One of the big bonuses of writing this book was getting to make new friends. During the course of promoting The Bandido Massacre, I was lucky enough to become friends with Edward Winterhalder, formerly a top international officer with the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. We had breakfast together, and I was impressed at how Ed picked up the tab of a serviceman he saw dining alone. I got the impression he does this sort of thing alot.

Ed and Arthur Veno have just published a book that anyone interested in biker things would enjoy. It’s Biker Chicks: the magnetic attraction of women to bad boys and motorbikes (Allen & Unwin). It’s not to be confused with his earlier work, Biker Chicz of North America (with Wil De Cleercq) As soon as I saw the cover, I had a flashback to a day when a sweet-faced elementary school teacher asked me to set her up with a Hells Angel. I let her request wither on the vine, but it certainly got me thinking. It made me think also of Big Paulie Sinopoli, who wasn’t really a criminal, but who chose to hang out in the circles of the likes of Wayne (Weiner) Kellestine. The reason, a friend told me, was girls. Big Paulie tipped the scales at well over 400 pounds, but some woman considered him a rock star when he wore his leathers. And for this, Big Paulie put himself in a situation that led to his murder.

Ed’s new book criss-crosses the globe, with anecdotes from women from Australia, Europe, the U.S. and Canada. Ed’s work is as energetic as it is far-reaching, although I confess tha women remain a mystery to me. For a little added zip, the introduction is written by Tanya Tucker, who was born to wear leather.

You can find Biker Chicks at any Chapters bookstore, Amazon.ca or through any other book store in Canada. You can also check it out at: http://www.blockheadcity.com and at Biker Chicz: http://www.bikerchicz.blogspot.com &

It’s important to note that there aren’t any Bandidos left in Canada. The Canuck motorcycle enthusiasts have been kicked out of the international club by the Texans running the club. Before that, they were banished from Quebec by the Hells Angels, who granted them the right not to be shot or have their legs broken, in return for the club folding in Quebec.

So while this story about the parole fight of Jean (The Frenchman) Duquaire is interesting, don’t expect to see any Fat Mexican patches on Canadian roadways in the near, or distant, future.

Here’s an interesting story about a former B.C. Hells Angel, who’s now lecturing high school students. So much for the myth that the only way out of a club is a sleeping bad at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River.

The rest of this post isn’t too bikerish, but I think you’ll enjoy it anyway. It’s the Funny or Die website, which includes Will Ferrell in a baseball bat fight, which is disturbing but funny, and Will Ferrell being interrogated by his baby daughter Pearl in a video called “Good Cop, Baby Cop.” That’s my favorite. It’s different than the interrogation technique of Wayne Kellestine on my website. This was Baby Pearl’s retirement video.

Can Rick who emailed me about the Caine book please send me your email address at pedwards@thestar.ca? I’m having trouble returning your email. Cheers

Here’s a Christmas reunion of a different sort: Winnipeg Hells Angels associate Joseph Ducharme will be reunited with his brother George for the holidays. While the ideal of a family get-together is cheerful, the venue isn’t: Stony Mountain Penitentiary. Seems the Ducharme boys were both naughty this year.

I’ve been trying to get some Christmas cheer up on this site, despite the grim topic of the book. I feel I should still keep you up to date on what’s happening in the real world, as it relates to the book. So that brings us to the murder of a former Rock Machine member on the prairies, just a week before Christmas.

One of my favorite Christmas videos comes from a former motorcyclist, better known as a poet and songwriter.

Bob Dylan was almost killed in 1966 when he crashed his Triumph 500 cc Tiger 100 near Woodstock, N.Y. It’s still a little unclear what happened, since apparently no ambulances were called to the scene.

Fortunately, he lived on and stayed off motorcycles after that. Last year, he released his Christmas album. It’s hard to tell when he’s making fun of things and when he’s paying homage to them, or if he’s somehow doing both. Who cares? It’s fun to watch.

One of the highlights of promoting the book was when CBC Radio At Noon played Gotta Serve Somebody at the end of the interview. Researching the book reminded me how many people don’t really want to be free, or can’t even imagine freedom. How many free men were in Kellestine’s barn the night of April 6, 2006? Far safer to follow and blame whoever’s up ahead.

This version of Gotta Serve Somebody shows him at the 1980 Grammys. I’m not so sure about the Tony Orland tux, but the song holds up well. His gospel stuff of the time, which is kind of Christmasy, is better with the hands of true gospel singers like Etta James or Aaron Neville. The Queen James version has some bikes at the start, so it’s not totally out of place with this blog.

Last year’s Christmas album wasn’t his first foray into Yule material. He read The Night Before Christmas as well as anybody, with no hint of sarcasm in his voice.

I was driving in east Toronto today and came upon the Vagabonds Motorcycle Club clubhouse on Gerrard East at Woodbine. As is usual this time of year, the squatty little brick building sported a sign with a Santa’s sleigh being towed by a reindeer on a Harley.

The sign also had the words, “Merry Christmas.”

Lest anyone get too mushy with this display of the emotion of the season, there was still also a sign on the building that remains year-round. It reads, “PRIVATE DRIVEWAY/ DO NOT BLOCK/ OR ELSE!”

And on another holiday (but non-bikerish) note, there’s a Will Ferrell/ John C. Reilly video with another crusty attempt at merry-making. As this MTV writeup notes, the original David Bowie/ Bing Crosby video is so bizarre it’s pretty well impossible to parody.

Bob (Peterborough Bob) Pammett attended Boxer Muscedere’s funeral after the massacre. If Peterborough Bob was more punctual, and had attended the April 2006 in Wayne (Weiner) Kellestine’s barn, he would have likely had a funeral of his own. As it is, Pammett is the only living, breathing Bandido remaining in Ontario, although the Texans running the club would call him an imposter. They maintain they have pulled the patches of everyone in the Great White North.

Pammett was able to convince a Peterborough court this week that it was just a series of coincidences that kept him running into outlaw bikers. He’s on house arrest for cocaine and assault breaches, but is allowed out two hours a day to shop and, apparently, repeatedly bump into his biker buddies.

It has been tough coming up with a posting that fits this time of year. Massacres of brothers and the Christmas season don’t exactly go hand in hand. Five years ago, around this time, Wayne (Weiner) Kellestine showed a dearth of Yule spirit when he threatened to shoot a disc jockey at a Bandido Christmas party for playing non-white, dance music.

So I’ve given up and I’m posting something very un-bikerish. It’s The Toronto Star’s most read online story today , with an accompanying video, and I’m surprised how much I like it. I hope you do too. And if you somehow find a biker connection which has escaped me, so much the better.