some video distraction + more thoughts from the phone banks

Goodness. I just swiped this video off Janette Rallison's blog. It's produced by Dove and it shows the makeup and then Photoshop alterations that go into getting one billboard ad:
I guess it's from their "campaign for real beauty," a part of which stresses self-esteem education for girls. Sounds good and all, but I can't shake the feeling that it's still just an advertising gimmick. In any case, the video is interesting. I've been known to Photoshop myself a bit. I'll have to try that neck thing. Snort!

Here's another one, called "Onslaught" showing what girls are bombared with daily:
Interestingly (and in Dutch, so I can't read it) here is one produced by Greenpeace that seems to be saying that Dove products are responsible for deforestation. Well, I guess nobody's perfect, eh Dove? It's a bit unsettling, and mimics the style of the last ad exactly, including the music:

Anyway. Those distracted me for a few minutes this morning, so I thought I'd spread the distraction.

Phone-banking was much better last night that last time! I got plenty of hang-ups and "not interesteds" of course, but nothing nasty. Whew. And I did get a lot of undecided voters who were willing to chat. Yay! It makes me happy when someone is willing to engage, when they care. I don't understand the not caring, but there are still a lot of people who don't believe that "politics" affects their own lives. It does! It does!! Some years ago I read a book by the late, great Molly Ivins that went into showing how even the most minor of Bush policy decisions was affecting Americans in life-and-death ways. One that stands out in my memory is cutting funding to LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) that subsidizes heating bills in cold climates. When Bush cut that funding -- and nobody heard about it at the time because it was overshadowed by 9/11 stuff, the best camouflage the administration could ever have hoped for -- seniors literally froze to death in their apartments. Here in America. Politics is a big part of our lives -- but an era of prosperity had lulled so many Americans into thinking nothing bad could happen to them here, and into believing their government would never mistreat them. So they stopped paying attention, and the Bush administration has gotten away with murder.

Anyway, thankfully, no racial slurs or horrible comments last night. The phone bank was full, the energy was good, and many people spared a few moments to talk about their concerns -- most of which arise from the Republican candidate's nasty attack ads, which are all lies. And get ready for more of that from McCain, everybody. A month of seriously ugly Republican politics is getting underway. A McCain campaign chair in Virginia yesterday appealed to the lowest element of voters in a newspaper column in which he claimed Obama's platform includes tax-breaks to NAMBLA members (that's a pedophilic organization, if you don't know), and raising taxes for "free drugs for Obama's inner-city base." Yeah, you heard that right. The McCain campaign is now claiming Obama gives tax breaks to pedophiles and wants free drugs for his "base," who of course must all be drug addicts because they're, you know. . . black. Anyone still planning to vote for McCain, I hope you will seriously consider the character of the man you want in the White House.

We have a chance for a new era in America, a choice between: a bright, hopeful, articulate man who knows the Constitution inside and out and will fight for the middle class and work hard to bring home our troops and restore America's world standing. OR a crusty, nasty old codger flinging the vilest sorts of lies around, appealing to racism in voters, muttering "Horseshit" under his breath in the debates, and probably still singing "Bomb Iran" and chuckling about it.

That's all from me for today, with this aside to Oregonians: Merkley/Smith debate Thursday at 7 pm on NBC. Cheers!