TODAY ON VBS

Our VBS News report for this week is a dispatch from the Bolivian capital of La Paz about the politics of coca. We've also got a new episode of Soft Focus starring Henry Rollins, a new Practice Space with Diamond Nights, new installments of DOs & DON'Ts & Friends, and a choice chapter of the Vice Guide to Travel where we visit Beirut.

Bolivian President Evo Morales is one of today's most controversial world leaders, and we're so into him that we flew down there to seek out a private audience.

Morales comes off as way more of a real man of his people than most heads of state, and he's really ripping the delicate fabric of North-South American affairs with his balls-out support of coca. This leaf - a foundation of Bolivian life and culture - is also the origin of the cocaine that floods American cities. But, according to Morales, that's America's problem - not his.

In Part 1 of our report from Bolivia, which goes live today, VBS arrives in town, samples some fresh coca, and meets the world's foremost coca and cocaine expert. We also have our first brush with El Presidente himself.

A new episode of Soft Focus starts to unfurl today, starring none other than Henry Rollins. Punk kids (and, sadly, adults) the world over may piss and moan and dissect whether or not Rollins is still OK to like or not, but to us the dude is fucking eternal. Come on. He sang "My War." That alone - a small part of his huge achievements - assures Rollins permanent hero status to VBS.

Watching him and Ian Svenonius riff about all manner of things is a great treat, and we're proud to present their conversation this week.

A new Practice Space is up now too. Diamond Nights are the guests this time around. We've loved these Brooklyn-based smartass charmers for a couple years now, and this interview only makes us like them more.

Also today, we've posted a couple of new installments of DOs & DON'Ts & Friends and a choice chapter from the Vice Guide to Travel. In today's segment, VBS travels to Beirut and meets the children who are being trained as the suicide bombers of tomorrow. It's harsh.

So yeah, welcome to VBS Week 3. Please tell us what you think in the comments section of each episode and in the VBS Forums.

Hugs etc,
VBS