Commemorate Veteran’s Day With a Free Visit to a National Park

November 10, 2014Leave a comment

commemorate

Hands down, our National Parks are one of the best things that America has ever done, bar none. Though only roughly a third of the countries 401 National Parks charge an entrance fee, on special days – like Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents Day Weekend, Opening Weekend for National Park Week, National Park Service Birthday, National Public Lands Day Holidays From Red Rocks to Yellowstone, 133 parks from every corner of the United States waive their designated entrance fees; tomorrow being Veteran’s Day is no different. However, it is the last time in 2014 that they’ll be absolutely free to the public – something you should be sure to take advantage of!

Mt. Denali, Alaska

For some, a day of honor – and others a day of remembrance, Veteran’s Day gives us time to reflect on our national identity and educate ourselves on our short, but dense history. And what better place than these both breathtaking and historic locations; a handful of which were once pivotal landscapes for battles from the French & Indian War, the American Revolution – like the Minute Man National Historic Park in Massachusetts, Gettysburg National Military Park and other locations from The Civil War to the Mexican-American War and American Indian Wars. Others parks and monuments give us pause for the fallen from World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War. For a state by state guide, head to the Website for the Dept of the Interior.

I’ve only had the pleasure of frolicking through a few of our fabled foliage enriched forests and wildlife infused nature preserves, but believe you me I intend on visiting them all in my lifetime (a girl can dream, right?). When I was in 5th grade, my grandmother whistfully dragged me away to Alaska for an Elder Hostel where grandparents brought their grandchildren for the Summer Solstice. First of all, how epic of a time of year – on the Summer Solstice it only got dim, never dark; it was surreal! We ventured into Denali National Park and Preserve, saw moose, white water rafted and hiked Mt Denali itself. Fast forward to recently, and I’ve had the pleasure of gallivanting through the West Coast with my fiance – it’s taken us through Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, California, Oregon and Washington and tons of beautiful parks along the way. From Bryce Canyon and Zion in Utah, the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area in Colorado and Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Forest – we gave into our wanderlust and enjoyed extended days and nights driving through some of our countries most valued treasures. If I wasn’t working tomorrow, believe me – I’d be visiting another park in a heartbeat, but for now I just need to live vicariously through y’all! So tell me, which park will you be visiting tomorrow?

[Real Talk] Cat Calling is Only Cool if You’re a Cat

October 30, 2014October 30, 2014Leave a comment

Earlier this week, a group called iHollaback took the initiative to conduct a social experiment on the streets of NYC to show just how much unwanted attention a woman can get by simply stetting foot out the door. Since 2011, they’ve been giving people a social soap box to engage their communities and share stories – stories of when they’ve felt verbally and physically intimidated, harassed, threatened and assaulted. This video encapsulates what each and every woman has gone through – multiple times in her life, and sometimes – multiple times in her day. Haven’t seen it yet? Before we get into it further –

First, we need to define cat calling – and I want to make it very clear, there’s a difference between acknowledging the presence of another human being – and making a woman crawl in her skin.

greeting def

catcall

Cat calling is street harassment – it’s unnecessary verbal contact that typically comes from a distance – much further than casual conversation would happen in your personal space; it has an intention – and it’s usually physical. Because let’s face it, you didn’t have a sudden affliction for my personality, my intelligence, my wit or incredibly awkward sense of humor; you’re commenting on how I carry myself. Because words tend to mirror desired action, women have learned to read through the lines – if you’re talking about my body, it’s because it’s desired, even if that desire is momentary and fleeting. Most Men won’t understand what it feels to feel physically intimidated on a daily basis, but for women – that’s everyday life. Being 6′ tall, I can safely say that I don’t feel that way the majority of the time, but it happens – it happens much more often than it should. Though the video shows a predominantly vocal minority audience, don’t believe for a second that a wink, nod or lurking look can dissuade women the same way that verbal assault does.

