planned the next night at the same venue. Watched one of the most passionate and inspiring performances I've seen in a very long time, and were able to share stories and ideas with a lot of like-minded people. It was great to have so much support for the Cove Guardian campaign and be able to make an announcement over the PA about the screening the next night. That night we stayed at the famous "punk mansion" with our dear friend Carly, where I was awarded the "princess bed" all to myself. It was delightful!

Sunday morning we awoke relatively early (some of us rose earlier than others, I'm not naming names) and headed out to Ocean Beach to have breakfast at the People's co-op. For those not in the know, People's is an all vegetarian organic grocery store with a vegan deli upstairs. By far one of my favorite places in California to eat at, and within walking distance of Sunset Cliffs - my favorite cliff jumping spot.

After breakfast we headed out to Casa Cove, a man-made beach that has been adopted as a birthing ground for dozens of harbor seals. There is a battle going on a the beach at the moment, a handful of people are disputing the seals right to have the beach to nurse their pups during their breeding season. Though it's not illegal for people to stay on the beach, the city has put a rope up discouraging people from walking down onto the sand. Taking a general poll around the cove every time we're there, the vast majority of people are interested in seeing the seals return and ensuring that we provide them a safe and comfortable place to rest and look after their young. A small group of people do not want to see that happen, and they've made a point of camping out on the beach in the middle of the sand to scare away any seals that attempt to swim up. These 3 men are not only apathetic to the still-births of the seal mothers who are unable to rest on the sandy shore (and the dead seal pups that have washed ashore), but also refuse to move from the beach on the grounds that it's "their" beach and they won't share it with anyone. Though it should be noted that at least 2 of these men don't even live in the community where Casa Cove is located. All of them have exhibited bullying and aggressive behavior in the past towards the pro-seal campaigners that line the sides of the cove, one incident even escalating to one of them assaulting and tackling a young woman to the ground. We decided that the bullying was over, so Tim, Carly and myself confronted them on the beach with our cameras and demanded answers for their behavior, and informed them that as long as they were putting the lives of seals (and humyns) in danger that we would be there to confront them. After some squabbles and many a-photo-taking of their vacant expressions, one of them had enough and left. The other 2 would not let their frisbee game be disturbed by our debate, so we organized the hundred or so people surrounding the cove to chant "WE WANT SEALS!" and "SHAME! SHAME! SHAME ON YOU!". The police soon arrived and informed the anti-seal "activists" that they were on the verge of being cited for inciting a riot and needed to do whatever it took to deescalate the situation. We left that day with tourists and locals all around us screaming at the men to leave, and felt satisfied that if they weren't embarrassed or ashamed, they were definitely afraid of the angry crowd. Get involved with Casa Cove up for the lives of threatened seals! http://lajollafriendsoftheseals.org/

We finished of our day with our San Diego screening of The Cove at one of my favorite venues of all time, The Che Cafe. Not a huge turnout, but still had some great conversations with people. Jane Cartmill from San Diego Animal Advocates came out and talk a lot about Sea World and how the captive dolphin trade plays into the slaughter that happens in Taiji, Japan. Had another awesome and rowdy raffle, at some delicious gluten-free and vegan cupcakes and passed out a ton of literature to people.

In the end, we made around $450 and also made some really amazing friends and allies. Healthforce supplied us with some awesome supplements for our trip abroad, and it's great to have the support of such a great company. 100% vegan, raw, 'truganic' vitamins and supplements. Every time I start my day with Vitamineral Green I feel like animal abusers don't want to mess with me. No joke! Thank you to everyone that has helped us out this weekend!! It was truly an inspiring and morale boosting trip. A couple more events like these and we'll be ready for anything!

Love always,

Mike XVX

Events in Southern California!

Hey everyone,

I've abandoned my myspace so I'll be posting about shows here on my blog from now on. If you're going to be around southern California the weekend of the 11th there are some awesome events!

Feb. 11th is a benefit screening of "The Cove" and raffle at Eko Zone in Venice. We're trying to fundraise for our trip to Japan to volunteer with the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardian program in March. Come out if you can! More info here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133311516733620

Feb. 12th Im playing at Amber's birthday party at Fairmont Park in Riverside, CA. The show starts at 4 and there will also be a vegan potluck, so bring a dish!

