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Yesterday, in observance of Bike to Work Day, I did my American duty and two-wheeled it to the office.  Normally it takes me 20 minutes to drive to the office by car, so I estimated the bike ride would take double the time. But Colorado takes nature very seriously and even the most populated suburbs have expanses of untouched land.  One of these open spaces is near my house, which I believed to be a simple short-cut to the office.  So I rode my bike into that field, but quickly realized the bike path didn’t start at my location.  I saw the path in the distance, so I decide to ride my bike through the field in order to pick up the path.  Well this field was filled with prairie dogs running around, literally hundreds of them.  And the path in the distance?  Well it was a lot further away in reality than my perception. Before I knew it, I was submerged in nature…jumping over streams, climbing rocks…all while carrying/riding my bike. All the while, these prarie dogs were screeching at me, like out of some terrible horror flick.  (I was waiting for them to attack and eat me.  But fear not:  I said to them, “Stop. Leave me alone. I don’t want any problems.”)  I finally arrived at the office an hour and twenty minutes after leaving home, covered in dirt and sweat.  Ashley remarked that I looked like I had gone on safari.  By the time I arrived I was totally starving so I called Papa John’s and ordered a pizza to be delivered to our office..by car. My attempt to save the earth for a day was filled with good intentions, but perhaps I missed the point.

Today my tech guru husband, Pete Lacis, is featured on FoxBusiness.com. In it, he’s interviewed by a life coach Nancy Colasurdo, who is a web client of Pete’s. It talks about how building a website and getting it found on google are becoming increasingly important on the net today.

Read the article here: http://www.foxbusiness.com

Had it not been for Pete and his insistence on me taking Girls Fight Back to the web, I am quite certain we could not have come so far, so quickly. By utilizing the internet to teach and inspire, you simultaneously reach women all over the world. Yesterday we received an email from a woman in India who wanted to attend a Girls Fight Back seminar in Mumbai. We’re not there yet, but we’re workin’ on it!

So hooray for the Internet!

To tase or not to tase. That is the trendy question, right? But I think when it comes to women specifically, there are a lot more questions about how they work and if it’s the best route to follow for personal self-defense. I bring up this topic because I received an invitation today to join a Network Marketing Company just for taser parties. Yeah, that’s right: Tupperware or Mary Kay, but a little more electrifying. And I thought the Passion Party I recently attended was a little bizarre! Before you can make a decision for yourself (and never let anyone else make it for you), it’s best to get educated. So let’s start with the facts:

-The taser is an electroshock weapon that uses Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD) technology. This makes muscles contract involuntarily throughout the body, and the sensory and motor nerves go into overdrive.

-The Taser fires two little electrodes, kinda like baby darts. They are connected to the hand-held unit by conductive wire and propelled by compressed nitrogen charges (similar to paint guns). The air cartridge contains a pair of electrodes and propellant for a single shot and is replaced after each use. For consumer models, they are limited to shooting a distance of 15 feet. When the darts hit the target, they penetrate clothing and hook into the skin.

-Police officers use two different models, the M26 and X26. Taser International is also marketing a civilian model called the C2.

-According to the Associated Press, there have been 180 deaths from tasers up to 2006. However, a study by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center studied nearly 1,000 people after getting tazed. They concluded that 99.7% of the subjects had either minor injuries, such as scrapes and bruises, or none at all. So go figure.

I have never been personally tased, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. But I’m curious, sometimes to the point of stupidity, so I’d probably volunteer to get zapped just for the sake of research. I think a person can only have so much of an opinion about this until they have felt the effects themselves. I would like to know if someone who has been tased can still continue an attack, or if they are just totally incapacitated.

For the sake of women’s safety, we have to give a few things consideration:

#1: Who is most likely to attack us? Statistics say our most common threat is a person we know. So if you’re going to be armed with a taser, you should be prepared to use it against anyone, stranger or not. This argument should also be made for any physical self-defense, like a palm strike. I mean, you have to be ready to use it on anyone and fully commit with the intention of escaping…including someone you might care about.

#2: Is is a replacement for other self-defense? I get a little nervous when anyone’s self-defense response is a can of pepper spray, a taser or any other product du jour. You’ve got to have a plan if the batteries die or if you miss. What then? I think your mind and body are your best weapons, and anything else you decide to use is a bonus.

#3: Are you going to carry your taser all the time? A mistake we often make is to arm ourselves only when there is a perceived threat. (i.e, walking through a dark parking lot, in a big city at night, etc.) Sometimes we deem certain situations “dangerous” and others as “safe.” Truly effective self-defense needs to be used all the time, as part of your daily routine. So consider if you’d take your taser to your pedicure appointment at 11am on a Saturday in suburbia.

