February 14, 2012

Althouse and Meade encounter a strange vehicle.



Here's the website referred to on the bus... with the 2 VW vans attached. Seems like some kind of art/life project that's mainly about the bus per se and how people respond to it, so consider this blog post and the ensuing comments as a response. And good luck!

84 comments:

Petunia said...

Boring paint job for a creative if bizarre vehicle. I'm thinking Packer colors or a Partridge Family paint scheme would liven it up.

mesquito said...

We’re pioneering a lifestyle of being yourself for a living by finding ways to use natural inspiration to add value to society.



How? We travel around in our mobile-bus-studio and invite people of all ages and backgrounds to share their passion with us. Then we find creative ways to evolve the life of everyone involved and enhance the local community at the same time. We do this by treating life as an art and being ourselves as honestly and openly as we can in the present moment. The specifics of what we do depend on who we meet and the opportunities we find, check out What We Do for more.


For the love of all that's holy, please shut the fuck up.

chickelit said...

I admire their use of fossil fuels. Lots of artists these days seem to think it's wrong or sinful to burn them. These guys have no qualms.

Happy Trails!

mesquito said...

Where are We? We’re everywhere. Well OK, not at once, haven’t figured that one out yet. We’re traveling all around the country and if we’re not where you are now we probably will be. We’re looking for tips on where to go, what to see and who to meet.



Our mission is a process, not an end goal; we’re exploring what it means to evolve. To do that, our venture continuously re-creates itself, adapting to find ever-new ways to sail our 7 cees. We’re seeking fresh perspectives on this to inspire us to keep growing. Get in touch!

Seriously. I mean it. Shut the fuck up.

Michael said...

I love the leafy and quiet neighborhoods of the one percenters. I live in one myself. Nice trees, robust and sturdy, reliable for shade and stateliness and something to talk about after big wind and ice storms. A bit of conversational glue for the residents of the leafy and quiet streets, a bit of untamed wildness right there in the midst of the calm, reflective inhabitants. The bus too adds a bit of the wackiness that the inhabitants of the fine old homes see themselves as still possessing after all these years. The years of struggle and back biting, the horning in, the crappy publishing bit and then, at last, the tenure and the leafy and quiet neighborhood. The buses? Ah, one is coming and one is going don't you see.

mesquito said...

Help us Support our Journey

After 3 months on the road with no significant problems we just had two breakdowns this last week. Fortunately, we got them fixed, but the repairs took a pretty significant chunk out of our budget.

If you're willing and able we could really use your help! Right now we're working to revamp the bus and to put together gas money to get down to Austin for SXSW. Thanks for helping keep our adventure rolling!


No. Shut up.

rhhardin said...

It needs a painted motto.

I'd propose Excelsior.

mesquito said...

Sam Lundsten

Captain

Sam is looking to understand consciousness and the way our perspective shapes the world around us.


Alex

Caretaker of Creativity

Alex Connelly has a background in art, laughing and friends. Through this journey I hope to explore the common as well as the uncommon with eyes of an artist, maintain and create life long relationships, and find my direction in life.


Michael Fenchel

Bus Driver

Mike lives in the here and now and is continually fascinated by it. He loves playing his part in the evolution in consciousness taking place across the globe.


Dear Sam, Alex & Mike:

Shut the fuck up.

Sorun said...

I'm with mesquito. I christen the vehicle: "Wankermobile"

edutcher said...

You guys really do have fun together, don't you?

Um, the bottom part reminds of an AVLB (mostly the paint job) and I half expect the VWs to be rocket-fired off the top.

Anybody who remembers the old A-Team episode, "Waiting For Insane Wayne", may agree that this could be the Urban Assault Vehicle that always lurked out of sight

Amartel said...

"7cees is exploring how to consciously create cultural evolution by sparking conversations and collaborations that grow connection and community."

"We’re pioneering a lifestyle of being yourself for a living by finding ways to use natural inspiration to add value to society."