Feb. 13th is also a screening of "The Cove" at the Che Cafe in La Jolla, CA. We'll have speakers, a vegan bake sale and another raffle. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160798253968697

Hope to see some people at these events!

Mike XVX

p.s. also check out our blog at http://thecoveguardians.blogspot.com

In regards to the photograph and article posted on The Cove Guardians blog

*the story and photograph mentioned are originally posted on our blog:http://thecoveguardians.blogspot.com/*

I have been thinking of the layout of this photograph for a while now, and about what it may symbolize and represent... Me, a white skinned male in the center, flanked by two womyn at my side who are poised slightly behind me as if submissive to my presence. It made me feel uneasy that what was originally intended to be a strong and powerful animal rights message may also echo a visualization of a tyrannical, sexist and male dominated system. A friend of mine brought it up to me tonight and confirmed my fears, and I don't want this photo to be a misrepresentation of myself and my political beliefs. The animal rights movement is not without it's faults, and even within what seems like a progressive and forward thinking community sexism and male-dominance are still present.

We took this photo as part of an article that was posted about us in The Nanaimo News Bulletin that can be seen on our blog (http://thecoveguardians.blogspot.com/). Marley, Carisa and myself met with a photographer at the harbor to snap some photos to accompany the story of our trip we are planning to Taiji, Japan to act as Cove Guardians, and so we all decided to wear our Sea Shepherd shirts. Unplanned and unknowing, Marley and Carisa both ended up wearing the same navy blue t-shirt while I wore the white. Needing to break up the colors (and me being the least camera shy) I was placed in the middle for the photograph. At the time we were busy awkwardly shuffling back and forth in front of the camera and freezing in the winter sea breeze, not considering the positioning in the photograph and what it may represent.

Marley and Carisa are both powerful, passionate and strong womyn and I am proud to be organizing and traveling with them. Although this picture might suggest otherwise, there are no hierarchal dynamics in our relationship as a group or in our personal relationships. We are all struggling for the same ends, and as an animal rights activist, environmentalist and feminist I strongly oppose all forms of oppression and domination. Bell Hooks was an author that originally encouraged me to identify as a feminist, though I am male-bodied, by stating that "Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression" which is something that I believe in greatly. If you are a boy and those words hit close to home with you, then I STRONGLY encourage you to identify as a feminist, apply those principles to your daily life and research ways to be a better ally to womyn and anyone struggling for equal rights.

I hope this clarifies the photograph and any concerns, if anyone would like to discuss it more feel free to send me an email at: mikexvx@gmail.com. I don't claim to have all the answers, and I don't claim to be completely free of the sexist mentalities and mental binds that growing up in a patriarchal society have given me. But I would like to say for the record that all movements are important and necessary, and that oppressing a species deemed "weaker" and "less intelligent" then ours is no better or worse than oppressing someone because of their gender or race.

One struggle, one fight,

Mike XVX

A short trip through Thailand: Video

Thailand XVX from mike xvx on Vimeo.

"A short video compilation of my trip across Thailand.

There were some amazing things about the trip, like our 3 day trek through the jungle near the Mae Tang river and the lantern festival in Chiang Mai. But there were also some horrible realities that we had to face while we were there, like the neglected cats and dogs that fill each city, the beatings and cuts the elephants endure when they're "trained" to give tourists rides on their backs, and the grotesque nature of the sex industry in Bangkok, where womyn and children are enslaved and forced to do disgusting sexual acts with and in front of paying tourists. Although this video highlights the more positive sides of my trip, the knowledge and memory of all those terrible things will stick with me. For anyone that plans to visit Thailand, or any other country for that matter, be sure you are not supporting any industry that profits off of humyn and non-humyn exploitation and suffering. We took whatever opportunity we had to voice our disapproval when people offered us these things, and tried our best to embarrass them, shame them, or at the very least make it clear that we want no part in what they were offering us. It's the fault of the paying general public that these things continue, and it's our responsibility to take a stand against it. If we stay complicit and silent in what goes on around us, and don't speak up for those who have no voice, we are no better than the perpetrators. Fight back."

