Exit Slab City

We had our first Screening Night our last night in Slab City. We showed a selection of videos from the RNC, DNC, the Vermin Supreme campaign and other selections of interest to the 15 Slabbers who loved having info from the outside world. More Photos Here and here's a video from "The Range" the main venue in the Slabs.

Pasadena Do Dah 2009

Here we are in the parade.

Slab City & The Salton Sea

We've left Slab City but plan to return the last week of January for the talent show and to hopefully catch some footage of the military bombing the mountain side. We're over nighting in Salton Sea and moving on for some more hot spring action for the new year. Should be in LA on the 2nd.

Setting Up @ Slab City

We finally arrived in Slab City, CA. All the worrys about being cold and getting the satellite set up have been brushed aside. The Broadband card works here, works fast too. I'm hoping to set up a LIVE broadcast ... probably test it out later today and then broadcast a "show" tomorrow.

It turns out Slab City is nestled between a federal prison and a military bombing range. It's a big open desert many miles seperate us from them. The bombings, we've been told, are on hold until after the holidays. So, I think we're going to stop here on the way back east too; to get some war footage. '~)

The NOmadjik Winter Tour

Well we're off to warmer climates. Now poised to set up in Tucson for a few days of work and editing.

The concerned look on our faces is wondering if the damn cell phone was going to take the picture or not.

Check out the new road map in the side bar.

Point Au Chene Media Bus

The Bus is providing this free kitchen with internet access so they can continue feeding those in need in the deep Bayou. The people who populate this area have been here for hundreds of years, they are indigenous. They receive NO HELP from the government because the government would like them to move, they can not move without loosing their oil and mineral rights and they can not exploit their oil and mineral rights because the government/corporations don't want red skins to profit.

Also pictured... Felipe's bus and EveryBody's Kitchen.

Cops probe indymedia bus for 'corpses'?

By Dave Orrick | dorrick@pioneerpress.com | photo by Larry Hildes

It's unclear why, but police put the heat on a weathered school bus Tuesday used by an independent media organization.

The group says the cops said they were looking for "dead bodies."

Police refused to provide any information on their actions, but a spokesman said the corpse thing was absurd.

"Does that sound logical?" police spokesman Tom Walsh asked. "We do things logically."

Larry Hildes, a California attorney and a legal observer with the National Lawyers Guild, said he saw a St. Paul police officer trying to pry the bus' side door open around 4:45 p.m. in a parking lot in Lowertown, where the bus was parked. "She informed me she was looking for dead bodies," said Hildes. "I informed here there were none." Hildes asked for a warrant; he said the police said they had none and left.

Hildes said bands of officers returned several times, at one point driving by slowly while one officer shined a light at the blocked-out windows and videotaped the bus.

"We're completely above-board," said Mary-Kate Stoever, a.k.a. Skinny Chef. "We just live in the bus."

Hours later, a Pioneer Press reporter observed a police car parked near the bus; the officer appeared to be watching. When asked what the cops were up to, Walsh responded, "I don't know anything about it. ... Nope, I'm not going to look into it either."
SOURCE

Asaf Sends his Love

Asaf hooked a ride futher east the other day and sent us this photo to prove his love for the NOmadjik Bus. Hopefully he'll be back on board someday.

The Rainbow Gathering

After 2 weeks like this.

We finally made it to the Rainbow Gathering on Monday. Most people had left already and everyone else was trying to pack up to leave. We've heard many stories of "drama" and will be assembling some footage of interviews.

Today we finally got ourselves situated in a long term NICE campsite at the back end of the Gathering and we'll be documenting the clean up effort.

OFf Grid @ a Sun Dance

The MBN team spent a frutitless day searching for renowned scientist working in Toad Stool National Park, but we got a good hike in and relaxed off line for a day.



We are now at a Horse Sanctuary near Hot Springs, SD totally off grid, running the satellite off of the generator while we await the Sundance next week.

We were also able to score an easy 50 gallons of veggie oil from the Safeway in Chadron, NE before haeding out here. ... yeah oil!

On the Res

We've arrived on the Pine Ridge Reservation and have achieved satillite internet at our first destination. There is no cell phone service. We be be on the reservation until the 22nd and will have internet when stationary for more than a day.

Chadron, NE Fire Dept.