If there’s one town in the US that’s synonymous with Halloween – it’s Santa Barbara. Gaining notoriety for their annual week long rager, I didn’t attend UCSB until 2003 – a tad after it was “good”, according to every other class before us. But what I noticed, and was part of, were a generation of young women taking hold of their sexuality and their bodies. Unfortunately, that comes at a price. We live in an age where the greater community is more likely to tell me to put some clothing on than they are to tell a man how to treat a woman correctly. There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling sexy, and it’s a shame that men have created an atmosphere where your physical safety feels threatened if you show some skin. Our twenties are supposed to be when we’re at our physical peak, so why not; but we’re more than our legs, eyes and lips – we enjoy thick books and nice scotches, a hearty burrito and video games, and are the perfect storm of beauty and intelligence.

My worst fear is that somewhere in some strange town, there’s some woman that’s responding, appreciating and loving the attention and reinforcing bad behavior. Somewhere, along the line – these things have become learned and deeply ingrained in modern, male society. Walk down Hollywood Blvd, Venice Beach or through Downtown LA and watch as the women with headphones on expertly weave through the crowd, avoiding interaction at all costs.

I view strangers as friends I haven’t met yet, and chances are you’ll catch me waving, nodding and saying hello to dog walkers of any ilk, adorable old couples and young professionals doing their thing. I say ‘Hello’ as a form of acknowledgement. That’s my intention, to acknowledge. Whenever I’ve interacted with a man on the street, there’s three ways it happens: frequently, there’s eye contact and a head-nod; cool. Sometimes, there’s a head nod and then they try to stop me to talk to me. I’ve been followed home more times than I can count on one hand. And then I’ll walk around the block so they don’t actually know where I live, because that’s scary. Or there was the time I was followed into my parking garage. But sometimes, if they’re looking at me like they see through me, my clothes – I feel threatened, I don’t want to acknowledge them. And in those situations, I’ve been verbally harassed, berated, followed – and at times, even been called racist. Im not saying don’t say hello, I’m not saying don’t acknowledge people – but your comments compound upon countless others so think of your intention before you speak. If, after all this conversation, you’re still unsure whether you should ever catcall, just follow this simple flowchart:

Celebrate National Cat Day by Giving Back to Your Furry Felines

October 29, 2014Leave a comment

As a self professed felineoholic, today is probably my favorite day of the non-traditional holiday year: it’s NATIONAL CAT DAY! I usually reserve my phone dump of fur on Saturday – Caturday, if you will – but I’ve saved my favorite feline pics, flicks and memes for today. When you get home from work, make sure you stop by your local PetCo or better yet, that Mom and Pop Animal Store around the corner that you’ve been wondering about and snag a little treat for your furry friends; trust me, they’ll thank you!

Don’t have a cat? No problem! There are tons of ways you can celebrate, too.Head on down to your local animal shelter or ASPCA and give those kittens in the cat room some lovin’! It doesn’t matter if you’re thinking of getting one of your own, or just have a few minutes to spare – these guys spend almost their entire day trapped in a small cage: except when you come in to play! Even if you don’t want to commit to volunteering in the long term, today’s the purrfect day to pop your head in and say hello.

Back when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was hot and heavy, I took a different route and donated to the World Wildlife Fund. Founded in 1961 as a collaborative international fundraising organization, the WWF was created after the Morges Manifesto was signed by top conversationalists from around the globe. Though there was an international push for nature conservation, the resources at hand simply weren’t enough to satiate international needs. And ever since, the WWF has taken center stage when it comes to protecting endangered animals and the acres and acres of land necessary for their survival. Currently, there are over 120 different species that you can opt to protect on the site – but did you know that of those 120, almost 10% are cats?! meOW!

Last but certainly not least, get your structured cuddlement as Uber, the ASPCA & Cheezeburger combine forces to bring the cats directly to your doorstep! For the second year in a row, Uber will be delivering crates of adorable to the following cities; just place an Uber for KITTENS between the hours of 1 and 4pm in Austin, Chicago, DC, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle. The best part – besides ALL of it – is that these kittens are also up for adoption! Please, don’t sleep on this – I would love to live vicariously through anyone that actually does it!

