For those who have overdosed on politics this week, here is a fresh and healthy recipe to keep you going through the weekend…
The video was created by Beardyman, a two-time UK beatbox champion. Be sure to check out his website, it is hilarious.
Check out this goofy Ferris Bueller spoof (starring yours truly as Sloan!) This election day–why not take the day off for a change? Your help is needed across the country to make sure we get the change we need. Go to barackobama.com/taketheday to find out all you need to know.
And of course, don’t forget to vote!
This is our favorite coverage of the presidential campaign season so far. 5th grade reporter Damon Weaver asks Joe Biden “What a does a VP do?” during an interview on Sept. 2, 2008 in Palm Beach County, FL.
In the spirit of the Girl Effect , the Obama campaign has released this cool video to accompany their Obama Tax Calculator.
Calculate YOUR taxcut!
Apparently, I screwed up…
Props to Moveon.org for putting together this awesome get-out-the-vote campaign. It is truly engaging and proves that customized media is a great way to spread a message virally. Click here to customize a cnnbc video for your friends.
Special thanks to Hans Royal-Hedinger for the tip!
Sarah Palin is a woman, so she’s probably the best candidate for women, right? WAY wrong.
If McCain and Palin win, Women Lose.
Eleanor Smeal, President of Feminist Majority, says, “Obama/Biden are running on the strongest platform for women’s rights of any major party in U.S. history”.
That’s why Feminist Majority launched www.FeministsForObama.org, a side-by-side comparison of the Democratic and Republican nominees on four major women’s issues: Violence Against Women, Abortion and Contraception, Women and Work, and Breast Cancer and Health Care.
To reach as many people as possible, Feminist Majority created three striking PSAs that illuminate some of the grave truths about the McCain/Palin record on women’s issues.
One in Six
“Under Sarah Palin, rape survivors were forced to pay up to $1200 for rape evidence collection kits.”
Unholy Trinity
“John McCain voted against funding to fight and prevent domestic violence”
Violation
“John McCain and Sarah Palin are running on a platform that seeks to outlaw a woman’s right to an abortion even in cases of rape and incest.”
McCain on Breast Cancer
McCain voted against funding breast cancer research if it meant taking away from military funds. Breast cancer affects all women, even the 370,000 women currently serving in the US Armed Forces. Since breast cancer attacks 1 in 8 women, that means 46,250 members of the US military will deal with breast cancer. And John McCain voted NO.
McCain on Violence Against Women
Senators Obama and Biden have sponsored and supported legislation, including funding, to reduce violence against women and to assist women survivors of domestic abuse. Biden authored the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Obama cosponsored the reauthorization of VAWA and authored legislation on violence against women as an Illinois State Senator.
Not only did McCain vote NO on VAWA, but he also failed to co-sponsor VAWA reauthorization although many Republican and Conservative Senators did.
Quick Facts
Did you know Senator McCain voted against establishing the Army’s Breast Cancer Research Program? This program, which started modestly, appropriated hundreds of millions to Breast Cancer research.
Did you know Senator McCain opposes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act? The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would restore a woman’s right to fight pay discrimination in court.
Did you know Senator McCain has ducked questions on contraceptive insurance discrimination as recently as July 2008?
Visit www.FeministsForObama.org to read more.
With the recent economic crisis and rising cost of living, times are tough for people living in the U.S. But not as tough as for those people around the world who live on one dollar a day or less.
This October, communities around the nation will be screening films from the Dollar A Day film series released by globaldevelopmentmatters.org to raise awareness about global poverty. This set of documentary films address big issues in global development like HIV/AIDs, microcredit loans and global trade from a very personal perspective. Right now it’s critical to have an understanding of the connection between global development and U.S. political choices as we make decisions on the eve of the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Start a conversation in your community by hosting a screening at your:
* Home
* Local library
* School
* Nearby community center
* Place of worship
It’s easy, just visit globaldevelopmentmatters.org to register your screening, download discussion guides and print invitations. If you document your event, you could even win a Flip Video Camera! 
Some groups have decided to host the screening on or around October 15th in honor of Blog Action Day, which is centered on global poverty this year. Check out the Chicago Blog Action Day Party which will be screening “The New Silver: Microcredit”
Here’s the trailer:
Microcredit – How do you solve a problem like Maria’s?
Meet Maria. She dreams of starting her own business to make a better life for her family. From one of the poorest areas of Bolivia with a husband too sick to work, Maria faces a deck stacked against her. How do you solve a problem like Maria’s? Microcredit loans may be one answer to help her get on her way.
“Hey there Bret, I see you’re looking down…” This video from New Zealand comedy duo Flight of the Conchords (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) cheers me up every time.
And if you haven’t seen Jemaine Clement in the hipster’s-wet-dream that is Eagle vs. Shark, you absolutely must. Full trailer here:
Ok people, the deadline for registering to vote is coming up! Don’t be a slacker, VoteforChange.com makes it easy.
YouTube description for the 5Friends video:
Leonardo DiCaprio, will i. am, Tobey Maguire, and Forest Whitaker have created public service announcements to encourage American youth to register to vote. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprio’s Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to register and vote and participate in the upcoming election.