10 Things to do for International Women's Day

Tomorrow, March 8th, is International Women’s Day, a holiday for celebrating the women in your life and the many political and social achievements of women.  As this holiday is so important to me, I wanted to share some ways to celebrate.

1. Enjoy women in all forms of media.  Watch “Persepolis” or “Iron Jawed Angels.”  (Both available on iTunes)  Read Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich or, one of my personal favorites, We Killed: The Rise of Women in American History, and oral history collected by Yael Kohen.  Listen to Carly Simon, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell.

The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago

2. Educate yourself on women’s history.  There are many museums devoted to women’s history like the Women’s Museum of California and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  If you can not make the trip to one of these places, you can always visit the International Museum for Women online and enjoy the knowledge their website has to offer.

3. Host a dinner for your friends.  Cooking a meal is a great way to make yourself feel appreciated, while doing the same for others.  Plus nothing goes better with friendship than food.

4. Let the women in your life know they are appreciated.  Call your mom.  Send your best friend flowers.  Write a thank you note to the professor who mentored you through college.  These are ways to acknowledge others which are simple, but still incredibly effective.

5. Pamper yourself.  If you are a follower of my writing you know I am all about the Treat Yo Self and I can’t think of a better day to show you some love!  Whether it be taking a warm bubble bath, going for a sunny walk, or curling up with a mug of tea to watch your favorite series of Netflix for the millionth time, care for yourself by doing what you want.

6. Wear a purple ribbon.  Purple is often a color used to represent women’s rights or empowerment.  Wear a ribbon to publicly show your support.  If others ask you about it this is a great opportunity to share this cause with them.

7. Donate.  There are many organizations working to educate the population on women’s health and social issues.  Giving your time or money to these groups can be a huge help to them as well as make you feel accomplished.

8. Write a letter to a company that uses sexism in their advertisements.  You were given a beautiful empowered voice, use it!  You never know when it could be your words that really make an effect on these companies whose image can be so powerful in media today.

9. Write a letter to a company who shows a commitment to gender equality.  As important it is to voice an opinion when you believe something is wrong, it is just as necessary to show an appreciation of those who you believe are doing the right thing.  Often times if people are acknowledged for something they did in the past, they’ll continue to act that way in the future.

10. Teach a younger girl in your life how it feels to be empowered.  Younger generations are so important for our future.  Take the time to teach someone younger than you about women’s history and what we can still do to make an impact.

Originally written for Under Athena's Wing.

Under Athena's Wing

I have started a new blog, Under Athena's Wing, to document some of my more feminist musings.  Please check it out!  It was just updated with some of my thoughts on the Winter Olympics.

Stay Together for the Kids

While reminiscing on when I started a blog to write solely music I had to go back and read this post.  Blink-182 is still one of my favorite shows I've attended.  Hope you enjoy my thoughts on their reunion in 2009.


I am extremely excited about Blink 182’s reunion.  In early middle school, I was familiar with songs like “First Date” and “All the Small Things” and I really liked them.  The summer after 8th grade, we went on a trip to Disney World.  The large Virgin Records Store that sat on one end of the Downtown Disney strip held inside of it “Blink 182’s Greatest Hits” on sale for seven bucks.  How was I supposed to pass that up?  I purchased the album, and just like that.  I was hooked.  That was in 2005, the same year the Tom DeLonge left the band.  I had settled with the fact that I would probably never see Blink live, but the next summer I was able to settle for the next best thing.

2006 was the year I became obsessed with Fall Out Boy.  I was somewhat late in the game, but I listened to “Take this to Your Grave” like it was going out of style and led those around me to think I had been listening since it first came out.  Once I heard they were headlining, all I thought about was the Honda Civic Tour.  I wanted to go badly, but I didn’t hear much about the other acts until much later.  I did some research to figure out who they were.  Cobra Starship (I knew one song), The Academy Is… (I knew their lead singer was rather attractive), Paul Wall (I liked “Grillz” and I knew he had something to do with it), and then there was +44.  Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.  Two men I longed to see, for a long time.  I was so excited and thought they did an awesome job at the show, but that’s not the point.  Blink is back, and I am psyched.