Funnel Clouds and Pumping Oil with a Hangover

We holed up in the Flying J truck stop for showers/laundry and to wait out the potential tornado, which can very close to us. We were evacuated from our dinner to stand in the shower stalls (safest place in the building) shoulder to shoulder with a variety of truckers. After the 1st tornado past us we went out to the bus to check on things and saw a Funnel Cloud siloetted by rapid lightening flashes right across the street from the truck stop. It later turned out to be this tree.


We found some 15 gallons of oil in a little town along the way and 10 more along with some wonderful people in Neligh NE. We closed down the bar that gave us the oil. This morning we left Neligh at 9am with hangovers and stopped on the side of the road to transfer our 25 gallons from the collection barrel to the oil tank. Then in O'Neil we were able to pump 40 more gallons into the collection barrel from 2 very tight back alley dumpsters ... without puking.



Tonight we're in Chadron preparing for a journalism leg of the tour.

Heading West

After having the easiest oil score ever at Sitar of India in Charleston, WV; we have hit the road and are currently perched a few miles from I-70 in Ohio. We are expecting thunder storms and possible hail to pass over us this evening and give us a 2 day window of clear skies to make it to Ohmaha before the sky falls on the midwest again.

Gator Grease Up

Yesterday we used my new barrel filter system to filter 95 gallons of Gordon's Gator Grease down to 10 microns and pumped it into the bus's oil tank. You can also see in 1 photo that the roof rack is now loaded and strapped down. We are now in final preparations for flight. Please buckle your seat belt and put your seat in the upright position. :)

Introducing ... The Roof Deck

With much help from Gordon & J&S Tree Service we now have the 1st section of roof deck attached. We'll be moving the generator, bikes and misc. large unnecessary things to the roof. The additional interior space is being used for a 55 gal oil collection barrel and (drum roll please) a camp toilet. yeah!

I did a lot of the less skilled work myself, but nobody wanted to take my picture.

Bus Population + 2

The NOmadjik Media Bus welcomes it's new residents Mary Kate aka skinnychef and Corn Dog (not pictured). T-Shirts sponsored by David. Photo by Gordon (while waving at dogs and talking on the phone, thus the Flux Face)

Work has started on a section of roof deck between the roof portals. A photo account will follow when it's complete. A front & back deck section will be added later (proabably not until fall).

Loft / Bed

The last few days have been fairly grueling as I've finally completed a loft/ bed in the bus. I used scavenged wood and mostly scavenged nails. I also got to use a couple power tools for the 1st time. What made it most grueling was that I had to cut EVERYTHING twice and had to cut the premade top of the bunk inside the bus while it was wedged, immovable, inside the bus. I also cracked a side window a bit while trying to manouver this monstrousity into place.

My First Bus Fire

My computer power supply shorted out and briefly caught fire Saturday night. I've ordered a new one and it should be here tomorrow. I've currently got 18% battery life don't expect email responces or new posts until the new power cord shows up. I'm taking the down time to reorganize the bus interior and plan for the bunk building that will soon occur.

Mud Stuck Bus

I tried to move the bus across the lot @ Bio Liberty today so I could fill up with oil & Biodiesel and head into NOLA for Mardis Gras and...
Bayou Liberty soil testing confirms large amounts of roots, water, clay, and 8 inches of mud under the grassroots. After several attempts to remove soil tester more soil testing was done and more clay and water were found. Reinforcements were called in. This is a not so mobile broad cast... Thats not news. (comments & photo by Gordon)

To appreciate the Depth of our soil testing; take a look at the mud flap resting on the ground behind the tire. Currently the bus is about 6 inches deeper than the photo with the tail pipe about 3 inches from the ground. It's been raining a little everyday since I've been here. Today was sunny and nice but tommorrow it's a 70-80% chance of rain. Wenches and a Bobcat are expected in the AM.

Up an Running

I'm back in Austin, playing catch up.
The FASS pump is working great now. My friend's @ NOBI fixed it. Gordon and I had the pump sharing a relay with some other shit and it needed a dedicated relay and a secondary power source to work properly.

It runs great now; except I'm not getting enough heat to run on veg now that it's colder out and the new pump required adding about 5 feet of fuel line right before it hits the engine. I was only been able to run veg for a minute or 2 at a time on my way from NOLA to Austin. I watched them install a Veg Therm inline fuel heater on another guys bus 2 days ago. If insulating the 5 additional feet of exposed fuel line doesn't keep the temperature up; then I'll probably need one of them too.