Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

BP Oil Spill --Day 100:

Good news for a change from the Gulf of Mexico: Oil from the BP spill is disappearing much faster than anybody expected.
   The head of an environmental advocacy group told the NY Times, "Oil has a finite life span at the surface. At this point, that oil slick is really starting to dissipate pretty rapidly." (The Times has a nifty timeline map to put it in perspective.)
   Scientists attribute the turnaround to the Gulf's natural ability to break down oil, a recent wave of storms, and the government and BP-led response to the spill.
   But even though oil is less likely to wash up on beaches, scientists warn that it's too soon to celebrate. It's still unclear how the oil and dispersants are going to affect the Gulf food chain, and nobody knows what things look like under the surface. Area fishermen are still unable to return to work, and even if they do, "how do we get people to buy our food again?" is a big concern among Louisiana fishers.
   This poses a new problem for the Obama administration: How to roll back a massive recovery effort without neglecting the region's environment or economy. Coast Guard officials say that there aren't any plans yet to scale back the response, and suggest that the strategy will be similar to what they've used so far: Let it happen one day at a time.
   After 86 days of gushing, the spill was finally contained with a temporary cap on July 15, and will be permanently sealed by the end of August.
   FYI: Some media outlets said yesterday was day 100. They're actually counting the day the explosion occurred, Apr 20. That'd be like saying a baby just born is one day old. He's not. He's a day old the following day. That was where we started counting. In case you were wondering. (Maiman)

Obama on "The View" today:

PRESIDENT OBAMA appears on "The View" today, the first sitting president to appear on the show.
   The segment was taped yesterday. (Incidentally, BARBARA WALTERS will be in-studio, her first appearance since her recent heart surgery.)
   Obama addressed the "roses" and "thorns" of his presidency, saying his recent vacation with his family has been a recent rose. As for the thorns? The president joked, "Where do I begin?"
   On a more serious note, Obama said, "Look the country has gone through a tough stretch... the last 20 months have been a nonstop effort to restart the economy, to stabilize the financial system, to make sure we are creating jobs and not losing them."
   White House spokesman ROBERT GIBBS said Obama visited "The View" to "talk to people where they are." Given the president's recent low approval ratings --especially among women-- some said Obama's visit could help bring some popularity back. But one prominent Democrat wasn't biting: Pennsylvania Gov. ED RENDELL said he thought the president should go on "serious shows."
   Editor's note: Yeah, like "How I Met Your Mother." I'd suggest "America's Got Talent" but there's some slight debate on how much the president has. (Slight? --Maiman)

Reality Round-Up:

"Jersey Shore" begins it's second season tonight. Some spoilers:
   Last season's reunion show ended with RONNIE and SAMMI breaking up and Season 2 picks up right where they left off. But it doesn't take long before they are back together and fighting like mad.
   Also, SNOOKI is forced to do her own laundry (gasp!) after spilling juice on roommate Sammi's clothing, so Snooki takes it upon herself to clean the garments in their kitchen sink!
   As you know if you're a regular viewer, the main pastime for the guys is GTL: Gym, Tan, Laundry and, of course, "creeping." And in the debut episode, the boys can't wait to start creeping on girls after a healthy dose of Ronnie's special "Ron Ron Juice."
   FYI: For you fans (and those of you who want to sound like fans), a website that will generate your own "Jersey Shore" name (like "J-Woww" or "Snooki"): http://www.unlikelywords.com/2009/12/08/jersey-shore-nickname-generator/ Caution: not safe for work, and may be not safe for air!