[The Audiofiles] Required Listening for HARD’s DOTD

October 27, 2014October 28, 2014Leave a comment

– Purchase Tickets: 2 Day | Saturday Only / Sunday Only –

Festival Details

Pomona Fairgrounds
1101 W. McKinley Ave.
Pomona, CA, 91768

18 to Dance | 21 to Drink

Music starts at 11 AM Saturday and Sunday, ends at 11PM

Back in 2008, a small event called HARD Haunted graced the Shrine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles, and ever since: the dance music scene in Southern California has never been the same. This year’s Day of the Dead marks my 4th Halloween spent with the HARD family – two at HARD Haunted, now my second at Day of the Dead; and it’s a holiday that I personally wouldn’t have any other way. Over the last few years, HARD has migrated all across the greater Los Angeles area – from The Shrine to the Hollywood Palladium, Downtown LA’s State Historic Park and now in their 7th year, they’ve landed some mad luck with the new location at the Pomona Fairgrounds. It’ll be my first time there for anything, so I’m excited to for this new journey that we’ll all be taking together. Since we’ll be at the Fairgrounds, it’s only proper that we act accordingly – and that means Zip-Lining across the festival grounds, an awesome Ferris Wheel dubbed the Century Wheel, and The Typhoon – an awesome looking carnival coaster. And as always, there will be loads of merch stands and over a dozen different food vendors, ready to cater to every type of dietary need: vegan, vegetarian and carnivore.

Over the last few years, as EDM Festivals have been held under exponential scrutiny – HARD has drawn a line in the sand in a push for more mature dance events; their festivals are an 18+ adventure that frowns on ‘Cuddle Puddles’, rave lights, pacefiers and face masks. For some, this might feel slightly disillusioning and a blow to their perceived individuality at said events; but at the end of the day, it’s not just about image but safety, for the patrons as well as the festival itself.

Make sure you have your essentials: ID, Credit Card, Cell, Cash, Robot Ears and Good Vibes.
and some The Pomona Fairgrounds are pretty expansive, with two days and 5 stages to visit you’ll want to opt for comfortable shoes over fancy footwear.
Layers are your friend: It’ll get to almost 80 during the day, but prepare for some blustery wind and nighttime chills. I mean, Winter is coming.
Regardless of weather, if you’re dancing a storm you’re gonna sweat – remember Water is your friend; fill up often and make sure everyone in your crew does the same
Earplugs might dull the bass, but when you’re older – you’ll thank us.
The Buddy System – there’s something said for flying solo at a festival, but if you’re in a group make sure you have a meeting point and a bestie.

[Click to Enlarge]

This year, CamelBakcs and GoPro’s have the Green Light, but as I was saying earlier – there’s a pretty expansive list of Don’ts; besides the very obvious ones (no outside food, no outside alcohol, no ins and outs, no weapons, etc…), here are the highlights for you pretty party people, and then a few from me.

NO Masks
NO Laser Pointers
NO LED Gloves or LED Microlights used for Light Shows
NO Markers, Pens or Spray Paint
NO Large Chains or Spiked Jewelry
NO Balloons, Balls, Inflatable Balls or Frisbees
NO Tents, Large Umbrellas, Chairs or Blankets
NO Stuffed Animals or Dolls (Including Plush Backpacks)
NO Kandi Bracelets or Kandi Necklaces
NO Electronic or Vapor Cigarettes
NO Wubs
NO Totems
NO Bad Attitudes