#4: Will you get training? Sometimes women buy safety products, only to FEEL more safe. This is more dangerous than not carrying anything at all, because it creates a false sense of security. Anything we arm ourselves in, we should also know how to use under stress.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about tasers. Anyone get zapped recently? Any of my law enforcement and military buddies have a comment on this?

Today is Shannon’s birthday.  Every year since her murder, a dear friend of the McNamara family named Sharon Rickerson writes a poem. Here is this year’s…Remembering Shannon on her Birthday.

A daughter, a sister and a friend so dear
We love you; we miss you and wish you were here
To our Heavenly Father we look and pray
Give us comfort and peace
and strength for this day
Our memories are treasured
and time is measured
While Shannon lives life without end
Day after day
and by Your grace
awaiting her embrace
Some day heaven, some day soon
Together, forever more
No need for us to remember then
We’ll have what we waited for

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Calling all secondary education professionals…either teachers, principals, counselors or coaches:

Girls Fight Back is currently developing a curriculum of teen safety and self-defense material, and we’re hoping for your feedback to create an awesome program. If you could spare a few minutes, would you mind filling out our anonymous 10 question survey? To get the survey link, just shoot us an e-mail via our contact form. We greatly appreciate it!

I’d like to tell you about my friend TJ Leyden, who has just released his first book called “Skinhead Confessions.” TJ and his wife Julie founded StrHATE Talk Consulting in 2000, an organization that combats hate, bigotry, intolerance and discrimination through education. TJ is a former neo-nazi skinhead, and was one of the leaders in the movement of promoting hate, bigotry and racism for 15 years. But he eventually saw the havoc that the white power movement was creating, and how wrong it was.

TJ turned his back completely on the skinheads, and began advising the Pentagon, FBI and the Dept. of Justice (among many others) on hate crime cases. Today he travels the nation speaking to audiences about his violent past and hopefully a more peaceful future. I picked up his book with the intention of just flipping through it, but ended up reading it for a half hour without realizing it. A great read! Buy it here.

Tonight rocked like Spock. Seriously.  It was awesome.  So much so, that I’m somewhat speechless.  We had a great live studio audience who came to the live seminar at Comcast studios in Denver, and the whole production team was almost 20 people strong.  I was blessed with so many outstanding professionals and supporters who put their all into formally documenting the GFB seminar.  Click here to see pics of the pre-production and rehearsal.  We’ll be posting a highlights video from the shoot soon.  But overall, it was an incredible experience.  Honestly, it flowed so seamlessly.  The hardest part for me was picking which shirt to wear.  Everything else just kinda took off…thanks to everyone who came out for the event!

We still have a few slots left for the live seminar shoot tomorrow.  It’s going to be AWESOME.  So if you’re thinking about attending, give us a call and RSVP.  Call Ashley Bruce at 303.379.3037.

Last night we attended a wedding of some very good and old friends. It was lovely. Being a blue collar Chicago girl, I constantly find myself out of my element when it comes to these ritzy east coast affairs. So I hit Macy’s in search of a pretty dress yesterday afternoon, and I struck the jackpot! Check out this silver number…it was such a cool dress. And my arm candy was pretty sweet too.

The band for this Jersey wedding was incredible.  One of the more interesting highlights from the evening was during the 2nd song they played.  It was “Lady Marmelade.”  The lead singer, an incredibly talented woman, came onto the dance floor with the wireless mic.  And as the very last sentence of the song approached, she stuck the mic right in front of my mouth.  It was one of those “do or die” kind of moments.  I’m not really one to sing in public, but I just took a deep breath and belted out, “Free your lady marmalade.”  But I sang it in this crazy dramatic voice, kinda pretend Christina Aguilera.  The whole crowd stopped and stared at me.  It was hilarious.

Seven years ago today, one of my most amazing friends was murdered. As I write this, I’m sitting at a cafe in New York City…the same place where Girls Fight Back was born.

I would say “it seems like just yesterday” if I didn’t hate that cliché so much. Life has a funny way of flying by, and even when years have flown off the calendar, we’re sometimes left feeling unprepared, overwhelmed by time and incredulous of all that can happen in any given time period. When time flies, maybe we’re not living in the now, and we’re missing out on the best part of life. You know, the stuff that was occurring as you took that last inhale…

But I get why people say it, and I find myself wanting to use that cliché since today is a sad milestone. It was on June 12, 2001 when Shannon McNamara was killed at Eastern Illinois University. I have made that statement to over half a million people by this point. And you know what? Some days I think it has been easier to accept and say. Other days it seems more difficult. But it’s never seemed normal or right or fair, despite my best efforts to come to terms with it.

