Rise Against Video

My new favorite video. I wish more bands would make an effort to actually use their music to effect change.

Pereira Boycot

The ‘crossed legs’ strike: Wives of Colombia gang members call sex strike against crime
Reuters: 2:25 a.m. MT Sept 14, 2006
BOGOTA, Colombia - They are calling it the “crossed legs” strike.
Fretting over crime and violence, girlfriends and wives of gang members in the Colombian city of Pereira have called a ban on sex to persuade their menfolk to give up the gun.
After meeting with the mayor’s office to discuss a disarmament program, a group of women decided to deny their partners their conjugal rights and recorded a song for local radio to urge others to follow their example.
“We met with the wives and girlfriends of gang members and they were worried some were not handing over their guns and that is where they came up with the idea of a vigil or a sex strike,” mayor’s office representative Julio Cesar Gomez said.
“The message they are giving them is disarm or if not then they will decide how, when, where and at what time,” he told Reuters by telephone.
Gomez said the city, in Colombia’s coffee-growing region, reported 480 killings last year.
Crime and violence have dropped in Colombia since 2002 when President Alvaro Uribe was first elected promising to crackdown on left-wing rebels fighting a four-decade insurgency and the illegal militia groups who formed to counter them.
But cocaine-trafficking gangs and armed groups still roam parts of Colombia and murder and kidnappings remain a problem despite the fall in crime statistics.

My only question is: Kathy, you live in Pereira. Are you part of this boycott?!!!

One More Month

One month from today is my 27th birthday and I'll be celebrating it in Colombia (pretending I'm turning 25 of course)! Kathy, here we come!
I'm really looking forward to Tayrona, where we stay in these little ecohab huts overlooking the water:

Oh, and Sarah and I are taking salsa lessons so we can try and keep up with Kathy. Watch out Colombia, we've got our uncomfortable latin dancing heels on!

Heaven

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course sir, come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry; sir, but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. "Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old- fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked. "This is Heaven," he answered. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell." "Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?" "No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind." You are all welcome @ my water bowl anytime

5 Years Later

I just wanted to pay tribute to all who lost their lives on 9/11. I don't think any of us will ever forget where we were on that day. It will stay with us forever.

Bringing Sexy Back

It seems as if JT has caused a craze...people are trying to bring sexy back all over the place. It's getting pretty ridiculous!
This guy gave it a try. Valiant effort.

Labor Day Guide

A guide to enjoying your three day Labor Day weekend:
1. Throw a party Saturday night in honor of your ex-boyfriend's wedding the same day. Title party: "I'm Not Getting Married/I'm Not Having a Baby."
2. Register.
3. Invite close friends only.
4. Drink cosmopolitans and margheritas until 4:30 am (7am if you are Sarah).
5. Make champagne toasts such as: "To not having to pay a dollar to dance with me," "To bringing sexy back," or "Cheers to being single and fabulous."
6. Sleep from 4:30am-7am. Lie in bed with friends, giggling about the night before until 9am.
7. Head out for some bloody marys and food.
8. Pick up a case of Corona and Coors Light (for the boys) on the way home and start all over again at 11am.
9. Cure hangover by becoming drunk all over again. Repeat.

Celebration

In honor of my ex getting married tomorrow, I've decided to throw an "I'm Not Getting Married/I'm Not Having a Baby" party! Anyone see that Sex and the City episode: "the baby shower?" Kinda like that. The friends and I plan to toast our singlehood in style- with cosmopolitans, mojitos, margheritas, martinis, and music. Oh, and of course, the champagne toast and some variation of the dollar dance!