Mobile App

As a tried and true Techie, I have immense respect for Music Festivals that respect the 21st Century. HARD DOTD’s interactive and immersive mobile app for Android and iPhone is the perfect combination of festival fun and ergonomics, right in the palm of your hand. On the top, you can see the current temperature at the festival and at the bottom there’s a lovely little countdown window, tick-tocking away until the gates open on Saturday morning. Click through the tabs on the left, and you’ll have access to the HARD Mixtapes that have been slowly but surely appearing on Soundcloud, directions to the Pomona Fairgrounds, a site-map and the opportunity to make your own schedule and navigate unexpected time conflicts as you peruse the lineup. There’s assorted details like Set Times, Stage, Artists Details and Socials and last, but certainly not least, you can set a timed reminder so you don’t miss your favorite artists; GENIUS. Between the running tally’s of most anticipated sets and most liked artists through the API, if you pop over to the Discover tab you’ll see the latest and greatest trends – which directly correlates to the biggest potential crowds.The only thing missing from the Official App is something like FireChat, a mobile texting technology that’s proven useful for off the grid events like Burning Man and then gained international notoriety during the recent protest in Hong Kong. The app creates a network of phones that can still communicate with each other on the festival grounds even if they can’t upload their latest Snapchat or Selfie. #Priorities

Scheduling Conflicts and Highlights

Gaining acclaim under the DJ moniker Destructo, Gary Richards – HARD’s proverbial Fairy Godmother – once again outdid himself on the event this year. To curate artists – not just for the event, but for each of the five stages (HARD, HARDER, Pink, Purple and 7UP) for both days, for a specific feel – takes a vision, drive, passion and respect for his peers. That said, if you’re a Tech head, you’ll probably end spend Saturday at the Pink Stage and Sunday at the Dirty Bird on the Purple Stage. Want to get your wubs on – just Enter The Void with RL Grime’s Pink Stage on Sunday. Feeling experimental? Dive into Saturday’s Purple Stage.

Saturday

On a personal level, there are so many great acts on both days, it’s easy to just get lost in the schedule. I was turned on to acts like Sweater Beats and Shakehips at Do LaB events, so it’s awesome seeing them represented here as well. Sweater Beats has a bunch of new tracks that I’ve been lusting over lately, so fingers crossed I get to hear ‘Dark Matter’ live. I love Seven Lions, so that’s a no brainer; between him and Bassnectar, maybe I can even pick up a few hair tips. ! I’ve been crossing my fingers for no conflicts and on Saturday there’s really only one (well, I guess technically, it’s two): Pretty Lights, TEED and ZHU are all overlapping and making my life difficult. I’ll be getting a double dose of PL over New Years Eve for Sea of Dreams, and this is ZHU’s North American debut – so I’ll probably skip PL – head to TEED then ZHU, but man…that’s a tough one; and it’s easier said than done. (Have you ever seen Pretty Lights live, I mean, WOW). To end Saturday night, I’ll be getting weird in Mau5ville as Prydz and Deadmau5 head back to back for an epic two hour dance off. I should apologize to Jamie Jones, Knife Party, Araab MUZIK and Odesza now before it’s Saturday because I won’t be leaving that main stage once those two start going off…

Sweater Beats, 7 Up Stage, 2:05
Seven Lions, HARD Stage 4:30
Snakehips, 7 Up Stage 5:05
AlunaGeorege, 7Up Stage 6:25
Pretty Lights, HARD Stage 6:55 (Alternate)
Tottally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Pink Stage 7pm
ZHU, HARDer Stage, 7:20
Diplo, HARD Stage, 8:15
Deadmau5 vs Prydz, HARDer Stage 8:50

Sunday

If you’re going for only one of the days – I’d pick Sunday. Between the Dirty Bird BBQ on the Purple Stage which promises surprise guests and back to back sets, RL Grime’s Enter the Void on the Pink Stage and a closing set from the man, the myth – the epic hair himself, Sir Bassnectar – the only act that compares in any way on Saturday is the epic Mau5 off: Eric Prydz vs DeadMau5. And that’s some real talk. There’s actually so much musical win on Sunday that I have a bit of anxiety, three times over. First, I have to pick between Eats Everything and RL Grime….at the end, Claude vs Bassnectar but the worst is that Zeds Dead, Cashmere Cat and Booka Shade are on within 10 minutes of each other on the HARDer, Pink and 7Up Stage. And the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae? I finally get to Trop til I Drop with Thomas Jack – I was so bummed to find out he wouldn’t be at Lightning in a Bottle this year (visa issues, I believe) that it’s about damn time I get to see him live.

