On Friday October 30, 2009… I got in my car and drove 3 hours north from Toledo- why? TO be a part of Zombie history!
It was raining the entire day, and winds were wicked cold, but one truth remained- Zombies don’t take a day off because of bad weather. My brother and a bunch of his GR friends gathered and bloodied up with latex skin that looks like our upper layers were peeling off and blood dripping from our mouths- portraying the brains we had just consumed.
It is estimated that 8,000 people showed up this year in full character to walk the streets of Downtown Grand Rapids and take the place as the record breaking biggest Zombie Walk to date. The zombies did not take their role lightly, even after the event was over and everyone gathered to dance to music at the outside concert, many still stayed in character and did not even speak beside the grunts and growls that us zombies have always been known for.
The entire event was organized by Robert Bliss, a college student from Grand Rapids, and blew up last year when thousands were in attendance- the signatures have not been counted yet this year- but by the looks of it, we easily shattered the previously-owned record of about 4,500 in England.
Unfortunately I was not able to take too much video footage of my own due to the rain, but check out the video below and it may help you get a peak into the madness that was Zombie Walk Grand Rapids 2009.
BBRRAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!
Also- if you aren’t friends with the coolest zombie on facebook yet- add me!
facebook.com/8thlopez
Next stop- I get interviewed by the Huffington Post and co-host a show with the Broadminded Gals!
I am lucky enough that I come from a long line of very strong women. My Grandmother gave birth to 12 kids, seriously people, 12 kids and raised them while my Grandfather was a traveling businessman. My mother (the second oldest) raised her three children, me and my two older brothers, while she battled cancer. She was misdiagnosed and fed the incorrect treatment for a year- until they correctly diagnosed her and gave her about a %3 chance of survival. She went through it all: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, stem-cell transplant… and she survived. She beat cancer’s ass. And now? She has less than a year left to get her PhD.
So I tend to get very excited when I meet other strong-minded, strong-willed women because throughout my life they are the ones that have been my inspiration to succeed, grow and strive for better things. And now let me get to my point- I get to go meet and hang out with two of the coolest women I have ever had the pleasure of speaking with. Not only that- but it is all going to be live on air so you can listen to it!
Remember the awesome Broads that interviewed me on Sirius/XM Radio? Well Thursday the 5th of November from 12-2PM EST I get to go hang out with them in the studio and chat it up on air! On Channel 102 on Sirius/ 155 on XM !
But that’s not even the coolest part- afterward the Broads and I are going to to a charity event for the Duffy House and celebrate the finale of my 8th Continent Soymilk Taste of Life Tour. If you are not familiar with the Duffy House- it is a non-profit organization that offers long-term care and comprehensive support services that keep families stabilized as they progress to independent living. Essentially they help domestic violence survivors, sexual assault survivors and even provide a toll free hotline that women can call for support.
This cause is very dear and near to my heart because although many of you do not know this- I spent years in a house like this when I was growing up. My father was abusive and my mother had the strength to take me and my two older brothers and find a way to escape the abuse. Without a house like this I can’t even imagine what my life would be like or whether my mother, whom I love so much, would have even survived the relationship. Even the strongest most amazing women in our life need a little helping hand sometime.
To find out more about the Duffy House please visit:
http://www.theduffyhouse.org/
Also right now the Broadminded Ladies are promoting a Facebook Fundraiser for the Duffy House! An easy way to contribute!
After the soybean farm- I was ready for some big city living and events. The next day I hit the road to Chicago for the 2009 Annual Chicago Humanities Festival.
“The Chicago Humanities Festival is devoted to making the humanities a vital and vibrant ingredient of daily life. We believe that access to cultural, artistic and educational opportunities is a necessary element for a healthy and robust civic environment.”
Now I will be first to admit I am not completely accustomed to big city traveling- so finding out that the events for the festival took place in all different buildings- far away from any taxis- made me a bit nervous… but I ventured out.