Photos! Round 1

Haven't had time to update this thing, but thought I'd share some photos with everyone... I'll let these tell the story for now. Maybe when I get back I can do a summary of the whole trip. One thing I will say though is that my dear friend Chonga, from the european tour with xTrue Naturex, is here with me right now in Chiang Mai! We are currently enjoying frozen watermelon juices in the sweltering heat of our hostel. Leaving tomorrow morning for a 3 day trek up into the jungle!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nofuckingwhey/sets/72157625435287218/

A short trip through Thailand pt. 1

Hello everyone,

So today I'll be leaving for a 2 week journey across Thailand. I had initially planned on doing a short tour, but I decided that for once I'd like to travel and actually take some time and enjoy myself. Plus, not having to carry around my heavy, bulky guitar is a definite plus as well. Looking after that thing is almost like looking after a baby; can't be too cold, can't be too hot, someone will steal it if I don't keep an eye on it... etc. etc.

My journey began with a 1,400 mile drive from Vancouver Island, BC to Los Angeles, CA to catch my flight. I stopped off in Portland, OR for a night to visit friends and eat some delicious vegan food. I can't remember the last time I had decent Mexican food... spending so much time in Canada has gotten me used to eating dry, unseasoned beans and bizarre tasting "spanish rice". So naturally I went to Taqueria Los Gorditos and devoured an entire enchilada plate with soy curls and a tamale in about 15 minutes, and amazingly avoided slipping into a deep food coma as I usually do whenever I eat there. If you're ever around Portland I definitely recommend going to this place!

After my second day in Portland I left and headed south around 6 pm. I said goodbye to some friends, drove about 6 hours listening to "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" series on Audiobook, and ended up sleeping at a rest stop somewhere near Yreka, CA. Using my Liberate hoodie as a screen to block out the streetlights, foolishly I did not consider that my window had to be slightly cracked open to do this. I fell asleep immediately, slept for a good 6 hours or so sitting upright in the drivers seat, and awoke in the freezing air of Mt. Shasta with ice all over the windshield. As miserable as that was, it certainly made me feel alive... that's for sure.
Later in the day I stopped off at a gas station to buy some oil for the car. Walking into the store I overheard a conversation happening at the counter, little did I know that they were talking about me. I kept hearing a man say "watch him, WATCH HIM. I don't trust him.." over and over again, and when I approached the counter to pay (don't act so surprised) I heard him say to one of the employees "Charge him extra" as he was walking out the door. In a daze from staring at the road for the past 12 hours, I finally pieced together that he was talking about me and that he was most likely the owner of this gas station. Was it my long scruffy hair and beard? my sleeveless 7 generations shirt with it's prominent anti-christian message? The fact that I hadn't showered in 4 days and probably reeked of BO and Thai Food? Whatever. This asshole was wearing khaki pants with a blue tooth in his ear, who's he to pass judgment on me? The womyn behind the counter gave me an apologetic and embarrassed smile, I'm sure this isn't the first time he's acted like an asshole towards her. I paid, walked out and filled my car up with oil. On my way out of the parking lot I saw him changing the numbers on the front sign, which confirmed for me that he WAS in fact the owner. I rolled up alongside him about 6 ft away or so, gave him a friendly *MEEP MEEP* on my car horn, extended my middle finger and gave him the happiest, most excited smile I could muster. He turned to give a friendly wave until he saw that I was quite literally telling him to go fuck himself in the politest of ways. He was bummed to say the least. Fuck you and your blue tooth, I'm still punk.

After the grueling, traffic filled final leg of my drive into LA, I finally made it to my Uncle's house in Torrance. I took them out for some awesome vegan food at Veggie Grill in El Segundo which they all enjoyed and filled up on food bars at Whole Foods for my trip (did you know they sell jars of live ladybugs there?? so fucked).

I only have a few hours left on this continent before my flight leaves. As of now I have about $200 for food and accommodations while in Thailand. People are telling me that it's a stupid idea to go alone to a country you've never been to before with not enough money, but I'll show them who's stupid (or to phrase it more politely: I'll be just fine). It's not my style to go somewhere completely prepared, it just wouldn't be me.

