Monday Miscellany!

• Holy crap, it's Cyber Monday! Which means you can save on shipping on Liv Rainey Smith's artwork!


• While you were enjoying the holiday weekend, Egypt's President made a power grab. Another Tahrir Square-style resistance movement is brewing in response. The Muslim Brotherhood, for their parts, are backing Morsi.
  
  By the way, the perception in Egypt's economic leadership is that the Morsi power grab could destroy chances for another IMF loan. This, and the chaos that might follow if the Tahrir movement emerges in full, led to an almost 10% drop Sunday. Expectations are that the market may shut down again soon for an extended time.


• Oh yeah, China has an aircraft carrier now.


• If you thought the IDF Spokesperson twitter feed was obnoxiously one-sided, you haven't seen the Youtube channel. Amira Hass breaks down Israel's latest rather successful propaganda effort here.


• Does pornography degrade women? Well, that depends - is a woman's inherent value primarily in sex? No? Then what's the problem? More analysis here.


• On a similar note, this fox news commentator says that men have given up on marriage because feminism, but don't worry ladies, there's an answer. Quoting:
  
  

  Fortunately, there is good news: women have the power to turn everything around. All they have to do is surrender to their nature – their femininity – and let men surrender to theirs.

  
  
  I actually like this concept of surrendering to one's nature. She presumes, wrongly IMO, that one's nature is determined in a big way by one's sex, rather than one's inate talents and vocation, but perhaps there is a detente to be reached. How about we all work on surrendering to our natures, and the busybodies (left and right, religious and secular) stop making moronic, superstitious presumptions about where that nature leads us?
  
  As a side note .. I wonder if it occurs to the author that she's following the footsteps of the Islamic Republic of Iran?


• In the mood for charitable holiday giving? The bad news is that the Salvation Army - you know, the people with the buckets at every grocery store - are massively homophobic, and in all likelihood undeserving of your money. The good news is that Antiwar.com is running a pledge drive. Antiwar.com donations are tax-deductible, so give to Antiwar.com today!