TresSugar

BYU Yanks Degree From Men on a Mission Calendar Maker

CitizenSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:00:40 -0700

Ding-dong! And that's in the metaphorical and literal sense, I suppose. A whole calendar of Mormon missionaries shirtless? Yes - though the hotness of the bell-ringing men depicted has landed its creator in some hot water with his alma mater, Brigham Young University.

Chad Hardy graduated from BYU and created the calendar called "Men on a Mission" aimed at shaking up the boring or cookie-cutter stereotype of the LDS lads. After selling more than 11,000 copies featuring the missionaries in shirtless beefcake poses, last month Hardy received a letter saying that there had been a nonacademic hold placed on his degree. He'd been excommunicated from the church, and that "If in the future you are reinstated as a member of the church in good standing, you are invited to contact my office regarding your possible eligibility for the awarding of a degree." He plans to fight the decision "tooth and nail."

Reasons for the excommunication include the calendar as well as failure to pay tithing and other religious obligations. The 2009 version is on sale now. The controversy is all well and good, but want to see the missionaries sans shirts? Then without further ado, read more.

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Would You Throw an End-of-Bush Bash?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 07:00:43 -0700

There are political parties - and then there are political parties. This Georgie Is Outta Here party box is decidedly the latter. Complete with all of the goodies you'd need for a party - cups, balloons, Dick Cheney party hats, a Pin the Tail game of questionable taste, it's all there. The site has a pretty amusing video of the contents of the box in action, just so you can see exactly what you're getting.

Who would throw this kind of party? I asked one of my decidedly not-Republican friends (I'm very tolerant) his thoughts on his hopes for pending political celebrations. "Well, first there is election night party - we're making shots for each swing state called. Something blue, fruity, and yummy for an Obama win and something strong and red for a McCain win, like bourbon with Tabasco." (My response: "ew.")

So why a party for Bush leaving in January? "It's to celebrate a catharsis of turning the page on George W. Bush. Usually, any small reason to throw a party is good enough, but in this case, I think we are all so giddy and ecstatic to have Bush finally out of office, it will be a very, very big bash. After two very disappointing, almost soul-crushing lost elections, with the years in between as bad as we'd hope to ever see, the end should be a party with everyone in high spirits."

What do you think? Would you have an end-of-Bush bash? Do you have big plans for election night?

Cheers! Campaign Cola Lets You Drink to the Best Candidate

CitizenSugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:00:26 -0700

Jones Soda wants you to have a drink with your favorite candidate. OK, a drink with you favorite candidate on it. They've launched a flavor in favor of the political season called Campaign Cola 2008. With flavors like "Pure McCain Cola, "Yes We Can" Cola, and still hanging on with "Capitol Hillary" and "Ron Paul Revolution" Cola, every bottle purchased racks up a vote for the candidate - besides being a pretty refreshing campaign momento.

A six-pack will run you $15 and while you're at their website you can pick up info on each candidate courtesy of Politifact.com. Oh, and for those counting at home, Obama is currently ahead in this Cola War.

Think no one's mug would be as good as yours on a bottle? You can customize you own label with your own picture - it's a limited edition flavor called Ameri-Cola. For $30 you can personalize a 12-pack with a photo and message on the back. Cheers to that great (possibly gift?) idea! Which candidates' bubbly would you imbibe?

Who Do You Consider a Media Hero? Collect and Trade Them!

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:42 -0700

If your Garbage Pail Kids cards are long forgotten (or Pokemon perhaps?) it might be time for a new set to collect and trade. Who might be better than a pack of media luminaries who've changed the tenor of discourse? The folks at Reclaim the Media know that it takes more than a .400 batting average to make a difference and wind up on a card - that's why they've created their own Media Heroes trading cards.

Here's what they have to say about why:

Media heroes are everywhere: journalists, activists, media innovators and educators making sure that we all have access to media that supports democratic values of justice, community and respect. Some media heroes are solitary voices keeping a candle of truth burning through a period of darkness. Others are organizers working to expand the range of people who can wield the power of publishing and broadcasting, or reveal hidden aspects of the media that is all around us.

The decks are $16 and feature original portraits of 21 different media heroes with biographies on the back. Who do they consider heroes? The Sesame Street pioneers, Children's Television workshop, which sought to combine education and entertainment as well as prioritizing service for lower-income kids who didn't have the leg up of preschool, for one. Also, Frederick Douglass who spoke out against slavery while writing for the newspaper, The Liberator, and PBS' Bill Moyers, who they say is "a singularly ardent advocate for journalistic ethics and the pursuit of authentic democracy."

Who are your media heroes? Would you put an Olbermann or a Nancy Grace into the mix? How about a Brokaw or a Cooper?

Fifty Nifty Obama Bumper Stickers - Which Is Your Fave?

CitizenSugar — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Over at BumperActive.com, they're taking Barack Obama's 50 state campaign to heart - they're making a unique fender decal for every state in the union. They have about 20 states done and are cranking out the rest in the next few weeks. You can drop them a line if you want the heads up when your state is ready.