I'll try and keep you all updated with photos and entries as often as I can, but I'm not sure how well that will work out. Take care!

Mike XVX

I Am So Proud of You: working with rescued animals in British Columbia PT. 7 (FINAL)

9/7 - 9/15

The night we headed back from the show in Victoria we were driving through the woods in our neighborhood when I saw a bike tire protruding from a bush on the side of the road. Never passing up a good opportunity for a trash bike I ran out and grabbed it. I threw it in the back of Chuck's truck and headed off back to the cabin, only to realize later how hideous (and awesome) this bike really is. It has: a Maruishi road bike frame, a knobby mountain bike tire on the back, beach-cruiser wheel on the front, bmx bars, cruiser seat, ancient brakes and a 5 speed shifter. As ugly as this thing is, amazingly it rides well and the tires are relatively new. The frame is a bit rusted and the back tire wobbles, but everything runs smoothly and it shifts properly. Anyway, it reminded me of a story that my friend Keegan told me about someone he knew finding a mountain bike in a dumpster and riding it 200 miles. The ferry crossing in Port Angeles, WA is only 250 miles from Portland, OR so I thought if someone else can do it why can't I? I scoured Craigslist for days until I found a cheap, pink Little Tikes bike trailer that I've managed to shove all of my belongings into, and plan to drag it all the way back to PDX. So I've spent this last week preparing for my trip home, and as of recently the cabin has been completely ransacked since 'Hurricane Mike' has come through. Considering that I'll be riding home through the Olympic mountains in potentially freezing weather, I've decided to only take items with me that are essential to my survival over the next 4 or so days. That means I have to leave a few important things behind for now, like my guitar and other bike, but on the bright side it'll give me more incentive to come back to Canada soon (not that I really need any more).

I am currently 2 days away from leaving Canada for an unknown period of time, and what was originally supposed to be 2 weeks here ended up stretching out to nearly 2 months. Ginny and Ron Weasley (the cats) are finally comfortable enough here at the cabin to come down from the loft and play through all hours of the night, and I am super excited for them. Every time I'm home alone Ron sees an opportunity for some bro time, and we usually watch The Office together or I play music for him. I spent my last day at the farm yesterday feeding the animals and shoveling horse manure out of the shed that Romeo (the horse) loves to shit in. I also got to groom Natalie Portman (the turkey) for the first time and he loved it! I wish I had taken a video but I didn't have a camera at the time. We've been avoiding and ignoring Keres every time we've come to the farm as well, and that works out better for everyone; though occasionally we'll see some of her handiwork around the farm when we're feeding on our days i.e. not refilling the chicken's water, leaving a mountain of trash in the tool shed, doing nothing about a horrible infection Romeo had in his eye etc.

This trip has been an amazing and informative experience for me. I got to spend time with animals that I never had the opportunity to be around previously. Got to witness how and why horses get their feet trimmed, learned how chickens eat their own eggs (kinda gross), how some turkeys (like Carl*) love to hump everything in sight and will crawl in your lap and cuddle if you let them, how truly anti-social most cats naturally are with humyns, and when I was volunteering at the parrot sanctuary in Parksville I learned how hard cockatoos can bite**. I made some pretty amazing and inspiring friends here, and I am hoping to come back to stay here again as soon as I can... until then I will miss them greatly. I can't imagine how hard it's going to be to have to leave here tomorrow.

Even though I've heard so many amazing stories of survival about the animals I've come into contact with, there are still millions and millions out there who are never afforded an opportunity at a decent life. Sanctuaries and rescues are amazing places and deserve support and admiration. It's hard work to take care of so many animals, and some people, like Chuck, have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to provide for the animals in their care. Look into a sanctuary or rescue near you and donate your time or money, I'm sure they could greatly use it. Sentient beings are not commodities, trophies or emotional or physical punching bags; THEY ARE OUR FRIENDS.

I don't trust anyone that doesn't love animals.

