| blog 'bout da bus |
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newest -> October 1st: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA The eco-tour, which is rapidly becoming renowned the world over as "the best bus tour in history, or at least in southern California in the fall of 2004," has come to an end. We hope sincerely that we've raised awareness of alternative fuel, and alternative book purchasing techniques. Based on the comments of you, our dedicated reader, we believe we have. Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. We hope to be able to take the bus out on the road for another tour soon, so if your campus organization is interested in having us come visit, send us an email and let us know! In the meantime, read the links section, and learn about vegetable oil as an alternative fuel, and never stop looking for ways to challenge what is, and make it better! |
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October 1st: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA We'll be in Bruin Plaza all day today. This is the last day of the tour, so come on over, grab a bunch of free stuff, and help protect the universe from high textbook prices. Thanks Environmental Bruins, California Student Sustainability Coalition, and Engineers Without Borders! |
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September 30th: 2:45 PM: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA Pat is on the roof with goggles in front of Pauley Pavilion and there are about 100 people throwing bouncy balls at him for a T-shirt. Pretty funny.
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September 30th: Los Angeles, CA UCLA NEXT TO PAULEY PAVILION THURSDAY AND BRUIN PLAZA FRIDAY! |
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September 29th: Los Angeles, CA UCLA NEXT TO PAULEY PAVILION THURSDAY AND BRUIN PLAZA FRIDAY! The crew got delayed leaving UCSD, and are going to be at UCLA around 4 PM today. But they've decided that tomorrow they're going to rock the block twice as hard to make up for lost time today. BTW - If you haven't seen it yet, this is why you have to come and see the bus: (UCLA poster - put this up, and receive an extra helping of ice cream at the time of your choosing) |
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September 28th: San Diego, CA We pulled the bus into campus a little late and after clogging up traffic for 10 minutes we finally managed to get pulled into our spot which just happened to be along one of the most highly populated walking paths on campus. We got out the Reeds, the EmergenC, and the bouncy balls and started making friends. Skipper Pat got on the roof rack of the bus and threw bouncy balls at people and told them that if they could hit the big guy in the orange jumpsuit on the roof, they could get a free t-shirt. Pat found that UCSD students show no mercy. "Ow, oh yeah, that hurt, here's your shirt." C-Note went off in search of opportunity and sure enough came home with more good news. He got the Temple of Funk CD played on the KSDI, KSDR, and satellite radio, along with an interview with the band. Stridah also got his CD played on the radio and all rejoiced. We then got invited to play a show at the Che Cafe but since there weren't many people there we decided to just pack them all in the bus and do a show while driving. We hooked the PA up on the roof and headed across campus with Stridah DJing inside the bus. At every stop light we would pick up a few more and finally wound up at a Fraternity/Sorority party where the Temple of Funk played a live set. After the set, we took half the party with us on the bus, gave some a ride back to campus and took two beautiful girls and a drummer with us to North Torrey Pines Beach where we had a private party on the beach where Kyle and Chris both played some groovy downtempo sets. We slept there and headed out toward LA this morning. We stopped by a place in Gardena that had 50 gallons of Veggie stored for us, we pumped that into the tank, headed to Reeds where we picked up the rest of our shipment of soda, and now we are on our way to UCLA to blow it up. All is well and the crew is having a great time. Thanks BIGWORDS, you rule. |
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September 27th: Santa Barbara, CA And we all got served by ==> VIDEO: Mike's Monkey Dance We ran out of vegetable oil, so we called the vegetable oil delivery service, and they came to the bus and filled us up!
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Today we fell in love with Cal Tech. We arrived pretty early (10:30) after cooking up some french toast and coffee in the supplies shuttle in yet another Wal-Mart parking lot.
By the time lunch rolled around, C-NOTE was showing his natural ability to hook things up. The rest of the crew were happily surprised when they were pulled off the line to get food by C-NOTE, as he explained that "BIGWORDS is going 1st class all the way!". We were led to the kitchen, where we ate a private, fantastic barbeque meal.
