And one more ARE YOU KIDDING ME? moment provided by Levi Strauss commercials

Alright, now I'm just ready to bang my head against a brick wall in disbelief that this can even be in print. But here, STRAIGHT FROM THE LEVI STRAUSS WEB PAGE is their description of this commercial that has me so up in arms:

The last TV ad, ‘Secrets and Lies’ – features two characters confessing a series of white lies as they unbutton their Levi’s® 501® jeans. Their unveilings, along with the physical unbuttoning of their jeans, captures the provoking theme of self-expression and unrestrained behavior central to the “Live Unbuttoned” campaign.

Are you kidding me????????????? Unrestrained behavior?????? Oh yeah, THAT'S what we're trying to teach our children and grandchildren! THAT'S going to make the world a better place. UNRESTRAINED BEHAVIOR!!! Here's two more email addresses for you -- the wonderful folks who are SO proud to put their names and emails out there as being responsible for these commercials. Brett Anderson Levi’s® PR 212.704.3234 banderson@levi.com Melissa Ladines Levi’s® PR 212.704.3213 mladines@levi.com

Ask Mr. and Mrs. Obama to take a stand on Social Responsibility

To continue my personal pledge of taking a stand against corporations that are socially irresponsible in the advertising aimed at our children and teenagers, today I found this web page of President-Elect Obama that asks citizens to tell him what is important to them. You can find it here: http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourstory YES, there are critical issues facing the upcoming administration, and many will be considered far more important than what your kids are watching on TV. However, keep in mind, OUR CHILDREN ARE THIS COUNTRY'S FUTURE. What they are watching on television, hearing in their Mp3 players, viewing on their computers will at some point come into play as to the adults they will become. In addition to writing to the Levi Strauss company, I'm asking you to also take a minute to write to President-Elect Obama and say YES WE CAN make a difference in our children's future by holding corporations to socially responsible advertising.

I'm taking a stand against Levi Strauss

I am officially taking a stand against companies that are over-the-top socially irresponsible, and I'm starting with Levi Strauss. This company is creating deplorable and unacceptable commercials for our children and young people to watch -- and they are getting away with it because WE DO NOTHING. As parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, or anyone who cares about kids, it is time to take a stand. Your children and grandchildren are watching and being affected by these commercials. JOIN ME AND TELL THESE COMPANIES "THIS HAS GOT TO STOP". Our politicians aren't going to do this for us. For all you Obama-ites who said "YES WE CAN" a few weeks ago -- well, step up to the plate and actually do something! Obama isn't going to stop these companies from producing messages that have negative impact on our children and teenagers. This particular company, Levi Strauss, is putting out commercials that glorify casual sex and breaking and entering into a family's home. (A link to the commercial is in the letter below.) If you agree with me, I'm asking you to take a few minutes of your day and either call or write Levi Strauss & Co. and let them know that you don't like these commercials, and demand they be taken off the air. OUR CHILDREN ARE WORTH THE SMALL EFFORT THIS WILL TAKE!!! We are the grown-ups here. Our job is to protect our children. Our country is going to hell in a handbasket, and WE ARE LETTING IT HAPPEN! Our children deserve better. We need to show these kids WITH OUR ACTIONS that we actually care! They deserve our time and effort to make this a better world FOR them. It's time to stop complaining and DO SOMETHING! Please pass this on to others as much as you can. Let's truly get a letter-writing, phone-calling, email campaign against these commercials going. WE CAN DO THIS. We have a voice. We are the consumers! These companies cannot survive without US. You can contact Levi Strauss & Co. here:

Call: 1-877-524-7386 (Voice of the Consumer Line) Email: http://www.levistrauss.com/Company/ContactUsForm.aspx?loc=1 Write a Letter: See address below This is my letter to the CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., with a copy to the Chairman of the Board. Mr. John Anderson President and CEO 1155 Battery Street San Francisco, CA 94111 Dear Mr. Anderson, Yesterday a good part of my afternoon was spent comforting a neighbor whose house had been broken into in broad daylight by three teenagers, ages 17 and 18 years. I have no idea if you've ever had your home broken into, but it's a truly traumatic experience and takes years to put behind you and forget that horrendous feeling of someone invading your personal property and space. It literally takes years for you to feel safe in your own home again. This is America, Mr. Anderson. We all deserve to feel safe in our own homes! Later in the evening, I sat down to watch television and viewed a commercial from your company that left me absolutely stunned by its degree of social irresponsibility. It not only depicted casual sex between two young people, but also showed these same two young people breaking into someone else's home, laughing about it, and acting as if it was "no big deal". The commercial is overly sexual, inappropriate, and sends messages that no one in their right mind would want sent to our young people. Your company is known for it's support of HIV causes, and yet you are glorifying casual sex. Your company speaks of "responsible, progressive and accountable business practices" and yet shows two young people celebrating the act of breaking and entering into a family's home? What are you thinking?!?Just in case you don't know of the commercial of which I am referring, you can view it online here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26395407#26395407