Love Always,
Mike XVX

Huge thank you's and much love to: Chuck, Stanley, Romeo, Timber, Natalie Portman, Ron and Ginny, Dougie, Reggie, Ebin, the chickens, the bunnies and all the feral cats, Justin, Shawna, Marian, Emma, Tarah, Brooke, Joe, Heather, Tara, Martin, Adrienne, all people who oppose the Canadian seal hunt, people who throw away bikes for no darn good reason, and lastly Chuck's mom for spending hours finding me a tent to ride home with. GO VEGAN!


*Carl used to live at the farm but now lives at a stable where he hangs out with kids all day and teaches them that turkeys are friends, not food.

**I was standing there minding my own business when a cockatoo bit me square on my Achilles tendon and it bled like crazy. I turned around to see 3 or 4 of them standing there so I didn't know who to blame, but it hurt really freakin bad.

I Am So Proud of You: working with rescued animals in British Columbia PT. 6

8/31 - 9/6

It's been getting a little bit colder the past week or so, and I'm excited for Fall to finally be here. We've often had fires in our fireplace here at the cabin and there's nothing more comforting then falling asleep to the crackle of wood burning.

A couple of days ago I needed to make copies, so Chuck dropped me off with my bike at the office supply store on her way to work. Unbeknownst to me, and because of a mis-communication she dropped me off at the store that's nearly 3 times as far from the cabin as the one I assumed we were going to. So with no food and very little water, my journey home began on the treacherous, yet beautiful, Parkway Trail. The trail itself stretches from one end of Nanaimo to the other, most of the ride being through the woods along the highway and over or across bridges. The hills are incredibly steep on the first part of this path, and I ride a brakeless fixed gear bike, so I literally came within inches of colliding with a family of deer while coming down a grade. Accidentally having separated the mother from her 2 babies, I was terrified she was going to seek retribution against me. Luckily she accepted my screamed apology as I flew past. After I had been riding for a couple of hours, I finally reached a nice, flat area that wound through shady woods along a river. Enjoying myself for the first time on the Parkway Trail, I was brought to a halt while coming around a corner to discover that the path abruptly ended. Amidst a sea of construction crews, bulldozers and cement trucks, one worker, who was oh so busy talking on her cell phone, took one look at me and shook her head. So with my original route closed I found an alternative among surface streets, and eventually made it back to the cabin.*

I played a show in Victoria on Sep. 4th at the BCGEU. A friend, who had previously invited me to play the Anarchist Bookfair, set up a benefit show for a womyn named Kelly that was arrested in the wake of the G20 in Toronto**. She is being charged as being one of the leaders of the black bloc which the government is trying to classify as a "hate crime". Hate crime statutes were created to protect people from marginalized communities, but it's now being used against an activist in a completely ridiculous and unrelated context. (you can read more about her case here: http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/11810) The show went well and I met some pretty awesome people. There were a few performers that completely blew me away, I was seriously impressed! Chuck and I both finished off 2 gluten-free vegan pizzas***, cookies, and a cream soda before the show so after a long drive back to Nanaimo and settling in at the cabin at 3 am we both had some serious stomach aches.

Nearing the last days here in Canada, and I already know I'm going to miss it when I get back to the states. I've made a short video of some of the animals I've met on this trip and set it to some awesome 80's pop music. Let me know what you all think!


Love Always,
Mike XVX

*My thighs are still sore as I type this.

**For 3 years I've been extended an invitation to play the bookfair, every year I've said yes, and every year I've fucked up and missed it.

***Try Daiya vegan cheese, you will NOT regret it!

I Am So Proud of You: working with rescued animals in British Columbia PT. 5

8/23 - 8/30

I've been sick with whatever Chuck had for most of this week, some kind of flu I imagine. There were times when I felt comfortable getting up and walking around, but I pushed it too far when I went for a 30 mile bike ride across the countryside and through the city. I spent the next day completely bed-ridden and miserable... but now after some rest I'm starting to feel better.
I've been riding my bike as much as I can since I've been here, and I've seen deer almost everyday. The route I usually ride takes me through a southern part of town near the lumbermill. It smells terribly of rotting wood and chemicals, but to cross into Nanaimo there's no other way around it. There's a small community that I pass immediately afterward that is eerily quiet, yet there's always people meandering about in the roads that I have to weave around. It reminds me so much of this short story "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" by one of my favorite authors H.P. Lovecraft. In the story, Innsmouth is a small and rarely visited town in New England where everything about the citizens and the architecture is detestable in an indiscriminate and unspoken way. Because of local legends travelers avoid it all costs, though one man chooses to visit despite the warnings of others and slowly pieces together a story of a fishing tycoon that makes a deal with demons one night on the reef that surrounds the town. The traveler gets trapped there and all kinds of crazy stuff starts happening... I won't ruin it for you, but I just thought it would maybe paint a better picture of this area. Anyway, I rode through there one night and immediately after I entered the neighborhood I regretted getting started on my ride home so late. Once through I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Maybe I'm just being silly.