At less than $5 a pop, you could collect your favorite states and trade 'em with friends. Not to mention that 22.5 percent of the proceeds from each sale-that's $1 a sticker -benefits the campaign. Now of course I wish there was a corresponding McCain set, but I can appreciate good design regardless of party - the Arizona one is pretty darn clever. Which of these Obama stickers would you slap on your car?

Here Comes the Bookmobile With Hot, New Summer Pages!

CitizenSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:45:18 -0700

What to read, what to read? With serious beach towel time or an empty nightstand, you might just be looking for a new book. Here are some brand spanking new releases that I'm checking out right now.

Goodnight Bush
With lyrical rhymes and Where's Waldo? detail, this parody of the childhood bedtime favorite Goodnight Moon bids farewell to the Bush administration. Here's a little sample:

Goodnight Constitution and goodnight evolution. Goodnight
democracy and goodnight privacy. Goodnight old growth trees, goodnight detainees. Goodnight allies, goodnight Abu Ghraib 'Cheese!'

OK, I might not be ordering that one, but there's more - polygamy! Fascism! Oh, my! For more Citizen-approved books, piquing my interest read more.

Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs

A memoir by the 21-year-old star witness in polygamist Warren Jeffs' 2007 trial. Elissa Wall tells all about her forced marriage, the impenetrable mindset of the FLDS, and her long-awaited escape.

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning

Today "fascist" is usually an insult slung at conservatives. National
Review editor Jonah Goldberg reminds us that history's great fascists were first socialists (liberal is pushing it). Look for controversial connections between fascist themes and American pop culture.

Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives

Imagine having the job of knocking on doors to tell mothers and fathers their child was dead. Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Jim Sheeler did. He spent two years shadowing the marine in charge of casualty notification to give us vignettes of insight.

What's on your reading list this summer?

Would You Be a Patriotic Bride?

CitizenSugar — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 07:00:00 -0700

I hear picking a dress is a kind of big part of the whole wedding phenomenon - and hey, the 4^th of July is coming up. . . . I'll cut to the chase. Would you be a patriotic bride and don a flag gown like this? A wedding is a kind of pledge, after all!

If the dress is more. . . overt than you'd wear, how about keeping a flash of old glory under your dress, garter style?

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For all of our network wedding coverage, be sure to check out I Do Sugar!

Source

Springtime for Hitler? Ad and Doll Bring the Dictator Back

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:00:08 -0700

This week Mexico's top electoral body has ordered broadcasters to stop showing a TV ad that compares a firebrand leftist leading a shut down of Congress to dictators Hitler and Pinochet. The ad is funded by a Mexican businessman angry at the blockade spurred by opposition lawmakers trying to derail an oil reform plan. He says the actions of protest leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador are endangering democracy, "Who shuts congresses? In 1933, Adolf Hitler in Germany."

The spot was shot as a flashback to conservative ads run in the 2006 election campaign, and call the former rights activist and then presidential candidate a danger to Mexico. The voice over says, "Our democracy is in danger. Our peace is at risk. Mexico does not deserve this."

If Hitler on TV isn't enough, Ukraine has just begun selling an action-man style doll of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and saleswomen are hawking the product, comparing the doll to Barbie. But it's not all fun and games. To see the serious side, read more.

Supermarkets in the capital Kiev are stocking a 20 inch high figure of the Führer, complete with jackboots, leather trench-coat and swastika armband. The $200 doll, conveniently comes equipped with a spare head "with a kind expression on it," glasses and several changes of clothes. In case he travels, I suppose.

Who's buying the doll? The decision to sell it comes amid growing extreme right political sentiment in Ukraine. Some also report of increasing xenophobia and racism, and tell of some extremists supporting racism similar to that of Nazi Germany under Hitler.

Could fans of the doll be a sign that Hitler is becoming popular among disaffected youths, who are too young to remember the effect Nazism wreaked on the world? Is it ever appropriate to use Hitler as a political figure or comparison? Are people softening their attitudes toward him as time passes, or will he perennially be taboo?

Source

Well, They're Not Lying - They're Equal Opportunity Offenders

CitizenSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:01:21 -0700

Diplomatic, they're not - but for those with a twisted sense of humor and the dire need for a political t-shirt, RealiTees probably has what you're hankering for. They proudly proclaim, "We Aim to Offend Everyone," and well, I suppose it's nice to see some even-handed election coverage?

Even if you're not into them, do they get bonus points for being timely? There might not be a shortage of political tees this season, but these get extra snark points for sure - and if you're looking for a positive message, they have those too. And hey! The Hope Pope rhymes!

On My Shopping List: Fred Thompson Gear - On Sale!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:01:01 -0700

Okay this bargain goes out especially to mymellowman, the most vocal Fred Head we've got. The Fred Thompson Hometown Store is having a huge sale on all their Fred Thompson campaign paraphernalia. Dying for a scented candle that declares your allegiance to the baritone actor/Senator? You're in luck! It's $5, and it smells like peaches! (The candle, not Fred Thompson.)

Under the category of inexplicable, though not entirely useless, you can pick up a sewing kit for less than $3 - in addition to the standard t-shirt/sticker/button fare. Go nuts, the stuff might either be collector's items, or really useful if Fred gets the #2 nod. I also have a hot tip that mymellowman is into the Fred Head Fans, so hurry and get to them before he does!