Unilever's Back To School Bash

I was recently invited to a "Back to School Bash" in NYC hosted by Unilever and PR firm Weber Shandwick. The party was a back-to-school fashion event for tween girls to promote Unilever's newest scent for Dove® gofresh(TM), Rebalance. I brought my daughter and my niece, who are both 11.

The company really went above and beyond to make the guests feel special and pampered. Servers circled the room with trays of delicious, finger foods like mini-hamburgers and tiny grilled cheese squares and fruity mixed drinks like pink lemonade and citrus punch. A fashion consultant introduced the girls to the newest trends in tween fashion, showing off racks of clothes and rows of shoes.

Parenting expert and author, Rosalind Wiseman gave back-to-school tips and signed free copies of her books Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials and Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and the New Realities of Girl World (the book that helped inspire the movie Mean Girls and personally helped me get through a tough situation with my daughter a few years ago).

Professional stylists did the girls' makeup and hair, before they had a fun photo shoot courtesy of Stardoll. Each guest went home with a copy of their best photograph in a picture frame decorated with stickers, jewels and pom-poms, a mini Caboodles makeup case, and free samples of gofresh Rebalance deodorant and body mist.

I have to say that the event was amazing... both of the girls had a great time.

The brand really made them feel special and grown-up and important. They couldn't stop gazing at their photographs - marveling at how pretty their hair and makeup was - and raving about how delicious everything tasted. On the ride home they both devoured the first two chapters of Wiseman's book and both mentioned that they can keep the mini deodorant sample in their lockers when they start middle school this September. 

Shortly after dropping my niece off at her house, I received a call from her mom thanking me again and again for bringing her, saying how she wouldn't shut up about what a great time she had.

The event was part of Unilever's "Don't Fret The Sweat" campaign, the mission of which is to help parents and children to "successfully navigate the tricky tween years". Unilever has aligned with community partners to provide parents with the tools they need to help build their tweens’ confidence during these critical years and help their children transition into confident and self-reliant teens.

Disclosure: There was no charge for this event. I was invited by a representative from Weber Shandwick. I was not compensated for this blog entry and all of the opinions stated in this blog entry are my own.

Getting Vaporized

I was talking to a friend of mine who is really into alternative health and aromatherapy and things like that, and she just introduced me to vaporizers. A vaporizer is a smoking alternative that allows you to inhale various herbs and other materials without actually burning them with a flame. Since there's no flame involved, the process is cleaner and can last longer and, probably most importantly, significantly reduces any toxins or carcinogens that may be present.

So I've been looking at this really interesting website that sells lots of different kinds of vaporizers and has a ton of helpful information. I've been reading up and learning about the different types of vaporizers that are available and the benefits of each kind. One of the most impressive looking ones is called the Volcano Vaporizer (even the name is cool, it sounds like something a superhero would use). It's a high quality German product that uses a method called a balloon valve to safely create scented and flavored vapor.

Yeah, I know, if you're unfamiliar with this it kinda sounds like science fiction, but it's all legit and I find it really interesting. I'll definitely be looking into vaporizers more and maybe investing in a Volcano of my own.

Fighting Breast Cancer

You might have noticed that commercials for Avon breast cancer walk have started popping up lately. I got a call from a friend who is thinking of trying to get a group together to do that or one of the other breast cancer walks that are coming up this spring and summer. It's usually not too hard to get a group together for these things since so many people have been personally touched by this issue.

Of course, as important as it is to participate in these events that raise money and awareness, it's also important to make sure that you stay informed and keep up with the latest news about breast cancer. Make sure that you're familiar with the signs of breast cancer and that you have a doctor that you feel comfortable talking to about your potential risk and the steps you should be taking to protect your health.

I also think that a walk like this presents a great opportunity to talk to your friends and the women in your family and encourage them to educate themselves about breast cancer symptoms and to be proactive where their health is concerned. With all of the (sometimes conflicting) information that's out there, it can be difficult to navigate, so it's helpful to communicate with each other and make sure that we're all getting the best information and health care possible.

See you at the walk!

Getting Healthy

So I've been working on my New Year's resolution of getting healthier. (I know, it's totally the most original resolution ever.) I've been eating better and working out more, and I've also been reading a lot about health, fitness, diet, etc. It's going pretty well so far.