I've been bonding with our 2 cats Ron and Ginny Weasley quite a bit. They both finally worked up the courage to come down from the loft on the crazy box staircase I made for them (which in it's own way must be scary enough to climb down on). Ronald came down for a visit this morning and was loving all over me while I slept. I also saw him kneading Chuck's blanket-covered head and was amazed that she didn't wake up. Though she rose to get the phone a little bit later and Ron, almost being crushed, panicked and jumped straight into the chest at the end of the bed!* I am so excited that they're starting to feel more comfortable here, as anti-social as they are I felt like we were keeping them locked up in a prison. They are both the sweetest, cutest little potatoes ever and it would be so lonely here in the cabin without them.

Stanley is doing better now, his hair is starting to grow back and his wound from the jacket is healing up nicely. We went by the other day and it was incredibly infected, so we sprayed him with some iodine and it's helped quite a bit. Hopefully it will heal up completely and not leave a scar, but only time will tell on that one.

Yesterday evening I was feeling a bit peckish, and with little food at the house I decided to head to the grocery store. My bike was in the back of Chuck's truck while she was at work, so my best option was to hitchhike the 13 miles into town. With the sun setting and remembering how few cars drive by on our road, especially on a Sunday, I was starting to worry that I wasn't going to make it before the sun went down and I would most likely have to walk through the pitch black woods to get back. Consequently I made it in 3 rides, and riding in the back of a pickup truck staring up at the sun setting behind the trees made me feel pretty glad that my bike was locked away and I was afforded this rare opportunity. I managed to get to my destination before the sun set, and while in line at the store another piece of good fortune was thrown my way. As I was paying for my food (surprised?) I was unable to afford 2 or 3 items and had to set them aside. I had got the truck back from Chuck, and as I was about to drive away I saw a young womyn running across the parking lot at me. My first instinct was to run, and then I thought maybe I just dropped some money. Well when I rolled the window down she had those 3 items in her hands, so she put them on the passenger side seat, stared at me for a minute and then said "Have a good night!" and took off running. I could barely yelp out a thank you amidst all the confusion, but left that night feeling pretty psyched on life.



Making tentative plans to ride my bike back to Vancouver, but things are so back and forth here that every time I plan on leaving something else comes up. Anyway, I have about 2 weeks left here in Canada and I'm going to try and make the best of them. Hope you're all doing well!

Love Always,
Mike XVX

*Don't worry, he's ok!

I Am So Proud of You: working with rescued animals in British Columbia PT. 4

8/16 - 8/22

The mayor of Nanaimo and myself.
I asked him to pretend like I was someone really famous for the photo. no big deal. Also, you know someone's a good mayor when they ask you what "chick" you're trying to impress right after you get your picture with him.

I picked up a free mountain bike from a craigslist ad, and one that assured me that it still had some salvageable parts on it, only to find that every component was rusted nearly all the way through. Not having much else to do with it, I traveled to the steepest hill in the city (which is about a mile long and pretty freakin steep) and launched it ceremoniously at 3 am after I picked up Chuck from work. Ready to jump back in the car to follow it down, it made it about 20 ft and took a hard right into someones yard. Needless to say I was disappointed.
That next morning Chuck had her appointment with her psychic, and woke me up at about 9 am with a call right afterward. What I can remember of the conversation was a flurry of excitement on her end, talking about how her psychic knew all about her family situation and that she's making the right decisions etc. with me adding a sleepy and muffled "mmhmm" and "ya" in between. The conversation ended as quickly (and loudly) as it had begun and later I wondered if I had dreamt any of it. Incidentally I did not, but now Chuck is pretty certain that moving to the United States is the right decision for her. Whether this came about from her psychic reading, or maybe a combination of something else I do not know, but I'm glad that she's figured out what she wants and is taking steps to make it happen. It's good to finally be able to spend time with someone who's driven and self motivated, you know?