"The specifics of what we do depend on who we meet and the opportunities we find"

"We're driving around and making shit up and asking you to fund it."

chickelit said...

I don't see them as anymore wackadoodle than Ken Kesey et al. On the other hand, Kesey could spin a good yarn.

Unknown said...

We travel around in our mobile-bus-studio and invite people of all ages and backgrounds to share their passion with us.

I'm a little slow on picking up signals sometimes, but I think this means they're into threesomes.

chickelit said...

We're driving around and making shit up and asking you to fund it.

No one is forcing you to donate. OTOH, there are people in DC who take your money and spend it on things they decide are important.

Unless your part of the 47%

mesquito said...

Why are we heading back to Madison only 1/4 of the way into the year of travel we had originally planned? It’s a good question and I sometimes have a hard time explaining it.

We set out to evolve ourselves and others. We devoted ourselves to following our intuition and pursuing that which we care most about and openly allowed an exchange of experience and understanding with numerous communities and individuals. There were many beautiful and powerful moments, and there were also many logistical limitations that were distracting and disruptive. We discovered a freedom, a precious sense of adventure and alive-ness, and feel that spending time steadily in one place now will allow us to take our venture to the next level.

Personally, being in Madison lets us to explore relationships on a deeper level. Culturally, it allows us to create longer-term projects that have greater impact on members of the community. Though we’ll be giving up the chance to find ourselves in entirely new communities and geographies every week, we’re confident that our adventurous spirit will continue to bring new opportunities and experiences into our lives.


Christ on a cracker. These white boys have been fed so much New Age self-esteem bullshit in their short lives that they'll never make it to manhood.

eteam said...

No tight, high-speed turns in that rig, or it goes flounder

Irene said...

What, no restrictive covenants?

Big Mike said...

What is it?

It's an impediment to traffic. What else would it be.

I followed the link you had. Wished I hadn't. I wound up reading drivel like

The three of us decided to be ourselves, to work as a team and to trust our intuition. That was pretty much it. We wanted to see what that and that alone might teach us about how we want to live and where we naturally add value to society. We felt that these few principles would take us to a more alive and aware place and would help us find unique ways to support ourselves.

We took an opportunity to jump into the ambiguous when so many others our age choose to fill a defined role with an explicit value attached (often due to significant pressure). Letting our roles stay undefined and what we do stay implicit has been weird, overwhelming and tiring -especially the quest to explain ourselves; however, the adventure, inspiration and understanding it’s led to have been unparalleled.


Maybe trusting your intuition instead of making sure the engine was in good shape was suboptimal? Just suggesting.

Anyway they never did explain how they managed to fix their pulley and fan and radiator. Maybe a panicky phone call home to Mums and Dad was all the unparalleled inspiration and understanding they needed.

edutcher said...

Irene said...

What, no restrictive covenants?

Only while driving in Delaware.

chickelit said...

OK, it's 20 to 1 against them.

h8ers

Mary Martha said...

I have family who live in that neighborhood. If they are any example the whole area is filled with people who are most assuredly part of the 1% but who feel really, really guilty about it. Perhaps guilty enough to deny it (lots of justification about their research into the causes of poverty at UW)

The question is... how long will it take the neighbors liberal guilt to be overcome by their dislike of that eyesore in their pristine neighborhood? Surely there is some sort of regulation that means an RV of this sort can't park there for long.

mesquito said...

You got to hand them this. Most white people their age shake off their wanderlust by being exchange students in Copenhagen for a year.

madAsHell said...

In a previous life, they wrote mission statements for large multi-national corporations.

bagoh20 said...

Even those thrown under the bus still need to get around, so this is for them, or you, depending.

Synova said...

There's someone around here that has a car, upside down, attached to the top of his car. (Well, a guy was driving when I saw it.)

I'm wanting to say those were Volkswagens, too. But I honestly don't remember.

wv: balsizes

seriously

Synova said...