One of the things that has come up a lot in my research is how important it is to try to track your progress accurately. The more information you have about yourself and your body, the easier it will be to design a program that works for you. There are so many different workouts and diet plans out there that you could follow, and many of them work well, but not all of them are going to be great for you.

One good piece of information to have is your resting metabolic rate, which is basically how many calories your body burns in a day without exercise/activity. You can actually get a small device called BodyGem that you can breathe into to measure your resting metabolic rate at home. (If you work with a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or a doctor or other health/fitness professional on a weight loss plan, you may have seen the professional version of the same device, which is called MedGem.)

If you need to take it the next level, you can work with your health care professional to gather even more information. The Cholestech LDX is a small device that uses a drop of blood to create a quick analysis and provide a complete lipid profile plus info about your glucose levels. This is valuable information that can help in the development of the best fitness plan for you. Losing weight and getting healthy can be a slow and sometimes frustrating process even when it's going well, so why not take advantage of all of the technology that's out there to make sure that you're on the right track?

Anyone else working on getting healthier right now? How's it going for you?

Tips for Medical Professionals: Buying Scrubs

Despite the fact that I am completely squeamish about all things medical (I even faint at the sight of blood sometimes!) a lot of people don't know that many of the lousy jobs I've held over the years have been in the medial field. Don't worry - I wasn't performing surgery or anything... that would've been scary, haha! But I'm way too familiar with medical offices than anyone with my fear of blood and stuff like that should ever be...

Usually my responsibilities were restricted to 'safe' stuff like making appointments and answering the phones, but that was at 'people' doctors. Working for veterinarians was usually a whole other story. Sometimes I had to clean out cages and prepare fecal tests (let's just say it was the job was overall... shitty). Puppies and kittens are cute. The stuff that comes out of them? NOT SO CUTE. 

But every once in a while I did get stuck holding down a squirmy cat while the vet drew blood or petting a dog as it came out of anesthesia post-surgery. Scary... and sometimes gross.  Although my responsibilities varied from job to job - and from day to day - one thing was always the same. The uniform. Yep, I'm talking about scrubs.

At the 'clean' jobs (the people jobs) the scrubs I was required to wear were purely... ornamental. They were for show only. I guess they just wanted us to all match... or maybe they didn't trust us not to come to work dressed inappropriately (I am prone to showing excessive cleavage when left to my own devices). Or maybe it was a 'just in case' policy. It's not your job to treat patients - and we would probably get sued if we let you - but god forbid someone bleeds or pees on you by accident at least you didn't ruin any real clothes. Don't worry, no one ever did... at least no people ever did.

As I already said, the 'not-so-clean' jobs (the animal jobs) were... not so clean. So the scrubs were absolutely a necessity. 

Did I mention that they made me buy my own scrubs? They didn't even provide them for me. And since every office had their own separate, different 'theme' going on, every time I started a new job, I had to buy a new pair of womens scrubs. If I was dealing with children or animals, I wore those ridiculous scrubs with cartoon characters or puppy paw prints. If I was dealing with adult human beings, it was respectable solid colors only.

Over the years, I've held so many jobs like this that I've become somewhat of an expert at buying nursing uniforms. So for those of you who work in this industry... here are a few tips:

•  Wear the right size! It sucks to have to constantly pull up your pants while you're trying to look professional and treat patients. And if your scrubs are too snug you'll look - and feel - ridiculous.

Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Scrubs

•  If you're able to pick your own colors (that is, if you don't have to follow the office dress code) make sure you pick a color that doesn't make you look washed out or sickly. Patients do not feel like they're being taken well care of if their doctor/nurse/technician looks sicker than they do.

Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Scrubs

•  The better you look, the better you'll feel and the better you will do your job... and the happier your bosses and patients will be. 

• On the same note - you  need to be comfortable. How can you take care of others if you're not feeling good? When possible, look for all cotton scrubs or anything else that won't be itchy and annoying.

BONUS: A couple of cheap scrub tops can also add to a some great Halloween costumes for the kids! But just don't wear these to the office or you might get fired! haha....

Multiple Sclerosis

A family member died of Multiple Sclerosis a few years ago, so every year I donate money to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This upcoming year I'm planning on doing the MS Walk as well.