Drove down to Victoria a couple days ago and visited with a friend. We stopped by a pretty rad art gallery, had some decent vegan chinese food, spent way too much money at the local infoshop, and then bought a vegan gluten free pizza (with daiya cheese!) for the drive back up. Chuck has been really sick with throat ulcers, a fever and an incredibly sore back, but we still had a pretty rad day. I haven't spent much time in Victoria since I've been here and I'm looking forward to going back pretty soon for a show that I'm playing, maybe even riding the 80 miles from here to there.


The liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, who's running for Prime Minister, visited our town to give a talk and have lunch at a local french restaurant downtown. Michael Ignatieff is a big supporter of the Canadian seal hunt, so we organized a demo to hopefully have a discussion with him and raise awareness about the issue. He consistently uses the argument that the seal hunt supports First Nations people, and that opposition to the commercial hunt is a threat to their way of life. In reality, the commercial seal hunt is owned and run by white, male Norwegians, Newfoundlanders, Nova Scotians, and Quebecois; it has no correlation with any traditional indigenous hunt. Though we were getting media attention at first, we weren't sure Ignatieff was paying much attention to us protesting outside at all. We only had 10 or so people, but we still managed to be loud enough to disturb the proceedings inside. Eventually he had his PR person come out and guarantee us that he would answer some of our questions once he was finished inside looking like an idiot and kissing everyone's ass (my words, not hers). But, immediately afterward she asked us: "you guys aren't going to like, throw red paint on him are you?" we all had a really good laugh at that, so she responded with "well that's just what I heard some animal rights people do" hahaha. Here is the discussion once he came outside:



Last night I shaved off my beard, cut my hair and went for a 30 mile bike ride across 4 towns. Rode from our cabin to Chuck's work, treated myself to dinner, rode back to Chuck's work again, and then rode the last 13 miles back to the cabin at 10:15 (on a saturday night*). Riding across each town was fine, but once I got into the forest the moon went behind some clouds and I was left with only my 2 small bike lights to keep me safe on that windy rode. 8 miles of terrified biking, riding as fast as I could thinking that I'm being chased by Skinwalkers, bears, aliens or drunk drivers trying to run me down. Your mind tells you some crazy things when you're scared, and riding all alone on that stretch of road in the middle of the night was as nerve-racking as it gets. Because of how horrifying most of the ride had been I made it back in about 40 minutes from when I had left Chuck's work. Maybe I'll start doing velodrome and have Sasquatch chase me across the track.
Currently still dealing with family drama here and there, and our visit to the farm this morning was as shocking as it gets. Stanley (the ex-racehorse) had been wearing a fly jacket when we arrived and was kicking and shaking his head in a bizarre way. When Chuck removed the jacket she noticed that the chord had left an incredibly painful looking rope burn across his chest, and in seeing it immediately burst into tears. It was incredibly gruesome, and we spent some time afterward putting ointment on his cut and feeding him blackberries. Apparently his jacket had been on for several days, and Keres blames Chuck for "not taking care" of her horses, even though as of recently we've only been designated (and allowed) to come to the farm 3 days of the week. Set aside the fact that Keres was the one who put the jacket on him, which serves nearly no purpose.

We're still in the process of finding Stanley a new home. After all he's been through he doesn't deserve to be mistreated and neglected any further then he already has. It's hard to imagine that this incident wasn't intentional, and while running into Chuck's mom again while leaving lead to another argument and literally no empathy on her end. Animals deserve love and respect, and Stanley is receiving neither of those from Keres. Oh, how laws protect animal abusers... if we only lived in a world where people could actually be held accountable for the way that they treat other sentient beings.

Love always,
Mike XVX

*I will high five you if you can name the band that wrote this song.

A Song For Stanley

A Song For Stanley from mike xvx on Vimeo.