Marcus Allen the Cat

Big trouble in little China- A large algae bloom covers approx 1/3 of the coastal waters designated for Olympic races.

The Chinese are taking action, though:

Media reports estimate that as many as 20,000 people have either volunteered or been ordered to participate in the operation, while 1,000 boats are scooping algae out of the Yellow Sea.

Hmmmm. I wonder about the ratio of “volunteers” : slave laborers conscripted at gunpoint to scoop up vile algae.

As they say down in Alabama, “Roll Tide!”

Fascinating article from NYT about the dying tradition of sworn virgins in Albania.

From the article:

By taking an oath of virginity, women could take on the role of men as head of the family, carry a weapon, own property and move freely.

They dressed like men and spent their lives in the company of other men, even though most kept their female given names. They were not ridiculed, but accepted in public life, even adulated. For some the choice was a way for a woman to assert her autonomy or to avoid an arranged marriage.

“Stripping off their sexuality by pledging to remain virgins was a way for these women in a male-dominated, segregated society to engage in public life,” said Linda Gusia, a professor of gender studies at the University of Pristina, in Kosovo. “It was about surviving in a world where men rule.”

Men can accept women as equals as long as you strip away all the sexy time business, eh? Sounds familiar to this cat.