For those of you who don't know MS is affects the central nervous system (i.e., the brain and spinal cord). It causes nerve degernation and affects one's ability to perform certain movements.

He had technically had multiple sclerosis for over 20 years, as he was diagnosed early on but he really suffered from the heavy Ms Symptoms until later years. These included depression, spasms and tremors, weakness and fatigue, loss of eyesight, and lots and lots of pain.

One thing that always confused me about him, was the fact that he didn't really seem to care about taking care of himself. He drank a lot, he smoked, he didn't eat well at all. This didn't really make sense to me. I know if I had a disease like multiple sclerosis I would want to prolong my life (and my quality of life) as long as possible. That includes abstaining from stuff that would hurt my body further (like alcohol!) and eating a healthy, low-fat, low-sugar, and low-sodium Ms Diet.

I don't know what really stopped him from taking care of himself... Maybe he felt like it was pointless to try to be healthy when he believed he was ill? Maybe he was depressed and didn't care anymore? Maybe he just wasn't disciplined enough to kick his bad habits and start new ones? Maybe he was in denial or just too stubborn to change his lifestyle any more than he had to? I don't know and I probably never will.

What I do know, is that he could have possibly prolonged the length of his life and improved the quality of his life, but he didn't. So I know that if I am ever put in a similar situation I will do whatever I have to do. In the meantime, I will continue donating to the National MS Society and spreading the word.

 

*Photos (and some facts) courtesy of AllAboutMS.com

Scrub a dub dub....

This may be a little known fact here in the blogosphere, but I wasn't always the talented and popular (and humble) blogger I am today. I worked a series of lousy jobs over the years... many of them in the medical field (which is odd, considering that I'm totally squeamish). Now, that's not to say that I did anything medical... I typically worked the office: reception, billing, filing, whatever... but there was always the possibility that I would cross-paths with something... 'medical-ish'.

I've worked for veterinarians, chiropractors, pediatricians, orthopedists and even an acupuncturist. Each job was vastly different, but one thing was always the same: the outfit. Yep, I had to wear scrubs! Even though I wasn't coming even remotely close to touching a patient. And did I mention that they made me buy my own scrubs? They didn't even provide them for me. To make matters worse, they didn't let me re-use the scrubs from my previous jobs. That's right... every time I started a new job, I had to buy a new pair of womens scrubs.

So strangely enough I've become an expert at buying scrubs for women. So for those of you who work in this industry... here are a few tips:

Just because it's your job to take care of others doesn't mean that you should forget about yourself. Get a pair that's comfortable! Make sure you size them properly... most scrub bottoms come with a drawstring waist, but if they're really too big that drawstring won't help you. Nothing is worse than having to constantly pull up your pants while you're trying to look professional and treat patients. Darker colors are always more slimming and flattering. However, if you're very pale (like I am) you'll look totally washed out and sickly in too dark of a pair. You don't want to look sicker than your patients, because then no one will trust you to take care of them. Even though working in the medical industry isn't exactly a glamorous position, that's no reason you can't look good. The better you look, the better you'll feel and the better you will do your job. It's true.

*All scrubs photos courtesy of Blue Sky Scrubs. (If you buy your scrubs from them, they send a free hat to a cancer patient for every purchase of scrubs, as part of their Project Blue Sky.)

John McCain Presents 50 Reasons Not To Vote For John McCain

Now that there are ten days to go before the election, we thought it would be fun to present 10 quotes demonstrating why it's not a good idea to vote for John McCain, straight from someone who would know. There was only one small problem - limiting it to just ten quotes proved impossible. We stopped ourselves at 50, in no particular order, but of course we're always open to suggestions. Enjoy.

1. "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
   
2. "The fundamentals of the economy are strong."
   
3. "I believe Roe v. Wade was a very bad decision."
   
4. "I campaigned in the first primary for Congress in 1982 as a pro-lifer and my voting record over all of those years, and there are many, many votes that are pro-life votes that I've taken. Never once has there been a non-pro-life vote...And I've got a consistent zero from NARAL throughout all of those years. I may have had some other policy differences with some people in the pro-life community, but my record is clear. And I think the important thing is you look at people's voting record because sometimes rhetoric can be a little ... misleading."
   
5. "At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level."
   
