You're a Dirty Girl and I'm Telling!

This morning, I got up and pulled on a favorite t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I wore the t-shirt last night for a few hours, before I went to bed. It is, afterall, one of my favorite t-shirts (there are three) and here's an admission: it sometimes gets worn several times between washing. (The t-shirt in question is 25 years old. How do you think it survived that long? Dirt is protecting it!)

Okay, I'm not a sweaty woman. And you know what? I'm not alone.

85% of American women will wear something a couple of times before washing it. Yes, we wear dirty clothes. Or even go hamper-diving. As my mother would tell you, I just toss my clothes around the room, so I rarely go on a hamper tour, but when I do, be assured, those would be some dirty clothes I'm digging through.

You thought the boys were the only dirty ones? Ha! You were wrong!

Glamour Magazine polled 1000 women to discover all kinds of weird and somewhat annoying hygiene habits that we generally won't admit in polite company. It goes without saying that Polite is defined as anyone but our closest girlfriends. Although I can't imagine having this discussion with my closest girlfriends because they're too, well, polite. Want more?

75% of American women pee in the shower. That's not so bad, right? Urine, unless you have an infection, is sterile and nontoxic. And peeing in the shower saves on water that might otherwise be used in flushing a toilet. I wonder if I could get that printed up on a bumpersticker: "Save the planet: pee in the shower!"

40% of us observe the "5 second rule." When something falls on the floor, a sizable percentage of us will still eat it. Boy, I hope they're talking about hard rolls and potato chips here. Tomato soup in this instance is a little icky. But I sorta like the child-like trusting attitude that this implies.

43% of us don't brush our teeth at night. Wow, really? REALLY? This blog is written by someone who can't sleep until she has done the thing with the brush and floss. And she's feeling pretty darned good about herself just this moment.

So do you hit the showers before you turn in? A third of us will hit the sheets still wearing our sweat. No shower taken, we're okay with that.

24% of American women don't wash their hands after using the bathroom. Who are these people? Do they think of themselves as "Ladies"? Now you're thinking twice about the girl that brought your sandwich at the lunch-counter, huh?

Finally, 32% of us go barefoot at the gym. Well, that's just risky. But there's a wild rumor floating through this survey that if you get athlete's foot or some other nasty foot fungus, peeing in the shower will help cure it.

Now you're wondering, huh?

You've Come A Long Way, Baby

Given any thought to the future of your job lately? What about the balance of power in your relationship? Any consideration at all to the girl in the Honda Civics next to you on I-Wherever?

You might want to. I read this Washington Post article today and I have to admit that I sorta liked it. I used to be neighbors with Claire Shipman who now is senior national correspondent for "Good Morning America" and reading her thoughts on the future of our global economy was interesting. I liked that she listed Russian examples because I know she used to be based there as a reporter for CNN and probably retains strong contacts and excellent insights. And I am, afterall, a woman.

The article discusses the shift of economic power on a world-wide basis. In short, the end of economic power being held by an all-male culture of good old boys who block economic progress for women. While the Washington Post article also links to this lengthier article in Foreign Policy Magazine, I'm guessing a lot of the reason that Claire and her writing partner, Katty Kay of the BBC wrote it was to hype their newly released book, "Womenomics" available from Harper Collins Books.

The article (and the book, I assume) details Shipman and Kay's theorems of how government stimulus projects in the past, ie The New Deal and every road and infrastructure project ever devised, have been devised to prop up the male-dominated economy and keep women out of the workplace.

Hmmmmmm. Interesting premise.

Except that now, great minds are starting to think alike. Financial statisticians are churning out research showing that companies with more women in upper management report consistently higher corporate earnings.

Democracy is getting the message, too. Norway requires 40% of any corporation's board to be female. Iceland, after its last economic meltdown, elected a woman to head its government. Same for Lithuania. The Vilnius newspaper headline proclaimed, “Lithuania has decided: The country is to be saved by a woman.”

I bet Hilary is choking on this. I bet Bill is even more angry.

So, it's an interesting concept to read about. And whether you agree with "Womenomics" or not, Shipman and Kay are putting it out there.

And shaking it.

He Said that Who Said What about Which?

And so in this year of "historic" and "trail blazing" elections and candidates, three out of four national candidates are male and yet somehow the discussion is all about... lipstick.

""You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig," said the Democratic Candidate of Change, Barack Obama. He was talking about his opponent John McCain who says he's a candidate of change, too.

Obama was ticking off a list of ideas that McCain says he wants to change, too, ie -- economic policy, taxes, education, foreign policy, campaign tactics. Obama says his opponent is not about change. He says John McCain is all about more of the same.

That's when he made his lipstick comment, with the crowd erupting into shrieks, whoops and cheers.

Why is this such a big deal? Because during her speech at the GOP convention, newly announced Vice Presidential Candidate, Sarah Palin told an off the cuff joke:

"Do you know the difference between a pitbull and a soccer mom? Lipstick." She got roars of approval from the audience.

So was Obama's comment a reference to Governor Palin? Was Barack Obama taking a shot at the new candidate, the first Republican woman to get on the ticket? Maybe. Maybe not. I'm not going to tell you that I read minds or know the heart and soul of any Presidential candidate. (And it's a relief not to have that power! )

Barack Obama excused his reference saying that in the past, John McCain attacked Hillary Clinton using a line about lipstick on pigs.

So here's my question: if Barack Obama is all about change, why is he recycling John McCain's old lines?

Don't get me started on the pregnant 17 year old. We might be here all day.

But Before I Go...

So now it turns. The twist is in. Whichever party elects their candidate this November, it's History In The Making. I'm a little a-political at this point in my life, but I'm curious to see what happens. So many were so proud to possibly have the first African American in the Oval Office.

Now there's the choice of having a woman in the West Wing. It will be interesting to see which group holds more power.

Barack Obama is a voice for change, but the nature of the word "Minority" means strictly speaking, he's got fewer of "his people" behind him.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, just announced as the GOP Vice Presidential running-mate to John McCain, is very much the political newcomer, so she could bring new ideas, but she might also fall in line with the Republican Party Line. Well, as much as anyone campaigning with Mr. McCain can, anyway.

But she's not a minority. In fact, "her people," if you look at it from that standpoint, represent half of the voters in the country.

So... the playing field levels just a tiny bit more. Interesting. But... so are hurricanes. ha!