Shiba San, Purple Stage, 3:30
Aeroplane, 7Up Stage, 4:10
Big Gigantic, HARD Stage, 5:00
Thomas Jack, 7Up Stage, 6:00
Eats Everything, Purple Stage, 7:15
RL Grime, HARD Stage, 7:20
Zeds Dead, HARDer Stage, 8:30
Cashmere Cat, Pink Stage, 8:35
Booka Shade, 7Up Stage 8:40
Claude VonStroke, Purple Stage, 9:45
Bassnectar, HARDer Stage, 9:45

For last minute details, interviews and more – keep it locked on The DJ List; for more information about HARD and their upcoming events, try their socials:

[Eagle Walkin’ and Eagle Rockin’ v5]

October 24, 2014October 24, 2014Leave a comment

Leaves are changing, seasons are rearranging – and I’m falling in love with this town all over again…

[Thursday Trend] Lusting for Leggings

October 23, 2014October 23, 2014Leave a comment

Fall in Los Angeles; it’s when scarves, boots and a sweater goes flawlessly together, PSL’s head back to the menu, the tree’s have embarked on their seasonal metamorphosis and the roads are clogged with kids heading back to school. I’ve never considered myself much of a fashion aficionado but over the last six years in this city, I’ve really honed in on my personal style. And much to my surprise, as of late – that’s included leggings. Now, until a few years ago – I considered leggings a passe idea reserved for ballerinas, yoga devotees and all you can eat buffets; but thanks to an impromptu dressing room encounter, they’ve gone from a wardrobe-won’t to absolutely necessary item in my closet. Every color, design, fabric, texture…with pockets, studs, zippers, the works; you could basically say that I’m in lust with my leggings, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here are a few of my favorites as of late – including a few I’ve bought for myself and my favorite suppliers. Fall into a pair!

Nasty Gal

Little bit of glitz, little bit of glam – and a whole lot of sex appeal. I have a healthy love of all things Nasty Gal – and that includes their plethora of leggings. I don’t have a whole lot of their clothing in my closet, because let’s be honest…I’m a baller on a budget and there are other priorities than loading my closet with the latest and greatest fashion (that’s what my Pinterest board is for). Then I go back and buy it months later if I still love it =D

Blackmilk

Sleek, sexy, shimmery patterns and form fitting cuts – I’ve been obsessing over Blackmilk for years now and one of these days, I have my own pair….promise! Until then, these can satiate my taste…

Target

For a super inexpensive alternative to splurging, head over to Target! These are quite literally the cat’s pajama’s, less than $20 and I cannot wait to wear them out!

Urban Outfitters

They’ve been a favorite store since High School and I simply can’t see them going out of style; well, my sort of style at least. I can’t wait to get a hold of these guys…

[Weekly Dose of Wisdom] Dedicated to Oscar de la Renta

October 21, 2014October 21, 2014Leave a comment

Though I’m not the biggest into fashion, I can almost guarantee that every woman in this country – if not the world – has had at least fleeting dreams of walking down a red carpet donning an Oscar de la Renta gown. How do I know this? Because I most definitely have and I’m far from what I’d consider “girly”. When I found out last night that he’d passed away it got me thinking of the photo shoots I’d done in the past, and his exquisite, elegant and feminine sense of beauty, style and grace. I wanted to pay homage with a few quotes of his that really resonate with me – as well as some of my favorite dresses of his. We’re missing a fashion icon on Earth, but I promise that Heaven has never looked so stunning.