July 27, 2004

Pretty nails, and pile drivers

There's something in the Boston air besides a cool breeze and Democratic promises to smack "Dubya" upside the head: voter registration. A group called 1,000 Flowers rolled in from the Bay Area, its organizers saying they were determined to put their hot pink and yellow counter displays in 1,000 beauty salons in eight states.

Co-founder Francesca Vietor, an environmental activist, said she was alarmed that an estimated 22 million single women didn't vote in 2000. She'll be handing out tens of thousands of emery boards with the message: "Hey girlfriend, don't let this election be a nail biter. Register here to vote."

World Wrestling Entertainment, meanwhile, sent Big Show, a 7-foot-2-inch, 500-pound former champion — and a few of his friends — to urge young people to vote.

With TV lights beating down and sweat dripping from his forehead, the mountainous Mr. Show proclaimed, "Smack down your vote!" before retreating to cooler climes.