I found the first place and was only about 15 minutes late because I found the only cab driver in all of Downtown Chicago that drove slower than glacial formation… but I am an optimistic person. I looked at it more as a personal, non-narrated tour… giving me plenty of time to gaze out the windows at the large Windy City.
This year’s Humanities Festival was all centered around laughter. It truly is an amazing thing really- laughter that is. If you just think about it a little bit- you have different types of laughter from all different cultures. What in your mind first of all decides something is funny and then converts into the physical action of expressing it audibly?
So the first event was with Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen called “An American Comedy in Black and White”. If you don’t know these guys- they were the first, and so far the only, black and white comedy duo. They went out during the time of the Civil Rights Movement… so needless to say- it was a shock when they went into venues filled with all white people AND venues that were filled with all black people.
Essentially they were judged and criticized wherever they went because they made jokes that brushed upon a lot of racial stigma and tension of the time. They were literally thrown out of places- but applauded in most. They were that breath of fresh air that America was waiting for. They wanted to take all of the tragedy and pain of the time and let someone know it was still OK to laugh.
I bought their book and it is sold online at:
http://www.timandtomcomedy.com/
And that’s what this entire festival was about this year… and let’s admit it- laughter is good for you.
Solid scientific research demonstrates that laughter offers the following benefits:
• Lowering blood pressure
• Strengthening cardiovascular functions
• Reducing stress hormones
• Improving circulation
• Increasing muscle flexion
• Oxygenating the body by boosting the respiratory system
• Boosting immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gammainterferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies
• Triggering the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers
• Producing a general sense of well-being
So do it- laugh out loud…
Whether you have a goofy heehaw effect, or a snorting high-pitched snicker… laughing is good. Hmmm… I wonder if I could laugh so hard that I would have 8th Continent Soymilk come out of my nose.
My latest stop on the 8th Continent Soymilk Taste of Life Tour was in Metropolis to go to the Superman Museum. This town is awesome. They know that Metropolis means Superman to most people who hear the word- and they love it!
On their Welcome into their city sign there is a flying Superman depicted and below it says: “Welcome to metropolis! Home to Superman!”
So I drive through this little quaint town and find the Superman museum which is located in the back of a small gift shop cluttered with Superman paraphernalia. Before you enter into the gift shop- you HAVE to take a picture with the Superman body/your head- making you feel like a complete tourist- but hey! Who cares?!? You’re in Metropolis!
Then you turn to your left and you see the huge statue of Superman in front of the main town’s building. He is standing there as heroic as ever- and if you look at his feet close enough- you notice the entire platform is that famous “S” symbol.
So I entered into the gift shop- looked at the overpriced S symbols and comics and DC stuff that reminded me of my childhood. (If you ever doubted I was a dork before- now you can rest assured.) The museum cost a measly $5 to get in. And if you wonder why I call it measly then let me tell you what they had hidden back there! Most of the display cases sported as much dust as they did fingerprints- so you could tell they weren’t exactly worried about cleaning that much- or the owner was very particular about touching these gems of the past.
Back there was the first EVER Superman costume. There were things from every Superman TV show, every comicbook, I mean I actually had to read the nameplate to catch some of the obscure degrees of separation back to Superman. Truly amazing.
I walked out of the back rooms/museum and was eager to go stand in awe in front of the giant Superman statue- and then I saw it… or more exact- them!
Batman comicbooks? Batman bumper stickers? Batman notebooks? I looked around frantically wondering if someone had planted these things- knowing that this couldn’t possibly be expected. Now don’t get me wrong- I love Batman- with his rugged looks and daring charm; but EVERYONE knows there has always been a feud between Batman and Superman. And here we are- in the supposedly one safe haven for pro-Superman fans- and the attendance is getting accosted with Batman products.