At this point, I can’t say that I will like their new stuff, but I can’t wait to hear it.  I’m also hoping that this time around I will be able to fulfill my dream of seeing them live.  I think this is a great time for Blink to reunite.  This is a time where bands that are considered pop punk and even just punk, are nothing more than straight up pop.  But not with Blink on the scene, this is a chance for younger generations, who have never had the chance to listen to Blink, to subject themselves to an awesome group.  But for now, we must sit and wait to see what sort of journey Mark, Travis, and Tom have in store for us.  Blasting “Dude Ranch” and “Enema of the State” the whole way.

Originally written February 11, 2009

Response to TFM's "Stop Crying Rape"

Recently Catie Warren, a correspondent for the website Total Frat Move, wrote an article titled “Stop Crying Rape.”  In this article, Warren describes college-aged girls who go out, drink excessively, and subsequently sleep with their male peers, only to claim they have been raped when they wake up the next day regretting their actions.  Warren believes that this practice creates a mockery of actual sexual assault victims.  While I agree with her that a remorseful sexual encounter is not rape, I do believe there are a few points which should be discussed regarding this article.

In Catie Warren’s article, there is an overgeneralization of exactly what rape is.  She writes as though the only victims of rape are college-aged women who have had too much to drink and fall into bed with someone.  Sexual assault is very prominent on college campuses, but it happens in many different situations as well.  Women can be victims; men can be victims.  The attacker and the victim may be of the same sex.  It can occur drunk or sober.  The attacker may be a stranger, or it may be someone you have known your entire life.  Even when it occurs on college campuses, only 5% of students who have been sexually assaulted will report the case.  So why should we try to discourage others from doing so?

There is a lack of knowledge about consent, making it more difficult to know exactly what is and is not considered rape.  Consent is an agreement between two people who voluntarily and willingly want to have sex with each other.  Consent is discussed before sexual activity has commenced and is consistently revisited regarding different sexual acts.  Consent is not implied or assumed, even if you are in a long-term relationship or have had sex with that person before.

Catie Warren’s article gives several examples of victim shaming (making a victim feel responsible or ashamed of his or her own victimization), a huge problem which attributes to today’s rape culture.  Rape culture is an environment where sexual violence is excused in reality as well as in media and pop culture.  Some examples of rape culture include blaming the victim, sexually explicit jokes, gender violence in movies and television, sexually fueled song lyrics, and refusing to take rape accusations seriously.  Some ways we can avoid rape culture are to avoid using language that is degrading to women, to speak out when someone makes an offensive joke, define your own manhood or womanhood without letting stereotypes shape it, and communicating with sexual partners about consent.

Yes, Catie Warren was right to stress the fact that sex which you agreed to, though you may regret, is in not considered rape.  But this article is missing several key points which I felt should be emphasized.  Rape is not just something that happens to girls at parties.  It can happen to anyone in almost any situation.  Consensual sex occurs when two people have previously discussed that they want to have sex with each other.  Therein lies an issue that needs to be discussed. How do we empower young women and men to have that clarifying conversation?  Talking about and defining consent is the beginning and needs to be the norm.  As a society we have to stop tolerating “rape” as a casual term.  For example, “our football team raped in intramurals” or “I raped that calculus exam.”  It is a powerful word with an emotional connotation and should not be used so innocuously it seems like an attempt to make an action of the word.  We must band together to abolish a culture where it is okay to excuse or joke about rape.

Originally written for the Georgia College Women's Center.

Treat Yo Self Day: Thrifty Finds in Athens, GA

If you watch "Parks and Recreation" you know Treat Yo Self Day is a day in which you can treat yourself to absolutely whatever your heart desires.  There is no need to justify any actions taken on Treat Yo Self Day.  A couple of weeks ago, I was on fall break and going to be home alone all day, conditions were perfect for doing whatever I wanted.  I decided to spend the day downtown visiting a few of my favorite shops.

 

I started in Minx, a store best described as a "Blast from the Past."  Always filled with treasures, I find this a pleasant place to shop because of their organization and awesome deals (I've bought Lilly Pulitzer skirts here for $30 before).  Today I honed right in on their three large wooden crates filled with 60's Harlequin novels.  I chose to read an excerpt from The Emerald Cuckoo and quickly decided it must come home with me.  I'm already fully engulfed in Tracy and Lester's forbidden love affair.