6. “Today in Washington, D.C., thousands of people are taking part in the annual March for Life and staking a claim for the rights of the unborn. I commend them and am in awe of their great dedication to the cause of protecting life. I share their strong pro life beliefs and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Child Custody Protection Act that is being introduced today….minors with the assistance of adults –who are not their parents– are being transported across State lines to receive abortions without obtaining parental consent. We need to end this and, far more importantly, the consequences such actions have on life. I am and always have been pro-life and my record during my tenure in Congress reflects my strong belief that life is sacred. We must stand up for the rights of the unborn and do all that we can to enact this important legislation.”
   
7. "I do not believe gay marriage should be legal."
   
8. "I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don't believe in gay adoption."
   
9. Q: Do you believe creationism should be taught alongside evolution in the nation's schools?
   "No, I believe that's up to the school districts. But I think that every American should be exposed to all theories. There's no doubt in my mind that the hand of God was in what we are today. And I do believe that we are unique, and I believe that God loves us. But I also believe that all of our children in school can be taught different views on different issues. I leave the curricula up to the school boards."
   
10. "I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation."
    
11. "In the 21st century nations don't invade other nations."
    
12. SCHIEFFER: You said at one of your town halls recently that it was OK with you if we stayed in Iraq for 100 years. I mean...That requires some explanation, I think.
    
    Sen. McCAIN: It requires some explanation, because I had a--at a town hall meeting, we go back and forth. There was a man there who was very well informed about Iraq and firmly disagreed with me, and we had this exchange. He said, `How long do we have to stay there?' My point was, and continues to be, how long do we have to stay in Bosnia? How long do we have to stay in South Korea? How long are we going to stay in Japan? How long we going to stay in Germany? All of those, 50, 60-year period. No one complains--in fact, they contribute enormously, their presence, to stability in the world.
    
    The point is, it's American casualties. We got to get Americans off the front line, have the Iraqis as part of this strategy take over more and more of the responsibilities and then I don't think Americans are concerned if we're there for 100 years or 1,000 years or 10,000 years. What they care about is the sacrifice of our most precious treasure, and that's American blood. So what I'm saying is, look, if Americans are there in a support role but they're not taking casualties, that's fine. We're in Kuwait now, as you well recall there. We had a war, we stayed in Kuwait. We didn't stay in Saudi Arabia. So it's going to be up to the relationship between the Iraqi government and the United States of America.
    
13. "You know that old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran? Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran." --breaking into song after being asked at a VFW meeting about whether it was time to send a message to Iran, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, April 18, 2007 (Watch video clip)
    
    When asked about the negative reaction to his new interpretation of the song:
    “When veterans are together, veterans joke. And I was with veterans, and we were joking. And if somebody can't understand that, my answer is please get a life.”
    
14. "Maybe that's a way of killing them." --responding to a report that $158 million in cigarettes have been shipped to Iran during Bush's presidency despite restrictions on U.S. exports to that country, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 8, 2008
    
15. "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father."
    
16. "Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, 'Where is that marvelous ape?'" --a "joke" McCain reportedly told during his first Senate race in 1986
    
17. "The French remind me of an aging movie actress in the 1940s who’s still trying to dine out on her looks, but doesn’t have the face for it."
    
    "Look, I don’t mean to try to be snide, but the Lord said the poor will always be with us. The French will always be with us, too."
    
18. "I was looking at the Sturgis schedule, and noticed that you had a beauty pageant, so I encouraged Cindy to compete. I told her [that] with a little luck, she could be the only woman to serve as both the First Lady and Miss Buffalo Chip." --on the Miss Buffalo Chip Pageant, which features topless (and occasionally bottomless) contestants, Sturgis, South Dakota, Aug. 4, 2008 (Watch video clip)
    
19. "I think -- I'll have my staff get to you. It's condominiums where -- I'll have them get to you." --after being asked how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own, interview with Politico, Las Cruces, N.M., Aug. 20, 2008
20. 
    Q: "Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?"
    Mr. McCain: (Long pause) "You've stumped me."
    Q: "I mean, I think you'd probably agree it probably does help stop it?"
    Mr. McCain: (Laughs) "Are we on the Straight Talk express? I'm not informed enough on it. Let me find out. You know, I'm sure I've taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception—I'm sure I'm opposed to government spending on it, I'm sure I support the president's policies on it."
    
