“It’s an unbelievable tool for learning new tunings, capo use, original voicings, and face puckering riffs and solos.

Complete with an introduction by the band and various pictures throughout. Also featuring a “Performance Notes” section where the band give suggestions on tough sections and altered tunings.“

Eh!!

I’m sure you can easily imagine how tit might feel to receive this treatment and perhaps, if you’re a fan of punk, metal or any music subculture it hits a close to home in a way that is slightly little different than the ‘average’ human rights abuses we’ve sadly grown accustomed to ignoring. I can easily empathize with the complete frustration and humiliation these ‘punks’ must feel as I have had  a few brushes with bully ‘authorities’ who pretend they’re acting ‘in the name of the law’ but I have never, and hopefully never will, experience this type of human rights abuse by authorities of a state.

In the past Propagandhi has received letters from people in Banda Aceh and all over Indonesia so any one of these people could be the same people who have contacted us. I imagine that they feel complete rage and isolation inside at the moment. In the off chance that they might see this post I’d like to say to all the Punks who’ve been victimized by authorities in Indonesia that we, the members of Propagandhi, are supporting you and admire that you have expressed yourselves even at your own expense. You are definitely people to look up to and honor.

For us here in North America, and anywhere in the world where we are allowed to dress how we want (but clearly not to publicly demonstrate or protest), let this be a reminder of what happens when society follows fundamentalists and allows ‘morals’ to be dictated. There are a lot of people in all our countries who would love to give the ‘spiritual cleansing’ treatment to punks as well as people of other religions, fans of Harry Potter and countless other groups they may label as ‘deviants’.

To everybody:  If you believe in human dignity, autonomy, and the right for people to be able to make their own decisions- keep fighting for your rights and freedoms, as well as the rights and freedoms of others.

Hopefully within the lifetimes of the punks arrested in Aceh they will have the liberty to express themselves the way they choose.

Change.org has made a petition to advocate for their release.

The record label Aborted Society is collecting mix tapes and burned CD’s (no cases) to send to their fellow punks to help with morale. Maybe you can help out?

Check out this 100% ruling documentary about the Indonesian punk ‘scene’.

If anyone else has any ideas, or has anything on the go to help out send us a message about it. Thanks.

Keep the spirit alive everybody.

P.S. When visiting America  be sure not to dance at the Jefferson Monument.

If you are participating in Occupy Wall Street in any way, keep going! Let everyone know that Earth isn’t just a stomping ground/garbage dump for a spoiled and tiny fraction of it’s inhabitants. Send the message to the “elites” that their ability to live the easy life at all of our expense is coming to an end. If you haven’t seen the website yet, check it out:  occupywallst.org

Take care!

Here in Winnipeg, we raised some funds earlier this summer to help finance a 10 day delegation visit to Haiti by activists involved with the Canada-Haiti Action Network (CHAN). A set of public meetings across Canada are scheduled to publicize the findings. Our event in Winnipeg will be held at the lovely Mondragon Bookstore and Cafe,  Monday, Sept. 26th, 7-9 PM (free admission).

Events elsewhere can be viewed at:

www.canadahaitiaction.ca/events

I’ve been involved with CHAN since 2005, helping to organize awareness raising events and fundraisers to help sustain organizations such as the IJDH, Haiti Liberte, Partners in Health, and the Cuban Medical Brigade, to mention a few.  There are numerous ways people can get involved to help support social justice in Haiti. Doing nothing will simply ensure that big business and their servile scumbag smiley faced politicians will continue to operate with impunity. The latest chapters in the uninterrupted 200+ years of reactionary counter-revolution by wealthy nations (and now transnational capital) against Haiti continue to unfold. Perhaps we can have a small hand in sticking a wrench in all of this.

Check out

www.canadahaitiaction.ca

when you have a chance.

This film is an inquiry into what came to be known as Saskatoon’s infamous “freezing deaths,” and the schism between a fearful, mistrustful Aboriginal community and a police force that must come to terms with a shocking secret.