OK, OK- I may be over-reacting. But seriously this seems like someone is trying to start some nerd rage fights. It just isn’t right! Blasphemous I say! So now we come to the real question… the one everyone is always thinking about day in and day out. What I wonder to myself on the treadmill and while lying on the beach. Who is better? Batman or Superman???
Now- in the sense of the 8th Continent Soymilk lover that I am. Superman is totally a dairy milk guy. I mean come on! He is known to other super heroes as the Big Blue Boy Scout! So I can only imagine how many “super farts” he creeps out during one crime fighting event.
Batman however totally seems like an 8th Continent Chocolate Soymilk drinker. Him and I could share a bowl of deliciously chocolate cocoa puffs while I wipe the tears away from his handsome face- telling me about his parents and what made him become a crime fighter. (In my mind I imagine that I would be his female confidant/ girlfriend… but what girl doesn’t imagine that?)
So to make this more clear let’s get some facts straight.
Superman doesn’t kill. In the late 40’s he swore that the day he killed would be the day he hung his cape up and retired. Batman, on the other hand, does. Batman’s rule is to use no guns- although he broke this rule once in I believe 2006.
Superman was born with certain powers due to his heritage. Superman’s arsenal of powers has included flight, super-strength, invulnerability to non-magical attacks, super-speed vision powers (including x-ray, heat-emitting, telescopic, infra-red, and microscopic vision), super-hearing, and super-breath, which enables him to blow out air at freezing temperatures, as well as exert the propulsive force of high-speed winds.
“faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”
On the other hand, Batman possesses no super-powers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, and intimidation in his war on crime.
Superman has been known to be lonely- despite having a wife and all. And he whines and ponders about his home planet, and doesn’t kill, and wears spandex, and seems kinda like a cry-baby… well, when he isn’t kicking crimes ass. And one more important note- in 2006 Superman gets stripped of his powers- although they are restored within a fictional year. He also has a weakness to kryptonite. He becomes practically paralyzed- and if exposed for too long, will die. So there are some obvious weaknesses. Like I can only imagine him turning to someone and saying something super- non super hero like… “I just want to be held.”
Batman is dark and brooding. Like he would light candles, cook you dinner, have some intellectual conversation and then go out and fight crime. Come home and cuddle and not want to talk about the horrors he had seen and resurrected that night. He would sometimes break a plate at dinner in a fit of unexpected rage… but it is also that craziness that allows him to scare the living crap out of the wrong-doers of Gotham City. Dressed as a bat, Batman deliberately cultivates a frightening persona in order to aid him in crime fighting,a fright that originates from the criminals own guilty consciousness which Batman cleverly reminds and stimulates.
And Batman has his own feelings about Superman. In Superman/Batman #3, Batman observes:
“It is a remarkable dichotomy. In many ways, Clark is the most human of us all. Then…he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to him.”
Later though,Batman admonished him for identifying with humanity too much and failing to provide the strong leadership that superhumans need.
And do I need to mention how much better Batman Begins was compared to Superman Returns???
Ok- I can’t make this decision for you… but I have provided the facts and some of the arguing points. You decided! Leave comments and let me know- Batman vs. Superman? And if you can’t tell yet- I kinda have a crush on Batman… and I choose him.
Come join me on my adventures! Next stop is the Chicago Humanities Festival!
So as my tires continue to kiss the pavement- I can’t help but learn some tips I think are worthy of sharing with all of you about roadtrips, traveling, the roads, etc.
One of the biggest hazards you will find- especially driving at night is when you feel that dreaded blanket of drowsiness.
When you are feeling a bit out of energy stop somewhere and brush your teeth with mint toothpaste! Not only is it good to keep your hygiene nice while you are traveling… (wish more people understood that!)… but the mint also naturally livens your senses a bit. This may be just the thing for you to get your second wind.
And if this doesn’t help- stop!!!
You can tale a nap at a rest area or just pull over. Stopping short of your next drive goal is worth it. Trust me, it may save your life- and the lives of the other people on the road.
I totally blanked on posting this video to my blog!!!