I saw the Oscar Meyer wienermobile not too long ago, too.

Petunia said...

"We may be quitting the tactic of driving around the country in a bus, but we’re not giving up the strategy of living in the moment as ourselves and working to be the best in the world at make a true and open creative environment for people to express themselves in."

WTF does that even mean? Whoever wrote the web content must have a PhD in incoherent new-age bullshit.

Maybe they ran out of gas money and now they're parked outside mommy and daddy's house in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Madison waiting for donations.

chickelit said...

Synova said...
I saw the Oscar Meyer wienermobile not too long ago, too.

I grew up around Madison where Oscar's called home. The weinermobile made lots of appearances.

Ever see it drive through a tunnel or into a garage?
Highly suggestive.

jeff said...

Where does one buy a gps to route around any overpasses?

Rabel said...

Looks promising but needs a 50 cal. mounted on the roof.

Maybe a cowcatcher on the front end.

edutcher said...

mesquito said...

You got to hand them this. Most white people their age shake off their wanderlust by being exchange students in Copenhagen for a year.

The Blonde's father had a similar experience in the Second World War after being assigned to the China-Burma-India Theater.

Paddy O said...

Fascist epitome of post-bourgeois imperialism.

Paddy O said...

Also, the essence of modernity, a coupling of Duchamp, Christo, and Warhol. Iconic, portable, kitsch, semi-grotesque, celebration of mid-20th century vehicular icons, a paeon to American insistence for in your face mobility.

Toshstu said...

"Seriously. I mean it. Shut the fuck up."

That's what they said to Jesus!

F said...

I have to admit I didn't follow the link. More important things to do, like filing my nails and such. Did they manage to write that shit without using the word "paradigm"? That would be an achievement.

wv: metomize. For sure.

Toshstu said...

Patchouli is gonna make a comeback.

wv: "phole". Shut it.

F said...

Mesquito: Where do I send the bill for a new computer screen? This one's a mess after laughing my way through your posts.

wv: aduckie. How come AA has such good word verification? This one's aduckie!

Rusty said...

(in my best cartman)

Die! Hippie Scum!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing. Good post, I like it very much. I also love Burberry Bags and Burberry ties very much.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Why are we heading back to Madison only 1/4 of the way into the year of travel we had originally planned? It’s a good question and I sometimes have a hard time explaining it.

Let me help..

Living in cramped quaters will drive anybody mad.

wv: unstent

T J Sawyer said...

@ madAsHell

In a previous life, they wrote mission statements for large multi-national corporations.


-- I laughed so hard, I damn near cried.

DADvocate said...

The most creative thing these guys did was con others into paying for their 3 month vacation, otherwise known as their search for nothing.

For such creative guys, they sure visited a bunch of ordinary places. Althouse did better when she swept though Augusta, KY and ate at the Bee Hive Tavern.

DADvocate said...

Mesquito: Where do I send the bill for a new computer screen?

Mesquito needs to buy monitors by the dozen for this one.

virgil xenophon said...

chickenlittle/

Especially the new (relatively, last 6,7 yrs ago)HUMONGOUSLY LARGER weinermobile. It (and previously the old one) usually make it to Mardi Gras. I'll be looking for it this weekend. (They have more than one touring the US)

Patrick said...

F:

I'm guessing Mesquito punched out his computer screen by now, so you're probably even.

pm317 said...

It looks like a rich neighborhood. Why would they allow such ugly monstrosity parked in front of their houses and in their neighborhood?

bagoh20 said...

Looks like fun, but 2 guys and a girl ain't gonna be enough crazy. You need about 10 people, and more chicks for sure.

I always used to fantasize about wining the lottery and taking about 20 friends on a trip around the world. That would be epic.

virgil xenophon said...

Chickenlittle/

PS: Do you have a weinermobile whistle? The weinermobile people throw them during whatever Mardi Gras parades that they happen to be in. GOT to have one chickenlittle or be square!

chickelit said...