Seven years without Shannon. I woke up this morning at my in-law’s home in New Jersey. I shut off the alarm clock and sat up in bed. And the first thing I thought to myself was, “I’ve been fighting for seven years.” I didn’t think it so much as a good or bad thing. It’s just how it’s been.

Lately I’ve been thinking about why women seek or avoid learning about self-defense and personal safety. I’ve been asking women from all walks of life to understand what’s holding us back. I mean, why wouldn’t any of us want to know how to save our own life? And recently it has become somewhat clear. Perhaps more women are interested in seeking peace than fighting back. Why go to a self-defense class and get verbally assaulted and pinned by a mock assailant when you can take a yoga class instead? Why choose to put ourselves in staged (yet scary) situations that all of us dread and go to great lengths to avoid? I mean, after a day of work and kids and bills and life…doesn’t a glass of wine sound a tad more soothing than fighting off a padded attacker with a palm strike?

And after seven years of fighting, I’m wondering if a piece of the puzzle has been missing in my quest to teach women to lead strong and empowered lives. Just as yin has yang, and peanut butter has jelly, and Donnie has Marie. Maybe in the chaos of violence happening in our world today we must balance it with serenity. Several years ago my dear mentor, Bob Martin of Gavin de Becker & Associates, asked me a question. He inquired, “Why do women come to see Girls Fight Back seminars?” I told him that women simply want to know how to protect themselves. But he disagreed and said, “Women aren’t there to fight back. They just want to feel safe again.”

Bob is right. I know this from the eyes of countless women in my audiences over the years with that pleading look in their eyes. Almost as if to say, “Please tell me something that will make this pain stop. Please help me get my peace back. Please assure me it won’t happen again. Please say that my daughter will be safe at college. Please tell me there’s something I can do in case my boyfriend isn’t there to save me.”

I have told you in previous newsletters and blogs that I’m making a documentary. This coming Tuesday, June 17th we’re shooting a live seminar at Comcast Studios in Denver. Much of this footage will be used in the documentary, although I’m not totally sure of the film outcome. I’m taking my good friend Angela Shelton’s advice in just shooting it, and the story will tell itself. Lately I’m thinking there is a new chapter coming for Girls Fight Back. Maybe this movement is more significant than girl power or an effective eye jab. Maybe this eighth year will bring a more whole, peaceful, full-circle approach to women’s empowerment. Maybe there is more breathing and more silence. Maybe there is forgiveness.

This past week, a perky blue and orange sparrow has been spending a lot of time on my window sill. I’ve never seen a bird stare into someone’s house for hours on end the way he does. So much so, that my husband and I call him “Peeping Tom.” He’s so cute, and I find myself constantly checking the window to see if he’s there. Is it weird to believe that there are angels everywhere, looking in on you in their own little way? Many people who receive this newsletter knew Shannon, and June can be a hard time for you. So consider this note a virtual little Peeping Tom…just coming by to say hello, make you smile and serve as a reminder that each moment brings new meaning to the life we already have.

Strong. Resilient. Spirited. Unified.
Erin Weed

WHAT: Attend a free, live seminar of the Girls Fight Back program in Denver, Colorado.  This 90-minute seminar will be taped at Comcast Studios, and we are looking for 100 women to be our live studio audience. Learn how to stay safe, trust your intuition, and of course… kick some booty!  (Note: This is an introductory seminar, not a full-blown self-defense class. No need to wear any special clothing, as you will only be watching demos from your seat.)

WHO: The Founder of GFB, Erin Weed, will be presenting. We’re looking for 100 women and girls, over the age of 12, to be our lovely audience.

WHEN: Tuesday June 17, 2008 from 4 – 6:30 pm.  We are on a strict schedule for the shoot, so please arrive at 4pm sharp!  All attendees will go through security and sign a waiver giving our cameras permission to catch you on film. There will be musical entertainment for your enjoyment before the seminar starts. Live shoot begins at 5 pm.

WHERE: Comcast Studios in Denver. The exact address is below. When you arrive, park in the lot and enter through the main entrance of the building.  Look for the blue and green balloons!

Comcast Media Center
4100 E Dry Creek Road
Littleton, CO 80122
Map & Directions

WHY: Be a part of the first-ever live Girls Fight Back shoot!  Also learn how to fight back against violence, and get a free book and t-shirt as our way of saying thank you for attending.

