One Girl Revolution

I got my first paycheck today, which means it's time for a new Forever Fifteen 10-Pack Button Giveaway Thing. (Yes, that's the official name.) I'm in a new town these days, and it's high time that the fine, free thinking people of Ann Arbor became acquainted with Forever Fifteen so they will hopefully find it in their hearts to put a bit of their hard-earned cash toward buying something they can wear with pride.

Thing is, I can't decide what design to go with.

So, here's what I need - I need you guys to vote. Head on over to Forever Fifteen, check out the designs, then tell me what's best by typing your answer in the little box below. What little box?

Poll #1074117 The Forever Fifteen 10-Pack Button Giveaway Thing(!)
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

What design should be on the promo buttons?

That one. Right there. Type it. Spare the Gemini the agony of having to decide something which is essentially inconsequential.

Remember that Esquire story I linked to yesterday? Well, it's inspired my Boy to create a true masterpiece.

The link to his latest and greatest is in his entry. Check it out!

Though I'm sure you're all getting sick of it, I wanted to let you know that I've put up an announcement at my shop. Here's what it says:

Shop Announcement
Pull The Plug On Cancer With Your Moonage Daydream Purchase!

From now until August 20, I will donate 10 percent of my profits to help sponsor my friend's participation in the 2007 Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk! If you would like more information on the walk, or if you would like to donate to her cause, please contact me. Thanks, happy shopping, and don't stop rocking!

Now obviously, I would like to help jumpinjessflash out as much as possible, so I'll need a lot of people to know about my shop. If you want to help out, you can buy something, link to my shop, or just donate to Jess directly. Her page is here, and any donations will be greatly appreciated - size does not matter, people. (You might want to use the dreaded Internet Explorer to view the page. For whatever reason, it has a tendency to crash FireFox, at least for me.)

Speaking of my shop, I need to get some sort of decorative banner up there. (onceupon has one on her shop, if you want to see what I'm talking about.) I'd also like to get some business cards printed up, sort of like I did with Forever Fifteen. The problem, aside from the Photoshop hating me? Well...I'm not really all that sure what to do, design-wise. My shop's theme and basis, "Rock and Roll Apothecary," is kind of hard to convey visually, I think. Obviously, the name of the shop was derived from glam rock, but I have a LOT of musical influences, so it wouldn't be fair to just peg it as glam and stick with that as a visual inspiration and aesthetic.

I dunno. If anyone out there has an idea that they can make work for the banner, the cards, or both, let me know. There'll be some free bath products in it for you.

In other news, there are still...six Apathy buttons left now, I think. You guys know the drill - leave your address over on this post (all comments screened), and you get a button and some cards to hand out in case someone asks where you got it. No need to memorize a sales pitch or act as a spokesperson, just wear the button. Done deal. Feel free to link people to the entry, as I have no problem sending out to people I don't know, no matter where in the world they are. Sales are picking up, according to theycallmeboy, so I'd like to thank everyone who has helped out, either by buying merch or helping us promote it. It means a lot!

And now, videos.

Little known fact about me: I've always harbored a fantasy of being a voice actress. Now, I know I can't act my way out of a paper bag, so I don't think I'd be all that successful. This guy, on the other hand...



And this one is for theycallmeboy, who apparently has never seen it! Classic!




And then there's this. You all knew it was coming:

The buttons have arrived. With any luck, I should be able to package them up for the three people who have requested them so far. If you'd like one, send me an e-mail with your address.

I came up with an idea for a new soap last night, based on the body scrub recipe I love so much. How does a soap with chocolate, cocoa and brown sugar in it sound?

Last night, I rediscovered my love for Japanese rock music, so I'm going to be writing a bit about my favorite Japanese musician here in a bit. In the meantime, here's a band that I'm sort of amazed I didn't get into when I was in college. Hope you enjoy it.

Buck-Tick: Love Me (live)

Ugh - just spent most of the morning in a meeting. No matter - now is time for thanks!

First, I want to give a major, major shout-out to dandycat, dimloep_suum and caudelac for participating in the Forever Fifteen Button Giveaway. As soon as I get those things, I'll send them out to you guys, along with some cards to pass out to admirers. That leaves me with seven buttons - six, if I keep one for myself. I have a plan of handing out buttons at Electric Picnic, so I may hold onto one of them. That would be fun.