@Virgil: I had those as a kid but lost them along the way. :(

chickelit said...

In fact, I have never seen a Weinermobile in CA.

chickelit said...

Ivon said...
I got to this article by clicking on what looks to be a paid ad for millions of conservatives to follow. If so, please make sure Dan RIEHL of Riehl World View gets no more money for doing this...

More likely, Google tailored the ad to you because it knows about all the porn you watch. This is supposed to get worse on March 1st so watch out.

Known Unknown said...

In fact, I have never seen a Weinermobile in CA.

The only place I have seen the Weinermobile was at the UCLA Festival of Books.

And I got a weiner whistle. Which I still have. Somewhere.

Known Unknown said...

You know the inside of that thing smells like ass.

Meade said...

"And I got a weiner whistle. Which I still have. Somewhere."

I don't know why but for the first time in a long time, I had the thought - "I wonder what Anthony Weiner is doing with himself these days."

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Seems like some kind of art/life project that's mainly about the bus per se and how people respond to it, so consider this blog post and the ensuing comments as a response.

Obama is right.. the rich are not paying their fare share ;)

traditionalguy said...

This seems to be an example of evolution.

The hippy mammals are adapting to a quaint college town.

They have no natural enemies there, so their next evolutionary step will require birth defects that make their digestion of Brats more efficient.

But the German Volks Wagon motif hints of a Nazi inheritance. Those guys could speed up evolution by being everybody's industrial strength natural enemy.

edutcher said...

pm317 said...

It looks like a rich neighborhood. Why would they allow such ugly monstrosity parked in front of their houses and in their neighborhood?

Good point.

When The Blonde's brother moved into our neighborhood, the cops checked him out because his pickup truck looked as if it had been used for real work (which it had), and not like the toy pickups other people drove.

chickelit said...

@Meade: You were thinking about Becall: You know how to whistle, don't you, Weiner? You just put your lips together and... blow.

Anonymous said...

Conspicuous consumption.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused


wv sotener

KCFleming said...

Hey, it's the new GM SUV.

I think Obamacare makes Catholic churches buy them.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Here is your clue...

@3:45 I awoke to a field with cows.. a cow pasture.. and a woman sang and a man typed on a computer.. she had red hair and wore a man's suit.. the computer looked like the first apple ever.. and she said 'I traveled the world and the seven c's..'

For 300 Alex.. what happens when you have been txting a long long time?

I'm sorry..
The correct answer is..

What happens when your idea for a project comes from a music video..

MadisonMan said...

It looks like a rich neighborhood. Why would they allow such ugly monstrosity parked in front of their houses and in their neighborhood?

If only someone who lived in that neighborhood who posts on this blog would speak up and discuss this blight.

William said...

Thanks to mesquito for the extensive quotes and trenchant commentary. Perhaps it's all an elaborate put on, a post modern satire on Ken Kesey's Magic Bus. The Magic Bus as a gray, Stalinist paddy wagon where pure thoughts are mandatory.....At any rate, they've learned some impressive welding skills. Perhaps when the Keystone Pipeline is approved they can find a job.

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

Yo Dawg, we heard you like buses.

JAL said...

Where does one buy a gps to route around any overpasses?

Truck stops I would guess. You are right that trucks don't do well with car GPS maps.

I have a story to illustrate that but not to night. Cost me about 2 hours. At least.

JAL said...

As for these dudes (assuming Alex is a dude -- somewhat androgynous that) -- a bit presumptuous to think they are helping people evolve. Or something.

With such clarity of thinking -- one would think they could have planned better or been more flexible.

I don't recall much evolution when I drove over 6,000 miles in 24 days from NC to LA and back via El Paso, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Yosemite, Disneyland, Needles, etc.
When it was 101 degrees.

I recall having fun.

But then, I wasn't trying to be myself for a living.

crosspatch said...

