Where do your drugs come from?

Santiago Meza Lopez put the bodies of the people he captured in acid so they would dissolve and be disappeared forever. The 300 people he did this to were all primarily against the narcotic industry in Mexico and posed some sort of opposition. Ciudad Juarez is teeming with violence all surrounding the drug cartels, but also harming innocent people not related to the drug industry at all. There have been countless news stories lately about the increasing violence in Mexico and around the border, but no one has connected it to our country and what role we play in it.

The violence is happening because there's money involved. A lot of money for an impoverished country with millions of desperate people. Where does the money eventually come from, or rather, who's buying the drugs at the last stop? I'm sure they're going across seas and to Canada, but there are also plenty of Americans fueling the violence with their dollars. This connection seems so obvious to me, but so many of my peers seem to have no problem with their habit.

Kidnapping for ransom and other atrocious crimes against totally innocent people is probably one of the best reasons to boycott a product, especially one as destructive and unnecessary as this one.

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This song by Little Dragon.

Brussels Sprouts (roasted, not steamed).

People just being nice instead of trying.

Branches.

change we can now see

It has been a long time since I've posted (ap even posted under my name recently to try and fool you), but it's time for a change. As the country welcomes a new president and we welcome a new home, I am welcoming a new commitment to posting on the blog I was once so intense about.

My first post back is this picture of a plant in Golden Gate park that has graffiti on it. This was a first for me, and it seemed fitting that I captured it on my first full day living in the city.

It's good to be back.

We Moved

Not there, but closer by.

Just Do It (yourself)

Arts and crafts are so much fun (obviously) but making things that you can actually use is really more than just fun. Etsy, a website that connects people who make cool things with people who want to buy them is the perfect example of how something your grandma used to do is now cool. The site also has a lot of recycled items for the frugalistas. I like how you can find items that are not only great, but inexpensive and pretty much totally unique.

Overheard in Berkeley (Oakland, technically)

Mommy, can I have a vegan doughnut?

- small child to his hip mom, who promptly replied, "of course, sweety!" I'm pretty sure that just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's not still fried dough with lots of sugar.

Our Resolutions

- Eat less sugar. Scary. I really don't want to end up being a crazy catlady.

- Be nicer and friendlier. I started this a few months ago, but it's an ongoing goal of mine.

- Start being thrifty. This is really hard.

- Stop driving so much. Oh wait, I don't drive at all because I hate cars and don't even own one.

- Go to yoga. This is where we do it.

- Go running. I know that's everyone's, but we used to do it a lot and now we don't.

- Find a boyfriend. One that's cool and normal. That site probably won't help.

- Finish crossowords in one sitting.

- Painting stuff gold. I love painting stuff gold.