And, brazenbells bought some soap from me! Thanks so much, dear - it's all packed up and ready to head on down to you. Hope you enjoy it!

Now, I'm making good on my promise to donate 10 percent of whatever I sell online to jumpinjessflash's Breast Cancer Walk Fundraiser (link to her donation page over in my links bar), and thanks to Etsy purchases by brazenbells and theycallmeboy, I can give her a grand total of...80 cents. The deadline is August - anyone care to help me make it an even $1? Remember, I'm selling books on Amazon, too...

Oh! taperkat! Thank you SO MUCH for the link to MooShoes! theycallmeboy has been looking for some sweatshop-free trainers (tennis shoes/sneakers for us Yanks), and I'm delighted to say that he found exactly what he was looking for. He's been fishing around for stuff like this for so long - thank you so, so much!

And my love, if you're reading this, I just want to tell you (and the world) that I am very, very proud of you living your convictions. You're an inspiration to me every day, and this is no exception. Your example makes me want to be a better person. I love you.

In fact, his search for trainers has got me thinking about my need to purchase some of my own, and the possibility of buying some that are sweatshop-free, environmentally sound, or both. Thing is, I rarely wear sneakers for style anymore, so I'll need something good and supportive - I'm a daily walker, so I need something more supportive than the formerly all-American Converse. (Can you believe they were bought up by Nike?) Someone over at this MetaFiler post recommended Saucony, so I think I'll look into them for a start. They seem to be pretty readily available - in fact, there's a store that's on the way home from work that sells them, so I may have to check them out at some point soon. My tennis shoes, like the glorious ECCO sandals, have soles that are quickly wearing through. So the question is, should I keep the sandals and the tennis shoes through the summer and wait until after the trip to purchase anew? Does anyone know how worn out is too worn out? There's no point in wearing shoes that can no longer do their job, you know?

Another question - should I join MetaFilter?

Since we're on the subject of ethical shopping, Co-op America has a nifty little article about nine ways you can avoid sweatshops. Some time ago, I donated $20 to Co-op America and was supposed to get their National Green Pages guide. It's not here yet, but I look forward to reading through it when (if?) it comes. Not a bad reference guide, I imagine.

Lastly, since shadownex asked a question about the yogurt company that ordered up this ad campaign in Brazil (her comment here): I don't know if that company is owned by a larger, global conglomerate like Dannon, so I don't know how (or if) she can boycott if she chooses. Personally, I think the best store-bought yogurt out there is Stonyfield Farms - their yogurt (and milk) is tasty and high quality, their company is socially responsible, and the only "cows" they feature in their advertising are actual cows. Because at Stonyfield, women are people, not objects of scorn and derision. Thank you. *hops off milk crate*

Ok, so to recap from yesterday:

- I'm doing another button giveaway. I currently have eight buttons left.

- I made some bar soap. It's for sale over at the Etsy shop.

Personally, I consider the former to be much more pressing than the latter. Drumming up support for theycallmeboy and Forever Fifteen (his hopefully someday soon production company) is important to me, especially given his trip to Darklight this weekend. What does a film fest have to do with buttons, you ask? Well, hopefully he'll be able to do some networking while he's there, which increases the chances that he'll be able to get his movie off the ground. A big component of that will be funding, and some of that funding will hopefully come from the shop. The more the shop is promoted, the more sales it will see (hopefully), which means more money for the film that he's been working on since last summer, if not before. I'm just as eager as he is to see this thing come together and become a reality, and while I know nothing about acting, directing, producing or writing a script, I do know that money is necessary to get and keep the process rolling. While I'm not going to interfere with his artistic vision, I've also never been one to sit on the sidelines waving pom-poms and wishing people luck without being useful. While the usefulness of the button giveaway is debatable, I like to think that it's better than merely parroting "Good Luck!" over and over again.

At some point, I should really set up some sort of high-yield savings account that I can dump whatever I can spare into. Then I can use that money to invest in his project(s) and be a lot more useful. I do so want to be supportive.