I went to your web site to find a name to address this letter, and also found this interesting paragraph in your 2007 Annual Report:

Great brands and business are built by consistently providing quality products and services and by earning the trust of consumers, customers, investors, employees and communities through responsible, progressive and accountable business practices. Moreover, as business leaders we have the obligation, both individually and collectively, to make our enterprise not only a source for economic wealth, but also a force for positive social change in the conduct of our business. This principle of responsible commercial success is embedded in our 155-year experience and continues to anchor how we operate today.

I also found this on your web page, listed under "Values":

Four core values are at the heart of Levi Strauss & Co.: Empathy, Originality, Integrity and Courage. These four values are linked.

Mr. Anderson, the "easy" way to show the community that Levi Strauss & Co. is "a force for positive social change" is to write a check. You can boast that you support HIV funding - and have someone in your finance department write a check. But it takes no personal commitment of any kind to write that check. The difficult way - and the only way that truly counts - is for your company's actions to match the words in that Annual Report, or, in this case, for your commercials to actually be based on what you define as your company's “core values”.

I implore you to get these repulsive and socially irresponsible commercials off our televisions, where children and teenagers view them, and replace them with commercials more in line with the "responsible business practices" you preach. As I tell my children, "Actions speak louder than words." Although the words on the Levi Strauss web page read "social responsibility", the actions through your commercials speak far louder.

I am posting this letter on my blog (http://joanoh2.blogspot.com) and any response from you or your company will be posted there as well. I am asking you publicly, Mr. Anderson, to change the socially irresponsible path your company has chosen to take through your commercials, and, instead, strive to show us those core values you say are at the heart of Levi Strauss & Co. Until that time, and most particularly during the Christmas gift-giving season, I will no longer purchase any Levi Strauss or Docker products for my family.

Most sincerely,

cc: T. Gary Rogers Chairman of the Board

Too close to home

Yesterday was a tough day here. Around 11am I was sitting at my computer and from where I sit, I can see out the front windows of my house. I noticed a neighbor, Mr. K, walking around his house without a jacket on. I thought it a little strange, since it's VERY cold here, but didn't think much about it. A few minutes later, I looked up again and noticed another neighbor home from work, which is unusual -- it was 11am she normally works until 3:30 or so. Again, nothing alarming - maybe she didn't feel well or had a sick child. But, I looked up again a few minutes later, and saw a police car. Uh oh... I decided to be a nosey caring neighbor and find out if everything was OK. It wasn't. Mind you, I live in Suburbia USA. There are about 20 houses on my street, and I'm at the end where there's a turnaround (cul-de-sac). Normally, there are several of us home during the day, cars are in the driveway, and houses are close enough so we can see what's going on just by looking out our windows. I'm the only house with a wooded backyard -- the rest abutt houses on the streets on either side. So, this isn't an isolated area; it's actually quite busy and open. Neighbor K (wife of the man without the jacket) happened to be looking out her window and saw three kids (14, 15 years old) at the front door of Neighbor N's house. She said at first she thought they might be selling something, but realized they were young and should be in school. So she continued to watch. She watched as one suddenly disappeared through a front window, and came around the inside and opened up the front door for the others!!! They broke into Neighbor B's house! In broad daylight with no less than six cars in driveways in the immediate vacinity! Neighbor K called to her husband (who is retired and home), told him what she saw, and dialed 911. Husband K promptly took off out the door, ran to Neighbor N's house, went INSIDE, and chased the kids out! (Not a good idea, but that's exactly the kind of neighbor he is.) The kids were two boys and a girl (!) and, we learned later, this was the SECOND house they'd broken into that morning! The kids took off running -- one ran behind my house and into the woods, one ran across my front lawn, through another neighbor's yard and into the woods to the side of my house, and I never heard where the third kid went. In the very few minutes they were in that house, they'd grabbed video games, a satellite dish receiver and money. They left their three bikes on the front yard of Neighbor N's house. Bikes -- as in, not old enough to drive, but old enough to break into people's houses. And they dropped a backpack in her yard, which contained Gatorade and an IRON. Yes, a household iron. The police believe the iron was in case someone was in the house -- a weapon! It's amazing that all this happened HERE, in this particular neighborhood. First, there are some VERY rich areas in our town -- million dollar plus homes, and there are some very isolated homes in our town. You would think they would pick one of those areas, wouldn't you? But then, they may have been too far a ride on their bikes! The last I heard, the police had caught the kids. While I was comforting Neighbor N (she was really shaken up), I did hear an officer ask Mr. Neighbor K if you could identify the kids, and later saw Mr. K get into a police car; I assume to go do the identification. Our police department is often commended on how fast they react in these kind of situations. And now - I'm going to get back on my Social Responsibility bandwagon. Where do kids get the idea that this is an OK thing to do?!? After watching this unfold, trying to get past it, I sit down to watch TV and see a commercial for Levi Jeans that is SO irresponsible that I'm dumbfounded. Aside from the girl having sex with a man she doesn't know, the girl is BREAKING INTO AN APARTMENT (watch her when she's at the closed door), then tells the guy and it's just fine with him! Yippy! We broke into this apartment -- now let's have sex! Don't believe me? Watch it for yourself. I'm speechless. What kind of world is my grandson going to grow up in? How on earth can I or his mother or his grandfather protect him from these kind of IRRESPONSIBLE messages? The world is getting to be a very scary place. What are we going to do about it???? And no, I am NOT saying Levi Jeans is responsible for my neighbor's house being broken into today. I am, however, saying that our kids are receiving HORRIBLE, IRRESPONSIBLE, negative messages from the media and no one is doing anything about it. Nevermind what's going on in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, people -- look what is going on in your own homes.

