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Overnight Open Thread

Kathleen Parker: Obama Is Our First Woman President

So claims Kathleen Parker. And since Clinton was already our 'first black president' I guess Obama had to be something else.

It isn't that he isn't "cowboy" enough, as others have suggested. Aren't we done with that? It is that his approach is feminine in a normative sense. That is, we perceive and appraise him according to cultural expectations, and he's not exactly causing anxiety in Alpha-maledom.

So what exactly makes him so feminine according to Kathleen Parker? Well pretty much this:

When he finally addressed the nation on day 56 (!) of the crisis, Obama's speech featured 13 percent passive-voice constructions, the highest level measured in any major presidential address this century, according to the Global Language Monitor, which tracks and analyzes language.

And that plus being passive about the oil spill is about all she offers. Which is pretty weak even by the MoDo standard. Then she dances around a bit about whether this is a good thing.

Of course it could just be that he's not very good at actual leadership and his speeches tend to be airy-fairy and formulaic. But then Kathleen could never admit to that.

New Threat To US Soldiers In Afghanistan: Toxic Sand
Apparently the sand there contains high levels of manganese, silicon, iron, magnesium, aluminum, chromium and other metals that can act as neurotoxic agents when ingested. So it's even more of a hell hole than we thought. Next stop masks, respirators and still suits.

Is The Gulf Oil Spill Cleanup All For Show?
So claims a former oil worker in Alabama:

Former oil clean-up worker Candi Warren says she signed up to make a difference, but soon found out the work of cleaning the beaches was all cosmetic. That’s what she was told, she says.
Warren says she knew that when crews worked during the day, the tide and surf buried oil overnight. But they were forbidden to dig it up. She quit in disgust three weeks ago despite the $18 per hour pay.

Well some cosmetic cleanup is just fine with me since it does keep the tourists coming. But I'm pretty cynical about the beach cleanups which are mostly for show anyway.

They do at least get rid of some of the surface oil balls that could scare tourists away, but there's no way to get to the buried oil without practically destroying the beaches and doing more harm anyway. Nature over time will take care of it. And I'm pretty sure that most of the animals that are cleaned up by volunteers die anyway. So other than booms and skimmers, it's all pretty much cleanup theater.

How Much Do Ladies Spend On Shoes Over A Lifetime?
$24,000 according this survey which is a lot. So if a woman buys shoes from age 20 to 70, that averages out to $480 on shoes a year. Me - I buy maybe one nice pair of shoes every year or two which makes me a freakish outlier among men.

Why Penn And Teller Don't Cover Islam or Scientology On Their TV Show

We haven't tackled Scientology because Showtime doesn't want us to. Maybe they have deals with individual Scientologists —- I'm not sure. And we haven't tackled Islam because we have families.

Yeah it's cowardliness on their part, but I can't say I blame them. It's not like western society has really stuck up for those facing Muslim death censorship.

Best. Corporate. Acquisition. Memo. Ever.
Amazon acquires Woot and the announcement is done in typical Woot fashion.

The Girls of Ebay
Yes you can be a model in your spare time.

How To Build Your Own Disney Magic Mirror

Penises, Penises, Everywhere - More Accidental Penis
Once seen, they can't be unseen. And they're everywhere.

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