I got my new luggage on Sunday and my passport on Monday. The only thing left to really prepare for the trip is get some money changed over - $300 converted to Euros, $300 converted to traveler's checks. I just did a check on a currency exchange website, and this will only be equivalent to about €447. I hope that will be enough; in addition to the requisite souvenir shopping for family and some form of Electric Picnic merch for me, I also plan on doing a lot of cooking, and I don't expect theycallmeboy to foot the bill for that. I tend to cook big (in the family tradition), and that's not cheap. I just hope there's plenty of extra room in the fridge. Or that he has a lot of friends over. Or that his town has a local shelter or chapter of Food Not Bombs that would like bunches of leftovers.

I've been craving take-out food recently, mainly Quizno's. However, with school out and the only nearby Quizno's being located in the heart of a yuppie enclave, my visits to the establishment both last week and this week have been thwarted by ridiculously long lines comprised mainly of herds of teenage boys. I think this may be the universe's way of telling me that my pudginess will not go away on its own. which is a fine and important lesson, to be sure, but I still want a fucking Quizno's sandwich. There's nothing like them on this earth.

*pokes pudge* Remember, self. You only have 10 weeks to get rid of that.

Looks like there's a thunderstorm coming, so I'm excited about that. I love thunderstorms. But that also means that I should post this before our power goes out. That seems to happen every time there's even distant thunder.

Quick - convince me not to order a burger or something from the place down the street. Because I'm starting to feel all sorts of tempted to do it.

Ok, so the tally is now eight buttons. I'll keep track for both you and I.

And I'm still swatting around the idea of tossing in something extra if ya'll go out and buy something from the shop on your own. Because that'll help promote my shop. Or something.

The Forever Fifteen Button Giveaway!

I got an e-mail yesterday saying that my CafePress order is being shipped, so the buttons are on their way!

I realize that I've added a few people to the flist since the last button giveaway, so it's worth an explanation so you know what I'm talking about, as well as if you want in:

theycallmeboy has a CafePress site. The proceeds from the site will go toward supporting his film projects, or, as of this Friday, giving him some extra income while he looks for a new job. Either way, you can be sure that the money is going toward supporting an artist, and not just money that he can spend on beer.

Now, in an effort to promote the site, I will do a button giveaway every so often. All you have to do is request a button and give me your address. I'll send you a button, as well as five business cards and five postcards. You do NOT have to feel obligated to hand these out to random people - basically, if someone sees your brand new, spiffy button and asks where you got it, you can hand them the card and it's a done deal. No fancy pitches, no acting as a spokesperson. Hell, no need for memorization, even. Just hand them the card and it's a done deal. You get a free button, your friend finds out where to get a button of their own, a fine young artist gets some money for his dreams, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that my boyfriend isn't going to starve to death, get evicted, or both. I think it's fair to say that everyone wins.

The design chosen for this giveaway is the very popular "Apathy" design. (The full design reads, "Apathy rules, or something. Whatever.") This is evidently one of the shop's better sellers, and now you have a chance to own an Apathy piece of your very own without having to pay a cent.

If you want a button, leave your name and address below. (Comments are screened.) If you're still squeamish about leaving that info, e-mail me at kiji_kat2004 at yahoo dot com.

And if you want to be super cool and buy something from the store, let me know! (You won't be able to lie - he and I talk daily.) Maybe I'll sweeten the deal and make you some soap or body oil. How does that sound?

theycallmeboy is headed to the Darklight Symposium next weekend, and I'm going to be sponsoring a button giveaway to commemorate the event, as well as getting the word out about the shop. (Next Friday is also his last day at his old job, so the shop could potentially give him some extra spending cash to work with while he looks around for something new.) For those who are new to the flist, here's how this works: I buy a 10 pack of buttons from Forever Fifteen, his CafePress shop, and hand them out to whoever leaves a comment saying they want one. I will also send along some business cards and postcards for you to hand out with friends - just five or so, so don't think you'll be stuck trying to get rid of 50 of the things. All you have to do is wear and enjoy the button and pass out some cards. And it doesn't matter where you are - CafePress ships internationally, as do I.

I think I'll be going with the "Apathy" button this time around. Tell me now if you want one!

I've also been told by my Boy that I should pimp my shop as well, so here goes...

I have a shop. An Etsy shop. It's called Moonage Daydream. It's a "Rock and Roll Apothecary," because I'm a geek like that. I make bath products. I'll make more soon. In the meantime, buy my stuff so I have room to make more stuff, because I have a tiny room and can only store so much product at one time. And I try to keep my prices fair. And I ship worldwide. And...

