TresSugar

Which Campaign Sign Is More Shameless?

GiggleSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0700

In order to play with the boys, Bonnie knew she had to speak their language and somehow relate to them, but is this the way a gal should get her high heel through the door? Meanwhile, honesty is Frank's policy. He's a proud schmuck, which qualifies him to be a politician - or so he thinks. Which of these campaign strategies is more shameless. (Got your own funny photos of signs? Enter our Sign Language contest to win cash!)

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"Single Ladies" Gets the Sign Language Treatment

GiggleSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:00:14 -0700

Have you mastered the "Single Ladies" dance? Then why not mix it up with some new moves? This wonderfully bizarre video from the Visual Music Project Campaign spells out Beyonce's hit using American Sign Language (no, not that sign language) so you can learn a new skill while gettin' your groove on.

Atheists Try to Get Their Nonbeliefs Moving

LibertySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

London buses will soon find themselves adorned with signs saying "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." The British Humanist Association came up with the idea, with the plan of raising £5,500 ($9,325) and accepting a matching gift from famous atheist Richard Dawkins. But so far, the non-god-fearing group has already raised £20,300 ($34,420).

Dawkins has said of the campaign:

Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride - automatic tax breaks, unearned respect and the right not to be offended, the right to brainwash children. . . . This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think - and thinking is anathema to religion.

While some religious people are upset with the campaign, the Methodist Church has welcomed the dialogue. To see why the billboards don't make them nervous, and for some background on religious billboards in the US, read more.

An officer in the Methodist Church said: "This campaign will be a good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life. Christianity is for people who aren't afraid to think about life and meaning."

God-themed billboards are nothing new. Throughout the US, signs appearing to come straight from God have sprinkled the highways since 1998. Some say: "Life is short. Eternity isn't. - God;" "One nation under me. - God;" "Big Bang Theory, you've got to be kidding. - God." While the public may be subject to a culture war played out in advertisement, perhaps atheists just want their chance to come out of the shadows, and onto the buses.

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What Is Your Favorite John McCain Moment?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:00:07 -0800

At the beginning of this year many considered John McCain's campaign a nonstarter, especially after he placed fourth in Iowa. But after winning the New Hampshire primary, the original maverick became the comeback kid, eventually accepting his party's nomination in Minnesota. Of course some of the best McCain moments happened before and after his official nomination!

During the Summer McCain stole some of the celebrity-power from Obama by nominating Sarah Palin as his VP, the night after his opponent's rock-star acceptance speech. The Palin pick gave McCain a boost in the polls, but after that faded away McCain took another shot at maverick leadership: he suspended his campaign to return to Washington and address the economic crisis.

In the end, even an attempt to save the US economy didn't convince voters, and on Nov. 4 McCain delivered a graceful concession speech. But McCain doesn't have to say: "I ran for President and all I got was this stinkin' Palin 2012 T-shirt" - during the campaign a Marine Sergeant gave McCain his Purple Heart as a sign of support.

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Advertising Is Not Dead! Atheist Bus Campaign Runs in UK

CitizenSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:00:07 -0800

If religious organizations can advertise, why shouldn't atheists be able to? That's what England decided, when atheist ads were proposed and accepted. They are a response to religious ads that ran in 2008, which suggested people who don't believe in god would "spend all eternity in torment."

This Tuesday "There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" was splayed across 800 buses. And next week, the campaign will move underground, where 1,000 ads featuring quotes from Emily Dickinson, Albert Einstein, and Katharine Hepburn will ride the subway.

Of course, you can't help but notice it says there's probably no god. What kind of atheist says that? To see why the atheists hesitated on the nonexistence of god, read more.

"Probably" was an edit made to add ambiguity and appease British advertising guidelines. "There is no god" would, after all, be inaccurate to those who believe.

And maybe those edits were smart because nobody in the already secular country seems to care. The Queen, head of the Church of England, has been, well, mum. And even the Methodist Church welcomed the campaign as a way to get people talking about god. So, what is it? Free speech prattle? A way to talk about God or no god? Or a sign that atheism is becoming more and more accepted?

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The RESPECT! Campaign and Domestic Violence Awareness Month

DearSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:45:00 -0700

The following information about female abuse might shock you. In fact, I hope it does so that you'll join the fight to prevent domestic abuse: The United Nations Development Fund for Women estimates that at least one out of every three women globally will be beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries. Additionally, a World Health Organization report found that in women ages 15-44 years, violence accounts for more death and disability than cancer, malaria, traffic injuries and war put together.

Oct. 1 kicks off Domestic Violence Prevention Month and Sugar Inc. is joining forces with the Family Violence Prevention Fund to help educate you and raise awareness about domestic abuse, sexual assault, and child abuse here at home as well as internationally.

To learn more about the International Violence Prevention Act, the centerpiece of this campaign, be sure to check in with my friends over at CitizenSugar. I'll also be bringing you information throughout the month of October on this ever important campaign, but in the meantime, take action yourself by making sure your member of Congress has already signed on to co-sponsor the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA). You can also participate in the RESPECT! Campaign by purchasing and wearing RESPECT! on your wrist (half the proceeds benefit the RESPECT! Campaign) or by sending your support via text.