Come have Coffee with me!

Well, hello! How nice to meet you. My name is Faith. Joan's not home right now, but come on in! I'd love to have some company. Me? Oh, I've been sent to bring a smile to Joan's heart by a very generous blogger friend, Niki, from Pumpkin Country. I arrived two days ago (in the middle of all the flu hub-bub that went on around here). Oh, I was so glad to get out of that box! Trust me, it's no way to travel! Just look at my hair! Joan has gone off to IKEA for a few hours - she SAID she was going to do Christmas shopping, but I think it's more to do with the fact that she found IKEA has fabric on sale. Sssshhh.. don't tell. She keeps saying she's NOT going to buy more fabric. I've only been living here for two days and I know I've heard her say it at least two times! So come on in, sit down, get comfy. Would you like some coffee? Do you mind if I sit in Brayden's old high chair? (He's moved on to a regular chair now -- he's getting so big!) Gives me a better view from here -- plus I don't spill coffee on my pretty dress. My goodness, it's cold here in Ohio, isn't it? I saw some snowflakes yesterday. I forgot to bring my coat and warm clothes with me, but Joan has told me that I'm welcome to use any of her fabric and her sewing machine to make what I need. I do love to sew, don't you? Right now I'm just working on a little quilt to cuddle under when we watch TV. Pffffft... darn hair -- do you have a bobby pin? Well, if you don't mind, I did promise Joan I'd help out with a little housework while she was gone. Actually, I was just being nice and casually said, "Is there anything I can do to help out while you're gone?" And (harumph) what did she do? Made me a To Do List! I wasn't quite expecting that, but I guess I can get it all done. Do you mind if I work while we talk? I need to fold these clothes to start. And clean up the breakfast dishes.... Well, that's enough for now. I can do the dusting, vac the family room, scrub the kitchen floor and clean the bathrooms after you go. I'd rather visit. Let's go sit in the family room! What? The books on the table? Oh no!!!! Don't look at those. Those are a surprise for an upcoming blog giveaway!. No one is supposed to see them! Please don't look -- I was just looking through them while I drank my coffee. Please don't tell anyone you saw them! And speaking of Giveaways, Joan showed me a Giveaway for another girl almost like me! I'd love to have a friend (someone I can share this @(#$*&( To Do List with!), so enter for me, would you? It's on the Spun by Me blog for her 100th post! I think we could be great friends! Oh my, we'd better head into the family room, OK? Bring your coffee, get comfy. It's warmer in here, isn't it? I just can't get used to this cold weather. Joan knit some sweet mittens and socks for Brayden, and I was rather hoping they'd fit me, but I'm afraid they are too big. Oh, one of the things on my To Do List is to help Joan knit these socks. They're a Christmas present for someone special (but I can't say who!). Let's see -- Knit 3, Purl 1... I think I can do this. Awww, you have to go already? Let me walk you out to the door. I'll show you something funny on our way out -- here on the stairs. See this kitty sleeping in the basket on the stairs? It took me the longest time to get up the nerve to find out why this cat sleeps all the time. When I finally reached over to pet him, I found out he's a ROCK! I thought he would bite me (Joey the Killer cat does -- I have to hide when he's in the house) but he just lays there and looks cute! Jeff's sister Sandra painted him years and years ago and he's been on the stairs ever since. Now that's my kind of cat! Well, it was so nice to meet you and I will tell Joan you were here. I'd walk you out, but it's just too cold to go out without a coat. Maybe by the next time you stop by I'll have sewn a coat for myself... if I can ever get done with that darn To Do List that is... Bye bye now! See you next time!

