i'm back and i'm irritated

It's October and you can tell by the changing leaves and all the e-mail forwards urging you to buy pink junk food and pink plastic junk. Broadsheet already said it better this week than I could, as did (most especially) Barbara Ehrenreich's original article about the breast cancer awareness phenomenon. I am sick of being manipulated and marketed to, in regard to a major women's health issue. Breast cancer awareness efforts have had a positive impact on the social and economic disparites in research and treatment, in the developed world anyway. But I reserve the right to be sick of all the crap (hand lotion, barbies, candy, perfume, shoes, costume jewelry, puff paint sweatshirts, salty snacks, hair dryers and jewel encrusted tote bags to put it all in) touted as lifesaving. I think I'll just buy the regular chips and dip and donate directly online, thanks.