21. On VP choice Sarah Palin: "She's a partner and a soul mate."
    
22. On his oppositions to the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would make it easier for women to sue for discrimination in cases where they are not getting equal pay for equal work: "I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is typical of what's being proposed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems," the expected GOP presidential nominee told reporters. "This is government playing a much, much greater role in the business of a private enterprise system...They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else," McCain said. "And it's hard for them to leave their families when they don't have somebody to take care of them.
    
23. "I would rather have a clean government than one where quote First Amendment rights are being respected, that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I’d rather have the clean government."
    
24. "I was concerned about a couple of steps that the Russian government took in the last several days. One was reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia." (July 2008)
    
    "The first thing I would do is make sure that we have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia and Poland, and I don't care what his objections are to it." (October 2007)
    
    "In 1994, McCain suggested NATO be expanded to include Czechoslovakia. At a dinner in 1999, he 'twice thanked the ambassador from 'Czechoslovakia' for his efforts,' according to the Washington Post."
    
    (Czechoslovakia no longer exists - it split into two separate countries in 1993.)
    
25. "We have a lot of work to do. It's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq-Pakistan border." --referring to a border that does not exist, ABC News interview, July 21, 2008 (Watch video clip)
    
26. Asked in an interview with a Spanish reporter about whether he would meet with Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain: " "All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the Hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."
    "But what about Europe? I'm talking about the President of Spain."
    McCain: "What about me, what?
    Interviewer: "Are you willing to meet with him if you're elected president?"
    McCain: "I am wiling to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for humans rights, democracy and freedom. And I will stand up to those who do not."
    
27. "Fannie and Freddie's lobbyists lobbyists succeeded and Congress failed. Under our administration this will not happen again."
    
28. "And by the way, on that oil rig — and I’m sure you’ve probably heard this story — you look down, and there’s fish everywhere! There’s fish everywhere! Yeah, the fish love to be around those rigs. So not only can it be helpful for energy, it can be helpful for some pretty good meals as well."
    
29. "The chairman of the SEC serves at the appointment of the president and, in my view, has betrayed the public's trust. If I were president today, I would fire him." --apparently unaware of the fact that the SEC chairman, as a commissioner of an independent regulatory commission, cannot be removed by the president, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Sept. 18, 2008
    
30. "In your judgment, could you see her [Sarah Palin] as President of the United States?"
    "Absolutely."
    "As president?"
    "Absolutely, absolutely." [60 Minutes interview, 9/21/08]
    
31. "Sure. Technically, I don't know." --asked if the U.S. is in a recession [60 Minutes interview, Sept. 21, 2008]
    
32. On the Iraq war: "I believe the success will be fairly easy." [Larry King Live - Sept. 24, 2002]
    
    "I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time." [CNN's Late Edition - Sept. 29, 2002]
    
33. "We're talking about Joe The Plumber!"
34. 
    Q: Well, you say you’re sure that she has the experience, but again, I’m just asking for an example. What experience does she have in the field of national security?
    McCAIN: Energy. She knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America. …. And we all know that energy is a critical and vital national security issue. [interview with an NBC affiliate in Portland, ME, 9/10/08]
    GIBSON: But as you know, the questions revolve really around foreign policy experience. Can you honestly say you feel confident having someone who hasn’t traveled outside the United States until last year, dealing with an insurgent Russia, with an Iran with nuclear ambitions, with an unstable Pakistan, not to mention the war on terror?
    MCCAIN: Sure. And one of the key elements of America’s national security requirements are energy. She understands the energy issues better than anybody I know in Washington, D.C., and she understands.
    Alaska is right next to Russia. She understands that. Look, Sen. Obama’s never visited south of our border. I mean, please. [Interview with ABC's Charles 'In What Respect, Charlie?' Gibson, 9/3/08]
    
35. "I don't think that Senator Obama understands that there was a failed state in Pakistan when Musharraf came to power. Everybody who was around then and had been there and knew about it knew that it was a failed state."
    
36. "If I was a dictator, which I always aspire to be..."
    
