may 30, 2014

One of my favorite comedians, Kurt Braunohler, embarks today on a crazy journey for a good cause.  He is going to be jet-skiing from Chicago to New Orleans to raise money for Heifer International. His goal of raising $50,000 to send 500 goats and 1,000 chickens to families in Africa.

The best part? You can be a part of this awesome project!! Go to his IndieGoGo to donate, check out all the cool incentives, and help with the cause.  You can also follow his full journey in the form of a Comedy Central webseries called Roustabout.

photo via http://instagram.com/kurtbraunohler

Let's send some goats, people!!

may 29, 2014

In the wake of the Isla Vista killings last week, the hashtag #YesAllWomen has started popping up all over social media.  Women and girls everywhere are standing in solidarity with the women hated and killed by that maniac.  There have also been so truly troubling responses to this violence, many of them coming from the PUA (Pick Up Artist) community and other men, claiming that women are somehow responsible/deserving of this violence.

Now men are speaking up.  The hastag #AllMenCan has started making the rounds, declaring that misogyny and male violence are absolutely inexcusable.  Below are some photos via Policy Mic.  Click here for the full article.

may 28, 2014

Today, we lost Maya Angelou.  She was an amazing woman who taught us so much with her words and her life.

Slate has shared some tribute readings of her poem, "Still I Rise".  Watch those videos here.

photo from http://mayaangelou.com/

"Still I Rise"

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

may 27, 2014

This cute comic 

may 26, 2014

Today is dedicated to my wonderful stepmother who makes me happy, especially when we watch horror movies together.  In honor of her birthday, here's the trailer for a truly crazy horror flick, Happy Birthday to Me (1981).

Yes, this is what birthday parties are like at my house...

may 25, 2014

Happy Sunday, y'all! As you're relaxing on this Memorial Day Weekend, I wanted to share some great jazz with you.  I am a lover of all things New Orleans and have always been especially fascinated by the jazz funeral - I even have a tattoo of a procession!

Today, NPR posted a story about memorial in jazz culture and the relationship of death to the genre.  This is definitely worth a read, and the music is worth a listen as you are taking it easy over the next few days!

may 24, 2014

While I will generally try to keep advertising-type posts from being the meat of this blog, this was way too cool not to share.  This amazing project needs funding to become a reality and we need to create awareness to get that!

Solar FREAKING roadways! Check out this video which will talk about the what, the how, and all of the amazing things that could come with this fantastic move forward. It's time!

may 23, 2014

A new hashtag has become popular on Twitter the last few days.  #ContemporaryChristianDebates is allowing space for people to examine and question the absurdity of some issues that some more conservative Christians are actually struggling with or (or to simply point out some of the craziest arguments).
Below are a few examples from 22words.com.  Check out more here.

may 22, 2014

This fantastic invention (brought to you by genius, Trisha Cleveland) that I want in my house...as an adult!

These mats are safe and collapse into an easy to store box.

may 21, 2014

It's that time of year when schools are letting out and seniors are graduating! With the first year anniversary of my graduation from undergrad just passed, I've been thinking all about the last year and about the advice I got that I could pass on to younger ones.
For those of you who haven't seen it Charlie Day was the Commencement Speaker at Merrimack's ceremony this year and his speech is pretty wonderful.

may 20, 2014

We have relocated!! My blog, previously found here, is being rebooted and reformatted over on Blogger.  The internet network that I most commonly used has started to reject me access to that site and since I do other blog work on this account, I figured I would just streamline my efforts.

So we're back and better than ever! I'm sorry for the gap in coverage, but I've got a great post for you all today.

The Body Image Movement was started by Taryn Brumfitt.  Taryn is a mother, an ex-bodybuilder and an activist for healthy body images for women.  She famously posted this unconventional "Before and After" photo last year and it went viral.

Taryn seeks to empower women to live healthy AND happy lives and love the bodies that they have.  She has a blog and a fabulous website that I hope everyone, men and women, will read.

You can also support her Kickstarted project to create a powerful documentary about her experiences and the experiences of thousands of regular women.