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Jun

27

Trader Joe’s, Two-Buck Chuck and the death of Maria Jimenez

Filed Under Business, Immigration, Law, Social Issues | 26 Comments

Judy Carlin has been following the story of the 17 year old illegal immigrant and farmworker, Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, who died last month from the heat of vineyard fields and a lack of respect for human rights. Please read her posts here, but most importantly, read her most recent post, here, which explains the precise connection between Trader Joe’s and Maria’s place of employment (which profited from her illegal status).

Trader Joe’s responded to my outrage that Two Buck Chuck was not pulled from the shelves with a carefully worded email asserting that their hands are clean because an independent contractor (Merced Farm Laborers) employed Maria and that the vineyard (West Coast Grape Farming) where Maria collapsed was owned by a company that made wines other than Two Buck Chuck.

Whoa – I did my homework here Joe and you are dancing around the truth. There is more to the story here than meets the eye and you must be aware of it.

Remember all the hoopla and media you got after you made the deal with Bronco giving you exclusive rights to distribute Two Buck Chuck. You knew Bronco had the power and ability to deliver the volume (10,000 million cases in the first two years alone) to meet your demand.

You should read the entire post to see just how obvious and known the connections appear to be.

The AFL-CIO chapter in Los Angeles provides links for contacting Trader Joe’s and letting them know how you feel.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:49 pm June 27th, 2008 in Business, Immigration, Law, Social Issues | 26 Comments 

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Jun

27

Big Tent Denver deadline for bloggers: Monday June 30!

Filed Under Announcements, Blogging, Democrats, Elections, Politics, Tech | 4 Comments

I’m not going to Denver for the Democratic National Convention from August 25-28, but if you’re a blogger and are hoping to go, even though not credentialed by the DNC, check this out and apply now.  I’ve been told in a communication I’ve received that, “They are looking to include more diversity with women of color, women bloggers, women’s organizations and women in politics.”

The Big Tent will be the place to be for new media journalists, bloggers, reporters, and non-profit leaders covering the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

We’re creating a 9,000 square foot, two-story structure that will house the work space for journalists, bloggers and new media, a Digg Stage with prominent national leaders, as well as a Google Retreat with a YouTube kiosk where you can make your own YouTube videos. The Big Tent will be open throughout the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 25- 28.

In the New Media Lounge, your pass will be a ticket to to enjoy all the benefits of the blogger / new media lounge, including free WiFi, work space, television-coverage, as well as free food and drinks. And you get to hang out with some of the top bloggers, new media journalists, and non-profit leaders in the country.

And in the Public Space, you can participate in panel discussions with top national leaders on a range of hot topics. There will also be workshops on blogging, community organizing, and new technologies.

The Big Tent will host sponsored happy hours each day from 4 to 5, followed by live coverage of every minute of the Democratic National Convention until 9 p.m. each night. When the Convention ends each day, the Big Tent will still be going with late-night entertainment, including concerts and films. Check back at BigTentDenver.com for additional details as the convention nears.

Google is one of the sponsors and the hosts are Daily Kos, Progress Now (of which ProgressOhio is a part) and the Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado.

I consider the presence of bloggers to be an unique chance to get many first-hand reports back, filtered only by the bloggers you know, as opposed to the layers of editors in the MSM that you don’t.  If transparency means something to you in figuring out what’s really going on, these bloggers will be offering an immense quantity of information unlikely to be found anywhere else.

Not to mention having a great time while doing it – I hope, for their sake.  Though I can say that live-blogging can be exhausting!

Hattip to Shireen of Digital Sisters/Sistas (which looks to be a very cool and needed organization:

If the technology field is any indication of messages sent to women and girls research has shown that women have the least penetration in technology fields. This number decreasing by the inclusion of ethnicity and socio economic factors. Young girls are continuously sent daily messages that technology is “not for them.”

Working through enhance partnerships with community based organizations, corporations, technology centers and local schools, Digital Sisters provides assistance in closing the gender gap in technology that is plaguing single mothers. We have developed and implemented programs that promote needed life skills training and address the impact of the lack of technology skills on families. Our educational philosophy is based on a participatory and interactive learning approach.

Reminds me of the work Bill Callahan does.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:36 pm June 27th, 2008 in Announcements, Blogging, Democrats, Elections, Politics, Tech | 4 Comments 

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Jun

27

Sexing up political candidates akin to Sex and The City

Filed Under Barack Obama, Campaigning, Culture, Elections, Gender, Hillary Clinton, Marketing, Media, Politics, Sexism, Voting, WH2008, Women | 10 Comments

Grand Central Political published this column by Jennifer Nedeau of New Media Strategies and Human Folly, “Could A Little “Sex” Help Female Political Candidates?” Here’s a tease:

Since Barack Obama took the Democratic Presidential Nomination, I have come to wonder: if Hillary had harnessed some of the powerful imagery of SATC, could she have done better among women like me who think she just wasn’t female enough to earn the title of “First Female President?”