RSVP: We need 100 women to come pack the Comcast studio full of energy, so invite your friends, family, co-workers and make it a girls night out!  Please sign up as soon as possible, as we need to make sure all 100 chairs are filled.  Once you RSVP, we are holding your seat and counting on your smiling face to be there.  So please, no cancellations.  To RSVP, contact Ashley Bruce at 303-379-3037 or via e-mail at abruce@girlsfightback.org.

We have over 1,200 “friends” on the Facebook group: “The Official Group of Girls Fight Back.”  Today I noticed it’s been wayyyy too long since I last gave you the updates.  So here ye are:

Hi all. All i can say is WOW. This has been a helluva spring, and I mean that in a good way. I visited over 30 cities with Girls Fight Back, and lots more people know how to kick ass today than about 3 months ago…and that is a very good thing.

Wanna hear my life’s irony? That during my speaking tours, I do my best to savor every moment as the blessings they are. But on the hard days, when I’m surrounded by asshole business travelers or when a demonic mom decides to change her baby’s POOPY diaper next to me on an enclosed airplane (this really happened), I just console myself in looking forward to summer. I always think, “Oh, it will be so calm and relaxing at home in Colorado come June.” And then June comes and I realize I’m more crazed than ever!

This June is no exception. We have big things in the works, including a visit to New York City for a major book signing this week and also we’ll be shooting the first ever LIVE Girls Fight Back seminar at Comcast studios in Denver…and it will be 100% high definition. And we’ll have a live studio audience, just like Price is Right! (OK, not quite…but whatev.) Furthermore, we’re cookin’ up plans so that you can start your very own chapter of GFB at a high school or college. More on that coming soon…but just know we’re goin’ international, baby!

While all this lovely madness is swirling about GFB headquarters, there are still some moments that make me stop and pause…often with a tinge of sadness. On June 12, 2008, it will be 7 years from the day Shannon McNamara was murdered. Oddly, I will find myself in New York City…the same place where all this started. Talk about full circle.

I believe the best way we can honor the memory of Shannon and so many others affected by violence is to keep on truckin’ and never give up. To keep stretching for big goals to end violence and empower people in the process. In the wise words of Wayne Campbell & Garth Algar: GAME ON!

As always, thanks for sticking with us.

This morning I was late to the office, and running around the house trying to find my keys, wallet and chapstick. It’s mornings like these that it’s easy to forget about living in the now.  But in doing so, we miss the journey. Lately I have been trying to consciously stop and enjoy the power and importance that each moment brings. So today as I was bounding upstairs to get my final round of forgotten items, I saw a baby bird sitting on the window sill of my stairwell (pictured at left). He was so tiny! If birds had facial expressions, his had fear all over it! This particular window was pretty high from the ground, and mama bird was nowhere in sight. From our perspective, it looked like mama was giving him some tough love in the form of his first flying lesson. As my husband and I watched, he teetered back and forth, while nervously looking around. I got tense as a strong breeze came by and baby bird seemed to lose his footing. And then with a swift swoosh, he made the leap and awkwardly took flight through our gorgeous morning sky. Witnessing this reminded me to spread my wings nice and far today. Sometimes life is scary, but you just gotta jump off the ledge with faith that you won’t crack your skull on the pavement!

One of the occupational hazards to being a speaker/author about women’s safety and self-defense is the incredible amount of stories I hear every year about terrible things that have happened.  It’s like the minute I share with someone what I do for a living, the flood gates open and the women I meet are so relieved to talk about their stories that they carry with them.  Earlier today I got a mani/pedi and tried out a new salon.  The woman from Malaysia who was working on my nails asked what I did for a living, and I told her all about Girls Fight Back.  She then told her story about always wanting to be a real estate agent and taking all the exams, but was unable to chase her dream out of fear of showing properties to men she didn’t know.  What many people don’t realize is that violence keeps our entire society down.  Sometimes because of the things that DO happen, which leave us traumatized.  And sometimes because of all the things that DON’T happen, just because we are too terrified to try.  It’s my personal mission that we stop making choices stemming from fear.  Instead, we need to get educated…get empowered…and be ready to boldly walk down the path we were intended to.

Holy gorgeousness! Yesterday I went on a 3 mile hike with my girlfriends Lisa and Erica. This particular hike is called the Royal Arch, since the final destination is exactly that…a big-ass stone arch perched on the side of a mountain and overlooking Boulder. I’ve only gotten into hiking since moving to Colorado last year, but it currently ranks as one of my favorite hobbies. Nothing clears your mind like fresh air (although that same air can get pretty thin in these parts!) and beautiful scenery. It’s days like this that you look around, and marvel at this earth we live on…