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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jul 22, 2015
July 22, 2015
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The President at play:
After being criticized for days by many conservative pundits, PRESIDENT OBAMA has ordered flags at the White House and other public buildings to fly at half-staff to honor five armed forces members killed last week by a gunman. In a proclamation released yesterday, he said, "Our thoughts and prayers as a Nation are with the service members killed last week in Chattanooga. We honor their service. We offer our gratitude to the police officers and first responders who stopped the rampage and saved lives."
He added, "We draw strength from yet another American community that has come together with an unmistakable message to those who would try to do us harm: We do not give into fear. You cannot divide us. And you will not change our way of life." (Pacelli)Going Geek-dot-com /Caught in the Web:
Ladies: if you've ever been told "video games are not for girls," by some man in a condescending tone, rest assured--he's a loser. Literally.
According to a study out of University of New South Wales and Miami University, men who harass women online while playing video games perform worse than players who aren't quite as sexist.
Researchers played identical statements recorded by either a male or female voice during each game. They found that "lower-skilled players were more hostile towards a female-voiced teammate, especially when performing poorly. In contrast, lower-skilled players behaved submissively towards a male-voiced player in the identical scenario."
In other words: the guys who were playing poorly had the worst things to say about female teammates.
The game in question was Halo 3's multiplayer option, as the characters involved are covered in armor and it's much more difficult to differentiate between genders.
It's also worth noting that out of 163 games played, there were 189 speakers, and all of them men. The study's authors wrote that "This is not to say that women did not play, just that they did not speak. This does, however, reinforce the fact that women are entering a very male dominated environment." (AB)Fashion Emergency:
Apparently, women are getting Botox injections in their scalps to keep from having a bad hair day. The Internet has dubbed the trend "blo-tox" --because the goal is to protect our hair blowouts from the drooping and frizzing caused by summer humidity and sweat. The Botox injections are used to decrease nerve stimulation from sweat glands. To combat hair frizz, dermatologists are injecting about 100 units of Botox around the scalp. Mashable.com says "it feels like 100 little bee stings --over 30 minutes." The results are almost immediate but pain, swelling and bruising are possible. One session can cost up to $2-thousand dollars. After four to eight months, the body wears down the effects of Botox and another injection session would be required to maintain effectiveness.
Botox in the scalp is not yet F-D-A-approved, and the procedure itself comes with a few risks. Certain muscles on the scalp are specific to the face, so dermatologists need to be well-trained to keep from accidentally giving you a drooping eyelid or freezing your face. So far, there's no evidence that shows Botox in the scalp can cause hair loss -- or growth for that matter.
An inexpensive, needle-free do-it-yourself tip: Apply some antiperspirant along your hairline before moderate workouts. You could also spray your head down with dry shampoo after a workout. It's cheaper, quicker and safer. (Bartha)Wasted away again in Margaritaville:
In his defense, when airplanes aren't landing or taking off, it gets a little boring in that tower. An air traffic controller in Arkansas is facing criminal charges after he was allegedly found to be intoxicated and half naked on the job. PHILIP MASCHEK, who's 50, was found passed out after a pilot taking off didn't get a response from the tower and radioed for help, assuming that something bad had happened. Maschek was passed out with his shirt off and ended up getting arrested for public intoxication. He failed a field sobriety test but would not submit to a breath test and police didn't take a breath sample. And local police aren't his only problem. The FAA is now investigating. (Myers)
Broadcast, cable and video news:
"Sharknado 3" debuts tonight on the SYFY channel, and in addition to stars IAN ZIERING and TARA REID (who's only got one hand and is pregnant and in Florida with her mother (played by BO DEREK), there are so many cameos you probably won't be able to keep track. To start with, DAVID HASSELHOFF plays Ian's dad. In fact, it'd make a helluva drinking game to play while you're watching. Here's just a PARTIAL list of the celebrities who'll be appearing in the film:
--MARK CUBAN as the president of the United States.
--ANN COULTER as the vice president.
--Comedian BILL ENGVALL as White House Chief of Staff Gary Martin Hays
--LOU FERRIGNO, NE-YO and "MythBusters" GRANT IMAHARA as Secret Service agents.
--ROBERT KLEIN as the mayor of New York.
--JERRY SPRINGER as a tourist at Universal Orlando theme park.
--"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" KIM RICHARDS as a Universal Orlando VIP guide.
--NSYNC singer CHRIS KIRKPATRICK as a lifeguard.
--LORENZO LAMAS as Sergeant Rock.
--FRANKIE MUNIZ as mechanic Lucas Stevens.
--PENN and TELLER as retired NASA Lt. Col. Stylo and Major Caissier.
--Former Cincinnati Bengal CHAD (OCHOCINCO) JOHNSON as a NASA technician
--WWE, ECW and WCW champ CHRIS JERICHO appears as a roller coaster operator.
--"Girls Next Door" stars KENDRA WILKINSON as a waitress and HOLLY MADISON as a military officer.
--"Shahs of Sunset's" REZA FARAHAN as a Capitol Park policeman.Hoops:
The Indiana Pacers announced yesterday that it would wear replica jerseys on select occasions throughout the next "several" seasons. Not "throw-backs" of the Pacers, but uniforms that the Hickory High basketball team wore in the film, "Hoosiers." The team is partnering with MGM Studios to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the motion picture's release. (Lane)
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