                         

From here I went to Agora Vintage.  This was my first time in the store, recently opened by Agora's Airee Edwards, and it did not disappoint.  You walk in to find a wall of beautiful jewelry on one side of you and a wall of gorgeous purses on the other.  Walking in further, you will find racks of clothes in wonderful condition.  This store, filled with brands such as Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, is a great addition to downtown Athens.  Seriously, if you've got some money burning a whole in your pocket, you should at least go see the beautiful tan Hermes Birkin bag they are currently housing.

Community is really like no store I've ever been in.  As their name suggests, they have a focus on local artists and craftsmen.  This is wonderful to have in a town, like Athens, that is filled with so much talent.  As well as jewelry, paper goods, art, and chocolates, all made locally, Community sells vintage and pre worn clothing, including their own line of clothing created in store.  They also offer sewing classes and alterations, making this the ultimate one stop shop for handmade goods.

Speaking of one stop shops, Junkman's Daughter's Brother is a mecca of gifts, home goods, costumes, and really just about anything.  The sister location of Junkman's Brother in Atlanta brings a taste of Little Five Points right into downtown Athens.  Junkman's has been around as long as I can remember and was one of my favorite places downtown to visit as a kid, though I know my mom cringed at my presence among some of their goods.  (She later took me on my 18th birthday so I could finally enter the infamous "Adults Only" section.)

Every time I walk into Dynamite I find something I need.  Not only is this a great place to find both men and women's vintage clothes and accessories.  It is one of the only places in Athens which carries American Apparel.  I often find myself shopping here for costume pieces, as well as great thrifty finds.

For lunch, I stopped at one of my favorite eateries for what has to be one of the least nutritious meals I have eaten recently.  Trappeze has the greatest pub atmosphere complete with a three page menu of draught beers.  Today I enjoyed a cheese plate with red dragon cheese and a side of fries with their divine garlic aoli dressing.  Remember, its Treat Yo Self Day and cheese and french fries are the nutritious equivalent of a dressingless Kale salad.  To drink, I had Red Hare Forbidden Fruit.  Because Trappeze has such a selection I like to try new things while I'm there.  I now know Red Hare is brewed in Georgia and they make awesome beers.  This is one of their seasonal brews and I predict I will spend the rest of the season finding somewhere that carries it.

After lunch, I went over to Hendershot's to get some work done.  This was my first time in their new location in Bottleworks and I really loved it.  They now have much more space and a full bar.  I hope to get their for a show sometime soon.  Wishing them luck in their new home!

Treat Yo Self Day ended with the grand finale that was Jimmy Fallon's Clean Cut Comedy Tour.  Stay tuned for more on this laugh filled night.

60's Harlequin Novel//Minx

Vintage Matchbooks and Double Dutch Tea Towel//Community

Mickey and Minnie Denim Shirt//Dynamite

Butch Walker at the 40 Watt 9/7/13

Last month, I found myself back in the 40 Watt, a venue I don't think I'd been in since high school.  The 40 Watt was originally opened in 1978 by Curtis Crowe who often joked the club was lit by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling.  Since, the space has become a staple for Athens bands as well as more well known acts.  In high school, I saw The Whigs, The Modern Skirts, Fun., Band of Skulls, and Motion City Soundtrack play here, just to name a few.  Needless to say, I was very excited to be back there to add Butch Walker to this roster of acts.

Butch opened the show, just him and a keyboard, playing "Joan" and a couple of his heavier songs.  I was taken aback by this, that is sad material to start the night with.  But I quickly saw what he was doing.  By the time his band joined him on stage for "Mixtape," he had the whole crowd in the palm of his hand.  It stayed this way all night, people daring themselves to look away long enough to go to the bar. Granted, half of the crowd was before the social networking generation, but I felt like there was a minimal amount of cell phone use that night.  He played a wonderful high energy "Synthesizers" with pieces of "Come on Eileen" through out.  He covered bits of other songs including "Teenage Wasteland" and "The Ocean," joking that his younger band had never heard them before.  At the end of the night, he came into the crowd.  Everyone gathered around him waiting to see what he would do next.  The show ended with an amazing energy, everyone in the room experiencing a major endorphin release.  All-in-all it was an amazing show.  Now that I've seen Butch Walker once, I can't wait to see him perform again.  There's something about a group of people belting out songs like "Mixtape" and "She Likes Hair Bands" that warms my heart.  It is something everyone must experiences.