So, we’ve got a classic good news/ bad news situation on our hands to share with you this fine august day.

The bad news is that due to a serious injury, we can’t play the Red River Rampage show in September. 13 years of judo-throwing 250-lb men and then defending jiujitsu guard-pass attempts by the same behemoths has finally caught up with Todd The Rod. He currently can’t even hold his bass for more than 10 seconds without excruciating pain in his back. He’s been trying to get answers from this eviscerated joke of a health-care system for months now to no avail. Thanks corporate-welfare/ social-capitalism!

We actually had to resort to sending him down the US to get a goddamn MRI at a private clinic to see what the hell was going on in his spine and surprise, surprise, he’s got bulging discs, tears and pinched nerves all over the place.

The good news is that the Red River Rampage organizers have bent over backwards to keep us in their plans and have moved the show to March 23rd. A long ways away, i know, but hopefully enough time for us to get Todd healthy in the long-term.

And that’s the good news: Todd is going full tilt on a structured physio program to get back to full capacity. It’s only been a couple weeks and he already feels small improvements in terms of the pain. Me, Beave and Jord have been keeping the song-writing juggernaut rolling in the background meanwhile. We’re still on track to rock out and make a ridiculously facemelting record this winter! So shut your pie-holes and hold on to you pantaloons people. The assault continues!

I hope you’re enjoying your evening and seasoning it, help other people as much as possible with some levity and common sense, two things that are sorely lacking in the world at the moment.

I have one little thing to say tonight: Try to keep your life’s endeavors positive; there’s way too many good and cool people and great things going on in this world to waste your life being negative or hateful. Create and achieve, my friends. Work hard, help other people as much as possible and keep rolling on.

Thanks.

On December 7th, 2005, federal agents conducted a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the Earth Liberation Front — an organization the FBI has called America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.” IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT is the remarkable story of the group’s rise and fall, told through the transformation and radicalization of one of its members, Daniel McGowan. Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thriller, the film interweaves a chronicle of McGowan facing life in prison with a dramatic investigation of the events that led to his involvement with the ELF. Using never-before-seen archival footage and intimate interviews — with cell members and with the prosecutor and detective who were chasing them — IF A TREE FALLS asks hard questions about environmentalism, activism, and the way we define terrorism.

Propagandhi is back in the ‘Peg after a whirlwind tour of Australia! Thanks to everyone over there especially Blue Murder, who booked the tour, and the great folks from Stolen Youth who played every show with us. Also thanks to Laura Horvath for making me an awesome vegan cheesecake for my 38th birthday. A  bunch of people came to see us at multiple shows, for that we are grateful. Also, many thanks to all the great Australian bands and everyone who came to rock out with us!

Now we get on to the excitement of preparing to record our next record! We hope to record in September.

Over ‘n out!

My name is Katherine Geeraert, and I have started a Tsunami relief fund for students at the school where I teach in Japan. I am a teacher at Soma Higashi High School in Soma, Japan. I was at the school when the Earthquake and Tsunami hit the North East Coast of Japan.The effects of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake have been extreme throughout North Eastern Japan. In Soma, the Earthquake caused a 7.5 meter tsunami that destroyed much of the Soma Bay area and the surrounding neighbourhoods. Some of my students lived in these neighbourhoods. Many other students at Soma Higashi commute to school in Soma from other communities that lie along the coast, some in closer proximation to the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. As a result of these disasters, many students have either lost their homes and belongings, or are unable to return to their homes because of the 30 km. evacuation zone. Many of their parents have lost their jobs as a result of the either the extreme, detrimental effects of the Tsunami, or because their jobs are also within that 30 km radius. These students need simple necessities to return to school and to begin rebuilding their lives with their families. Friends of Soma gives 100% of it’s donations directly to these families through Soma Higashi High School. Any amount of support can make a huge difference.