The Flu Season hits

For the first time in ten years, my husband actually stayed home from work and called in sick. I honestly can't remember the last time any illness put him down and out, but around 1pm on Sunday, he sniffled a few times and said he felt he might be getting a cold. By 8pm that night, he was down for the count. I have never seen anything hit him this fast and this hard. Of course, we were scheduled to go get our flu shots this week! I am frantically washing my hands, chomping vitamin c, zinc, and euchanacia (or however you spell it), and.. another first... sleeping in the guest room. Brayden's other babysitter is taking him extra days so we don't expose him to it. So I'm not blogging as much because I'm making chicken soup and cups of tea with honey and lemon, and running around behind my husband (when he does get out of bed) wiping things down with Clorox wipes! Tomorrow (Thursday) I am going to try and get out of the house for at least a little while -- maybe a quick trip down to Ikea -- and get some germ-free air in me! So send good healing thoughts Jeff's way -- and germ-defensive thoughts my way :) And just FYI - I've heard NOTHING in response to my two emails to Thornton's. Not one word, no apology, nothing.

Whatever happened to social responsibility?

This is a pet peeve of mine and what happened to me on Friday is SO typical of companies today -- and their lack of social responsibility, social consciousness, whatever you want to call it. I had my grandson with me on Friday, and needed to stop and get gas. Good news, our gas prices are down to $1.72 a gallon here. I pulled into Thornton's (Cafe and Gas), hopped out of the car to pump the gas. They play music through speakers at the gas pumps, for some strange reason. But today... today... the music that was blaring was a song called Nasty Girl. I'm not going to type out the lyrics here (I try and maintain a G rated blog!), but if you want to read them and see how totally inappropriate this song was, go here and read the lyrics. I was dumbfounded. I know there are people who listen to this stuff... and I guess that's their business.. but for a BUSINESS to put this TRASH over an OVERLY LOUD speaker system where the customer has NO CHOICE but to listen to it???? And with the very real possibility of children being in the vacinity with their parents? I just think this is beyond irresponsible and unacceptable. Well, guess what, Thornton's? I most certainly do have a choice, and my choice is to not do business with you. And then... AND THEN!... I go to their web site this morning to write a letter of complaint and what do I see??? All their blah blah blah about their community outreach programs, including Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts!!! It's so much easier to just write a check these days than stand up and show some social responsibility, isn't it?

Retiring in America

OK, I needed a good giggle, and I found one. Now I'm sharing it with you. I'm a Dawn French fan. You will be too after you watch this funny video about retiring in America.

Have you ever wanted to....

Am I too old to go through a "stage"? Because I am. Going through one. A stage. At 56 years of age. Is that possible? For a few days now I have been just craving a "do over". Remember those when you were a kid? The game didn't go the way you wanted, so you asked for a "do over". Well, I want a do over! Oh, not with my life, like you're thinking. LOL I'm happily married. I adore my grown kids and my grandson is the best thing that's happened to me since... umm.... menopause! (Oh come'on - you know you were delighted when menopause came along and you didn't have deal with all that monthly aches and pains and all the trappings that came along with it!) No, my life is just fine, thank you. I love my life. But I have this really, really, REALLY strong craving to empty my house. Completely. Bye bye furniture. Bye bye dishes. Bye bye books. Bye bye art work. Bye bye linens. Bye bye a lifetime accumulation of things that suddenly feel like they should belong to someone else! And, in my head, how would I accomplish this??? Like this! Oh yeahhhh... Turn the house right upside down and SHAKE IT BABY, SHAKE IT! Empty it out! Contents on the front lawn and a big ol' post on Freecycle -- come and get it! Weird, huh?