You can view the 40 Watt's full calendar here.

You can follow Butch Walker at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Birthday Weekend

My twenty-second birthday was about a month ago and it turned out to be a wonderful long weekend of celebration.  It started Friday at the Buckhead Pub Crawl.  This particular pub crawl was in anticipation of the SEC/ACC football kick-off weekend.  We paid $15 for access to seven bars and a mixed drink at each.  I had never been out in Buckhead before and this was an awesome way to get a taste of most the bars in the area.

The next day I arrived back in Athens for lunch at one of my favorite spots, Last Resort.  I had crab cakes with a side salad drenched in their divine vidalia bacon dressing.  Of course, a trip downtown would not be complete without a stop at King of Pops.  Today I choose to with a new choice and had the coconut lemongrass, which did not disappoint.

We had people over to watch the first University of Georgia game of the season.  We may have just been tailgating at home, but we had a spread fit for kings: pimento cheese and curry chicken salad from Marti's at Midday, a Chick-Fil-A nugget tray, pizza dip, Mom's corn and pea salsa, and a heavenly red velvet cake.

One of my favorite gifts from my parents was my Mary Blair inspired Lesportsac weekender.  I have always loved Mary Blair's whimsical art and illustrations and this bag is the perfect tribute to her work.

We had a delicious seafood lunch at Marker 7.  If you haven't been yet, you must go.  You will feel as though you have been transported to the seaside by their Beach Boys heavy soundtrack and brightly colored decor.  The evening's activities included going to the new movie theatre to see "The Spectacular Now."  The movie was recently filmed in Athens, so we were very excited to see our home on the silver screen.  The movie was incredible.  I don't remember the last time one film caused me to feel so many different emotions.  People who have seen James Pondsolt's film, "Smashed," are familiar with his beautiful use of raw emotion, seen many times throughout "The Spectacular Now."  As a lover of young adult literature, I am now hoping to read Tim Tharp's novel which the movie is based on.

After the movie, we went downtown to Five Bar for dinner.  We started our meal with their delicious baked avocado, topped with baby shrimp and tempura flakes.  For my entree, I had the stuffed shrimp.  These shrimp come stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped in bacon.  They are served with a fresh greens salad topped with fruit, goat cheese and basalmic vinaigrette and their ever-changing risotto, tonight's being parmesan and eggplant.  Five is currently running a special on Sundays and serving their burger for $5.  This burger is topped with a mayo-based spread of tomatoes, onions, and bacon and served with french fries and their very own Five Sauce, a sort of wasabi honey mustard that I could happily eat on everything.

We came home to one of my favorite cakes in the world--Cecilia Villaveces' key lime cake.  My family has been ordering cakes from her bakery for years and they never disappoint.

Monday began leisurely by enjoying the "Arrested Development" marathon on IFC and a late sushi lunch at Sakura.  After lunch, we were craving something sweet so we went downtown to Always Baked.  Their homemade cookies come in a variety of Georgia themed flavors like Gregg Almond and, my personal favorite, the On My Mind.  Today we had ice cream sandwiches, two on my minds surrounding two scoops of cinnamon ice cream .  This is seriously the perfect sweet treat.

Upon the return to school, we began a celebration the Milledgeville way--with margaritas at El Tequila. I woke up on Tuesday (my actual birthday) to find a package from a package which contained what has quickly become my favorite item to wear around the house--Freudian Slippers!  They are the perfect mate to my "Freudian Sips" mug and I can't get over how thin my legs look in them.  If only I was the type of person who wears slippers outside of the house.

Celebration on Tuesday continued in usual Milledgeville fashion, with brunch at the Local Yolkal, dinner at Amici and karaoke at Buffington's.  Taylor Swift karaoke on your 22nd birthday may be one of the biggest cliches ever, but if just felt right.  My little sister even got to come and play for the night!

I don't know about you, but I actually am 22