Kyle (aka Stridah) dropped the beats on the bus all day. Temple of Funk did a set around lunch time, too. But as the evening wore on, the sun went down, and the party started to get moving, Temple of Funk took the stage, with the whole BIGWORDS crew providing backup, and played their set.
As the last note of the last tune dropped, the Cal-Tech fireworks display began.
What a night. Thank you Cal-Tech, and especially thank you to the Student Auto Club for inviting us! |
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September 25th: Pasadena, CA CAL TECH SATURDAY THE 25TH: LOT NORTH OF BECKMAN AUDITORIUM We are on our way to Cal Tech, and we'll be setting up in the lot just north of Beckman Auditorium. We'll have music, and lots of great stuff to give away, as well as demonstrations of our vegetable oil conversion! |
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September 24th, 5 PM: Riverside, CA At 10 PM tonight, both Kyle and Temple of Funk have been booked to play at Alpha Pi Sigma. Then, we drive to Pasadena where we will sleep in absolute luxury in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Tomorrow CAL TECH. |
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September 24th: Riverside, CA Temple of Funk and Kyle played and had a bit of a power issue, but pulled through anyway.
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September 24th: Riverside, CA
We will be on UC Riverside all day Friday! We want to send a huge thanks out to Katie Hamic and The UCR Environmental Conciousness Organization for going way above and beyond the call of duty. We will be at the south side of the Bell Tower from 8 until 5. There will be a full live outdoor set from 12 to 1, and there will be music inside the bus all day. Come to the bus, increase your consciousness, learn something, get a bunch of REED'S Ginger Brew, Emer'gen-C, bouncy balls, T-Shirts, and listen to some good music. What could be more wholesome than that?! |
| newest -> September 23rd: Pomona, CA We toured CSU Pomona all day today, giving away everything we could, and making as many friends as possible. We must have done something right because we got invited to not one but TWO (count them, two) fraternity parties. So after we win the mud wresting championship and school some CSU'ers in the 3 legged race, we're headed for UC Riverside! |
| September 23rd: 7 AM Pomona, CA The crew is getting suited up, and is headed to CSU Pomona. We think our vegetable oil powered bus conversion will really interest students there, especially those in the Agriculture and Engineering departments! We don't know where we will set up yet, so stay tuned throughout the day as we update this page with pictures and stories! |
September 22nd: 4 PM Los Angeles, CA The crew has befriended the police and parking enforcement. They love us! We're headed out now! Thanks CalStateLA! |
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September 22nd: 4 PM Los Angeles, CA
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September 22nd: Los Angeles, CA
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September 22nd: Los Angeles, CA NEW PAGE --> We've updated our links to information about vegetable oil conversions, and similar technologies. |
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September 21st: Irvine, CA |
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September 21st: Ojai, CA UC IRVINE TUESDAY THE 21ST We want to especially thank Edgar Dormitorio and and the UCI Volunteer Center for inviting us to UC Irvine, and finding a good spot to park a 60 foot long bus that smells like a french fry! |
| September 21st, 11 AM: Santa Paula, CA We're rolling! We'll be in Irvine by 1:30! |
| September 21st, 10:30 AM: Santa Paula, CA Joel discovered that the fuel lines weren't hooked back up correctly when we remounted the tank. We'll be back on the road shortly, and headed to Irvine! |
| September 21st, 4:30 AM: Santa Paula, CA If you hear anything on the radio about rubbernecks slowing for a giant bus, that's because we're spreading the BIG LOVE on the side of 126 right now! There appears to be some kind of air leak in the fuel line, and so we're working on getting this beast back on the road! Joel actually got up at 4:30 in the morning, and drove down to the bus to help us out. Yay Joel! DARN YOU FRENCH FRY BUS! |
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September 20th: Ojai, CA
Our new best friend Welder Joe has taken on the responsibility of reattaching the tank from its temporary connection point to a safe and roadworthy, fully mobile, BIGWORDS Ecotrooper Energy Unit. A little behind schedule but we're still OK.