37. "I love to bash the media all the time"
    
38. Q: Senator, right now, you know - you came to Washington, you took action, you suspended your campaign again to come back and vote. But right now a recent study shows and the polls reflect it, that Barack Obama's gaining ever since this crisis landed on everyone's kitchen table. Why is that?
    
    McCain: Because life isn't fair.
    
39. To the crown at a women's town hall meeting: "My friends, I've had hundreds of town hall meetings around this country for many, many years and I've got to say, thanks to you and to you and to you this is one of the more impactful and emotional town hall meetings I've ever had. Maybe it's because it's a women's town hall."
    
40. Crazy woman at town hall meeting: "I can't trust Obama. I have read about him, and he's not, he's not...he's an Arab."
    
    McCain's: "No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a decent family man and citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about. He's not. Thank you."
    
41. "There was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one."
    
42. "Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation." --in the Sept./Oct. issue of Contingencies
    
43. "He's (for) health for the mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, 'health.'"
    
44. "Obviously, [the Ledbetter Act] waved the statute of limitations, which you could have gone back 20 or 30 years. It was a trial lawyer's dream."
    
45. "Let me just say categorically I'm proud of the people that come to our rallies...I have repudiated every time someone's been out of line, whether they've been part of my campaign or not, and I will continue to do that."
    
46. "I am very honored to know [Sarah Palin] and her family. By the way, her husband Todd is a four time champion of a race of 2000 miles across Alaska in the dead of winter. Um, amazing person. His grandmother is a native Alaskan. On one of his races he broke his arm and continued the race for 250 more miles. So just a wonderful family. And they have a very special child and I'm very proud of them."
    
47. "[Sarah Palin] is a direct counterpoint to the liberal feminist agenda for America."
    
48. "No one has supported President Bush on Iraq more than I have."
    
49. "There's no doubt in my mind that we will prevail and there's no doubt in my mind, once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators." --on the Iraq war, "Hardball" interview, March 24, 2003
    
50. "The fact is that I have agreed with President Bush far more than I have disagreed. And on the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush. --"Meet the Press" interview, June 19, 2005

Dear John

So, we kinda drank a lot during Wednesday night's debate. As a result, our notes are not exactly comprehensive, but we do have some initial thoughts that we'd like to share with Senator McCain, because he's totally reading this. (And of course we'll have more to say on issues like equal pay and this mysterious "women's health" thing later.)


Dear John:

~When you're asked about Sarah Palin and you say "I can't tell you how proud I am of her", it sounds like you're talking about a niece who just won a spelling bee, not a vice presidential candidate.

~Trig Palin has Down syndrome, not autism.

~Is Joe The Plumber one of those "Joe Sixpack" guys that Sarah Palin keeps talking about, or is this a whole new thing? We're just trying to keep track.

~Equal pay for equal work is not a "dream" for "trial lawyers", it's a dream for WOMEN. It's also an economic issue that affects lots of women and families, and since your campaign is "about the economy" when it's not about William Ayers or people shouting threats at your campaign rallies, you might try not being quite so dismissive.

~The term is pro-choice, not "pro-abortion". And enough already with claiming that Obama shoots babies from a helicopter in his spare time or whatever you're trying to sell here, it's not working.

~Adoption is not a perfect kittens-and-rainbows process or a magical perfect solution for every unplanned pregnancy, and simply crying "adoption rules!" should not be a get out of jail free card that allows you to ignore issues like sex education and affordable birth control.

~My health is not some abstract concept or gimmick that belongs in air quotes. All women deserve to be just as healthy after a pregnancy as we are before or during it.

~Or, to put it another way, when you say stuff like this: "Just again, the example of the eloquence of Senator Obama. He's health for the mother. You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That's the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, 'health.'" That makes many of us, quote, "women" decide that we are going to take our, quote, "vote" and use if for, quote, "Obama" because you are a, quote, "sexist jerk".

~"Eloquent" is not an insult. I guess you're trying to make "eloquent" the new "elitist", as part of the continuing quest of many Republicans to demonize things like getting a good education, providing actual answers to questions, and thinking. But stop trying to make "fetch" happen, okay?

~Since you've stated that you don't care about equal pay for women or about women's health, I'd like to request that you stop saying "my friends" all the time and instead just say "my male friends" or "my boys" or "my homies" or something.

~Please don't ever make this face again. Think of the children.