…

In the SATC movie, Miranda remarks to Carrie as she looks for a Halloween costume – “These are the only two choices for women – witch or sexy kitten?” Currently, the ability for a female leader to rise above these stereotypes is difficult, if not impossible. If we are ever going to get past these stereotypes, we need a female leader who is brave enough to prove that being powerful and female isn’t a detrimental condition corrected by a short hair cut, a figure less suit and emotionless campaigning. I think Hillary in particular would have had more success if she had tried to embrace her gender instead of treating it like a handicap. Perhaps then, the females turned off by her decision to fit in all too nicely with the male political paradigm, might have decided she was someone worthy of their vote.

Before you start rolling your eyes, or wondering WTF is Jill saying she thinks, remember the following:

The next female who wants to be commander-in-chief could try to embrace her gender as a plus, rather than a minus. Simple things such as an upside down stiletto could easily take the place of the “V” in “Vote for Me” as a start. Instead of stuffy suits, add some fashion to the political stage and allow a popular female designer to dress the candidate for a day. Work with Mommy Bloggers, admirable female celebrities, female sports stars, and sorority girls to create the solid base of female support to carry the campaign. Most importantly, meet women in their element. Organize the female electorate such as Mobilize.org did with a voter registration drive at the Sex and the City Movie Premieres. Or host a Cocktail Caucus at CHANEL similar to what Polichicks Online has done.

I chose to be a Barack Obama supporter in part because I did not agree with Hillary’s misogynistic branding of her campaign. When Obama took the nomination it became clear that in targeting the 20 to 40 year-old demographic he found success – they wanted to have a beer with him and listen to his policy – something Hillary could not seem to achieve. However, when another female wagers for the White House – instead of seeking a candidate to drink a beer with, why not a one who might sip a Cosmopolitan? Bridging the gender gap in politics is not impossible; it just takes a little creativity.

See the sense? I do. And this isn’t an easy topic or a stupid or silly one either. I know there are women who will always bristle at the suggestion Nedeau makes because they’ll see it as selling out or not pursuing gender neutrality.

However, if our gender – whether man or women – offers us the potential to have advantages, as political candidates, and re-brand otherwise negative images connected to our gender which we reject, why not manipulate these images and definitions ourselves? That’s taking control, and I can’t argue against it (and have in fact argued for it before).

It’s never too late to try out strategies like the ones Nedeau suggested. Maybe the next step is to start a website that encourages women who are running for office or will be running for office to figure out their level of comfort with these suggestions and see how she fits them in, and whether they work, or fail.

If I run for something, I promise to be a guinea pig for this tactic. You?

As an example of turning images on their heads, here’s the White House Project’s baby doll fit t-shirt (which I wear constantly):

Works for me.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:23 pm June 27th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Campaigning, Culture, Elections, Gender, Hillary Clinton, Marketing, Media, Politics, Sexism, Voting, WH2008, Women | 10 Comments 

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Jun

27

Reason who knows what # for women to reject McCain: jokes about beating wives

Filed Under John McCain | Comments Off

Can’t make this up. And, just to emphasize the underlying sickness going on here and idea of jokes that are acceptable when dealing with alleged philanderers (John McCain and Nevade Governor Jim Gibbons), I wrote about Gibbons’ troubles in 2006. According to ABC reporter Jake Tapper’s blog post here, Gibbons is now divorcing his wife.

Here is the transcript of the interview during which McCain makes the joke (so you can see it in context). Here’s Tapper’s piece in entirety (sorry, Jake) because your really can’t get it any other way:

In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was asked by columnist Jon Ralston why he didn’t choose Gov. Jim Gibbons to chair his Nevada campaign.

“I appreciate his support,” McCain said. “As you know, the lieutenant governor is our chairman.”

Why snub the governor? Ralston asked.

“I didn’t mean to snub him,. I’ve known the lieutenant governor for 15 years and we’ve been good friends,” McCain said. “I didn’t intend to snub him. There are other states where the governor is not the chairman.”

Maybe it’s the governor’s approval rating and you are running from him like you are from the president? Asked Ralston in a question McCain clearly found loaded.

Said McCain, chuckling, “And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago.”

Some have found the subject of McCain’s joke — wife-beating — inappropriate.

To be clear, McCain was alluding to the fictitious leading question “When did you stop beating your wife, senator?” It’s a bit of distasteful DC yuckery so commonly quoted it’s hackneyed.

But considering the subject McCain was discussing at the time, to allude to that joke was, well, …..awkward!

Gov. Gibbons last month filed for divorce from his wife Dawn citing incompatiblity.

It’s pretty scandalous. The Reno Gazette-Journal recently reported
that one month Gibbons sent 860 text messages to a woman with whome Mrs. Gibbons suspects her husband of stepping out.

Gibbons you may recall started his governorship amidst accusations that he assaulted a cocktail waitress named Chrissy Mazzeo three weeks before Election Day. Mazzeo said Gibbons grabbed her in a parking garage and threatened to sexually assault her. Charges were never filed.

Hillary Supporters Count Too – you still going for McCain?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:39 am June 27th, 2008 in John McCain | Comments Off 

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