We have located a semi trailer truck wash and can't wait to drive through blaring "At the Carwash Yeah!" as we drive through. Must be in Irvine tomorrow morning... GO TEAM! Temple of Funk and the great paper bag head (real name witheld at the request of the DJ aka Artificial Flavor Unit aka Stridah aka KeelowG sometimes referred to as Kyle the Smile) have arrived safely from their travels with the sound system and plenty of ammo.
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September 19th: Ojai, CA |
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September 18th: Ojai, CA Random and Stimpy drove down to REED's to pick up 3,500 bottles of REED's Ginger Brew, Root Beer, Cream Soda, and Apple Brew, and will head to Emer'gen-C to pick up more mixers (just add water... or some sort of liquid to the mix). We'll be handing these out and more at all the stops over the next two weeks.
Then they met a lady who needed to have a teepee built (Why? We don't know). Well it just so happens that Stimpy is a master teepee builder (Why? we don't know).
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| September 17th: Ojai, CA It's normal in this type of conversion for some air leaks to be discovered after the first test run. The engine ran last night for quite some time, and this morning Joel and the crew had to tighten up some loosened connections. The team is about to drive the bus about 50 miles or so to break it in more. We spoke to them via cell phone, and all seemed to be well. As soon as they hit a major highway, they'll be able to use their cell phone card on the laptop to send us pictures and video! |
| September 16th, 6:40PM, Los Angeles BIGWORDS CEO Jeff Sherwood was just on kpfk radio, talking about the conversion and alternative fuel. If they post the audio in an archive, we will link to it! You can check on http://www.kpfk.org/ |
| September 16th: Ojai, CA The conversion is basically done, except for some minor welding. The crew is going to spend one more night up at Joel's shop, and then take their first test drive in the morning! We'll have pictures and video! |
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September 15th: Ojai, CA
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September 14th: Ojai, CA |
September 14th: Ojai, CA  Captain Mike and Skipper Pat arrived in the Pinta late last night just in time to meet First Mate Stimpy and myself, the random reporter, on the beach. Our friend the film maker Mark Abrams from the UK was leaving to return to his homeland early this morning so we decided to go to Ventura to see him one last time before he went. He was staying with a friend of his  who just happens to have a sewing machine and knows how to use it. Her name is Indi and she has come into the picture in perfect time to hem a few curtains that need to be hemmed. Pretty sure she'll be stopping by soon. Maya and Carly returned from a trip to a Hot Springs late last night.  Today they helped me, the random reporter, cut all the Bigwords stickers out to be put on the bus as soon as we get it washed.  Pat has agreed to take on the role of cameral man for the tour which is good because he takes a mean picture (see guy with goggles on head above). Joel, his wife Rebecca, and his friend Dan joined Chris and Mike to get down and dirty with the bus. It's coming along nicely and should be running on Veggie oil either by the end of the night or first thing tomorrow. Stimpy and myself reorganized the roof rack to prepare for travel. While we are  feeling and looking a bit haggard, we are in the best of spirits and all is well at the ranch. We will report into headuarters again soon. |
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September 14th: Ojai, CA
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September 14th: Ojai, CA |
| September 13th: Ojai, CA Joel was up and out and surfing for sunrise. At 8 AM he went out for parts. He picked up the veggy oil filtration system and the pumps. He went to the welder to have a heater put into the tank with 50' of heating coil to heat the vegetable oil before it goes into the engine. They adjusted the valves on the bus, and now it purrs like a kitty cat. Mike and Pat (the rest of the crew) left last night in La Ninia (in Spanish that means "The Ninia") and will be in Ojai in a day. Tomorrow, Joel will actually begin the installation! |
| September 12th: Ojai, CA ==> FEATURE: meet the crew. 