...oh, fuck it. Who am I kidding?

And now, for your amusement, links!

bradhicks talks about Strikethrough '07 and his experience with the "Satanic panic".

Read The Independent. tyrell says so. Their columnists remind me that I am, in fact, a mere junior league writer.

How about we stop importing shit from China, hmm?

Ladies, don't date this man.

Yet another reason for me to love The Tribe.

I don't need help getting more depressed about my weight, thanks.

Charity makes you feel good.

Pity theycallmeboy, because he's going to have to put up with me geeking out about this site for weeks and weeks and weeks. (Baby, you can thank zarq

Beware the Cadbury.

I want to go here someday.

I. Need. To work here. I may as well send my information along - can't hurt.

I'm thinking it's time to do another Forever Fifteen Giveaway. I'll probably go with the Apathy design, though allowing people to proclaim to the world that they're addicted to craic is rather tempting as well. I suppose that some well-placed feedback (hint hint) will help me with that decision.

There's really not that much to report today. Still bored, still looking for better work, still hyperventilating and getting an increased heart rate at the sight of newspaper articles talking about how the State Department is still fucking up things with passports. Mine still isn't showing up on the website, though I sent it in via overnight post almost a week ago. We all know that's how I roll, though. I have two speeds - screaming insanity and total unconsciousness. And since I can't induldge in the latter at work...

I do wish I knew how not to put pressure on myself, though I suppose there are worse things than going through a life phase whose overarching theme song was originally performed by Queen and David Bowie, then later covered by a cuddly goth geek and his friends. (That being Mr. Way - I have no love for Mr. McCraken.) Besides, I'm ridiculously old - I should have my life together and in order at this point. It's rather pathetic that I don't.

BUT I want to avoid blogging about that stuff anymore, so blah. After all, if it's a choice between being wrapped too tight and completely unraveling...I've always been the sort to stay as contained as possible.

theycallmeboy has weighed in on the Paris Hilton fiasco by doing what he does best - making funny t-shirts. Check out his post about it here, or go straight to the shirt here. And why not sign up for his newsletter while you're at it? (Look for the sign-up sheet in the left column.)

Happy Loving Day! You can learn more about the case here.

Author John Scalzi made the mistake of mentioning that he lives not so far from the Creation Museum. A campaign has been started to get him to go to the place, which includes some fan-made campaign posters. Good stuff, I'd say.

Speaking of theycallmeboy, he blogged rather enthusiastically about a movie called Four Eyed Monsters this weekend. Apparently YouTube is letting them show their movie - all 71 minutes of it - on the site, and Spout.com is offering the film makers $1 for every person who signs up for the site through a link on the YouTube page. Check out theycallmeboy's post for more. I signed up, but I didn't watch the film, as I have trouble watching movies that relate to my current situation(s). I tend to get overly emotional, and a film about two people separated by distance who met over the Internet? Yeah, I'd be a bucket of tears. (I almost got weepy at the sight of a man on TV last night who bore a resemblance to my own Boy, even though my Boy is far more handsome.)

Carbon neutral paper may not solve as many problems as you'd like it to. And banning the n-word won't solve anything.

Saying goodbye to indie record stores.

KITTEN!

I sent in a thank you note to someone who interviewed me last week. As of late last week, they had received the materials I'd sent them, and they were looking them over. I'm hoping for a second interview, but naturally that means playing the Waiting Game. Everyone knows how terrible I am at the Waiting Game, but I'm forcing myself to play it this time - I'm going to wait a week before I call them back about anything. And in the meantime, I'll be looking to expand my job search.

I tend to hold myself back when it comes to the job searching - I stay within writing, because it's what I want to do, but also because I have a fear of applying something and getting the dreaded, "Why did you apply for this position? You don't have the experience/qualifications/+5 charisma we're looking for. Go away!" response. On the other hand, I'm ready to branch out and try some new things. I love writing, but why not try writing for television or something? Hell, I've even considered marketing, as long as it was something fun that didn't make me compromise my ideals or crush my soul. I've also toyed around with the idea of asking local recording studios and record labels (yes, they do exist, shut up) if they need help for promotions, or even being a back-up singer. I haven't sung in a while, but I think I've still got it. Maybe.

Well, if anyone has any ideas or leads, you know what to do. For now, it's time to get back to being bored.