The TX State Fair was amazing! There is something about whacking a rubber chicken with a mullet and sending it flying- hoping it will land in a moving bucket so you can win a rubber chicken key chain… (I totally did!)
There were deep-fried Snickers, Oreos, Big Tex, rides that spin to the point of nausea and a whole crap-ton of Texas Pride!
OK- I just have a few more stops left on this bout of the tour- make sure you add me on Facebook so we can keep in touch!
“…each day I take to the roads as a beginner, a child, a poet. Seeking the innocence of the beginner, the wonder of the child and the vision of the poet. Hoping for new appreciation of the landscape, a new perspective of my inner world , some new insights on life, a new response to existence and myself…
…Still, there is always the chance I’ll have beginner’s luck. And this run, this hour, this day may begin in delight and end in wisdom.” (p. 121)
-Dr. George Sheehan
There is something about waking up before the sun rises with a goal and determination with other like-minded athletes at your side.This last stop on the 8th Continent Soymilk Taste of Life Tour was the Publix Family Fitness Weekend Triathlon. Not only is Publix my favorite grocery store in Florida because of how much they care for their employees and staff, but they also carry 8th Continent Soymilk- just saying.
Want to start training for a triathlon yourself?
Here are some great beginner tips when training:
-Never go up in minutes/miles by more than 10% per week. This decreases your chance for injuries.
-Get lots of sleep, this is the only part of your 24 hour day for real recuperation. Take advantage. It will also keep you mentally sharp.
-If you feel run-down at the beginning of your routine, don’t push yourself. You don’t need to do all of your minutes every time. Your body is just telling you ‘whoa! I’m gonna need a little more rest today – an unscheduled light workout will suit me just fine.’ If you feel rundown and push yourself to do your minutes or miles, you will only feel worse in the following days and this can lead to injuries and or sickness.
-When training for your swim, make sure you go a little farther then your needed distance. You will definitely have confidence then. Swimming can be scary – especially if one can’t touch or see the ground.
-Like the swim, do a few bike or runs over the distance needed. Confidence again.
-Don’t train hard the last two weeks before the race.
-Get plenty of sleep several nights before. (You should always be doing this though)
-Do not change your diet before your first triathlon.
Check out more about this event and other awesome events like it!
http://www.familyfitnessweekend.com/
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/
This is Lopez form 8th Continent Soymilk signing off! Befriend me on Facebook! It’s the right thing to do!!!
The weather channel predicted rain, and rain it did. I woke up in my hotel room, took a shower, blowdried my hair and then looked out the window… it was pouring. Another stop was instantly added to the itinerary- I must get a rain coat, or a poncho, or an umbrella, or even a large-sized trash bag. SOMETHING that would keep me from being miserable in the rain. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea.
I went to Ross, the security guard laughed at me when I asked if they had any raincoats left. He informed me that over 150 people had asked him that same question within the last hour. Then to Target, no luck. Then to some sort of fashion discount store, no luck. Then I did what I should have done all along- Walmart.
I got my umbrella, a hat AND a hoodie for extra measure. I was prepared! The music festival was wet… that’s the best adjective I can think of for it… but not the only one.
The Austin City Limits Music Festival was also packed with amazing musicians such as Flogging Molly, Citizen Cope, Mos Def, K’naan, the list goes on and on.
The music was amazing, but I cannot lie, the amount of shivering and THO left me running to the exit after only about 5 hours. I was cold. I was wet… but I was impressed.
The lead singer walked up to the microphone with a Guinness in hand. “Guinnes is a good breakfast.” Keep in mind this was at 4:00 PM… I should have brought him some cereal and some 8th Continent Soymilk. J But what do you expect from an Irish Punk band- love them!!!
And Mos Def- with all of his worldly inspirations hit the stage and banged on the drums and impressed me as he always has. He has been on the music scene for a long time, and he has only gotten better.