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Have Hate Groups Been Quieter Than Expected This Election?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:59:49 -0700

Despite news of a dead bear cub shot through the head and draped with Obama signs and a car vandalized allegedly for sporting a McCain sticker, apparently hate group activity has been less intense than expected this campaign. Groups who monitor hate activity with an eye toward preventing violence are reporting an eerie silence from traditional sources of open racism - much less than they expected this late in the race.

The director of a law center that tracks hate group says, “What we really haven’t seen is white supremacists really rallying over an Obama presidency. Hate groups are in a more or less stunned position right now; they haven’t been able to figure out how to proceed just yet.”

Politician Douglas Wilder, 20 years ago had a campaign almost fail because of the Bradley (or Wilder) effect - where polling indicates voters will do one thing before succumbing to suspected race-related cold feet in the booth. He now says, "America has grown, people have grown."

Is this the case? To find out, read more.

Perhaps. Though even children are acutely aware of the issue of race in the campaign, it seems to be having an unexpected affect - nine percent of voters say they're more likely to vote for Obama because of his race, more than those who wouldn't for the same reason.

But has hate been quiet? We've seen presidential mailers looking like food stamps emblazoned with fried chicken, an effigy of Obama hung from a tree at a college in Oregon, and the KKK saying they hope if Obama is elected it will inspire a white backlash.

I suppose listening is in the ear of the beholder as to gauge the volume level on that. But will hate groups' vociferousness become more prevalent in the next two weeks - or on election night? Are they really too stunned by the becoming more real possibility of an Obama presidency to gather their organizations to rally? Or has America, like Wilder says, "grown?"

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Mormons Leave Church Over Stance on Same-Sex Marriage

CitizenSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:30:45 -0800

People were enraged last week when California passed Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage, but now opponents are lashing out at the Mormon church for its well-funded campaign against it. And Mormons themselves are speaking up.

OK, so they're not saying this (warning! NSFW profanity), but they are mad enough to resign from the church and post letters of disappointment on Signing For Something. Their reasons? Hatred, bigotry, and discrimination are cited the most, and claims are backed up with LDS doctrine, which says "We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government."

How can Mormons be blamed for a statewide vote? Besides misdirected anger, it didn't help that church authorities asked members to "do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment." And with that righteous request came millions of donated dollars to fund a campaign against Prop. 8 and produce what are clearly well-funded videos.

I've also heard some rumblings about straight people boycotting marriage. Would you ever leave your religion or not get married because gay people cannot?

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Has the Peace Sign Sold Out Its Meaning?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:57 -0700

I remember drawing them on my notebook during the first Gulf War and not really knowing what they meant - and now the peace sign is turning the big 5-0. The famous symbol made its first official public appearance in 1958 to advocate nuclear disarmament, and has since been used to graphically support a range of efforts from economic justice to environmentalism. Nearly every altruistic group has used this iconic logo as a way to communicate the idea of universal brotherhood.

The designer of the symbol, Gerald Holtom, created the logo while in a big funk. He explains the symbol: “I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards . . .” (I never saw that until I read this, but now it makes sense!) Holtom died in 1985, and some say if he had lived this long, he might really understand the true meaning of the word “despair."

How has a simple symbol morphed from a cry for help to a price tag? To see how, read more.

In a time of conflict and relative prosperity, like many things the peace sign has become a commodity. For those with some bucks to blow advertising their quest for peace, Tiffany is hawking a platinum and diamond peace symbol pendant to celebrate the symbol's creation. The pendant holds 4.8 carats of round-cut diamonds and costs $4,000. It makes one wonder what kind of good that money could do someone whose life was really torn by war. Tiffany isn't the only company using what could be the world’s most recognizable cry for understanding to make a profit. The peace sign has adorned everything from Fendi bags to Volkswagen cards and Ed Hardy t-shirts.

Of course, there are those who cry "poppycock!" After all, it’s just a symbol (and one free from copyright protection), and is free to be interpreted by anyone, from a clothing designer, jeweler, or a car manufacturer. Plus, won’t more exposure of the “brand” give it even more power? Simon Doonan, creative director at Barney’s British, thinks so:

Sure, it’s probably not what the hippies had in mind, for it to become a marketing campaign for a department store. But it’s a symbol of the mainstream of counter-culture ideas, of things that were part of the alternative lifestyle - like environmentalism, and organic food. Isn’t that ultimately what the hippies would have wanted?

Perhaps, though the worry remains that the only power the symbol is going to gain is purchasing power. Is the peace sign on the verge of being played out? Does a peace sign done in $4,000 worth of diamonds still mean the same thing?

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Briefing Book! UK to Decriminalize Selling Fruit by the Pound

LibertySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Metric Martyrs: You say kilogram, I say pound? Under new guidelines fruit and vegetable traders using imperial measures (pounds, ounces) will no longer be prosecuted by authorities. - newsblog
Campaign Suspension: Obama suspends campaign to visit grandmother. McCain says "Touché!" - 23/6
McCain: Not afraid to swim against the tide? McCain sticks to his guns. - Real Clear Politics
Neighbors : What's going on here? San Francisco neighbors have a sign battle over presidential candidates, and gay marriage. - SFist
Alaska: Ted Stevens is Awesome? After 40 years in the Senate you're either a little corrupt or a lot corrupt, and Ted chose option two. - Gawker
Baseball: Obama the ultimate flip-flopper, or ultimate uniter? McCain has gone after Obama’s flip-flopping on his choice of World Series teams: the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. – The Caucus

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