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September 12th: Ojai, CA
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September 11th: Ojai, CA
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September 10th, 5 PM: Ojai, CA
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September 10th, 2:30 PM: Somewhere in California
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| September 10th 11 AM: Somewhere in California We don't know where the bus is. See, thing is that it doesn't currently have a lighter, thus no way to charge a cell phone, thus no way to be in contact (we need to fix that this week too). So it was in Sacramento last night, and it was going to be in Ventura this morning, and it hasn't shown up. So, we wait... |
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September 10th: Santa Cruz, CA
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| September 9th: Reno, NV The Santa Maria (our 60 foot articulated metro transit mobile party mothership) is back on the road having successfully completed its mission at Burning Man with only a clogged fuel filter. She now has a new fuel filter and is on her way to Ventura for conversion. The fuel filters are about to get a whole lot bigger. Everything is on schedule, conversion begins tomorrow morning. |
| September 1st - 6th: Burning Man The gang is out at Burning Man this week. We're looking forward to seeing the pictures and getting an update when they return to an area with cell phone reception! |
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September 1st: Annapolis, MD
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| August 25th: Somewhere in Montana Chris and crew picked up the bouncy balls, the T-Shirts, and all the other necessary provisions for the trip that they are about to embark upon. |
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August 1st - August 20th: Detroit before pics: |
Grab your hats and glasses!
We converted a 60' long articulated metro transit bus to run on vegetable oil in one week. We toured Southern California campuses to spread the word about environmental and cost savings! It was a wild ride, but our fearless team of bus converters made it happen!
- email us here!
- send this link to someone
- links to information about vegetable oil conversions, and similar technologies.
- meet the crew
- FEATURE: An Interview with Joel Woolf
- about Woody Harrelson's Voice Yourself
- about REED's Ginger Brew
- about Emer'gen-C
What smells like a french fry, sounds like a million bucks, and Protects the Universe from High Textbook Prices?
So, here's the deal. We have this friend (Admiral Nowak) who bought this bus that was restored for the Spiderman 2 movie and then sold on eBay for an unbelievably great price. It was so great in fact that he couldn't pass it up. There were only 2 problems - it was a diesel, and there were no turntables.
Skip ahead... We're sitting in the hot tub at BIGWORDS HQ waxing poetic about the state of affairs and what a small organization like ours with a huge bus like the one we had access to might do about them one night when it occurs to us... "ROAD TRIP!"
So we gathered a crew of fearless BIGWORDS vegetable grease monkeys, led by Admiral Nowak, who took the bus to Detroit where they installed a DJ lounge, and sleeping quarters for our crew.
Then we went to southern California where we converted our double-long articulated metro bus to run on waste vegetable oil, a renewable waste product that currently just gets thrown away.
Next, we spread the news about environmental and cost savings to campuses in Southern California, in conjunction with local organizations, and a few key sponsors...
Even if you couldn't come to southern California to see this thing when it rolled onto campus, check out pictures and video of the conversion and the tour, learn about alternative fuel and natural and organic products, all the while protecting the universe from high textbook prices.
What do Woody Harrelson, REED's Ginger Brew, and Emer'gen-C all have in common?
Their commitment to natural and organic products. The eco-bus distributed samples of natural and organic products from REED's Ginger Brew and Emer'gen-C to increase awareness of natural alternatives to the status quo and featured Woody Harrelson's "Thoughts from Within," a video produced by his www.voiceyourself.com organization.
Woody Harrelson's voiceyourself.com believes all life on Earth is sacred. VoiceYourself promotes and inspires individual action to create global momentum towards simple organic living and to restore balance and harmony to our planet.
Reed's Ginger Brews - Original, Extra, Premium, Raspberry, and Apple - are delicious revivals of a lost brewing art. Each batch is hand crafted with pride, carefully brewed and aged like fine wine in small batches by our expert brewmasters. They choose only the finest fresh herbs, roots, spices and fruits. They won't let sugar, preservatives or artificial anything spoil Reed's natural taste.
High in Potassium, Emer’gen-C contains 1,000 mg of Vitamin C, B Vitamins, and 32 mineral complexes that replenish valuable electrolytes.
Just pour a packet in a glass and add 4 to 6 ounces of cold water, and Emer’gen-C will:
- Provide a natural non-caffeinated Super Energy Boost for students constantly on-the-go
- Help fight colds and flu and strengthen the immune system
- Help provide hangover relief and jet lag relief through rehydration
- Replenish electrolytes after a hot day or a hard workout
Emer’gen-C is available in 14 delicious flavors and can be found at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s, Albertsons, Ralphs, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and most grocery and health food stores.