ACL Music Festival was AMAZING! Next stop is the Texas State Fair. First, I am stopping at a Kroger’s to pick up some snacking for the road. I have had a recent addiction to Bare Naked Granola.
If you aren’t hanging out with me on my tour yet- make sure you do!
sustainable |səˈstānəbəl|
adjective
able to be maintained at a certain rate or level : sustainable fusion reactions.
• Ecology (esp. of development, exploitation, or agriculture) conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources.
• able to be upheld or defended : sustainable definitions of good educational practice.
This is all I knew about sustainability before my visit to Arizona State University. When I had arrived, I thought sustainability and “going green” were synonymous. Turns out there is a whole new term for the surge of companies “going green”: Green Washing. Anyone can really claim to “go green”, you don’t get certified in it, and most of it is a PR- lion through a fiery hoop act- to make consumers spit out ooh’s and ahh’s.
Sustainability seems, for lack of a better word, more pure than that. So when I sat down with Bonnie, the Director of Sustainable Business Practices at ASU, I asked: what exactly is sustainability?
There are many ways to define it, some are more correct than others… but here are a few that might help you understand:
“Sustainability is eating food your great grandparents would recognize.”
“Sustainability is living like tomorrow matters… and the next day.”
“Sustainability is focusing on your actions, and realizing the impact they make on your environment, the economy and the community.”
The most cohesive definition I have found however goes a little something like this:
“Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community — whether the economic, social and environmental systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all community residents, present and future.”
ASU is home to this nation’s first School of Sustainability, and they are proud of it! And on top of that- they should be! Not only is ASU one of the nation’s top green universities, but you can tell the faculty and the students are committed to a vision of full sustainability, and making that vision come true.
But as Bonnie said: “It’s not easy, it’s very difficult. We have come a long way, but we most certainly still have a long way to go. Oil tankers don’t just turn on a dime. But once we get there, the impact will be immense.”
An awesome organization they have at ASU is called Campus Harvest. There are plants all over the campus that produce edible food. A couple of years ago, the lemons, oranges, dates, bananas, etc. would fall to the ground and be hauled off to the landfill. Campus Harvest however, allows students to volunteer their time to go out and pick that produce. These natural, local, edible treats are then used by the eateries on campus to make food for the students! I had the pleasure of eating at Engrained where I met with several sustainability evangelists, including Katrina, the Sustainability Manager of Engrained. Try the quinoa burger- veggie and delish!
Besides the delicious food, the students, faculty and staff at ASU are focused on changing not just their community, but the world. They work on such things like turning algae into biodiesel fuel, and finding new ways to create clean water in third world countries, and ways to achieve conservation in a social context. I’ve met and seen lots of people who care, but here you can find people taking action and trying to solve. That was what was so unique about this establishment.
I know what you’re all thinking: But how can I make a difference???
Think about it… if each one of you just adjusted a little, it would make a huge impact. Here are some tips:
carpool, reusable grocery bags, shut down your computer when not in use, recycle, drive at or a little below the speed limit, do only full loads of laundry, go organic, buy local, bike, walk, skate board, carry a refillable water bottle, buy reusable ink cartridges…
I was told the best thing you can do is to choose a habit, just one habit, and learn everything you can about it. Where does it come from? What happens afterward? What is the environmental impact? And then take that habit and see if you can reduce, or stop it all together. It’s not easy, but if each person cared just a little bit more, and got just a little bit more educated, and became just a little bit more tolerant- I guarantee the world will be a better place today, tomorrow, and the next…
Video from ASU:
http://www.asu.edu/
http://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu/
Great Twitter resource! http://twitter.com/ASUgreen
I want to send out a very special thank you to Vanessa, Colin, Bonny, Rob and Karen at ASU! You made me feel so welcomed and opened up a new world of knowledge.
OK everyone! If you aren’t following along with me yet on my 8th Continent Soymilk Taste of Life Tour- well, DO IT! Just DO IT!