I can't wait to see their Burning Man pictures ... if they get tickets.

pm317 said...

edutcher said...

Good point.
------------

Thanks (I guess, :). There is more to my comment. In our neighborhood, Washington Diocese (I think) has started managing a seniors apartment, low to moderate income. It is great that they want to make it affordable to seniors to live in nice neighborhoods. But the residents seem so inconsiderate that they bring their junk vehicles and dump them in front of our houses. I think our property value has taken a hit by more than $50K. I don't want to seem heartless but how do you protect your investment?

May be they should try to make those cars like art exhibits.

Chip Ahoy said...

I too sometimes find it difficult in my quest to explain my evolving intuitive self when exploring relationships distorted by outside forces and people living defined roles. And just like the ccccccc bus people my understanding isn't parallel either. It goes all zig zaggedy. I feel now I must compensate for my ordinary truck with regular insurance parked in my own spot.

Rosalyn C. said...

It's the original prototype for the pop up VW camper. I imagine it will be eventually housed in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian. I imagine it's quite valuable.

Darrell said...

Name the Seven Cs.

Toad Trend said...

Certainly won't be taking it through Wendy's drive-through.

"We travel around in our mobile-bus-studio and invite people of all ages and backgrounds to share their passion with us. Then we find creative ways to evolve the life of everyone involved and enhance the local community at the same time. We do this by treating life as an art and being ourselves as honestly and openly as we can in the present moment."

Ugh.

In other words, we really are a rudderless lot looking for other like-minded folks similarly adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

Yawn.

Unknown said...

Name the Seven Cs.

Well, OK.

Constance, Catherine, Caroline, Cynthia, Calista, Carla, and Irving.

I feel so honored. Normally, you have government employees or famous people naming stuff.

MDIJim said...

Hey, I did not know there are hills in Madison. Wisconsin has always fascinated me, but the little i've seen of it has been disappointingly flat. Love the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright but his home in Wisconsin, which I admire for being just below the top of the hill and not on the tippy top thereof, is on a "hill" that would not be called that in Maine.

Michael Haz said...

This bus is waaaayyyy cooler.

Rusty said...

y've learned some impressive welding skills.



Not really. I'm willing to bet that after they tried to Mig it up with flux core and burned holes in the sheet metal and warped it, they wound up bolting it together and used several dozen tubes of silicone caulk to seal it.
Welding sheet metal isn't easy.
Even if the bus i burning diesel they have build a huge air dam onto it. Not a very green project.
Huge waste of VW bus bodies. Damn things are collectable now.

Rusty said...

Michael that bus was awesome and the the guts it took to take on the 405.

Anonymous said...

A throwback to the hippie vehicle conglomerations that we had criss-crossing upstate New York in the early 70's.

The only thing missing is a Peter Max paint job!

gerry said...

For the love of all that's holy, please shut the fuck up.

Amen.

And what a lovely piece of crap to have parked on your street.

Phil 314 said...

Name the Seven Cs.


Copper, Cotton, Cattle, Citrus, Climate, Conspicuous Consumption

(PS Happy Belated Birthday Arizona),

purplepenquin said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Michael said...

PurpleP: I don't think you read the comments on the thread. No hate. Fun filled mockery but no hate.

Amartel said...

One fellow is "looking to understand consciousness." One fellow (?) has "a background in art, laughing and friends." And one fellow drives the bus.

http://www.7cees.org/what-we-do/

Sam Lundsten, Captain
Sam is looking to understand consciousness and the way our perspective shapes the world around us.

Alex Connelly, Caretaker of Creativity
Alex Connelly has a background in art, laughing and friends. Through this journey he hopes to explore the common as well as the uncommon, maintain and create life long relationships, and find his direction in life.

Michael French, Bus Driver
Mike lives in the here and now and is continually fascinated by it. He loves playing his part in the evolution in consciousness taking place across the globe.

wv: cancerys